The Present. 74th Hunger Games: Day 13

From the top of my tree, Clove looked pretty small. I wasn't so far off I couldn't hear her though, or feel the venom of her gaze.

"Just like a little monkey, aren't you? Well, just give up and get down here–give you my word, I'll make it quick. Or you can stay there and starve, but that won't be quick at all, you know, monkey-girl?"

I wasn't so glad about something else I'd barely had time to worry about. The plan had been for Foxface to throw me the Two backpack, and take the Twelve backpack with the medicine to heal Peeta. Only I'd seen before I threw the pack away, she'd somehow thrown me the wrong pack. Peeta was ill enough to die within an hour, and his medicine was lying beside the path behind us. Maybe even smashed.

Helpless to do anything for him, I huddled up among twisted oak branches, and sang softly;

Hangman, hangman, hangman, slack your rope awhile.

I think I see my father, riding many a mile.

Father, did you bring me hope? Father, won't you set me free?

Or Papa did you come to see me hanging from the gallows tree?

O the prickly bush, the prickly bush, it pricked my heart full sore.

If I ever get out the prickly bush, I'll never get in no more…

"That's real cute." Clove hurled every word like one of her knives, "Guess that's how you get away from reality, when you're an ignorant little cotton-picking monkey, and your father's going to watch you die screaming."

As she broke off to scan the forest behind her my hand came up, holding my slingshot. I'd practised a lot back home in Eleven, so I'd be ready to catch Grousling for my sibs and for Pa, when he got too old to trap them himself. I slung the rock straight at Clove's head, but she twitched aside from it, easy as nothing.

"You actually though you could kill me?" She sneered, "It's an insult to the Hunger Games that you got this far, not Everdeen. She'd have been a challenge, but you haven't got a prayer of winning!"

"Who do you think told Katniss about the Trackerjacker nest? I killed your friend from One as well! And if you'd only break your neck trying to get up here, I'll have killed you!"

I thought if I got her mad, like she'd got me mad, she'd keep after me instead of running back to find Cato. She went pretty for a moment, then she looked straight up at me. Cato's eyes might've burned like a mad dog in his fury, but there wasn't an animal anywhere with eyes cruel as hers.

Striding up to the tree, she drew two knives, hammered them into the trunk with a rock. Then she carefully got up onto the knives like steps, reached for a branch above her, pulled herself up. I hurled down a stone, but she threw her body to one side, and kept climbing. She'd be in throwing range within a few minutes.

I shimmed up to the highest branch of the tree right away. I'd had the sense to choose an oak tree next to a smallish redwood, so I could jump over, and climb even higher. Higher than thirty feet above the forest floor. Cold air was whistling round me, but I was still sweating. If I missed the jump I'd be dead.

I glanced at the Mockingjay pin, and thought of Katniss. She'd not been scared of anything, she'd fought to stay alive (I wished so much she'd stayed alive longer), and I'd fight too. I crawled to the end of the branch; it bent under my weight. As it swung up again, I pushed up with my legs, flung my hands out, and somehow seized the redwood branch by my nail.

Heart lurching, I flung my leg over the branch and climbed up. Quickly, I hauled myself up another five feet until my arms were burning and I had to rest. I didn't want to look down, but I did.

Clove was near the top of the oak. Grinning as she stood on a branch, hanging off the tree with one hand, the other drawing back her knife. I scrabbled for another stone and my slingshot, knowing I wouldn't make it–

Then off to the east, someone cried out loud. It was Cato's voice. Cloves head snapped round; it was turning back as my stone hit her in the chest. It knocking her off her branch, down the tree. She fell back into a pile of leaves with a terribly big crunch. Then she shakily got to her feet.

"You hit me and I'm still alive. Nice job there." She groaned and sneered, before staring with a strangely worried look after where Cato's scream had come from. Faint noises of fighting drifted from the same direction. Thresh had obviously got the first blow in, "You were allied with that red girl, right? Is that black giant your ally too?"

"Yeah, and he's got your Partner!" Clove snarled, and went to rush off into the forest, "Good luck finding where they are! And mind out my friend Peeta don't bushwhack you out there!" I wanted her to go now, and leave me alone, but take as long as possible getting to Thresh. I really didn't expect what she ended up answered.

