AN: Thank so much for the positive reviews. I really do appreciate them and they help me write faster. Also thanks to the person who pointed out it was seven instead of eight. Whoops haha well anyways enjoy!

Chapter 2: Truce

My eyes scanned the vast new expanses of the area we could now tread through. The sky wall having been broken, we could now venture out of the arena. We could run away! The thought filled me with hope but before I could get ahead of my self I decided to handle the most imminent problem. The careers.

I spun around and met their eyes. "Truce," I said keeping my voice steady as I spoke.

Clove regarded me with her glowing eyes before smiling the same feral smile she'd given me right before she tried to rip my head off my body.

"I don't think so," she growled before opening her coat to select the second sharpest knife in her vast collection.

Peeta shifted in front of me and I made a move to grab an arrow but before either of us had the chance to do anything Cato stepped forward. He placed his hand on Clove's arm lowering it gently.

"Just drop it Clove. There's no point in killing them if the arena's broken. We have no one to prove; everyone knows we would have won anyways. Plus if we are going to run away," he paused, regarded us and then continued, "we may need their help."

My mouth must of dropped open. Cato was the sensible one. Who would've thought?

Clove shot him a death glare, obviously upset he hadn't agreed with her but before she could open up her mouth to object a big booming voice interrupted us.

"What's going on over here?" Thresh's voice roared as he plowed his way through the remaining stalks of grain towards the small opening in the woods we were standing in.

Peeta spoke up now, his voice taking an almost political tone, "Clove broke through the force field of the arena when she tried to kill us," he paused there giving her a pointed look before continuing, "and now we've called for a truce."

"A truce huh" he said and scratched his head thinking if the arrangement could benefit him. "All right I'm in."

Peeta nodded thoughtfully at this and then spoke up again. "Are we the only one's left?"

Behind Clove and Cato someone cleared their voice. We all turned expectantly at the sound. I smiled, "Foxface!"

"I'm sorry…what?" she asked confused and I couldn't help the crimson blush that spread across my face. It didn't help that Peeta and Rue were both snickering behind me.

"Oh well…I guess I never really caught your name," I stuttered out thoroughly embarrassed.

The girl laughed gently with them. "Its Vixen," she said in a voice so soft I barely heard her.

"Vixen," I played around with the word in my mouth. I recalled that my dad had told me while out on a hunt that the name for a female fox was vixen. It suited her well enough.

"Well as great as this little gathering is," Clove interjected, "I think we outta get out of here because once the Capital realizes were not in the arena, they'll be out looking for us in no time."

We all nodded at Clove's words and picked up our packs and supplies. Peeta allowed Rue to climb on his back and Thresh offered to take her whenever he got tired which Peeta gratefully agreed to. With that we were off into the unknown world that surrounded us.

At first we started out running to put as much distance between us and the arena but after what must have been hours of running we slowed to a jog and finally a walk. Peeta and Thresh had switched Rue back and forth more times then I could care to count. Hills began to rise to our right until they rose to such heights that snow covering their peaks. The sun was finally starting to set in the sky, the colors turning the orange hue Peeta had told me was his favorite color while bored one day in our hide away.

Cato suggested we stop and I took the opportunity to hand Peeta the aloe so that he could heal Rue. I climbed up a huge tree nearby our stopping point and hoisted myself as high as I could go. Finally I saw it. A circle of smoke billowed in the air from the fried sky wall. It was a good distance away, and what was once the huge expanse of the arena now looked only like a tiny ring. I could barely make out the Capital ships flying around the open arena which meant they thought we were all still inside. Good.

I climbed down and announced my discovery to the group who all nodded and relaxed a little more. The orange glow of the sky was starting to fade to something darker when Cato suggested we take up some sort of shelter for the night. Vixen suggested we search for a cave within the mountains and since no one doubted her survival skills we all agreed.

After a short walk we discovered a large enough cave to fit us all. With the darkness concealing the smoke, we built a small fire to keep us warm.

My stomach growled hungrily and I quickly crossed my arms over my chest with the childish thought that it may stop the noise. Cato chuckled at me.

"Anyone got any food?" he asked.

