Today is an upward-climbing day after all, but not necessarily for water.

"Good afternoon, tributes. I hope you're enjoying your sixth day of the Hunger Games—and if you're not, I have an announcement that will brighten your day! At noon tomorrow, on the false summit of the eastern mountain, a grand feast will be ready! We'll set out a smorgasbord of food for you, but that's not all. There will also be a special gift for each tribute from your home district. So be sure to make it—noon tomorrow, false summit of the mountain east of the Cornucopia. See you there."

I'm still suspicious of the whole thing, but Athena's bound and determined to see if she can use this to track down any more friends. This alliance isn't big enough, apparently.

I mean, there's nothing wrong with having this many people around. Night watches are a lot shorter, and we'd fare better in a fight. But we can't expect Klavier's donations to keep us fed if we keep expanding, and, honestly, I'm not much of a hunter. How many animals do we even have here that aren't mutts or District 2 natives? And the only edible plant I've seen so far is a blackberry bush.

It's not that I don't want to help out the trio, but apparently they've been doing all right by themselves. But I guess we could at least talk to them before we jump to any conclusions.

Of course, if we can run into them headed to the feast, we could run into the Careers, too. We may have Simon on our side now, and Athena, but that doesn't mean I want to go looking for a fight. With my shoulder hurt, I can't move my arm as much as I need to, and Trucy's back is still giving her some trouble. I don't know about Klavier—he's been having some issues with balancing, but, depending on the circumstances, that might not hurt him in a fight. The Careers may be down in numbers, but I don't know if we actually dealt them any injuries. I didn't leave a scratch on Simon, that's for sure.

"Am I the only one who intends to enjoy the festivities fully?"

Planting her next step, Trucy looks up at the 2. "What do you mean?"

Simon continues ahead. "It sounds as though we plan to meet the other tributes outside the battlefield completely. Have we no interest in the gifts offered to us?"

"We've yet to go hungry," Klavier says, "so that bit isn't much of a reward."

"Yeah, because of all your sponsors." Trucy pauses for a moment. "Have you thanked any of them yet?"

"Of course not." He grins. "I look forward to expressing my gratitude to each of them in person."

...And that is the sound of more teenage girls throwing money at their televisions.

"It's the gifts from our districts that interest me," Athena puts in.

I squeeze my eyes shut in thought for a second. "Those could be anything, though—letters, bedding, just bread—and we'd be risking an awful lot for them."

"Suppose I simply gather all of ours by myself while you hide away elsewhere. Would that not solve our quandary?"

"Hold it!" Athena frowns at Simon. "What are you talking about? You going in alone would make it more dangerous!"

"Is that so?" He grins smugly at her. "Who, then, Cykes-dono, would you say is going to attack me?"

She falters before pounding a hand down on the rocks. "Well, the Careers, of course!"

"You mean the alliance led by my own flesh and blood?" He grips his chin with a single, strong shake of his head. "Aura and I may not see eye to eye, but I assure you she wouldn't dream of having me killed when other competitors are left to battle."

"Really?" My brow furrows. "If she cares that much, why would she volunteer in the same Games as you?" She did go first, but I think they pre-arrange this stuff in Career districts.

"Silence!" He pivots enough for me to see his hand on his hilt. Before I can worry about keeping my neck intact, Taka flies at me with a screech.

"Aaaaaah!" Hopping back, I hold up an arm and try to keep my feet under me as the hawk claws the air in front of my face. I can't do much but gawk and hope one hand is enough to keep me on the mountain.

With a sharp whistle, Simon calls his bird back before anyone has the chance to help me. Trucy makes sure I don't fall back while I'm repositioning myself.

Taka lands on Simon's shoulder as the latter continues upward. "My sister had her own rubbish logic for volunteering the year I was to be forced here. All you need to know is that neither of us wishes death upon the other."

But... aren't you trying to get Athena out alive? That means Aura has to die. I... guess you could still not want her to, but shouldn't you do something about it, if that's how you feel?

But if he doesn't want Athena to die, either...

I mean, I also don't want her to die, and I don't want Trucy to die, and I don't want to die...

Agh! How could anyone even dream of putting people into this situation? It's so wrong, I can't... I can't justify making any decisions here.

