CHAPTER 9

The Alliance

"I'm not a threat, I swear. It's just that, if you have a spile, there must be water somewhere near here," the boy said, keeping a hand behind his back as the other secured his back over his shoulder.

"Sorry, I don't talk to strangers. If you plan to start some sort of absurd conversation, at least show yourself," Olive replied mockingly. A firm grip on her knife as she watched the same boy from yesterday appear in front of her. "Hey, would you look at that? This arena must be tiny. You're the boy that failed miserably when trying to take me down with the knife. Thank you for the present, by the way."

The boy chuckled, shaking his head as he revealed an axe he was carrying. "I'm not a fan of daggers and knives. Actually, the one that did that was from Five. I killed her. You're welcome."

"I didn't need any help," she retorted, resting her free hand on her hip as the other showed the knife in a defensive position. "What do you know about the metal thing?"

"Spile," he corrected immediately, causing Olive to let out an exasperated sigh. "I'm from Seven. What do you think? We use them regularly. Normally, it's used to get sap from trees, but I'm guessing there must be water somewhere around here. And that will be our best option to take it. Also, in my bag, I have a bottle of iodine and an empty bottle. So, yeah. I must be right."

She stood still for a few seconds, pondering about what to do with the situation. Though, there wasn't much else to do except become allies with Seven. She had the spile, and he had the iodine. One couldn't drink anything without the other. At least for now, they would have to put up with each other for pure survival. However, reasons as simple as mutual survival never made an alliance last long in the Hunger Games. Revenge, or fear, did. And she had the perfect idea for those.

"I guess we need each other, right? You need the metal thing—" she said, being quickly interrupted by the boy, who just remarked the correct name of the tool. "Doesn't matter how many times you repeat it, I'm still not going to learn the name. Anyway, you need that, and I need the iodine."

"You learned 'iodine', but not 'spile'?" he muttered to himself with a light chuckle. "So you're proposing an alliance?"

"Do you like to point out the obvious?" She questioned in a playful tone, resting her back against the cavern's wall. "Come on, tree-boy, there are ten other tributes out there. Five of them are careers. You know perfectly well that both of us, alone, are no match for them. They might as well be receiving water from sponsors right now. Who knows how well they're doing?"

"Shouldn't you be one of them, too? You're the boy from Four, aren't you, water-boy?" He asked, leaving his bag next to his feet as he looked for something in it.

"You weren't paying any attention during the interviews, were you, tree-boy?" She questioned, not expecting any answers from him, who seemed to be too concentrated on whatever he was trying to find. "Just call me Four. It's not like we need to tell each other about our own lives."

"Then call me Seven, too," he muttered, letting out a relaxed sigh as he took out a pack of food from the bottom of the bag. "I shouldn't have put them so far down."

"That was what you were looking for so intensely?" She said, snickering slightly at his relieved face, which became more annoyed as her snickering increased.

"I haven't eaten all day, OK?" he retorted in a defensive tone, leaving the bag again next to him as he took a seat right next to it. "Aren't you going to eat as well, or do you not have any food?"

"I have food. But if I eat it too soon, I'll have nothing to eat later. I doubt you want to go back to the Cornucopia for more food. And there aren't any plants nearby apart from . . . Oh, I forgot to tell you. There's a cactus field out there," Olive commented, watching as the boy perked up, though he tried to control himself by asking her more about what she had seen. "I followed a lizard here. He seemed to be afraid of going out, so I don't completely trust that field. Also, the cactus water normally wouldn't be a good idea to drink. But if they were a regular cactus, why not leave them all around the arena to let people poison themselves out of desperation?"

"And why are you giving them ideas?" he questioned with a chuckle. "I agree, though. Drinking from cactus is not a good idea, the same book that the training centre had about plants said so. But if there's no other water source, they must at least not be poisoned. The iodine's presence is also suspicious. If there's no water, why would there be iodine? If the lizard was scared, there must be something else apart from the cactus out there."

"I found nothing. Though I didn't get out of the cavern, I didn't see anything in the surroundings from here," Olive reasoned, playing around with the knife as she normally did whenever she was bored in the woods. She had to get a better weapon soon. Preferably a bow and some arrows. With only a knife, she couldn't take down her ally when they parted ways, or any other tribute, for that matter.

