Hey, we have a really short chapter here. Like, half the length of our usual chapters but we decided it was a good place to stop, not writer's block.

They spent the rest of the day hunting for tunnels and eventually actually did come across one. "I knew it." Gale said with triumph.

"Incredible," Ermela said looking down into the tunnel system.

"It really is." Gale said.

"Think they're in here?"

"I'm sure of it."

"Then let's search." Ermela said pressing on with a spear at the ready. He nodded following.

They searched for quite a while but didn't find them. "Dang it." Gale sighed.

"Well, it is a good hiding spot though."

"We can camp here." Gale said.

"Exactly what I was thinking." Ermela nodded.

"Okay then." So they took out the tent and set up. "I am on watch." Gale said.

"Fine but remember. However long you let me sleep is how long you'll be sleeping."

"I know." So she went into the tent and went to sleep while Gale remained vigilant.

What they didn't realize was that the Fox and her partner in crime WERE in those tunnels and not to far of but luckily they didn't notice them either.

Meanwhile Foxface was also on guard. She was surprisingly visible as she circled around her ally Adra looking down each of the connecting tunnels. She saw nothing but stayed on point. 'No one could find this place.' She thought to herself.

She felt confident only she knew of this place. Even if someone did find it she was confident that there were no threats to her in the arena. She'd keep Adra until he out lives his usefulness then kill him and everyone else and be crowned victor.

She smiled wanting to go home. Given the absence of Careers, she was so close already and she knew it. She was arrogant but likely right. "Soon I'll be home soon."

A while later she woke Adra up. "Come on, I'm tired." She said.

"Right," Adra sighed sitting up.

"Thank you." She said grumpily.

"Just go to sleep, Ember."

"Oh, stop being so bossy you would be dead without me."

"You don't know that for sure." Adra pointed out.

"Oh please that other boy had you at his mercy."

"You're the one who sent me after him."

"Still you were going to die." She said.

"Fine," He sighed realizing there no point in arguing with her.

"Good, now keep guard so I can sleep and no more nighttime wonderings."

"I will." He said as she lay down in her stolen sleeping bag.

"Why do I not get one?" He asked.

"Because you don't have the guts." She smirked.

"Says the girl who had to attack in the dark."

"I could attack in the light if I wanted to." Ember snapped.

"Oh please they would kill you on sight."

"I'd make sure they never did."

"Oh yeah, because you would run away."

"I wouldn't run away. I'd flee. It's called strategy." She snarled.

"It's also cowardice."

"You think I couldn't defeat them head on if I wanted to?"

"Yes, that is what I am saying." He said.

Ember was instantly on her feet up in his face, "I could easily!"

"You could not." He said.

She growled and hit her palm against his nose breaking it in that infamous way that sends a piece off bone back into his brain. He fell to the ground and she heard the cannon go off. "Yes I could." She said simply with a smirk then lied back down and went to sleep.

Meanwhile the cannon had woken Ermela in worry. She instantly left the tent to check if Gale was still alive and found him looking around for an attack. She let out a sigh of relief. "That could have been anyone in any part of the arena, Gale."

"I know but just in case."

She came out looking for anything unusual and found nothing. Nothing at all.

"It's clear. It's also probably about my shift now, anyways."

"Yeah it is..."

"Then go to sleep." She said simply. He nodded heading in still for some reason nervous. "I'll wake you up if there's any problem." She promised.

"Okay." He sighed.

She sighed and looked around keeping watch. Nothing happened yet. She was of course relieved but stayed on guard.

Eventually morning came so she headed into the tent and woke Gale up. "Come on Gale." She said gently.

He yawned and sat up, "Morning?"

"Yeah morning."

"Alright, so we continue the Fox hunt?"

"Best idea."

"Yeah, whoever that cannon was it was definitely not her."

"Are you sure?"

"Most likely not." Gale said.

"Well that is true."

"I wonder who it was though." Gale pondered.

"Maybe some other tribute starved?"

"Still plenty early for anyone to starve to death. Maybe dehydration though."

"That's probably it."

"I guess. It is pretty hard to find water here without going to the obvious." Gale pointed out. "I hope that's the case anyways."

