The Runaway Victor | Book II

Chapter Twenty-One | Riverside

|AUTHORS NOTE|
I love you guys dearly, I do. But are you going to make me get on my knees and beg for some feedback? I want to start conversations with you guys!! :) Also enjoy the song attached! It's absolutely stunning :)

Stay classy :)
____

Once they found a well covered area, Orion, the Bensons, and Quinn took a seat close to the base of a tree to hide them from any ships that might be looking for them. Quinn's eyes floated from the glowing map to the tree tops. The tree tops were fairly thick, they made good cover. But she could still see the bits of sky that was beginning to change from midnight black to a blueish color that meant the sun was rising. In a way, it was almost comforting sitting there. Looking through the tree's at the sky reminded her of looking through the cracks in the roof or the old windows of the warehouse. She could vividly remember sitting up with Rosa when she was sick with the flu and looking at the stars and talking while they waiting for the sun to rise and for Mags to bring medicine.

That warehouse had been so old, so run down-- had been was the key. There was no way possible to sit and look at the sky, the warehouse was gone and so was everything and everyone in it.

"So the yellow flashes, those are the other maps?" Kal asked, observing the map closely.

Orion nodded, "It looks like Jules and Marcus got out further east than we did." he stated, looking at Quinn more than the other two. She could see it in his eyes, there was part of him that only hoped that both of them had gotten out. "The Capitol has both, Ciruss' and Marcus' map too." he added.

"So they can track ours?" Hannah asked, "If you can see where the other maps are, can't they see too?"

Orion nodded, "That's probably how they found us outside of Seven, and tonight."

"Well, now what?" Quinn asked curiously.

"Well, District Eight is probably on watch. Our plans have to change." Orion stated, "We have the supplies, and if the others get here we'll have even more. We need to go past Eight, straight to Twelve."

"Should we go look for the others?" Hannah asked.

"We should get some rest," Orion replied as he clicked off the map and shoved it in his pocket. "They're probably following their map to get here. Or at least closer."

The other three all nodded in agreement, "I'll keep watch." Quinn stated, "For ships, I mean. I had rest at the house." she added, looking at Orion to make sure he understood that she'd stay awake.

With that, Orion leaned back on the tree and got comfortable. Then the Benson's did the same. That left Quinn the only one still sitting up uncomfortably. So Quinn fell backwards onto her back so she could see the sky a bit better. She wasn't really comfortable, but she enjoyed watching the sky get lighter and listening to the woods around her. For the first time in a long while she felt normal again, she felt like she had never been in the games-- like she had never become the Rebel Victor of the Rebels Encouragement.

Despite the threat of more firebombs, she felt safe and at peace-- as cliché as that sounded it was true. Part of it may have been the lulling song from the birds around her. Not that they were singing an song on purpose...

Quinn wasn't that old, a toddler maybe. No less than four. Her hair was in its usual messy fishtail braids over her shoulders. Her dress wasn't the nice coral color that she had been forced into for the Reaping that seemed like forever ago when really it had only been two week. Quentin had gone away, her mother had cried every night since he left. Her father said it was because Quentin had moved to the Capitol, to be on TV. But that explanation only seemed to be more painful for her mother.