Kindly remember to vote if you are enjoying this story! I sure hope you are! Your support is so encouraging to me and the reason that I keep pushing through, even when it's hard.

Take care and stay safe! ~CANGEL

***

Scarlet Wolfe

     Along the way to the river, Scarlet checked her snares, and an unexpected disappointment flared every time she found one empty and untouched. After success early this morning, it would be a bitter pill to swallow to go to bed with an empty stomach.

     Scarlet paused when the third and final trap came into view. Weariness set in and she gripped the blade tightly in her hand. Red stained the snow around where the animal had been, clearly picked off by another predator. She approached the mess slowly with a frown as she looked at the ripped fur and splayed innards.

     She felt the attack before it came, the hair at the nape of her neck stuck up and she launched forward, barely avoiding the sharp teeth she felt pull at the back of her hood. Scarlet twisted as she fell, falling on her back, hard in the snow. Shards of pain lit up her back as her focus narrowed at the white wolf baring its red stained teeth at her in a silent snarl. Scrambling back on her hands and feet, she collided with the rough bark of a tree behind her. She gritted her teeth as she held the blade out in front of her as a warning.

     Stay back or die.

     The white wolf didn't approach her, didn't attack. Blood dripped from its muzzle, marking it as the one that had stolen her kill and the back of her neck stung from where its teeth had pinched her through the fabric of her hood. But Scarlet couldn't look away from its golden eyes.

***

Scarlet Wolfe

11 Years Old

     "What do we do with them?" Cadmium asked, staring down at the three wolf pups.

     "Eat them." Crimson replied with a shrug as he flipped the small knife in his hand and bent down to do just that when Cadmium grabbed his shoulder, pulling him to a stop.

     "NO!" Cadmium shouted in anger.

     Despite her reservations about going past the first boundary to kill, and her dread at the prospect of killing an animal, she couldn't help but agree with Crimson. It had been two days since they had eaten anything and the emptiness in her stomach was impossible to ignore. Ever since Aureolin had died in last year's Hunger Games, their family had been in a constant state of struggle, despite this, their parents refused to make any of the older children take the tesserae.

     Finding the three wolves inside the first boundary might just be the very thing that kept them alive. She was about to say just as much to her younger brother, who was practically in tears at the thought of killing these pups when she made the mistake of looking down.

     Warm, round golden eyes looked back at her. "Let's help them, Crimson." She found herself saying as she pulled the snow-white pup with golden eyes up into her arms. It nipped her chin and its claws dug at her skin as it tried to get away. She scratched behind its ears and wrapped the bottom of her shirt around its small body, blocking it from the wind. "I'll call you, Scarlet's Wave."

      The little wolf's eyes seemed to glow with approval, and its mouth stretched wide, its tongue lolling out, before settling into her arms.

     She glanced up at Crimson and Cadmium, a rare smile gracing her lips. Crimson rolled his eyes even as he reached down, picking up the largest of the little pups. Pure place and mean, it drew blood from Crimson's hand with a nasty nip. Crimson gripped the pup by its scruff glaring at the mean pup. She wouldn't mind eating him.

     But Crimson's lips curled upward, and she watched him roll the pup to its back, closing a hand over its neck, pressing hard enough to lock the pup in place despite its fierce attempts to get free until he finally settled under Crimson's dominant hand. When he finally released the pup, he didn't get bitten again.

     With blood dripping from his hand, he scooped the black wolf pup into his arms, a satisfied grin on his face. "Crimson's Tide."

     Cadmium scooped up the littlest wolf pup last. A golden pup, who snuggled up against Cadmium's chest without any resistance at all as if knowing who was responsible for saving their lives in the first place.

     "What should I name him?" Cad asked, looking between Scarlet and Crimson.

     "Cadmium's Crest." She said, looking at her little brother struggling to hold up in his arms. As if sensing its pending drop to the ground, Cadmium's Crest wiggled in her brothers' arms, crawling up his chest, and onto his shoulder.

     She watched Cadmium smile, his mouth opening in a soundless laugh. It's been such a long time since she'd seen her little brother happy.

     An elbow poked her arm, and she glanced over at her twin.