"Yeah still we should go."

"Yes," He said coming out of the tent.

"Deeper in?" She asked.

"Exactly, I still say they're in here."

"I agree." She said.

"Let's go then." He sighed and started walking. They walked deeper into the tunnels turning at random.

They walked on when suddenly a spike pit opened in front of them. Ermela shot back throwing her arm back to make sure Gale did. "What the hell?"

"Gamemakers," Ermela said looking at the pit, "figures."

"Still, what the hell?"

"It's the Hunger Games. There's supposed to be traps all over the arena."

"I suppose, but still."

"Let's just not question it and find a way across."

"Right, jump it?"

She looked over in judging the likelihood they'd make it across. "Maybe we should turn around."

"Yeah I guess so."

"We'll find another direction, this place is a maze."

"Oh joy."

"I know." Ermela sighed.

"Okay you lead."

Ermela nodded and walked on. She took a left and barely ducked as arrows flew at them. Luckily, she took Gale with her in time. "How did we not find any of these yesterday?"

"They wanted us in here."

"I guess and now I don't remember how to get out." Ermela admitted.

"Neither do I." He grumbled

"Then we have a problem."

"We just need to go slow." Gale said

"Right," she nodded and kept walking.

They made their way forward carefully. Ermela threw rocks in front of her to warn them of upcoming dangers. For a while they were clear but then one of the rocks activated a land mine.

They were thrown back into a wall their ears ringing. Ermela healed fairly quickly but for Gale everything was muffled like he had water in his ears. "Shit." He muttered.

Ermela instantly turned to him worried, "What?"

"I can barely hear anything."

"Shit," She muttered as well. "How bad?"

"Like having water in my ears."

"I can barely hear."

"Shit," She muttered as well.

"Yeah it's not good."

"Well, at least it's not too bad since you heard that."

"Yeah but you sound far away."

"Then that's a big problem." She sighed.

"You should go without me. I will slow you down now." He said

"Not a chance, Gale. We're in this together." Ermela insisted.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive," She said taking his hand.

"Okay." He sighed

She led him forward continuing to throw the rocks ahead. Nothing happened as Gale looked around frantically. He hated this so much just as Katniss had. As a hunter he needs his ears but he was trying everything to make do with his eyes to make up for it, which was only working slightly.

He let out an aggravated sigh. "Gale, calm down."

"How can I?"

"Just try."

"It would be dangerous though."

"No, I'll make sure to be your ears." Ermela offered.

"Okay." He said nodding. She kept throwing the rocks as they headed on.

At one point she nearly fell into a shark pit which was doubly scary since she had no clue what they were. "What are those things?" She shuddered looking down at them.

"Not pleasant." Gale said.

"It's the Hunger Games. Of course not."

"They look like meat eaters."

"Definitely, time to turn around again. I have no idea if they can jump or anything."

"Me either. 4 would have known."

"Yeah, but they were arrested."

"I know just saying."

"Come on, we're detouring again." Ermela sighed. He nodded following her to the right.

Luckily they didn't come across any more. "Okay, let's stop and check your ears."

She sat him down against the cave wall and shone the flashlight she already had to have out since no light is reaching there and the Fox still has the glasses into his ear. "Definitely damaged."

"Think they'll get better on their own?" Gale asked worriedly.

"Maybe there's no blood so that means no major damage,"

"Well, that's a relief at least."

"Yeah, no telling how long you'll be in this state."

"True but at least that gives some more help."

"Yeah, until then we stay close."

"You're really sure about that?" Gale double checked.

"Yeah, I am. I paid attention at the medical station."

"I guess but it just seems that I'm slowing you down now."

"Don't even say that. Besides, you practically carried me when I injured my ankle." Ermela pointed out. "Compared to that this is literally nothing."

"I suppose." He said

"I know." She said simply. "Should we keep moving?"

"Yeah, I suppose."

She looked around and said, "No, maybe we should take a short rest." He nodded in no arguing mood. She went into her bag to see if they had any food left but it was a high risk since she had no idea how to find food elsewhere until they get out of the cave tunnel maze. "We have some meat left and fruit." She gave a VERY small amount of each for him and herself. "We need to be careful to make it last since I'm not sure when or how we'll next find food."