"What now? We try our luck and wait for the others to die or kill each other?" Seven questioned, getting up from the ground as he brushed the dust off his clothes.

"Let's wait until a bit before sunset. The field is out in the open. If other tributes see us from another mountain, they might come here and overpower us," Olive reasoned, leaving the knife on top of her bag. Her ally didn't seem to be even paying attention to his own weapon, so she could relax as well.

Minutes passed like hours, but no form of chat surged between them. Perhaps it was because they were still somewhat wary about the other. Or they simply didn't know what they could talk about. Talking about their home or their previous life was heartbreaking. Their current situation? Even worse, if they thought about how one of them had to die for the other to survive.

After all, they couldn't act like anything. Friends would be a term difficult to use for a person who wouldn't doubt twice to kill them once they were the only two left. Acquaintances would mean at least trying to form any sort of small talk to grow closer, even if it was only for the cameras. Allies worked just fine for the time being. Two people with similar interests, who worked together to fulfil them. Nothing else. No feelings involved.

"Why did you volunteer?" Seven broke the silence, causing Olive to raise her eyebrows, surprised at the sudden personal question.

"Oh, so you were paying some attention," she mocked, taking a few seconds to respond more seriously. "I volunteered because, if my brother came here and died, a part of me would die with him . . . Sorry if it wasn't the heroic answer you wanted, but there's nothing else. Just my desperate, selfish wish."

"Actually, I expected an answer more like, 'because my brother will die for sure if he comes, so I'm just taking his place since I'll surely win'. Or something like that," he muttered, gesturing dramatically as he poorly imitated her voice.

"Sorry to disappoint, I guess," she brushed it off, taking her knife again to play around with it. "What's Seven like?"

"Me or my district?" he joked, chuckling at her annoyed expression. "Lots of trees. What about Four?"

"Oh, me or my district?" she mocked, imitating his voice while leaning her back against the wall. "Lots of water."

Occasional chatter kept being just as awkward, no matter how much time passed. However, as they heard a loud noise coming from outside the cave, both acted rapidly, their weapons ready in hand to attack whoever was there. Olive took the first step, glancing outside the cave to encounter a silver parachute attached to a basket. She let out a loud sigh while relaxing her position.

"Relax, it's just a parachute." She said, looking back to see how Seven let go of his defensive position as well.

"A parachute now?" He questioned out loud, walking next to her to protect her back as she retrieved the basket. "Is it for you or for me?"

Olive chuckled softly, glancing from the content to her ally while she let him see the two plates of food their mentors had sent. "I think it's for both."

"That's quite the feast," Seven commented, seeing as there were a few dishes, apart from fruits and a couple of packs of nuts, in there. "Say, should we divide it, or just try to eat the minimum and whoever is alive tomorrow has the right to keep eating?"

I think this might be a message from Librae or Finnick. I need to keep acting all friendly with this guy to have sponsors and food . . . well, he's not that bad, and there are still many other tributes left alive. Olive thought, shaking her worries away as she smiled and replied, "I prefer the latter. Let's just celebrate today, and go back to a strict diet tomorrow morning."

"I like how you think, water-boy," he joked, pointing at her as he winked playfully.

"Well, thank you, tree-boy," she answered with a laugh, putting her hair up in a ponytail before digging in. Each had decided to eat one dish and an apple, which was more than enough to keep them from starving, while still saving a considerable amount of food for the following days. After all, who knew how long they would be there?

"Do you like apples?" Seven asked, taking a look at his untouched apple before looking at Olive, who was almost done eating hers. She nodded in reply, guessing that the random question had appeared due to the obvious message their mentors had sent.

Play it right, be friendly with one another, and you'll have food. Though, perhaps water would be nice . . . well, if they can't or won't send it, maybe that means the cactus field will actually work. Olive thought, resting her back against the rocky wall while still eating her apple. "I like them a lot, though I prefer the red ones. They're usually sweeter. What about you?"

