Katniss was sitting on the tree where Peeta had left her before jumping to the trees closer to the Cornucopia. They really weren't desperate for anything in the Feast, but Peeta was adamant about getting a few quick kills and Katniss was too stubborn to let him leave her behind in the cave. So they finally agreed upon coming upto this place together and then Peeta ventured forward to get a few quick kills. It was still raining heavily and it was only due to the navigation glasses that she was able to see anything. She was feeling quite queasy and worried about Peeta though, despite knowing for sure that he is more than capable of handling himself – a habit she has developed since she has finally admitted to herself her love for him. The fact that the memory of Rue's death was still fresh in her mind didn't help either.
Suddenly there was a sound of the Canon blowing off signaling that the lure of the Feast has claimed its first victim. Katniss was immediately hyperventilating, thinking of the worst. In her worry she never realized when she had climbed down the safe-lodge of the tree and had started roaming around on the forest-floor waiting for Peeta. Such was the art of tree-climbing familiar to her. She soon realized her mistake though when at the familiar sound of drawing a bow's string she turned about. But it was late. Very late.
Standing in-front of her was a smirking Selena with an arrow already lodged on her bow's string. She recalled Peeta telling her that he had taken out all the 3 bows from the Cornucopia and 2 of them were in her possession while the third was in Peeta's. So where from did the flirty get her hands on one?
"How's it Girl-on-Fire? Got it from my Feast winnings. Ain't it a beauty?" bragged the smirking girl and that's when Katniss noticed the pouch from the Feast lying on the ground near her feet. "It's a pity that Lover boy there loves you. Don't know what he sees in you though. May be killing you will get me his attention for the small while I share this Arena with him, of course he has to die as despite his looks he hails from 12," continued Selena in her nasal voice and Katniss scoffed mentally. Even if she dies she knew that Peeta would skin the harlot before she could even so much as open her mouth before him.
Katniss was desperately trying to find a way out from the situation she had dragged herself in, when to her immediate relief, she saw Peeta silently jump and land on the branch of the tree to which Selena had her back. To her surprise he wasn't alone. He had the remaining male Tribute from District 4 held tightly in his arms with one hand clamping his mouth shut. Despite the boy's struggling, with Peeta's size and strength it was a lost case. Peeta motioned Katniss to stay silent and with gestures, started explaining her his plan from the distance. She finally understood what he said. 'Stay focused, keep silent. I'll kill the male and the resulting Canon will startle the girl. Use the element of surprise to your advantage and finish her off before she could recover.' Katniss gave a curt nod signaling she understood the plan. Selena all this while was oblivious to the developments that was going to seal her fate very soon.
Peeta positioned his unengaged hand beside the struggling boys' head, and with a final nod to Katniss, activated his saber-claws. The metal claws came to life and protruded out through the other side of the boy's head. Within seconds his struggles ceased and his body went limp. Even before the released boy could hit the ground, the Canon blew off startling Selena, who in the process released her arrow aimlessly. Katniss still ducked away not taking any risk and from her position on the ground, fished out her iron-rod bow from her weaponry belt, once again courtesy of Peeta Mellark. An arrow was already retrieved all this while and before Selena could gather her bearings from the momentary distraction, Katniss's arrow hit home – Selena's head. A resounding boom was heard from the Canon before her limp body hit the ground, signaling her immediate death.
She was so much in shock to escape near death and killing another directly (for the first time) at the same time that she was suddenly overwhelmed with various emotions. She partially realized that someone – no Peeta – had wrapped her up in his arms and scooped her up on the safety of a tree. She was still in shock when he started rocking her gently in his lap while sitting on the tree. She finally recovered from her state of shock when a familiar pair of lips locked itself with hers and started ravishing her passionately. She took comfort by returning the kiss hungrily.
10 minutes after dissolving all of Katniss's capability to attempt a sane thought or talk, Peeta finally broke the kiss and said with a smile, "You are a trouble-magnet. That's a given." Katniss harrumphed in response. Pecking her nose affectionafely, Peeta said, "But you are my trouble-magnet."
