Chapter 7
It takes us about four days to get out of the forest of thin trees with lines in them because it was kind of hard to get through them as easily as the other ones we've been in. There were times when there were a bunch of them and no matter how hard we pushed through they were just too strong, so we had to find a way around them. On the second day we ran into another bear, but it was black and white instead of just black or just brown. I've got to say that it actually looks more cuter than the other bears that I've seen before but it is still a predator that could harm us. And that's what it did. I was just happy that I had finished carving out my staff from that thick branch before we had seen the bear, though I had doubted that it would probably be any good against hundred pounds of muscles with teeth and claws.
Just like the brown bear when we were crossing the stream, when the black and white bear saw us he started coming for us. It was more agile in this tight forest of thin trees that it got to us rather quickly. Unfortunately Jaran was behind me when I had pushed Aster in front of me when we started running, which was obviously a bad mistake on my part. Whirling around to see the bear on top of Jaran I whacked the bear on the side of the head. I was originally aiming for the nose but it was too close to Jaran and I wasn't that good of a hitter. Roaring the black and white bear had stumbled back, shaking its head and glared at us with red eyes. I knew then that it, and maybe the other animals in this arena, were altered by the Gamemakers, making it harder to defend yourself the way you usually would if it was a real bear.
Jaran had quickly gotten up and away from the bear but his arm was hurt and bleeding. Angry I had stepped between the altered bear and Jaran and Aster. I didn't want to take the chance of Jaran getting hurt further and one swipe from the bear's paw would instantly kill Aster with her small body. Before the black and white bear could charge Jaran was able to throw the axe at it from behind me and hit the bear solidly on it's shoulder. The bear had reared up again with a roar of pain and I took the chance of piercing it right through the heart. I knew we had won but then it swiped at me when it fell dead on the ground, giving me a long scratch from the side of my forehead and ending at my jaw. I was so angry at the bear for hurting Jaran that when we decided to eat it I had made sure to burn the head till it was ashes.
What we didn't know was that the bear's claws were laced with poison. So on the morning of the third day my head really started to hurt till I could barely walk straight and Jaran's arm was burning as if it was on fire. Poor Aster worried over us. There was nothing she could do but try to keep us warm with the blankets, give us a little water from the bottles, and try to keep watch for us. The poison was slow and painful and I actually thought me and Jaran were going to die. Then a white parachute came down and landed in front of Aster. When she picked it up she said that there was a message from our mentor Vincent and some kind of liquid medicine and ointment. The message said to take the medicine and put ointment over our wounds because both were types of antidotes and that we should rest so that we would heal.
I really was touched by such an expensive gift that I actually felt a little teary. Me and Jaran had spent most of that day resting and then when we thought we could move on we slowly made our way west. On the fourth day me and Jaran were feeling much better and were able to cover the distance lost when we couldn't move. Thanks to Aster and Vincent we were able to live with our scars fading rapidly from the antidote ointment. During those four days only one other Tribute was killed leaving only eight of us left including me, Jaran, and Aster.
"Finally. Something familiar." I say in exasperation when we come to another stream and see a pine forest on the other side. Being more cautious I look up and down the seemingly calm stream for any of those long alligator creatures that we encountered when crossing from the oak forest. I tried out the water and this time it was only about as high to my waist and to the middle of Jaran and Aster's stomachs. The flow wasn't as fast as the last time so at least we wouldn't be pushed down stream. Repeating what we did at the other stream with our clothes we quickly make it across to the other side, feeling somewhat paranoid with the feeling of being watched. Though that was probably caused by Aster looking over her shoulder every now and then that got me a bit jumpy myself.
Once we were on the other side with our parkas back on and blankets wrapped around to keep us warm after our little wade through the stream we started to walk deeper into the all too familiar forest, yet at the same time it wasn't the same. As we walked I couldn't help but compare these pine trees to that of the ones in our District, touching the rough bark as we pass and inhaling deeply to smell its scent. Oddly I am suddenly reminded of the ridiculous costumes that Aylin and Mikeg made me and Jaran wear at the Tribute parade and I couldn't help smiling to myself.
"What are you smiling about, Zari?" Jaran asks. He was standing in front of me with Aster just a few feet ahead. I must have stopped while I still had my hand on a tree and the two of them noticed.
"I was just thinking about making a dress out of the pine needles so that we could give Ayline and Mikeg a good laugh." I say. Jaran smiles and shakes his head.