"Well, they're not that bad, but I actually prefer sour flavours," he answered, glancing at the apple before tossing it to her. "You can have it. I already ate earlier. I'm full."

Olive kept still, not knowing how to react to such a stupid act of kindness in the middle of The Hunger Games. Is he doing it on purpose? He'll want something of mine later, right? Since we're allies and all, I should comply, right? Is that what he wants? Her hands held the apples with care, not daring to let them slip and fall to the ground. "Thanks. If you want something of mine later, just ask. I don't really like sour flavours, so I don't mind."

"I'll take you up on that," he chuckled, glancing outside as his position let him see the surroundings with ease. "Is that . . . an animal?"

"You think it might be another tribute?" She questioned, getting up from her guarding position at the inside entrance of the cave to watch outside. At first glance, there didn't seem to be anything around. However, as she concentrated more, there was a slight, almost imperceptible movement at the end of the cactus field. "Mutts perhaps? Why would animals appear if not when there's just an hour or two left until sunset?"

"If they're mutts, we might want to speed up the 'taking water' plan," Seven suggested. A plan Olive completely approved of. With their bags secured on their backs and their weapons ready, both made their way to the cactus field. Just as they began to extract water from a cactus, a cannon fired.

"That's the second one today," he pointed out, motioning to where the hovercraft was taking the body. It was quite away from them, over the other side of the Cornucopia.

Eleven yesterday. Two today. Thirteen deaths in total. We're just eleven left, nine if I don't count Seven and myself. Olive thought, staring at where the hovercraft had just recovered the body. "Let's get the water already. The careers aren't our biggest threats right now."

"Could you stop giving ideas?" Seven joked, shaking his head as he took out the bottle of iodine from his bag and took the spile from her hands. "Now, watch and learn, water-boy."

"I thought we had agreed on calling each other by our districts, tree-boy," she mocked, though her attention was carefully kept on how her ally took the water out of the cactus. It took a few minutes and a lot of patience, which she sadly lacked. But, by the end of it, they had a bottle full of water. "And now I think it's my turn to calculate how many drops of iodine we have to put, huh?"

"I can do it on my own," he muttered under his breath, which caused Olive to raise her eyebrows playfully while letting out a soft chuckle. With that last step done, now they just had to wait half an hour until the iodine did its effect. "At least that's done. I haven't drunk anything since the Games started."

"Me neither. I guess we can't go too far from here, since this bottle won't last long for the two of us. But, we should move a bit. I don't think the mutts will stay clear of the cave. They might attack us at night," she reasoned, encountering her ally's straight face as she turned to leave the cactus field. "Did I do it again?"

"If you mean giving ideas, yes. Come on, Olive, think it, don't say it," he said, crossing his arms in front of his chest in a playful, exasperated motion.

"Olive?" she repeated, stunned to have heard her ally call her by her real name. "Who knew you were actually listening to my interview, tree-boy? I feel flattered to have received your attention."

"It's not like that. It's just my escort. He wouldn't stop talking about your cross-dressing choice," he defended, turning around to enter the cave once again. Olive smiled truthfully at him, though he couldn't see it.

If we weren't from different districts. If we weren't in the Games, risking our lives to go back home. If we could both win . . . we would be really good friends, Seven. She thought, running to catch up to him. "So, you know my name. But I don't know yours. I think that's unfair. Also, I'm not cross-dressing, though I don't see anything wrong with that. I really do identify as a girl."

Seven stopped in his tracks, letting out a tired sigh before muttering, "Jackson, that's my name."

"Jackson, huh?" Olive repeated under her breath, walking next to him as they tried to find a safer place inside the immense cavern, without forgetting where the exit to the field was. "I prefer tree-boy. It suits you."

Jackson laughed softly, shifting his axe to his other hand while he used the empty one to readjust his bag. "What a coincidence, I prefer water-girl for you, too."

Minutes later, the sun was setting, not letting much light enter the cave. That only worsened their chances of finding a safe spot. It didn't matter how many turns they took or where they went, no place could let them be safe from mutts or any other threats that could appear. They were trapped inside the cave.

