the spoils of war • day one

Mona had never imagined herself keeping a pet. Not for very long at least. When she was a girl she had yearned for a cat, little and nimble and quick. Like her. She had thought it’d be nice to have someone to talk to, someone excited to see her. It had been a wish made one night when she was lonely, swiftly forgotten the next morning with a clear head. But she had never wanted to be responsible for anyone other than herself, not really. She had learned early on that you only have yourself in this world, anything else was a liability. There would be no room for anything else. Not even a cat.

But perhaps a wolf.

They emerged with purpose, a sled attached and dragging behind. Four exactly, all panting happily as they came to a halt just outside the cornucopia. It was a reward they had, a special gift for those left standing. And somehow that had included Mona. They’d discussed it before, of course. Like any other alliance would have talked strategy. But she hadn’t held her breath or planned for everything to go as smoothly as it did. The entire time she was waiting for the other shoe to drop, waiting for her luck to run out. It was unsettling that it hadn’t yet. She’d expected to come against fierce warriors, careers that had trained their entire lives for this moment who were meant to kill her in an instant. What she hadn’t expected either was the group of girls she’d allied with watching her back and fighting side by side with her. Working together was new for her, but it had been reassuring to see them all more than willing to get in a scrap, too. Expectations be damned. It hardly mattered anyway.

They had won.

Today.

Tomorrow was a different story, yet to be told but sure as there was an onyx-furred, pointed-eared beast staring right at her, more blood would be spilled before the next twenty-four hours were up. Mona decided to focus on the now instead of the future, eyes drawn to the pale glimmer of a fresh blade within the chest attached to the brood of wolves. It called to her, a sweet serenade of sharp edges and promised souls. She’d never wanted much in this world, but she wanted that sword. “May I?” A question asked as her hand already wrapped around the leather encased pommel. It glistened, like when light flashes across an opal, pearlescent as each and every color shines through. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Her voice was hushed, as if to show reverence toward the blade and its magnificence. And god, it was magnificent. Immediately she jumped back and gave it a swing, relishing in the sound of it as it sliced through the air. She parried a few imaginary partners for a bit before excitedly sheathing it as she re-approached the horde of goods they’d acquired.

“I’ve never seen so free much stuff,” she bent at the knees and started gathering up useful items, stuff there was plenty of, things she knew all of them could have. Mona had already claimed her true prize; it rested in a sheath at her side already. And from the lack of objection it would seem it was hers—for now. She shuddered at the thought of it falling from her hand after a killing blow, her killer picking it up and taking it for their own. If she's lucky, no one else studied blades at the Training Center. If she's lucky, it'll be useless it anyone's hand but her own.

After a few minutes of packing her new white leather satchel to the brim, there's a nudge on her shoulder followed by the tiniest of whimpers. She turned slowly, surprised to meet her gaze with that of the same black-furred wolf she'd noticed earlier. “Well, hello there,” she whispered softly, a bit startled when it leaned forward and pressed its nose to Mona's. It was wet and cold, but a tender gesture from such a fearsome beast that she couldn't help but be endeared. Softened. A little bit in love at first sight.

Reaching out tentatively, she offered up the top of her hand to be sniffed. Feel me out, she thought. I'm okay, I promise. The wolf's nose twitched furiously, running along her knuckles before nuzzling into the palm of her hand. She wasn't sure if it was simply because of the smell of dried blood still staining her fingers or because the beast took a liking to her, but within seconds she was running her hands along soft,  silky fur.

“That's a good girl,” she said confidently now, sussing out just exactly which type of wolf she was dealing with after a quick peek. “You know black is my favorite color?” Mona cooed, fingers scratching just behind the wolf's ears and she couldn't help but giggle when the wolf's leg started flapping furiously atop the snow, happy pants warming the side of her face. “You like that? Yeah, that's a pretty girl.”

She reveled in the distraction of cuddles and licks from her new friend, but there was plenty to do. Wounds she still had that needed to be dressed, water that needed to be purified, fires that needed to be lit. The battle may have been won, but the war was far from over and despite the stillness around the Cornucopia, Mona didn't feel safe. She didn't think she'd ever feel safe here if she was being honest. But as she gathered up her things and turned to head back towards where the girls decided to set up camp, the pattering of paws could be faintly heard behind her.

“Are we gonna sleep here?" She asked, but didn't wait for an answer. Instead she looked over her shoulder to confirm her suspicions. "You gonna follow me now?” She asked, but as she kept walking the wolf kept pace right behind her. It would seem a sword wasn't going to be the only prize Mona would collect today. “Fine,” she sighed and turned back around to face the wolf. “If you're gonna stick around, you need a name.” She paused and thought for a moment, feeling slightly embarrassed that the first real friend she'd make in the arena would be a wolf, but hey, that's better than none. She'd done exactly what Nico had told her; she found allies. He didn't say anything about pets.

“You follow me, yeah?” She extended a hand out and ruffled the fur atop the wolf's head, giving her a little scratch under the chin before standing up once again. “I'll call you Shadow.”