     "We can't keep them here forever." he said, looking around them once again making sure they went unseen.

     Scarlet looked down at the golden-eyed wolf pup before looking back up at her brother. "But we can hide them long enough to help them survive on their own."

     "We'll have to train them past the first border." He raised a brow, as if expecting her to bulk at the reminder.

     "I know. We'll be careful."

***

Scarlet Wolfe

Present

     Golden eyes stared back at her. Eyes she recognized—eyes she had dreamt about ever since they had released the wolves back into the wilderness.

    "Scarlet's Wave?"

     At her words, the white wolf's mouth fell open and she watched in disbelief as the wolf dropped to the reddish snow-covered ground, her tail wagging in the air. She huffed out a laugh as her mind spun.

     How was she here? Did they do this intentionally? Scarlet glanced around the pines surrounding her—the snow, the cold, the forest that reminded her so much of District 14—this was the Arena...wasn't it? She swallowed, her smile faded as she stared at the beautiful wolf, still sprawled out in the snow on her stomach, waiting for Scarlet to acknowledge her.

     Did the Capitol know what they did? Or was this a coincidence?

     Gripping the blade tightly in her hand, she stood, taking a small step closer, eyeing the creature carefully. Was it truly Scarlet's Wave?

     Or was it a Capitol mutt meant to catch her off guard and kill her the moment she let her guard down? She eyed the torn animal carcass, while keeping most of her attention on the wolf—and wondered if genetically altered or mechanically created mutts ate food.

     Probably not?

     She turned back to the wolf in question. Was it her wolf?

     "Scarlet's Wave, come."

     The wolf jumped up onto its large paws and pounced. The force of Scarlet's Wave's body nearly knocked the breath from her lungs as she stumbled back into the tree. She grunted while the wolfs tongue lapped at her face. Oof, Scarlet's Wave had gotten so much bigger since she last saw her.

     She shoved the wolf off her with an annoyed grunt, "down." She turned from the wolf and started to walk away, as expected, the wolf started to follow behind her. She didn't let go of the blade in her hand, but she was confident that it was her wolf and not a Capitol mutt, but Scarlet's Wave was still a wild wolf and it had been nearly a year since she'd seen the wolf.

     Scarlet stopped at the end of the woods, near the river and knelt in the snow as she scanned the open area. She saw the remnants of her earlier fire, untouched from how she'd left it. It didn't seem to have attracted any attention, which was good. Hopefully, it meant that this time would be the same, she could get water and get out without any problems.

     She would have meat to cook as well—her narrowed eyes cut to the wolf next to her that actually had the gull to stick her blood covered snout in Scarlet's face again. She pushed the little thief away from her and stood, making her way into the clearing. She let out a low, practiced whistle, watching as Scarlet's Wave took off, bounding into the woods.

     She would search for threats in the immediate area—or she used to be able to do that—she wasn't sure if Scarlet's Wave would remember all her commands still, but Scarlet had trained her to search for potential hunters or threats in the area to avoid them once she had been set free in the wilderness.

     While her wolf was running, Scarlet got another small fire started before starting the process of once more getting water boiled and into her filterable canteen. She wasn't sure if she believed that the river was poisoned or unclean—and if she really needed to use so much of her time bringing the water to a boil—but she couldn't bring herself to try it. Besides, she reasoned with herself. With the cold temperatures dropping more and more, it felt good to drink something warm.

     When her canteen was completely filled, she heated up another cup, letting out a soft whistle into the air. Her eyes skated around her as she did so, hoping she wasn't loud enough to draw unwanted attention. She'd learned to whistle from Crimson and Cadmium when they were each training their wolves, however, in the Arena, she'd never felt more vulnerable.

     A smile tugged free though when a few moments later Scarlet's Wave came crashing through the trees, a bloodied hare hanging dead from her teeth.

     "I suppose I won't kill you for stealing my hare, little one." She murmured as she pulled the hare from her mouth. "Since you were so kind as to replace it."

     She skinned and gutted the hare while she let Scarlet's Wave drink the heated water from the heated water in the cup. She pushed the guilt away as she cooked the hare over the fire and watched as her wolf made her way over to the river's edge. As her wolf let loose a soundless howl to the darkening sky, Scarlet looked across the river's edge seeing nothing but a snowy riverbank.

