OMG ITS CHAPTER TWENTY! YAY! *falls over and dies of excitment before coming back to life* Okay, so originally, I was going to do something really cool for this chapter, but, um, I couldn't really think of anything that could happen at this point, so its just a normal chapter. AS usual, review, favorite, subscribe! I HEART U!
Two faces were broadcasted in the sky that night, Jenn's and the boy from District Ten's. Counting on her fingers Feral found that there were only seven of them left. She missed Zephyr so much, she couldn't help but let two perfect teardrops fall from her bright blue eyes. They used to watch the sky every night for the faces of the dead tributes together. It was the first night that she had been conscious that he hadn't been there with her.
She began to wonder what had happened to Merchan. He wasn't dead, after all, and he was the other District Seven tribute. Back in the district they must have been having a party, having two tributes got so far in the Hunger Games. District Seven wasn't very lucky with their tributes, but they were certainly luckier then districts like Eleven or Twelve. She rested her hand on her fist, thinking. Merchan was strong but he wasn't very smart. He had probably just picked a random direction and started walking in it. Or maybe even joined up with the Careers. She didn't like that thought. She remembered how in the bloodbath he had decapitated one of the other tributes with an axe. Thinking back now, she thought it had been Tiff, the nutty girl from District Eight. The memory sent shivers down her spine.
And then there were the Careers. Where had they been all that time? It was a miracle that she hadn't yet had a run in with them except for when they attacked the cave and killed Zephyr. Hera and Teck had both died then. Spark, Chance and Rivera would be left. The three of them would be a formidable team, Spark with her throwing daggers, Chance with his spear, and Rivera with her sword. Would Feral even stand a chance against them? Her arrows wouldn't be very useful if she was being hacked at by Rivera, who was pretty stealthy and agile. She would easily be able to ambush Feral and Rowan; they wouldn't even know what had hit them. Spark could hit someone with her knives from a fair distance, but not as far away as Feral could with an arrow. Spark wasn't as agile or stealthy as Rivera, and from what Feral had gathered during training, her patience was lacking. Surely she wouldn't be able to get in range of her daggers without Feral knowing of her approach? And then, of course, there was Chance. The eighteen year old was wicked fast with a spear with impeccable aim. He had tall and strong build. Feral had a feeling that he would be the one to kill in the end.
Then there was the guy from District Twelve. Feral thought his name had been Tariff. It was surprising to her, and probably everyone else, that he had survived so long in the Hunger Games. District Twelve tributes were usually the first to die. He had been eighteen and rather muscular. She distantly remembered seeing him running away from the cornucopia as she was making a brake for it. He was pretty slow. Wherever he was, Feral guessed that he was badly injured. District Twelve wasn't one of the Capitol's favorite districts and the Gamesmakers usually went out of their way to make sure they had an especially unpleasant time in the arena if they survived it at all.
But what about Rowan? What would they do if it came down to the two of them in the arena? Feral couldn't kill him, not after he was taking care of her like that, even if he was only doing it for the cameras. Would she even be able to kill him if she wanted to? Rowan was strong and a good fighter. She could have sworn she had seen a trident in the cornucopia. If they killed off the Careers, who were no doubt hording all the weapons and supplies, and they were the only ones left, she feared what he'd be able to do if he got his hands on one.
"I'll take first watch," Feral volunteered. Rowan looked cautious but he eventually agreed, laying down and closing his eyes. As the stars rose in the sky she began to grow especially tired. She wondered how the other tributes could stand staying up so late at night to keep guard. She hated it. Back in the Crystal Cave they had been so well hidden that they didn't need to keep watch. But then again, if it had been so well hidden how had Hera and Teck found them? Feral couldn't help but wonder what had led them to the cave, but she supposed she would never know.
She wondered what her family had said about her in their interviews. Her father had probably told the interviewers some story from when she was little. Most likely it had been the story about the wolves. When Feral was seven she had been with Pinn out in the forest. They were unsupervised and hadn't remembered to tell their father where they were going. As they walked in the woods they came upon a towering oak tree with a wide trunk and thick, low-hanging limbs. Of course, being District Seven children, they had wanted to climb it. All of a sudden a pack of wolves leapt out of the bushes nearby. They circled the trunk of the tree and barked and howled at the children. Well, as they did so, Pinn began to climb dangerously high up in the treetops. He stepped on an especially thin branch and it snapped under his weight. He began to fall but Feral reached out to try to catch him. She caught his arm and he swung precariously, the wolves leaping into the air and snapping just centimeters below his heels. Feral used almost all of her energy to pull him back to safety. They were trapped in the tree for hours. Finally, the sun was starting to set and they were becoming desperate. Finally, Feral had an idea. Climbing higher into the tree, she snapped off two of the skinnier twigs. Rubbing them together furiously, she tried to give them as much friction as possible before they finally caught on fire. She had to act fast before the entire twig burned. Leaping down from the trees she waved the smoldering branch before the wolves, yelling angrily. They turned tail and fled. Helping Pinn down from the tree, they raced away from the forest and ran straight back to their home.
Feral watched as Rowan's breathing slowed as he drifted off to sleep. He would have been kind for taking care of her, if Feral hadn't known better. He was only doing it for himself, to make him seem more likeable so he could get sponsors.
Speaking of sponsors, where were Feral's? She hadn't received any gifts from Eve since the bread she had sent to tell them to leave the Crystal Cave. She must have known that the Careers were close. If only Feral had pushed harder, had made Zephyr leave… if she had done that then he wouldn't be dead.