I'm terribly sorry it took this long! The chapter was quite hard to write, and I'm not completely certain about it, but I couldn't let you guys waiting for another week, could I? ;) As for the rest of the story... I would guess two more chapters, maybe three. See you there!
BETA: thwayfaringstrangers
Angelfabeth: I thoroughly enjoyed my holiday, thank you very much ;)
Arwenia: Have fun there! Tell me how it was! :)
Dunedian: Bedankt! Oh ja, moest ik dat verhaal van de zon en de maan es herschrijven?
Erynel: I'm glad you like the story :P You're lucky, I just received the corrected version as I read your review ;) Here's the update!
Silme-Quesse: You make me blush! Thank you very much :)
SmileyFace13: Here it is ;)
Ynnealay: Hope I can make it up with this extra long chapter ;) Btw, I know I ask it alot, but what does your name mean?
"Aïe!"
"Oh don't be such a child, Estel! You have had worse!"
"Yes, but usually I am the one who applies salves to my wounds, and I am far more careful then you- ouch!"
"Pity you can't reach your back then, isn't it?" Legolas smirked. Aragorn grimaced.
"Just be- gentle, alright?"
"I always am." Indeed, the elf was very cautious while treating the man's wounds. The infection however, had made the flesh around the injury in the torso and the back –since Cato's sword had gone straight through Aragorn's body- very sensitive, and every touch hurt. Inwardly, the elf cringed as his friend hissed in pain once again.
"Sorry." Aragorn didn't answer, but he gently squeezed Legolas' hand to show him thathe didn't blame the elf. He gritted his teeth again as a new flare of pain went through his body. Legolas quickly finished the treatment and carefully put a bandage around his friend's chest.
"One would say you would be happy after we saved you, instead of complaining," Katniss commented. She was standing near the entrance of the cave, which was normally the place of Aragorn and Legolas, her arms crossed. Aragorn scowled, but didn't reply. How could she know that by teasing each other, so much more than gentle insults and taunts were exchanged. Every word spoke of relief that they were still here, of love for the other, of friendship. Legolas, on the other hand, decided to play a little more.
"Don't tell me, Katniss. He's always so touchy. You know, when he was a child –"
"I'm certain she does not want to be bothered with that right now, Legolas," Aragorn hastily interrupted with a stern glare at Legolas. The elf bowed mockingly, a smile upon his face. Then he turned to Katniss.
"Perhaps not now. But I'm sure tonight, around the fire, will be an excellent occasion for an entertaining story."
"If we are not dead by then," Katniss replied coldly. She clearly was not in the mood for their teasing.
"Pray tell me, my lady. Why should we be dead by then?" The girl sighed at the antiques of the young elf. She was worried. Several days had passed without anyone dying. The Capitol must be bored by now. And that had to be remedied. It would not be long before Seneca would get some more action in the Game. The finale was up. And usually, that didn't bode well for the tributes. Therefore, her voice was annoyed and cold when she spoke, though there was a honey-sweet tone in it.
"Well, apart from the fact that Thresh or Foxface could find our hiding place, or that a mutt could follow our tracks, there is also the possibility that nature will turn against us – or that I kill you in your sleep if you don't shut up." Okay, that sounded harsher than she had meant to, but it had the desired effect. Legolas was silent. For a moment.
"What do you mean, nature can turn against us?" Hastily, Peeta intervened, before Katniss could explode. She really didn't know why she was so quickly irritated, but she could barely fight her anger. Perhaps her mind was preparing her for the fact she had to kill the boy sooner or later, by making up reasons why she should hate him. Well, it'd better hurry up then, for she didn't feel ready to slaughter him, not yet. While she was trying to put herself together again, Peeta was explaining how the forest was created by Seneca and could be controlled by the Game-makers. Legolas seemed stupefied.
"The trees… are our enemies?"
"I wouldn't call it like that. It's not that the trees really want to kill us, you see, they have no mind. But Seneca uses them as tools." Legolas opened his mouth as if he wanted to protest.
"Trees-" Aragorn poked him quite roughly.
"Trees do not have a mind. That's right. Isn't it, Las?" Legolas shot him an angry glare, but he was silenced. Estel was right. In this forest, the trees did not speak. They did not rustle merrily when he walked beneath them, nor did they warn him for danger, or point him edible fruits. How could he then expect that those two children would believe him when he said that back home, some trees were his friends, or even family? So he just sat there and said nothing.
"We should get moving," Katniss broke the silence. "Today."