"Idiot! Cato carved Peeta to the bone, he's not going anyway. We know he's still down by the river–" I saw the ugly thought slide in, "–too helpless to move. And I know that Thresh is elsewhere. I'll leave that Cotton-Picking oaf for Cato to deal with, and have a look around the river for Lover Boy. You can sit tight up there; or come down if you want me take under thirty minutes to cut him up."

"No! He, he isn't my ally! I–!" Clove was already happily dashing off through the trees. I was left halfway up a redwood, alone.

I knew if Thresh killed Cato, he'd come straight to me inside of going to Peeta. I knew the spot where he'd planned the ambush, I could go and warn him. But that might show Clove where Thresh was. In fact, Clove was probably waiting just out of sight to skewer me when I dropped down from the trees. It was exactly that plan I'd fallen for with Marvel, when Katniss had been killed. But what was I going to do now?

Remembering Katniss was the answer; I stroked her pin and smiled. However much danger there was, I'd go to help Peeta and Thresh. If I got hurt doing it, I'd have given my life for them, and saved them, without even having to poison myself. But I wouldn't be making the Twos tasks too easy.

I climbed round the redwood's trunk, and then leapt down into the branches of another oak. I started leaping and clambering from tree to tree almost two dozen times. I felt like I'd finally got back my spirit of freedom, like a brave little bird–it was almost wonderful to cling to the branches and leap through the cool air so high above the ground.

The trouble was the first rule of climbing trees; always take your time. Half-way to where Thresh was, I leapt onto a branch maybe ten feet above the ground, and my foot slipped. I snatched at a tiny branch above, before plummeting to the earth. I landed in leaves like Clove had, but it was an awful shock. My right leg had a stabbing pain, and I was terrified that Clove would just step out and carve me up as I lay there.

But somehow, I could walk on my leg; I could run to find Thresh, get him to save Peeta, however much it hurt. As for Clove, it seemed like she really had gone to scour the river for the cave Peeta was lying in. Maybe she couldn't imagine I'd take such a foolish risk for Peeta's sake. Maybe the truth was that God protected me, for something. All I could do was run, as the clash of weapons ahead got louder. I snatched up the precious Twelve backpack as I passed on by, hugging it to my chest as I nearly wept with pain and fear–but thank the Lord, I had hope.

–0–

I ran to where Cato had cried out from, through the shadowed forest. More ugly sounds were coming thick and fast. After too much running, I finally saw Thresh. And Cato, pinning him against a tree trunk. The knife locked in both their grips, trembling between their throats.

I dashed to inside of ten metres, slung a rock. I was so beat it went a mile wide. But Thresh suddenly wrenched the knife away, drove a kick into Cato's chest with all his weight. The blond Career thumped down, but instantly kicked up at Thresh from the floor, knocking him back into the tree. Then Cato looked straight at me, seizing his spear from where it had fallen to the ground. He'd have thrown it right between my eyes, without getting off his back, if Thresh hadn't grabbed the shaft and snapped it with a blow of his knee. His foot was ready to stamp down, but Cato grabbed the leg and twisted, slamming Thresh to the ground.

"Come on, then!" He shouted, "You wanna die before the little girl, stop fighting like one!"

As I crawled under a bush I saw Cato's sword, Thresh's spear on the ground, bloodied and knocked aside in the struggle–the Two backpack was thrown aside too. Thresh had bleeding sword wounds in his arm and chest. But he still had the knife, and his eyes were pure black thunder. The fury in his tensed limbs and bared teeth would've scared me rigid, if it hadn't been for Cato.

I'd never realised just how big he was. His huge back was stained red and a gnash in his brow had hidden one eye in blood–but somehow he hadn't fallen. His whole body still burned with rage that towered above the trees–rage even bigger than his own self. He slapped the knife away, and seemed to hit Thresh on every side at once with elbows and fists. He was strong, trained all his life to care nothing for pain. Not for anything but seeing us both dead.

