Chapter forty-four

I awake with a start. A dream, or should I say nightmare plagued with blood, fire and death I bite the inside of my cheek to prevent the screams that want to erupt. As I fight out of Peetas hold to sit up. I feel the blood begin to pool in my mouth and I know I have pierced the soft flesh of my cheek. It must be early morning as I am able to make out the feint tree line metres below.

I am able to see my own breath and I realize how cold it is out here. That sleeping bag must have been very effecting. Definitely Capitol made. That, along with Peeta's warmth and I didn't even notice the freezing temperatures throughout the night. Surveying the landscape from my position under the sleeping bag I notice the soft falling of snowflakes I hold out my warm hand catching a couple and watching as they instantly turn to a tiny water droplet in my palm.

I glance over my shoulder to check on Marc and see him wrapped up in another sleeping bag his head buried deep down in into it. I focus on his chest to check he is alright and see the tell tell rise and fall letting me know he is fine.

Knowing there is no way I am going to get back to sleep I slip out of Peeta's hold and sit up cross-legged and look out allowing myself to get lost in my own thoughts. The little I remember from the rapidly fading nightmare at the forefront at my mind. Why would my mind torture me so much with image of Rue, Prim and Ali. It's like my brain hates me. I have to give my brain some credit though, the number of creative, awful, horrendous ways they died was terrifying. That coupled with her sound of the JabberJays recreating the sound of Prim's screaming. I think back to prim, forced to grow up way before her time, just like Rue and Ali. Too young. I close my eyes to prevent to tears from falling. I have already allowed myself to be too weak in here I can't cry anymore. Quickly I snap my eyes back open. All I can see if a pair of the bluest eyes I have ever seen before, I know those eyes. Peetas, Marcs and Prims. All exactly the same shade, the shade of eyes often found in the town. I fight hard to keep my eyes open, not wanting to see another image of those eyes, they just remind me so much of Prim. Eventually I have to blink again but this time I don't see a pair of blue eyes. I see my eyes, seam eyes though they don't belong to my features…

Thankfully I am brought from my thoughts by the distinct sound of a wolves howl, followed by multiple others in answer. They must be hunting again. I feel sorry for anyone who is down there, if they managed to survive the tsunami is the last thing they are going to be up to doing is trying to evade the hunting pack of Mutts. The GameMakers are determined to whittle us down to a handful soon. I guess Plutarch just wants us to get out of here safe and the only way to ensure that is to not drag it out. The howling soon turns to loud barking and growling as they begin to move. I follow their movement through the forest by their noise and deduce they are getting closer. Knowing full well they will not be able to reach us up here I wonder which tribute they have picked up on. They must be tracking more than just their scent to be moving at the rate they are and the only person I can think of who they may be tracking would be the tribute I injured the day before.

I doesn't take long for my thoughts to be confirmed as a tribute emerges from the tree line and onto the bank of the river. The sun has begun to rise and I can see them clearly their knife in hand and their small bag slung carelessly over their back. Seeing the cliff they begin to run towards us, I guess they are hopeful they can climb high enough to free themselves from the wolves.

I recognize them from the reeping. Red hair flowing down her back, fairly young with a slight frame, I recall her name to be Freya. Not one of the tributes I needed to worry too much about. There were only two pairs who really stood out for me and both halves of those pairings are still alive.

I think she was from team thirteen though I can't quite remember. I feel sorry for her, I know if there are Mutts after her they won't stop. They will be clever and will get her. I hear another wolves cry and know they are close. As I watch her run, no longer hindered by the foot of water that existed yesterday, she reaches the cliff just beside the now frozen waterfall. Shaking her head to clear her hair from the snow she glances behind her before looking back up at the cliff trying to spot a pathway up.

Within seconds she has spotted a small path and begins to ascend the cliff face only a couple of metres away from our ledge. Silently I nudge Peeta and Marc awake.

