Chapter 80: Recovery

Lorcan has decided to leave Ottilia to rest at the base of the tree that had been their saviour while he goes to fill the water bottle by the stream. She won't be able to travel far if she isn't hydrated first. Lorcan realizes he needs to try to filter the water that he is going to collect after he sees the vast amount of debris left floating on top of the stream in the aftermath of the tornado. He goes back to ask Ottilia if she has anything they can use and she hands him the spare pair of socks from her backpack. Lorcan decides these are ideal for use as a filter and he goes back to the stream, lowering a sock into the water and holding it by the top over the water bottle, allowing filtered water to run into the bottle. As soon as it is filled, Lorcan brings the bottle back to Ottilia and she gulps it down thirstily. She doesn't care that water is escaping from the sides of her mouth, splashing down her top and leaving her looking more dishevelled than she did before. Ottilia's vanity had been sucked out of her as surely as Verity had been sucked into the tornado. She no longer cares about how she looks as much as how she is going to survive. She needs to thank Lorcan for saving her life and waits for him to come back, after refilling the water bottle a second time, to tell him how much she appreciates what he did.

"Lorcan…"

"It's OK Ottilia. You don't need to say anything. I did what I had to do. I couldn't leave you to die and I would have tried to save Verity, too, if I had known she was so close".

Neither of them had been aware of Verity's presence until it was too late. Both of them wonder what Verity's intentions were when she came rushing towards them out of the trees, and now they would never know. If a cannon had gone off, they wouldn't have heard it over the roar of the tornado. As it is, all they can do now is focus on finding food, and the elusive exit.

"We need to go, Ottilia" says Lorcan. "The exit to the second arena has to be around here somewhere and the sooner we find it the better. The Gamemakers won't rest, and we can't afford to rest either".

Ottilia agrees and gets to her feet with Lorcan's help as they head downstream to search for food and the exit.

Ebony had finally made it to the rocky outcrop and was beginning to create an igloo from the snow that has already fallen. She wouldn't be able to search for food until the snowstorm was over and can only hope she survives another night, this time on the top of the mountain. As Ebony packs the snow in around her, she knows she needs to create an opening, both for air and as a means of escape after the storm is over. There is a good chance that the snowfall will bury her alive if she doesn't prepare well, so Ebony tries to work out which way the wind is blowing and, by sheer luck, finds that it is blowing in from behind the rocks. She creates an opening that faces the direction from which she has just come and then smooths the ceiling and walls inside as best she can. This is so that any heat created by her body and causing the snow to melt will ensure the water slides down the sides of the igloo and not drip on her during the night.

It has taken Ebony a couple of hours to create her ice cocoon and, when it is finally finished, all she wants to do is lie down and sleep. She doesn't have the energy to do anything else. It will be a long night, Ebony thinks, as she hears the storm begin to rage around her and the wind drives the snow into mini whirlwinds that dance around her temporary home.

After Peeta and the Peacekeeper had taken the short walk back to Peeta and Katniss' home, Haymitch finally had the chance to search for whatever Peeta had managed to hide in the loaf of bread. He cut into the loaf a piece at a time, trying to make sure he didn't miss anything, and decided he might as well enjoy the search, buttering each slice and coating it with jam, before shoving it hungrily into his mouth. He had forgotten how good fresh bread from the bakery tasted and, was enjoying it so much, he almost swallowed Peeta's note whole! It has been folded neatly, several times, and inserted expertly, probably at the point of a knife. To the naked eye there was no obvious sign that this loaf of bread was different to any other. The Peacekeeper hadn't bothered inspect it, but Haymitch guessed he was too busy filling his own pockets with treats to even notice. Peeta was a genius.

The note was for Gale. It said: "Need an update on what's happening - any news on Paylor's plans, the prisoners or Snow. Haymitch will be the courier. We are fine. Take care. Peeta".

Well, Haymitch thinks, it's the least he can do since he isn't under house arrest and has the freedom of movement to help Peeta and Katniss, maybe the tributes, too. He will need to be discreet, and calls over to see Peeta and Katniss later in the day to tell them he has to visit Effie in the Capitol. She isn't well. Peeta and Katniss know this is a lie, but feign concern for Effie and ask Haymitch to give her their best wishes when he gets there. The Peacekeepers aren't concerned. Haymitch is a drunken fool and not a threat. They're not sure how seeing him is going to make Effie feel better, but that's Effie's problem. Haymitch gets on the last train to the Capitol that night and should be there in the morning.

Katniss and Peeta settle the children for the night and sit down to watch the nightly tally together. They aren't looking forward to it, but not watching won't make any difference to the outcome. If more of their tributes are dead, there is nothing they can do about it right now. Peeta hopes Gale will be able to get word back to them soon and give them an update on what is happening in the Capitol.

The music blares from the screen as Tributes names and faces begin to appear on the screen.

Tribute 23, Axel, killed by a shark in the waters while trying to reach the underground cave; Tribute 7, Midas, eaten by a giant crocodile in the murky waters of the swamp while trying to tether his boat, Tribute 12, Ophelia, eaten by a massive cluster of camel spiders who attacked her while she slept; Tribute 9, Verity, killed by a tornado unleashed by the Gamemakers in the forest.

Katniss and Peeta look at each other. They have lost another tribute. Verity, who killed Ramsay, is dead. Lorcan is still alive. So is Ottilia. That means there is still hope for their tributes, but not for long. Peeta and Katniss feel distressed and relieved at the same time. Distressed at the news of Verity's death, relieved that all is not lost.

Peeta takes Katniss in his arms. He wants to hold her. The deaths in the arena make him think again of their own experiences and how they both could have died. It was a miracle they had both survived. There is only one thing Peeta wants right now. Katniss. He wants her now in the same way as he had wanted her then, and he begins to kiss her. There are tears on Katniss' cheeks and they mingle with the sweet taste of her lips. Peeta pulls Katniss closer before stopping for a moment to wipe her tears. She places her hand over his and leans in for him to kiss her again. Katniss wants Peeta. Nobody else. Just him. It was the same before they entered the arena for the Quarter Quell. She trusts him completely. Life, so closely connected to death, visits Peeta and Katniss again tonight.

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