As Cato grinned fiercely, Thresh cried out, and charged in to skewer him with the knife. Cato fell back and kicked up, flipping Thresh over him into the dirt–just the sort of fancy fighting Careers learn. But Thresh was too tough, too furiously determined to live. He barely stopped moving, came straight up from the ground, crashing against Cato like wrestling bears. He stabbed the knife in Cato's gut, before the Career twisted his arm round, made him drop it, and drove his elbow up to bust Thresh's nose. This time, he got his arm round his neck to choke him.

"…just die. You dead!" Thresh hissed.

"Clove! Clove…" Cato whispered. I realised that he knew the knife wound was mortal. But his District Partner would win for sure if just killed Thresh and me.

Thresh groaned like he was fighting not to black out. Finally, he dropped down and whipped both elbows up, like Chaff must've taught him, breaking Cato's grip. After a quick flurry of strikes, both boys stumbled back. Cato staggered away to where his sword had fallen. Thresh was going after him, but then I heard footsteps from the forest, running closer.

"Thresh, look out!" I cried.

He rolled aside, as two knives hit the earth where he'd been. Clove stepped into the clearing, panting like a bloodhound–she must've run up from the river when she heard Cato's voice again. And now she was staring at the bush where I'd hid. Flicking her arm out, a knife flying from her hand, hitting my body with little, slick noise.

"RUE!"

As I sank down, hot blood spilt over the Mockingjay pin.

–0–

"I'll kill him, Cato!" Forcing my head up, I saw Clove pull out another knife, "Just give me a clear shot!"

I don't think he could hear her. The sword still moved but his one eye was blank blue flame. His face a horrible grin like a skull. He chopped at Thresh who leapt to the right, as Clove ran around Cato the other way.

I can't think how desperate Thresh must've felt, but his eyes were suddenly alert and wary. He stayed on his toes, dodging back from the sword, keeping Cato between him and Clove's knives. Cato lunged out, slashing and stabbing madly; Thresh took a few cuts between him and the knives, but I realised Cato was slowing down. Both of us were losing too much blood.

Then Thresh turned and ran, crashing away through close-set trees. Cato went pounding after him, while Clove ran after Cato, crying out for him to listen instead of killing himself.

It was barely a minute before Cato hit a root as he ran, stumbled forward. Before he had his balance, Thresh had swung round and driven a fist into his jaw. Cato tried striking back, but his strength had finally drained out. Thresh knocked his sword from his hand and punched him to the floor.

"This for my parents, you hear me?" He roared out, "My father! My Mama!" I knew all the rage and frustration his life had held must be blazing from his eyes. His folks had died from working in the fields. Nearly all the Peacekeepers came from Two. I'd seen the shock of how Clove and Cato really cared for each other, somehow; I'd tried to forgive them. But all that Thresh wanted now was justice.

"CATO!"

Thresh looked up–Clove was aiming a knife between his eyes from barely ten feet. She would've killed him, except for the big stone I slung square into the back of her head.

Somehow I'd pulled myself up and staggered after her, loading my slingshot with my one hand that worked. As Clove groaned and dropped, I took another step towards Thresh, and flopped to the ground.

Elsewhere, as Cato rose up once more onto his knees, Thresh raised up his own sword, and almost took Cato's head off with one final blow. I heard the cannon boom once, through the mist coming over all my sensing.

I saw the knife sticking out above my collarbone. Right now, every family outside District Two had to be hollering for joy, except my own. I looked up at Thresh as he loomed over me.

"Don't worry," I whispered, "Neither of us has to kill the other one, or take their own life. Thanks for….everything, Thresh. You did really good. Oh yeah, Peeta….you gotta…."

I pointed at the backpack, but I couldn't say it. Thresh dropped to his knees, then he fell forward on his hands and knees, above me. He was covered with blood, both Cato's and his.

I gasped for breath, as he stared into my eyes like the meaning of everything was in there. The meaning of both our lives. I remember there was barely what you'd call feeling left in his eyes then. Just strength and care, solid enough to touch. I gazed up at his face until my seeing blurred, and Thresh fell down beside me with a crash. Then I passed out, on the cold grass. There was nothing to see or hear at all for the longest time, except for the faint boom of a second cannon.