Peeta dug around through our supplies and only found a bag with a few dried fruits and a couple of berries. Thresh was able to produce some roots which didn't look too edible but he is from District 11 so I suppose they are. Cato was only able to donate a few pieces of some sort of jerky from his and Clove's bag. All in all, we had nothing. Had it not been dark out I would've happily gone out to hunt but it was almost pitch black outside and even though we weren't in the arena, we all knew that there are thousands of horrible creatures the inhabit the woods.

I sighed. I guess I wasn't eating tonight. I pushed the little food we had in our pack towards Rue.

Suddenly Vixen spoke up. "I don't know if it will be enough, but this is all I have," she said shyly.

Our mouths dropped. I knew Vixen had been stealing food from the career pile but this was crazy. She had dumped out the contents of her backpack and it was packed with food. Small packets of fruit, jerky, berries, bread, and many other assorted goods.

"Enough," Rue breathed, her eyes wide at the sight, "this is the most food I've seen since I left the Capital!"

We all chuckled and even Clove seemed slightly more docile then earlier. Which was good since I didn't particularly plan on spending my evenings tearing her nails out of my skin.

We passed around the food talking good naturedly and of course, after only a few minutes Peeta had won them all over with his charm. The awkwardness had soon vanished from the air and soon Cato, Thresh, and Peeta were laughing like old friends clapping each other on the back and smiling even though a couple of hours ago they were trying to kill each other. Even Vixen and Clove joined in eventually and as awkward as I am in conversations even I couldn't help but laugh along to.

I often wonder if Peeta knows the affect he has on people. He always points me out but in my eyes Peeta can do much more then I'll ever be able to when it comes to communication. He can put a room to ease or raise a crowd to its feet with only the simplest words and he does it with such ease that I'm sure he doesn't even notice.

My thoughts drifted to the interviews before the games, how Peeta charmed the entire Capital. I'd never be able to do that in a million years. Suddenly I was thinking about the games themselves, the morning before and the overpowering feeling of nausea, the flight to the arena, the tracker chips, how we had to….wait a second. The tracker chips!

I choked on the piece of bread I'd been chewing on and as embarrassing as it was, by the time my coughing fit was over all eyes were on me, which was great because I wasn't really sure how I would've gotten their attention to begin with.

"The tracking chips," I coughed out, "the Capital still knows where we are!"

Everyone just sat there staring at me. Finally Clove started laughing. Then Cato, Vixen, Thresh, until everyone was just sitting there laughing at me.

"What's so funny?" I yelped confused. This was serious. Why couldn't they understand? We were being tracked right now.

"You really weren't paying much attention before the games were you Katniss," Cato said his eyes still sparkling with laughter.

"Oh come on Cato you can't blame her for not knowing. Maybe they just told us because they knew we'd win," Clove snarled.

"What.." I breathed still incredibly confused.

Peeta snickered and then turned me so I was completely facing him.

"Katniss the chips disintegrate once you leave the arena. They explained it to us right after we got on the ship to come here."

I stared blankly at Peeta. Was it possible they'd told me all this and I'd simply blanked out. I mean I was nervous before the games but to miss such an important fact.

Clove sighed. "Oh just check your arm if you don't believe us."

I gently pressed the area where the little chip had been placed and gasped. It was gone.

"Oh," I said brilliantly in response.

Peeta chuckled again.

"Well I think it's about time we got some sleep. We've got a long day tomorrow."

Everyone nodded and moved to different areas of the cave. Cato and Clove moved together into a corner, Foxface drifted somewhere towards the back of the cave, and Peeta pulled me towards the wall where I leaned against him gently. Rue curled up in the sleeping bag right next to us.

I looked up to Thresh who had positioned himself in a sitting position against the mouth of the cave.

"I'll take first watch," he said smiling knowingly, "after all I slept like a baby in that arena."

I laughed. Somehow that statement didn't surprise me.


AN: There's Chapter 2! I hope you enjoyed it. It was kind of just to get the plot rolling I promise later chapters will be more exciting.

I was stuck between Vixen and Kitsune (Japanese for fox) for Foxface's name but I figured it would be kind of random if she had a Japanese name so...Vixen it is.

I'll try to update again as soon as possible. As always reviews make my day