Sorry for the long wait. I've been swamped with pre-school things, and I am mentally and physically exhausted. But an update! Huzzah!

Thank you very much to Swimming Trees, theotherpianist, HermioneandMarcus, Randommmfanatic, Martapt, FwuffyUnicorn, Mely-the-Mockingjay, vampluver19, Ro-Lee, and my guest reviewers!

Guest 1: As you are about to see, there is indeed more Ember and Cato this chapter. But...be careful what you wish for, is all I can say right here. Thank you, and I will definitely need that luck for school!

Guest 2: That is perfectly fine. Like you said, everything that's happening in Thirteen and such is necessary for the overall story, and it's also setting up the groundwork for when everyone's storylines eventually intersect. But the pack is also very fun, and I miss writing them sometimes too!

Guest 3: More Ember and Cato, as requested. But pretty much the whole world thinks Ember and the others are dead, so maybe not so crazy since the characters don't have the knowledge that we readers (and the writer) do?

Twenty-Five:

"Mockingjays!" Rue trills, gazing happily up at the birds flittering overhead among the trees. We all stop to observe as they warble something that sounds a lot like her high, clear voice.

"You have them in Ten?" I ask Vidal. Ced said that we recently crossed over from District 5 to 10. Steady progress. One district at a time.

"Not out on the plains, but I've heard they live in the more woodsy parts," Vidal answers, admiring a passing jay. "Wow. Your pin really does look a lot like them."

My hand reaches up to rub Mom's pin. I've seen and heard mockingjays before back home, so they're not a completely new sight for me like for some of the others in the pack. But a pang of homesickness strikes across my chest as I unwittingly recall summer days with my friends, competing to see who could get the mockingjays to imitate them the most. Katniss usually won.

"We have this tune that we whistle back home, to warn people that Peacekeepers are coming," I hear Rue telling Finch as I return to the present. Rue then sings a little four-note melody, and immediately the mockingjays echo it in a haunting chorus.

The birdsong fades behind us as we continue trekking. Group morale has been high the last few days. We're better-fed and better-rested than we have been on the entire expedition so far, and some of the pack, although hazy on the details, are nonetheless proud that we've defeated Alasdar, like some terrible villain in our fairy tale quest.

I just move along whenever anyone nearby starts talking about it.

Around noon, Cedric draws us all to a halt. He coughs, clears his throat, and tells Cato and me, "So we can keep on staying in the woods, but that'll take us a few days longer than if we cut across the plains because we'll have to make a huge circle." Ced illustrates it for us on the map as he talks.

"Woods provide cover," Cato murmurs.

"But that's so much time lost." I purse my lips, as homesickness surges through my chest again. "We should ask Vidal and Araceli for their opinions."

The two kids from Ten look at the map thoughtfully. "This is a pretty remote part of the district. Only a few people live out here," Araceli says. "And the people who live out here aren't the type to go blabbing off to the Capitol if they happen to see us."

"Are you willing to bet everyone's lives on that?" Cato counters.

Araceli hesitates.

Vidal, however, has a gleam in his eyes. "What day of the week is it?"

We stare at him, confused by his strange question. "Thursday," Cedric answers.

"Perfect," Vidal breathes. "I have an idea. Every Thursday, in the early afternoon, my friend Javi passes through here on his weekly cattle run."

"Let me guess, you want to talk to him?" Cato says, expression unreadable.

Vidal nods eagerly. "He told me that there's a not very well-known shortcut further down the path that he uses when he passes through to pick up the cattle, and again when he brings them back on the return trip. He says he's never encountered anyone else while he's used it, and he only found it because he got lost once. Now he knows it like the back of his hand. It takes days off your journey."

"Can our sled get through it?" I ask.

Vidal frowns. "I don't know," he admits. "I've never used it. I'm not one of the herders, so I don't come out here very often. That's why I need to talk to Javi about it." He takes a breath. "And before you ask, yes, I trust him. Completely."

Cato looks at me. "What do you think? Spend an extra few days safely in the woods, risk being seen by someone on the plains, or definitely be seen by Vidal's friend?"