"Come on, we've got to make camp before dark. Remember, we're in the cold again." Jaran says linking his arm in mine and pulling me along.
"What are you talking about, it's always been cold in this frozen arena. Actually it should be snowing at this temperature." I say, ruffling his hair and then linking my other arm with Aster, who was looking around again and looking like a fidgety rabbit. "Okay Aster, seriously. Are you always this shy at home?"
Aster shakes her head. "N-no. I'm just worried that stronger Tributes would find us. Or the Careers..." She trails of in her sentence as she looks around the trees again. Me and Jaran look at one another and shrug our shoulders. I'm doing the best that I can to make her feel comforted with me and Jaran around but I don't know what else to do. I am also scared for a confrontation but I know that it's inevitable in the Hunger Games. Bluntly put, in order to win you've got to kill someone at least once or be killed yourself... okay I don't want to think about that until I have to.
We walk in silence for about an hour or two before we decide to stop. Me and Jaran feel a little tired from still trying to recover from the poison so we decide to climb up a tree and sleep in there instead of on the ground. After we set our things up in a tree Jaran helps me make some snares because in the time that we were weak from poison we only rationed what we had in the box of food I had in my bag and the saved meat from the weird bear. Now there were only a little bit left in the box and all the meat was gone. So after setting up the snares me, Jaran, and Aster spread out so that we could look for some berries that we could gather to eat for tonight and tomorrow we could check the traps.
When it started to get dark I called for Jaran and Aster to go back up the tree and wait for me. After gathering a few more berries from the bushes I was working on I had just turned around to go when I see something approaching me from my side. Pulling out my completed staff in a defensive stance I turn to confront whoever it was. In front of me is a silver wolf. I braced myself for an attack but as I looked closer at the wolf I could see something wasn't right with it when it wouldn't move any further. Cautiously I took one step towards it and then another, the whole time the wolf kept its eyes on me and mines on it. I noticed that this wolf's eyes wasn't red and looked like any other wolf. Maybe they had a mixture of natural animals and altered ones, I think.
It then lowers its head, pulls its ears back in submission, and that's when I notice that there's a broken arrow stuck on one of his back legs. Lowering my staff but still keeping it at a ready I walk slowly towards it until I'm standing so close to it that all the wolf would have to do is to stretch out his neck to touch my arm with his nose. He makes a kind of pitiful whine and tries to step away from me but nearly stumbles on his hurt leg. "It's okay. I won't hurt you. Just don't hurt me." I say as I slowly lower myself next to the wolf until I have one knee on the ground. The wolf looks back at me with its ears still flat against his head but doesn't move. Carefully I place my free hand around the arrow, ready to retreat if the wolf should show any sign of aggression, but all he did was look worriedly back at me, seemingly scared. I take a firmer grip on the arrow, still watching the wolf, and then pull it out in one swift movement and quickly moved back.
The wolf yelped and even twisted his body that his head nearly hit my arm. He was still slightly limping with his hurt leg but other than that he seemed happy as his tail started to sway slightly from side to side. With the blood flowing freely the wolf craned his head around to lick his wound. Relieved that he was going to be okay I back away a few feet and then turn around to go back to Jaran and Aster. Just as I had said they were waiting for me up in the tree we decided to stay in and they were already eating their share. "Hey, why are you two eating without me?" I tease as I start to climb up the tree and rest on a branch below them. The tree that we had picked out was perfect. It was tall and had sturdy branches with full bristles that could easily cover us from eyes and even keep some of the cold breeze at bay.
"What took you so long then, Zari." Aster said as she tossed me my share of food that was wrapped up in a small cloth. She's starting to call me that since Jaran's been saying it an awful lot. He might as well. He won't be saying it much after this. While I ate I told them about the injured wolf that found me. How it didn't attack me like the other animals that we've encountered and that maybe not all the animals placed in the arena were altered by the Gamemakers. Jaran was obviously fascinated by the fact that the wolf, an injured one, allowed me to be so close.
"Who knows why it didn't try to attack me. If it's fur was coated in poison then we'll know in the morning." I say. After a few minutes of silence the anthem came on and showed one Tribute that died today. Now there's just us and the Careers. All of a sudden the lone wolf howl that we've been hearing pierces through the dark really close to us. In the dim darkness I look up at Jaran and Aster on the branch above me. "Try to get some sleep. We'll all need it for whatever tomorrow will bring." I say, concluding that the wolf was probably saying thank you for saving it but it will start hunting us now. Aster tosses me my blanket and I relax to sleep while Jaran and Aster rest on separate branches wrapped up in their own blankets after putting our stuff away in the sleeping back that I put in front of me.
