Chapter 9: Drawing Breath

A/N: What's up? I've got nothing to say, so let's do this already!

LittleMermade - Thanks for your frequent reviews and interesting speculations. The Career pack is bound to explode soon…

iamcatchingonfire - Yo! Thanks for making your presence known. My thanks to all readers :)

Day 5

Location: The Arena, Cliff Sector

Jose Aspen's (D7 Male) P.O.V.

I'm… I'm alive.

I grunt and make an attempt to get up, but I immediately collapse due to the stab wound I received from Rain.

I won't die like this. Not yet. Not while Rain is still out there. I will NOT die here.

"Ughk… Gyaaah!"

I force myself up through sheer willpower, and I eventually sit myself up against a rock. I take a moment to catch my breath, and use the opportunity to take a look at my surroundings.

I survived by sheer luck… somehow, none of the rocks crushed me. Acacia is dead; I saw her face in the sky before I passed out from exhaustion and blood loss. My bag is within reach.

I look through my remaining supplies. Just my axe, ointment from a sponsor, a full canteen of water, and raw meat. Not that I have any means to make a fire to cook said meat.

"Don't make a fire, unless you WANT to die", says Johanna.

"Johanna's right. It'll alert other tributes to your position, which is probably something you DON'T want to do, as going gung-ho in the Arena like the Careers is a good way to get killed. Not to mention it'll net you an embarrassing death", adds Pliny.

...Heh. Leave it to Pliny to provide comforting words.

My wire and rope is gone. Damn, I could've used that to catch animals, or better, another tribute. Rain that during his little escapade to rescue his district partner. It would've been better to let us kill her, then get the jump on us.

I shouldn't be talking, since he nailed me pretty good. Still it's every person for themselves. He handicapped himself, although he gained an ally

Rain also stole my iodine that I used to purify my water. Must've stolen it during his gambit to rescue his district partner or while Acacia and I were at the river.

I take out the sponsor's ointment, and examine my wound. It's not too deep, fortunately for me.

It'll come back to haunt Rain.

I apply it, and writhe in pain. It burns. It just burns. I make the mistake of touching it with my ointment-covered finger, and I nearly scream out in pain. I barely manage to keep my mouth shut, as to not alert anyone who might be nearby.

Not that I'd be as much of a threat to anyone in this sorry state.

After the ointment has taken effect, I rest once more, allowing the wound to close up.

Finally, I climb the rocks, and begin to make my way out of the destroyed cliff sector.

I will not die here.

Location: The Arena, Forest Sector

Iris Nilo's P.O.V.

With Rain watching, I open up the sponsor gift. There's a note from Katniss and Haymitch.

"Glad you two finally listened to us. We poured some effort and money into this, so do us a favor, and stay alive."

K & H

The old man and the stone-faced girl on fire will never change. And it better stay on that way.

The sponsor gift is a weapon: a

deadly-sharp axe. Rain looks at it and smirks.

"Well, I'm pretty sure something like that is meant for you. You said your weapon of choice would be axes, way back in the Training Center."

I think of Katniss and Haymitch. They initially brushed us off, until we proved that we were worth something. I look Rain in the eyes, and I give him a smile. One of us isn't going to make it. From the equally faint smile he gave to me, he knows exactly what I'm thinking.

He leans against one of the tree trunks, and stares at me with those gray, almost blue eyes that were common among those who lived in "The Seam"

I was the complete opposite. I lived a decent life in the merchant section, and never experienced starvation. I was well-off by District 12's standards. For that sole reason, Rain might even hate me.

"You're thinking of life back home, aren't you?", he asks, not giving away anything.

"Yeah… yeah, I am. I miss home… even the drunk old man would be welcome company right now…"'

Rain chuckles, and I nearly jump at this. Is he planning to…?

"Iris, I'm pretty sure we all do. And you know I'm right here, right?"

I giggle, and shrug it off.

"Yeah, I guess so."

"So, I guess we're allies now?"

"Heh… Haha. Yeah. It's official."

I sit down next to Rain, and we begin looking through what we have individually.

I've got mostly food, along with matches, a fixed knife, a half-full canteen of water, and a compact sleeping bag. I now have the sponsor's axe, which'll be my main weapon to arm myself with.

Rain has his retractable spear, bandages, rope, meat, a folding utility knife, and a full canteen of water. He holds up two more items. It's a coil of wire, and a small bottle containing something.

"I stole these from the 7s just after I freed you. We could use the wire in conjunction with the rope to catch animals, or if we're lucky, or tributes."

I nod, and the small bottle catches my eye.

"What's in the dinky bottle?"

"It's full of iodine. That'll be useful to purify the river water we have in our canteens."

"I see…"

"Give me your water canteen, I'll fill it up along with mine. Stay here and stand guard; I'll be back within five minutes."

I shakily give him my canteen. He stands up and turns around to go to the river nearby.

"Rain?"

"Yeah…?"

"If I die… win for me too, OK? District 12… needs another victor. Katniss and Haymitch worked so hard to get us this far..."

He turns around, walks back to me, and grasps my shoulders.

"Iris…"

My heart skips a beat.

"...Yeah?"

"...Stay alive," Rain says, echoing our mentors.

"You too."

Rain disappears into the underbrush.

