Arlathina Connous's Story

((Oh my god I want to see that sooo bad!!!))
"We'll have to find shelter, sleeping out in the open won't be an option anymore," Arlathina says. I nod in agreement. The sky lights up with the faces of the dead: Jake Cranna, Dustin Hickory, Skay Triton, Cynical Lorence, and Martha Stewart. Five people are dead which means... nineteen left? Eighteen of us still have to die. I think about that for a moment. Only five people is quite surprising, this may be the least amount of people killed in the Bloodbath, ever. I look over at the dead body of Martha, the only reason her body hasn't been carried away from the hovercraft is because we are still here.

"If you guys want to make it through the night we will have to sleep close to each other. Don't worry I won't stab you in the back. Do either of you have a blanket?" Arlathina asks. I scramble up as I remember something. "My - I, I have a coat. And some matches," I say. I walk over to where I left the coat and pull the matches out of the pocket. "If we do make a fire, we'll just have to hope that no one will hunt us down. There's three of us, maybe we could take them anyway..." I trail of, the thought of killing a child, possibly one as young as twelve... I slightly shudder, whether from the thought of it or because of the cold, I'm not sure. I walk back over to Faye and Arlathina. "Here," I say, throwing the coat over them like a blanket. "I'll take first watch, and I'll wake you if anything happens. If I die, the sound of the canon will wake you anyway," I say with a weak attempt at a smile.

((Sorry, I keep changing my tenses and point of view, and only noticing when I'm finished the post, and am too lazy to go back over it...))

((Catalya needs and alliance!and I watched the prmeier it was good but the books were better! :D))

I looked up at the starting to freeze sky, watching the sky light up with the faces of dead tributes. It was starting to get colder and I needed shelter. The freezing grasp of the wind and snow touched my face and a immediate shiver ran up my spine. My throat was dry and I really needed water. Maybe if I find a tribute to trade some water with..... I had nothing to trade other than the knife witch I need if I throw the whip and need to killo someone up close. The capitol id most likely angry.

I walked gingerly forward in search of water. I probably knew that the sponsors for District 1 were going to Karson Rota, the male tribute for District 1. So I wouldn't count on Liana to send me any silver parachutes. The wind rattled my bones and the ice thawed me out of my warmth. I needed warmth, food, water, and protection. I stumbled forward a little while longer, only to find some tributes in a pact. They weren't careers but a pack of other tributes. I reconized the girl Arlathina but the others were new to me. She said she would take watch and threw a coat to one of the other tributes. I hid in the bushes, my hand firmly on the still rolled up whip to my side. I didn't want to attack them, I wanted to steal from them.

I let out a very slight breath and moved a little to theright were the bushes were thicker. I didn't need to freeze to death and those matcvhes looked promising....

I gazed at Grace with curiosity in my eyes. Why was she so willing to take first watch? I asked myself as I thoroughly scrutinized her, searching for a concealed weapon that I might have missed earlier, but the moon had darkened considerably and most of her being was concealed by inky shadows. I tucked my daggers close to my chest, and moved a bit closer to Faye underneath Grace's considerably large coat. It was bland gray coat, that was obviously made for a larger male tribute. Despite it's thin appearance it proved invaluable at retaining heat. As the moments slowly passed, the temperature underneath the coat began to rise gradually, and soon it was quite snug.

Also, the comfort of having a friend next to me warmed not only my body, but my heart. I closed my eyes and murmured, "Wake me up when your done with your watch Grace. I'll take the second shift." I wasn't sure if she heard me, but I didn't think about that for long. Soon I was adrift in a sea of dreams.

I stopped in my tracks, she heard smoething. I could tell by the way she held out her knife. I took out my own knife but told myself im not here to kill her. Just to get the matches. I crept up behind the girls, they didn't even know I was there. They were sound asleep. But a twig snapped underneath my foot. Not loud enough to wake the but loud enpugh for awake ears to hear.

'Drop the knife, and I won't hurt you. . .' It echoed through my mind a hundred times before I realized that it wasn't in my dreams. My eyes shot open, red-rimmed. I was awoken in a state that wasn't completely human, but partly animal, and very instinctual. I savagely turned myself over on my back, propping myself on my elbows. Over me stood an unfamiliar face that was bathed in pale moonlight. It was female, that was all I took the time to observe. I jumped to my feet and pulled my daggers from the folds of my clothes.

"Raaagghhhh!" With a savage scream, I jumped onto her as nimble as a spidermonkey. She began to yell as I thrashed about on her shoulders. I aimed my knives at her arms, seeking to cripple her. The emotions that flooded through my body contorted my alluring face into a horrible mask of rage, fear, and instinct.

