Morning comes, and Rue's collecting us water when I wake. I feel like my memory's a lot sharper than it had been yesterday, and I feel a lot less dazed. I actually feel normal again. With that mixed with my strategy-free conversation with Rue last night, I'm in the best mood I've been in in a long time. In the back of my head, the knowledge of Peeta's death lurks, but I ignore it the best I can; the longer I can stay numb to it, the better. I don't quite believe it yet, and I don't want to let it sink in until after the games are done. I can't lose my only happiness and hope now. If I've made it this far, I've got to keep going, and I can't get myself hung up on my emotions like I usually do. I feel stronger than ever, like this is my time to prove everyone in Panem wrong, to show my family and District 12 that I have more than it appears. I don't know how, but I feel like finally catching some fish will be a good start.

I end up catching three decent-sized fish. Rue and I eat them along with the last of the dried fruit, and drink our water. As we do I ask if anyone else has died.

"The girl from District 3, the boy from District 10, and… the boy from my district."

I figure Rue doesn't want to say his name, and I don't make her. I just nod solemnly. "The Careers might've gotten their revenge."

"Maybe."

It's quite for a minute. "So there are eight of us left," I say a little shakily. I shake my head and remind myself that today's going to be a good day. I've got to hold on to my hope.

"Yeah."

We finish eating, refill our water, then decide to spy on the Careers to see what they're up to.

"You lead. I'll do my best to follow," I tell Rue.

"I'll go slow. If you have trouble we can always go on the ground," she says.

"No, it's okay," I say as surely as I can. "I can do it."

Rue scrambles up the nearest tree and coaches me as I follow. I persist determinedly, wanting more than anything to get some sponsors.

Over the next hour I clumsily clamber from branch to branch, tree to tree, terrified out of my mind that I'm going to fall. I don't say this, and this is a good opportunity for me to practice controlling my facial expressions. I do the best I can to keep it blank and fearless. However I slip up a few times when I temporarily lose my balance or bend a branch with my weight.

"It's alright, it won't break. It's normal for the branches to give to your weight a little," Rue assures me after I let out a small yelp of alarm. I'm slightly disgruntled by my display of weakness, but quickly recover.

Then we hear voices. We both immediately freeze, exchange a look, and don't make a single sound. We're both crouched at the base of the thick branch near the trunk. Luckily the thick leaves are concealing us.

"Please! PLEASE!" a girl shrieks. A scream pierces the air, followed by collective cruel laughter, then running footsteps. The footsteps fade away quickly; the killers went the opposite way from us. I'm horrified, then when Rue looks at me I only then realize it's showing clear on my face.

"We have to help," I whisper. I pause, making sure no one else is around, then awkwardly slide down from the tree and run towards the girl lying on the ground. Rue follows.

"That's District 10," she says quietly. "We're the only ones left now besides the Careers."

I gasp in horror. "No! No, no, no, no, no. No. I'm saving her. She's still alive." I see her breathing shallowly. Her eyes flicker slightly open and look at me sadly. "It's okay, it's okay. I'll help you," I tell her. I know if I don't save her that this'll haunt me forever. I hurriedly examine her injuries, which aren't even too bad. Someone's stuck a knife in her thigh, but has just missed her femoral artery, which they'd obviously been aiming for; if they'd aimed correctly, the damage would be undoable in these circumstances. I could've made a tourniquet to prolong her life, but that wasn't helping her and it wouldn't have lasted her long, so it definitely would've been no help to us. But there it is, right there. A poorly-aimed stab. My hope. I knew all along today was a special day. It's time for my redemption. But not by killing- by saving. But will I be able to win solely by healing people? I wonder if I could somehow get an alliance with a Career by offering that kind of aid. A plan sparks in my mind of how I can get back to District 12, but then a problem finally encounters me. What about Rue?

I shake this thought and concentrate on helping the injured girl.

"Prim, they're going to come back! The cannon didn't go off!" Rue hisses urgently.

I look around, horrified. She's right. They haven't started coming back yet, but they will. We both manage to lift the girl and hurry away, as far and fast as we can.

"Hopefully," I huff, "the Careers will think they missed the cannon. They'll think she got lifted into the hovercraft."

"True," Rue puffs back, "hopefully you're right."

After about half an hour of running we get tired and decide it's safe for us to plop onto the ground. We lay there for a minute, letting our complaining muscles throb and breathing become even, then I get right to work before the girl really does die.

I get some leaves and hold them against her wound, applying constant pressure to impede her bleeding. It stops, but we need bandages. I grab some more fresh leaves and peel long, thin, stringy layers of wood from long sticks and use them to securely tie my make-shift bandage over the wound. My only concern is an infection, and I'm hoping I'm getting some sponsors even though I doubt I am.

"Can you stand?" I ask softly. The poor girl is covered in several scrapes and bruises, even some deep cuts which have ceased bleeding on their own. I'm worried about those getting infected, too. The Careers must've had fun chasing her, then torturing her after committing what they'd thought to be their last move that'd finish her off.

She nods weakly, and even though it's evident it pains her, she stumbles and positions herself into a stand, lopsided as she leans on her uninjured leg.

"You're so strong," I whisper to her, helping her back down into a sitting position against a tree. She's pale and looks faint from the loss of blood. I wish there was more I can do, but all I can think of is to get her to eat and drink a bit, then rest.

Rue and I carry her back to the cave, coax some berries and water into her, then let her rest. We can tell she's a fighter. I smile, glad that I'd been able to save her. Not just because we've gained a new ally, but also just because I've been able to do in this arena what I'm meant to do, what I never thought I could possibly do in The Hunger Games. Save a life.