Hi! Here is part 2 of Day 3 in the Arena. Let's see where the new day takes us!

Kindly remember to like and vote if you are enjoying this chapter and this story! Your encouragement and support literally mean the world to me. 

Take care and stay safe! ~CANGEL 

***

The Arena: Day 3

Scarlet

     She started walking—well limping. And falling. Somehow, Cadmium's Crest and Scarlet's Wave had dragged her up a half a fucking mountain so steep that she had to practically slide down it to keep from doing a repeated header down the cliff. The snow was deeper here, and she often found herself sinking into snow up to her knees. It was irritating and frustrating and so fucking tiring.

     Scarlet was exhausted and completely drained of energy after only walking a few hundred feet. Cadmium's Crest remained—even more so frustrating—in a good mood and high spirits, next to her with his tail wagging and his tongue hanging out as he pranced through the snow that were nearly as deep as he was tall in some parts. Much more like Scarlet, Scarlet's Wave was subdued. She limped on next to Scarlet, slipping and sliding down the hill. Every so often, Scarlet caught sight of a streak of red that stained the snow from the wound on her hind leg.

     At the bottom of the mountain, Scarlet fell to her knees in the snow and sinking in past her waist. She needed a break with her side aching, her lungs burning, her head throbbing and her face stinging.

     Her entire body felt like it had an extra hundred pounds weighing down on top of her. Scarlet's Wave rested at her side. She didn't know how long she knelt there in the snow for, only that Cadmium's Crest had wandered off from them both before coming back sometime later.

     She petted his muzzle, his cold, wet tongue touching her bare hand. She pulled her hand back and looked at it.

     Clear wetness.

     Water.

     She looked back at Cadmium's Crest.

     "Water? You found clean water? Good boy, good boy." Scarlet stumbled to her feet, pulling at the scruff between Scarlet's Wave's shoulders as she placed her wet hand on her wolf's snout. "Seek, girl, seek. Find water for us."

     Scarlet's Wave took off at a limping trot with Cadmium's Crest tucked close at her side.

     She followed as quickly as she could in the deep drifts of snow. She wasn't worried about losing them, her Scarlet's Wave would never stay far from her side unless Scarlet made her. But she didn't like her wolf being out of her sight. The last time she'd sent Scarlet's Wave away, she'd nearly gotten both of them killed.

     Maybe an hour later, she found the water source. A small creek with ice built up around the sides. Cadmium's Crest drank from the water, lapping it with his tongue as Scarlet's Wave joined him, drinking much more heavily.

     With some reluctance, but no other options, Scarlet also drinks from the creek. She coughed up the icy cold water, choking as some of it entered her lungs. She glared up at the sunny sky. The sun was shining. The air was cold, but she swore it was a little warmer than it was yesterday. So why is the water so fucking cold?

     She reached down and scooped water out with her hands, putting a small bit of water into her mouth. It was freezing, but she held it in her mouth, allowing her body to warm it just a little, before swallowing.

     Scarlet repeated that process until she had her fill. The cold water eased the burn inside her throat, but she now could tell that it most definitely wasn't just her thirst causing the pain.

     She fingered her throat, the soreness that lingered there. Her skin was tender to the touch. Bruises most likely from Flax's failed attempt to take her life.

     Settling down next to the small creek she stared at her reflection and barely recognized herself. Her face was red from windburn and hollowed from the lack of a decent meal, four claw marks streaked across her face curtesy of Crimson's Tide. The cuts weren't deep and were already scabbing over which made infection a much lesser risk. But that's probably why her face itched so much. Her nose and skin around it is bruised a deep black. It's swollen and painful to the touch. Also, curtesy of the Flax. Was her nose broken?

     She didn't think so, but of all the unfortunate events in her life in District 14, breaking a bone hadn't been one of them so it wasn't like she could compare it to anything.

     Scarlet didn't particularly want to see her other wounds again. The infected wound on her stomach, or her fucked up shoulder, or the lashes on her back. Scarlet's Wave bumped her head against Scarlet, drawing her attention away from her reflection to her wolf. She saw her wolf's ears flattening, her teeth bared. A threat?

     Without pause, she grabbed her blade, holding it with her right hand on instinct as she spun around. Her fingers shook around the hilt, pain riding up her arm to her elbow. The knife fell to the ground the moment she processed what it was she was seeing.

     Not a threat.

     "Easy, girl." She breathed out.

