Recommended Listening: Let It Ride by Bachman-Turner Overdrive

Holland Mogens, District 7

I appear to be safe. Either the Careers are frozen to the ground somewhere, or they've given up on looking for me.

On the other hand, unless I try to fell a tree and block up the river again, that was a one-time trick. The next time someone comes for me, I'm going to have to defend myself otherwise. Unfortunately there don't seem to be any more ice trees out this way. I'll just have to keep walking.

Lowering myself to brush snow over some of my trail, I just notice a glint from the sky. I set my sleeping bag and things down as the donation descends, after a few moments landing in my hands. Pulling away the parachute and stuffing it in my pocket, I peruse the item.

It's not very big, and I don't see any sheath following it down, but it's a pretty nice-looking sword. Definitely better than a couple of icicles.

I've had a few donations before, but this seems like something a lot more expensive than a few pieces of wood. I guess the sponsors enjoyed my performance, or what have you. They didn't get to watch me being torn to shreds, so I wouldn't think the Capitol would be pleased, but it must prove I'm intelligent or something.

Or I need to draw blood next time.

Well, I'll take it. It's not as if I'll get home without killing anyone, so the easier it is to do, the better.

Propping a dull side against my shoulder carefully, I pick up my things and get moving again.

Cisca Lemieux, District 1

"Is this seriously happening right now?" Rica takes another look down the crevasse before kicking a snow drift. "Did we lose more?"

Amantius crosses his arms. "Well, they're not actually dead yet."

"What am I supposed to do about it?" Rica snaps, fingers tense round her bat. "Jump down to get them and break my legs? Throw my bat and lose it forever?"

"If they do die of this," Yao puts in, "it could still be credited to you, since you were chasing them and all."

"It's not the same!" With a roar, Rica brings her bat down on the ground, sending fissures through the ice. She stays bent over for a minute, breathing heavily, before snapping her weapon back off the ground and marching. Looks like we're headed back for camp.

This time no one tries to overtake Rica, though I still keep up. She doesn't seem to mind—or maybe she just doesn't notice—so I don't get too worried about it. She's still limping some, but the way she's storming ahead you wouldn't think she felt any pain in her legs.

"There are other tributes out here yet," I start, very quiet.

"And they'll probably get to run off like dumb rabbits, too!" she retorts, not looking at me.

I take a deep breath. "Well, if nothing else, there's always Ivan, right?" I say jokingly.

Still hurrying ahead, she doesn't reply at first, but she slowly breaks into a horrible grin.

"Rica...?"

Smile a bit less feral, she turns to me for a second before looking back ahead. "Really not a bad idea. The first failure today was his fault, anyway. And I bet if he hadn't pissed me off, I would have left later for these guys, and they would have been somewhere a little different where they wouldn't have gotten to that crack."

She turns her bat in her hands. "Yeah. We can solve quite a few problems with this."

I try to think of a way to convince her otherwise, but I don't think it's going to happen. Instead, I slowly let myself drop back in the group, Rica still charging ahead. I end up in line with Yao.

"Did you hear all of that?" I ask him, quiet enough Rica shouldn't overhear.

He nods, frowning.

"It can't be good for the group, but I don't think I can convince her out of it." I bite my lip, looking at him sideways. "If she kills Ivan, all I can say is I hope she stops there. In her mood, I can't promise that'll happen."

"Yeah," he mutters, watching the back of her head.

I cross my arms, shivering. "But maybe she'll be injured enough by Ivan not to do anything. Or maybe he'll kill her back." I shake my head. "Losing both leaders at once like that..."

I pause for a while as we walk. Yao contemplates this but doesn't make reply just yet.

"Though, to be honest," I say, dropping my voice even more, "neither's been the best at leading... Maybe you could take a crack at it. You have a brain, and you actually did some decent damage to Ermine."

He raises his eyebrows. "Doesn't sound bad, honestly."

"Yeah," I agree before pausing and looking ahead at Rica. "But—still, it wouldn't be good for two of our group to get killed. Let's hope it doesn't happen." I smile. "Maybe I can get Amantius—and Anglynn, if she comes back—to mutiny for you afterwards. It could still work."

He looks blankly ahead at Rica for a moment. "Yeah," he replies, though he seems unconvinced.

We fall silent after that, and I drop back to where Amantius is walking.

"Looks like things are going to get crazy once we're back at camp," I say, looking at him sideways. "Think you're ready?"

He shrugs. "I still have my sword. Think you can keep out of the way?"

"I'll do my best."

Romania Viorel, District 6

I shiver, trying to keep my back from hitting the icy wall. It's just as bad as the frozen forest.

Well, temperature-wise. Other than that, well, we have enough room to all stand but not lie down without being squished together, we don't have any supplies, and it's not looking like we're going to climb out of here that easily.

There are a few ridges on the walls, but Egypt has already tried climbing on them. It's too hard not to slip on the ice. Even if our boots are for these conditions, the gloves are hopelessly slick.

We're too far down to try stacking on top of each other, though we're pretty bad at that. In case we needed to experience firsthand what it would have been like to actually fall on top of each other, well... yeah. That happened. Turk's not happy about us apparently bruising his ribs further.

So now we're just recovering, waiting for another idea to strike us. Or maybe someone could donate a ladder. That would be nice.

"How expensive are ladders, anyway?" I say.

Turk frowns. "Dunno." He looks up. "Think they could send one?"

"They're the Capitol. They can do whatever they want."

Turk shrugs, watching the curvy sliver of clouds for a minute longer before deciding a ladder isn't coming down soon enough to keep looking.

With a sigh that clouds up in front of me, I keep watching.

Nada Ott, District 11

I'm just about to stop for the day and attempt to melt some snow in my gloves when I hear something different.

"Do you hear that, White Bear?" I start, looking over at my companion.

Predictably, he doesn't say anything. Why am I talking to him?

Inhaling, I bundle my sleeping bag a little tighter to my chest and keep walking. The sound gets a bit clearer, and I start to feel less nervous about it. I really think that's water. Liquid water. I'm not sure how at this temperature, but maybe it's harder to freeze if it's running. Whatever the case, I'll take it.

Still looking all round for anyone coming up on me, I get a bit farther before I can actually see the little river. It looks really nice. It must still be cold, but at least I don't have to worry about melting it. It's clear, too.

Still, I guess I should make sure it's safe. There could always be some dead thing upstream contaminating things. I won't go too far looking, but I should at least be careful about it. If I get sick, I'll probably either die of that or of someone finding me in that condition. And there are a lot of people, myself included, who wouldn't want me to die.

Not all of them are still alive.

Swallowing, I stop for a second to pet White Bear, trying to calm myself even though it all seems so wrong.

It's going to be fine. I'm—I'm just checking out the water now. Just take it one step at a time. One step at a time.

Pulling myself back up, I get walking again.