I bite my lip. We're already behind schedule with the fire-bombs and then...that. But neither do I want to suddenly get careless and potentially be caught by the Capitol after everything we've been through, after how far we've come. We don't know anything about the locals here—but Vidal knows this Javi character. His best friend, if I recall correctly. Perhaps Javi is to Vidal like Katniss is to me. If we were in Twelve and I needed Katniss's help to get the pack across safely, I would trust her in a heartbeat. "Vidal, if you truly trust Javi with your life, with all of our lives, then I trust your judgment."

The plan is simple. Vidal and Araceli are going to stake out a nearby spot that Vidal is certain is along Javi's route, after Javi pointed it out on a map one time. If they encounter someone besides Javi, they know best how to react to their fellow citizens. If or when they spot Javi, Vidal—after vetting Javi's continued trustworthiness, which he promised to allay Cato's continued doubts—will ask Javi about the route, after which he and Araceli will return to us. With Javi, if it goes well.

Simple. Safe. No surprises. Hopefully.

The two from Ten leave, and the rest of us settle down to wait. Cato is circling around the pack, body tense as he glowers suspiciously at every movement and sound in the woods, as if expecting to be attacked by Peacekeepers at any moment. I go over to him and touch his arm. "What exactly are you worried about?" I inquire calmly.

"That something will go wrong. That the wrong person will recognize them and they'll get caught. That a squadron of Peacekeepers will be sent to find the rest of us. That Vidal's friend isn't as good a friend as he thinks." Cato shakes his head. "Do you think I'm paranoid?"

"No, you're being careful. There are factors that we can't control, and I'm a little worried, too. But the odds that a Peacekeeper will be patrolling all the way out here are low. And Vidal and Araceli are both sensible enough to tell if they meet someone who's bad news. If they suspect Javi or someone is going to report them, they'll hightail it back here to warn us."

Cato sighs. "You're right. But I wouldn't have minded sticking in the woods, even for a few extra days."

I look at him skeptically. "You're telling me you would have preferred to prolong staying out here, trying to get by day to day, rather than getting to Thirteen, where we won't have to walk for miles on end and we're guaranteed food and a safe place to sleep?"

"Well, obviously food and safety are good and all. But…" He lowers his voice, smirking. "I don't think your family would be too happy with me crawling in to sleep next to you like I do now."

The familiar teasing lilt of his voice makes me warm. "But they would only be unhappy with that if they thought you were planning something...hm...dissolute."

The blue of his eyes darkens. He leans in. "Who says I'm not?"

A shiver races down my spine. "Should I be worried about tonight? Do I need Cedric to be my bodyguard?"

"I don't think this is something you want your brother around for."

For some reason, I have lost the ability to move. Or think coherently. But I make a valiant effort, because I definitely do not want to do anything potentially embarrassing in front of the entire pack. Face burning, I stammer, "It, um...er—y-you shouldn't be talking about these things so openly in the middle of the day."

"So can I talk about them openly at night?"

This guy. "You…" Abort. Abort mission. I cast my glance around our break site, hoping for something that'll give me an escape from this increasingly alarming conversation. "You...haven't eaten lunch yet, have you? You really should. Vidal's not here to make sure people don't steal seconds so you should get your share before someone grabs it. Don't want you to be hangry or anything when they come back."

His shoulders shake slightly, and I realize he's laughing—laughing!—at me. But before I can muster the proper amount of indignation, he mock-salutes me. "Aye, Captain. As you command." He saunters off.

There's an amused sound from Glimmer, who's lying down on the grass. "Well, you lost control of that conversation pretty quickly," she says without opening her eyes or moving.

"Shush, Glimmer."

She snorts, eyes still closed. "Well, at least you guys are making progress. Unlike those two." She waves her hand vaguely in the direction of where Finch is examining the map and Marvel is hovering over her shoulder.

"I think they've made progress," I argue, happy to talk about a relationship situation that isn't mine. "They're talking more, and Finch looks a little more openly cheerful with him."

