Heart of Ice

Chapter 5

Day 1, 10:00 am

Sixty damn seconds. That's how long I have to adjust my eyes to this, to make sense of the Cornucopia and figure out who's near me. I'm facing the back on the Cornucopia, so I have the disadvantage of not knowing where things are inside of it.

Not that it really matters. It wouldn't fit my persona to charge towards the Cornucopia. Still, there's going to be vital supplies for survival, especially in this terrain.

There are mountains and forest behind me, more forest to my right, and hills to my left. I can't tell what's beyond the Cornucopia, but it looks like a downhill slope or some type of drop-off.

I'd be best off in the forest. I can get pine from the trees, and the woods itself is a safe haven. But there might be other predators in there too, and I don't think I could handle wolves in competition for food without a weapon.

My time is almost up, and I'm turning to run away from the Cornucopia. I want supplies, yes, but I'll come back and scavenge later. When the bodies are being collected. And if I kill someone, I'll have their supplies too.

As the gong goes off, I take off towards the woods, but keeping the mountains in sight. No doubt that others will be going there, and I can hunt them down later. I won't kill them, since I'm supposed to be acting weak, but I'll steal their supplies.

I hug the tree line for a few minutes, watching the fighting. I snap off a tree branch nearby, figuring that I could use it as a club if I have to. Sure, I don't know shit about using a club, but it's better than nothing.

I scoop up some snow and smear it on my clothes. It'll be mild camouflage, and maybe insulation.

The snow is falling lightly, and it'll cover my tracks eventually. No one will be hunting tributes this early, and I'll be safely hidden before the Careers come searching.

I wonder where Henry is. Did he make it this far? I make a note to seek him out later, if he's not in the sky tonight.

It's cold, and that only gets worse as I continue. The forest is pine, allowing myself cover but limiting visibility. My footprints are slowly filling in, but I'm guessing that no one is tracking yet. It's only been ten minutes.

Physical extortion raises body temperature, I remind myself. I have to keep going. And I can't stop here. I can't fall asleep until I'm safe somewhere, with a fire going.

In retrospect, maybe I should have let Mora in on my plan. But it's too late for that now. All I can do is keep going.

I stop when the cannons start. I count them off as they go- up to nine. So that's nine dead, and I won't know exactly who until nightfall. And by then, I'll have supplies and a relatively secure place to sleep.

I take off running back the way I came, following the faint remains of my footsteps. I don't have much time. I need to get to the Cornucopia and get some supplies while the hovercraft collects the bodies. I'll prioritize a weapon, since I can glean materials from the woods but not a weapon. Right now, the Careers probably have weapons but not a lot of supplies. They grab weapons first to kill with, and get the long-term haul later. As long as none of them grabbed an axe, I'm set.

When I reach the tree line, I can see the Careers huddled together, not fifty feet from me. I move back into the forest and go in the opposite direction, keeping the golden horn in the corner of my eye. A thin layer of snow is settling on top.

Are they looking at me?

No. Good. I sprint towards the horn, knocking my hood down. The sudden movement might attract their eyes, but if they recognize me, they won't pin me as a threat.

I just shouldn't push my luck. I pull a backpack from a girl's body, and scoop up a can of food. I snatch a bedroll, glancing over at the Careers. They're looking over at me, like they're discussing whether or not to kill me.

Well, I'm not about to let a bunch of privileged assholes decide whether or not I get to live. Picking up an axe, I take off running into the mountains.

The forest extends partway up the mountain, and I head for that area. I don't think that the Careers are following me, and once I'm far enough in that I can't see the horn through the trees, I stop. Now's a good a time as any to see what I got.

The Careers might decide to follow me later, since I left footprints, but if I'm lucky, the snow will have filled them in. For now, I've got a little bit of borrowed time.

I don't really want to just sit down in the snow and open my bag, since there'd be no cover and I'd be easy prey for anyone wanting supplies or a kill. Sure, I've got my axe, which will be a huge help, but I can't use it instantly. If I get ambushed, it'd be too late.

I pick a spot underneath a pine tree, deciding that the branches will hide me enough. Not having snow in my face is also a plus.

In plain view, I've got a can of beans, a bedroll, my axe, and a backpack. I open the backpack and find it stocked. I pull out the water bottle first- it's a pint, but empty. I scoop up undisturbed snow next to me and pack it in before stowing the bottle in my jacket. My body heat will melt it.

I dig through the rest of the bag, finding a hat, a first-aid kit, a matchbox, and a pocketknife. I put the hat on and stick the matches and pocketknife in my pockets. There's also a lantern and two packs of hand warmers. Everything goes back in the bag, since I probably can't use it until I find a safe place.

The mountains might have caves. I could climb a tree here, but I'd rather get situated somewhere more secure. It's barely noon now, but the mountains could take the rest of the day and the Careers always hunt the first night. If I don't find a place to sleep, I'll end up having to fight six of them.

Like that's going to go well.

AN: Hey! Here's another chapter- I know it took awhile, but considering it's nearly two pages, I hope you don't mind. I'll make it longer next time, and you'll get some action.

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