Arrows in the Dark

Out in the Open

We stacked up the branches i cut off of nearby trees into a pyramid formation. Then we grabbed a bunch of green leaves which were the same size color and texture of one's i knew to smoke tremendously when burned. We were going to make three fires. Send the Career's on a goose chase. leading them farther and farther away from the Cornucopia as we could. I could only hope that they would leave Ash behind like last time. Even if he wasn't there we would be successful in destroying their supplies. As we walked to our next site dragging some branches behind us Rue popped a couple questions. "So is it true?" she asked jumping over a rock.

"Is what true?" i asked looking down at her.

"You and him." she said teasingly. I elbowed her and she laughed.

"Right now we need to concentrate on the task at hand." i said trying to avoid the conversation.

"Don't worry. I know it is. He likes you i can tell." she said sounding so assured i almost believed her. He didn't love me. It was all a game. Just all part of the game. "I'm surprised you two aren't out here together." Rue said zig-zagging as she walked.

"Me too." i replied sadly.

"Maybe we can ask him to join us too, with Ash! The four of us!" Rue said happily bounding toward me.

"Maybe." i replied with a smile. Rue laughed and kept walking.

"It'll be like a weird Hunger Games family!" she said happily. Family. Yeah. I decided to change the subject.

"Where's the boy from your District? Do you know?" i asked. Rue shrugged.

"We didn't really talk much back when we were training and where we were living and such." Rue said balancing on a fallen log she had stepped on top of.

"Why not?" i asked. Rue shrugged.

"He sure was nice enough to me. Making sure i ate. Watching out for me. I was shadowing you guys but he was shadowing me." she replied. Maybe Thresh had maybe he hadn't. I couldn't recall. "He seemed really protective." Rue said jumping off the long. "He's like the older bother i've always wanted." she said happily.

"Do you have siblings?" i questioned. Rue nodded.

"Five younger ones." she said holing up her hand to show five. I nodded. That's a lot of kids.

"That's a lot of kids what did you do for food?" i asked.

"Rations." she replied.

"Isn't your District Agriculture?" i asked.

"Yeah but we can't eat the food. They'll whip us and make everyone watch." i blinked in surprise. It shouldn't have come as a shock to me but it did. I wonder if the camera's were on us right now. I hoped they were.

"It's ok though i usually give my food to my brothers and sisters." she said almost too happily.

"What do you eat then?" i asked. Rue shrugged.

"Usually i forage for things in the forest. Mushrooms, roots. I know which one's are good and bad. My mama taught me. If they found out i did that i could get killed, but i'm here so it doesn't matter." Rue said simply.

"Well i did the same. That's why i'm so good at hunting. Well with a bow and arrow that is." i said stuttering a bit remembering my arrow sticking out of Glimmer's chest. Rue just nodded and said nothing more.

"Will this plan work?" Rue asked as we started piling branches at our next spot.

"It should. Don't worry." but Rue still looked concerned. She was biting her lip as she concentrated on our work. "Let's just get the rest of the stuff to the third spot and then we can start ok?" i asked. Rue nodded as we piled leaves all around the branches. We headed off again to the third spot.