Princess of the Sea

By: CyanideMuffins7

Chapter 18: My Most Precious Treasure

Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Hunger Games, the trilogy or any of the characters Suzanne Collins has created. I only take credit for the characters I have created and the plot I have made.

I lay on the cool blades of grass and the hard stone like earth underneath me. I watch the clouds engulf the sky entirely until there wasn't anything visible in the sky. I turn my head seeing Coda sleep on Bachus's lap as he sits by a tree. I turn my head to my other side to see Wren sleeping by me while Canon was on his shift.

Bachus seemed to act normal after what he had told me. He was back to his normal brute self. He didn't fight as much as he did with everyone. He probably fights with Wren more than anyone else though. Bachus doesn't seem like he appreciates Wren's leadership, but some fights he just has to step down and let Wren win. Bachus and Coda's relationship became stronger. Since he lost his younger sister, he treats Coda like one which is strange but at the same time I can understand. I never bothered to talk to Bachus about his decision, and I know he won't regret it. At times, I would catch him looking up at the sky or in the distance. But sometimes, when no one was looking, I would look at him to find him looking at me with a smile. I began to notice that his eyes always end up to me, with a smile.

Will there ever be a future for me if I keep insisting that these people cannot die? I don't want Coda to die. She isn't being rational about this. She would die rather than see her parents happy. But it's what she wants and no matter what I say, she's not going to change her mind.

I don't want Bachus to die either. He is so insistent that he's at peace seeing Ilaria after so many years away from her. But if I knew that Evan and Ian were still alive but Avoxs in the Capitol, would I purposely get myself into the Games in order to see them? I defiantly would, but that's impossible for me.

I want Bachus and Coda to live, but I want to live as well.

I have a nightmare that I'm swimming through the river. I try to swim up to the surface, but when my hand touches the top of the river, it's made out of glass. I pound, waiting for it to break but not even a single crack was produced. Suddenly I see Hei standing on the glass looking down at me. I notice the bronze trident in his hand.

He takes aim, throws, shattering the glass until it hit me.

I startle myself once I wake up. It' still night-time and Canon is still up. I stand up and head over to Canon. He isn't scanning the area like I would, but he's assembling a type of explosive on his lap. I watch him for a bit before tapping him on his shoulder, "I can take it from here." I say.

Canon looks at me, "But I don't think you can handle explosives yet." He said as he turns his attention back to his work. I sigh heavily, "No, no. I'm talking about your shift." I correct. Canon's eyes widened in realization, "Oh" he muttered. Now that it was clear to him he was able to answer my question, "But you have another few hours until it's your shift." He replied. I could see the bags under Canon's eyes and I know he's tired. I sit down next to him, "I can't go back to sleep, and I don't want to waste my hours if you can sleep." I say.

Canon sighs, puts away his explosive in his pack and heads over to the bed of grass where I slept. I stay up the rest of the night until morning when everyone wakes up. Canon looked better, but was still tired. We eat some of the leftover bread for breakfast before Wren wants to change my bandages.

When she unwraps my bandages, my wounds were puffy red and really itchy when the cool breeze hit my skin. She applied some more St. John's Wort for the itching, "Don't worry about it being puffy, it'll go away over time." Wren said as she inspected my hand a bit more.

Wren kept the herbs she found in a tightly woven basket that she wears like a pack. Even though she doesn't carry any weapons, she sure is clever.

I pretty much sit around most of the morning, sharpening my two remaining throwing axes. This went on until late afternoon, when Wren wanted Canon and I to go hunting today. It was strange that she would change our jobs. Now Coda sits around with Bachus as he guards the camp.

It isn't awkward or anything as we search around for food. We mainly pick the berries that are around. I approach a bush that bore dark berries in clumps. I pick one-off, and inspect it.

"Those are very poisonous." Canon warned casually as he passes by me. I carefully flick the berry from my fingers and into a nearby bush. I stand up and rub my fingers on my jacket before catching up to Canon.

As I walk beside him, he practically towers over me. He was probably more than six-foot. Since he had a lanky figure it makes him seem even taller than he is. Besides his incredible height, I begin to wonder how he managed to get sucked into the Careers. It's difficult to imagine how Canon got into the Careers anyway. Was it to be safe? Or was he threatened. Now that Canon and I are somewhat trustable, I can ask him.

"So, why did you join the Careers?" I ask while scanning the bushes around me for any edible berries.

Canon's face remains unchanged, "For protection." Was all Canon had said.

It's a vague answer that didn't answer much of my question at all. I want to be more specific but my eyes were on the stitches. Just by looking at them, I felt a pang of guilt within me and I remain silent.

We don't speak afterwards as we passed by the trees. We only collect a few berries. I was hungry and when Canon wasn't looking, I snuck a few into my mouth. But I have a feeling Canon was doing the same when I'm not looking.

About an hour later, Canon finally broke the silence once we reached the stream, "What was home like for you?" He asked as he avoids another branch.

So Canon is going to play that card on me is he? Usually I'm the one to ask that question. But I ask that question when someone looks like they need to get their mind off of something. Why would Canon ask me?

I decide to tell Canon about how life was like for me in District 4. I told of my family, the tragedies, Hei bullying me, my hobbies and such. But Canon seemed to be interested in two things, my family and Hei.

"Hei bullied you?" Canon clarified as he looks at me with a questioned look. I nod, but this seemed like it confused Canon, "Yeah. Not much of a shock really for you, his cruelty is expressed openly." I say.