     Were Crimson's Tide and Cadmium's Crest here? Was she missing her brothers? Was her wolf as lonely as Scarlet was without her brothers by her side? When the meat finished cooking, Scarlet called her wolf over and shares some of the meat, rewarding her for catching it.

     When Scarlet had eaten all that she could eat, she wrapped the bones and guts in the skin and set it to the side. She'd bury them later. Taking a moment to soak in the warmth of the small fire, she let her finger burrow in the soft fur of the wolf at her side.

     "Why are you here, Scarlet's Wave?" She murmured softly, staring into the soft glow of the burning red coals. "I saved your life once. You're supposed to repay me by living a long one in return. Free and safe. Remember?"

     No response came—not that Scarlet had expected one, but disappointment filled her at the lack of answers. She covered her frustration by burying her face in her wolf's fur, breathing in the familiar scent of home.

     Home. Scarlet missed her home. Confusion warred with longing as she breathed in the woodsy pine scent. She never thought that she would miss that miserable place she'd grown up in, but she did. She wanted to go home.

     And yet, the thought of going home brought no relief to her right now. It wouldn't be the same. If she made it back, Crimson would be dead. Scarlet would be a Victor, living a much different life than before.

     A giant heated home in the Victor's village.

     More money.

     A better life.

     Supposedly.

     She let out a breath, fingering the wolf pendant hanging from around her neck. The tips of her gloved fingers caught against grooves, and she flipped it over, looking down at the back of her pendant with a frown.

Wave

Tide

Crest

     She hadn't carved that.

     Cadmium?

     She flipped it over and ran her thumb over the smooth white crystal wolf face.

     The three wolves they had found. The three wolves they had saved, trained, and turned out into the wilds of District 14...they were apart of them.

     Wave. Tide. Crest.

     Scarlet. Crimson. Cadmium.

     If Scarlet's Wave was here, it would be reasonable to assume that they were somewhere in this Arena as well. She wasn't worried about Cadmium's Crest, who was easy-going and fiercely loyal.

     But Crimson's Tide was another story. Crimson was the only one who got that black beast's loyalty. If she ran into him in the woods, it would be bad enough...but if he was under Crimson's commands...

      Scarlet squeezed the pendant tightly in her hand for a moment before releasing the crystal and letting it fall back down to her chest.

      With any luck they were still running free in the woods somewhere far beyond District 14's boarder and far from the reaches of Panem. With any luck once this Hunger Games was over, Scarlet's Wave would somehow find her way back to them.

      Scarlet packed the now empty cup into her pack along with the flask full of heated water and kicked the snow into the red coals. She sent Scarlet's Wave on another run as she stood up, debating if she should go back to the snow cave, or try to find a new shelter for the night. The sun was setting, and she knew she shouldn't be out past dark, which meant she should be headed back toward the shelter that she already had, and yet she couldn't shake the feeling that it would be a mistake to head back to her snow cave.

     It was the appearance of Scarlet's Wave that left her off kilter, feeling both relief and unease. Where were Crimson's Tide and Cadmium's Crest?

     If Crimson had Tide, it wouldn't be long before he found her snow cave, and not even the fridged temperatures of the night would keep him from hunting her. Once he found her snow cave, it wouldn't be long before he found her here.

     With her Scarlet's Wave on the prowl, she hadn't been prepared for an attack. Yet the force of something slamming into her side sent her sprawling into the icy snow. She scrambled and twisted, her heavy boot finding purchase on something solid as she slipped through the snow, desperately clamoring back to her feet. She ripped two blades from the holster at her waist, her breath coming in sharp, shallow gasps as she tried to figure out what the threat was.

     She stared down at the male tribute as he rose on shaky legs. Scarlet barely recognized the tribute from District 3. Ayoel had been tall and lanky, but every angle of his thin frame was even sharper and even more emaciated than before.

     The Arena had truly been merciless to him.

     As his grey eyes found hers. His once scared but calculating eyes had dulled, leaving only pure desperation in their place. How could someone change so much in only two days? Had she changed that much? She didn't think so, but would she even be able to tell?