I was so tired last night that I wake up when the sun was already up, yawning groggily as I try to remember that I'm in a tree and shouldn't move too much or else I'd fall. Rubbing my eyes I look up to see Jaran was just about waking up. Smiling I then look for the branch that Aster was supposed to be. She was not there. Leaning forward and away from the tree I try to look through the pine needles to see if I can spot her. Then I look down and see, lieing at the base of the tree, the wolf from last night. As if sensing my eyes on him he looked up at me and gave me a kind of wolf smile as his tail starts to wag.
"Hey Zari, is that the wolf from last night?" Jaran suddenly asks beside me. I didn't even hear him move next to me so I nearly fall out of the tree with his sudden appearance. Nodding I carefully pick my way down while watching the wolf below, Jaran following curiously behind me. "How was Aster able to make it past him?"
I shrugged. "Maybe he wasn't there when she had to go down?" When me and Jaran reached the last branch we waited to see what the wolf would do now that we were closer. Seeing that he was no threat, for now, I jump down first. Once my feet touched the ground the wolf was already at my side with his head down as he began to sniff me, then he lifted his head to look at me with a whine as he started pawing my leg.
So that's the reason why he's being so friendly. He's hungry. "Don't just sit there laughing. come down here so that he could nibble at you while I look for food and Aster." I say to a giggling Jaran. When he was on the ground the wolf repeated what he did to me to Jaran. As I watch the wolf interact with my brother I remember the first time we met Vincent and how my first impression of him was of a wolf. "Come on, let's see if our snares caught anything. Maybe Aster is checking on them for us." I say as I start to walk away after getting my bag from Jaran.
Pulling himself away from the wolf Jaran follows next to me with the wolf sniffing at our heels and whining every now and then. He's like a pup in an adult's body. No fear but not so open. Reaching the hiding spot of one snare me and Jaran are glad to see that we caught a good sized rabbit.
"I hope that our other snares have caught something, then we can give the other rabbit to the wolf." Jaran says as he takes the rabbit from the snare while I try to hold back the wolf from trying to get at our catch.
"If you're going to stay with us you'd better wait your turn." I say firmly and tapped the wolf on the nose. He instantly pulled back with a sneeze and put his ears down. "Now where's Aster?" Not seeing her,anywhere I try to hide the slight panic in my voice.
"I-I'm here." Aster pants out as she comes from out of nowhere and sounding as if she ran a distance to get back to us.
"Aster, where did you go?" I said as I folded my arms. She really needs to stop disappearing like that.
"I was, um, I was just at the snares, and I, uh, found a few rabbits and a squirrel stuck in them." She said and held up two rabbits and the squirrel. She still seemed to be a bit jumpy but other than that at least she was okay. Jaran obviously thought that we had enough to eat so he threw the single rabbit to the wolf who was waiting patiently beside us. Only then did Aster noticed him as she jumped back with a surprised shout. "Th-th-there's a wolf next to you!" She said freaking out. I gave the wolf a slightly bored look. "I-is that the wolf you helped?" She asked after I had given her a moment to think.
"Yup, and it's been following us since this morning. Didn't you see him when you climbed down from the tree this morning? He looked like he was there mornings he sun even came ip." I said. Aster shook her head but she didn't seem frightened of him anymore at least and was breathing normally. As the wolf ate his rabbit I went about cooking our breakfast with one of the rabbits and the squirrel, saving the other one for lunch or dinner.
During the rest of the day we walked aimlessly around the forest, keeping ourselves warm with the simple exercise while looking out for any sign of danger or other Tributes. I was hoping that the wolf would get bored of wandering around with us or leave because we were not paying attention to it. But he stayed, only going off on his own every now and again to probably hunt something because he came back one time with a bird in his mouth.
In the afternoon while we were resting we started to hear the wolf growling. At first I thought he was about to attack so I stood up to face him, but he wasn't growling at me. All three of us looked in the direction where the wolf was indicating but we couldn't see anyone or anything.
"No. They're here. They shouldn't be. Not yet." Aster said as she started to back away, her eye darting in every direction. "They lied to me." Hearing what Aster had just said I whirl around to look at her.
