A Victor's Ally - The 73rd Hunger Games (Fanfiction)

sixteen

 "Can you believe it's been ten days in the arena?"

"Eleven, Moe." I corrected the young girl, having the sudden urge to reach out and caress her snow-covered blonde locks. She didn't reply, but instead focused on lifting one foot after another out of the heavy snow. The land in front of us seemed like a steady, gradual incline. We were nearing the base of the mountain, but I was hoping to stay away from it. I hadn't yet been to this area of the arena, and there was bound to be something dangerous at the top.

Barely a second after having this thought, a long howl pierced through the dawn.

Great. Just what we needed, mutts chasing after us. Moe was shaking, but whether it was from cold or fear, I didn't know. Probably both.

"Pick up the pace." I ordered my numb feet to go a little faster. Moe stumbled a bit beside me, trying harder to lift her legs higher but not having much success. Feeling nervous, I tugged on her arm. The mutt sounded close.

It was probably unavoidable. I knew the Gamemakers were bound to throw something at us, I just hadn't expected it to be another mutt. Is that what they wanted their finale to be? Two girls getting ripped apart by a mutt...not even another tribute?

My ears picked up the howl again, and I turned around to see two dark shapes sprinting up the slope behind us. Someone screamed, and I couldn't even tell which one of us it came from. I didn't wait around long enough to get a good look, but it seemed to be the same type of mutt that attacked Hank, Laurette, and I. It seemed like ages ago that it happened, but I could clearly remember how terrified I had been when I saw the murderous thing up close.

The Gamemakers were sick. Obviously I knew that before, but experiencing their cruelty first hand really shed light on how terrible they are. The Capitol has amazing technological abilities, yet they use it to harm children for their own entertainment. Imagine how prosperous the districts could become, if only the Capitol would use technology for the good of Panem.

We pick up the pace, but we would never be able to outrun the mutts. Fortunately- or unfortunately, depending on what would be waiting for us up on the mountain- the mutts kept their distance, seemingly herding us up the slope.

They weren't sent to hurt us, but my gut told me we weren't safe. This was it, the Gamemaker's grand finale. The snow suddenly fell around us more intensely, almost as if they simply turned up a dial. This was probably a correct assumption, and I would have laughed if I weren't so terrified. The outline of the mountain top before us was hazy, and it was hard to see more than a few yards ahead. My legs burned, and after a side glance at Moe I could tell she was struggling just as much as I was, if not more. My grip on her arm tightened; I was determined not to let her go. I didn't know what was waiting for us up there, but I would at least get her to the top.

Soon our fast pace turned sluggish, and the mutts behind us seemed closer than before. I hoped that as long as we kept moving, showing that we understood the Gamemaker's message, the mutts wouldn't get close enough to attack.

Would the other tributes already be there, forcing us to fight right away? If this was the case, I knew we wouldn't stand a chance unless the other tributes were just as tired as we were. The District Seven male could easily take us out at the same time, and the District One male wouldn't be easy either. He had training, and although he may have initially been the weakest of the Career pack, but he was still here and they were not.

My thoughts drifted further as my feet got into a steady rhythm. When had I started thinking in terms of 'we' instead of 'I'? Moe had become a part of my time in the arena, and I wasn't going to let her die. I don't know what I would do if it came down to the two of us, but the chances of that were slim and I couldn't bear to think about it. Luke wouldn't approve, but I knew that if he were here in my place he would be feeling the same responsibility towards Moe. At least, the old Luke would, but I wasn't so sure about the newly hardened 'victor' Luke.

There was a time before the 72nd Hunger Games that I had hoped Luke and I's teasing friendship would turn into something more, but then he was reaped and I thought I would never see him again. When he came back, there was no question that he had become a new person, but I still hung on to the parts of him that hadn't changed. It wasn't until we kissed back at the training center that I truly realized what I felt for him the past few years was much more than a childhood friendship. Unfortunately, the Games only complicated things, and I wasn't sure if they could ever be fixed. Being Victor meant that I would get to see him and my family again, but it also meant the deaths of twenty-three others, including Moe's.

The hill beneath us suddenly got steeper, and the thudding feet of the mutt's behind us began to fade further behind.

"Juliet, they're backing off." Moe sounded surprised as she came to the same conclusion I had. She looked behind her, brow furrowed in nervousness or confused. My throat felt raw, causing me to wince as I breathed in the frigid air. I let out my breath slowly, watching as it turned visible in front of me. It was almost humorous to think how I had been sweating on the first day.

"They're forcing us to the top." I huffed, keeping my explanation short and to the point. I put a hand up, shielding my eyes from the falling snow as I looked up at the darkening sky. "We better make it there unless we want the mutts to come back. And soon, before night."

Moe nodded in agreement, not bothering to waste precious breath. We continued until our walk turned into more of a climb. The sky got dark quicker than I anticipated, and I frantically looked for somewhere to settle for the night. I had no idea how low the temperatures would go, especially up on the mountain.

It seemed that luck finally went my way when I heard Moe shout from a few yards away.

"I found a cave!"

I could barely see her outline through the snow, but I followed her voice to a snow-covered crevice in the steep mountain side. It was deep enough for both of us to fit comfortably, and the snow by the entrance was thick enough that a tribute passing by wouldn't notice.

Unless they were looking, or the Gamemakers interfered, but I tried not to think about that.

We snuggled together on the hard rock, weapons beside us. I would have preferred to sleep with mine in my hand, but I didn't want to risk knifing Moe in our sleep.

Once again, I attempted to keep my eyes open and trained on the entrance to the cave, but I slowly drifted off.

"Juliet?"

My eyes shot open and my heart raced, but it was only Moe whispering beside me.

"Yeah?" I responded wearily, trying to keep my voice calm.

"Am I going to die?" The small, fragile girl had made an appearance again, taking place of the spunky warrior I had met a few days before. I stiffened, unsure how to respond.

"I don't know," I answered truthfully, "But we'll do our best." The last part came out as a whisper. Moe didn't respond, but she snuggled closer to my side. Eventually her breathing evened out and I knew she was asleep. Despite not being able to fight sleep before, I was now wide awake. Squeezing my eyes shut, I tried to match my breathing with hers.

The next morning, I woke up shivering but thankfully able to feel every part of my body.

Pulling myself off the floor, I stuck my head out of the cave and into the morning. It was sunny, not even flurrying, but in the distance I could see the black storm clouds rolling in. A howl made my breath catch, and I could see a faraway shape beginning to run up the mountain side, another more animalistic shape following close behind and herding the tribute up the way we had came.

Eyes wide, I turned around to see Moe staring back at me, her face fierce and weapon clutched at her side.

The finale had begun.