Greetings to you, readers of my humble story.
This is a very short chapter but it does have more Finnick and Peeta in it so I hope it can suffice until I have more time to write.
What did you think of the first Finnick sighting? Let me know so I can do a better job of capturing the characters.
Also, John is a genderbent Hunger Games character, guess who in the reviews below.
Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games characters, only what they do in the Six Swans tale.
Annie continued to work on the shirts. When the time came for her brothers to see her once more, she was puzzled as it passed and they didn't come.
She worried that something had happened to them. Did King Snow find them? Did a hunter shoot them down? Were they lost? Were they injured?
Annie worried all day as she worked on the yarn for a fourth shirt.
Just when Annie tried to lay down for some rest, she heard some swans calling out.
Immediately, she jumped up and ran down to the beach where she saw six swans flying about.
When they saw her, they landed on the beach quickly.
Annie held out hands in silent question of why they did not adopt their human form.
In response, one of them placed a belt down on the ground and fluttered around it.
Annie walked over curiously and gasped when she saw their likeness.
The belt had six broaches woven in a leather band, with strips of brown and dark green leather in a braid. Each one was a portrait of her brothers, from Haymitch to Rory.
The artist was quite skilled, he conveyed their love and protection and rendered a perfect likeness.
She held the belt close to her face and kissed it.
She then smiled at her brothers before tying on the belt.
Now she knew where they had gone, they had gone to the baker boy most likely and blessed her with a gift to sustain her through the tough times.
She ran and gathered her work. She showed them the three complete shirts and the yarn for the fourth one.
They flew around her and made swan calls again before flying off into the distance.
Annie realized as they left, she never got to tell them about Peeta or Finnick.
Her fourth year started like the others before it. She was working making cloth from yarn for the fourth shirt when she heard hoof beats.
Hoping it would be Finnick again, Annie ran to the edge of the woods to see.
It was him! Her face split into a wide grin.
She saw Finnick and Peeta riding on the beach again. Both of their faces troubled, as though they were suffering from being under pressure or from loneliness.
She watched silently from the edge of the woods as they entered the ocean.
Annie figured out that Finnick was teaching Peeta how to swim when Peeta took off his wooden leg and Finnick helped him hobble to the ocean.
She giggled internally as she saw them splash and dunk each other and smiled when she saw Peeta able to hold his own, swimming through the waves.
She noticed how Finnick didn't carry Peeta back to shore but instead acted as though he helped all his friends walk on one leg when they returned to shore. His behavior was so natural and friendly, that Annie knew his friends were a fortunate group.
They built a fire and relaxed around it. Finnick was tying knots and Peeta was drawing in the sand.
Soon, guilt seemed to enter Finnick's eyes and pain, Peeta's.
Annie then started to play some of her songs on her recorder. She knew it was risky, but she wanted to help them fully unwind, to keep the pain and guilt off their faces as long as she could. Her heart gave her no choice but to try to soothe them.
Annie made sure her song was barely audible at first, to make them think it was just the ocean and wind.
As she saw their eyes dropping, she played one of her lullabies a little louder.
Soon, both of them slumped down on the sand around the fire, fast asleep, worn out from the day, from the hardships of life, and lulled to sleep by the soft sounds.
Annie continued to play softly as she left the woods.
When she reached them, she held her breath and stopped playing but they did not stir.
Annie giggled inside. She had a wonderful idea and soon got to work.
Whenever they stirred, she stopped and played a soft song and they went back to sleep.
When Annie finished, she crept back to the woods, being sure to smooth out her tracks with a branch like she always did so, Snow could never find her.
She then played one of her happier songs a bit louder.
At one of the last high notes, Finnick awoke suddenly.
He sat up and looked around and paused when he saw her creation.
"Peeta, look at this!" He cried.
"What is it?" Peeta asked, sleepily until he saw it and his eyes popped open. "Oh"
For Annie had created a beautiful sandcastle, complete with a moat and towers. She decorated it with shells and feathers and broken bits of sea glass.
It was quite lovely and Peeta admired the artistry of it all.
Finnick laughed out loud when he saw her seaweed turtles surrounding it.
"Who could have made this?" Peeta wondered.
"I don't know...but clearly they meant us no harm, as they didn't wake us or take any of our things."
"Perhaps it was your mermaid friend." Peeta smiled.
Finnick winked. "Yes, perhaps it was she, for only a magical being could be so playful and sneaky."
Annie smiled when she saw the joy her creation had brought to his face.
She soon finished the fourth shirt, motivated her desire to see the same joy on her brothers' faces.
Whenever she felt the pain from the nettles, she thought of Finnick and his pain and guilt from battle and knew her pain was only physical, so she could endure it.
When the pain threatened to overwhelm her, she would play the songs she played for Finnick or walk along the beach in the tide and collect shells.
Next chapter, she and Finnick meet for real! Stay tuned!
