"When the breeze picks up and the noise dies down,

Once you've danced with every girl in the town,

You lie on your back on a boat on the sea,

And you sing out your joy that you're free!"

Felix's eyebrow stretched up to meet his hairline. "A sailing song? You're not from Four!"

Alistair grinned. "How astute of you."

Felix couldn't help but to grin back. The pair had been reunited promptly after Ali's cliff jumping phase. At first Felix hadn't believed him, but after seeing the anti-grav pick up half of the forest, he could easily imagine Alistair mucking around in it. The pair was close, really great friends. Felix really wished that they had both lived in the same District back home. They had only gotten closer after Rye had left. Felix's lips tightened. Rye…He knew why Rye had left. He was too close to them. The guy wasn't used to being close to people, physically or emotionally, and the idea of eventually having to kill them, or watch them die, after killing Connor, had been too much for him. Felix understood. He'd felt the same things, but he had known he wouldn't be able to leave their alliance the moment Ali had approached him in the Training Hall.

He understood the feeling of dread that entered him every time he imagined Ali or Rye dead, and he understood the way that Connor's death haunted Rye, keeping him awake at night and making it hard for him to do even so much as close his eyes. Yes, he understood all too well.

"Listen, Ali, I'm going to go get some water, alright?"

"Do you wanna flip for it?"

"Do you have any coins?"

"We can flip a rock."

"It's alright, I'll go."

Grinning, Alistair went back to his singing.

Felix wanted to say that Ali didn't understand the weight of death, but he knew for a fact that the boy did. He had seen his father kill his mother when he was twelve and tried in vain to save his little sister when her fate had looked to be the same. Needless to say, he had failed, and run away. His father had never tried to look for him, and had eventually died in the mines three years later. Alistair had been on his own since his first Reaping. He understood the weight of death.

Sighing, Felix turned and left. It was a little way to the water, but he was thankful for it. He needed some time alone to think.

He began his trek through the forest to get to the lake. They were no longer in the main forest, but the small one closer to the bottom of the cliff. No-one else seemed to have found their little relatively safe haven, but they knew it was only a matter of time. The rising water had been tricky at first, and still was, but it was much easier to deal with now that they knew where to find fresh water in the over-flowing rivers. There was a lake, not far from where they had set up camp, and that was where the rivers all met. It was a fresh water lake, and as far as Felix knew, no-one else was using it, or at least, they hadn't seen anybody using it.

Up until now…

As Felix rounded the corner, he took in the new boundaries of the lake, and spotted the camp site. There were people set up quite well right on the edge of the water. The camp site was empty for the moment, but there was a girl sneaking around to the water's edge. She looked familiar, even from this distance. Felix's mind clicked. It was Katrina. His Basketcase District Partner. And he wasn't all too sure what she was doing, but it had something to do with his fresh water supply.

Making a split second decision, Felix ran out to the lake.

Katrina looked up and raised a blow dart to her lips.

Seeing it coming, Felix warded the dart off with a sai in his spare hand and ran to the water, closer to the girl.

Amazingly, she stopped. She just looked at him, her gaze wary, but not scared or dangerous.

Felix frowned cautiously. Diplomat time. "I've seen you. In school. You're in my chemistry class." It was true. She was a year older than him, but the school classes were based on ability, not age. This made Katrina even less dangerous as she lowered her blow dart to her side.

"What are you doing to the water?" he asked warily.

For the first time, Felix heard her speak. She had a beautiful, soft voice, like the wind in the trees. Such a pretty voice for such venomous words. "Poisoning it…" she murmured.

Felix's eyebrows flew to his hairline. "Are you sure that's such a good idea? This may be the only fresh water supply in the arena."

The girl almost smiled. "Then I suggest you fill up."

Smiling at her, Felix crouched down to the water, keeping an eye on Katrina's reflection. "Who's the target?"

Katrina watched him the same way he watched her, but gestured over her shoulder towards the camp site Felix had seen. "The Careers."

Appropriately impressed, Felix gestured for Katrina to do her thing.

He watched in reverent silence as she knelt down beside him and emptied the contents of a small bottle into the water. It turned the water murky for a moment, and then it cleared. "The whole pack?"

Katrina nodded.

Felix's eyes narrowed. "Where are they now, I wonder?"

A scream tore from the forest and made ripples run over the surface of the water.

Felix bounded to his feet. Only one person could make a scream seem like they were singing.

"Alistair!"

Sorry it has taken me so long to update, my internet crashed. The next few chapters should be up very soon. We're getting to the exciting end of the competition!