13: Fire Attack
Katniss POV
"You did WHAT?" I whisper-shout, so as not to wake the other careers. They don't know that Gale and I are planning to betray yet and I want to keep it that way. But what Gale has done just rubs me up the wrong way, the way he made an alliance without telling me or asking my permission.
"I made an alliance with Foxface," he says, irritatingly calmly. "We need more allies if we are to have a chance at launching a proper ambush, and you know that. I made an ally."
His words make sense and the sound of his voice calms me down, but I am still angry at him. "And you arranged a meeting for tonight in about ten minutes close to the career camp? Gale, that's just inviting trouble! What if one of them wakes up and sees both of us gone? What if they here us talking?"
"They would have heard us by now," Gale says. "And we could just say something about how today is a District 12 holiday and we wanted to be alone together. Or let their imaginations do the work."
I grimace at the implications of the last idea, though the logical part of my brain thinks that it would be the most believable excuse. And besides, if we're probably going to do that at some point in our lives. Still, the idea of it being broadcast across the Capitol repulses me, and I know that it will. We probably get enough screen-time as it is being star-crossed lovers and careers. And soon to be betrayers.
"You should have told me about that plan," I insist. "What if I didn't like the idea of being in an alliance with Foxface?"
"I knew you wanted an alliance and she was the obvious choice," Gale murmurs to me. "She was the one who stole the food and knives- you know that? But if you didn't then I wouldn't have forced you. You mean everything to me here Katniss, everything."
My heart softens a bit because I know that he isn't just playing for the cameras. Gale is capable of being really romantic when he wants to be, and I am not too against the idea of being with him. "And you mean the world to me as well Gale," I reply, only partly to the cameras. "I wish we could win together,"
I can almost hear the intake of breath across Panem, probably the cooing over our relationship from Capitol, and the career districts shouting in disgust. Maybe even the other Districts have hope that even in the games, not all is lost. There is still some light in the darkness. Gale is my light.
"So are we meeting her?" he asks, snapping me out of my thoughts.
"Yes," I reply. "You're right, we need an ally if we're going to betray. And Foxface or Thresh would be obvious choices."
"Then come on," he mutters. "And bring your bow." He slings a bow across his back as well with a quiver of arrows and turns around, expecting me to follow. I pause for a second before grabbing my bow and jogging after him. The cool night breeze whips up my plait and blow stray hairs into my face as we run.
For the first time in the Games, we are away from the careers. Here, we don't have to be ruthless killers, just ourselves. I feel a sprout of joy growing inside me as I catch up to Gale. It almost feels like the woods outside District 12 where we would chase each other and swim and climb when we weren't hunting.
He skids to a halt at the entrance to a clearing and I stop as well. "This is it," he says. "This is where she said she would meet us."
A slight rustle of branches catches my attention and I immediately have my bow out, almost like in 12 where I would be shooting a bird. Just in time, I remember that it could be my future ally and lower the bow, but keeping my arrow in it, so I can shoot when I need to.
Foxface drops from the trees, landing silently like a cat. Her long red hairs swishes around as she turns to Gale. She then holds her hand up at me with two fingers sticking up, the palm of her hand facing me. I'm not really sure what she means by this, and it seems Gale is confused as well.
Foxface looks panicked, as if she realised that we are going to kill her and her hand is twitching as if she wants to get a concealed weapon from somewhere. I realise that I've done something wrong, so I ask "what did the gesture mean?"
A look of relief instantly crosses her face. "It means peace," she replies. "It's very common in our district, the way that two enemies show forgiveness or truce is this gesture. If I give you this gesture it means I have no intention of harming you. If you give it back it means the same."
"Oh," I say. "So that's why you were panicking and trying to stop yourself from getting a weapon?"
"Yes," she nods. "I thought you would kill me." And who could blame you, I wonder, after all, we have been forced into the Hunger Games with each other. Rejecting the peace sign would make her think that we want to kill her.
I smile slightly and make the peace sign, silently telling Gale that he should do the same. He does and Foxface makes the gesture back at us. Peace and alliance.
"I take it you took our offer," Gale says.
"I did," Foxface says. "I'm Aravis by the way. But my friends and not-enemies call me Rusty."
"Rusty," I mutter, testing the nickname. "I always thought of you as Foxface," I confess to her. "Gale did too."
"Foxface," she muses. "I've been compared to a fox before. The red hair, slyness and just my general look, people seem to think it looks like a fox."
"Oh. Katniss," I introduce myself.
