I haven't gotten a lot of reviews on this... I'd like some before I continue, because I love constructive criticism. Please?


"Breia."

The slender girl stood a few feet in front of me, backpack slung over her shoulder, with a knife resting in her hand. Her dark hair was tied up in a ponytail, but some of the shorter strands were sticking to her forehead with sweat. She'd been running.

"I saw what happened at the Bloodbath. With you and Kayden."

"Yeah?" My slingshot was loaded, but it was a long distance weapon. She'd have her knife in my gut before I could shoot her. I can tell she already knows this. Resigned, I lower my arm. "What do you want?"

Breia grinned. "I'm not going to kill you, Karalynn." She leaned forward conspiratorially, like she had a great secret to tell me. "We'll both survive longer as allies."

I lock eyes with her while I think. She's smarter than I am, that much is obvious. She could stab me in the back as soon as I turn around. Then, does it matter? I doubt I'll be going home. Not without Kayden. Besides, I have the extra gear. And an alliance is the best way to survive.

"Fine. But we're going to find Kayden." The words are out of my mouth before I know what I'm saying. Breia looks at me, almost sadly. "I remember what you said at the interview. We'll try and find him, okay? But it may not be that great of an idea."

I sighed. "We'll see." Slipping the rock out of my slingshot, I indicate my supplies. "Food and first aid stuff. Some water. I'm going to practice with the sword some, that was for Kayden. Are you any good with the knife?"

"Not bad. But they're expecting us to come out and fight, right?"

I look at the other girl, confused. She grins at me.

"We're going to outsmart them. Between you and me? It's the only way Three ever wins, and you're going to need someone watching your back. Your entire plan for the arena centered around having your brother, didn't it?"

An alliance with Breia seems smarter every word she says.


The next half a day is quiet. We pool our supplies and talk strategy, but mostly Breia sits against a tree thinking while I practice with the sword. It's too heavy for either of us, really, so I hope my slingshot and her knife- and whatever she's planning- can keep us alive.

It's afternoon when we decide to start moving. It's chilly, a breeze that doesn't seem like much until you're walking through it for a while. The thin jacket doesn't do much to help.

We find ourselves making small talk as we trek through the woods. I tell Breia about Kayden, about Meghana, a little about my friends. Not much, just enough to keep a conversation going. I don't want to tell her everything, because then all of Panem will know. We tell funny stories from before the Games. And I learn more about my ally.

Her name is Breia Watson. She's fourteen, just a year younger than me. Her little sister died a few years ago after being ill. I guess she understands losing a sibling. As I suspected during training, she's easily the smartest person I've ever met. Typical District Three.

We're headed towards the faint sound of running water I heard earlier. It turns out to be a small, fast-moving river.

"We should cross. Some Tributes, at least, will want to stay on one side of the river." Breia nods, and we make our way towards a thinner part of the water.

Our mistake is obvious right as I step in the water. It's freezing, first of all, but also very fast. I'm swept off my feet, pulled along by the water that I don't know how to fight against. My backpack is jammed against my shoulder, the sword digging into my leg through my pants, and then I hit a rock.

My vision goes red, then black. Breia tells me later that she ran alongside me, pulling me out of the freezing water after I fell unconscious. I had been carrying most of the supplies. Luckily, we didn't lose any food. I did lose the sling.

We cross the river in a safer, slower place. It's dangerous, but that makes it good protection. Setting up camp on the other side, I slump against a tree to examine my wounds.

My head is pounding, but it's starting to feel better. My shoulder and back are bruised up from the rocks, and my leg is bleeding a little where the sword dug into it. I'm lucky it's not worse, really. But it's enough to slow us down.

From then on, it's slow. Breia is planning something, and tells me to take a nap when I mention how badly my head hurts. As I curl up under the trees, I wonder for a moment why Breia chose me. Why we're trusting each other.

I wonder where Kayden is.

Then I succumb to sleep.