The Seed is Strong (Hunger Games Fanfic)

Survival

"So we've got one knife and one sword. Did you manage to grab anything else while you were at the Cornucopia?" Asked Ela, sounding hopeful.
"No. I was too busy trying not to get killed" replied Tomas coldly.
"Well I managed to get this" exclaimed Ela as she revealed the small bag she had attached to her belt.
Tomas frowned, "I thought we'd agreed that you wouldn't try to get anything".
"I didn't have to go very far to find it. It was right in front of me"
"But we said that no matter how tempting it might seem, you were not to go towards the cornucopia. You're too vulnerable. Going in there and getting yourself killed, undermines all the hard work that we've put in all week".

"I'm sorry. I just wanted to help! You're already risking so much to keep me alive, and I wanted to repay the favor" admitted Ela.
"You have a job. It is your job to keep us alive from the threats the Capital will send, and its my job to keep us alive by fighting off the other tributes. That's why you've spent the last week building fires and learning about which plants we can eat and which ones will kill us. Both of our knowledge is crucial, we cannot survive without the other person... You're not as worthless as you think" replied Tomas.
"Thanks" mumbled Ela.

"So, what's in this bag that you risked your life for?" Questioned Tomas.
"I don't know. I haven't had time to look yet" admitted Ela.
"Well go on and open it, we might need whatever is inside" sighed Tomas.
Ela nodded and began to pull open the drawstrings.
Inside the bag she found a strange looking vial, and after examining it for a few minutes, she realised what it was.
"It's a water purifier. You squeeze a few drops into a bottle of water and wait for it to kill off the bad bacteria. Drinking dirty water will make you very sick, and can even kill you. This might very well keep us alive" revealed Ela.

"Well we actually need water first, before we can go about purifying it" reminded Tomas.
"I know. I didn't see any on my way up here. The only water source I've seen so far was the stream by the cornucopia that lead into the forest" replied Ela.
"We can have a look around the mountains today for any other sources, but it seems likely that that's the only one. It makes sense that the game makers would want to draw us together, by only giving us one water source"
"Yeah. It's a shame we haven't got any containers to carry water around in"
"I guess we'll just have to drink as much as we can when we do find water"
"I don't know how long we'll survive, living like that".

"Neither do I. But it's the only option we have... Is there anything else in that bag?" Asked Tomas.
Ela placed the water purifying vial back inside the bag and had a quick glance to see what else was inside.
"Umm. A very small torch, and a box of matches" revealed Ela.
"That's good. We'll be able to start a fire if we need to" replied Tomas.
"Starting a fire is a bad idea, in case anyone sees the smoke"
"I know it's a bad idea right now. But as the games go on and the amount of tributes gets lower, then it'll be safe to make one, as no one is going to want to come after us if they're on their own"
"That's true... If we live that long of course".

"You're right. We need to get out of here. This cave is not far enough away from the cornucopia to serve as our home. We need to get moving" instructed Tomas.
Ela sighed and nodded her head, "Alright, let's get going".
"We'll need to move quietly" reminded Tomas.
"Don't worry, I'm good at that. I've been sneaking into Glen's house at night for years"
"You're going to find it easier than me then. But don't forget to be on the look out for food and water, as we won't get far without them"
"Are we headed in any direction in particular?"
"Up. No one will look for us up the mountain, since it's not exactly an easy climb for a pregnant girl to make"
"You're telling me. It was hard enough getting this far"
"You can do it though, right?"
"Of course I can".

Ela tightened up the bag and re-attached it to her belt again. She then took out her knife and gripped it tightly.
Tomas readjusted his grip on his sword and began to make his way out of the cave with Ela at his back.
Being back out in the open again, made Ela extremely nervous.
She wanted to find a bigger and better cave as soon as possible, so that she was hidden from the other tributes.
Tomas was right about the walk being difficult, as it was all uphill and on very rugged terrain.
Ela lost her footing several times, but managed to correct herself before she fell over.

After walking for a long time, and inspecting many caves, Tomas and Ela both settled on one that they hoped would serve them well.
It had several bushes around it that were growing berries that Ela knew were safe to it.
There were also nuts growing nearby, that Ela was certain were edible.
After trying both first, Tomas confirmed that they were fine.
The berries were sweet, and the nuts were nice. But Tomas and Ela  both knew they could not survive on nuts and berries alone.
They were also beginning to feel very thirsty, and they knew that they would need to have something to drink very soon, or they would be become too dehydrated. And dehydration was not a nice way to die.