Glimmer sighs and finally sits up. "She's clearly admitted to herself that she likes him back, and Marvel couldn't be more obvious about his crush if he confessed it on live national television. I don't see why she doesn't just go for it. Isn't Finch supposed to be logical?"

"Maybe she thinks she is being logical," I suggest. "She's a pragmatist. Maybe she's considering the possibility that things won't work out between them, and then they're stuck together for the next few weeks with only twenty-two other people as a buffer, day-in and day-out."

Glimmer looks unimpressed. "Did you say 'pragmatist' or 'pessimist'? Come on, if you approach everything with the view that it might not work out, you'll never do anything." She crosses her arms with a huff.

"Maybe...maybe she's...afraid of intimacy? I know it sounds weird," I add hastily, "but if she's never been—"

"It's not weird," Glimmer interjects, nodding seriously. "That's a legit point." She sighs. "Well, it's all speculation right now. We can't do anything until we have more intel, and even then it's up to her what she does."

"Aw, so we can't meddle?" I say, only half-jokingly.

"Mm...maybe if it looks like it'll take her ten years to get off her butt before she finally makes a move." I'm pretty sure I'm matching Glimmer's devious smirk.

As if by some sixth sense letting her know we're talking about her, Finch looks up directly at us. We don our most innocent expressions, but her eyes narrow in suspicion anyway. I turn away from her stare in favor of gazing at the surrounding trees. The foliage here is still different from the plant species back in Twelve, but as we slowly inch closer and closer, I feel a simmering excitement, even though I know I won't actually be able to go home. Not for a long time.

The skin on the back of my neck prickles, as I start to feel strangely unsettled. The feeling that someone's watching us. Ah, Cato's paranoia is wearing off on me. Then, before I can linger too long on my uneasiness, the woods are filled with mockingjay song. Before Vidal and Araceli left, Rue taught them two short melodies—one for trouble and one for all-clear—to pass on to the birds, depending on if the mission was a success or not. Everyone visibly relaxes, including me, when we recognize the tune as the all-clear.

"They're coming back!" calls Duff, one of the lookouts we set to give us a head's up in case someone not Vidal and Araceli, and possibly Javi, were approaching—namely, Peacekeepers.

Before long, not two but three figures come into view, plus a horse. With Vidal and Araceli is a stocky, very tanned boy around Vidal's age. He's holding the horse's reins and enthusiastically chattering away with Vidal. "...had me worried, there have been rumors around these parts about band—oh! People!"

They stop. "Everyone, meet Javi," Vidal enthuses, looking the happiest that I have yet to see him. "Javi, everyone. You probably remember some of these guys from TV several weeks ago, but that's Marvel, Finch, Clove…" It's obvious most of the names are going straight over Javi's head, but he nods anyway as Vidal goes around the pack, his arm around Javi's shoulders. "...Glimmer, and Ember."

Javi's eyes widen in recognition. "Ember Abernathy1 I definitely know who you are. It's really great to meet you." He steps toward me, hand outstretched. Before I can stop myself, I instinctively flinch and backtrack from the excited boy.

"Watch it!" Cato growls at Javi.

Javi looks bewildered. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything…"

Crap. I wasn't supposed to do that. Normally I'm completely up to meeting people, and putting forth all the social niceties, not scampering away like a spooked rabbit. "It's okay, that was my bad. You didn't do anything." Get a grip, Ember. I step toward him and firmly shake his hand, ordering my heart to stop racing like a panicked rabbit. "Nice to meet you, Javi. We appreciate your help."

"Least I could do for Vidal and his friends." Javi beams at Vidal before taking a deep breath. "You guys… Everyone thinks you lot are dead. But knowing that you've all survived what the Capitol's thrown at you—that would get so many people's spirits up."

"Javi, our survival has to be kept secret," I warn him. "If the Capitol suspects we're still alive—"

He nods. "I get it. No one will hear anything from me. I just can't imagine how everyone would react if they know."

"Call up the first available Peacekeeper," Clove comments darkly.