"How about being on top of the cave instead of inside it?" Jackson suggested, watching outside as the mutts seemed to be dangerously close. This time, they could see what they were. Scorpions, only larger and probably deadlier.

"Yeah, good plan," Olive answered, securing her knife in her belt as they began climbing the outside wall of the cave until reaching the top, where they'd have the perfect sight of the arena. "Hey, is it just me, or does this place seem the only one with a cactus field? The others might be hidden, but why would they be and not this one?"

"If it is the only one, and the others figure it out, we're doomed," he muttered, letting his bag near a somewhat plain surface.

"Well, would you look at that? Who's giving ideas now, huh?" she mocked, settling her sleeping bag right next to his. "Should we take turns sleeping? I can take the first guard if you want. I don't get much sleep either way."

"OK, let's do that," he said, sitting next to his sleeping bag to look for something in his bag. With a grin, he glanced at her, holding the water bottle they had completely forgotten about since they started looking for somewhere to sleep. "Since you're guarding first, I think it's just fair you take the first sip."

Olive stared at him in surprise. It amazed her how kind her ally was. After all, there hadn't been many kind-hearted people before in the Hunger Games. Sadly, those who are don't make it till the end . . . Wait, sadly? No, if he wins, I die. Seven . . . Jackson has to die. It's the only way I can go back home. She thought, taking the bottle from his hands with her best fake smile. "You're such a gentleman, tree-boy."

"Thanks, I try to be," he joked, watching her drink before passing the bottle to him, which he took gladly. After a few sips, he left it again in his bag.

As midnight arrived, two faces were shown in the sky. The two deaths were quite surprising. The girl from District One and the boy from Eight. Two silent deaths, which neither Olive nor Jackson had any idea of how they could have happened.

"So, nine left," Jackson muttered while getting in his sleeping bag. Olive simply nodded in reply, watching him move around until he found a comfortable position to sleep. "Goodnight, Olive. Wake me up when you're tired."

She remained quiet, taking a few seconds before mumbling. "Goodnight, Jackson." Hours passed, but nothing happened. The only sound she could hear was the soft, cold breeze, which forced her to hug her legs closer to her chest, and her ally, who moved around in his sleep from time to time.

Her eyes stared at the basket. She wasn't hungry. Actually, the dishes the mentors had sent were more than enough. However, there was something about it that brought back memories. Perhaps she had been jumping to conclusions since earlier. Just because the basket had been sent at a very opportune point, didn't mean it was a message, nor from her mentors.

Even if her mentors seemed to favour her, it didn't mean the sponsors would side with her. Maybe she had a few, while her district partner had a lot more. Though, now that she thought, she hadn't seen any other parachutes so far. Not like she was outside for too long to be able to see them, either.

No deaths so far. That's weird. Olive thought, watching the beautiful sunrise from her spot. Her eyes kept trying to close. A bothersome way of reminding her that she still needed sleep, even if it was just for an hour or two. Turning around, she went to wake her ally up, only to see him already opening his eyes. "Good morning. I'll nap for a bit. Wake me up after the sun's completely out."

"But you were supposed to wake me up sooner," Jackson murmured with a hoarse voice, though he immediately took her spot and began his watch. He didn't plan to listen to her command. It was clear that she needed sleep, even if she had said that she couldn't get much in the arena.

As time passed, the sun rose in the sky, but Jackson also began hearing mumblings. At first, he thought it was another tribute, trying to sneak up on them. However, soon he realised it came from his side, where Olive was turning and tossing around while mumbling three names over and over again.

"Olive," he whispered, shaking her lightly to wake her up. "Olive, come on, wake up. It's just a nightmare."

"Theo," she breathed, sitting up rapidly as her nightmare faded away, letting her realise where she was. "Jackson? Oh, sorry, did I shout or something?"

"No, you didn't," he said, giving her a comforting pat on her back. "You were mumbling, though. You muttered at least four names. I couldn't hear them too well, but I'm guessing they probably were your family."

"Four names?" Olive repeated under her breath, snickering softly as she let her head rest on the palm of her hand. I swear, if I mumbled Finnick's name in my sleep, I'm going to kill myself. She thought, taking a deep breath before adding. "Yeah, my beloved family."