Chapter 7

After applying the medicine to my many stings I hand the pot to Flint. He looks into it and frowns.

"You didn't use very much." He remarks, not taking any. I don't know why. He has stings too, and I know mine hurt like hell. I shrug this off.

"You need it too. I didn't want to use all of it."

"But you got stung more than me!" He protests. I look at him and raise an eyebrow.

"And? I'm ok. Really." I say, but I can see that he clearly doesn't believe me. I sigh. "Just use the medicine ok? I owe you."

He watches me, uncertain, as he applies the medicine. I'm still replaying the moment from earlier, over and over in my head. Was that a bad move? Yes it could mean more sponsors, but if I somehow end up as a victor, he'll be dead. And even thinking of that now seems impossible.
Saying goodbye is going to be so much harder.

The sun is down now and we agree to start a fire. If the careers want to come, let them come. We're prepared. We're armed. And we're stronger then they think. Much stronger. Even with our injuries. Not only that, but we'll watch each other's backs. The careers are quick to abandon their own, which was made clear to me as soon as the boy from eleven arrived at the bottom of that tree.

So we start the fire.

Flint finds some chestnuts in the forest a little way off and we roast them over the fire.

And I'm happy.

I don't know how. But I'm happy. I thought that I would have a horrible, nightmarish and above all, short time in the games. None of that is true. Yes, I have been chased. Yes I have been stung. But I'm not hungry, thirsty, lonely or dead. And I'm having a hard time believing it, but it's true.

"Penny for them." Flint remarks, smiling.

"What?" I ask, looking up.

"Penny for your thoughts." He grins. I laugh softly. I admit I get very easily distracted.

"Sorry. There's just a lot to think about." I explain, weaving my hand, dismissively.

"Oh yeah? What exactly are you thinking about?" He asks, raising a teasing eyebrow. I roll my eyes and smile at him.

"Many, many things. Too many things really. You?"

"Much the same." He replies carefully. To be honest, I don't think it's wise either of us share our actual feeling on national television. Because a lot of my true feelings consist of a defeated Capitol.

Not exactly something I'd be willing to share on national television. I look up at Flint.

"What were you saying earlier? About why you wanted me as an ally?" I ask him and he laughs.

"Subtle." He remarks, looking sideways at me and smiling.

"I'm always subtle. Subtle is my middle name." I joke, crossing over and sitting next to him. He smiles into the fir, seemingly too shy to look at me.

"What?" I prompt. He opens his mouth to say something, and then shuts it gain, thinking better of it. I wait, slightly impatiently while he collects his thoughts.

"I wanted you as an ally because… I…" He tries, but I've had enough of his mumbling. I grab his face with both my hands, turn him towards me and kiss him. It was a bit of a violent introduction, but tah-dah nonetheless. He doesn't pull away either, which is a bonus. It strikes me that the Capitol can see this too… As can my family. OH HOW MARVELOUS. I sigh and pull away.

"Well… You pretty much summed it up." Flint mumbles and I laugh.

"Fantastic." I reply and poke at the fire again. I can feel him watching me.

He's brave, but it is very probable that now the games will not be in his favour. Was this doing this to let me live? Or was it just an angle. To be fair, I kissed him, which kind of makes me the bad one if it is an angle. But then again, because I kissed him, it kind of makes it my choice. I sigh and poke at the fire. Am I in love with a career?

I look up at him carefully. Are the other boys from 1 as handsome as him? If they are, District 1 does seem like the preferable place to live.

Suddenly his head snaps up, and I turn way, embarrassed.

"Did you hear that?" Flint asks me. I shake my head and strain my ears.

"Hear what?"

"Not sure, some footsteps I think…" He whispers back. I listen out and I'm caught by surprise.

Not only steps, laughs, loud laughs: the Careers. They were close. So close now. Flint was meant to be looking for them. If thy see him now he's dead meat.

Too late.

"Flint?" asks Neptune. "What are you doing with her?"

I feel like rolling my eyes. Yes, because him being with me is really the problem right now. That is of course the biggest issue that we must deal with at the moment. I look them over.

They're not in the best of conditions, but then I suppose, neither are we. Neptune was the one with most stings, and the majority of them were on his face. The boy who had once been handsome was now almost unrecognisable. He also had a big scar on his hand, and I can tell by the swelling that if it isn't treated, he'll lose it. Aquette is the one in best conditions out of the three (surprise, surprise); she only has a few stings and the odd scratch n her body. Squirrel is by far the worst: she not only had stings, but in place of her right eye, there was an empty, bloody socket. I get the feeling it was torn out in the fight between her and the boy from eleven. It scares me, but I know that I can't let that slip into the capitol.

"You know, I've always admired your eyes." I say, coyly. I know she hates people making fun of her. I see her mouth twitch into a snarl and her hand moves to her belt.

"I'm going to kill you!" she exclaims drawing out a knife, but Aquette stops her. She's smirking.

"Wait. First of all, I want to know something, just to make the situation more dynamic, you know." she says. "Flint…" She stops and laughs.

"Are you in love? I remember training. You couldn't take your eyes off her." She smirks. Flint scowled and stood up.

"Yes." He replied, resolute. My eyebrows shoot straight up my forehead and I stare at him. It's a nice thing to say. It kind it makes me feel protected (not that I need it). On the down side, the careers know now, which I'm sure will work only to our disadvantage.

"Oh dear, Flint." Squirrel shakes her head, in mock sadness. "You must have known that is you crossed us you would die within the first ten seconds?" I hate her mocking tone. It's annoying.

"I don't care, I just want her safe." Flint replies. Oh. That's sweet. I smile slightly, despite our predicament. I stand up too.

"Not that I need keeping safe." I remind him, nudging him slightly. He nods.

"Sorry."

"No, It's… fine." I smile at him. Meanwhile the careers are watching us, frowning. I shake my head dismissively and wrench the trident out of the ground.

"Does this belong to you?" I ask Aquette snidely. She laughs, maliciously.

"Don't care," she answers me. "You can keep it if you want, you'll be dead in a minute anyway." And she takes a trident much larger and sharper than mine out from behind her back. "A gift from my mentor."

Oh joy, an embarrassing moment in front of the entirety of Panem. Awesome.

But Flint stands up with the sword in his hand. I stand up too but now with the axe; I really don't know how to use the trident and it has no value against Aquette's. Squirrel had a large knife that I get the feeling I've seen before… Oh. It was from the boy from 11. Neptune has a spear, and he's holding with such reassurance I'm really starting to worry.

So there we were: the five of us in position, ready and poised to attack.

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Lucy xxxx