"You'd be surprised," Javi murmurs. Then, "Is this the sled Vidal mentioned?" He spends a few moments examining the vehicle and complimenting Franzi and Lothar's craftsmanship. "There are some rocky bits on the trail, but if this sled has lasted as long as you say across forested terrain, it'll survive. Are those grooslings?"

With that, there's no more reason to tarry, and we fall in line behind Javi, and Vidal beside him.

"We will have to leave the cover of the woods," Javi warns, "but only for a minute so we can cross to the trail entrance."

I spot Cato fidgeting with the hilt of his sword. "Behave," I hiss.

"Do you actually trust him?"

"I trust Vidal."

"But by proxy you're trusting someone you don't know, again."

I stare at him. "Again?"

Cato cringes. "Not important. I meant that you can't really be sure—"

"Is this about Alasdar?" The name leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. "Are you questioning my judgment because of what happened?"

Cato hesitates. The look on his face, poorly concealed, is all the answer I need.

"Fine," I say crisply. "Let Clove have at Javi, then. Forget that Vidal is his friend and the most able to assess if we can trust him. Just let her eliminate the threat before it's a threat. Didn't she say something like that last time?" I look pointedly at his sword. "Or maybe you can take care of him. You seem ready to get some heads rolling."

"Is it so wrong that I'm on-guard because of everything that just happened with Alasdar?" Cato snaps. "I don't want you trusting the wrong person and getting into trouble again."

"Oh yeah, it was all my fault, wasn't it?" I reply bitterly. "Stupid, naive Ember, isn't that right? Javi's probably another psycho out to get me."

"That's not what I mean!"

"It definitely sounds like it!"

Cato clenches his jaw, as if physically restraining himself from saying something. He exhales audibly and looks away from me. "It's my turn with the sled."

I feel the instinctive urge to call out to him, to stop him. But I stay silent and watch him retreat to the rear of the pack, a heavy feeling in my gut.

"That could've gone better."

I startle, having completely forgotten that Cedric was beside us during the duration of our argument. "Hush, nerd," I say half-heartedly.

Cedric blissfully ignores my command for silence. "I don't think I've heard you guys fight like that since the fire-bombs. Does that mean you guys are breaking up?"

"No!" I blurt out, then, taking a breath, I repeat more calmly, "No. Definitely not. We just...had a disagreement. Happens all the time." Couples have arguments. Of course they do. Mom and Dad have had plenty of fights. But that fact doesn't make me feel any better about it.

My skin prickles the entire time we're out in the open, but Javi, who's enthusiastically catching up with Vidal as we move, wastes no time dithering. Before long, we're under cover again, in the shadow of natural rock formations. "We're at the trailhead," Javi informs those of us at the front. Then a bright grin cuts across his tanned face. "Are you ready to see something that'll blow you away?"

Hopefully not blow away in the sense that Peacekeepers' guns will blow us away. Then I bite my lip hard, scolding myself for such a thought. I'm letting Cato's suspicion get to me.

"What is it? What is it?" Ced demands.

"You'll have to see for yourself." Javi winks. "Wouldn't want to ruin the surprise, my little friend."

Ced and I exchange uncertain but curious looks. We aren't kept in suspense for long, because at our next turn, the whole world suddenly opens and lays itself at our feet. Trees that look no longer than my finger carpet expanses of mountains and stone, dark green and pale gray sprawling as far as the eye can see, beneath a cloudless blue sky that unfolds into infinity. All this alone is awe-inspiring enough, but what really takes our breaths away are the solemn, titanic faces carved into one of the mountains. With dark gazes and wise miens, the regal men stare thoughtfully into the distance, surveying the land around them.

"Who are they?" Cedric asks, eyes wide.

"No one knows for sure," Javi tells us, having paused so everyone in the pack has the opportunity to gape to their hearts' content. "Most likely ancient leaders, from the time before Panem. You can see where there used to be a fourth face, but an earthquake or something or other probably collapsed it."