"Shh." I say as they begin to groan at their early awakening. I see them both frown at me in the dawn light. Just as I open my mouth to explain I am interrupted by another wolf howl followed by multiple others like before. They are much closer now less than a mile, they would be here in a couple of minutes.

"What wrong?" Asks Peeta as he wipes the sleep from his eyes before focusing them on my grey ones.

"The wolves are on the hunt. I think I know their next victim." I say with no enthusiasm what so ever.

"Who? Where?" Asks Marc.

"Team Thirteen I think, Freya?"

"How do you know that?"

"Oh right, yeah. She's currently scaling the cliff close to us." I ask and watch as there expressions go from that of confusion and intrigued to suddenly fearful and protective.

"She's down there." I point out as I move back to the edge of the ledge. I feel both of them move themselves so they are laying on their stomachs on either side of me as we all peer over the edge.

"Oh. What do we do?" Asks Peeta.

"What do you mean what do we do? We can't do anything. We don't do anything." I state flatly not likely my idea at all but allowing the wolves to have her is far better than having to kill her later. They both knew this was a big decision for me especially after last night so they both silently agreed.

"I hope she manages to get high enough though." I point out as she begins to struggle around five metres up.

We fall into silence and it is clear the tribute it crying, the sound of her sobs reaching us up on the ledge and I feel my heart clench, I want to help her, I just know I can't.

"She needs to get a lot higher to get out the way of those Mutts. I reckon they could stand on the hind paws and still reach her at the moment" Peeta states and I know he is right.

"They must be close." I murmur to inform the others. At the moment I spot a slight movement in the trees and see a second tribute make a beeline to the cliff face too.

I hear a rustling coming from the tree line and turn to look it must be the wolves waiting to attack. That's when the unthinkable happens. A second tribute comes barreling out of the forest, making their way to the cliff and without hesitation begins to climb the cliff mere metres from the girl. I don't recognize this tribute he must be from one of the teams I wrote off. He quickly reaches the height of the woman and passes her.

"Help, please help me." I can hear her beg as he overtakes her.

They are both only a few metres up, I see the male tribute hesitate and deliberate whether or not he should help her. Honestly though I don't know how he would be able to with the time constraints.

"I'm sorry, I can't." I hear him mutter as he passes her and continues to climb higher.

I look at both Peeta and Marc in turn, and I know they are thinking what I am thinking. Marc slowly draws a knife and a notice Peeta do the same, I pull out a bow and hold it in my hand ready to get out my bow if I need to. The female tribute reaches around 10 metres up when the wolves burst through the trees and into the small space between the forest and cliff. Instantly they know they will be unable to reach either of the tributes so they form a tight huddle which sends a shiver down my spine.

I feel Peeta cover my hand as he remembers the awful memory of the Mutts in our first games. Their eyes, their human mannerisms. These were very similar as I lay there and watched as the leader barked out orders and the others listened. I take a quick glance at the tribute on the cliff face and notice that they too have stopped moving and are staring over their shoulders at the circle of wolves apparently conversing.

"Why have they stopped?" I ask with an air of panic. They shouldn't be watching they should be moving, getting higher.

"Frozen with fear. I know I am." Answers Marc.

"Yeah, most people, apart from us, will have seen apparent wild animals behave in this way before."

"It creeps me out." I state.

"They look to be on the move." Comments Peeta. I turn my attention back to the wolf pack as they slowly stalk back the to the bottom of the cliff. The first, which I also notice is the largest, jumps up, resting their front paws on the cliff around two metres up.

"These things are big. Good thing there are only ten of them." Mutters Marc and Peeta and I both nod in agreement.

"Only." I reply sarcasm dripping from my voice.

"What are they doing?" He continues ignoring my comment.

I take a sideways glance at Peeta before turning to Marc and explaining exactly what they are doing.

"They are using themselves as a ladder to reach the tributes. They will go for the female first, dislodging her from the cliff and they will probably just let her fall, then they will go for the male."

