That evening it was revealed that one tribute had been killed that day due to the banquet, and both Niles and Daphne knew they were one step closer to the end of these games.
Daphne tried not to think about what would happen to them next. Like every Hunger Games, she knew that soon there would be a final deadly event that would befall each and every final tribute, one that would finish off most if not all of the remaining competitors until a victor was declared.
She and Niles went along with their daily routines: staying away from tributes, getting water and food when they needed it, and keeping warm. This lasted for a day and a half with no cannons and no big events. It was obvious to both of them that the Gamemakers were looking to see if the players would wrap up the games on their own or if they would have to do it themselves.
Two days after the banquet, it began.
It was afternoon, and Niles and Daphne were sitting down in the snow by their fire, not knowing what else to do when it began to snow softly, and they brushed it off nonchalantly. Soon after, a cold wind began to pick up through the trees and both it and the snow got heavier and heavier, and as it did Niles reached over and grabbed Daphne's hand. At that moment they knew what this was, and they grabbed their things and got to their feet immediately.
Soon everything became white and extremely cold, and they could not move. They stayed rooted to the spot and clenched their freezing hands together. Both said nothing, but they could practically hear the other's heart pounding, and they knew there was nothing they could do about it.
Worry and dread consumed them and they felt open and unprotected, defenseless and weak. Niles worried about what would happen to Daphne if someone were to attack them, and Daphne herself worried about both of them. If she died now, Niles was likely to die as well.
When both thought they had reached the climax of their misfortune, the rains started. It came slowly at first like a normal shower, and then it began to race at them with all the power of the wind. It came like water then froze like ice to their skin and clothes. It stung like small pebbles being thrown against them repeatedly. They could hear it on the trees and on the top of the snow, they could hear it on the tops of the their heads and on the tips of their boots. At the very top of it all was Daphne's sharp scream hitting the air, and Niles panicked, not knowing if she was being hurt or if the horror of all of this was getting to her. He could only take her and wrap her in his arms, trying to protect her from her fears. The rain, the snow and the wind kept up for what seemed like hours to them, and Daphne cried loudly and shamelessly within Niles' embrace. He himself could feel his eyes start to get wet.
Knowing nothing else to do, he swore to her that everything was almost over. "Everything will be okay," he said over and over again. "Everything will be okay."
Daphne went back to when she had said goodbye to her family so long ago, before any of this hell had ever started. All she had wanted was someone to tell her that everything would be okay. Niles was speaking to her soul, and deep inside she suddenly felt better.
She stopped crying.
Slamming her eyes shut, she tried to imagine a time when she was warm, warm and happy, and she went back to when she had laid in the colorful wildflowers for so long. Then she imagined Niles there with her and never had she felt more wonderful.
When she opened her eyes, everything had stopped and the sun was shining. The snow was above their knees and it had drops of ice covering it, but they were alive and they were free.
They heard two cannons and knew that it was them and one other person left, but they did not spend time dwelling on that at the moment.
Niles and Daphne started laughing and hugged violently, knowing they had survived but that they had a tumultuous road ahead of them.