Aspen POV
I tried to uncurl my fingers, but they seemed to be jammed. I have a hundred tiny grass cuts stinging my skin, and what I didn't have was a working bow.
"Let me see," Valerie said. She teased my hand open and pressed some leaves into it. They felt cool and soothing.
"It shouldn't be this hard to make a simple bow. It is literally so simple cavemen did it," I said.
"Even if you make one, can you shoot well enough to make it better than running if another Tribute comes?" Valerie asked.
"I don't know. Eventually I'll have to," I said. I let the leaves fall to the ground and got back to work.
Valerie said something, but I was concentrating too hard to hear. She tapped my shoulder.
"Look," she said. She pointed at a parachute. It was attached to a long, thin box.
It couldn't be, I told myself. We opened it and saw a beautiful black bow with six arrows.
"But how? We don't even have a Mentor," I said.
"I don't know. Let's just use it," Valerie said.
I picked it up and aimed an arrow at a nearby tree. The arrow shot into the wood and buried itself to the bottom of its tip.
"All right! We're back in the Game," I said.
Valerie POV
"Who was that for?" I asked when I heard a cannon. Royal had taken care of Bree, and if that was for Peppermint, it might be time for me to move forward.
"I dunno. Hope it was Peppermint," Royal said.
"Hey, where's Dane?" I asked.
"He's been gone a long time," Royal said. "Hope he's all right, I guess."
Venus limped into the Cornucopia and poked around.
"Some of our food is missing. So is a canteen," she said. "He's not coming back." Her face was empty of expression.
"He split? Eh, he wasn't very dedicated anyway. Saves us having to kill him later," Royal said.
A parachute appeared.
"Hey!" I said as I pointed it out.
"I noticed," Venus said. I ignored her and opened the box. It held a long black whip with a sturdy handle. There was also a note, which I tucked away before the other Careers could see.
"It must be for me, since you already have a spear," I said to Royal.
"Can you even use that thing?" he asked.
"Of course I can. How hard is it?" I cracked it, and as luck would have it, it snapped back like I'd fired a gun.
When I had a moment alone, I took the note out and read it. It only had one word.
Learn.
Timber POV
I cheered Sarla on as she tried to attack a tree with her stick. It didn't have enough weight at the tip to be an effective spear past about ten feet, so she was using it as more of a staff. It was nice hard wood, though. It gouged a nice sized hole in the bark of her opponent.
"If the Careers just stand nice and still for a few minutes, I've got them," she said. She sighed and sat down.
"Maybe they'll all kill each other," I said.
"That's our only hope, isn't it?" she said.
"At least we'll die rich," I said. I spread our supplies around and enjoyed the sight.
Sarla smiled suddenly and jumped up.
"Look, another one!" she cried. "Thanks, sponsors! You guys are awesome!"
It had a five on it, so Sarla opened it. It was a hollow tube like a fat straw, and it had three darts inside.
"Wow, a blowgun. This should be easy enough for me," she said.
"Try it out," I urged. Sarla cleared out two of the darts and carefully put the pipe to her mouth. She blew out with all her strength, and the dart flew into a tree twenty feet away.
"Do you think they're poisoned?" I asked as she removed it.
"I don't know. Let's not find out," she said. She picked at it carefully with two fingers.
Pepper POV
I sat with a stick across my crossed legs. My knuckles were white as I dragged my knife across it, hacking it to a fine point. I wasn't sure which I would use to kill her. Maybe I'd hit the other leg with the spear, then cut the life out of her with the knife. Of course, I'd have to take out her arms first. Maybe then I'd use her own knives on her like she used them on my brother.
When I came into this I was ready to kill, but only when I needed to. Now I found myself ready to hunt and murder. I felt primal and free, like I'd broken every norm and risen above social expectations. I'd have to watch myself. I didn't want to be like her. I vowed that she would be the only one. The rest I'd just defend myself from.
I felt something brush my side and turned to see a parachute settling to the ground. I pulled the material aside and found a long, skinny box.
What you got for me, Orchard? When I saw it, I couldn't help but smile.
It was a long iron pole with a wickedly sharp steel tip. Next to it was a bottle with a skull on it. There were no ingredients, but I got the idea. I put on the gloves and poured the liquid over the tip of the spear. When I picked the spear up I saw a note in the bottom, but I finished prepping it before I looked.
Revenge him, it read. It seemed Orchard was almost as furious as I was. When I talked to her earlier she just seemed merciless, but now she was vengeful.
"I won't let you down," I called to the sky. "And I won't let him down either."
More sponsors this time! Things will be heating up next chapter, though.