My hand reaches out, and my mouth opens to ask Cato, as someone from a district that quarries stone, if he has any idea how long such an endeavor would have taken. But my hand touches only air, and with a jolt, I remember that he's way at the back of the group. My hand falls to my side.

"How did they survive for so long?" Cedric is asking Javi.

"Sheer luck, probably. Except that fourth face, he was unlucky. This is a pretty remote part of Panem, and close to the border. No one probably cared enough to target it or have any firefights around here."

The giant faces eventually fall behind us, and then we are left to contemplate only the nature surrounding us. The terrain is more mountainous than at Twelve, but the forest and greenery remind me of home. Just keep moving. Keep moving, and you'll get there. Just keep moving.

During our short break, I'm able to pretend I'm too busy to think about talking to Cato. But when we stop for the evening, I have to face the truth: I'm having trouble even looking his way. And as far as I know, he isn't looking at me either.

...But I refuse to approach him first. He'll think I'm trying to apologize or something, and I have nothing to apologize for. He's the one who thinks my judgment is impaired and that I'm making all the wrong choices.

"Trouble in paradise?" Clove calls as she shuffles past, weighted down by the bear pelt she insists on wearing. How is she not sweating bullets under that mass of fur?

"I don't know what you're talking about," I mutter.

"Of course you don't. Jerky?" She holds out a strip.

I blink at it. "Is that…?"

Clove grins wolfishly as she confirms, "Bear."

Warily, I take the strip and look at it for a long moment. Clove seems happy enough munching away on her own piece, so I take a bite. "Huh. Tastes kind of like beef."

"I know, right?" Clove chomps down again. "Little sweet, too. Kind of a berry flavor."

"Blackberry," I mumble.

She raises an eyebrow. "You can tell it that specifically? What, do you have super tastebuds?"

"Uh. No. I just… That was the bear's name. Blackberry."

Clove snorts. "A black bear named Blackberry? Who came up with that?" I say nothing. It doesn't take long for it to click for Clove. When it does, she frowns as she viciously tears off another piece of jerky with her teeth. "If only we could've fed Loony to Blackberry. That would've been fun."

Ah yes, fun. And messy. And loud. And gruesome. "I'm satisfied with how it turned out with Glimmer."

"Hm. Me too, I guess. Glad we all got a turn at him before Glimmer ended things."

I stare at her. "You all got a turn? What does that mean?"

"Exactly what you think it means. Cato, Marvel, and I hacked away at Cuckoo-Face before Glimmer stabbed his throat."

Against my will, the colorful scene plays out in my head. Perhaps I should be satisfied, even gleeful, that my erstwhile tormentor met a gruesome end, like Clove insinuated. But all I feel is a sense of nausea that after everything that happened, there was still more blood and gore and violence. I just wanted things to end quietly, neatly, to put it all behind us and to keep it in the past. "But I thought Glimmer—I told Glimmer to take care of it." Because I thought Glimmer would give Alasdar what he deserved without going over-the-top. Because I thought Glimmer would understand my need for justice rather than vengeance. Because with Glimmer, I could have carried on not knowing what exactly she did, not knowing the precise method with which she made Alasdar pay his due, just the general yet definitive knowledge that the ended that terrible chapter, and never dwelt on or imagined it again. But with any of the others—Clove, Marvel, Cato, each with their obviously favorite weapons—I can imagine exactly what they would have done to Alasdar.

Dozens of different short films reel through my mind, catching every moment, every splatter of blood, as Clove's knife or Marvel's spear or Cato's sword cuts, stabs, slashes through Alasdar. And every imagined expression of agony on Alasdar's face brings me not pleasure, but the dread that there is yet another image to haunt me, the conviction that no matter what I do, something will always remind me of him.

"Come on, you didn't really think any of us would pass up the opportunity to get at Ol' Psycho?"

Well...no. But I asked them—I told them—Cato of all people should have… No, I didn't tell them. All the thoughts scrambling in my head as I considered what to do with Alasdar, I didn't actually say them out loud. I just assumed that they—Cato, and Glimmer, at least—would understand what I meant when I singled out Glimmer to end things.

