Gale and Katniss walked down the hill from the Town towards what had once been the Seam. Neither one spoke. Gale wracked his brains to think of a way to start a conversation. It had come so naturally, before. Once upon a time they had either talked or not talked and never felt awkward about anything. Before the Games. Before the war. Before Prim.
The entrance to the woods was now marked with a friendly sign explaining the rules about hunting and the days and times when the "walking trails" were open to the public. There was a tiny building just before the tree line, which Katniss unlocked with a key from her pocket. Inside, an assortment of equipment hung from hooks marked with last names. Gale recognized a few, but most were strangers.
Katniss grabbed two bows and quivers from the Everdeen hook. "Here we go," she said, breaking the silence. "Equipment for two. I guess they'll repaint that hook tomorrow, though. I won't be an Everdeen much longer."
Gale took the bow she offered and was surprised by how good it felt to have one in his hands again. "Why do you keep two down here?" he found himself asking.
Katniss shrugged. "In case I have company, I guess. You ready?" Gale nodded. "Let's go," she said.
They stepped into the shade of the trees.
I try not to write apologetic author's notes. After all, this is a website for hobbyists; sometimes you don't have time for your hobbies. Still, more than a year elapsed between Chapters 9 and 10. So I will say: thank you for continuing to read my stuff, even when I get distracted by writing a novel-length Star Trek fic and going to graduate school.