     A silver canister in the snow at the top of the snowbank.

     A sponsor gift? Why would she receive something now? When she was so far from where she'd been.

     Scarlet pushed away her doubt and grabbed the silver canister. Her fingers shook as she opened it, looking inside curiously. She pulled out the small fishhook-like needle and the long thread attached to it. Scarlet saw a fair amount of salve in the bottom of the container along with a small piece of paper.

     She grabbed the paper with shaky hands, unfolding it slowly.

He's waiting for you. Trust your gut and win, Little Wolfe 

     She read the note again and again, nearly unable to comprehend the words written. Little Wolfe.

     Finnick Odair.

     It had to be him. No one else had ever called her that. But Scarlet couldn't understand why.

     Why would he send her anything? What did it cost him? Or had he somehow convinced someone else to get this for her? Why would he make the effort though, for someone who wasn't from his district. For someone he'd dismissed and called fish fodder. They didn't even like each other...did they? Did she?

     Finnick had always been easy on the eyes, even when he was covered in a thick coat as he made his way through District 14 on the victory tour two years ago. Whenever she'd see him on cameras, or interviews, she paid attention. She was sure that there were a lot of people who felt the same. Pretty was pretty and no one would ever accuse him of being anything else. But when he wasn't in front of her, she didn't think about him. Why would she? Once she'd become a tribute, she'd studied him more closely, but as a past Victor, she was sure a lot of tributes studied him and his games.

     She'd admired him from afar, ever since his victory. That admiration had turned sharply to anger in the Opening Ceremonies and had alternated between confusion and irritation as he seemed to alternate between dismissing her, teasing her, or offering vague pieces of advice...and now...now Scarlet didn't know what it meant or how she felt about him.

     But even though she didn't understand him, she couldn't fight the gratitude welling up inside of her at his actions. The inexplicable warmth that fluttered in her gut or the urge to live up to his expectations.

     He believed in her. He thought she could win. He wanted her to win.

     "I think Crimson had a better strategy than me." Scarlet whispered, staring down at the note. "But don't worry. I'm not giving up."

     After spreading the cream on her infected abdomen, Scarlet stitched the wound closed the best she could on her abdomen. Scarlet's Wave stayed by her side, as Cadmium's Crest wandered around the area. When she whistled, he came back, but he never stayed put for long. Scarlet wondered if he'd linger nearer if Cadmium was here. Was he looking for his missing person? Was he mad that Scarlet was here, but not Cadmium? Scarlet felt a pang, her hand pausing in her ministrations, as she wrapped her fingers around the necklace hanging from her throat.

      How was Cadmium doing back home? Was he eating enough? Was he sleeping? Had he gone back to—that place? Scarlet stopped herself from thinking about that though. Once she started, she wouldn't be able to stop. She couldn't do anything about it from here. She couldn't stop it from happening. She had to win. She had to get back in order to fix it.

      She focused on her stomach. She wasn't a doctor—hell, she was pretty sure that there wasn't a doctor in District 14—but she thought the finished result of her stitched up abdomen was satisfactory. She would admit to not paying as much attention to the stations in stitching as she obviously should have, but Scarlet had found herself growing sick at the sight of the needle piercing the skin and piecing it back together again. She was okay with cutting skin open. But watching it getting stitched back together?

     She felt Scarlet's Wave stiffen next to her. She glanced at the wolf beside her. She stared straight across the small creek, her teeth bared. Scarlet grabbed her knife with her left hand this time, conscious of her failing dominate hand, and raised her head.

     Between the thick blades of grass on the opposite side of the small pond was the boy from 7. Wolver, was his name, stared back at her from within the tall grass. He slowly raised his arms, showing no weapons. Scarlet didn't lower hers. She knew better than most that one didn't need to have a weapon to be a threat.

     "Do you need help?" She read the boy's lips.

     Scarlet let her hand rest on the top of Scarlet's Wave's head. "No."

    "Cause I bet you're going to have a hard time getting that shoulder fixed by yourself. Don't think your wolf will be much help with a needle and thread."

     She glowered at the male across the water way. She didn't like the confident way he spoke. The hair at the back of her nape pricked up and she couldn't shake the feeling that he would be trouble later on if she let him leave.

     "Your shoulder looks nasty, by the way. Was it that wolf that did it to you?"

     "No."

     They stared at each other in silence for a moment as the boy waited for an explanation from her that she had no intention to give.

