The Peace of Mind and Seeds That We Sow [Closed]

[vissernone]

Who| Eva Salazar, Marius Pontmercy and Cosette
What| Eva gets her first victim.
When| Week 3
Where| The jungle
Warnings| Death and violence

The juice she's used to poison her spear tip drips down the handle of the spear and covers her hand like blood. She lies in wait, hunkered down with her back to the trunk of a tree, resting on the balls of her feet so she can leap up when the opportune moment comes.

And the opportune moment is coming, to the sound of two sets of legs crushing leaves and sticks through the jungle. It's hard to hear in this Arena - the insects buzzing and the humidity make everything muffled, and the ground wears a suffocating fog like a warm hat - but listening carefully, Eva's rewarded by the occasional sound of quiet voices.

Eva tells herself she doesn't like killing. She never imagined herself a killer before she was reaped nearly forty year ago. But she's becoming more and more keenly aware how pathetic a lie that is. Doesn't her blood pound in her ears when she levies her spear at someone? Doesn't the hair on her arms and the nape of her neck prick with anticipation? She'd be a liar to call it fear. It's excitement.

It's revenge.

Her clothes, once the goldenrod color of her District, are muddy and stained with sweat. Her hair is tied in a knot to keep it out of her face, and a twig serves as something of a hairpin. Her breath is even, steadying not nerves but the sense of thrill that attempts to crawl up out of her.

She grips the spear close as the voices approach.

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[saisamour]

Marius leads the way, casting intermittent, ill at ease glances at Cosette from over his shoulder. He points his bow down onto the damp ground but keeps an arrow nocked in the event that he would be compelled to use it. Only if necessary, he tells himself, only if I am forced to.

He's not very certain how much truth lies in those thoughts any longer.

Whenever Cosette is not within his sights he listens closely to the sound of her footsteps, listens to her voice, and his fearful heart is momentarily calmed. As long as he can hear her dainty feet step upon cracking twig and sodden rainforest ground, he grows content in the knowledge that she is safe, she is still alive, he yet possesses a reason to fight.

They are low on food and water and he can feel its effects in the weakening grip on his bow and the mild drag in his step; aside from that it would seem that they have so far evaded the danger of having to face an opponent, but Fortuna can only look upon them for so long. He knows this, but assuring himself of her continued existence in this arena might as well be his sanity's anchor, and he clings to it like a drowning man. Unfortunately, the devoted attention he gives her also causes more occasions for him to be less mindful of whatever else surrounds them.

His eyes are focused directly ahead this time, far from where Eva is securely hidden, but it's Cosette that fills his thoughts as he asks her, "Do you require some rest, my love?"

[alonelikeme]

Cosette follows Marius without question, trusting him more than anyone else she could imagine. She takes her own soft steps, trying not to make too much noise in case they are not alone, but otherwise not paying as much mind to their surroundings as she probably should be. How can she when she's worried about that drag in his step? About the fact that she possesses no skill helpful to either of them in this place. She feels woefully unprepared...

And she knows that she will not last long because of it. There's a fleeting glance down at his ankle as she presses her lips together. He won't rest on his own, he's just as stubborn as her father that way. "I don't see the harm in pausing a few minutes-- To determine what must be done next at the very least," she replied softly, one hand on his arm to reassure him.

[vissernone]

Some small voice in her head says that she doesn't have to do this. That so far she's been a Florence Nightengale of the Arena, tending to the sick and wounded. That her hands only have the dried blood of thirty-eight years ago. Nothing fresh. Nothing wet.

But she's done so much worse than this. And so much worse awaits Eponine if she isn't proactive. That's what pushes blood through the muscles of her legs and the arms and makes her teeth grit, her face flush.

That's when Eva makes her move. The spear comes out of the undergrowth before Eva even emerges on the other end of it; the point is aimed at Cosette's back, right between the shoulder. She doesn't even make a sound as she lunges to skewer the girl.

