Rue had simply been watching. She had been crouched on a high branch, clutching to the large trunk next to her when the fire had started.
She knew it was time for her to go, to escape the fire and figure out where it ended, but then she realized, Maybe the cameras can't see me. I'm so high up and protected by the leaves.
And by staying put, she figured that she was indeed correct. The fire was not heading specifically towards her, so she must not have triggered anything. But the smoke was getting a little thick for comfort, and it was becoming a little hazy, clouding her surroundings.
Rue leapt to the next tree in the opposite direction of the fire, holding her breath as the branch underneath her wobbled with the sudden weight. Once she was sure it wasn't going to break, Rue scampered onto another branch and swung herself towards the next tall, looming tree.
She moved as speedily and as accurately as she could, for the fire was moving quite quickly. Wondering why it had started so suddenly, Rue knew that one thing was certain: the Gamemakers were probably hoping to see a bloody and violent end for one of the remaining tributes soon.
The thickening haze signaled to Rue that she needed to move faster. It was getting slightly harder to see every branch that was in her way now, and her throat was starting to burn. Nonetheless, Rue paused at the end of one branch, observing the tree next to her. It was a bit farther away than usual, so she'd have to make a running leap.
Ignoring her burning surroundings, she backed up and catapulted herself into the air, her arms aiming for a branch just within her reach. But she gave a slight cough midair, an unwilling cough from the smoke that almost made her miss her target.
Her fingers curled around the branch at the last second, saving her from plummeting to the ground. Rue let out a grunt of pain. The bark was rough against her dry, scratched hands. Below her, she heard the hiss of a fireball and feet frantically hitting the ground.
Hanging midair in the tree, Rue allowed herself to look down.
And there she was, the Fire Girl. Coughing and looking undeniably ill, but motivated. Moving her feet as fast as she could, Katniss danced around burning logs and fireballs. Her braid whipped around her as she scrambled towards safety. There was something about her that intrigued Rue. When Katniss looked over her shoulder, her expression was one of determination and strength. Though she was hacking and coughing everywhere, Katniss would not give up. Rue decided that if someone should win, it should be this girl. She was the prime example of what a victor should be. A victor should be smart, cunning, strong, and most of all, unafraid of what the Capitol wants to do to her.
Rue felt a little bad for Katniss then, because it was quite clear that the Capitol was getting a laugh out of the Girl on Fire being, literally, on fire. Katniss let out a shriek as the blaze rolled across her calf, stomping her feet madly.
Rue dropped from branch to branch until her feet finally touched the ground. She took off at a run in a different direction, knowing full well how shocked the audience must be at her sudden appearance from nowhere. So Rue made the most of the limited camera time she was surely getting.
"Good luck, Fire Girl," she whispered as the flames chased after her, a barely detectable smile creeping onto her face.