     Scarlet and Ayoel slowly circled each other, their eyes locked. She could tell that since his surprise attack had failed, he didn't really know what to do now. He hadn't expected her to fight back and now, even though he was four years older than her, he had found himself at a disadvantage. Still, she knew he wouldn't leave. He wanted her supplies, her weapons. Her death would be the key to his survival.

     Which made his death the key to hers.

     With that thought running through her mind she let out a whistle, signaling Scarlet's Wave to return and hopefully distracting the tribute as she threw her blade at his chest. He managed to block it with his arm, saving his life, but the blade still tore through the flesh of his arm, severely injuring him.

     His mouth parted in what she assumed was a silent scream, his eyes closed against the pain. She took the opportunity and lunged forward, closing the distance between them. She shoved him backward with all her might, seeing too late that he had pulled the blade out from his arm and held it in his blood-soaked hand.

     As they toppled over, his free hand tangled in her hair, pulling tight as he tried to brace for his fall as she felt the blade pierce her side. His wide eyes met hers as they crashed through the icy edge of the river. Pain sliced through her, freezing water stealing her breath and cutting off her scream as they plunged into the shallows of the river. She choked on the water, as the boy struggled beneath her, still latching onto her hair.

      Scarlet brought the metal blade in her hand down without hesitation.

      The male went limp beneath him, his struggles ceased. She pushed herself up, gasping air as she pulled her hair free of his still clenched hand.

     She stared down at the tribute, now fully submerged in the river, her dagger protruding from his forehead. The fifth to die by her hands.

     She gripped the blade and pulled it free of his head, wincing as the muscles in her side tightened and screamed.

     Her legs spasmed and threatened to give way as she stood. The sharp wind hit her wet clothes, feeling like a thousand needles stabbing her skin simultaneously. She choked on the cold air, stumbling in the water as she moved toward the shore. Already, her heavy booted feet felt like weights tying her down and her teeth clattered together. Numbness spread through her legs, a stark reminder that even though the threat was now dead, she was far from being out of danger.

     Now she had no choice, she had to get back to the snow cave. She had to get out of the wet clothes, being out in the dark was no longer an option.

     As she crawled the last foot to shore, finally freeing herself from the icy grip the water held on her, her breaths left her in shallow, painful pants. The cold that surrounded her now seemed to be harsher, every burst of wind felt like shards of glass against her body cutting through the clothes she wore. She couldn't stop the full-body shivers that wracked her body, and each spasm sent streaks of lightning through her entire body emanating from the wound on her side.

      White paws land in front of her face, reminding her of the threats that still existed around her. She pulled her head up from the snowy ground to see Scarlet's Wave. Antsy. Skittish.

     Scarlet's Wave's lips curled up when Scarlet reached for her fur. She lowered her hand and pressed it against her side, the blade between her fingers as she tried to stop the bleeding. Her fingers trembled and this time, not from the cold. Fear racked her body. Was it better to pull it out? Or leave it in?

     Her wolf's wet nose pressed against Scarlet's face, her mouth opening slightly as her tongue lapped against her cheek. The wind stung the new wetness, and she pushed her wolf away with a weak hand. "Enough," she forced out as she pushed herself up to her knees on shaky arms. "I'm getting up. Just give me a minute."

     Scarlet's Wave nudged her stomach, and Scarlet flinched away from the contact near her fresh wound, shoving her wolf back. The cold wetness on her fingers caused her to pause though and she blinks down at her gloved hand, coated in red.

     "Wave?"

---------------------------

What do you think? SO much has happened here. How did everything change so quickly. She was doing so good! And now she is fighting for her life... 

How do you feel about the wolves? Just to clarify, I've read a lot of different information. I'm basing the Arena's off of this logic:

They are built in different places around Panem. So the wolves were not captured and placed into the arena, but the Arena was literally built around their habitat, trapping them in there. 

Let me know your thoughts!!! Trust me, you won't hurt my feelings. 

Please remember to like and vote if you have enjoyed my story thus far!

As always, Stay safe and take care!~CANGEL