[saisamour]

He has begun to consider allowing Cosette to rest as he continues to scout the area—he cares little about himself, really, can barely even feel the hunger and the thirst as long as he's fixated, first and foremost, on Cosette's safety—but then he feels her hand on his arm and all tension in his body dissipates. He slows down to a halt and glances over his shoulder to give Cosette a small, trembling smile of surrender.

A smile that hastily fades with what he catches from the corner of his eye. He does not hear Eva, nor does he even notice the blade, what with it being hidden from his vision. It is the sudden movement of the dewy green and brown underwood that startles him, and he almost fails to act.

And yet he somehow manages to; his senses kick into overdrive, and he grabs Cosette by the arm and pushes her aside, before planting one foot backwards and raising his silver bow and arrow at the intruder.

His leap into action might just be a split-second too late, however.

[alonelikeme]

Cosette notes the change in his expression and hardly has a chance to react before he pushes her aside. She cries out when the blade of the spear slices her arm and she stumbles to the ground, wide eyed. Never experiencing anything more than a minor cut in her life, the pain sears through her arm as tears spring to the corners of her eyes. She scrambles from the woman with the spear, as much as she can at the very least.

And, if she can't help any other way, Cosette has stuck her foot out to trip the woman in case she decides to go after Marius in her place.

[vissernone]

Eva doesn't. She's seen enough of Marius by now to know that if she injures Cosette and escapes, Marius would spend more time aiding his lover than chasing their attacker - at least, that's what she hopes. Besides, the tip of the spear is laced with poison. Eva's done enough here already.

She doesn't stop to grapple with the bow and arrow; it isn't worth taking the injury. Instead, she leaps back into the undergrowth, letting the net of branches, leaves and tree trunks serve as a barrier between her and Marius' arrowpoint. And she makes her escape, leaving the lovers and remorse far, far behind her.

[saisamour]

Marius almost releases the arrow—almost, if it were not for the fact that he recognizes her the moment his eyes fall on her face. She was not someone he would consider an intimate friend, but she showed him the gardens, a place of refuge and the only place he could find a sense of peace, no matter how fleeting.

So he hesitates, the hand that has nocked the arrow trembling slightly, the pause being enough for her to escape without difficulty.

"Madame Salazar?" It's soft and puzzled and hurt all at the same time, although it's said more to himself than anyone else.

But he has little time dwelling in his emotions of anger and betrayal for long. Immediately, he drops the bow and arrow, rushing towards Cosette and kneeling beside her. He reaches for her arm and inspects it, feeling the tears prick at his eyes when he witnesses the bright red blood seep through the horrid gash.

"I'm sorry." He hurriedly searches their belongings for some kind of cloth to wrap around the cut. Finding none, he uses the tip of an arrow to make an initial cut on the hem of his sweat-stained shirt, before tearing out a considerable enough piece. All the while he repeats, "Forgive me. I didn't—I should have seen her... I'm sorry, Cosette."

[alonelikeme]

Cosette was doing her best to look back and forth, to be aware of everything that was going on. The pain was certainly not something she was used to, but she tried to push past it regardless. If Marius needed her right now, she couldn't let a cut get in the way of that.

But the next thing she knew, he was at her side, apologizing to her and tearing some of his shirt to dress the wound. "It was not your fault, mon cher," she whispered breathlessly as her free hand smoothed over his arm. Tears sprang from the corners of her eyes, but for his sake, she had to stay strong.

[saisamour]

Her touch hurtled him back into some semblance of composure, and he realized that he had been shaking mildly in his panic, his heart beating fast. His eyes locked with hers and he had to force back his tears when he noticed that hers were welling up.

And of course he was at fault, although he did not speak his guilt aloud. Instead, he took in deep breaths to further calm himself, then tried for a reassuring smile at her.

He wrapped his arms around her and shifted so that her weight rested against him. "I cannot guarantee that the pain will stop, but..." He reached out to gently brush away stray locks of gold from her face. "Can you walk, at least?"