All characters belong to the amazing Suzanne Collins. I am merely a fan and an avid role-player who wishes to continue the story a bit farther. Please be respectful and keep in mind that I am not a professional writer…Positive critiques are welcome.
Chapter 11 – Predators and Prey
With what few possessions I have to call my own, putting my clothes away and finding places for my belongings hardly took much time at all. After moving everything and putting it all away it was nearly time for lunch. With the weather being as nice as it is Peeta and I decided to pack a small picnic lunch and head out to the meadow. On top of having a lunch outside in the sun, we planned to assess the damage of the storm, as well as check in with the workers and families; to see how they're fairing after the move. Hand in hand, we leave Peeta's house and begin to make out was into town. Upon first glance there doesn't seem to be much damage done, but as I look closer, I can tell there was some sort of mudslide that came through the town's center.
"It looks like we got everyone out of here just in time." Nodding at Peeta's words I look around the area, assessing the damage. A few of the worker's tents are still standing while the rest are nowhere to be found. The half built structures of the town don't seem to have any visible damage, but the wood is completely soaked through. "Hopefully the storm didn't do too much damage or at least not enough to halt the build for much longer."
I know that Peeta wants the bakery to be done as soon as possible. The town is in desperate need of ways to acquire food, especially with the winter months coming. I know that Peeta wants to do all that he can to help provide for the people of the District as well. The clinic will also be a valuable addition, but the building will be much larger than Peeta's bakery and should take much longer to finish. The people of the town had planned on getting together to planting winter crops, but the storm has caused so much damage and turned up the soil to the point where it will be difficult to plant much of anything. None of us had expected the sudden changes in the weather. Then again, we're a mining town, unlike district eleven and we're not used to planting crops for harvesting. "Hopefully from now on the building will go smoothly."
As we walk further into town, the workers catch sight of us and flag us over with a wave and a shout. Heading over, I notice they've found one of the stray tents. A few of the men are examining it closely, which only makes me wonder what they'd be so interested in.
"Good morning Peeta, Katniss." The lead carpenter, who goes by the name of Brock, has been much friendlier since the evacuation. Before the storm he kept a professional distance, but now he seems more eager to interact with us.
"Good Morning Brock. We thought we'd take the opportunity to come into town to see if there was much damage." I say in a friendly tone before looking back to the men who are still looking over the tent.
"I figured as much, but luckily the structures seem to be fine. We should be able to continue the building in a day or two once we account for all the materials we need." He explains, mainly directing his attention to Peeta, whose bakery is the main priority at the moment.
"That's very good to hear. I was afraid that you might have to start all over." Peeta says with a relieved chuckle. "How long do think it will take to complete the houses?" He asks politely. I can tell that he doesn't want to give the impression that he only cares about the bakery when the houses are desperately needed for the families waiting back in district thirteen.
"Well, it's hard to say. We're short as far as manpower goes, so it could be a few months, maybe more. But with the fall and winter months coming, it'll be much more difficult to finish in time." With half a dozen houses already being built, with several more waiting to get started, it's easy to see the complications.
"What if we helped? We're not builders, but I'm sure there's something we could do to help with the process. Maybe haul wood, supplies, things like that?" Peeta says as he looks to me for confirmation.
Only half listening to the conversation I nod as I continue to watch the men. It seems as if the tent had been ripped in various places, but not in a normal way. As one of the workers holds up the fabric it's easy to see that the three parallel rips were made by something with claws. Seeing the markings I move away from Peeta and Brock and approach the men.
"I don't know what to make of it." One man whispers to the others.
"It looks like claw marks, but how could something get past the fence?" Another replies; none of them are yet unaware of my presence.
"The markings look like the claw marks of a wild dog." I state evenly as I crouch down next to them, taking the fabric in hand.
"A wild dog? How could they get into the town?"
"It wouldn't be too difficult. The fence is weak and barely standing as it is. If an animal wanted to get inside badly enough it could." I state in a low tone. If the wild dogs have been slipping past the fence and attacking the tents, it's possible that they had planned on killing whatever was inside.
"But why would they attack the tents?" The men are quickly catching on to what would have happened if they hadn't evacuated when they had. If the flood water hadn't killed them, the dogs would have.
"They knew that there would be people inside." I state as I look towards the fence. Standing, I move away from the tent and follow my instincts. If the dogs had come into town, it's possible that they left tracks behind. Walking towards the fence, the men quickly follow behind me, curious as to what I'm doing. As one of the few hunters of the district, they trust my skills. If I can figure out what is going on, or even speculate over it, they'll trust my judgment.
