Return of the Mockingjay

Chapter 50

I get to work straight away. My aim is to try and manoeuvre the careers into the meadow on my terms, then I'll take them one at a time either with snares or with an arrow, like I said before the meadow is the perfect location for an ambush. I take all the snare wire I took from the golden house and save the wire that Cato salvaged from the mouldy mattresses for later. Using Cato's knife I carve out a large number of spikes from fallen tree branches and spend some time finding good flexible ones that I can use as a spring to trigger the snares. Then I start setting my traps, from the tree line which borders the meadow to the collapsed arches near the fountain I set a number of different snares in an attempt to herd the careers to the meadow. I'm hoping that one of the careers will fall fowl of a snare and Peeta will direct the others away from the danger, it's a gamble and I'll need Peeta to falls into the trap but I do have something else to help push Peeta's hand. Before dusk I head for the meadow to get my supper, I can hear them, the birds squawking quietly in the tall grass. The food source that no one thought of.

The gamemakers had blinkered the Mutts into believing that the spider was the only thing to eat here but I spotted the birds the first day I came here with Cato and Clove. I throw a stone into the meadow and a dozen large birds clumsily fly out from the long grass. They're so big and slow it makes an easy shot as I string an arrow and shoot at the nearest bird. The arrow hits home and the bird stalls mid flight and crashes down into the long grass. I slowly make my way through the tall grass following what appears to be a trodden path left by the careers. At a number of places other paths intersect and head off in other directions. It's a rabbit warren of paths which cover the whole meadow. I take a blade of grass and twist it in my hands. It's so dry that it splits and crumbles away in my finger tips, how much longer can this go on for? It's been so dry that the grass has died, how long before the rest of the arena goes the same way? I find my supper in the long grass, pick it up by its stubby legs and walk back toward the forest using a trail I'm hoping to direct the careers to. I need to add a clue somewhere to help lead Peeta to the birds which can only be found at the meadow. I light a small fire, pluck the feathers from the bird and cook it slowly on a makeshift spit all the while checking for anyone who could be close. The meat is a little tough and it makes my jaw ache with all the chewing but it tastes okay. I throw the remains of the bird in the fire as a sign to Peeta, I'm hoping that when he realises that the spider is gone he'll find the bird's remains and head for the meadow to hunt, then I'll get him. It's a two pronged plan using both the snares and the lure of food that'll drive him and the careers to the meadow. I'm about to head back to the tunnel to check on Cato when I hear a twig snap nearby. I pull an arrow from my sheath and string it ready while I crouch down and glance around at the surrounding woodland.

"It's okay Katniss, I'm no danger" I hear a soft voice come from a nearby bush.

I raise my bow and take aim at a tree from where the voice came from, it's trunk is covered in vines which are slowly strangling the once great oak. I take a step closer, my eyes straining to pick out the tribute that spoke to me.

Eyes, two of them stare out from the foliage at me but I can see nothing more. The vines start to move and I jump back, pulling my bow string tighter in case I need to shoot. A young girl steps out from the twisted vines, dressed in combat boots and pants and a dark grey vest top it's obvious as to why I couldn't see her. From head to foot she's covered in limbs from the vine weeds. Coiled into her messy hair, wrapped around her arms and legs and then there's the body paint. Her skin painted in different shades of browns and greens, her clothes stained from black and green dye's of some sort. It's the female morphling from the quarter quell, the girl that gave her life to save Peeta. I slowly lower my bow.

"I'm pleased that I found you Katniss, I've been searching you out for days"

"Why, what do you want with me, why haven't you joined Peeta?"

She walks past me and crouches down next to the smouldering fire. "I came searching for you, Peeta's little band doesn't interest me. They killed Jack"

"Who's Jack?" I ask as I stand over her.

"He was the other tribute from District 6, Peeta tortured him trying to find out where you are. Jack knew nothing of course, neither of us had even seen you until now" she says as she holds her hands out to the warm fire.

"But Peeta killed him anyway?" I say as I sit across from her

"Yes, he didn't really care that Jack knew nothing, he killed him, then they started to eat him"

"How'd you manage to get away?"

"He never found me, I think he thought that Jack was on his own but I managed to stay hidden from Peeta. I think I'd of been killed just like Jack, Peeta doesn't care about anything, only killing you" she says as she looks me in the eye.

"Yeah I know. So what's your name?"

"My name is Kitt, and before you ask I'm not addicted to morphling" she says smiling.

I offer her my hand and she shakes it. "So why did you come looking for me?

"I don't know really, I haven't got anywhere else to go I guess. And after seeing what Peeta did to Jack I thought I'd try and find you"

"Oh okay" I say awkwardly. What am I gonna do with her, she's not a fighter like Cato and she's only any good at camouflage and hiding. Does she expect me to look after her?

"I know what you're thinking, you're wondering what use I am to you? Well I can't fight but I can help you in other ways"

"Really, tell me"

"Everyone knows how good you are with that bow but you need to get closer to Peeta and his careers Katniss, to level the odds"

"I've got a plan that won't need me to fight Peeta up close, if that happens then I'll lose. No, my plan is to take them one at a time from distance, that way I'll win" I say as I poke at the ashes with a stick.

"I knew you'd have a plan, but I can give you another edge that'll make things easier, and maybe, just maybe it could save your life"

"Okay, but whatever it is will have to wait until morning, I've gotta check on my ally"

"Ah yes, Cato. Peeta's so angry at how he's helped you, Cato was promised to Peeta you know, by the Gamemakers"

I look down at the glowing embers of the fire in shock at how Cato really has given everything to help me, even to the point of exposing himself to Peeta's wrath, not to mention defying the gamemakers who clearly gave him instructions to help Peeta track me down.

"He never told you that did he?" says Kitt, breaking me from my thoughts.

"No" I say shaking my head.

"He hid it well from Peeta and the Gamemakers. All the way through training he'd be right by Peeta's side, talking with him about you and how they were gonna capture you. But the second the games began he went against the plan to join up with the group and disappeared, only Peeta hadn't figured that he'd joined up with you. Where is he by the way?" she asks looking round the darkening forest for Cato.

"He's somewhere safe, which reminds me. It's getting dark and I need to check on him, you can come too if you want?" I say as I get up.
Kitt follows me through the forest to the hatch in the forest floor, I pull it open and start down the ladder with Kitt closing the hatch behind her. But when we reach the tunnel below I'm shocked by something.

Cato's gone.