Anakin figured things could probably be worse. Infinitely, definitely, madly worse. He could already have been cut, for one thing. He could have been bleeding out, but for some reason, nothing had gotten ahold of him yet, which Anakin decided was a pretty brave feat, considering that the two people in front of him were holding weapons, and Anakin wasn't.

But Obi-Wan was—he had a sword in his hands now, and he had just shoved Savage's blades away from himself when Anakin came crashing into his back.

For a disorienting second, Anakin realized that this would probably be the perfect time for Obi-Wan to kill him right here: Anakin weaponless, the two of them in close quarters...besides, weren't Careers supposed to gang up together anyways?

But Obi-Wan only flicked his eyes to the back of the Cornucopia. "Check over there," he said.

"What?"

"Unless your arms can magically turn into swords, check back there," Obi-Wan said, his eyes not leaving Savage or Maul, who was making his slow, steady way towards them. "Now."

Anakin turned around. At first, he couldn't see anything—the center of the Cornucopia was dark, only briefly lit by the flames that occasionally spouted up from the pool of lava around them. But at the way back, Anakin thought he saw something glinting. That, Anakin decided, was good enough for him.

He felt movement behind him, and Anakin spun around, already tensing for a fight, but no, it was just Obi-Wan, lifting his sword again. The shriek of metal on metal split through the air, followed by a hiss that might have been laughter from the other tributes or from the lava still bubbling around them. And Anakin decided that it was probably a good idea for him to not linger on that fact. He spun back around to the Cornucopia and ran forward—or, at least, ran the best he could. His shoes were still too big, and only now—of course, only now—was Anakin starting to realize just how much of a disadvantage that was, because his feet felt weighed down, and he could already feel one of the boots loosening.

No time to focus on that.

Anakin caught the glinting object, swept down to wrap his hands around a cool hilt. Sword hilt.

Anakin lifted up the sword, stared. He hadn't actually used swords in the training room before—just a few practice stabs at a dummy before Anakin had tossed the sword away, because what point was there in practicing with a dummy that couldn't stab back?

Anakin grimaced, turning back around to the edge of the Cornucopia.

Well, he thought, adjusting his grip on the sword hilt. Those few jabs at a standing dummy would have to do now.

He had only just formed that thought when he heard the next shriek of metal against metal. Anakin looked up to find Obi-Wan standing amongst one of the hollowed part of rock in the Cornucopia, his sword pressed against Savage's swords and Maul's spear. Obi-Wan was backing up against the rock, one foot resting on the rock wall behind him, the other planted on the ground, and for a moment, Anakin wondered if maybe Savage and Maul would press in, but then—

Obi-Wan kicked himself up, flying over Maul and Savage's heads and landing neatly a few feet in front of Anakin. "Are you just taking your time now?" Obi-Wan asked over his shoulder.

"Yeah," Anakin replied, twisting the sword hilt. "Just enjoying the view."

Obi-Wan wasn't looking at him, but judging by the sound he made, Anakin figured that his attempt at humor wasn't doing much to help the mood. Which Anakin wasn't trying to, anyways. Hard to make jokes when there were still two significantly bulkier tributes standing at the mouth of the Cornucopia, looking red-eyed and ready to kill.

Anakin drew up his sword, the metal glinting against the light of the lava. He caught his own reflection briefly, found that there was already ash and dirt streaked across his face. Anakin processed that for only a second before he was looking back up at Maul and Savage.

"And so," Maul said, taking a step towards them, "we begin at last." He drew the spear towards himself, a smile spreading across his face. "I had been waiting."

"I'm afraid I can't say the same," Obi-Wan said.

"Neither can I," Anakin muttered. He jerked his head at Savage. "Do you talk too, or is it just your friend?" The low growl from Savage was all Anakin needed to let him know that Maul was the one who did most of the talking. That was fine. He preferred not to have any more conversation with these two than he had to, anyways.

As though reading Anakin's mind, Maul smiled again, his spear shifting a little in his hand.

Anakin saw both Maul and Savage tense, and he knew then that they were going to strike.

Which was how Anakin and Obi-Wan knew how to strike, too.

It was bizarre: they didn't have to say anything to each other. The two of them surged as one, both of them pushing back against Maul and Savage's blows with equal force and strength. Immediately, Anakin heard the clang and crash of weapons hitting each other, followed by the heavy thuds of bodies being pushed away, and then Anakin felt a rush of hot air as he catapulted himself a little too close to the lava—

But Anakin found solid ground again, and he turned in time to see Obi-Wan standing on a rock close to him.

Behind him, Maul and Savage were already getting up from the edge of the Cornucopia, already turning towards them and ready to follow—

Anakin looked at Obi-Wan.

"What are you doing?" Obi-Wan asked. "Run."

Obi-Wan figured things could have gone better. For one, he hadn't planned to actually go into the heart of the Cornucopia—his plan had been to grab a bag of supplies and leave, and yet, here he was, bolting down the side of the volcano with the boy from District 3 who had just joined him a few minutes ago.