"What do you mean 'not yet'?" I ask her while still keeping an eye in the direction that the wolf was growling. I'm starting to think him more reliable than the girl before me. Aster looked at me with so many emotions running across her face. Fear. Anger. Worry. Shock. Her breathing even sped up to the point that she sounded as if she couldn't sanymore enough air. Then all of a sudden Aster broke down into tears, her legs shaking as they tried to keep her standing.
"Azaria. I'm so sorry. You and Jaran have been kind to me all this time." Aster says, collapsing to her knees and looking at me with tears in her eyes.
"What is it, Aster?" I ask. I already have an idea of what she's talking about.
"Before I met you and Jaran the Careers came to me one time during training. They already knew that you and your brother were hiding your real talents so that you could appear harmless. They just played along with it. Especially you, Azaria. They could see it in your eyes. How determined you were to protect Jaran. They knew that you couldn't have that much confidence with insuring your brother's victory without hiding something that could prevent them from winning. From the start they already saw you as a threat." Aster sobbed
"So, your timidness was an attempt to make us think you really just wanted to be with us?" I ask, kind of surprised that I sounded so calm when I'm having mixed emotions right now. Anger at myself for not listening to myself and to Vincent. Pity for the young girl that was used for selfish gain. Frustration for not seeing the signs of betrayal sooner. Her disappearances, her jumpy reactions, the worrying looks over her shoulder.
Aster shook her head. "No. I have always been shy, but not as much when I approached you from the first time we met. I was scared and the Careers were threatening me. They wanted someone to ally with you in the arena so that they can know what you can do. They said that they would not pursue us if I did what they told me to do. And they haven't. Those other Tributes were just coincidences. but I've been telling them about you. Everything that you've told and showed me." Aster chocked back a sob. "From when we first met I already knew you were suspicious of me and my intentions and was hoping that you would turn me away, but at the same time I wanted you to accept me. Even though you didn't know me you cared for me like my brothers and sisters would, you protected me. And I betrayed you."
"Told ya she would blab. She's too weak to do even the simplest of instructions." Said a voice that came from behind a tree. I was immediately on my feet inserting myself between Jaran and Aster and the Careers as they stepped out from behind their hiding spots. One by one they started to close in, flashing their weapons as they tried to surround us. Moving back I kicked Aster to her feet and told her to get up and keep moving back. If the the Careers manage to get around to my back then our chances of escape will be nearly impossible even if there was only three of them. The male Tributes of 1, 2, and 4.
"Get out of the way, 7. We're not here for you. Yet." said another Career Tribute.
"So why don't you run along for now. It won't be that much fun hunting you when you're trying to protect your little traitor." Said the first one.
"Then again, we could just kill all of you right now if you wish." Said the third Tribute.
As I look at each of them I know that I could probably hold my own against one of them, but not all. 'Maybe we can try to at least outrun them.' It was probably the weakest idea I've ever had, but it was something. However, before I could even whisper my instructions to the two kids beside me an arrow from behind digs itself into Aster's side. Acting fast I instantly spring into action as I quickly pick up Aster, thankful that she's light, and start sprinting away from the Career Trubutes, Jaran not too far behind with the wolf easily keeping pace next to him. I may be faster than the Careers but with the extra weight of Aster on my shoulders it slowed me down a little.
Because the Career are more better rested than we are they start to gain on us. I was about to make a turn to try to take them through the thick undergrowth but an arrow hits a tree close to my head that I makes me change my mind. Hearing someone skidding to a stop behind me I take a quick glance around to see that the wolf had turned the other way. Teeth bared and snarling with aggression he charged at the group of four Tributes and attacked the one with the bow, her teammates stopping momentarily to try and get the wolf off of her. Turning back around in time to not crash into a tree I send a sorrowful thank you to the wolf, already knowing that we weren't going to see him again. Even though it was short he was a good friend to the end.
As me and Jaran run for our lives I try to run more smoothly so that I wouldn't aggravate Aster's wound any further, but that was kinda hard to do when you're running on the uneven grounds of a forest. Along with her groans of pain she's also crying at my back to put her down. "Leave me, Azaria. I'm going to die anyway." I didn't say anything. "Azaria, please. Put me down. I really am sorry I betrayed you. Leave me so that they can kill me and you and Jaran could get away for a-"
"Stop acting like that. Now be quiet or they'll hear you." I say. Not wanting to think about anything until we can find a place to rest I keep my mind somewhat blank as we pass the trees, the familiarity of them is a bit calming. But Aster persisted in talking.
