Peeta
She knew immediately who I was. I haven't seen her since that day in the woods. If I were a more paranoid person I might think she is avoiding me. But my mind is far to preoccupied with other things about her.
My waking and sleeping mind is almost constantly on replay from the moment I heard her scream to after we parted ways that night.
My feet carry me around the woods remembering the night I had heard Katniss singing. The tune still haunting my memories is interrupted harshly by the small pained cry of a woman. It sounds close by, it must be because it was not a particularly loud cry and before I consciously tell them to my feet are moving swiftly in that direction. They pound against the soft ground and I can hear the murmur of many voices.
I approach the group of men who come into view. They are far to preoccupied with whatever they are circled around to even notice my entrance. I sidle up and peer over their shoulders. Two men are in the center of the circle, one is standing by while the other harshly kicks a woman crumpled on the ground. A wail rips from her lips and I definitely hear the cracking of her ribs, if they are not broken then many of them are badly cracked. He grabs her hair, a braid and suddenly my mind recognizes the woman.
Katniss.
He yanks her harshly to her feet she is unsteady and unbalanced. He whispers in her ear before closing his hand around her throat, literally squeezing the life out of her body. I start to push my way through the crowd of men, some push back, but many begin to leave in a hurry as they have been caught. I am forced to draw my sword and many more back down and clear off. Leaving only Katniss and her attacker. I can see that she is quickly losing consciousness and if I do not act soon it will be to late. The thought stops me momentarily in my tracks; the very idea of losing her is nearly unbearable. I am surprised by how strongly I react to the thought, my feelings for her obviously run deeper than I had imagined.
With minimal hesitation I run my sword through his body, I had recognized his face immediately, he was a criminal, wanted for many horrible crimes, including rape and murder. Death would find him soon anyways, whether by my sword or the gallows. His body falls and he releases her. She falls and immediately crumples to the ground. Momentarily I panic, could I have been to late?
I drop to her side and find her breathing, unconscious but alive. I call her name a few times but with no response. Quickly I drag the body farther into the forest where wolves with undoubtedly find it soon enough.
I return to Katniss' motionless form and begin to call out to her again. Eventually she begins to stir and I fear that moving with do more harm to her ribs. But when she stands she appears completely fine. I know what I heard, there is no way her ribs did not at least crack and even cracked ribs are painful, but she appears completely unfazed other than her raspy voice and forming bruises. Curious.
There is something unnatural about her. I saw her a few days later and her bruises were far to old looking, as if they had been there for weeks. Combined with her extraordinary beauty, and the haunting and unnatural singing voice. Something about her is not quite right. Not quite human. My mind supplies. I reel at the thought. She can't be, it's not possible, but they are merely legend! But it seems to be the only possible solution, could she be an elf?