"It's not like he didn't deserve any of it," I hear Clove say. She's right. Alasdar deserved everything the Careers did, and I'm sure they did quite a bit to him. But it's not what I wanted. A simple execution. That's all. A short and simple end to that chapter. Instead, I got an over-the-top extended scene that I have never wanted.

When I go to sleep tonight, there is certain to be a nightmare waiting for me.

"This is ridiculous."

Finch just nods in agreement with Glimmer's proclamation.

"It's been the better part of a week and those knuckleheads still haven't spoken more than two words to each other," the blonde continues. "We all know something's up with them, but they're pretending like everything is peachy. Gah!"

Finch remains silent, but once again, her agreement is understood. It wasn't this bad even before Ember started to trust Cato. At least back then they still talked. Every time someone tried to get one of the two lovebirds to 'fess up about what was going on, whether it was Glimmer's forthrightness or Marvel's ability to talk circles around the topic, they either deftly changed the subject (Ember) or flat-out told them to shut up (Cato).

Glimmer pounds her fist into her other palm. "Those two need an intervention."

"They won't like anyone meddling in their business."

"Too bad for them. It's affecting the rest of the group, so they'll have to deal."

Well, that is true. Most of the pack has been on tenterhooks around Ember and Cato, and no one wants to be the one to pass on messages from one to the other. And they've already had a snafu with contradicting plans. It would be so easy for things to snowball. Still, Finch plays devil's advocate. "If they're having a fight like this so early in their relationship, isn't that a bad sign?"

"Circumstances aren't normal, so we can't hold them to normal standards," Glimmer points out. "They also got together really quickly, all things concerned. Everything's on fast-forward, so you could say they're actually right on schedule."

"Wouldn't it be better for them to work things out themselves?"

"Yes. And we're going to let them. We're just going to accelerate things."

Finch looks sideways at Glimmer. "Don't tell me you're about to suggest the wilderness equivalent of locking them together in a closet."

Glimmer looks away innocently.

Without warning, Marvel comes up between them and slings an arm over them both. "What are we plotting over here?"

"Apparently, the wilderness equivalent of locking Ember and Cato together in a closet," Finch answers, trying to ignore the heat that erupted upon his sudden arrival.

"Oh, thank God. Those two are driving me crazy. So. How are we going to do this?"

Glimmer taps her chin. "That Javi knows this trail really well, doesn't he?"

If Javi didn't know that his sudden disappearance would cause something of a ruckus among his friends and family, he would totally stick it out with Vidal and the other tributes in the wilderness. Things have been getting exponentially harder in Ten since the Games-that-weren't. And he hates having to say goodbye to Vidal again. But he knows such a move would be unwise, and so right now he is riding toward the ranch where he's supposed to pick up his usual herd. He led the tributes to the end of the trail this morning and parted ways, renewing his vow of secrecy that he would not tell anyone about their survival. And he will not. Not when it means Vidal's life, not when it means there might be hope for this rebellion.

Javi sweeps aside thoughts of seeing Vidal again—he'll probably end up blubbering like a baby if he lingers on them—and ruminates over the other tributes instead. He knew Araceli a little before the Games, both of them being herders and all, but not well. Nowhere near as well as he knows Vidal. But it's nice to know that another tribute from Ten survived along with his friend. It's just a shame he can't tell either of their families that their children, their siblings, are still alive.

The Careers were not what he expected. The kids from Ten, like most of the less-prepared tributes, usually get killed by the Careers. But this bunch was...quite normal, to be honest. Granted, that girl from Two is kind of scary, but Javi writes off the reason for that as being the humongous bear pelt she's swathed in. It didn't help that she boasted she was the one who killed it. The girl from One was rather standoffish and suspicious, but he saw her chatting and laughing a few times with some of the other tributes, so Javi supposes she can't be too bad. Marvel—he really likes Marvel. Hilarious guy. Javi could tell that the Career was eyeing him warily the whole time, same as everyone else, but he made up for it with all the wisecracks and funny anecdotes.