"When you and Jaran were suffering from the poison and your mentor sent you those antidotes there was anothing thing in the message that I didn't tell you. He said to remember what he said about your allies. He was trying to clue you in that I was a threat to your survival. Also when we were sleeping in the tree last night a parachute came for you, giving you another warning about me and I took it before it could wake you up. Then after that I went to go find the Careers..." I knew what Aster was trying to do by telling me all these things but I still wouldn't put her down even though she was revealing every act that she had done against us. In the back of my mind I couldn't help but notice that this was the first time that me and Jaran has ever heard her talk too much without nearly stuttering with her soft voice, but her voice was beginning to grow weaker. Aster's right about her dying soon, but despite what she did to me and Jaran I couldn't find it in myself to leave her to the very Tributes that had intimidated her into doing what she did. She didn't deserve that. She is young and was easily cowed by the Career's show of force and the promise that she would not be harmed.
Finally me and Jaran collapse near a clearing that I could see through the trees. Panting heavily I turn my head this way and that, trying to see if I could catch a glimpse of any of the Careers if they were able to follow us this far. Now I really did wish that the wolf was still with us, but he saved us from the Careers and was most likely dead by now. Aster's whimper of pain brought me back from my thoughts and I bend over her wound. Because the arrow was sticking out on both sides of Aster's front and back she was laying on the ground awkwardly on her side while trying to keep still.
"This is going to hurt, but try to keep from screaming." I say as I start to break off back end of the arrow. Even though I didn't give her much of a warning Aster shuts her eyes tight against the pain and bites down on her arm, her scream muffled by her parka sleeve. Just as quickly as I had broken the back end I then yanked out the front part of the arrow out of her body. I didn't mean to cause her more pain just by doing that but the arrow was at least finally out. Taking out a blanket from my bag I use her parka jacket to tie up her wound and then wrapped the blanket around her to keep her warm. "Jaran, you stay with her. Don't worry, I'll be right back." I say as I get up and start walking away.
I of course don't walk too far because it was starting to grow dark, but I wanted to have a little time alone. While I lean my back against a tree I absentmindedly stare in the direction from where we came from, half expecting to see the Careers coming our way but hoping that the wolf had done enough damage to them to keep them away for tonight. Then I look towards where Jaran is looking after Aster. What am I doing? I know I should be mad at her, but that's not how I feel right now. I probably should have left her there, but I didn't. Now that I think of it I feel somewhat relieved that she's not dying by my hands. I really don't know what else I'm doing just standing around so I collect some wood for fire and return to Jaran and Aster.
As I took my turn to watch Aster Jran goes off to see if he could find something that we could eat for tonight. I wanted to save the last rabbit for our breakfast tomorrow. Me and Jaran are going to need our strenght for when we face the Careers. From dusk til it was fully dark I hold Aster as both me and Jaran try to keep her warm as her life starts to fade. Before she left she weakly said her goodbyes to us and asked us to tell her family that she was sorry for what she had done to us and to tell them she loved them. In the night the single sound of the cannon marked her death. Promising to do as she asked me and Jaran took her body and we lay it in the middle of the clearing so that the Capitol people could take her. Once they were gone me and Jaran said nothing as we settled down to sleep, knowing that tomorrow will give us the opportunity to avenge her death.
The next morning we're awakened by the slightest rustling noise. We didn't use the sleeping bag because we wanted to be up and ready if the Careers were to find us when we slept. With my staff in my hands, the knife in Jaran's, and the axe between us we start to back up towards the clearing where it will be easier to fight them. While Jaran keeps an eye out for them I look around the clearing for a place that Jaran could at least hide in. On the edge of the clearing slightly behind me off to my right there is a large bush that is covered by an overhanging branch full of pine needles.
"Jaran, I want you hide in there, or maybe up one of those trees. I don't want you on the ground when they arrive." I say to Jaran as I point to the bushes.
Jaran looks at me with a small glare and shakes his head. "No. I'm staying with you, Zari." he said. "You can't fight them alone. I can help. You know I can."
