3rd Game

[stillplaying]

[Action;

Maybe they had caught on, these animals whose whispers she ignored when in the woods. She might not be the only hunter here, but she knows she's one of the more frequent. After all, she's out here every day. Sometimes she wanders further from the western lake but most of the time, she remains close to her treehouse home. Checking traps, gathering plants, losing herself in almost a ritualistic manner. It's the best way to keep memories at bay.

But on days like today, when game is scarce, it's harder. And she remembers. She lists the dead in her head, all the faces that haunt her in her dreams. The way they still all come together some nights to bury her alive. It's a recurring dream, always the same. Except, since coming here, she no longer sees Rue's face within the crows. It's the smallest of reassurances.

She's quietly whispering that list to herself, that list of all those people she's killed. All the deaths she's been responsible for. She has no right to be alive. She should be as dead as the rest of them. She deserves to be. And maybe that's what this is. Being back in a game again. Punishment.

But aside from that one awful shift, that horrible hijacking, it hasn't been so bad. And having Rue back... she doesn't deserve that.]

Cato. [The list continues as she continues to walk quietly in the forest, bow in hand.] Marvel. Glimm-

[The breaking of a twig stops her. She falls silent and looks around until her eyes fall on a young buck a few yards down, not even mature. The antlers are in velvet, barely little more than nubs sticking from the head. He looks as startled to see her as she is to see him. But a year or two older than any yearling. Perfect game. An arrow is drawn before she realizes what she's even doing.

There's only one moment of hesitation. When she remembers the last deer she brought down, with Gale's help, back in the woods of District Twelve. She's never attempted to kill one on her own. And a deer this size, it'll be too big for her to take back on her own. The amount of meat will be too much for two small girls.

But... she can think of people she's met here, potential allies, she'd happily share her meat with. Her arrow goes flying, piercing a lung. The buck bolts and her second shot isn't as true, hitting it in the midsection. And then she's running after it. It's not a long run. The animal stumbles over a log in its desperate flee and falls. She gets in one final shot, right in the heart.

There's a sense of grim satisfaction as she watches the deer exhale his final breath. Then she's on her knees, carefully removing and wiping her arrows. She places her bow on the ground and pushes the animal onto its back. She takes out her knife to make a small incision by the genitals. It's followed by a longer cut up towards the chest. Field dressing first. Then she'll request aid.

Voice;

So by the time she opens the journal, there are a couple of blood smears on her face. She looks uncharacteristically happy, though. Proud. She's never taken down her own deer before. It makes her forget any uncomfortableness that accompanies asking for help. She wipes some stray strand of hair from her face, leaving a small blood trail on her forehead.]

Is there a butcher in town? [An important question. Although she can probably butcher her deer on her own if worse comes to worse, she's never done it before. The first had been nearly attacked in the Hob, the other few taken to Rooba.] I caught a deer. There's so much meat. Too much for me and Rue alone. I'm willing to share. But I'll need help getting it to town, too.

Comments

[voice]

[simplestgift]

With success, yes. Hauling lumber to build a ship.

[voice]

[stillplaying]

[Which means not only can it be done, but he has experience. It would be a lot easier than dragging the dead buck to town. Easier than someone helping her carry it.

She's reluctant to trust someone who is a total stranger. When she had put out that message, she had hoped for someone she's talked to before. It comes down to waiting or taking a chance.

An easy trade.] I can give you some venison in return for your help.

[voice]

[simplestgift]

[Win.]

You have a bargain, Miss. Where shall we meet?

[voice]

[stillplaying]

I can't get very far with the carcass.

[And she's not leaving it. Not alone in these woods where any carnivore may damage her precious deer. She frowns for a moment, thinking.]

How well do you know these woods?

[voice]

[simplestgift]

[A beat.]

I'm hardly intimate friends with every tree, but I know the woods well enough.

[voice]

[stillplaying]

[Which means maybe he can find her. That she can work with.]

I'm north of the river, not too far from the western lake.

[voice]

[simplestgift]

Near the treehouses?

[The ones he had built? When he was...gulp...Robin Hood?]

[voice]

[stillplaying]

[Eyes go wide, almost mimicking the startled deer she had shot a little earlier. She's learned by now that the treehouses are not necessarily a secret. Someone had built them.

But it is still unexpected.]

A little away but... yeah. That area.

[voice]

[simplestgift]

I'll be there s...well, not soon, but in a couple of hours.