Then there was Cato. Javi definitely remembers him; the guy from Two was the one everyone was sure would win. Javi got the strong impression that Cato didn't like him, so he steered clear of the blond tribute most of the time. But Javi decided to give him the benefit of the doubt, regarding why Cato was so cool toward him, after Vidal informed him that he and Ember Abernathy were a thing but had gotten into an argument. Javi would never have guessed, based on how Cato and Ember never once spoke to each other while he was there. I guess any guy would be pretty prickly toward some encroaching stranger while he and his girl are on the outs. Not that Cato had anything to worry about.

Speaking of what he wasn't expecting, neither was Ember Abernathy. The impression Javi had of her, from years of watching the Abernathy family on TV, was a fiery, strong-willed girl who wasn't afraid of making her opinion known. But while Javi was with the tributes, she seemed rather...skittish. She was quieter than he thought she would be, and she never stood closer than five feet to him. Javi would've thought it was just him if he hadn't noticed her also holding a few of the other tributes at a distance. All Vidal would say on the matter was that they'd had a bad experience not long before and they were all still on the edge. "And it's not helping that she and Cato are fighting."

Then Vidal and some of the other tributes began pestering him about the trail ahead, if there were any convenient gullies or caves or places where two people could get trapped. Haha...what? After some convincing from Vidal and assurance that it was for the greater good, Javi told them about a ravine from which he figured two people would be hard-pressed to escape from alone, but if someone tossed them a rope or something from above, they'd be fine.

They'll all be fine, Javi tries to tell himself. "They'll be fine," he says aloud.

And then someone darts out in front of him, causing his horse to rear back in fright. Javi is usually able to keep his seat, but as absentminded as he's been, he soon finds himself landing on the ground with a grunt. His head swims, but a quick self-assessment tells him he probably hasn't gotten anything worse than some serious bruises.

That's before someone plants his boot on top of his chest, and Javi realizes there's a good chance he's going to have to reassess his health soon. A glance out of the corner of his eye tells him somebody else has gotten a hold of his horse's reins, and there are several other people encircling him.

Bandits. Not all people in Panem live legally within district borders. Javi doesn't know what it's like in other places, but in Ten, these outlaws are a semi-regular problem. Lone, unarmed herders like him are often considered easy pickings. But it's not a problem they can resolve, since the Capitol seems convinced that a group of people on horseback are more likely to try to flee past the borders than a single person, and there's no way the Capitol is going to start allowing civilians to carry arms. And of course, Peacekeepers have more important things to do than ensure the safety of citizens.

So far, Javi has been lucky and managed to avoid bandits on these herding trips. Usually he's very vigilant about keeping an eye out for shady folks, and his plan if he ever encountered trouble was to try to outrace them. Unfortunately, his lack of attention today has proved catastrophic. With trepidation, he looks up into the face of the man with his foot on his chest.

"You can have the horse," Javi tells him, with some reluctance. He's rather fond of Princess, but not at the cost of his life. "I don't have much else on me, but you can have it."

"Thanks, buddy. That's awfully generous of you." The man removes his foot, but Javi doesn't dare to move yet. "But that's not what I wanted to ask you about."

Javi swallows. "What's that?"

A cutting smile. "Talk to me about that, ah, caravan of kids you've been traveling with these last few days."

Beeeeee caaaarefulllllll whaaaat yooouuuu wiiiish foooor. Bwahaha. Actually, I had the Ember/Cato argument planned out long before I got any requests for more Ember/Cato, so it's not like I wrote it just to spite people. I am a cruel writer but not a petty one. :)

In case you haven't seen it yet, I have published the newest oneshot, Unwritten Hearts. It features Cato growing up with his celebrity crush on Ember, so if you want to read more about little Cato, you'll enjoy it, I hope!

As usual, if you review within a week, I'll send you a preview of the next chapter. The semester has yet to start but it's already packed with all sorts of commitments; we'll see if I can get in an earlier update, but for now I'd ballpark it at three weeks from now.

Thanks for reading!