With my eyes trained on the ground I can make out remnants of animal tracks but nothing definite. Approaching the fence, I easily slip through it, demonstrating how an animal might get through. The men, whispering amongst themselves are clearly concerned by the instability of the fence. At one time it had acted as barrier between the forest and the town, but it's apparent that the fence needs to be updated. The men tentatively follow me as I search the area for the tracks that I'm sure will be present within the vicinity. In no time at all I find what I'm looking for; wild dog tracks. Kneeling down I point them out to the men. "There are several distinct sets, which means there's a pack that's been formed, and it looks like it's a good size." I explain, pointed out the sets of tracks.
"Can you hunt them? Maybe run them off?"
"I could try, but depending on how many they have in their pack, killing a few here and there might not matter." Not to mention that if I hunt alone, I could end up being the hunted instead of the hunter. "But they're clearly venturing into town, for a reason." Looking to each of the men it's obvious that they figured out where my train of thought is going. After the bombing of district twelve, there were people left behind, discarded corpses that never had a chance to be properly buried. It's possible that the dogs took the chance to scavenge, and eventually developed a taste for human meat. "I can try and hunt them, but the fence will have to either be reinforced or rebuilt as soon as possible. The way it is now, the dogs will just keep venturing into town as they please whether I hunt them or not."
It's easy to see that the men are concerned by the discovery of the pack, but with the wildlife population going mostly unchecked, it's to be expected. If there were more hunters, such as myself out in the woods, the dogs wouldn't dare to venture into town. "I can set traps for now, and if needed, I can try and find a vantage point to hunt them from, but it's a long shot. I think our best bet would be to rebuild the fence, maybe even erect some kind of wall if possible." But with all of the construction that already needs to be done, supplies and manpower are limited.
"I suppose we could begin building a wall. This is a safety concern after all…But it'll just set the other builds back days, maybe even weeks." One man says with a deep frown.
Knowing that the families and the workers are in need of their own homes, I don't like the idea of setting the building back any more than they do. Taking a few moments to think it over, and remembering Peeta's own suggestion to help, I come up with a plausible idea. "If you can spare one man, I think I have a solution." They all look to me with interest, ready and eager for my suggestion. "I can order the materials, no problem. Seeing as how this is a safety issue, I'm sure I can get what we need fairly quickly. Peeta and I are able bodied and we can work, we just need guidance. With someone to help us out, we won't be taking away too much manpower from the other builds. The three of us can work on the fence while the rest of you concentrate on the buildings." Nodding in agreement, I can tell they're impressed with my idea and they all agree to talk to Brock about it. As we head back towards the fence, I continue to search the area for other signs of wildlife that seem out of place, but aside from the wild dog tracks, I can't find anything.
Upon voicing the concern over the wild dogs venturing into town, the attack on the unoccupied tent as well as the tracks that have been found, Brock, like the others, has come to the same conclusion about the danger the beasts present. "It's not a bad idea. We obviously need to rebuild the fence as soon as possible, for the town's protection. If you're both willing to help, we'd really appreciate the it." He says as he looks to Peeta and me. Looking to each other we nod.
"We'd be glad to help in any way we can." Peeta says with a smile, clearly glad to see that things will be getting back on track.
"We'll call our contacts at the Capitol and see how soon we can get the materials needed for the fence. Until then, I'll do what I can and try and hunt as many of them as possible." With our plan in place, Peeta and I head back to the house, our picnic on hold for the time being. But as we walk back to the house I can tell that he's concerned about something. "What's the matter, Peeta?"
"I just don't like the idea of you hunting the dogs on your own. It's not that I doubt your skill, I mean I've seen you in action. Hunting one dog isn't that dangerous, but going after a pack…They're dangerous Katniss. They could end up hunting you instead." Turning to see the look on his face, it's obvious that he's worried and concerned for my safety.
Reaching out I gently grasp his arm, halting his steps. Looking up into his eyes I smile lightly. "I know the dangers, and I understand your concern, but I do have a plan. I'm not going to hunt them on foot. I'm going to lure them out and hunt them one by one. If I have to I'll sit up in the trees and shoot them from above." I'm not sure if this will help reassure him, but it's true. Without a hunting partner or a hunting party to watch my back, I could easily become the hunted. But I'm not going to let that happen.
Nodding, Peeta doesn't remains silent as he takes my hand in his and squeezes it tight. He doesn't say anything else the rest of the way back to the house. Upon returning home, Peeta heads directly up the stairs without any mention of the lunch we'd packed. Watching him walk up the stairs, I stand at the bottom waiting for him to say something until I hear him close his studio door behind him. Frowning to myself I head into the kitchen and unpack the picnic basket. I make a sandwich for myself and one for Peeta, setting aside for him in case he changes his mind and comes down to eat. Taking the opportunity I take my plate into the living room and sit in the window to eat my sandwich in the sunlight.
