This chapter is much shorter then my other ones.
Don't own Hunger Games.
Alto POV
I didn't get a wink of sleep last night, having just stared absently at one of the cameras I was able to find. I couldn't sleep, not after yesterday. I'm tired sure, but not as tired as I thought I'd be. I hope tonight I can get some sleep. Katniss slept well though, and that's enough for me.
When we're up and moving again, the first thing on the agenda is to find a source of water. We have less then a litter left, and our urine isn't looking too good. We continue to make our way the steady down hill slope. It doesn't seem to stop; I've been going deeper into this valley every single day, when does it end? Maybe there's a sink hole in the middle of it, I don't know, but it's starting to annoy me. I give an irritated growl.
"Oh calm down. I think we're almost at the bottom." She says.
"Good. This hill seemed to go forever."
"It did. Once we get there we need to look for water."
"Right. Animal tracks."
Only thing is that wrong is that we can't find any. There's no animal tracks to follow, no plants that indicate that water is near, and this valley goes on forever it seems. By mid afternoon, we've finally made it to the bottom of the valley, maybe now, we'll be able to find drinking water.
Few Hours Later
"Damn it! Where the hell's all the water!?"
I had walked what felt like the entire valley, and couldn't find a single drop of water. My head's starting to throb and hasn't stopped for awhile, my arms and legs are starting to hurt, I've had to take more brakes then I should. It's the same story for Katniss, though she's not as bad, the only symptom she has is a throbbing headache.
"There has to be water somewhere. What else would these animals drink?"
"It doesn't matter what they drink. we need water. Oh my bloody head." I rub it, then look to the sky. "Couldn't Haymitch send us some water? I'm sure he has the funds to give us a few gallons. He couldn't have spent it all on this tomahawk."
"I can't think of...hold on. It's a sign."
"A sign?" I ask.
"Yeah. He's not giving us water because we're close to it. We need to search more."
We walk deeper into the valley, and after awhile, out of nowhere, I start humming. I guess I'm so nervous and angry that my body is trying to take my mind off of it. It's a song I know well, one I learned when reading though some old history books that talked about North America, how it was before it fell apart. Apparently, the song was in a movie back then. I don't know its name, but I liked the song. It's a very short song, with only thirty-eight words. After awhile, the hum turns to words.
Home is behind the world ahead
And there are many paths to tread
Through shadow
To the edge of night
Until the stars are all alight
Mist and shadow
Cloud and shade
All shall fade
All shall...
Fade
I glance at Katniss, who's staring at me like she's seen a ghost. "I didn't know you could sing."
"I do on occasion." I rub the back of my head. "I'm not the best."
"You have a beautiful voice." She complements.
"Um, thanks. But I don't think it compares to your voice." My face is a little red from that.
"You've heard me sing? When was that? I've never sang for anyone but Prim." She states.
"You could say I was-"
Snap!
We stop dead in our tracks, weapons ready and quickly scan the area.
'Someone's here.' Is what my mind is telling me.
We take a good minute looking at everything in the area as we stay glued to the spot, looking for anything out if the ordinary, but we don't see anything indicating any human presence besides ours.
"Maybe it was just an animal." Katniss finally says.
"I think you're right." I say as I step forward.
And I'm hanging upside down in the air by my leg the next second.
"Watch it Katniss!"
Katniss jumps back just in time as a girl swings a knife at her. I take my own knife and quickly cut my leg free, falling and just barely dodging the other knife that was thrown at me. I quickly right myself and bring out my to tomahawk and knife. I catch a sword that's being wielded by a boy, unknown district. I throw his sword back and he jumps with the throw, not willing to stay close. I catch a glimpse of Katniss fighting that other girl, both using knifes.
Did he hear me sing? Oh to hell with it; what's done is done.
He charges me, stabbing at me, and I parry it with the knife. I throw the tomahawk down, but he steps to the side, then throws his sword out, disarming me of my knife.
'He's good.' I throw a fist into his face that connects, and he staggers back, but doesn't loose grip of the sword. He swings at my head, which I duck to dodge, but his sword comes in contact with the tip tomahawk and throws it out of my grip.
'Oh no.'
He swings again at my head, and since I'm kneeling I can't dodge. So I do the only thing I can; I lift my hands and catch the sword.
I grind my teeth at the now present pain in my palms, with the blade digging into my hands and all. I raise my leg and give a solid kick to his stomach. He roles back along with the sword as I pull my own sword and charge him while he rights himself. I can't say he was prepared. Once he was standing straight, I slash down on his chest, and he yells in pain at the open wound. I hit his sword with my own down, which pushes his upper body down and, using the momentum, role over his back. I'm on my feet on his other side, and in one swift movement, drive the sword into his chest. He gives a grunt, but that's it.
I pull my sword free, and his body drops limply to the ground.
Two cannons fire.
"Katniss?!" I shout. I can't see her anywhere. "Katniss?!
"I'm okay Alto!" She calls. "I'm heading to you!"
"Alright!" I drop the sword, the pain in my hands now finally getting to me. They're not gone, which is amazing. A clean cut was made on both of them, both now bleeding profusely.
Katniss shows up a second later from behind me.
"Are you alright?" I ask her. I think she is though because the only thing that looks different is her upheaved clothes.
"I'm fine. What about your hands? It looks like you tried tearing barb wire apart with them." She starts searching the boys body.
"I caught his sword. Would have lost my head if I hadn't."
"Lucky for you he had some bandages on him." She pulled them from his pocket. "And another full canteen."
"So Haymitch was giving us a-ow!" I yell as she pours what feels like cleaning alcohol on my hands.
"Hold still Alto. I'll have this wrapped up in a minute." She begins to carefully wrapping the gauze around my bloody and stinging hands.
"Thanks." I say when she's done.
"No problem. Now let's start moving."
I gather my weapons and we continue to make our way deeper into the valley in the direction the boy and girl had charged us. We don't go too far due to darkness coming in, that and the fight was a little more taxing then we thought I'd be. We decide against the sleeping bag and simply find a tree to sleep in, our bags on our backs. The only ones killed today was the boy and girl, district 10 and 4 respectively. Once over, we both fall asleep.
We wake a few hours later due to the scurrying below us. Animals of all kind are running for one reason or another. The first we register is the smell of smoke, then a roar.
We look behind us to find a wall of flames towering over us.
If you guys are wondering, the song is called "All Shall Fade"