"Well..." Athena straightens up. "There are still other tributes that could gang up on you!"

He turns away from her. "Those feeble-minded miscreants? They wouldn't last one night in a prison cell, let alone against my blade." Looking at her sideways, he smirks. "Or do you expect your little triad of friends to overwhelm me themselves?"

"No way! They'd never attack you!" She unclenches her fists and stares upward. "So that leaves..." She slouches, one arm akimbo. "Well, your own alliance isn't going to go after you."

"So you admit that no one in the arena would attempt to murder me at the feast."

"Well—!" She leapfrogs over a boulder. "There could still be an accident—!"

"Silence!" He slams his fists down on the rock ahead of him, and Athena jumps back in surprise. "Your only reasons for concern are so vapid they could well apply to any part of this battlefield, at any moment. If you have no actual objections, it's time to move ahead."

You're the one that stopped, you know...

Athena's mouth hangs open a little, but it's clear she has no response. I think she's halfway convinced, but she's still unsettled. What else is there, though?

We've started climbing again before it occurs to me. "Hold it!"

We grind to a halt again, Simon turning to glare at me.

"What about traps?"

"Huh?" Athena casts a look back at me. "I'm keeping an ear out, don't worry."

"No, I mean at the feast." I nod at Simon. "Even if you're safe from all of the tributes, the Gamemakers aren't going to be on your side."

"Oh, that's right!" Athena slaps one hand on the rock between Simon and her. "They can still launch anything they want at you!"

The 2 shifts his glare to her. "To what end? There's no point in executing tributes just before another bloodbath is to begin. Or do you think my death is so trivial to them they would bring it about without giving it any thought?"

"No..." Athena gives her earring a tap.

"A man in the clink once old me that it is useless to dispose of an axe before it has been tarnished."

"An... axe?" Sweating, I glance at Klavier. Isn't that more of a District 7 kind of tool?

Simon jabs a finger at the side of his forehead a few times, smirking. "I remind you that I was held in a prison for those convicted of homicide."

So you want us to take advice from an axe murderer?!

"Never before has a feast in the Games been trapped by the Gamemakers. Nor would such a thing be satisfying to the viewers. Therefore, it would be a worthless change." He hunches, hand hovering over his sword handle as he throws his penetrating glare at me. "Are you claiming that the Gamemakers engage in worthless folly, Justice-dono?"

I jump back, mouth gaping. "I-I never said anything like that!" Don't put words in my mouth! Especially when they slight the Capitol...!

He straightens up. "So you agree after all that there will be no traps."

...Do I have a choice? "Sure. No traps. You're safe."

With a jerk of his chin toward the mountain side, he says, "Then let us proceed."

This guy's really done his studying for the Games, huh? Keeping track of all of the feasts since they've been implemented, knowing what swords usually show up... I guess any Career would have to know some of that, though.

"...Wait a second." Ducking past a tree branch, I look up at Simon. "How did they train you for the Games if you've been in prison? I can see studying past footage, but sword-fighting?"

He pauses just long enough to smirk at me. "Whoever said I'm a Career tribute? There are other reasons to take up the sword, Justice-dono. Not to mention plenty of ways to further training without possessing the blade itself."

"Wh-what?" I draw back. "But you've studied the Hunger Games footage, too!"

"Tapes are on the train and Training Center floors, and a few nights without sleep provides an astounding amount of time. Perhaps you should try it."

With that, he resumes climbing.

"Does that mean he didn't study any of them until after he volunteered?" Trucy keeps her voice low despite her panting.

"It sure sounds like it."

But why? If he knew he would be sent into the Games—however that worked—surely he would take measures farther in advance. I know it's supposed to be his death sentence somehow, but... If he doesn't hope to get out, why bother studying at all?

My gaze rests on Athena.

If Simon didn't train for the Games until recently... Until after the reapings...

Swallowing, I stare at the rocks instead and keep going up.

We have to break out the bungee cords for part of the climb, but we make it to a flatter, shrubby area to camp out for the night. No faces in the sky, and no trouble during our watches.

But all of the trouble is coming up, at the summit not too far above us.

Let's see what happens at noon.