When Factions Collide

Chapter 49: Wren

Given the sun's height, it must have been about three in the Arena. That gave no measure of time in the outside world, but the outside world was but a mere memory at this point. Time here was always different, because it was manufactured, just like everything else in the Arena. The only thing was that the sun, although a good indicator, gave off awfully powerful rays that burned my face, making me sacrifice some of our scarce water supply so I could fight off the burn. There were no plants for medication, at least, not to our mediocre plant knowledge.

I was surprised that the only tributes we came to were Adam and Caroline, but I did not realise how much was really out to kill. We came across several snakes, a couple jabber-jays, and a few other meat eaters. We were able to kill them all or run away, luckily, but the constant threat was still lurking. Hopefully no one else died, and no one else would have to kill anyone.

"Wren? You want to stop for a bit?" Theo asked me, seeing my red face. That was the only thing that burned, because the suit protected the rest of my body.

"Yeah, yeah, that would be nice." I said.

"Well, hopefully we find some water." Cali crossed her arms. She didn't look too burned up or even that tired.

"How can you stand it?"

"It's not too bad. I mean, okay, it's bad. But I guess my skin tone helps." It was true, she was already quite tan. I always got burned, even back in Abnegation when I had to help out in the summer with errands and such. Fun in the sun was not the best slogan for me.

We sat in the sand, looking around the landscape. Still no sign of water. I didn't think there would be. I tried sticking my hand in the sand to find some cool relief, but nothing came. It was all heated by the sun.

"Maybe you just need to dig a little." Theo saw what I was trying to do. So I dug a few more inches. And I found a little relief. So I kept digging a few more inches, and the sand was much cooler. It was almost wet, almost as if there were water near by.

"Wait, guys, the sand." I waved them over. "There has to be water around somewhere. The sand is wet after a few inches, feel." and they all stuck their hands in the hole I had dug.

"Then where? It has to be close, but far enough we can't see it." Cali said with a smile.

"Let's just keep walking and every few yards we'll dig and see how wet it is. There's got to be a river or a pool somewhere." Aeryn looked around.

We walked away from the sun and every three yards we dug six inches in. The sand was still cool everywhere we went. After about fifteen holes, we decided to rest again, and recoup. So if there was no river, then could the Capitol just be cruel enough to give us ninety percent of what we were looking for without going all the way?

"No, they have to give us some form of water. It's in the rules, what little they have." Cali answered my question.

"But we've searched for the past two days, and there's nothing. And we only have a bottle left." I complained.

"We're not thinking hard enough. Wren, you're Erudite. Logic it out."

"You're Erudite too."

"Okay, so, there was a pool of water in the cave. But that was it. The cacti also don't have water, which is weird for cacti because that's how they live."

"But they do have water, just not enough to sustain us. But if the sand is cool after a few inches, and about six inches down it;'s muddy, then there has to be water flowing through it. How much though?"

"Obviously enough to sustain the plants. And all the animals we've seen can dig."

"So the water is under the sand! We have to dig! How far down though?" I stood up, excited.

"Well, since it was muddy after a few inches, the flow has to be some sort of underground river, so probably a few feet to reach the base of it."

"I don't think we have the tools to do that."

"Oh, but don't we?" Theo pointed up at a parachute that was coming straight toward me. It was a shovel.

"Who could have..." I looked at the note. All it had was the number four on it. Four. He figured it out before we did. He was just waiting for the right time to send it.

"Thank you, Dauntless!" I screamed to the air above me. There was another package containing burn medication, something I so desperately needed.

"Let's dig." Theo took up the shovel and started to dig the sand out of the way as Cali, Aeryn and I sat.

It was about five feet and an hour later that we got to the base of the river. We were able to take turns and make a small pool big enough for a person, and a smaller hole for water about two feet away. This meant that we had cool water, and a ready supply with the shovel. Thank Four for small favours. The question still stuck though: Why did Four want us out so badly?

"Do you want to clean up a little?" Aeryn asked me, stripping herself of the suit as well.

"I will, you go first though." she got into the pool of water and the look of relief on her face was clear. We all stood around on guard so no one would come and attack. Each of us rotated after about five minutes.

When I got in, I crouched down and sat under water, feeling the cool water over my face, which I had put burn medication on as well. I smiled as I held my breath. I wondered if any of the other tributes figured it out yet. As I came up, I saw the girls smiling at me, my hair wet and slicked back.

"She's got the idea." Cali nudged Aeryn.

"Definitely. Wish I had thought of that."

"I'll go next." Cali pulled me up and waited as I put the suit back on. Theo couldn't help but chuckle a little bit, I was ecstatic at the water.

"Your face looks better." he half smiled.

"Yeah, I can feel it getting better."

"Oh we're safe, just make out. God knows you haven't done it for a few days. I can hear the want dripping in your voices." Cali said from the water, dunking her head under. Aeryn laughed and turned away. Theo leaned over the hole, only about two feet wide, and I met him in the middle and kissed him. It was a small gesture, lasting about a second before we were on guard again, but it meant a lot. He winked at me before turning around.