"Why? The cave protects us from unfriendly eyes, and we have water and game near. Why do you wish to leave this shelter?" Aragorn asked.
"The longer we stay here, the greater the chances that we will be discovered. And apart from that, the finale is comingup." The man nodded thoughtfully, but didn't agree.
"Indeed, Foxface and Tresh are still out there. But there are only two of them, and this Arena is large. I do not think we should abandon this protection out of fear for discovery."
"I agree," Legolas added. "And as for the finale, what good would it dous to leave this cave? We do not know what challenge they will throw at us. Perhaps this cave will give us an advantage." Aragorn was a little concerned to hear the elf defending the cave, but then again, Legolas had occupied a spot near the entrance, so one could dispute whether he was actually sitting in the cave.
"Youtwo do not understand. The finale is not a kind of challenge that was created from the beginning! It's Seneca who is making it up, and you canbe sure he'll want you two runaways dead! He'll do everything to kill you in this last stage, to discourage other people from fleeing their Districts like you did!"
"That is… worrisome," Aragorn commented after a short pause.
"But it would explain the fire and the flood. Not to mention the Tracker Jackers. And the fact that the trees helped Clove to sneak up upon us." Legolas didn't seem to be too worried. Katniss sighed.
"Yes, Seneca made up all those things to kill you. And now, he's making up something new. But I think this time, you won't be so lucky to escape it. That's why we need to move."
"But if Seneca is trying to kill us, why should we run? When we are in the forest, we are as exposed to his schemes as we are here."
"Except that if we remain here, he'll have much more opportunities to finish us off. A cave-in, or a mutt near the entrance so that we are trapped in here, or another flooding to drown us, or worse. I don't think he'll be worried about originality this time. The Capitol wants you dead, and the Game-makers will make sure of that." Legolas had paled considerably while Katniss was summing up the dangers of a cave. Being trapped in darkness was the only thing the elf feared, as far as Aragorn knew. And what Katniss said made sense. There was a little problem with her logic though.
"Why don't you just leave then? Why takethe effort of trying to persuade us?" It was a sore spot, and he knew it, but he had to ask. Katniss was trying her best to be cold and rational, but her heart –Valar, what a stereotype!- was warm. And as before, Katniss was taken aback.
"I…My motives are my own," she said somewhat aggressively. Aragorn wisely decided not to pursue the matter.
"Then what will we do? Move, or stay here?" Peeta, who had said nothing until then, spoke from the back of the cave. The four of them looked at each other. Then, Legolas broke the silence.
"Peeta, what do you think? You haven't said anything yet. Do you wish to stay or leave?"
"I would rather stay," the boy answered, with an apologetically glance at Katniss. "The cave is not too great and well hidden. As you say, Strider, the advantages of staying here are greater than the dangers."
"Then it is decided," Katniss sighed, and she went back to her place near the smoldering fire, but Aragorn frowned and exchanged a glance with Legolas. The elf nodded in agreement.
"We will leave."
"What?"
"As you said, Seneca will focus on us. You will be safer without us near. And Las and I know how to survive in the woods. We'll go."
In normal life, both Peeta and Katniss would have tried to persuade them otherwise. They would have told them that they did not have to make this sacrifice, that the cave would protect all of them well enough, that there was no need to go wandering out into a dangerous forest. But this was the Hunger Games, and every action had to be calculated to seewhether it would bring good or bad fortune to all who were involved. And in this particular case, the leaving of Thirteen would bring benefits to Twelve. And therefore, they did not speak, but Peeta's eyes asked desperately whether they were certain. Legolas smiled and took his bow.
"Fear not, my friends. We have survived all of what Seneca has thrown at us. We will survive this as well."
"There can only be one winner, Las," Katniss said monotonously.
"We'll make something up. Good-bye, girl on fire. We will meet again." Aragorn and Legolas turned to leave the shelter, bowing respectfully to the tall boy near the entrance. However, when they heard light footsteps behind them, they stopped. Legolas raised his eyebrow questioningly and crossed his arms.
"What exactly are you doing?"
"Saying good-bye. I will accompany you a little further," Peeta answered smiling. "Oh, and you forgot something. Your gift from the festivity. You haven't even opened it. Perhaps it can aid you in the finale." He gave the little packet to Aragorn. The man looked at it, and put it away. He had no desire to see the contents of the thing he had almost given his life for. Legolas however, stopped him.
"Let us examine it in the cave. It may be the last safe moment we have."
"Do you really have to know what is written upon it?" Aragorn asked. The silver metal was giving him a very bad feeling, and if he would have been alone, he would have thrown it away. But the young elf was curious and nodded, his head slightly aslant.
