12: Tracked Down

Katniss POV

"Something's been stolen," Cato says in a matter-of-fact tone. "The mines didn't work. You know what that means Weston?" he asks Higg. I shiver at his tone, both Higg and I know what will happen next. The only reason Higg stayed alive was to be a guard. And on his shift a set of throwing knives had been stolen. He's going to get killed.

Cato unsheathes a blade. The sword is about two and a half feet long, slender, silver and straight. I have no doubt that it is deadly, like everything else in this arena. "Say goodbye to your family," he says laughing. "I'll send some other tributes to join you soon." He brings the sword down towards Higg's head, but Higg dodges the blade.

"Please don't kill me!" he pleads. "It was a simple mistake, it won't happen again!" His eyes are wide with terror and I know that he didn't just let his guard down because he felt sorry for the tribute who stole the knives. I bet it's either Foxface or Rue, none of the others seem small enough or clever enough. Now I know not to underestimate Rue just because she's young.

Cato's sword hits this time and digs half-way into Higg's neck. A torrent of blood spurts out of the neck onto the ground, Cato's sword, his face and clothes. He pulls the sword out and brings it down again into his heart. More blood comes out and Higg slumps to the ground, what is left of his neck breaking with a distinctive snap. His eyes are still open, lifeless.

Cato wipes the blade on his sleeve and puts it back in the sheath. "One less cowardly tribute in these games," he says calmly. I feel a slight urge to vomit at how easily he can kill and wonder what actually goes on in the career training academies. I thought they were only taught to use weapons, but it seems they also teach them how to let go of guilt.

"Teams for today: Katniss, Cato and I will track down Rue, I bet she's still in the forest with that damned climbing ability. Marvel, Mara, track down the thief. I doubt it was Rue, she'll probably be recovering from stings. Gale, stay here and guard our stuff, and you know what happens if you mess up," Clove says.

Gale nods and goes over to the supplies to pick up a sword. He chooses one that is quite short, maybe one and a half feet long and leaf shaped. I pick up my bow and quiver of arrows and follow Cato and Clove away. Wearing a belt of knives, Clove looks almost as deadly, if not more, than Cato.

We head into the forest. After walking, searching and listening for any noises for a few minutes, Cato splits us up. He tells me to climb a tree and see if I can find her from above. Clove will be setting traps and snares. He will continue searching. The plan seems logical, we all agree with our roles.

I swing myself easily up into the branches, climbing higher and higher until the branches are too thin to support even my weight. At this point I am about fifty meters above the ground and I can see all across the arena. A tribute has made a camp in the grain field, probably Thresh. I can see the career camp and a tiny figure pacing around. Gale.

Then another figure catches my attention. A short way away from where I am, I see a small dark-skinned girl at the bottom of a tall tree. This must be Rue, and she is too close for comfort to Cato, and the clearing where she is standing has been snared by Clove. This is a crossroads moment for me. I'm ashamed to admit that part of me wants to leave her to die for dropping a tracker jacker nest on us yesterday.

Part of me wants to go there myself and kill her, or to shoot her with an arrow from here. But the other half of me wants to warn her, tell her to run away. The part that reminds me of Prim. But would Prim have ever done what Rue did? I know Prim, Prim couldn't kill a fly. Rue killed Glimmer, which I guess is good. One less career to deal with when I betray.

In the end I decide to warn her. My conscience will never stop bothering me if I let her die without doing anything, I know. As quietly as I can, I slither down the tree until a reach a place where it is safe to jump to the next tree. It feels pretty good to be able to fly through the air like that and for a moment I envy Rue's District 11 life where she could have plenty of food and climb trees all day, instead of the typical District 12 job of working underground in the coal mines.

I reach where Rue is standing and drop to the ground. Thankfully, Clove has gone now. Rue spins around, alarmed, before seeing me. She looks as if she is about to run, so I say, "wait! Don't climb!" She glares at me, but stays still.

"You almost killed me yesterday," she says accusingly.

"Well I'm saving your life now. Be careful where you step, there are snares all around this area. The District 2 tributes are hunting for you. And you dropped a tracker jacker nest on me."

"Why are you doing this?" she asks. "You're a career," she says bitterly. "You enjoy killing, don't you?"

"No!" I respond. "And I'm doing this because I have a twelve year old sister, Prim. You remind me of her.. In some ways."

"Thanks.. I think,"Rue mutters. "Sorry about the tracker jackers I guess."

"Sorry about the trying to kill you," I apologise in return. Rue seems like the kind of person that in different circumstances, I could be friends with. Or if I wasn't a career, I would probably try to form an alliance with her.