"Whoa, wait, tribute coming at around one o'clock." Aeryn took up a bow and arrow as Cali got out and dressed. Theo was the only one left to bathe, and he had to fight someone before doing that.

"Wait, I come in peace!" Adam was running towards us.

"Oh no. Not you. God not you. Just turn around and go the way you came."

"No, please, I'm the only one out there, and the Capitol kids are all gone with the Big Apple kids and I'm alone and..." he trailed off. "Let me stay. I'll be a human sacrifice if necessary. I just don't want to be alone." he croaked. "I don't even have any water." he saw the pool of water we were all guarding.

"Let him have some water. Not like we're running out." Cali was making sure the arrow was sharp.

"Thank you." he walked over to the smaller pool and scooped a drink in his hands. Theo stripped down and went in the pool after concluding Adam was not a threat. I couldn't help but sneak a look at his back, and I saw a tattoo peaking on his left shoulder blade.

"Wait, what is that?" I asked him, Aeryn with Cali now that we had an extra person to guard.

"What is what?" he turned to me. I put my hand on the bird. "Oh, I was going to tell you about it sometime, didn't think you would see it. I got it before we left. It's um...it's a Wren. Like the bird. Like you. I got it for you." he smiled and touched the necklace. "You kept it on?"

"It's my token." I smiled. "I kept it on so I wouldn't lose you."

"That's not happening any time soon. I can promise that." He pulled me to him and kissed me quickly before dunking his head under and getting cool again.

Once he got out and back into his suit, we planned on hunting again for the now five of us. One of us was still going to die, and it would be Adam, but no one was set on killing him yet, so we decided to leave that to nature. We found a rattlesnake, a Capitol engineered coyote, and cut off some cactus meat. It was actually a pretty hearty dinner, for the Games at least.

"How have you been surviving?" Adam was asking us that night as the sun set. We had the fire to get us warmer, now that it was going to get cold.

"We've just been cave hopping. Then we got this," I pointed to the shovel that Theo had in between his legs, "And we found water."

"Where are you going to go next?"

"Well, considering we're trapped, we might as well stir up some trouble with the other tributes, or else they're going to stir even more up to get us together. How many are at the cornucopia?"

"There were eight as of today, and I haven't heard any cannons go off."

"Maybe tomorrow we'll make their numbers dwindle. What about strays?"

"There were three around the edges looking for water, and I didn't hear any cannons there either."

"No, neither did I." Cali shook her head. "So, stir up trouble, or hunt down the spares?"

"I would go with hunting the spares." Adam said.

"Coward." I turned to him. "Let's go start some trouble. Might get some supplies too."

"I agree," Theo said. "We can just scatter them, maybe not a murder spree." he nodded at me.

"Well, Aeryn's gotta kill someone, she's the only one who hasn't."

"I would like to keep it that way." She looked at me jokingly.

"Of course, of course. But when the time comes," I looked at her to finish the sentence.

"When the time comes, I'll totally stun them with my knife throwing." she laughed.

"Stick to bows and arrows, Aer."

We put the fire out after we ate and took the shovel as we went to search for another cave near to the Cornucopia for the night. It was decided that we would attack before the sun rose, so we needed to get to sleep early. It was probably only about eight, with the sun on its last legs beyond the Arena's horizon.

"Look, there's one over there." it was about thirty five yards from where we were, but sure enough, it looked empty when we reached it.

"Who's gonna take the first guard?" I asked.

"I will." Adam said. "It's the least I can do for you letting me stay."

"I'll take second watch." Theo said.

"Third." Cali said. Aeryn was taking the fourth, so I got the privilege of the last watch and waking everyone up for the killing.

Theo and I curled up like we did the night before and fell straight asleep, no 'I love you's or romance at all. Just pure rest, which was bliss in itself. That was, until I heard Theo and Adam whispering at the end of his shift. I heard my name come up in conversation, though I couldn't hear what they were saying. There was a harsh whisper, a growl, and footsteps walking over. They were not Theo's. I became alarmed and my heart started racing. I had nothing to be afraid of, it was just Adam when I opened my eyes a crack. I hoped they didn't know I had woken up.

"Only for two hours. After that, find your own spot." I heard Theo hiss at him. Oh. He was allowing Adam the simple pleasure of sleeping next to me. He had to have given Theo a really good reason to let him do that. I rolled over so my back was facing him, still pretending I was asleep. I was not comfortable with this. Somehow I fell back asleep until my shift.

When I woke up, Aeryn's small hands fluttering over my spine in an attempt to be quiet, I took my knives and went to the opening of the cave. I saw Adam at one end of the ave and Theo was next to me. I didn't hear the switch. It was four in the morning, the sky was dark and the sand was a bluish colour, reflecting the sky. In two hours, we were going to attack the Cornucopia. Hopefully, with our attack, this meant that we were one step closer to getting out of this hell hole and back to Dauntless.