Catalya swung her arms and with her own knife was able to throw the tinier girl off. I heaved heavily, I just needed water and matches damit! I reached for my whip and sprung it out, the long black strand with the metal shards at the end would hurt like hell. I wipped it in the back of my direction, making a loud carcking noise. She looked at the girl who had first talked to her, she wouldn't of killed her. She wouldn't of killed anybody here. Maybe that district 1 boy because he really pissed her off once but that was about it. "I just wanted a match." Catalya mumbled under her breath, her heart beating and adreline pumping through her.

As I regained my composure I stood elegantly as she glared at me, whip in hand. As I gazed back at the dark haired girl I took on a feline demeanor, "Am I supposed to let you walk into my camp and take my supplies? No, I won't be that girl, you can swing your whip at me all you want, but I am no stranger to pain and certainly not afraid of it. A few scratches won't kill me either." I asked in a mocking tone as I brandished my daggers threateningly. I looked at Grace and gave her a slight nod.

I looked at Grace in pure disbelief, "I hope you know what your doing Grace, give her a match let her go but she won't be any ally of ours." I felt anger well up inside of me, but I tried not to say anything. "I'm done taking in people, we don't have the resources for it."

Catalya took in a deep breath and took the match, muscles still tense. Her skin had turned a pale white since she had gotten in here. They had thought that she would be in the career pack so they didn't give her a coat. "I'm done taking in people, we don't have the resources for it." I nodded at that, I understand that she wouldn't want to take me in. But I defiantly would be able to carry my own weight. I stood there for a second and split into the forest, and climbed a tree quickly. I took in a deep breath I felt like a squirrel.

As the girl disappeared into the forest I glared at Grace, my eyes turned into daggers as I spat my words with acid lacing my voice, "Are you insane? Grace if your going to let people trample all over us like that we will not last for long." I seethed with anger, and I had to restrain myself from commiting an act of violence. "Don't you see? You let that girl go with a souvenir, and then who will come to us next looking for a handout? We could have killed her, she was right there. Now we will ave to go to the trouble of doing it later on." By this time Faye was up and alert staring at us both as we exchanged heated words.

"One match is hardly letting people trample all over us. And you could have killed her if you wanted. Nothing was stopping you, I was hardly interfering at all. And, no, the next person who comes along won't be getting a 'handout,'" I replied, trying to keep my anger under control to stop myself from shouting. "Besides, we still have the coat, and nine more matches, and when she makes a fire some one might see the smoke and finish her off for us." I walked over to the dead fire and sat down, a throwing knife in each hand, and stared into the last pieces of coal that still burned, even after the snow had started falling, though they wouldn't last long in this weather.

"You don't understand Grace! Are you my ally or not? She might go off and form an alliance and come back ten times stronger. Though I'm not here to discuss the hypotheticals! If you thi-" I began to retort, but before I could finish my witty comeback a large clump of snow fell down from the sky and struck me on the shoulder. It was hardly packed, almost like ice. I howled as my right shoulder felt the sensations of cold and pain mingle. "We have to find shelter!" I yelled through the haze of softball-sized snowballs. I let go of my anger for the moment, it wouldn't help any of us to be at eachother's throats.

In fact, I looked towards Grace for an answer.

((Sorry I haven't posted for a while, school and whatnot.))

Faye stood, swiping snow off her pants, a futile gesture since she'd probably end up covered in snow again anyway. An ice-packed ball of snow crashed into her leg. Faye winced, biting back a string of expletives. "Let's go before this gets any worse," Faye said, "If that's even possible." But hey, with these insane Gamemakers you never really know, do you?

"Do you think we'll be able to find one? A cave, I mean," Faye asked as they began to walk. She squinted through the fast falling clumps of white. "We could be out here forever, looking for one," she said.

Catalya huudled the short rock that kept her from the falling chunks of ice. The girls past my hidind spot, the ones that gave me the match. they could die out here, and then where would I be? My gut said to not let them in, to let them pass and maybe even let them die. But they had shown me a kindness even if I almost died. The girl, Grace I had heard the other girl call her I did not want her to die. The other girl I could really care less about. But I understood her concerns. She called out to them, "Hey, over here! If you don't want to be plummeted with ice I'd say you come over here!"She called, her skin now a very pale white without the fire of the match. I was about to make when the storm started than I stumbled, literly and fell into a cave.

A voice struggled to reach my ears through the strange blizzard, distorted and quiet as it was it reached my ears nonetheless. As I whipped my head in the direction the voice had come from I saw Catalya huddled underneath a few boulders. I struggled through the foot of snow that had already developed with Faye and Grace in tow. When I reached the entrance I stepped under the protective arc the rocks formed and peered down a tunnel, where Catalya stood, dazed.

I slid down into the small cave, and stood peering at Catalya cautiously. I brandished my sharp daggers incase she decided to try to pull out her whip. I chuckled cynically and said, "It looks like we won't be getting away from eachother tonight. How about this? I won't kill you, not tonight anyways." I stood passively and waited for an answer.