"Yeah, I know." He sighed.

"That is why they call it the Hunger Games." Ermela sighed carefully nibbling in a dried peach.

"Yeah, still sucks."

"We need to find a way out of here."

"Yeah, we do."

She sighed and offered him some of their water which luckily they had just filled before they went in there. "At least we have this."

He nodded and took it taking a small drink. "What do we do?"

"I don't know." She sighed.

"What if we dig up?" Gale asked. "With your spears."

"So… just from the wall?"

"Up through the ceiling."

Ermela was still very confused on that, "Um… okay… then what exactly?"

"We climb out."

"Well, I guess." She said taking a spear. Gale took one as well and they began to dig.

They climbed out even getting some of the supplies with them. Then something started to pull at one of their packs.

Ermela was surprised but pulled back. It pulled back harder trying to take the pack. Ermela looked down and predictably found Ember clutched to it. She put her good foot on the Fox's chest and pressed relying on her venter of gravity still pulling back on the pack. "Let go" Ermela hissed. Ember just growled and kept pulling back. "Give me it!" Ermela said

Eventually Ermela did manage to pry in out of Ember's hands. Ember hit the ground glaring up at her. Ermela obviously threw a spear and her and she was gone just like that. "Damn it!"

"Well, that confirmed what we already knew." She sighed.

"Yeah it did." He then realized something, "She was alone… you don't think…?"

"She killed him!?" Ermela asked.

"Maybe, that could have been what the cannon was."

"Yeah, that seems likely."

"Guess we'll find out tonight but it was bound to happen anyways."

"Yeah but still... Surprising."

"Yeah, I wonder what set him off."

"Who knows?"

"Well, she's back in the maze now."

"Yeah we can go back in later..."

"Think she knows the way out?" Ermela asked.

"Probably." He sighed.

"Then it's probably a bad idea to try and go after her."

"Maybe we could trap her in." Gale suggested.

"Could we do that?"

"Maybe, we'd just have to figure out how."

"We would have to block the exits or burn it."

"Blocking the exits seems a lot more likely." Gale said thinking it over.

"We would need to find them first."

"Let's just start with the one we already found, this one, and see if there are any others."

Gale nodded feeling a bit dizzy as he did. "Any idea how to block this first?" She asked.

"Rocks?"

"That would need a lot of big rocks."

"Well, what else is there?" Then he thought for a second and said. "Maybe I could make some kind of net to put over it."

"That's a good idea!" She said.

So, Gale being Gale set to work weaving a net from what he could find. It was difficult but not too bad. He put it over the hole and used rocks along the perimeter to weigh it down. "That should do it." He said.

"Now to the entrance we found originally?" Gale nodded then stopped because it made him dizzy. "Are you sure you're okay?" She asked noticing that.

"No, my balance is off." He said

"That can't be good." Ermela said now really worried.

"My balance is just off."

"Okay…" She said though skeptical. "How's your hearing?"

"The same."

"Darn, well… let's go but just… be careful."

"Right." He said.

They headed off fairly slowly to where they found the tunnels. "So another net?"

"Probably best if that's okay with you."

"Yeah, give me a sec." He just as quickly had another one made.

They set it across the entrance, got it weighed down, and looked for any others. "I need to rest."

"Right," Ermela agreed stopping.

"Sorry." He said

"No, you're right. Let's just settle down here."

"Okay." He sighed.

"Hey, no sighing." She said.

"Why not?" He asked.

"Because it's fine." She answered sitting down.

"I am almost useless here."

"That's not true, Gale." Ermela corrected. "Don't you dare believe it."

"Yes it is." Gale said.

"How so?"

"I can barely walk."

"That will get better though." Ermela promised.

"I hope so."

"I'm sure."

"Maybe I should sleep."

"Probably best, I'll keep guard."

"Okay." He said. Since they had lost their tent, Gale just laid down on the ground and Ermela took guard as promised.

So… there… chapter… half of one anyways.