After making the call to the Capitol to order the materials for the wall, and making sure that they will be delivered as soon as possible, I head up the stairs to check on Peeta. It's been over an hour since he came up here alone, and I'm a little worried about him. Knocking lightly on his studio door, I hear his faint reply before opening the door. At first glance I don't see him. But as I step into the room, I catch sight of him at his sketching table. With his head down, he looks to be deep in thought. Closing the door behind me I make my way over to him silently. Watching him closely I can see that he's lightly sketching something out on a piece of paper. Curious, I peer over his shoulder to see two figures; both dressed in hunting gear and holding bows and quivers. Upon further examination I can tell that one of the figures is me, while the other…is Peeta.
"I hate that I don't know how to hunt." He states bluntly, much to my surprise. But his words and the picture make sense. It's likely that he's thinking of the times when Gale and I would hunt out in the woods together, after all, we often traded squirrels with his father. While Gale and I needed to hunt to feed our families, Peeta was lucky enough to have two able bodied parents, as well as a means of making their own food. "I don't like the idea of you hunting alone, Katniss."
I know that there's more to this issue than he's telling me, but I don't want to push it. "I can teach you if you want." I suggest, wanting to offer him a positive solution rather than an excuse. We both know that he never learned how to hunt because he'd never had a need to.
Shaking his head, he brushes my suggestion aside. "There's not enough time for that…I want to learn but by the time I'd be ready to help you, it'll be well into winter, maybe even later. I want to help you now Katniss, and I can't." He looks up at me, clearly troubled by it all. But as I watch him, I look to the drowning and know where his concerns are also directed, or rather to whom they're direct towards; Gale.
"Peeta…I'm not going to call Gale for help. I refuse to ask him for anything." I state evenly, wanting to him to know where I stand as far as Gale is concerned. As he turns to look up at me, I can see his relief as well as disbelief. He knows how well we hunted together, how much we relied on one another, but he also knows how I feel about him after what happened to Prim.
"I'm sorry Katniss." Turning away from me, he pushes away the sketch, hiding it under a stack of discarded drawings. "I guess I just assumed that you'd ask him for his help. And, I don't know, I just didn't like the idea of him being here. Of him spending time with you."
"Well, you assumed wrong." I state with a small smile as I turn my head sideways to get a better look at his face. "But I meant what I said. I can teach you how to hunt with a bow and arrow if you want." With weapons no longer outlawed like they were, it shouldn't be too hard to get a bow and arrow for Peeta, or even a gun, which he's been trained to use already.
Turning to look up at me, he smiles slightly. "I'd really like that…" He whispers as he reaches out to take my hand in his. Gently drawing me closer, I'm soon standing over him. "Sit with me…" He whispers as he gently guides me down to sit in his lap. Facing his sketching table, with my back to his front, I can clearly see his works scattered about the table.
Reaching around, he wraps his arms around my torso and gently rests his chin on my shoulder. Smiling, I tilt my head against his as I reach up to lightly touch his cheek. Reaching out with my free hand I pull a few of his sketches free. He draws everything from birds to plants to people. But as I search through his sketches I begin to find more and more sketches of me, many of them from a distance, as if he was silently observing me. "Am I your muse?" I lightly tease. But as he turns his head, I feel his warm breath on my neck and his lips gently grazing my ear. I know that what I've said is possibly more than true.
"Youre more than just my muse Katniss…" He whispers before lightly kissing my neck. I feel his arms tighten around me for a moment before his hands begin to wander over my torso. Although his hands stay above my clothes, I can't help but feel my cheeks heat in a deep blush as his hands gently glide over my breasts and stomach. Licking my lips, I close my eyes, letting my head fall back against his shoulder as I let him touch me… "I find myself drawing you very often…I can't seem to help it…I've drawn you hundreds of times…but there is one way I have yet to try…" he whispers against my ear, his hands continuing to roam up and down my body. I moan lightly as he lifts up the hem of my shirt and slips his hand inside, his fingertips gently grazing my stomach as he works his way higher. "Do you want to know why I haven't drawn you in that way?" he whispers, his tone seductive and deep.