[voice]

[stillplaying]

[It's not quite good enough. Even though it'll take some time for the meat to go bad in this weather, she's concerned about predators. Blood will attract them, as will fresh meat. And she only has so many arrows to spend.]

Can you move faster without the cart?

[voice]

[simplestgift]

...Oh, well. I wasn't even thinking. I'll take a horse from the farmlands up north and be there in half the time. We can both ride the cart back.

[voice]

[stillplaying]

[That'll be better. The sooner she can get the deer to town and to someone who can show her how to properly butcher her deer.]

Okay. Whistle when you get close.

[This way she'll know it's him. It'll make her less likely to shoot.]

[voice/action]

[simplestgift]

I'll be there shortly.

[And when he does arrive, she'll hear the sound of hooves before she ever hears the whistle.]

[action]

[stillplaying]

[The moment the clap of horse hooves on ground is heard, conversation between Katniss and Rue ceases. She's appreciated how the younger girl has kept her company. An extra eye to search for any predators in the woods. But she doesn't know the man coming to help. Therefore, she doesn't trust him.

And Rue's safety is still far more paramount to her own.

She puts a finger to her lips and points away before whispering,] Go. I'll see you back at the treehouse with the meat.

[ooc: Rue's going to tag in once and then it'll be us, if that's ok?]

[action/not here]

[rutagraveolens]

[Rue nods and is about to leave, before she comes back and gives Katniss a quick hug. Then she'll scurry up the nearest tree, her mockingjay flying off to land on a nearby branch.

Instead of returning to the treehouse, Rue climbs high enough to be out of sight, but still close enough to see. From there, she sits down and watches. Allies have to watch our for their allies after all.]

[simplestgift]

[Archie rides up like he does nothing else all day, relaxed and enjoying the escape while it lasts. The cart contains ropes and a tarpaulin. When he spots Katniss, he gives a wave and a tight smile, trying not to act surprised when he sees how very young she is. He pulls the cart to a stop by the deer and hops off, patting the horse on the side of the neck as he comes around.]

Good day, Miss. Archie Kennedy, at your service. [A very shallow bow. He's dressed informally, with long trousers, a shirt with sleeves rolled up, and a brown waistcoat.] What have we here? Six points?

[stillplaying]

[Nearly eighteen. It's not that young. Not with everything she's seen and done. The weight of the world on her shoulders.

She stands when he approaches, hand fingering the wooden bow. Just in case. But Rue's safe. Safe in the trees, if not on her way home. She won't look up to check though. No reason to take a chance in giving her friend away if she hasn't left.]

Katniss Everdeen. [She doesn't bow back or offer a hand. Instead, she continues to hold tightly to her bow. But she does nod to the question of the points] It's a young one. But still too big for me to carry back.

[simplestgift]

Better than I ever did. [He grabs a rope and starts tying it around the deer's ankle.] You did a good job dressing him. Very little blood. Looks the way my father's gillie does it.

[stillplaying]

[Field dressing is field dressing. It doesn't seem to matter how big the animal is. And she's had over five years of doing it on her own, without her father's guidance.

But there is still some blood. Years of practice doesn't mean she's perfect. A little on her cheek when she tried to move wisps of hair away. Some on the sleeve of her jacket.

She kneels, careful to avoid the pile of entrails, and watches him tie the rope.] Gillie?

[simplestgift]

A servant for hunting. [He ties the rope securely and begins to haul the carcass onto the cart.]

[stillplaying]

[Her nose scrunches a little in dislike. A servant for hunting. Rich? She's not sure. He's not dressed like it. Not really. And he's doing the work rather than having her do it.

Though she's trying to help, pushing the back of the deer while he pulled with the rope. But she doesn't say anything, lost in concentration. Making sure the deer doesn't get damaged in the process of moving.]

[simplestgift]

[He carefully lifts the deer into the cart, then ties it in, wrapping it loosely in the tarp. He nods toward the seat.]

You can get on, if you like.

[stillplaying]

[She hesitates just for a second. It'd be stupid to walk when the horse and cart can go so much faster. And she needs to keep an eye on her meat.

So she nods and climbs into the seat where she waits for Archie to join her.]

[simplestgift]

[He swings up into the seat and sets the horse off at a decent pace.]

Not one for hunting on horseback, are you?

[stillplaying]

Horses are loud. [Said with only the smallest of scowls for a change. You're an idiot for thinking that, Archie, but she's still feeling too good to really care.] They'll scare away the prey.