Canon still looked confused but just shook his head and continued on with his other interest, "So you only live with your father and younger sister?" He continued.

"That's pretty much who's left." I confirm with a light sigh.

Canon's eyes were wide and his face is flushed, "Oh, I'm sorry for asking that. I feel so stupid." He said looking away from me.

"Oh it's alright." I say. I actually did feel a little perturbed about asking if I only live with Dad and Valentine. It was basically asking me if they are the only ones who haven't died yet. But he shouldn't feel too bad about that.

"Are they important to you?" Canon softly asks while his face replenishes his color.

Of course they're important to me. Why wouldn't they be? If they weren't, then I would have no regrets from entering the Games. I love Dad and Canon with all my heart. They're the only things that determine me to win.

"Of course. If anything ever happened to them, I would just die." I say as I stare at the leaves stuck to my boots. Truthfully, I don't know what I would do if Dad and Valentine were taken from me. I think if it came to it, I would die.

I look back up to Canon, "What about you? What's it like living in District 12?" I ask.

"Let's head back to camp." Canon said, completely ignoring my question.

Canon asks me about my life, I want to know about his. I always hear from other people in my District that people from District 12 are coated in coal dust that you sometimes mistake them for dirt. Although Canon wasn't coated with coal when I first met him, but then again, he met his prep team before then.

But why would Canon avoid my question?

I persist a little by nudging him in his muscular arm, "You asked me, and I want to know yours." I say.

Canon looks away from me like he's pretending I'm not here. We were probably a few feet from the camp when I stop Canon. I stand in front of him, "I'll show you something." I say. I take in a deep breath and stand on the tips of my toes and did a battemont tendu with pirouettes. After I did a pirouette, I would have my arms stretched out but curled towards me as my feet would trace where I go next into another pirouette. For good measure I did a continuous last pirouette until I got dizzy and face Canon again.

Canon was laughing, "Come on. I did that, you have to tell me now." I pant with a small smile. Canon must think I'm the idiot. Now that I think about it, he has seen me dance before. When I escaped the Career Camp in the only way I knew how to escape with grace.

Once the laughs stop, Canon decides I should know his story. He told about the life in District 12. Apparently I could be far from wrong about the whole coal dust thing. But that was only typical for mine workers.

Canon's parents were two opposites. His father was from the poor part of 12 called the Seam while his mother was from the merchant part of the district. When Canon was young, his father died in a mine collapse which left Canon's mother to raise him. But she decided she couldn't raise him without his father, so she just left Canon with his grandmother and left 12. How she left or even why she left was a mystery to Canon, but he didn't really care for his mother after what she had done.

Canon's grandmother was his only caretaker, and the only person who loved Canon. She owned a fabric store, so Canon didn't have to live in the Seam.

What got Canon hooked on explosive was an interesting story. He accidentally stumbled into the mine, lost. Soon there was a mine collapse on him and a few of the younger miners. The miners were panicking with little oxygen and oil for the lanterns left. The miners were new and didn't have much experience handling the explosives that were with them. Neither did Canon, but he found a way. Within about ten minutes, Canon was able to figure out how the explosives work and setting them up. Soon, Canon was able to get everyone out of that cave alive. Although the miners were a bit embarrassed saying that a seven-year old boy had helped them escape with equipment the boy was proficient in. Ever since that day, Canon had a fascination with demolitions. In enough time, he was able to create his own, like the land mines that I saw at the Career camp.

Throughout Canon's life, he had absolutely no friends. It was mostly his mad mind and awkward speech that made people look down on him. This didn't occur to him until he finally realized that no one spoke to him except his grandmother. This brought Canon into a deep depression that made him contemplate killing himself. But instead, he decided to write a letter. He wanted someone to listen to his cries through his locked cage, no matter who it was. The letter was then attached to a leg of a Mockingjay and was let out into the world.

About a few months later, the Mockingjay came back. Canon thought no one took the letter, so he took it off and was about to toss it when he noticed that it wasn't his handwriting on the paper. A girl from another district had responded back, and she understood his melancholy and emptiness he had felt.

They kept writing to each other and sending the Mockingjay out to deliver the letters. This girl was his only friend in the world, and he loved her for that. This continued until he sent out the last letter on Reaping Day this year.

When Canon became a Tribute, he felt like the crumbling structure of his life had broken. When he was picked, his Grandmother had a heart attack.

"It wasn't until we were on the train heading to the Capitol when they told me my Grandmother had passed away. Now there's nothing left to go back to." Canon finished as he propped himself up against a tree trunk that he seemed to be as tall as.

Now Canon was jumping on this train. First Coda, then Bachus and now Canon. Why are they so willing to die? Why do they doubt their victory? I don't even know what's wrong with me? I should be questioning myself from questioning about their decisions.

"Well when you win, you can find her." I protest calmly, but I feel like if he denied I wouldn't be able to stay calm.

"There's nothing outside this arena for me anymore." Canon said as he looks off into the distance, "I don't need to find her." He said with a soft smile.

I follow Canon's eyes and turn around to have my eyes meet Wren as she was picking some flowers from the ground. She notices us looking at her. Wren smiles and waves before returning back to her herb collecting.

It was Wren.

I slowly turn back to Canon, but his eyes were still on Wren. There was nothing outside this arena that mattered to him anymore. Now, his most precious treasure is here with him. There's no point in winning if what he could be winning for is right by his side.

I saw no reason to say anything else, or even to convince him that he should win. The way Canon looks and acts around Wren, reminds me of how my parents looked and acted around each other.

Love is something that will cease to amaze me.