They crashed through the trees together, snapping twigs and pine needles underfoot as they went. Obi-Wan wished they were quieter, but then again, he was sure that if Savage and Maul were following them, noise wouldn't be too much of an issue anyways.

But Obi-Wan didn't hear anyone following him. There weren't even any birds, no other animals. Obi-Wan found that troubling—there had to be some animals here. The gamemakers always provided some animals, mostly to keep people from starving. But if there weren't any animals…

Obi-Wan would think about that later.

"I don't think they're following us anymore," Anakin said eventually. He was running a little oddly, Obi-Wan realized. Running in a way that told Obi-Wan Anakin didn't usually run this way—Obi-Wan had seen him run laps around the training room before, and Obi-Wan realized with a start that he already knew how Anakin ran—but right now, there was something awkward in his steps. Still, Anakin kept pressing forward, looking over his shoulder every so often. "I don't see anything."

Obi-Wan risked a glance backwards himself. "No," he said after a moment. "You're right. They're not following us."

As soon as Obi-Wan said those words, Anakin came to a stop.

And Obi-Wan, to his own annoyance, stopped as well.

"What are you doing?" Obi-Wan asked, although he wasn't sure if he was asking the question more to Anakin or himself. "They could still follow us."

"But they're not," Anakin replied. "We'd hear them by now." He looked around the forest. "And besides, I want to save my strength for the next time we have to run or fight. Or both. Maybe at the same time."

We—there were one too many we's in those few short sentences that Anakin had uttered just now.

"So that's your plan," Obi-Wan said, adjusting the bag around his shoulders. "Walk around through this forest enough to save your strength and hope that the other tributes won't find you first?"

"Well, there's more steps than just that," Anakin said. He was leaning against a tree now, fiddling with the sword handle. "Unless you've got some grand ideas." He turned to the tree, hacked off a part of the bark with his sword.

Obi-Wan watched Anakin for a moment. And then he said, "Do you want to know my grand idea, then?"

"Please," Anakin replied.

"Good." Obi-Wan slipped off his backpack, set it down on the ground. He knelt down next to it and flipped open the flap. A knife, empty canteens. An extra jacket. Obi-Wan looked up at the canopy of pine above him. It was fairly warm now, but Obi-Wan didn't doubt that the temperatures would drop once night fell. He plucked out the jacket and an empty canteen and tossed it to Anakin.

Anakin caught them. "Is this…"

"You take those," Obi-Wan replied, standing up and swinging the bag back over his shoulders. "And walk in the direction opposite from me."

Anakin blinked. "You're…"

"What happened back at the Cornucopia served us both well," Obi-Wan replied, adjusting his grip on his sword, "but I trust that you know exactly how this ends."

Anakin blinked again. And then, nodding slowly, he slung the jacket over himself. Obi-Wan was glad that the water canteen fit nicely into his pocket. And then he realized that he shouldn't be glad. This was the wrong place to be glad or relieved.

He wasn't sure if Anakin knew the same—Obi-Wan wasn't sure Anakin knew the same at all until the tribute gave the smallest of nods to Obi-Wan. So he knew. He knew as well as Obi-Wan did that at the end of the day, there would only ever be one victor, even if there were alliances and truces made—there would only ever be one who could go home, and Obi-Wan wasn't entirely certain if Anakin Skywalker was the type of person to lie down and let someone else go home instead of himself. And Obi-Wan didn't expect him to lie down, either—he wouldn't expect anyone to do that, which was why, he realized, he had to leave now.

So he nodded to Anakin, and Anakin nodded back.

Obi-Wan was about to turn around and head to the left—he wasn't sure what he'd find, but just as long as Anakin went to the right, he decided they'd be fine. But he had only taken a few steps when Anakin called after him.

"I won't forget this," Anakin said.

Obi-Wan paused.

He turned around.

Anakin was still leaning against the tree, his hand resting protectively on the hilt of his sword. He looked oddly determined that way, and Obi-Wan decided that being determined might actually save his life in the long run.

"I'm asking you to," Obi-Wan replied.

He turned around and walked in the other direction.

Ahsoka figured that things could possibly be worse. She could have no items or equipment at all, and she could have died. She hadn't thought that brutal Maul would come after her first—but then again, maybe she should have seen that coming. After all, they'd had that little...whatever that was in the training room. And Ahsoka was one of the only tributes to have gotten a 9...she knew that should have painted a target on her back, no matter how hard she had tried to play innocent.

And then there was that other tribute, the one with the darts...Cad Bane. That was his name. Ahsoka remembered how he had twirled something around in his mouth during the entirety of his interview. He had worn a funny hat on the day of the reaping, too, and Ahsoka could only remember the deadset way that he seemed to hold himself, the casual drawl of his voice. This wasn't someone Ahsoka wanted on her tail, and yet, just her luck, he had been the one to target her, too.

