THIRTY EIGHT

THE BURDEN OF WAR

The room was silent as the door slid open. It revealed to those sat inside, a broken girl, carrying the burden of war on her shoulders as she entered. Her leg now finally healed, the poison removed from her system. She looks at the members of the council, Plutarch Heavensbee, the Gamemaker for this years Hunger Games, sat at the table, Rossan was there too, Jim Parker, the rebel leader she had met before the games, Aldar, her stylist for the games, and finally at the head of it all- President Alma Coin.

"Talia Riverthorn, welcome to the War Council," Plutarch smiles, he was holding a mug of coffee in his hand and looked like he needed at least a weeks sleep.

"War Council? Is that what this is now? A war?" Talia asks, she sits down at the table despite not being asked to and makes herself comfortable. President Coin does not look pleased.

"Miss Riverthorn, welcome to District 13," President Coin smiles falsely. Snow had always called her 'Miss Riverthorn'. It sent a chill down her spine. "You are our guest here, whatever you shall need, within reason, will be yours,"

"Thank you," Talia says, "Now, can someone explain why I'm here and not with Finnick?"

"Finnick Odair is undergoing an extensive emotional therapy, he was very distraught when we brought him here- he's under the impression that you're dead, and we have told him otherwise, but he won't believe-"

"Then why the hell am I here? And not proving to him in person that I'm alive?" Talia scoffs, rolling her eyes as President Coin lets out a deep sigh.

"Miss Riverthorn, Finnick needs help, and seeing you might make him worse than it will make him better- in due time, you will see him," Says the President, shifting her perfectly straightened grey hair to the side before pressing a button on a panel before her, "For now, we have some things to run through with you,"

"By all means, go ahead," Talia mocks, taking a gulp of the water in front of her. Aldar gives her a sympathetic look, he could see how angry she was to not be allowed to visit Finnick.

"We here in District 13 have been waiting for an opportunity like the one you and Miss Everdeen have provided us. As you know, Katniss has her own branding, separate from yourself- the Mockingjay. Now you, you're known as something else- The Pearl of Panem. You're the golden girl, a Capitol favourite. Katniss isn't so fondly looked at as you have been, especially now. But no one in the Capitol really knows about you and your rebellious streak," Coin explains, one of her manicured nails tapping on the table, "We'd like to use that to our advantage, Miss Riverthorn,"

"How so?"

"Plutarch," Coin nods, a smirk on her face.

Plutarch stands and uses the panel on the table, bringing up photos and video clips onto the screen of the uprisings in the District's. Clips of District 12's ash covered ruins, District 11 turning on the Peacekeepers, District 8 shooting down Capitol Hovercraft.

"The Mockingjay has become their signal of hope, Katniss is there idol...She needs to be protected," Plutarch says, "You however, can be a ground warrior, the Pearl who keeps the message alive,"

"So what you're saying is, you don't want your precious Katniss to die, so you're going to use someone disposable, like me, to do the dirty work," Talia says, glaring at Coin, not even acknowledging the man who spoke the words- she knew Coin was pulling the strings, using Plutarch like a puppet, exactly how she intended to use Talia.

"Not at all!" Plutarch quickly defends, wincing a little, he didn't want her to think that way at all.

"I'm not your pawn or your puppet, I won't do your bidding for you...I have one plan, and one plan only," Talia says, glancing at Aldar, Jim and Rossan, "Kill the President of Panem, and get my family back where they belong,"

"And that will come in due time," Coin says, "But wars cannot be won without soldiers, Miss Riverthorn,"

"I serve no one, you should all know that by now," Talia says, before standing and turning her back on the room.

"Wait-" Coin says, the woman stands from her seat and stares down the table as Talia turns, looking over her shoulder at her. "If you do what we ask of you, then you will be allowed access to Finnick Odair when you so please, you will lead your own missions to the Capitol or the Districts,"

Talia looks towards Rossan, who nods to her. Jim also does the same.

"I have another request," She says and Coin leans back, folding her arms.

"What shall that be?"

"I lead a mission to the Capitol as soon as possible to rescue the Victor's the Capitol took, and if possible, my family too," She says.

Coin looks at the screen that now displayed clips of Talia in the games.

"I cannot grant you that request," Coin says and Talia turns around and leaves the room.