I snuck a glance at Arlathina, smug expression on my face. If we had killed the girl, then we never would have found the cave through the blizzard. I headed into the cave, one hand on a knife in my belt. "Um..hi," I said awkwardly, but my quiet voice wasn't heard, as at the same time Arlathina said, ""It looks like we won't be getting away from eachother tonight. How about this? I won't kill you, not tonight anyways." "I'm Grace, this is Arlathina and this is Faye," I said, pointing to the girls in turn. "And you would be?"

As I squatted on the cavern floor I heard a scream echo through the forests outside. For a few seconds I clutched my dagger, vigilant for any signs of movement in the trees. When I was convinced everything was at peace I let my attention slip back to my developing blaze. An angry scowl embedded itself in my features once again as I blew on a smoking pile of leaves.

Seconds later a small flame was born, then another, and the fire continued to grow until it exuded a warm breeze that washed over our shivering bodies. I placed a few more pieces of wet wood I had gathered from outside on top of the charred twigs, and sat back, examining my handiwork. It was a good bonfire that should last us through the night, though the type of wood I had used seemed to give off alot of smoke.

The shade of the night will conceal it. . . I thought hopefully, although I could have been wrong. Since the moon was so bright the smoke might be like a banner, displaying our location for all the other tributes to see. "So who do you think that scream belonged to, Faye?" I inquired with not even an ounce of emotion in my voice.

(OOC: Hey you guys! Guess what! I went to see the Hunger Games movie this friday. It was EPIC. I can't believe I waited a whole week to see it. I swear I cried at some parts. The soundtrack is pretty awesome too. :) If you haven't seen it you really need to!)

"I'm not sure," Faye said, "But it sounded male."

She glanced around the small cave at the other three girls. They were an alliance now but what about when the Game was coming to a close? Faye had a feeling that the only one of them who really had a chance was Arlathina. She had the skills for it, the drive to win. She'd killed before she could probably do it again. In a way, Faye kind of admired her.

She ran a hand through her hair. "I think we should take turns keeping watch. Since there are four of us, we could go two at a time," she suggested.

"I can take first watch." Catalya said, peering into the burning flames. Her skin starting to warm and turn into color. She wasn't really scared about the careers, considering it would only be four of them against four of us. And they wouldn't te a chance unless they knew they would win. No, they'd wait until they split up and pick them off one by one. She scooped up some twigs that blew to the back of the cave, dry considering the storm. Giving the fire an extra boost. Catalya was positive that her mentor was going for the District 1 boy considering they didn't send her any silver parachute. Bt she woud be damned if that stopped her from wining.

"Well, since we've learned that someone would rather let people murder us, or steal from us before she would actually kill them, I guess you and I should take the first watch Faye." I replied to her as I glared at Grace, my eyes turning into metaphoric daggers. Before she could retort I stepped outside into the winter wonderland we were now stranded in.

Faye stood quietly next to me as I gazed out into the distance with a stoic look on my face. I wonder who is watching us at this very moment. . . I thought to myself as I imagined the faces of each tribute. There were nineteen of us left right now, but I had a feeling that soon that number would be much smaller. A few tedious hours of staring into the dark forest passed by with virtually no activity. Though near the end of my shift I heard a rustle in the forest.

As I stood acutely concentrating on a patch of forest, A red blur moved behind a faraway tree. Seconds later Odessa Moon came pounding towards me like a mustang. Following meekly in her wake was Jake Valentine. When she was a few feet away from me she seemed to hesitate, confused by my indifference towards her valiant charge. Though she must have dismissed the thought because she continued to advance towards me.

She raised her axe, but her stance was completely unbalanced and she held the axe in an awkward fashion. I dropped one of my daggers and snapped it up, grasping my fingers around her wrist. Upon seeing this, Jake Valentine made an attempt to halt, but it was far too late. With the snap of my wrist I broke Odessa's arm and brought the axe she was holding crashing into Jake's gut.

Odessa screamed in pain, as did Jake. He tried to stem the flow of intestines from his abdomen, but it was useless. Seconds later he lay on the floor, silently convulsing. The snow around him glittered with a myriad of red flakes, stained from the blood that had once gave him oxygen.

Odessa twisted her neck back in my direction, a look of pure disbelief stamped on her face. Still holding the wrist of her broken arm, I quickly carved a trail across her throat. Upon reaching the carotid vein I gave the knife a strong jerk, causing the vein to burst. Odessa only twitched slightly as all life fled from her veins. I pulled my daggers from her throat, and pushed her to the floor. She landed with a dull thud.

The sound of two cannons emanated through the arena, as I crouched and washed the crimson from my daggers in the snow. Odessa and Jake's faces both lit up the sky, and Faye gazed at them.

Odessa Moon and Jake Valentine are dead.