I sat thinking of the events that transpired, what little guilt I felt at killing someone. I remember Theo's face. He looked almost scared of me. But he killed someone too, I was just doing it for our own good. I would try not to kill anyone today, but I knew that he would. I also thought about how it was at home. I wondered how everyone was, how Four was doing. He seemed distraught when we left. I didn't realise how much we mattered to him, but I couldn't help but feel that it was only because we reminded him of his own past and he was vicariously living through us. Maybe someday he would find someone who would help him love again. I knew that it wasn't fair of me to think that, with her dead and all, but he was only twenty two. He would find someone and be happy again.

Two hours passed quickly when I was trapped in my own thoughts. That and it was boring. No one was going to attack, not while they had all they wanted at the Cornucopia. I predicted a civil war, but that would only be if their supplies ran out.

"Hey, get up." I whispered harshly to everyone. Theo and Cali responded, Aeryn and Adam were still asleep. "Get them up." I told them. The sun was slowly creeping up against the horizon. "Which way is the Cornucopia?" I asked Adam. He knew his way a bit better than us. We had been going away from it, while he and Caroline had been inching closer, he told us yesterday.

"It's this way, come on." he led us through the lightening sand until we reached the edge where all the disks were. This meant we were about twenty yards from the horn. All the tributes were sleeping, with one propped against the base of the horn, his eyes slowly drooping.

"Watch this. This'll wake him up. You guys ready?"

"Day three of the Hunger Games, starting out with a bang." I smiled. I had my knives ready and Theo had his gun.

"Let her fly!" and the arrow ripped from the bow and landed right above the guarding tribute's head. He held up a machete, waiting for the attackers.

"Wren, go!" and I ran up twenty feet to throw the ballistic knife. The projectile shot and dug into his forehead, sending his eyes rolling back into his head and him falling down, dead on the spot. Second kill. Theo shot three bullets, one as a warning shot, and two into the water bottles that they had. No more water for them.

By this time the rest of the tributes were up, but we were already advancing on them, with one dead and two scurrying off. This left five to kill here. I started throwing my knives with deadly accuracy, pinning them to the Cornucopia's wall and Theo shooting a bullet every now and then or Cali and Aeryn getting an arrow through them. I hated to admit it was fun.

At the end of the siege, we looked around. One who I nicked in the leg was trying to hobble back at us, the gash in his thigh spewing out blood every time he put weight on it. He didn't care. He came running towards me, as I was his attacker. He tried to punch me, but I blocked the attack, grabbed his arm, and tackled him to the ground. He was stronger than I was though, and kicked me off. That was when Theo came in and actually fought him. It looked like something I saw in training, only it ended up with his neck being snapped and his body crumpling to the ground in an awkward position.

"Well, that was dirty." Theo's breath came out in pants. Now it was my turn to look scared of him. I wasn't, of course, but I was just in awe.

"Where did you learn that?"

"I mean, when Four and Peter were my trainers..." he let out a sigh.

"Protection and offense rather than the defense and few offensive skills we teach you all. They were in a war, I would think that the Dauntless born probably learned more about offense as well." he shrugged. "Inventory?"

"We should clear the dead first. They won't collect until we've gone."

"How far?"

"About twenty feet should do." so we ran to the edges of the attack, where the shovel was. Sure enough, we saw the Capitol craft come and collect each body separately. Then we advanced and took inventory.

"Well, all their water is gone. That's okay, we have plenty. But they also had more weapons." I saw slingshots and blow darts sitting at the edge of the horn, where the first dead tribute sat. Pity, he seemed only about fourteen. Too young.

"There's poison over here." Adam shouted to me. I had no use of poison, and I had no idea what it could be. "They took snake and scorpion venom. That means there might be some somewhere, keep a lookout."

"At least we have nothing to fear from the Capitol for a couple days, they got their action."

"Yeah, they probably love us to death." I scoffed.

"Easy on the killer jokes." Theo smirked at me. We all had to laugh at that. I was amazed I still had a sense of humor in here. It was so close to Dauntless, aside from having to run and kill people every so often.

"Okay, so," Cali called us all together. "We killed five. So there's still three lurking around waiting for us to get weaker, and the three staying by the edges are still alive. I only heard five cannons. So, what do you say, we play the defensive and take the Cornucopia?"

"Yeah, sounds about right to me." I nodded in agreement. "We'll stay here and wait for people to come take our stuff. And then we attack."


AN: Hahaha I'm so funny with those last couple of jokes. Anyway, thank you for reading and don't feel afraid to review, I want to make sure that reading it is the best experience for you all, so if there's anything I can change, let me know! A quick note on Tobias' POV: I know it's not the best, and that I will neve r be able to compare to Veronica Roth's writing. Yes, I know this. And he's not my character, she's the author, of course she'll have the best perspective. But I want to try to understand him more, so I'm trying out his perspective too. Just a note for past POVs and future ones too!