     "Well...as long as your wolf doesn't eat me, I can help you."

     "Why?"

     The boy's eyes shot down to the creature at her side, who hadn't stopped growling at the potential threat, and then back up to her face. His face broke into a goofy smile that, for some reason, was hard not to return. "Cause, I have absolutely no desire to know what it's like to be eaten or torn up by a wolf."

     Was he trying to be charming? If he was, it wasn't working. His words brought back the image of the District 12 girl who had been torn to pieces by Crimson's Tide and the echo of the feeling of his teeth in her shoulder.

     Scarlet didn't know what his goal was, and she had no intention of finding out. He had no weapon and she had two wolves. One that he was likely unaware of. Letting him get close would be more ideal. With Scarlet's Wave here next to her, and Cadmium's Crest wandering, she felt secure in her choice.

     She could use him first. After all, he was right when he said it would be hard to stitch up the back of her shoulder by herself.

     "If you're gonna help, then help." Scarlet said, curling her lips in an invitation for him to come closer.

     "Yeah, yeah." His smile grew. Scarlet settled her right hand on Scarlet's Wave's head.

     "Calm, girl. Easy."

     When Scarlet's Wave stopped baring her teeth, the boy stood up fast. Too fast. Scarlet's Wave lunged to her feet, snarling at the boy. She fought a laugh as the boy froze in his tracks, obviously rethinking his nonchalant offer to help.

     Scarlet calmed her wolf down again. "Easy." To the boy, she said, "Keep your hands up in the air."

     "Okay." He agreed.

      She didn't let the knife go from her hand or lower it. The boy jumped across the stream, carrying nothing but the clothes he came in. He couldn't be this dumb, right? Did he not know how many tributes were left in the Arena? She knew they hadn't technically been in the Arena for a very long time, but how could he have survived even this long? How could he trust her so easily.

     Scarlet shifted her body to the side, so she faced Scarlet's Wave. Her knife in her left hand, stayed between her and the boy. She kept her eyes on him. Watching him for any hint that he'd make a move on her before she made one on him.

     But she also kept a smile on her face. She didn't want him to realize she was playing him and had already marked him as her prey.

      "I had some stuff, but I lost it fleeing from the career pack yesterday. The four of them are really scary. I was out hunting and was just getting back when I saw them kill my tribute partner. Azalea. Barely managed to get away. How about you? It doesn't seem like you've been doing too good out here."

     "Mmm." She shrugged with her left shoulder as she digested his words. He was lying. The Career Pack of four ended in the bloodbath on Day 1 and she'd seen Azalea's face in the sky at the end of the first day as well. That, and yesterday the Career pack and Crimson had been on the other side of the river hunting for her. They couldn't have been in two places at once, no matter how skilled the Careers were.

     The boy started stitching up the wound at the back of her shoulder.

     "What about Crimson?" She asked, deciding to place along for now. There was no way she was going to team up with this boy, but she couldn't just shut him down. He had a needle through her skin and even with her wolf at her side, she was in a very vulnerable position at the moment. "He was there, right?"

     "Huh? Your brother? Mmm, oh yeah, I guess he was there in the back."

     She nodded her head, gritting her teeth as he shoved the needle through her skin. She felt her flesh being pulled together by the thread and her stomach rolled. Gods, she hated this.

     "Was he okay? Did he look okay?"

     "Yeah, he looked fine...He seemed worried about something though. Maybe he was worried about you."

     If she could make herself cry, she would. Unfortunately, she didn't possess that talent, so she just widened her eyes and tried to look a mixture of sadness and hopeful. "You think so?"

     "Yeah, of course. He's your brother, after all. Of course he's worried about you."

     She nearly rolled her eyes at that. Maybe any other brother would. Not Crimson. Not in the Arena.

     "Do you know what you're going to do? About your brother?"

     "The Careers will probably kill him." She said reflexively before she could think about how she was supposed to respond. Shit. Even to her ears it sounded cold and callous, and nothing like how a worried sister might act. She shrugged her good shoulder once, and lowered her head a bit, as if in defeat. "I mean, that is what they're going to do, isn't it?"

     "Maybe we could team up. Together, we could get rid of the Careers...before they killed him."

     "And then what?" She asked quietly. He didn't know that the Careers were likely already dead, but she was suddenly curious about his plan on afterwards.

     "After they're dead, it can be us three and may the best tribute win and all that."

