Author's Note: Thanks to xBildenxSiexLachelnx (I did notice when I was looking at other ones. I always thought that was a little odd) for reviewing the last chapter! I own nothing from the Hunger Games that you recognize
Chapter IX- Foxface
Cato is the first to recover from the tracker jacker poison and his hold on me loosens, allowing me to squirm free before he wakes. Clove comes around next, not because she's been stung less than Marvel but because she succumbed to the poison first. Marvel comes around and sunset. None of them leave to hunt tributes. Instead they gather their strength to hunt at first light. Neither Clove nor Marvel acknowledge me with more than a glare and though Cato lets me linger close to him for protection he doesn't acknowledge me in any way. It's like I have suddenly become invisible and I'm loving every minute of it.
When the sun finally rises again they eat and gather their weapons. That's when the smoke rises up. Someone has set a fire with green wood not far from the Career's camp. They immediately gather their weapons and go to investigate. This is the moment where I envy them because they are confidant that they are going to win whatever fight they head into regardless of whether it is a trap or not. I consider who is left that would do such a thing. Not the girl from District 5; she's far too clever to try something like that. Not Peeta either is he is as gravely injured as Cato says. Thresh has been hiding in the tall grass and hasn't been seen since the beginning which counts him out. That lives Rue (the little girl from 11), the boy from District 10 with the bad leg, and Katniss who, as far as I know, is not going to do something that stupid.
As if to prove my deduction right the girl from 5 bounds out to the Career supply pile, offering me a nervous smile. I give her one of my own and then glance toward the smoke again. That's when I see her; just a small shift of a figure in tribute clothing. "Fire Girl?" The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them. To my surprise she stands up slowly and it really is Katniss Everdeen from District 12. Both the girl from 5 and I stare.
"Tahlia right?" she asks me and I manage a tentative nod, not sure whether she is going to kill me or talk to me. "The area is mined right?"
"Yes," I say, glancing around me warily. She studies us both and we both look away. Finally she nods, seeming to make up her mind.
"Foxface, Tahlia," she tells us and I blink. Foxface? Is that the girl from 5's real name? I doubt it. "I'm going to use those apples to explode the mines and hopefully destroy the Career's food. You might want to leave."
"It won't work," I tell her in a rush as she knocks an arrow. "I set the mines too well for that." I hesitate as Katniss' face falls. "I could rewire a few quickly and then you could set it off." She nods. Foxface and Katniss help me dig up a few mines and watch as I rewire them to set off every other one, placing them near the supplies. With the Career's supplies gone we might all stand a chance. Then Foxface and I flee into the edge of the woods while Katniss stands a good distance back and shoots. Three arrows is all it takes to blow the supplies sky high.
Katniss vanishes into the shadows of the woods but Foxface pulls me back out into the open. "Look," she says gleefully. "It's all gone." I grin and she grins back just as the stick snaps. Our heads turn and I see Cato staring at us. It suddenly feels like a ball of lead has dropped into my stomach. "Run," Foxface squeals and jerks me after her into the woods.
We sprint and then slow, weaving from tree to tree and always glance behind us. Finally we pause for a moment and I sink to the ground, gasping for breath. When I look up I see that Foxface is already leaving me. "Hey Foxface," I yell. "Wait up!" She turns back to me, giving me a strange look.
"What did you call me?" she asks.
"Foxface," I repeat. "Katniss called you that and I don't know your real name." I pause for a moment. "I think it was a compliment."
She giggles then. "Me too. It means Fire Girl thinks I'm clever." She pauses and then says. "My name is Finch."
"Tahlia," I reply. We study each other for a moment as if unsure what to do. "Do you want to be allies?" I ask finally.
For a moment I think she's going to say no and I'm going to be on my own. Then she smiles widely and says, "Sure." I grin back and she motions for me to follow her. As we slip into the woods I can't keep the grin off my face. I have finally found another person in the Hunger Games that I can trust. My grin falls then as another thought hits me. What if she has the same luck as Glimmer? I quickly shake that thought away. Until today no one had seen Finch since the blood bath besides me. We were going to make it to the final four just fine and if Katniss killed us then, well at least she'd make it quick.