Mermaid

His strangled cry tears at my heart. His face contorts and twists in such pain. Blood quickly spills down his leg and covers the deck. He falls limply and Cato hovers over him with a sickly satisfied grin. Peeta's body heaves in labored pants and grunts.

Cato kneels over him, with his blade ready. He growls something into Peeta's ears, Peeta's eyes go wild with rage.

Peeta grabs a fistful of Cato's shirt and pulls him over his own body. He swiftly places his two feet into Cato's gut and thrusts them out strongly. Cato's body flies into the ocean waters below. Peeta howls in pain at the effort, but once again falls limply.

Gale and Thom still fight to get to the deck, keeping two other sailors occupied. They cannot help him. I try to pull myself along the deck, the effort only made a little easier by my still wet tail. It is a struggle, I rarely need my arms for movement, and they are not accustomed to such labor.

Captain Snow still struggles towards me, trying to fight through the crowd of sailors. Some are fighting for Snow, and many are rebelling against him.

It takes a lot of strength but I manage to reach Peeta's side. I look down over his dangerously pale face. His beautiful face marred by pain. This beautiful man, who cared for me and protected me, who drew me in and stirred feelings I never thought possible…that I never acknowledged till now. His strong arms limp at his sides, arms that have held me close, hands that gently and lovingly caressed my skin, hands that healed. His leg now sat in a puddle of crimson blood. His breathing was growing shallow.

He is near the edge. If can roll him I can help him. "I'm sorry Peeta." I whisper as I then struggle to roll his muscular frame. He groans and cries out with every turn and I choke out my apologies.

"Katniss stop." He calls out. "I'm not worth it. Please. Just get yourself free. I'm sorry I cannot help you any longer. I won't make it Katniss, but you can. Please go. Leave me."

Tears spill from my eyes.

"I can't." I sob. "Peeta you saved me. I can save you too. Please, just hold on. Don't give up." He closes his eyes. "Don't leave me." I whisper."

He nods weakly. I return to my ministrations. He still protests but it is weaker than before.

I get him to the railings and beg for him to try and pull himself over the relatively low railing. He struggles to do so but I assist him and push him up. When he's slumped against the railing I pull myself up beside him. He holds on tightly, using his arms to keep him there.

"We're almost there Peeta. Just a bit further."

Gale suddenly appears at Peeta's side. I notice Thom is nearly right behind him. Thom jumps off the deck and waits in the water below. Gale hoists Peeta over the rail and drops him to where Thom is waiting.

He turns to me and begins to hoist me up as well.

Suddenly his arms are gone and I hear a splash below. I look down as Gale's head bobs above the water, his dark eyes wide with shock.

I turn back and see Captain Snow's snakelike eyes glaring down at me.

"You'll still fetch a fair price." He snidely remarks. He reaches out to grab my wrists and I struggle against him. His grip is strong and I fear I will not get free. He pulls my roughly away from the railing, away from my freedom.

A large set of black hands unexpectedly appear around the Captain's neck.

"You'll pay for all you've done." A mans voice growls. He twists and the sickening snap of Captain Snow's neck fills my ears. The old man falls limp and the large dark skinned man stands over him looking pleased with himself.

He steps over the body and grabs hold of my body. He says nothing to me as he brings me to the railing and drops my body into the dark waters.

The cool relief of the familiar salt water assaults my senses. The moment is fleeting and soon I am searching for Peeta. Gale and Thom are still keeping his head above water and I swim towards them quickly. Johanna and Madge have returned to help the two sailors. I relieve Peeta from them. I struggle to keep hold of his dead weight.

I hear the shallow breaths still passing his lips but it is not the relief I hoped it would be.

"Peeta?" I ask worriedly. A small moan is his only response.

I know what I must do. I grab his face and turn it towards me. His eyes are dropping and barely aware. I lace my fingers into his hair and crash his lips to mine. I kiss him roughly, fiercely, and desperately.

A mermaid's kiss gives humans the temporary ability to breath underwater. Normally it would be used to keep our prey from panicking before we feast upon them. But now I need to use this for an entirely different reason.

A soft sigh leaves his lips when they part from mine. I do not dwell on that, instead I pull him deep into the water. I swim fiercely, pushing myself faster and faster. Driven by my desperation to save this man I push myself harder than I ever have before.

It feels as if I swim forever before I finally reach my home. I hear the alarm sound in everyone's voices as they recognize me and then my cargo. But I ignore them and continue until I reach the cave where Prim resides with her mate, Rory.

"Prim!" I call out frantically. She rushes out to meet me, eyes wide with surprise, disbelief and then confusion.

"Prim please! He's dying!" I cry. She asks no questions.

"Rory!" Prim calls out. He swims out and takes in the scene with curiosity.

"Help me get him inside." Rory relieves Peeta from me and brings him inside.

My sister has always been incredible. Her abilities to heal are beyond compare and her heart of compassion is like no other. She would never withhold healing from one who is injured even in they are most often her prey.

With Peeta lying on her bed, and Rory holding him down she examines his wound swiftly before ripping a piece of cloth from his tunic and wrapping it tightly around his wounded leg.

She rummages through her stock and pulls out a few vials. She mixes together a concoction of ingredients and caps them back in an empty vial. Then she turns to me, holding out the vial.

"Katniss he must be brought to the surface. He is human, he cannot find healing here in the water. This salve will not work for him here. Quickly Katniss or he will die very soon." She says forcefully and urgently.

"I cannot carry him that far alone." I whimper.

"Rory will help you. Now you must go. You must be strong Katniss." She pushes me towards Peeta's body. "Now!"

With Rory's help Peeta's limp form is cradled between us and we begin to make our way towards the surface, towards the nearest land I know of. It is only a small island but it will do. Hopefully the others found their way there as well.

...:::...

Man

Pain. Throbbing, burning, unbearable pain. The cool caress of ocean water rushing by. The stinging of salt in a wound. A firm grip on each of my arms. The occasional flickers of light as I drift in and out of consciousness. And finally the rush of water from my ears, the burning heat of the sun, and a gentle breeze wafting with ocean air.

I feel the coarseness of the sand along my skin as someone drags my limp, semi-conscious body across the beach and out of the water. I hear voices but it reminds me of trying to hear someone speaking when your ears are filled with water. I know that I am no longer submerged in the ocean, I can feel the heat of the sand burning my skin.

Then the soft caress of of a gentle and hesitant begins to work over my skin slowly. However each pass brings both a coolness and tingling alongside the searing and burning pain. The small conscious and logical part of my brain can tell it's a salve being applied to the wound on my leg. The rest of me feels like I'm being burned alive.

…::::...