     "Mmm." She said, trying to make it sound as if she was considering his words and his offer. In reality, she was just buying time. Her plans to use him first and then kill him had not changed with their conversation, though perhaps in his mind he had secured an alliance with her.

     "All done." He announced, pulling back from her stitched up shoulder. Finally.

     Scarlet cut the thread and turned to face him fully, knife still in hand.

     His eyes, that had been scanning everything around her and the silver canister near her wolf, shot up toward her and his smile widened. His eyes and his smile looked so innocent. So trustworthy.

     But he was a liar.

     "Thank you, Wolver."

     Scarlet leaned in and kissed him on his cheek, just a second before she slid the blade across his throat. As she pulled back, she met his widened, shocked eyes. She watched his mouth move voicelessly as his hand covered the gaping wound at his throat, trying to stem the bleeding. It was pointless, of course, the wound was too deep, and the blood spilled too rapidly. It's not long before he fell to the ground, his blood staining the once white snow.

     His open eyes grew cloudy.

     And just like that, Scarlet Wolfe had made her tenth kill.

    There were now only a possible five tributes left in the arena. It was likely Crimson had killed the two careers by now, leaving only three. The remaining girl in the woods could be alive or dead, Scarlet wouldn't know until nightfall. If she was alive, Scarlet knew it would all come to a head tomorrow. Day 4. She knew from watching past Hunger Games that the Gamemaker's never allowed the Arena to be peaceful.

     Scarlet picked up the hook-like needle from the snow and grabbed the thread. She slathered some of the cream on the freshly stitched skin and then she turned to Scarlet's Wave.

     "Your turn, Scarlet's Wave."

***

     After slathering the last of the salve on Scarlet's Wave's freshly stitched wound and over the claw marks on her own face, Scarlet tears the parachute from the canister and wraps the material around her shoulder the best she can, using the strings to keep it in place. Sometime after the tenth stitch to Scarlet's Wave, Cadmium's Crest had wondered back in, and after checking on his sister and baring his teeth at Scarlet for hurting her, he checked out the dead male on the snowy ground.

     Scarlet dressed once more in her shirt and jacket, and stood up, ready to leave this place behind.

     Scarlet tucked Finnick's note in her pocket and with her blade in hand, the canister filled with water, and her two wolves by her side, Scarlet headed further into the unexplored woods.

     She didn't know if she would get lucky or not, but Scarlet needed to try to get some food. She wasn't sure if she could kill a moving rabbit with her blade, throwing with her left hand, or even if she could with her right hand, but she knew she wouldn't find anything the way she came.

     Scarlet didn't feel guilty about the boy's death.

     In the end it didn't matter why he lied to her. If he'd been after her supplies, or her gift, or if he'd really been looking to ally with her.

     There were too few left in the games to make alliances and build trust. Dawson had tried that on Day 1 and look where he ended up.

     Pale faced and blue lipped, lying cold on a slab somewhere up above them in the hovercraft.

     She didn't blame him for trying though. Trying was all any of them could do. It was all she could do. Keep trying. Keep fighting. Keep surviving.

     So, no, she didn't blame him for lying in the Arena.

     But deep inside, Scarlet wondered if she'd ever trust anyone the same ever again. 

***

     Scarlet's wounds were healing, or she assumed they were. Either that or the salve was some kind of numbing cream instead of a healing salve. Either way, she was grateful for the break from the constant pain. She could tell that Scarlet's Wave was also feeling the effects of the medicine as she trotted ahead of Scarlet and even pawed playfully at Cadmium's Crest.

     Coming back the other way from a fruitless hike, looking for small game, Scarlet's Wave had found Wolver's pack that he'd been forced 'to leave behind' while being chased by the Careers. She didn't stop to sort through his pack right away, only picked it up and placed it on her back and kept moving. She noted the blood that soaked the bottom of the pack and wondered if he had killed someone else for this pack. It was so cold out now, with the sun starting to set, that she couldn't tell if it was a kill from today, or yesterday, or if it was from days ago. All she knew was the pack had sat in a pool of blood for a while before being taken.

     It didn't matter. It didn't change anything.

     Scarlet had stopped back by the stream where she noticed Wolvers body had been removed. The blood from his body still colored the snow.

     Scarlet grabbed a drink from the stream and took a moment to go through his pack then. She was surprised when she found medicinal herbs inside. Scarlet might have stayed away from the skin stitching and first aid stations, but she had paid attention to the common natural herbs that could possibly be lifesaving in the Arena. Juniper berries and skullcap.

