Chapter Thirteen:

We lied low for a day, trying to regain strength. It worked, surviving on nuts, which must've had lots of fiber, and the cake. Soon enough, though, we were ready. Ready, for what? Yeah, I asked the same thing.

Cedric gave me a grim smile. "For what? What do you think?" When nobody answered and I chuckled nervously, he said softly, "To hunt."

I know he didn't mean 'hunt'. He meant kill.

"Let's go." Ronan said quietly. "Faren, you and Cedric search that part of the jungle, not too deep. Come back to right here when you notice anything. We'll meet you back here and expect you back here by..." he glanced at the sun. "Noon." Giving us approximately an hour.

Both Cedric and Faren nodded.

"And if you don't show up," I said firmly. "We will go looking for each other. Don't leave an obvious trail, but something subtle to let us know where you are."

Cedric kissed my cheek gently, and then we split in to our groups.

"Why do you always go with me?" I asked softly as we crept through our designated spot.

Ronan started to blush. "When...if I was with Faren and we were attacked, I wouldn't be able to keep my cool. I'd lose focus, and probably get killed. Then Faren could get hurt too." His eyes started to blur, and I stared at him in shock. "I can't let anything happen to her. With you, I can trust that you'll be fine. I just...I have to protect Faren."

"Faren can take care of herself," I whispered, moving a branch out of my way.

Ronan growled, "I know that. But you are in love. Don't you understand?"

I stuttered for a moment, and then answered softly, "I'm not in love."

"Yes, you are. At the interviews, you said so."

I wanted to tell him the truth, but he knew the truth already. Ronan glanced at me with his sad eyes. "I know, Laurel. You do love him somewhere in your heart, though. Don't break his heart. Or yours for that case."

I frowned as I tried to understand what he had said. He knew my dilemma. He had figured me out.

"Climb," Ronan said softly.

I shot up the tree, and once I got to the top, I decided that I liked trees. There wasn't much to see. The volcano was quiet and not smoking, so that was a good sign. I couldn't tell where our opponents were, since they were probably much too far away.

I tensed when I heard a female scream. Faren. Sliding down the tree, Ronan and I took off through the jungle, reaching the spot we had agreed on meeting, and then past that, towards the scream, through branches and trees and leaves.

I saw two human figures, one on the ground, one wrapped up in something that was squeezing the figure up. Ronan took out his sword and swiped the thing in half, causing it to fall to the ground.

The broken figure started to fall, almost gracefully, towards the ground, but got caught by Ronan. The figure was Faren.

I rushed up to them, Ronan holding a gasping Faren in his arms. "Faren," Ronan whispered.

"Don't," she whispered. "Don't waste words."

Ronan had so much pain in his gaze that I felt my own tears sting my eyes. He murmured, "Faren, you...you take care. I'll never forget you."

"And I you."

"I...I love...love you."

They didn't waste any words on how everything would be alright. I could tell by Ronan's expression that nothing was alright. I could tell by Faren's condition that she wouldn't be with us for much longer.

"I...love...you," she choked painfully, throwing up blood. "Too." She convulsed horribly.

Ronan kissed her gently before lying her head in his lap and putting a blanket over her for comfort. He kissed her again, and not two seconds later, a cannon shot went off.

"Cedric?" I realized, turning instantly to the figure on the ground. I knelt next to him immediately, putting my head against his chest to listen for his heartbeat. It was there, faintly. His chest was barely moving, but he was alive. Miraculously.

Ronan walked over to me, giving me a bouquet of flowers. "Faren told me if something...something happened to her, to give you flowers. She said you'd...you'd know what to do."

I did. I took the flowers, the beautiful wildflowers, and walked to Faren's body, and started to decorate her with flowers, hiding her broken body, outlining her beautiful face. Drenched in life, warmth, and beauty, everything would be alright.

I know my mom didn't start this way, purposely defying the Capitol. But I will. Purposely and outright. And, somehow, I would find away for both Cedric and I to win.

I stepped back, tears gone from my eyes now. She looked so beautiful and sweet, lying there, as if she were in only in a sleep, and would sit up and discover the flowers and laugh joyfully.

"It was a snake," said Ronan.

I looked over at the long, wide creature, shaped like a long pole. It had to be near thirty feet long.

"A python. Called a boa constrictor. They squeeze their prey until they suffocate to death," Ronan's voice was so cold and bitter, that it made me shudder.

"It specifically went after Faren," came a weak, forced voice.

I whipped around, my hair flying after me. "Cedric." I rushed over to him, kneeling at his side. My eyes were teary with relief.

"I tried to get it away," Cedric murmured quietly, looking guilty and miserable. "I tried to save her. I'm sorry. The snake knocked me out."

I don't know why I was so emotional. I used to tell him that I didn't want to lose him so that Panem could hear what they wanted to hear. Now, though...it was true. So true that just seeing him unconscious sent pangs through my already hurting heart.

"It wasn't your fault, Cedric," Ronan said quietly. "Boa constrictors are difficult."

There was another loud cannonshot, and we scanned the skies. I pointed at a lean male figure that had been broadcasted.

"District four boy," Ronan said, and Cedric added, "Kedric."

"Now we know where to look," I growled, gathering Faren's knives and her backpack, and led the way.