And on top of all of that, Ahsoka was still tugging alongside Barriss Offee, who, out of everyone in the arena, Ahsoka had hoped not to run into, because they had exchanged one too many smiles and spent one minute longer than Ahsoka would have liked for them to actually be in the arena together.

But things could still be worse. Ahsoka could not have had any weapons at all. She might not have had any equipment at all. And, of course, she could be very, very dead, whether it be through lava or a spear or a dart to the back or her neck.

"Is he still following us?" Ahsoka panted, still dragging Barriss along. She didn't dare look back—she only weaved between the pine trees, her feet clumsily stumbling over each other as they went. She was glad that she had bothered to stuff the tissues in her boots in the first place—she was sure that if she hadn't, they would have fallen off a long, long time ago. Ahsoka wondered briefly if maybe only her boots were like this. She almost laughed at the idea. That would have been hilarious for the Capitol, she bet. Watch the only other child with a 9 run around the arena with a pair of shoes that didn't fit her, because why not make the games all that more fun?

Ahsoka heard Barriss gasping beside her, felt the slight squeeze in their hands as Barriss turned around to look behind them.

"I don't think so," the girl said after a while.

Neither of them stopped running. Neither of them let go of their hands, either, even though Ahsoka knew that that technically would have been a good idea. They would just slow each other down as they ran, after all, and Ahsoka knew that if she fell, then Barriss would come crashing down with her.

Neither of them let go.

They kept running, running, running, until finally, Barriss gasped, "Slow down."

"Do you think—"

"I don't think there's anyone around us anymore," Barriss replied. She pointed down to the ground. "Look. No tracks. No disturbances."

Ahsoka looked down at the ground. There were fallen pine needles and grass and dirt and twigs, but Barriss was right: there was no sign that someone had come stomping or running through this area. They were alone.

Ahsoka slowed her pace. They still didn't stop moving, but it was just enough for both Ahsoka and Barriss to steady their breaths. Ahsoka became aware of how dim the pine forest was now: the volcano was at least bright because of the fire, but the pine forest was so densely populated with trees that save for the few patches of sunlight on the ground, Ahsoka couldn't quite tell what time of day it was.

How long…

It couldn't have been that long since the Cornucopia fiasco. Ahsoka tried to remember if she saw anyone die there: most tributes died at the very beginning, when everyone was struggling for weapons or for supplies. And Ahsoka could imagine so many tributes already falling into the lava, should they not have been careful...but Ahsoka couldn't remember seeing anyone fall.

"Did anyone…" Ahsoka started to ask.

"Almost," Barriss replied. "Girl from District 9 might have burned herself, but she was able to get out before anything worse could happen. The other tributes ran out as fast as they could. I think there might have been something between District 5 and District 4…

The brute with the yellow eyes who had partnered with Maul. Savage.

Ahsoka remembered the young woman from District 5: the one with the long braids down her back. Ahsoka couldn't remember what she had been doing in the training room, but Ahsoka was certain that she might have gotten one of the higher scores during the judgement time. Ahsoka hoped that District 5 wasn't dead yet. She supposed they would all find out later.

"So you don't know about anyone else?"

"No," Barriss replied. She cast Ahsoka a sidelong glance. "And you?"

"I didn't see much either," Ahsoka replied. "I just got out as fast as I could."

"You had some help."

Ahsoka paused. She looked at Barriss fully. The girl's expression was casual enough, but her deep blue eyes said something otherwise. Ahsoka wasn't quite sure how to interpret that except to just nod. Nod, and then Ahsoka replied, "I don't know why that happened, trust me."

"He helped you before, in the training room," Barriss pointed out. "Have you two…"

"No," Ahsoka replied before Barriss could even finish asking the question. Before Ahsoka even knew what the question actually was. "Nothing like that."

"And yet he…"

"I don't know either," Ahsoka replied. She fiddled with the knives at her side. She was glad that she had picked them up, and she wondered if maybe she should offer Barriss one right now—Barriss didn't seem to have anything on her, but then Ahsoka realized that she wasn't about to give the only other tribute beside her a weapon just yet.

"You saved me," Barriss pointed out.

Ahsoka snorted. "I wouldn't call that saving," she said. "I just…" She looked at Barriss and looked to the front of themselves, to where the ground still lay undisturbed. "I just think you were at the right place at the right time." She cleared her throat and, looking down at their hands, Ahsoka held them up. "Truce?"

Barriss smiled. It was a nice one, the same one that she had given Ahsoka at the chariots and in the training room and before their interviews.

This might not be real, Ahsoka thought. This could be very, very, very not real.

"Truce," Barriss replied.

A/N: "Chapters from here on out will be longer," I said. "Probably 5K - 7K words," I said.

Ah, so I know this chapter is significantly shorter than my usual chapter lengths, so I'm sorry! We'll be back to regular business next week, but this week was just a little crazy.

As always, reviews/follows/favorites are greatly appreciated!