Author's Note: And here's chapter 10! I would really appreciate some feedback from you guys; it would make my crazy-busy day if you would give me some reviews! Enjoy!

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Katniss and I both agree after almost an hour of discussion that we are prepared to take on the Careers' supplies the following morning and we should get some sleep in the meantime. She shows me how she normally sleeps in her sleeping bad with a rope securing her to a large tree branch. She positions herself only one branch above my nest, and we both let sleep overtake us after the anthem plays. I again take note of the lack of death. Tomorrow will be different, I am afraid.

We awake just before dawn to the sound of a cannon. I was right, unfortunately. We both wonder who has died, but there's no use pondering it as we will not know until tonight when their face is projected in the sky. After we've shoved those thoughts from our minds simultaneously, we go about breakfast.

I accidently find a nest with eggs while I am in the tree, and we eat these raw. The texture is not very agreeable, but my hunger keeps the protein going down my throat, and I do feel better after we've had it. We each also have a bit of groosling before packing up our supplies.

"Should we head towards the Cornucopia?" Katniss asks.

"Seems like it's time," I agree.

As we walk, we talk a bit about our districts. She tells me about coal mining, and I describe work in the orchards. Her mockingjay pin prompts me to point out the said birds, which are in a few trees around us. We decide to use one of District 11's whistle signals, which traditionally meant that the work day was over, if we were apart but alright.

Finally, it's time to go our separate ways. I doubt Katniss would stand for a hug at this point, at least not from me, so I merely give her a firm handshake, which she returns. I hope desperately that this is not the last time we meet; that would not help my strategy at all. I look at her face and pray that she won't get hurt.

"Good luck," she says.

"You too," I reply, smiling a bit. She nods and then starts off into the woods, vanishing in a few moments.

Now I must go about my half of our plan. I build up three separate fires, hurrying at my work, but not too worried about it. Katniss will need some time to reach the Cornucopia and scope it out anyway. When the piles are ready, I use one of the matches Katniss gave me to light the first fire. Once I am sure that the fire is taking to the wood, I move on.

The same process is repeated with the second stack, though I wait a bit to give Katniss more time. After I have lit the second fire, I begin heading to the last pile. But before I reach the third stack of wood, I feel that something is wrong. I can sense foreboding almost as if I can see it with my eyes, and I decide to keep out my spear, which is normally fastened to my pack. I clench the weapon tightly in my hands, fear crawling over my skin like an insect. It is only my knowledge that the Careers are probably checking out my fires that keeps me moving forward.

I do not even see the net coming until it has totally enclosed me. I remain absolutely still as the trap gulps me into its eager jaws, for surely thrashing about will only make things worse. My heart has accelerated and so has my breathing. A trap has to have someone to set it, and that means that they will be around to check it. How long has it been here? When will they be back?

While I am trying to find a way out of the net, a deafening series of explosions rip through the air. It's so loud that my ears ring for several seconds, and I think the ground actually shook underneath me. I expected Katniss to complete the task, but she has gone above and beyond. I hope she was not injured.

When the explosions are over, I try to remain calm and find the tip of my spear. It should be plenty sharp for cutting through the net, but the ropes of the net are thick, and I will have to work fast. Even the sound of a cannon barely fazes me. The afternoon goes by as I saw at the cords, praying that I can get out. The net seems to suffocate me, taunting me with its power. I clench my teeth and keep working, trying not to imagine what it is like to die in such a fashion.

Finally I have a hold big enough or my head, and still no one has shown up to check the trap. Hope rises in me just as the sun sets, and I keep sawing until the anthem plays. I see the faces of the boy from 10 and the boy from 3 flash across the sky, and I again feel a pang in my heart for them and their families. But once the music is over, I start trying to get out again.

At last, I think I can squeeze through the hole in the net. I push the spear through first and my pack next since both of those would hinder me. Then I pull and push and yank and rip my way out of the hole. It takes much longer than I'd like, and my skin incurs several red marks and bruises, but in the end I manage to escape. Looking back at the net, I know I would never have escaped without a spear, and I hold my weapon with new respect for its usefulness.