"I do know. But if you're really going to help me you can wait out of the way and watch my back. You have better aim than me and can throw the knife and the axe well enough." I quickly look back to the trees and can hear them coming closer. I needed to get him out of sight. "There are only four of them, three if the wolf was able to kill one. If you could take out two of them then that would be enough for me. Please go, I wouldn't be able to live with myself if anything happened to you." I was just about ready to shove him away when he finally starts to move in the direction that I want him to go, sad defiance in his eyes.
"You will live with it whether you like it or not. Just be carefull Azaria." Jaran quickly moves back to me and hugs me tight.
I briefly hug him back, kissing him on the top of his head, and then put my angel necklace around his neck. "Stay safe. Go." As Jaran runs for cover he disappears from sight just as the Careers comes into view. At least our wolf friend was able to kill the one who shot Aster and injure two of the three Career Tributes.
Standing in the middle of the small clearing I have my staff casually at my side in a relaxed way yet ready for anything. Like Vincent I try to make myself seem like I wouldn't put up much of a fight, but it doesn't really work much. They already know I would do anything for Jaran. How can I even it out when there's three trained Tributes against one?
"Alone are you? Azaria, was it?" Said the one Tribute that seems to be the leader.
"Where's that little twig brother of yours?" Another one asks while the third one starts looking at the trees. Fear grips me for a moment when I think that one of them might be able to spot jaran's hiding place.
"He's in one of those trees, isn't he." The third one said, a cocky smile spreading across his face when my hard gaze shifts from their leader to him. Honestly I'm not sure myself how Jaran chose to hide, either he's in the clump of tall bushes or up in a tree. Either way, if any of them found where he was hiding he wouldn't stand a chance against them.
"it doesn't matter, Slyde. We're going to kill them today anyway." Their leader said. Satisfied with that answer all three of them started to advance on me.
"Now wait a moment. Why be hasty?" I said, stalling somewhat so that I could think of something. For a moment they stopped to listen, but I can see that they were impatient to kill me and Jaran.
"What do you want, 7?" The second Tribute demanded.
I wracked my brain for any kind of idea to get me on even ground with them and this was all I could think of. "Instead of all of you killing me off at once, how much more fun would it be for each of you to fight me one on one." At this point I was thinking myself crazy but it at least it gives them the appearance of having the advantage. Luckily their arrogance blinds their sense of rationality and instantly agree after I had explained to them that if the first one of them didn't kill me then there's the possibility of the other one finishing me off. I just hope that my skills with a staff is enough to get me through at least two of them so that Jaran could finish up the last one.
"How about you go first, Heath. You're always so impatient to kill someone." The Tribute boy named Slyde said to the second Tribute.
"Will do." Heath said as he stepped forward holding a large wicked-looking axe, eyeing my staff as it were a toothpick. It might as well be against a large axe that is much bigger than the one I was able to get at the Cornucopia. When he was ready he rushed at me, axe pulled back and ready to strike. I hold my ground until I'm sure of how he was going to swing that thing. When he's close enough to hit me he switches from a sideways attack for an overhead slash. Because the pole of the axe was kind of long I brought my staff up horizontally in a defensive position and just managed to stop the axe by inserting the thicker part of my staff just under the blade. There was a lot of force behind the attack and it nearly made my arms give in protest. Seeing that I'm stuck in my defensive position Heath starts to put more pressure on his axe, using almost all of weight to give him the added strength he needed. Then suddenly, before my arms could give from under all that pressure, I fall back into a roll and take Heath with me to the ground.
Not expecting what I had done Heath tumbled freely over me as I kicked him over my head. Getting up quick before he did I whirled around blindly with my staff in an attempt to at least hit him somewhere. I hit him in the head, the wood making a large smacking sound against Heath's head. Growling in anger as he held his hand to his head Heath lunged at me with his axe for a side slash. He was too close and knicked me on the arm, but because he put all his effort into that swing he left himself open for the sharp point of my staff to spear him through the heart. The sound of a cannon goes off just as his body hits the ground.
I don't have time however to take a breath when Slyde comes at me all of a sudden with a sword in hand. He was aiming for my face and I probably would have died if I hadn't stopped the sword by reflex with my staff. Withdrawing his sword he then started to slashed at me again from a different angles, trying to injure me in anyway he can. After several unsucessful blows he finally swipes at my tigh. It wasn't deep but it was long and it really hurt as I collapse onto my knee. That moment of distraction was all that Slyde needed to kill me, and he would've it it wasn't for the axe at his throat that Jaran had thrown. Another cannon explodes.
