Gale's pov
I woke up a little after dawn. Katniss was still sound asleep, curled up in my arms. I sighed and held her closer to me. I wanted to trace her soft skin with my fingers, but I didn't want her to wake and notice, so I was content with just holding her and letting her sleep.
In a way, this is my paradise. Lying in the woods, up in a tree, with the girl of my dreams asleep in my arms. But it's really just a tease. Soon she'll wake up and we'll restart the fight of our lives. I'll probably be dead in a week, and I'll never get a chance with her.
Katniss' pov
When I first woke up I had no idea where I was. I was in strange woods in a strange sleeping bag snuggled into a comfortable human body. Everything quickly came back and I sighed. I looked up and judging by the sun it was a little after dawn.
"'Morning Catnip," Gale whispered.
"Morning."
We got out of the sleeping bag and packed it in my bag. I opened the pack of beef stripes and gave us one each so that we had enough to keep us moving but enough to feed us when we are hungry. "So what now?" I asked.
"Well," Gale responded. "I would suggest we hunt, but the Careers could be anywhere by now and they might spot a fire, and plus we have no decent hunting weapons and snares take time. We need water though, but I'm not quite sure where a source is."
I raise a brow at him. "So we're stuck?"
"Not necessarily," he responds. "I think our answer is to head back to the Cornucopia. There we can get supplies and weapons. There's also a lake around there. The problem is-"
"The Careers probably claimed that area," I finish. I stand up. "You're right but it's the best option right now," I say and toss him the knife. "I think you can use that better than I can. I'll rummage through the pile and you'll stay on look out. Okay?"
He nods and we start the long trek back the way we came. It was a little harder getting back because we weren't as full of energy, but we made it there within a couple of hours.
We stopped at the edge of the clearing. We didn't see the Careers or their camp, so we assumed they were still out on their initial hunt. "They'll be back soon," I say. "Let's hurry." We both ran toward the pile and I immediately began to rummage through everything. I grabbed a game bag, a bottle of ibuprofen, a spear, two skinning knives, and a light tarp, but I couldn't find a bow.
"Hurry up Catnip," Gale says over his shoulder. "They'll be back soon."
"I know," I snap. "But Gale I can't- FOUND IT!" I scramble up the pile of supplies and grab a beautiful wooden bow and a full quiver. "I got it Ga-" My voice catches as a spears flies past my head and cuts my ear.