Now I must head to the meeting place that Katniss and I selected. Since I now know that someone has set traps, I make the journey through the treetops, despite the fact that this adds quite a bit of time and effort to the trek. When I arrive at the rendezvous spot, a small clearing with tall trees around it, I find a branch and tie myself to it like Katniss does, being too tired to make a nest.

In the morning, I eat some of my food and wait for Katniss. I begin worrying about her, but then I hear the mockingjay tune and I know she is alright. I send a reply of notes, and before I know it, I can hear her coming. I climb down the tree and jog to meet her, but when I reach her, I realize that she's pretty beat up. She has blood on her face, especially around one of her ears, and her eyes look very tired.

"Are you alright?" I ask with concern.

"I'll be fine," she replies with a bit of annoyance. "My ear is gone, though."

My countenance falls a bit, but I don't want to make her feel worse about it, so I don't throw her a pity party. "That's okay; I'll share one of mine, if you need it."

Katniss grins a little, but I don't when I hear the rustling. Someone has been following her, I think, and without her sensitive hearing, she hasn't noticed. She sees my worry and cocks her head a bit.

"What is it?"

Then everything happens far too fast. Marvel from District 1 suddenly materializes behind Katniss, spear in hand and poised to throw. While his arm goes backward to gain momentum, I move forwards, shoving Katniss to the ground. The spear flies and a sharp pain slices through my left upper arm. I roll over to face Marvel again, but Katniss has been just as quick, and she's on one knee with her bow loaded. Before I can protest, she fires and hits Marvel with a fatal shot to the heart. The boy grimaces in pain and falls onto his back.

I don't even know what I'm doing until I have slid down by Marvel's side. His eyes glaze over as shock from pain and death both vie for power. I take his closest hand and grip it tightly, putting my other hand on his shoulder. His eyes slowly turn to me with a look of confusion, but I think there was a bit of gratitude in them, too. He wasn't left to die alone.

The cannon sounds before I've said anything or even thought about what to say. Tears spring into my eyes and roll down my cheeks as I look at the young, handsome face that will never again light up with joy or smile again. His family is undoubtedly thinking the same thing, and I can't help but do something for them.

I close Marvel's eyes and take his limp arms and set them on his chest. I straighten out his legs so that he looks as if he's lying out straight like a soldier, and I pull out the arrow from his chest. I then stand, retrieve the spear from the other side of the clearing, wipe off the blood—my blood—on a tuft of grass, and put it in his hands. He was a warrior, and now he will have a bit of honor in his short rest before a hovercraft arrives. He may not deserve any respect, or maybe his action were just those of a pawn in the Gamemakers' game. But I don't care, because nice things don't have to have be earned, at least not from me.

Katniss looks at me with an expression that communicates a lack of comprehension and even a little annoyance, but she says nothing. She must think my actions are ridiculous, especially since Marvel was a Career who tried to kill us, but since she didn't try to stop me, I guess she just accepts what I did. But now her eyes go from facing me to looking at my arm.

"You'll need a bandage," she says. "That's a big gash, and it's bleeding pretty badly."

I had barely noticed, but now that I do, the pain seems to hit me like a hammer, and I clutch at the injury to stem the flow of blood. I don't have anything to wrap this up with, but Katniss graciously volunteers to cut some of the lining out of her jacket for me. I shake my head at first, but she's pretty insistent.

"If you expect to take care of me for two whole days and refuse help from me for thirty seconds, you've got another thing coming," she says firmly. That shuts me up.

Katniss wraps up my wound, which really should have stitches, but of course we don't have that luxury available. Once that is done, we head away from the clearing quickly to avoid any other Careers who might come looking for Marvel. We make for the stream so that both of us can clean up a bit; her, the blood on her face and in her ear and me, the wound on my arm.

It takes a while to complete the trek, and we don't speak as we walk. I know that Katniss is undoubtedly trying to figure out how to word her desire to break off the alliance now that the supplies have been blown up. I, on the other hand, am searching for arguments that would keep us together. I am not feeling very confident in my reasoning when we reach the creek, but I've got to try.

My strategy depends on this.

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Poor Marvel. I always felt bad for him, especially after reading Nadine Brandes' amazing story Prim, the Tribute, which I highly recommend to everyone. Anyway, thanks so much for reading! Please review!