"Why? You don't?" The man sighed, but said nothing. Instead, he gave the pod to Peeta.
"Do you know how to open it?"
"Sure. Just touch it one time," the boy showed," and then swap your finger from the left to the right. It seems there's a video upon it. Do you want me to let it play?" ('upon' is more archaic than 'on', and I don't think Peeta would use it in an ordinary sentence.)
"Yes, please." Mesmerized, both of them looked how an image appeared in the air. It was Seneca, smiling skillfully, yet in his eyes, cruelty and coldness were clear.
"Congratulations! You have managed to survive the 74th edition of the annual Hunger Games so far! We have noticed, however, that neither of you ever killed a tribute, rather you stayed in the background and waited until they were killed for you. Some would say you did it out of compassion, others call it cowardice. Therefore, we offer you an extra stimulant, so that you may win. Enjoy this little… compilation." Seneca disappeared, and other images filled the screen. The four of them gasped for breath.
There the little boy was, Legolas couldn't really remember to which District he belonged. He ran to the Cornucopia and hid there until the slaughter at the very first day of the Games had subdued. Then, he carefully peered around. Not carefully enough though. Clove appeared from behind him. In one fluid motion, the young tribute was slain.
A girl around a campfire, in the middle of the night. Her face was contorted in fear as she nervously looked around her. It didn't save her though. The group of Careers was upon her before she realized they were there. There was nothing she could have done.
Glimmer, sleeping, seconds before the hive fell. Shrieking loudly when the bees attacked her, stinging her, poisoning her. She slashed wildly to keep them away, but it was no use. In a matter of moments, her fair face was unrecognizably maimed. She fell to the ground.
"What is this?" Aragorn whispered in horror. He couldn't tear his eyes of the screen, where more and more children were slaughtered. Some of them he didn't even recognize. They must have been killed in other editions of these Games, he realized vaguely.
"A warning," Katniss answered softly. "And a distraction."
"Finish it. Put it away!" Legolas' voice was strangled as he spoke, and his stance was rigid, but his face was blank. Only Aragorn could see the pain in his eyes, for elves do not show their emotions easily, but they regret every single life that is taken. Katniss moved to close the pod. Then, a new image filled the screen, and she stiffened.
A little girl in a tree.
Black skin.
Great, dark eyes.
Rue.
Rue.
The scenes followed faster and faster. A river of images, untenably coursing towards the end they all knew.
Rue in the forest. Alone. Afraid.
A mesh, hidden beneath the grass. Feet walked towards it, uncertainly, nervously. Stopping just before the trap, and then continuing.
A shriek. Struggling, writhing. Desperate whistles in the forest.
Liberation. Katniss turning towards a new opponent.
A spear.
Fear, shock, pain.
Death.
Darkness.
No one moved. They just could not force their bodies to do something while their minds were still trying to process what they had seen. Only Katniss had known what exactly whatwould happen, but seeing it again had made tears run over her face. Her head was bowed. Tenderly, Peeta stretched out to lay his hand upon her shoulder, but he halted himself just in time. He knew her well enough to realize she would recoil. She was strong. She didn't want someone to take care for her.
All of a sudden, Legolas grabbed the pod, closed it none too gentle and tossed it into his pouch. Then he looked up, eyes aflame.
"Let us go. Now." His voice was full of barely contained anger, but he was standing proud and determined. Aragorn just looked at him, his mind still wandering around what he had witnessed. Legolas took his shoulder.
"Estel, let us go! We will kill them! We will kill those who are responsible for this!"
"But how?" Slowly, his attention seemed to come back.
"By leaving this Arena! Let us go now, Estel! I cannot sit idly here! I have to do something, if only walking!" Sluggishly, Aragorn nodded. Then he came into action.
"You are right." He grabbed his bow and his knife, and took his pouch with healing herbs and Haymitch' medicine, before turning to Katniss and Peeta. The girl quickly tried to hide her tears.
"Stay here in the cave. Stay alive! Someday, we will avenge Rue. I swear it."
"Do not make promises you cannot keep, Strider. The Capitol is too strong. You will never be able to defeat them."
"No. It will fall someday, Katniss. I promise you that."
And many, many days later, the Girl on Fire would have to thing back on the words of the stranger, and smile. But that was later. Now, she felt herself to be alone in the dark cave, even though Peeta was standing next to her. Thirteen had vanished in the night.
What would be happening with Foxface and Thresh? Finale is up -hopefully- next week! :P
xXx Archiril