As I finish explaining to Marc the next size wolf uses the first to climb up and places his hind paws on top of the others as they apparently fuse into one. It then reaches up as high is it can before the next begins to climb. Once the third is in place the female tributes brain seems to kick in as she suddenly begins to panic since with the addition of the forth wolf will allow them to reach her. She begins to search frantically for hand a foot hold and she manages to make it another metre before the forth wolf reaches the top of the ladder and begins to stretch up. It's as if the wolf is enjoying the torture as it clearly knows the female tribute is still in its grasp. It all seems to happen in slow motion as the wolf opens his mouth, sharp white teeth glowing as it moves to engulf the tributes ankle in its jaw. The woman is able to let out a scream before she is plucked from the cliff and sent falling to her death. I instinctively grip hold of Peeta.

"Don't watch." He knows what I am referring to I give him a weak smile as he turns to get up and sort out our bags. I turn my attention back to the girl as she hits the ground and is immediately surrounded by a couple of the wolves. Not wanting to watch as she gets ripped apart I focus my attention on the second tribute that has now turned to stare as the women succumbs to her attack. Her screams getting quieter and quieter. the male tribute appears to realize yet again where he is and begins to frantically climb yet again trying to get out of the wolves reach.

The cannon fires signaling the death of the woman and instinctively the wolves turn their attention back to catching up with their next victim. I briefly close my eyes to calm myself. As I reopen them I lock eyes with the tribute, seeing me his eyes light up. He must think we can help him.

"Help me!" She shouts to Marc and I. This diverts the wolves attention briefly and they spot us though I know they won't be able to reach us up here. It seems the wolves think the same though as they quickly turn their attention back to scaling the cliff though it does not escape my notice that they are now working much quicker. Every wolf is now climbing up their pack members, being as cleaver as they are I guess they think we might decide to help the tribute.

"We can't! We have nothing to throw down for you!" Calls down Marc and I am glad he was the one to lie. "There is no way we can help him and even if we do, we don't know if we can trust him." He says to me though I sense he is more saying it to make himself feel better for refusing to help.

"I know. Also if we throw down our rope the wolves may then be able to reach us." I point out.

"Mockingjay, help!" He calls as a direct plea to me. I take a deep breath and push myself to my feet. I can tell Peeta has heard that request as he instantly engulfs me in a hug as I turn.

"We can't, we're sorry!" Calls Peeta for me. I peer over my shoulder at Marc in time to see him wince and flinch back from the edge, seconds later a second cannon fires indicating the males death. I bury my head in Peeta's chest and take a couple of seconds to compose myself.

"The wolves are leaving." States Marc as he gets to his feet. "He died from the impact from hitting the ground which is something I guess." He adds trying to lighten the mood.

"Let's have something to eat before we begin the climb. What do we have?" Asks Peeta trying to take our minds off the last ten minutes.

"Nothing." I remind him thankful for the instant distraction. In all the time down in the forest I didn't see a single creature. "Let's get to the top and then we can see if we can find some fish in the river." I suggest.

"Sounds like a plan." Agrees Peeta though it seem Haymitch does not agree as a parachute lands on the ledge at our feet. I bend down and open it up and am greeted with the luxurious smell of freshly baked bread and soup, enough for all three of us as well.

"Thank you Haymitch!" I call exuberant at the thought of some warm food.

We settle down, wrapping ourselves in the sleeping bags and take our time over eating our breakfast. If it wasn't for the fact we were in the games the scene that has been created overnight by the ice chill and the slow falling snow this would have been a perfect setting.


To the guest reviewers telling me 'i better update' or telling me 'you're losing me' I am writing this at my own pace when i have time and when i feel like it, like i said in previous chapters you reviewing saying things like that really makes me not want to post anymore chapters for you to read. Please don't ruin this for everyone else as I am very close to just writing this story for myself and not posting anymore chapters. Yes it annoys me that much.

On a much more positive note, thank you so much for everyone else's reviews they have all made me smile so much and have actually kept me writing it!

please review and let me know what you think! :D