Destruction.

Destruction - Chapter 23 - New ally.

Destruction.

Chapter 23. 

Flora p.o.v

It's been another day, and 2 more deaths, 16 tributes are dead, two thirds which means 8 left, or 6 if you take away me and Harry, I try to be optimistic and Harry's ankle is almost better, atleast I don't think he's in pain anymore. 

I don't know how when it comes to it, we're going to get out together.. I suppose if it ends up just being the two of us I could stab myself straight through the heart over in a second and then Harry can go home where he deserves to be, but then maybe that would be selfish of me ? I mean Ox would miss me more than anything, I'm his only hope, and my friend's and the people I helped to feed back in twelve. Harry. Then there's Harry, he's my unsolved problem, what would he do if I killed myself? would he live his life happily? I highly doubt it. 

I watch him eat his rabbit, he hasn't even noticed me studying him, his healthy tan has returned and his eyes are brighter, he seems so much better. I could jump out of this tree and end it all right away, then he'd have a good chance of winning ,maybe he'd think I fell. But I can't bring myself to do it. 

Instead I perch on the tree branch opposite him and continue to watch him eat, he looks up and smiles then stops. 

"Have you had something to eat yet ?" He asks. 

"I emm... I'm not hungry" I say, he needs it, for strengh and besides the second part is kind of true. 

"You obviously are, you've lost loads of weight, just eat this please?" He says giving me the last leg of rabbit.

"No.. it's okay, you have it, you need it more than me" I say smiling and biting my lip. 

"I'm full okay ? and besides we've gotta keep your energy up too" He says forcing into my hand, as I take a bite I suddenly realise how ravenous I am and my stomach growls before I have time to swallow, I wolf it down and it's gone within a minuete.

I sigh, but I suppose there's plenty more where that came from. 

"So we're making a move today yes ?" I say to him. 

"Yeah, I guess so" He says as he rubs in the balm into his nearly heeled foot. I nod and start packing up, rolling my sleeping bag. Eating something has spurred on my need for food as I try to ignore my stomach's complaints.

I hop down from our wide branch that has been home for the past half a week, I help Harry and he is fine with it, naturally a bit unstable, but then again he's a water boy, we reach the ground and he takes a few cautious steps, and seems fine so he runs to a tree and back, I applaud him smiling. 

We head of towards the edge of the forest eager to get away, suddenly I hear a growl, so familiar, too familliar, and there are the dogs, I'm sure theyve doubled in size, but there's less of them,and they seem to have their eyes set on me. 

"Run Harry!" I scream, I pull and arrow into my bow and shoot one down as I take off, Harry's only a bit ahead of me still slowish because of his ankle, I've taken one or two down but I'm limited on arrows. I hear Harry shouting as he can't find his knives and he's already taken one down with his trident, Just then a knife flies out of the tree's takes one mutt down as another follows. and the last mutt lunges at him and a hand with another knife slices it but not before the mutt takes a lump from his arm and runs whimpering into the forest. 

I look at the boy, tall, big built, dark skin, a matt of dark braids, district 11,his name - Gould. I run to collect my arrows not sure what his objective was. 

"Thankyou... you saved us" I hear Harry say. as I bring back his trident and Gould's knives, as I hand them to him. 

"It was no problem... you seem like good people" he says as if unsure of us. 

"Well, we have something that can sort that " I say my stomach churning again at the wound on his forearm. 

"Do you really ?" He asks hopefully. 

Harry p.o.v

"Yep, that's what sorted this out" I say pulling up my trouser leg and showing the healing hole to him. 

"Maybe we should have alliance? three of us against , four careers, good match yes?" He smiles at us, I look to Flora and she smiles back, she has good instincts. 

"Alliance" I nod and hold my hand out to him. 

"We should probably get out of here..." Flora says as we gather our weapons and start to walk.

"So.. what bought you here ? " I ask eager to dig a little deeper, find out what his motives are, and if he's trustworthy. 

"I have just been wondering, running away trying to keep alive, is difficult on your own, Rowe died and I have no hunting partner" He says, I nod thoughtfully, I suppose he'll be useful until we have to break our alliance. Then it's all the harder to kill him if it get's to that, but we'll cross that bridge when it comes to it. I hold Flora's hand as we walk the outskirts of the forest on guard, he seems to have genuinely friendly motives. I start to like him. 

I find out that Rowe was killed by Ade and it makes me even more angry, I've forgotten about him but I want to kill him, even though I promised Flora she could do it when the time comes, she'll probably have a better shot than me, she might bottle it though, I have no idea.

We set up camp on the edge of the forest, the dogs won't come out this far, and besides there's only one left now, Gould has two cans of beans, one of which he readily gives to us. I make sure Flora has most of  it though she hasn't eaten properly in three days I didn't realise how much she was suffering when I was ill, in return we give gould as much balm as he needs to fix his arm. 

He also gives us one of his two blankets, as I climb into the sleeping bag I'm happy, this is definitely a strong alliance with the most friendly and trustworthy person , but then again, he's district 11 and they're all poor and good honest workers, much like the 12 people. It's a shame he didn't find us before Ade got to Rowe. 

As Flora climbs in next to me I tuck the blanket around us, I'm actually really comfortable I'm glad not to be nervous of falling out of a tree. I put my arms around Flora and press my face into her neck kissing it even though she's probably asleep already. I still get kinda hot at night but the fevers gradually going, even though I know she likes it when I do that anyway.

 "Mmm" She says quietly. 

"Oh thought you were asleep" I say sarcastiaclly smirking to myself. 

"Nope" she sighs. 

"Well glad my efforts are appreaciated" I say kissing her again.

"Mm they are" she says as I put my hand on her waist.