Laying her head on Peeta's chest, hearing his heart-beat and playing with his hair Katniss contemplated the events of the previous day as yesterday it had been too exhausting for her and this morning she had been busy contemplating with Peeta over the contents of their Feast-prize that he had managed to snuck off amidst the great confusion that ensued in the Cornucopia. While she did fall to danger, Peeta protected her at the end of the day. However at the Feast surprisingly it was Clove who got killed. Apparently when she ambushed Foxface, she had to open her big mouth and take credit of Marvel's 'achievement' of killing Rue and brag about it. Thresh avenged his District's fellow Tribute by shoving Clove head first on a stone resulting in her immediate death. Clove's death also signifies the glaringly obvious fact that she and Peeta were the last of the duos alive.
Then they have also finished off 2 of the remaining 3 Careers after they killed Selena and the District 4 male Tribute. Now the Games was finally down to her and Peeta against Cato, Thresh and Foxface. Or so she thought.
Then her thoughts drifted off to their Feast's winnings. They have also catered off the winnings of the Tributes they killed – if for nothing then to deprive Cato or the others of them. The weaker they are, the better chance they have at winning. The bow Serena got was satisfactory in precision but it was her silver arrows that proved the best and the District 4 boy's medicines did a great job in healing Katniss's cut and Peeta's wound completely in just over 24 hours. All over, both of them proved their utility.
It was, however their own Feast winning, that proved to be the trickiest though. They have been sent a retracting spear like electrocutor as a gift. After a lot of assessment Peeta finally deduced wisely that it must have something to do with what they would need desperately rather than what they needed desperately. Apparently it was a weapon for dealing with the Final Showdown that the Gamemakers might have planned for them.
Katniss was brought out of her thoughts when the anthem playing off. Peeta was out like a log and Katniss didn't bother waking him up as he hardly ever slept. She wasn't expecting anyone's face to come up tonight so it was a complete shock to her when Thresh's image, slightly disoriented due to the presence of clouds, appeared in the night sky. The credits were of course to Cato. So the last Career standing has revenged his District partner as well as it may seem.
She didn't know the Tribute personally and neither had any emotions for him as she hadn't seen him since the Blood-Bath from over a month ago now. But the fact that he was from Rue's District dampened her moods when in reality she should celebrate as Thresh's death meant one more step closer for her and Peeta to their home. But she couldn't bring herself to that.
She sometimes question herself whether Peeta was a remorseless killer as well. But she stops those train of thoughts immediately. Had he been one he wouldn't have saved her all this while even before the announcement of the double Victor stipulation. He wouldn't have fed Rue if he had been remorseless. Neither would he have returned for comforting a dying Sybil and nor would he have cared for Dylan and Glimmer like his own siblings during his stay in the Career Pack. No! Peeta wasn't one of the Capitol's lackey or a remorseless killer. He has been doing what one needs to do to ensure self-survival in the Games. And yet he has managed to worm his way into the hearts of all those he cared for. The way Rue spoke of him in admiration in the few days she had been with her. Or the way Sybil's eyes looked at him gratefully for spending with her, her last precious moments in life. The way Dylan looked at him with respect or Glimmer looked at as if he was the protective younger brother she never had. Even during his times with the Career-pack, Katniss found the Careers to know better than to face his wrath. Peeta Mellark is his own person. Kind and caring and loving to the ones he cared for. And willing to even kill to protect those he cared as his own. Did he not remorse those kills? Yes. Did he show it? No. Instead he takes on an indifferent mask or the cheerful façade for hiding his true emotions. But she was glad to say that the man to have her heart was as perfect as the best example of a human can be. And she wouldn't have him in any other way.
Finally deciding that it was too late already she closed her heavy eyelids and snuggled closer to her source of warmth and hope – her dandelion in Winter. Peeta shifted to his side and spooned her closer to him before burying his face deep in her hair. His other hand was being used by her as his pillow as the both of them lay on their open sleeping bags with Peeta's cape and Katniss's cloak keeping them warm after the fire died out. Sometimes she wished why couldn't she spend her entire life in the cave with Peeta. She realized for the first time in the 3 weeks she had been in the cave, that Peeta doesn't snore. He sleeps as quietly as a wooden log and was as still as a corpse as well. The steady heartbeat and occasional movement in response to her movements was the only source that he was living. Her last coherent thought before sleep overtook her was that Peeta's body's cinnamon scent was a very soothing one in her opinion.
(A/N) : So here goes another quick update. I know that the chapter is relatively a short one. However with the pressure of projects hovering over my head that's all I can do. Once again constructive criticism is all welcomed.
~Aeigns