His hands make their way just to the edge of my bra, but stop as he waits for an answer. I moan in slight irritation, wanting him to continue, but it's clear that he won't proceed until he has an answer. "Yes, Peeta…Please tell me…" I whisper lightly, my hand moving from his cheek to his soft, blond hair. Gripping it lightly I silently ask him, no, beg him to continue. I don't know when I began to crave his touch, but I can't resist him when he does this to me…
Smiling in satisfaction, he reaches up to graze his hands over my now exposed breasts. I moan in pleasure, giving myself up to the sensation, loving every moment. "I have yet to draw you nude…" he whispers, almost playfully, teasing me. This causes me to open my eyes in surprise and a bit of embarrassment. I know that Peeta and I have touched, kissed and teased, but to know that he was thinking of me completely nude… "I haven't drawn you in this way, because I have yet to see you without your clothes on…and I know I won't do your form justice if I draw it without seeing all of you first…" He says just before pressing warm and hungry kiss firmly against my neck, sending chills of pleasure throughout my body. I can feel his teeth lightly grazing my skin as his breathing begins to quicken, sending chills through me. I can easily feel my body heat as it seeps into me and I can't help but react to his words as well as his caresses and kisses.
"Y-you want to see me…naked?" I whisper, surprised with the idea. Peeta has of course seen me in my underwear, but this is different…The thought of having him see all of me leaves me feeling anxious and a bit nervous. Without realizing it I've begun to wrap my arms over my exposed torso, blocking it from his view. Lightly kissing my cheek he places his arms over mine to hold me close.
"Only when you're ready…" He whispers in my ear, his tone genuinely loving and understanding. Feeling a blush redden my cheeks, I smile slightly as I nod. Thinking of all the possibilities, all of our encounters in bed come to the forefront of my mind. We've kissed and undressed one another as much as we were comfortable with and every time when I asked Peeta to stop or to slow down he would, understanding my hesitation.
"Thank you Peeta…" I whisper, truly thankful for him and his patience with me. He and I have been through so much together; the Games, the War…We have literally fought for one another's lives, and yet I'm afraid of sharing my body with him. It doesn't make sense, but at the same time, my body and my virginity are mine. Who I give myself to is my choice and no one else's, and in many ways, that scares me…Nibbling my bottom lip I feel a rush of nerves move through me and I'm suddenly uncomfortable. "Peeta? I think I'm going to go take a quick shower, ok?" As I move to get off of his lap, he hesitates to immediately let me go and I know that he's a bit concerned. Once he unwraps his arms, I stand and pull my shirt back down. Looking down at my hands, I can't help but feel like a little girl again. "Are you going to stay here and sketch?" I ask wanting to know where he'll be so I can have some privacy while I think some things over.
"Sure, I mean, yeah...I'll be here." He says in a calm tone. Turning to look at him, the look of concern in his expression makes me feel worse. "Take your time…" he whispers, before turning back to his sketches. I know that he meant that I should take my time with my shower, but knowing Peeta, his words have another hidden meaning. Heading for the door, I hesitate before exiting the room. Turning to look back at Peeta I release a heavy sigh.
It isn't until I'm standing under the hot spray of the shower that I allow myself to even consider the possibility of giving myself to Peeta. We've gotten so close these past few days and we've been through so much together that Peeta is quickly becoming a huge part of my world. Just thinking about what it might be like to lose Peeta, to not see him everyday makes my eyes sting with tears and my chest tighten with emotion. Banishing the thought I turn my thoughts back to the one thing we both wasn't; to be closer. Peeta would never hurt me, and he's proven that he doesn't mind taking things slow. So why not take a chance?
Turning off the shower, I slowly dry my skin with a towel, brush my hair and step into the bedroom. Grabbing my robe, I wrap it around me, pulling the sash tight before heading back down the hall, towards Peeta's studio. Grasping the handle I breathe deeply with my eyes closed before letting the breath out; I've made up my mind…Opening the door I step into the room only to see him right where I left him, in his chair, sketching. Closing the door behind me, I slowly make my way across the room. I know that Peeta is mostly unaware of my presence, usually when he's deep in thought, concentrating on a sketch, he's off in his own little world.
Coming to a stop behind him, I take another deep breath before I speak. "Peeta?" Judging by the small jolt of his body, I've clearly surprised him, but he quickly recovers and turns his chair around to look at me. Surprised by the robe, he takes a moment to try and figure out why I'm dressed the way that I am.
"Are you ok Katniss? Is everything alright?"
Nibbling my bottom lip nervously I nod before taking a hold of the sash. His gaze follows my movement and doesn't waver as I begin to pull it lose. "Peeta…I want you to sketch me…" I whisper as I open my robe and let it fall to the ground at my feet…
End Chapter 11 – Predators and Prey
Story Continues in Chapter 12