Everyone remains silent long after the door has closed behind her, in awe at the power someone so young, someone so fragile looking, possessed.

The walk back to her room was long and testing, the grey uniform she'd been assigned made her blend in like everyone else. District 13 was an odd place to be, it felt like no one had ranks, except for the President and those just under her. It was built into the rock, all of it, underground. The Capitol used it as propaganda each year, saying that they were destroyed because of their rebellious nature during the Dark Days. But here they were, living.

She stops short of her room by a few corridors, her mind was racing with ideas. How could she get to the Capitol to save those she loved? Could she even do it, without taking serious injury or dying?

She needed to see Finnick, perhaps he could offer her some advice- after all, he had been her mentor during her games, he was good at this sort of thing. Strategy and survival. Talia Riverthorn was an act before thinking kind of person, while Finnick stepped back and looked at the bigger picture, how things might change the future.

Her feet kept walking, but she wasn't headed for her room. Talia wanted to see Finnick, and she didn't care for President Coin's warning words. If Finnick thought her dead, it would surely help him to see that she was not.

She approached the hospital wing and immediately laid eyes on Mrs Everdeen and her daughter, Primrose. Both of them were stood talking, discussing their work. They seemed to be doing well in the hospital wing, and given the sudden influx of injured members of the District, most of them escapees of District 12, they were proving useful.

Talia moved to approach but the sudden appearance of Katniss made her pause her step. The brunette gave her mother and little sister a smile and began a conversation about the work load.

Talia used their distraction to sneak by, covering her face with her hand as she passed. They didn't even blink twice at her. She sped along the corridor and began looking through the windows at the patients inside. The glass was one sided for most of them. Finally, she reached the end and found him.

He was lying in bed, a drip attached to his arm. In his hand a piece of rope that he seemed to be tying and untying repeatedly, each time in a different knot. Talia's hand lifts up to press against the glass as she watches him. His face is blank, as if he is not there at all, as if the body lying there is just a shell. A case of nothingness.

She glances at the door, it had a keycard mechanism just like all the other doors on the ward. She wouldn't be able to gain access anyway. Her hand falls from the glass and suddenly Finnick's eyes jolt up. For a moment, Talia believes he can see her, but then she quickly remembers the glass is one way, and he cannot see outside of it.

"Excuse me, can I help you?"

Talia's head turns to the left and there stands a tall man, curly brown hair atop his head.

"No, sorry, I was...I just wanted to make sure he was okay," Talia says, stepping back from the glass.

"We're under strict orders to not let anyone visit him," Says the man, tapping his clipboard, "I was just going to do his daily review,"

"How is he doing?"

"He does a little better everyday, we're still attempting some things with him...A lot isn't clicking inside his head," He says and Talia frowns.

Inside the room Finnick had dropped his rope into his lap and seemed to be resting his eyes.

"Whats the rope for?"

"Helps him concentrate on something that doesn't cause him to have a panic attack. He was very frightful the first few days he was here and we thought we'd try out some things that might remind him of home- netting, seashells, rope...As you can see, he picked the rope, he does lots of different knots, it keeps him entertained and his mind occupied," He explains, "Am I right to assume you're Talia Riverthorn?"

"Yes," She says, nodding.

"I thought I recognised you," He says, he offers his hand, "Kalvin,"

"You already know me," She says, a slight chuckle in her voice as she shakes his offered hand.

"When Finnick is better, you'll be allowed to see him, but for now he must stay here, get back on his feet," Kalvin tells her, "He's working his way there,"

"I understand," Talia says, "Thank you for looking after him,"

"Its my job," Kalvin smiles, "Good day, Talia,"

Talia simply nods in response and watches as Kalvin uses his keycard to scan into the room, and the door shuts with a lock behind him. She watches as Kalvin sits down beside Finnick's bed and the two begin chatting. Talia can't hear what they talk about, but Finnick continues knotting and unknotting the rope. She could only imagine what he was thinking. He thought her dead, and was not willing to accept her as alive. And here she was, standing on the other side of the wall, unable to speak to him, convince him of the life that poured from her lungs. Completely and utterly useless. A burden this war had rested on her shoulders for god knows how much longer.

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Thank you for reading and i hope you enjoyed!

~Chloe❤️