     She knew the skullcap could help with anxiety and sleep. She'd take that later tonight. The juniper berries were rich in antioxidants. In District 14, they were used as an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antibacterial herb. She took a few of the Juniper berries and popped them into her mouth. She stopped going through the pack when she found an empty canteen. She filled it up with the stream water and took one last scoop of water for herself before packing everything up.

     With Scarlet's Wave and Cadmium's Crest at her side, Scarlet headed back up the mountain to the Cave where she woke up that morning. The trip back was far easier and she could only thank Finnick Odair and his medicine for that.

     Scarlet felt in her bones that it was only her and Crimson left alive. Just like she had a sneaking suspicion that the bag Wolver had taken possession of had belonged to the District 11 female, Heaven. Agriculture. Orchards. Gardens. Herbs. Foraging. It would be confirmed when the Capitol displayed the dead tributes tonight as soon as the sun left the sky.

     After the sun set, she would know for sure that it was all coming to an end. She would know who she would face in the Cornucopia tomorrow.

***

      Scarlet sat at the opening in the cave, dagger in hand more out of habit than of need. Crimson would be at the cornucopia. She was here.

     The sky darkened. She ate Juniper berries and the skullcap that she'd found in the bag.

     Scarlet ate a few bites of the protein pack she'd found in the pack as well. She'd save some for the morning. She'd already sorted through the pack.

     She'd have two daggers to fight her brother.

     Two daggers. Razor wire. And two wolves.

     Scarlet stared at the sky that was currently displaying the Capitol's seal lighting up the sky in preparation for showing the fallen tributes of that day.

     The District 1 female's face lit up in the sky first. Scarlet let out a breath when the District 2 male's face also appears.

     It was confirmed. Crimson was still alive.

     The District 7 male's face appeared. Followed by the District 11 female's face. Then the sky went dark.

     Scarlet let out a slow breath.

     There were only two tributes left. Two tributes from District 14. Two twelve-year-old twin tributes from District 14.

     Against every odd and every naysayer. They were here. Now. Scarlet wondered, out of the two of them, who they thought would win.

     Scarlet was sure they wanted Crimson to win. But she had already shown what she would do to survive. She had already shown what she would do to survive.

     Scarlet would laugh if it wasn't so bitter-sweet.

     She stared off into the distance. She couldn't see the Cornucopia from where she was, the tall trees blocking it from view. The river pointed the direction though, and if she followed it, it would take her there.

     She would leave at first light. There was no need to put off the inevitable.

     Crimson. Or Scarlet.

     "Tomorrow, only one Wolfe will go home." Scarlet whispered into the wind, looking up at the sky, knowing that the Gamemaker's would hear every word. All of Panem would hear her words. "Let it end on Day 4."

     Scarlet's Wave laid her head against Scarlet's thigh. Cadmium's Crest laid with his back to his sisters'. Sleeping.

     Scarlet gave a few of the protein bits to Scarlet's Wave and let out a breath as she continued to watch in the direction of the Cornucopia. The temperature was dropping, and Scarlet wondered if this was the Gamemaker's way to try to draw them out earlier. But Scarlet didn't let the cool temperatures cow her into changing her plans. She took another sip of water from the canister and ate some more protein bits.

     Tomorrow.

     Let it end tomorrow.

----------

So, what do you think of Scarlet in this Arena? What do you think of her actions so far? Are they too ruthless, are they justified? From killing Dawson, to sacrificing Lilian to Crimson's Tide, to killing Wolver... 

And now we have this, the final showdown that I'm sure some of you were expecting. 

An end unlike any other.

Brother and sister.

We know both are injured in someway, but Crimson has had an entire day to just rest and recuperate, and we also don't know if he's received any sponsor gifts, or if the Careers before had received an sponsor gifts, so we don't really know what kinds of supplies they have now. His wolf is injured, but, like Scarlet, we can assume that Crimson will patch him up the best he can, wanting to use him in the final battle. 

While we're on the subject, A QUESTION TO ALL READERS: Do you want a chapter from Crimson once in the Arena? Do you want to hear from him before the final battle, or do you want to only hear from Scarlet?

Kindly, remember to vote and comment, I'd love to hear from you all!!!

Take Care and Stay Safe! ~CANGEL