Return of the Mockingjay

Chapter 46

My heart sinks as I watch her small body crumple to the floor, Peeta stands laughing, the other two tributes crouching down to pick up Rue's body.  My anger takes over and I shoot my arrow knowing I'm only just in range.
My aim is true as it tracks straight for Peeta's chest but he spots it at the last moment and twists away, missing his chest and burying itself into his right shoulder, knocking him off his feet. I start running again trying to close the gap further to make the next shot easier. Peeta screams in both pain and anger and rolls around on the floor while Blight and Foxface drop Rue's body. Blight throws an axe at me but he's too far away and I dodge it easily. They both turn away from me and grab Peeta, quickly dragging their wounded leader into the cover of the forest.
I finally reach Rue, Peeta's arrow still buried deep into her chest.

"Rue......Rue!" I scream as I kneel next to her and cradle her head in my arm.

"It's.....okay Katniss. I'm........okay, it's what I wanted" she whispers.

"No, don't die, stay with me. I can care for you, we can leave this place, you me and Cato, together"

She shakes her head slowly as Cato stands above us, casting a shadow from the hot sunshine.

"I wanted....to help you Katniss.....so you can go home to.....to your baby"

"She's called Rue, we named her after you"

"I know" she says struggling to smile. "Don't grieve for me Katniss, win and go home. I want to die, I'm happy" she says with a crooked smile as the life drains from her body and her eyes glaze over as she slips away. I throw my head back and wail, the tears flooding down my cheeks. I haven't wept like this since Prim died. I feel like I was given a chance to save Rue all over again, to atone for what happened in my first games and once again I failed her. Cato crouches down and takes her from me, then gets to his feet and gently cradles her in his arms. He leaves me on the muddy shore as he walks back toward the far shore, moving away from the retreating tributes. I get up and follow on slowly, still sobbing like some miserable child following its mother. I follow him into the relative cool of the forest, away from the oppressive heat of the blazing sunshine. We walk for what seems like hours but is more than likely just a few minutes until we reach a shaded copse of trees which overlook a small meadow. He lays Rue down gently, then carefully pulls Peeta's arrow from her chest before he starts to dig a grave for her. I kneel next to her body and take her small hand in mine, trying to comfort her in some way. Her fingers have already begun to lose their heat, her dirty little hands cold and clammy to the touch. Cato digs until a deep grave has been dug, I sense another presence above me. Cato stops what he's doing and slowly turns round and I follow his gaze as my eyes fall on Thresh. Both Cato and I are completely defenceless, I'm still cradling Rue's hand in mine while Cato stands in her grave, his sword and the trident off to the side and out of reach.

"Who killed her?" asks Thresh in a deep voice.

"Peeta" says Cato looking at the ground. Cato's making no attempt to defend himself, or me for that matter. Why does he trust Thresh so much?

"Where is he?" asks Thresh.

"They've made camp in the cornucopia, up at the meadow" I say as I look back at Rue's peaceful face.

"Don't even think about killing him, he's got two other tributes in his own career pack, yes he's wounded but that won't stop him for long" says Cato.

"I wasn't planning on killing him just yet" replies Thresh as he kneels down next to Rue's body. He cups her face in his hand before he leans down and kisses her forehead.

"I'm sorry Thresh, about Rue I mean" I say

"Don't be, I never knew her. It's just that I wanted to protect her and keep her safe"