"I know," she says. "You're actually quite famous. You know, eleven in training, girl on fire, first district 12 volunteer, star-crossed lover.. Your reputation precedes you."
"I guess," I say. I hadn't realised I was that famous. Yes, the star-crossed lovers thing was a bit different, but I didn't think 'the girl on fire' was much more than a Capitol nickname. The eleven in training wasn't much better than most of the careers, and I didn't think anybody really paid much attention to whether a tribute volunteered or was reaped.
"So why did you want an alliance with me?" she asks. "I got a four in training. I'm not particularly strong. You got ten and eleven in training. You don't need me."
"But you're smart," I reply. "People don't just win the games by swinging an axe. They need strategy, tactics. And we think you can help us."
"Maybe," she admits. "What gave it away? I was trying to downplay my strengths so I could last longer."
"It's partly the way you look," Gale says. "Cunning. Our instincts told us not to trust you. And you managed to steal food and weapons from us; with the mines in place, you figured out our trap."
"Do the other careers know?" Aravis asks.
"No, just us to my knowledge," he says.
"Good. If you plan to betray the careers you probably won't get away with just you and killing one or two. You're still outnumbered."
"Katniss and I can both use bows. Long-ranged weapons, we can throw knives too," Gale says.
"So can Clove, Marvel and Mara," Foxface responds. "Knives, spears and tridents all travel faster than you can load arrows." I didn't know Mara could throw tridents, but I take Aravis' word for it. She's from District 4, it's believable, and besides she's not the only one hiding a talent.
"So attack from the bushes," I say.
"You need a distraction," she corrects. "Am I right in thinking that the mines are not buried deeply?"
"Only around an inch below the ground."
"Use that. There are apples which you can knock off the food pile. Blow up the food. In that moment of distraction, attack."
"That's a good plan," I admit. "Tomorrow evening?"
"Tomorrow evening is fine," Aravis replies. "Meet me here."
Then she runs back up a tree and we head back to the rest of the careers. Luckily, we are in time so no one has noticed that we were gone for half an hour. When Mara comes to relieve us of guard duty, my head hits the ground and I am asleep immediately. Dreams of explosion, arrows and chaos plague my sleep.
xXx-X-xXx
Gale POV
As I wake, I can just feel something is wrong. Something is going to happen soon. There are slight plumes of smoke coming from nearby and I jump to wake Katniss.
"Katniss! Katniss wake up!" I shout shaking her. She wakes immediately and looks around panicking. Her eyes widen as she sees the smoke and she jumps out of her sleeping bag. By this time, Cato, Mara, Marvel and Clove have woken too. "Fire!" I scream. "Get out of the mine circle."
We rush over to the edge, dodging mines and stumbling. Katniss catches me just before I hit the ground on a mine, saving my life. I nod quickly and shove her to the side before jumping myself. Just as we are a safe distance away from the food and mines and think we are fine, a scorched patch of grass appears next to me.
I duck to the side as another fireball rains from above. They are targeting Katniss and I, though the other careers are running too. I catch up to Catnip and we run together until a fallen tree blocks our path. We are trapped, but the fire seems to have stopped raining down on us.
"Gale!" Katniss screeches. I feel myself being thrown out of the way and Katniss falls to the floor, her clothes on her leg charred and sticking to it. Katniss just saved my life, but she may have paid with her own. Hands trembling, I peel the clothes off her leg as gently as I can, trying to ignore her winces.
"Katniss," I murmur. "You saved my life. I can't lose you now, please, stay alive."
"I couldn't lose you," she murmurs back. "Not now, after you volunteered to save me. I love you." I kiss her gently on the cheek. It was a test to see if she was just acting. She leans into the kiss and I feel my heart skip a beat. She loves me back. She loves me back! If there was any doubt before about me dying to save her, there is none now.
"My leg.. It's not fatal-is it?" Katniss asks worriedly, spoiling the moment, not that I blame her.
"No," I reply, thanking any god there might be watching over us here. "But it's quite bad. If I have any sponsors, I want something for Katniss. Anything," I address the cameras.
"Gale- thank you," she whispers, leaning against me to pull herself up.
xXx-X-xXx
Another chapter. What do you think of Foxface's character and the fire attack? I sort of think that I didn't do enough for the fire attack, but Katniss and Gale are sort-of properly together now. Next chapter will have Cato, Seneca, Haymitch and maybe Rory Hawthorne POV. Anyway, if you have any comments you want to make on the chapter, please review.
-MoonOfPluto