Chapter 40- Terra Coppersmith
The second cannon of the day jolts me back awake. Automatically I reach out for Fletcher, and he grabs my hand.
"Still here, Terra," he says with a smile.
"I wonder who that last one was," I say, pulling myself up to a sitting position. One cannon went off this morning, this last one after noon. The sun beats down hot around us, but Fletcher and I stay moderately cool in our den.
"Eleven left," Fletcher says, stretching. We've been sleeping on and off today, because really, where do we have to go? I crept out earlier this morning, after the first cannon, and stumbled across a little pool of water, so we're set for water. Plus we've been eating the rest of the food we got last night, so we're sitting pretty happy.
"That's good news for us," I say, shifting some sand under me to make it more comfortable. Is it really good news? It's getting closer to just being Fletcher and me, and I don't know how I feel about that. I push it out of my mind for now.
"So, what do you want to do today?" Fletcher asks, grinning.
"How about we stay out of sight all day?" I say, smiling back. Iry and Deecey will be happy to see me safe and hidden. I miss them so much. I wonder how Iry is doing, watching me.
"I think that's a beautiful plan," Fletcher says.
"Let's take a look at your leg before we do anything else," I say, reaching for the bandage. Fletcher helpfully pulls his leg up so it's easier for me to reach. Carefully, I unwrap the wound and have a look at it.
"Honestly, it's better than yesterday," I say. The mutt didn't get him that deeply, now that I look at it in the daylight, and it's stopped bleeding. "I'll put more antiseptic on and throw another bandage around it, and you should be fine."
"Excellent," Fletcher says, leaning back against the soft sand wall behind us. He hisses a little bit in pain when I disinfect the wound again, but he doesn't cry out. I bandage it up again, and take the old and bloody bandages out to bury them.
I'm pleased with our shelter; it looks rustic enough that it could pass for just some scrubland among the rocks. I doubt we'll be seen, at least from a distance.
When I crawl back in to Fletcher, he's regained his good spirits after his first aid experience. "As I was saying," he says.
"As you were saying," I say, sliding down beside him.
"What should we do today?"
"Sitting here is good enough for me," I say, but my stomach is fluttering like an idiot. I've practically been living with this boy for three days now, why is it still doing that?
"You've been saving my life," Fletcher says, rolling onto his side.
"I have been. You owe me now," I tease.
"Can I pay my debt?"
"In any currency you like," I say. Fletcher reaches over and kisses me, running his hands through my hair. My stomach keeps dropping down and soaring again; everything is beautiful, so beautiful.
He pulls away finally, and I smile widely. In some ways, coming to the arena is the best thing that's happened to me. I'm able to forget the rest in favor of this one moment.
"Saving your life is a pretty big debt," I say. "That doesn't half cover it."
"Well excuse me, madame," Fletcher says, pushing my hair back from my face. "Allow me to pay you a little more."
The afternoon is one of the most beautiful ones of my life. After a while, Fletcher goes out briefly and comes back with a handful of desert flowers, little white things. The most beautiful flowers I've ever seen. Smiling, Fletcher decorates my hair with them, until I'm wearing a white garland.
"Thanks," I say, and this time it's me who leans in.
Fletcher murmurs against my cheek, "Is it too soon to say I love you?"
I pull back and look him full in the face. He looks nervous, like he did the night before the Games. I shake my head.
"It's not too early for anything."
I kiss him again, then whisper, "I love you too."
Isn't life beautiful?