"Katniss?" a female voice calls through the forest. Clove. Startled, Rue takes a step back. She lands in one of Clove's snares and is trapped. "Katniss, are you over here?" she asks. She's coming towards where I am now. With a glance at the snare, I see that it is too strong for me to just break and Clove knows where I am now.

"I'm so sorry Rue," I whisper.

"It's OK," she replies, "there's nothing you can do. And if Thresh doesn't win, win for me. Please."

"I will," I murmur to her. Then louder, I shout "over here Clove. I caught her! Get Cato."

I hear her calling for Cato and then she comes into the clearing. "I always knew that snare would be useful," she says. "Good job Everdeen." She pulls out a wickedly sharp knife and points it at Rue. A few moments later, Cato emerges from the bushes.

"I want to kill her," he shouts. "I want her to suffer!"He pulls out a sword and stabs her in the arm. Blood oozes out from the wound, but it is the type of wound that won't bleed to death easily. Next he cuts shallow gashes over her stomach and legs. By this time I am holding back vomit. Even Clove seems slightly surprised by what he is doing.

After that, he stabs her in the stomach. Rue screams in agony and Cato turns to me smiling. Make her pay. He hands me a knife. I am expected to torture her. It's like he knows I was talking to her, that I like her. I give Rue an apologetic glance and draw the knife across her arm as quickly as I can. Blood stains my hands and a feeling of guilt comes over me.

Cato stabs Rue in the head. She dies, and her body is almost unrecognisable. The cannon goes off with a loud boom. I am so sorry, I think. I didn't know her death would be like this, I thought Cato was exaggerating what he wanted to do to her. It makes me feel slightly better that Rue knew, and she doesn't blame me. And if I hadn't given her a wound, Cato would kill Gale and I.

We head back to the camp, Cato happy, Clove quiet and me feeling horribly guilty.

xXx-X-xXx

Gale POV

I lie down in the shade of the pile of supplies. From here I have a good view of one side and I can easily hear someone sneaking up from the other. Especially if they have to jump over mines. It reaches midday and I wonder where Katniss is, and how she is coping with killing. If they found Rue. I know Katniss likes Rue, she'll never forgive herself if she ends up being the one to kill Rue.

Suddenly, I hear a noise. A twig snap. I run around the pile of supplies and I see the District 5 girl. I caught Foxface in the act, I think. She looks at me scared, but doesn't run. I bet she knows about the mines. She's got thinner in the games, I guess she's been hiding most of the time. She has a belt of knives on though, probably stolen from our supplies. Her red hair is messy and the look on her face is terrified.

I feel sorry for her and think that maybe it would be a good idea to make an alliance. After what happened yesterday, I think an alliance with Rue is out, so it might be a good idea. I doubt Katniss will mind me making an alliance, but between her and Foxface I'll definitely choose her.

"Wait," I say. "Have some food." I throw her a small loaf of bread and she catches it and begins to eat quickly. I doubt she's eaten for a day and sympathy comes over me. I remember after my dad died when I wasn't so good at hunting and I often went a day without eating. She sits down.

"Thanks," she mutters. "I guess you're not a regular career."

"No, I'm not. I plan to betray with Katniss," I respond, knowing that she won't tell anyone. I'm more likely to get her as an ally if she has reason to trust me. A cannon goes off in the background, but I ignore it for the moment, though a small part of my mind is telling me that it is likely that Rue is dead. Part of me is happy, as she hurt Katniss, but it is easily squashed with feelings of sadness and guilt. I know Katniss would hate me if she knew I thought, even for a second, that it is good.

"Is it real between you two?" she asks suddenly.

"Yes,"I respond firmly. "I love her, she loves me back. I would sacrifice my life for her. But anyway, I wanted to offer you an alliance."

"Me, you and Katniss?" she asks.

"Yes. If you could help us from far away when we betray the careers, maybe throwing knives," I glance to her belt, "and we help you get food and water and all that. Do you accept?"

"I need to think about it,"she says. "By the way, my names Aravis."

"Aravis," I say. "OK, if you want to accept, I'll get guard duty tonight. Meet me over there." I point to a nearby clearing. "And tell me. I'll probably bring Katniss with me, OK?

"Fine," she says warily. "The rest of the careers are coming back," she says. "I have to go."She darts through the mines gracefully and climbs a tree out of sight. A few seconds later a see a bloody Cato approaching and Katniss and Clove.

"We killed her," Cato says jubilantly. "We killed Rue!"

xXx-X-xXx

Sorry for the late update (I was on holiday in Cyprus) .. And for killing off Rue. I've decided the other POVs chapter will be chapter 14. If you like/dislike/just have something to say about the chapter, please leave a review. Thanks.

-MoonOfPluto