ιn тнe мι∂sт .::. σne-σn-σne

[Cazio]

ooc// i'll have my post done tomorrow or thursday....i randomly got swamped with homework -.-

[Cazio]

By nightfall, the Montero brothers had deserted their Cliffside camp and headed deeper into the forest. They traced the edge of the cliffs when they could, keeping a careful eye above in case other tributes were lurking in the rocks. They saw a few other tributes, but avoided confronting them, much to the Gamemakers disappointment. Gavin began to get his bearings and start making a mental map of the arena, navigation was by far his best attribute to the games. Even in complete darkness, Gavin lead them through the forest using his nightvision goggles. The stars gleamed brightly overhead, but Alonso still had a difficult tie getting through the brush, even with Gavin helping him out. They needed to be careful, a misstep could mean a sprained ankle or worse.

“See anything?” Alonso asked quietly, trying hopelessly to peer ahead in the forest.

Gavin sighed, “I said if I saw anything, I’d tell you.”

Alonso didn’t reply, both boys knew he’d asked just to pass the time.

After another half-mile of hiking, Gavin stopped abruptly, nearly falling over when Alonso ran into him.

“There!” Gavin whispered, pointing enthusiastically to something.

“I can’t see,” Alonso growled, rubbing his shoulder where he’d collided with his younger brother. Gavin grabbed his hand, and they began to climb up a sharp hill. Alonso could feel the vegetation thicken, and by the time Gavin finally stopped, the greenery was almost suffocating. It was a perfectly hidden thicket that probably looked too difficult to hike through for most tributes. It certainly wasn’t the safest place, but it was better than their outcropping they had been on before. They would need to move again, but Gavin was probably just as tired as he was. They needed rest.

“I’ll watch first,” Alonso announced, plucking the goggles from Gavin’s head. Gavin didn’t have the energy to argue, and slumped to the ground, using the backpack as a pillow. Alonso slipped on the goggles, blinking as his vision turned from black to different hues of green.


The next day was surprisingly quiet for the amount of tributes in the Quarter Quell. Twelve tributes had died the day before, but only one cannon sounded as Alonso and Gavin left their camp. They tried to leave no trace, but the flattened plants were an indication that someone had been trampling though. Alonso had fallen asleep by accident, and they were lucky no one had come across them.

“Where is everyone?” Gavin asked, looking up into the pines. Alonso shrugged, but a feeling of dread began to creep up his spine. Tributes needed to start dying or the Gamemakers would send something worse their way. He didn’t want to think about what they’d cooked up for the Post-Rebellion Quarter Quell. They’d been absolutely ruthless the year after the rebellion, or so he’d heard. Terrible firestorms, hoards of dangerous animals, even a poison water pond had been planted to kill as many tributes as quickly as possible. Tracker jackers, and a whole field full of poison ivy made every tribute who wasn’t dead suffer for it. It was a miracle any tribute survived long enough to win. This year was bound to have some ugly surprises in store.

That evening, the Montero brothers found their new home. So far, the early morning tribute was the only one to die, and Alonso feared that if they didn’t find shelter soon, they could get targeted. Luckily, Gavin spotted a crevice between two large boulders and the cliffside. It created a cave, without the fear that the roof could cave in. Mountain grasses grew at the entrance, which was so narrow Alonso had o get on his belly to slide underneath. From the outside it looked like a pocket in the cliff, it wasn’t until you were inside that it turned to a cave. After a belly crawl to get in, the entrance opened up to a spacious cavern, easily big enough to fit four people. Alonso smiled, tousling Gavin’s hair. Just being out of the wilderness made him feel a thousand times more safe.

In the middle of the night, Alonso woke to rustling outside the entrance. He’d made sure to sleep with his head facing the door, just in case someone decided to enter.

“…girl from Three.” A boy’s voice.
“I never thought she’d make it, I just said she looked strong.” Another male voice, they both carried the same accent, so Alonso figured they were brothers.
“Hey, hold on.”

Alonso’s blood froze, gripping his short sword, fully prepared to stab if a face appeared at the entrance. He could feel the cameras turning on them, he could feel that this moment was being broadcast for all to see. Hundreds of people were watching, feverishly flicking on their screens in the Capitol, a brief pause in a busy day of doing whatever Capitol citizens did. They would watch with joy as one of them tuned into a predator. they could see what was going on outside, watch as one of the tributes stepped closer, one shoe crunching in the gravel mere inches from Alonso's face. The suspense was building, Alonso could feel the crowds grow silent. His mother was out there, probably hiding her face.

The other tribute stooped to a crouch, but didn't look into the mouth f the cave. Alonso could see the pores in the boy's skin in the pale white moonlight. The boy cocked his head, lightly extending a palm. Alonso breathed as silently as he could manage, his entire body rigid. The boy's palm cupped a flower, a brilliant white tulip. With a small jerk of his wrist, the flower was plucked, and the boy turned away.
"A flower?"
"Yeah, I don't know what kind though," the boy said, carefully placing the tulip in his pocket.
"Could be useful, I suppose."

The pair vanished into the shadows of the forest, completely unaware of their close encounter. Alonso sighed with relief, his heart still pumping madly in his chest.


-----------


The next day held one death, and the Montero brother's began to make themselves a little more comfortable in the cave. Gavin brought in bedding while Alonso recovered from a night of guard duty, and ended up gathering a few edible herbs and shoots as well. they had one waterbottle, purified only by a few drops of iodine, but it would last them a few hours of hiking if they were careful with it. Water could be scarce in certain mountain valleys, thanks to the shadow of the mountain that drove rain clouds too high to produce any precipitation.

But as mid-afternoon approached, the wind began to pick up, and dark cumulonimbus clouds gathered on the horizon, dark grey and pregnant with rain. The whispering of the trees became ominous and raspy and the wildlife ceased to make noise as it bunkered down for the inevitable storm. A few rocks tumbled down the face as Gavin slipped inside the cave, shaking Alonso awake.

"What?" Alonso graoned, flopping away from his younger brother.

"A storm is coming. A big one," Gavin whispered, looking up at the ceiling of the cave as if expecting the clouds to have followed him.

"Good, put out something to catch the rain," Alonso growled, putting an arm over his eyes and trying to get back to sleep. Gavin bit his lip, unsure about leaving supplies out in the open, they were a dead giveaway to other tributes. He shrugged to himself, and slid out of the cave. h noticed immediately that the sky was darker before. It looked like dusk, and the clouds were closer to black than grey. A lash of wind cut through the forest, throwing trees nearly sideways and knocking Gavin to the ground. A brilliant streak of lightning punctured the sky, followed instantly by a booming thunderclap. Gavin yelped in surprise and dove for the cave just as the rain began to pour. Alonso was wide awake when he entered, jarred by the thunder.

"Pack your stuff," Alonso commanded suddenly.

"What?"

"I said, pack your stuff." Alonso's dark eyes were wide, pupils contracted.

Gavin started putting away the iodine and the waterbottle. "Why?" he asked, zipping the backpack shut.

The Gamemakers. Gavin's heart lurched, overcome with fear. What would they do, pinpoint lightning bolts to kill tributes? AS if to answer, the sound of a death cannon blasted in the distance. Gavin flinched, looking to his brother.

"Get ready to run," Alonso breathed, moving next to the entrance.

[katniss,]

{.{ Ohmylord. I have been soooo busy. Will get around to replying. Sorry! }.}

[Cazio]

Ooc// no problem, I understand completely!

[katniss,]

{.{ Will reply tomorrow! Sorry I had a dance performance and then competition yesterday and today. C: }.}