Haymitch gave a small nod as Katniss took the bow and arrows from him. For a moment, his eyes were locked on her. The way that her braided hair, drenched from the swim from the pedestal over to the cornucopia, had several fly away hairs. The way that the sun complimented her skin, making her gray eyes stand out. Perhaps the middle of the the initial blood bath wasn't the best time to be looking at the girl, to be taking such special note of her features and the way she looked so fierce standing in the midst of a battle, but he couldn't help it. It was only when Katniss spoke that he pulled himself out of his own thoughts, that he moved his gaze from Katniss over to where the district one victors stood, staring them down. 

Gloss and Cashmere, the brother and sister duo. Haymitch had run the idea of an alliance by them shortly before the game started, and he had already known their answer. The career tributed didn't typically ally themselves with outsiders, with those from non-career districts. Instead they preferred to stick to themselves, to rule the arena and, when it finally came down to it, turn on each other, providing the capitol with quite the entertaining and violently bloody battle. The pair must have decided that waiting to go after the two victors from twelve was not the best idea because, within minutes, they were running towards them, weapons drawn and ready to kill. Haymitch didn't have time to say anything, didn't have time to warn Katniss before an ax was thrown, swiftly connecting with Cashmere's neck and severing her head. The shock on Gloss's face was clear when he skidded to a stop and turned to his decapitated sister. His guard was down for only a second but it was enough for another victor to be able to impale him with a golden trident.

The canons signalling the death of the two victors sounded and Haymitch immediately glanced over to the man with the trident, Finnick Odair. He gave a nod of thanks before shifting his focus to Johanna Mason, the girl who had delivered the fatal blow to Cashmere. Each of the victors, from district four and district seven respectively, had joined the rebel alliance. They had sworn to do what Haymitch had sworn to do: protect the mockingjay. Of course, their reasons for wanting to keep her alive differed from his reasons. They needed her in the fight against the capitol, they needed her as the sign of rebellion. Haymitch, while he did what to protect her for those reasons, also had a few of his own. Most notably of these reasons was the fact that he wasn't sure that he would survive were she to.die, and this was something that played a huge role in his decision to volunteer in Peeta's place.

Haymitch, having been forced to watch Katniss play through her first games, unable to do anything to help her while she was in the arena, did not think that he would be able to bear sitting on the sidelines once more. He felt the overwhelming need to be with her in the arena, to be there to guard her and keep her alive- not that she wasn't completely capable of doing that herself. Moving his gaze back to Katniss he spoke, "You're certainly right, sweetheart. You were inches away from being murdered by a career," he informed her before taking off in a run. He stopped at the edge of the cornucopia, staring into the trees as he debated which way to go. Finally, with a nudge from another victor, he grabbed Katniss's hand and led her east, dropping her hand before taking off at a run once again. It wasn't until they were deep into the forest that Haymitch stopped running.

He put a hand against the rough bark of a tree trunk, his body slightly bent over as he caught his breath. Once his composure had been regained he pulled the small bag he had picked up upon reaching the shore and pulled it open. Inside was various items for survival, but the one that caught Haymitch's attention was a silver flask. The flask was something that had clearly been put out in order to carry water, but the older male's mind went straight to alcohol. Opening the flask and tilting it to test for any potential contents, he found it to be empty and sighed. 

"Do you think Peeta will be able to get a sponsor to send me some spirits?" He mused aloud, half joking. "Going so long without it in here is going to drive me mad." His eyes lifted towards the sky where he raised the flask. "Hear that? Send me some alcohol!"