A/N: Yes, I know I should be working on my other stories, but the end is in sight for my other Hunger Games fics, and I just can't bring myself to finish them. The idea for a Hunger Games Robin Hood AU was especially tempting because the stories share similar themes. Have I made enough excuses for myself now? As far as the T rating, this story contains violence, though it is probably less graphic than the actual books, and some mildly coarse language. I hope you enjoy it!

For the history buffs out there: Please note that this is not historically accurate to any given time period, and it is not meant to be. This world is Panem with a bit of Robin Hood flair, not eleventh-century England like most Robin Hood stories.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games, and I make absolutely no money off of writing this.

Her arrow whizzed past the coach driver's head, lodging itself deep into the tree behind him. Perfect, she had not wanted to harm the man, as he was only a worker like the rest of them, paid nearly nothing to preserve the upper class's way of life, but she did want to scare him. Katniss allowed herself a small, determined smile at her perfect shot before emerging from the trees and running towards the clearing. She did not hear so much as feel Gale approaching from the opposite side of the road.

"Stand down!" she commanded in the deepest voice she could muster. The guards that had emerged from the carriage halted when they saw her pointing another arrow at them, ready to shoot. "Drop your weapons." Two of the guards looked at the third, who must be their commander, before setting down their weapons. The commander took a menacing step towards Katniss, and she released her arrow. It went through the man's eye. He was dead before he hit the ground. The two junior guards immediately raised their hands in defeat. "Nobody else need be hurt. Pass the gold to my friend and you may be on your way." She nodded towards the driver, who went into the coach and came out with two heavy sacks of gold. He handed them to Gale, who checked the bags' contents before disappearing back into the woods.

"Get back in and be gone," she said. The guards and driver hurried to comply. She watched as they continued down the road, not lowering her weapon until they were out of sight.

Katniss walked back into the forest, where Gale was waiting for her. "That was too risky," he said. She stayed silent. "We cannot do anything akin to that again," her friend continued. "This act alone will have aroused the suspicions of the sheriff. Illegal hunting on the government's lands is one thing, but he will not take kindly to this."

"Would you rather watch the villagers die of cold and sickness in the winter or risk being hanged?" she said, no longer able to keep the anger out of her voice. "Let the sheriff and his men be damned. We must do what is right, not just for our families, but for the whole of the Seam. If I have to chance Cray's wrath, then I will do so to provide for my family." She sighed and took off her cap, allowing her dark braid to fall to her shoulder. Katniss had covered her long hair and bound her chest that morning, hoping that the riders in the coach would mistake her for a man. That way, if the sheriff were to come looking for the people who had stolen the gold, it would be more difficult to identify her as the perpetrator. "Come along, let's hide this before anyone comes looking." She and Gale walked together to a hollow tree where they could stow their loot, removing several gold pieces before concealing the bags inside the hole.

"Katniss, this was brash of us. We must be more careful," Gale said softly. Katniss saw the concern in his eyes and leaned up to place a kiss on his cheek.

"There was little real danger," she tried to comfort her friend. "You saw how quickly the guards put down their swords. They were cowards. They are likely to exaggerate the story of the robbery in order to hide their cowardice from their superiors. I can nearly promise you that they have told the sheriff that a half-dozen men attacked them, not two."

"We could be hanged."

"That is a risk I am willing to take." Katniss wondered why Gale had not brought up these concerns while they were planning the robbery. Surely he must have had some misgivings when he had agreed to her plan? She dismissed the thought. Her immediate concern was distributing their new wealth among the neediest people in the Seam. Any worries or wonderings about Gale could wait.

By the time they returned to the village, the investigation had already begun. The sheriff and his four highest-ranking deputies had gone to the scene to retrieve the commander's body and search for any evidence of who had committed the attack. Katniss was certain they would find nothing that would lead them to her. She had crafted four new arrows from white owl feathers and oak to use during the robbery, all of which she had left with the body. They were so different from her normal pine and mockingjay feather arrows that Cray would be unable to match them to her. Before she and Gale had left, they had scoured the scene for any evidence that would link the crime to them, destroying every damning clue they found.

After parting with Gale, she walked to the village's tavern. As she stepped inside, she was unsurprised to find Haymitch sitting by himself at the large table with a large mug filled to the brim with foaming mead, several empty tankards surrounding him. She went to sit next to her old friend without saying hello.

Ripper, the tavern's owner and barkeep, bustled over. "You want a pint, dearie?" she asked. Katniss nodded, and the woman returned with a mug of mead. "Had a good hunt today?" Though hunting on the Capitol's land was punishable by death, the law was commonly broken in the Seam. There were many capable hunters, but everyone in the village knew that Katniss brought back the best venison, squirrel, and rabbit meat of them all.

"There weren't any game," she replied. It was for the best that Ripper did not know of her morning's activities. The woman was kind and would never try to turn her in, but she had a loose tongue that could land Katniss in deep trouble with the sheriff.

"I'm sorry to hear that, love," the barkeep said, going off into the other room. Haymitch turned to Katniss, eyebrows raised in a silent question. Even when he was too drunk to stand, it was impossible to fool Haymitch. She reached into her pocket, finding ten gold pieces and handing them to the man.

"Buying my drinks today?" Haymitch laughed, a deep, booming sound that filled the room. Katniss paid him no mind. She could not distribute all the money herself, as her sudden wealth would give rise to talk about where she had acquired such riches. Haymitch would know who was in most desperate need of help, and since he was already well off, his giving a few coins to the Seam's poorest would go unnoted by the sheriff and his men. Katniss sat back in her chair, enjoying her mead. After this morning, she had earned it.

A/N: I hope you liked it! Even if you didn't, thank you so much for reading! I intend on continuing this fic for a few more chapters, though I don't see it being particularly long. Reviews are appreciated! I love knowing what I'm doing well, and constructive criticism is always helpful in improving my writing. Thanks again!

~finnicko-loves-anniec