Arrows in the Dark

Wounds Heal

I was groggy waking up. Images of blood, death, and Rue filled my dreams. I woke up with a pounding headache in the dark. Instantly i grabbed for my knife i kept in my waistband. It was gone. My eyes flew open and i shot up. I patted the ground looking for my bow and arrows. Nothing. "You won't find them." a voice said. Scared i scrambled backwards hitting a wall. Peeta was sitting just two feet away in front of a small fire. I could barely make out his form between the moonlight and the fire. I searched for a sharp rock. Anything. "I'm not going to kill you. If i was going to. Don't you think i would've done it by now?" Peeta asked getting up so i couldn't see his face. I scrambled to the side trying to get farther away from him. I hit another wall.

"Where are we?" i blurted out.

"A cave. By the river." Peeta answered kneeling back down in front of me. I forced myself to look at him and not try to scuttle away.

"Have you been here this whole time?" i asked. Peeta hesitated before answering.

"Yeah." he said slowly. I bit my lip not saying anything else. "Are you alright." Peeta murmured. I nodded slowly. Peeta looked down then back up at me. "No you're not." he said.

"Yeah i am.." i stuttered out.

"You were sobbing your heart out Catora. There were two canon fires right before you showed up. What happened?" he asked staring at me intently. A strange led cry escapes my lips and he wraps me up in a hug pulling me up and into his chest. That's when i heard the anthem. I shot out of his arms with a gasp and burst out of the cave and stared at the sky. It was easy to see from here. The capitol symbol spun and spun before it showed Marvel's face in the sky. I gasped for air knowing what was coming. Rue. She was smiling sweetly, shyly.

"Rue." i whispered. Then the Capitol symbol reappeared and the anthem ended. the sky went dark. I almost collapsed again but Peeta caught me.

"You're wounded remember?" he murmured into my ear. I nodded not saying anything. He half carried half dragged me back into the cave. "Are you hungry?" he asked shaking my bag in front of me. I shook my head.

"You can eat if you want." i mumbled. Peeta just set the bag back down. I returned to my original spot and let the back of my head touch the wall. I breathed in closing my eyes. Peeta pulled my sleeping bag toward me. He was about to walk away when i caught his arm.

"Can you.. I mean.." i said not knowing what to say. Understanding Peeta stopped and slowly sat next to me. I was still holding his hand but Peeta didn't seem to mind. He was warm and my hands were freezing.

"How'd you get hurt?" came Peeta's calm voice. I looked down at the wound. the blood had dried and the bandages were uncomfortable.

"I uhh.. I blew up the Career's food with Rue's help." i mumbled. "Piece of whatever.. It hit me.. And.." i stopped not wanting to explain further.

"Well when we get up tomorrow we're going to have a good look at it ok?" Peeta asked squeezing my hand. I just nodded biting my lip. I was going to start crying again. I could feel it. I sniffled and Peeta looked at me a question in his eyes. He threw his arm around me and i let him. He pulled me into his chest careful of my wound. "Shh.. Catora.. It's ok.. I'm here." he murmured into my ear.

"It's not going to be ok." i said crying harder. But Peeta just kept muttering those same words over and over. He rubbed my arm with one hand as i cried into his chest. I fell asleep like that. Our bodies pressed together keeping out the cold. My checks stained with tears and dirt, leaves tangled in my hair.

I woke with a start. The light streamed in through the entrance of the cave. Immediately a cold shiver ran up my spine. My shoulders shook and I looked around. Something was wrong. "Peeta?" I called out not to loudly. Where had he gone? My mind started racing. He's dead. He's with the careers. He's going to kill you. He tricked you. He took all your stuff and ran. You're going to die alone. There was some shuffling noises and Peeta appeared running a hand through his hair.