A bit later, Rain holds true to his word. He comes back with two full canteens of water. He hands mine back to me after pumping out bits of iodine into the open canteen.

We sit down on the barren earth, looking down and reflecting on what's going on. Rain finally breaks the silence.

"Iris."

"What's up?"

"How'd you survive these past few days?"

"I stuck to Haymitch's advice. I hung back during the bloodbath, and only took supplies on the outer edges."

"The things on the outside aren't as good as the stuff on the inside. Assuming you didn't get sponsors until now, how'd you get all this?"

I smirk.

"That's easy, I just took multiple outer backpacks, and dumped them all into one while everyone, you included, went for the inside. I then fled to the cliff sector before it got too dangerous."

"What about when you got captured by the two from 7?"

"They got the jump on me. They spared me on the condition that I could lead them to you."

Rain gives off am amused snort. I take this as an opportunity to ask my own questions.

"Now it's my turn to ask. What'd you do to the 7s?"

"Before I hatched a plan to rescue you, I injured Jose during the bloodbath. Didn't really do anything to Acacia until I tried to rescue you, though."

I nod and look to the side.

Location: District 12, the Merchant section

Leonardo Nilo's (Iris' older brother) P.O.V.

I'm at my own home. We have the Orions over for dinner - we couldn't afford too much, but they accepted it. We sit in comfortable silence as we anxiously watch what Iris and Rain are going to do next.

Together, we watched my sister and Rain amicably talk together, and from an alliance together. Rain's father speaks to me after dinner, when we're watching the Hunger Games on television, as everyone else does.

"Leo, what do you think of Iris?"

I smile, and turn to look at him.

"She's a survivor. With Rain by her side… they'll be a good team. What do you think of Rain?"

"Rain's aunt, or my sister, died in the 76th Hunger Games. Rain volunteered to save Aiden, knowing the possible consequences. I don't know what I'll do…"

"If Iris goes down, I'll root for Rain too."

Rain's father smiles at me.

"Let's put in all our hopes into them. District 12 will have another victor this year."

Location: The Arena, Forest Sector

Rain Orion's P.O.V.

After Iris and I set up snares and traps for animals to fall in, we each ascend a tree to rest. We're all pretty lightweight in 12, so we managed to scale the trees with ease.

We use the rope from our backpacks to strap ourselves to the trees, or else we'd likely fall to our doom. If the fall didn't kill us, something or someone else would.

Night soon falls. No cannons were heard. The Capitol is probably not pleased with the lack of bloodshed.

"Rain…"

"Yes?"

"Good night…"

"Good night, Iris."

Sleep finally claims us…

Day 6

Location: The Arena, Careers' Camp

Sophia Kirhart's P.O.V.

I'm the first to wake up, as the sun is already above the horizon. I open up a pack of dried fruit and begin to eat. I sit down near the side of the Cornucopia, when someone taps my shoulder.

It's Velvet.

"You mind if I sit next to you?"

"No, not at all. Go ahead."

We sit in comfortable silence at we eat together, watching the sun rise.

"Sophia, tell me the truth…"

"About…?"

"Are you really in love with that boy from 12?"

There was a big question. Did I have genuine feelings for him?

"I really don't know…"

Velvet was about to ask another question, but the others have awoken. I head over to the camp, where I meet up with the rest of my allies.

"Alright! We're going to go hunt in the highlands today!", said Cyrus, as loud as ever.

"Put a lid on it, Two. I say we go to the forest again. It's the next safest place, and I bet most tributes went there," Adrian shoots back, going against Cyrus, to nobody's shock.

"Clam it, Four!"

"Shut the fuck up, Two! You're not the damn boss here!"

Vulcan steps in.

"Whoa, whoa. I suggest a compromise. Cyrus and Aileen will search the highlands. Adrian and I will search the cliff sector for any survivors… Sophia will search the forest… and Velvet will guard the camp. Additionally, we'll do it at night - so nobody will know what hit 'em."

Everyone seemed happy with this - except Cyrus.

"Hey, hey. Why does Sophia get to go it alone?"

Adrian can't help but jump in.

"Because she's got brains, unlike you."

"Shut up, Four! I'll target you first when the alliance splits!"

Adrian shrugs it off.

Suddenly, a distinct chime can be heard - it's a sponsor's gift.

Everyone watches, as it falls right into Vulcan's hands, and he proceeds to open it - but it's not for him.

"Sophia. It's for you."

I sigh, and walk over to claim my sponsor gift. I read the note first.

"Sophia, we netted you a set of weapons. Don't disappoint us - especially if your boyfriend from 12 is killed, you got that?"

Wade

How amusing that Wade would rather send a gift to me than to his own nephew.

I smirk, but the smile falls from my face as Vulcan makes a teasing jab at Wade calling Rain my boyfriend.

I wave it off, and my eyes widen. It's a set of knives, particularly throwing knives. I strap the knives onto my arena vest, and settle down.

We wait until night falls, resting and recovering for the rest of the day.

After night falls, we form up in our respective teams, and take sufficient supplies to last the night.

We all split up and go our separate ways, agreeing to converge at base tomorrow morning.

I delve into the darkness of the forest alone, not knowing what's to come.

A/N: Uneventful chapter, I know. The next chapter will make up for it, though, so get ready for some action.