I was expecting him to still be hidden but I couldn't help to look around the clearing. Then I saw him standing several feet in front of the treeline and in plain sight. The last Career Tribute, the leader was obviously not happy and started running for Jaran. Pushing myself to my feet I somehow manage to tackle him to the ground, yelling for Jaran to run away. He did at first when he saw the leader coming for him, but I didn't know if he came back or not. Fighting down the pain in my arm and leg I try to hold down the male Tribute, but he was much stronger than me. Once he got a good hold on me he rolled us over so that he was sitting on my stomach, his weight forcing the air out of me, and wrapped his hands around my neck. Instinctively my hands grab onto his wrist in a futile effort to relieve the crushing grip on my neck.
Once again I actually thought I was going to die when all of a sudden the male Tribute jerks and cries out in pain. Coughing air back into my lungs I push him off of me and roll away from him. The knife that I gave Jaran was embedded deep into the Career Tribute's back. He then turned hatred fill eyes to Jaran, removing the knife from his back and holding it in the reverse palm hold he starts going for Jaran as he disappears back into the trees. Quickly finding my staff close by to me I grip it in my hands, take aim, and put everything I got as I threw my staff at the male Tribute sharp end first. In training I was okay but not that good at javalin throwing, but I was able to hit my mark as I had hoped. My self made staff impaled the Career Tribute entering to the back and out his front. He stood still for a moment and then fell to the ground.
The cannon explodes.
Sighing in relief I collapse on the blood soaked ground, placing my hand on one of my wounds but caring less about that as I scan the area. The last remaining Tributes are dead, laying before me where they were cut down. Once again, that's not what was on my mind.
"Jaran." I say tiredly. Nothing. I probably wasn't loud enough. "Jaran, it's safe now. It's just us." I say more loudly. Jaran immediately came out from his hiding place and ran to me, tear tracks already marking his face while more still came.
"Azaria!" He shouts as he throws himself at me instead of being gentle with my wounds. And despite the pain I am happy he did, I needed to feel him in my arms. Safe, alive, and strong. "Azaria, don't worry, you're going to be fine. We can heal you up." Jaran says. He knows what I plan to do and doesn't want it that way. He tries to to put his hands on my arm to cover a bloody slash but I move them away and catch them in mine.
"Jaran, I need you to do something for me. Please." I say to him. I know this might hurt him, even traumatize him, but I needed him to do it. And from the look on his face he already knew as he shook his head, but I ignored him. "Take his dagger and press it here." I press my palm over my heart. I stare at Jaran, holding his gaze, but he turns away as tears start pouring out of his eyes again. "Please Jaran. I hate it when I see you cry." I say, trying to get him to stop. I hug him to me again and he wraps his arms around my neck.
"I don't want to, Azaria. You're my big sister." He says.
"I know. That's why only you can do this." I pick up the dagger that I had pointed to earlier, the one that was hidden in Slyde's pocket, and hand it to Jaran. I half expected him to throw it away or hand it back to me, but he keeps it. Stares at it. Then finally, after a few moments, he slowly nods his head and looks up to me.
My heart nearly stops as his expression changed from sorrow to horror as he stares wide eyed behind me. Forcing myself to move I grab the dagger from Jaran's hands and whirl around to face our attacker. The leader Tribute that I thought was dead. Half of me felt relieved because he was aiming for me and half of me felt anger because he just won't die. He was somehow able to get the axe from Heath and I barely managed to block his axe with my dagger, earning myself a cut on my shoulder, yet somehow I hold it there. Shifting my weight slightly I try to kick at him. Unfortunately he sees what I was going to do and swiftly moves out of range, jumping back and preparing for another strike. For a few seconds we glare each other down. If my legs weren't straining to hold me up I would have charged him as he rushed me, but I held my ground as I looked for a good spot to end him.
"I love you, Jaran." I say loud enough for both to hear as I prepare myself for the final blow. Saving Jaran was going to be my gift to him, the least I could do was deliver the first fatal blow. When I was within swinging distance of his axe I stepped forward, faster than I had intended, with my dagger trained to his heart. Because I had moved closer to him the pole of the axe bruised my side. After that he could have pulled back, taken one good swing at me, if he was desperate enough, and I wouldn't have stopped him because before he could get to Jaran he would've been dead.
But that was the problem. His axe was stuck.
In someone else.
