Companion

**CLOVE'S POV. Cato and Clove struggle to ignore the bond between them.

The harsh daylight attacked her eyes, and Clove snapped them shut once again. As she did every morning, Clove reached her arm from under the quilt and went to secure her hand around the blade she kept on the bedside table, only to cling to air. 

Clove's eyes shot open. Her head was thumping, and slowly, a recollection of blurry images passed through her head. As she remembered the incident from the previous night (or day, how long had she been asleep?) Clove sat up, and took in her familiar bedroom. She exhaled, relieved, and dare she admit it, almost disappointed that the events had not occurred. 

Clove crawled out of bed, not at all her usual agile self. There could be tons of explanations to this, this was not evidence that she had fallen 20 feet from the training centre balcony... 

She reached under her bed and pulled out her case of knives. Selecting the deadliest, Clove went out onto the landing. 

There were low murmurs from downstairs, the speakers clearly didn't want to wake Clove. As she reached halfway down the staircase, Clove's excellent hearing which had not been hindered, picked up the conversation of what she gathered to be Mr and Mrs Mortalen. 

"But think! Who would just leave her on the doorstep? She's not old enough really to be roaming the darker streets of the district, but really, when has that stopped our Clove?" Came her mother's voice, Clove could tell she was nervous.

"What makes you think she was 'roaming the darker streets', darling?" Mr Mortalen asked his wife.

"Well she's missing for a night and a day! Nobody saw her, nobody that we know or associate with! Where else would she have gone? And those filth from the rough areas wouldn't had the decency to show their faces to us!" Mrs Mortalen's voice was rising.

"Shhh!" Hushed Mr Mortalen. "You know, this district isn't all bad and filled with nasty people! Maybe Clove injured or got herself into trouble, and some genuine being recognised her and bought her back to us! Darling, you ask too many questions. Just be thankful she returned." 

Clove could sense her mother beginning to retaliate and chose this moment to cough loudly. Instantly, the scurrying footsteps of her mother greeted her at the bottom of the stairs. She fussed over Clove for quite some time, checking she was okay, and muttering about how worried they both were. Of course, Clove listened to none of this and freed herself from their company as soon as she could. She uttered something about fresh air and marched out the front door. 

Absent mindedly, her feet carried her about a mile to her old oak on the edge of the district. She was so busy with her mind clouded with explanations she didn't notice the person sitting in her usual spot, their back against the oak, as if they belonged. 

"Can I help you?" She said icily. 

Cato jumped up, as though caught doing something he shouldn't have been. 

"Clove! I mean... Clove, right?" He said, shuffling his feet. 

Clove frowned. 

"Can I help you?" She repeated, rather tired by him cropping up everywhere. 

Cato looked up at her, "Yes, actually. I've been waiting for you." 

Clove's eyebrows suddenly unknitted themselves and sprung up. What was going on? She surely had dreamt Cato Fort trying to kill her, then taking care of her?

"What did you just say?" Aware that her voice was reaching new decibels, she lowered it. "I mean, have we even spoken before? I don't recall any conversation." Cato was just watching her. "So why have you been waiting for me, Cato? You know it's against the rules to fight other trainees outside the centre." 

"I- I..." Cato stared at a leaf suddenly in the ground, as thought it had suddenly sprouted new interesting features.

"Well?" 

"I don't want to fight you." 

Clove laughed. She shook her head, the hilarity of Cato Fort not wanting to fight anybody seemed truly ridiculous. Her peels of patronising laughter sent the birds from their trees. 

"Why?" She suddenly demanded, pulling herself together. "Because you know I'd win?" 

"As if!" Cato scoffed. "I must be twice your size, everybody in the district would place bets that I could fight you, little Clove." 

"Do you really want to put that to the test?" Her eyes narrowed wickedly.

"Okay. Alright, fine. I've changed my mind. I will fight you. Then we'll see who's laughing." Cato snarled. 

"Alright. It'll probably still be me though." 

And as though it was beyond her control, she smiled at him. A smile that genuinely reached her eyes and made them sparkle maliciously. Cato couldn't suppress a smile himself, and directed it at the ground, though glanced up shyly at her. She nodded at him, still smiling and offered her hand. Cato shook it, and the two met each other's eyes properly for the first time. 

Clove broke it off and moved beyond him to the oak. 

"Now clear off, this is my tree, you'll have noticed?" She ordered, sitting herself down. 

"Can't we share?" Cato teased. 

"Absolutely not." Clove said abruptly, but a smile was playing on her lips. "Now don't you have some training to do? I have a feeling you're going to need it." 

Cato laughed to himself, "Okay. I guess I'll see you around." 

"I guess." Said Clove, not looking at him, but deliberately juggling her knives. 

She watched Cato walk away, chuckling to himself and breathed a sigh of satisfaction. 

She pulled a blade out and aimed for a different bird, but just before she threw it, something inside told her there was no need to kill the stupid thing, and the bird's life was spared. 

Huh, she thought, I hope he doesn't bring out the best in me. 

Author's Note

So they've finally had a functional conversation! There's chapter 5!