10: Mines

Gale POV

"This stuff works?" Marvel asks curiously.

"It should," the boy from three says proudly. "It took me years to learn how to do that."

"Where did you learn?" I question him.

"My father taught me. He creates explosives and mines. I'm Higg, by the way. Higg Weston."

"Whatever," Clove says. "Everdeen, go bury that mine. Weston, rewire more. And don't try to run off because we will catch you and we will kill you, no matter how good you are with explosives."

I shiver at her matter of fact tone and I see Higg gulp. "Understood," he says.

"And Hawthorne?" I look up at Cato. "Keep an eye on him. Make sure he doesn't try anything." I go with Higg to the pile of mines waiting to be reactivated.

"So what's the deal with you and Katniss?" Higg asks now that we're out of earshot. "Is all of that stuff true? You know, about the star-crossed lovers of District 12."

"I love her," I say firmly. "Yes, it is real. You don't think I would volunteer on a whim, do you? Maybe I wanted to see what an arena is like in person?" I say sarcastically.

"No," he protests, as I hand him a piece of wire. "But I thought maybe the other boy.."

"Peeta?" I ask flatly. "No, he's nothing to me. Just some weak merchant kid, he wouldn't last a minute here." Maybe I'm playing for the cameras slightly here, but everything I've said is true. Mostly anyway, I would care slightly if Peeta had died, but not much. The only reason I really care about him now is because he's helping feed mine and Katniss' families.

"This one's done," he says, ending the conversation.

About half an hour later Higg finished all of the mines. I go with him to the rest of them and we help to bury the mines. It isn't done randomly, but unless you know the order it will look that way. I make sure to memorise the one place where you can get in easily, just in front of a spear point where the route is almost straight. I can also tell by where ground is dug up, but I might miss something, so this is better.

"This'll keep intruders out," Marvel says happily.

"Not if anyone saw us bury them," Katniss responds. I agree with her, if you know what to look for the mine location is pretty obvious. And I bet a few tributes are smart enough to keep an eye on the careers from a safe distance, maybe the District 11 girl or Foxface. To be honest I'm not exactly sure why I'm so wary of Foxface. She only got a four in training, she hasn't shown anything to be afraid of. It is just the way she looks. Smart, sly. My gut instinct is telling me that she is a contender and I trust my instincts because they are generally correct.

"You think someone would get so close to our camp without us knowing?" Cato asks.

"Yes," I reply for her. "We've all been concentrating on Higg and the mines. A quiet tribute could have easily watched us from the bushes, or maybe up in a tree."

"We normally have a guard."

I don't want to make this much more difficult for myself to betray the careers with more than one awake at a time, so I just nod and say: "that should be enough." Katniss glances at me questioningly, but I deflect it by mouthing later. She nods slightly. This communicating without speaking thing may really come in useful here in the arena.

"Why can't we kill Higg?" Glimmer asks, changing the subject.

"We can still use him. He can be our guard while we go hunting. And I assure you Shine, if he steals our food or tries any funny business then we will kill him." I nearly wince at this. With a career pack of seven going out hunting tributes the other Districts have no chance. Maybe we will even split into two groups to hunt.

After this, we all relax a bit more and go to the packs to get some food. The Capitol has provided a lot, I can almost see myself getting fat in here. I decide to make the most of it, I don't know what prey there is in this arena, so after Katniss and I betray this might be the difference between survival and starvation.

The meal is eaten in silence, with the odd asking for more food in between. It isn't an awkward silence, but we all see it to be a necessary silence. I remember when I was younger and was asking my dad about peacekeepers, he had said to me: 'never become a peacekeeper Gale. You have to stay apart from everyone, because if your target becomes human to you, not like an animal or maybe a tribute in the games, you won't be able to kill them.' He was right, though I had doubted him back then. And that's why none of us engage in conversation. We need to kill each other.

We need to kill each other. The thought weighs down in my mind as I look at Katniss. We need to kill each other. Or she needs to kill me, I won't change so much in these Games that I will put myself above Katniss. I wonder what she is thinking; I know she thinks of me as the less moral one in these games, but will she be able to kill me?

The thought worries me slightly, what if she doesn't accept me dying for her? She won't be able to kill that District 11 twelve year old, why had I thought she would be able to kill me. Because I don't mind, because I want her to maybe. But still, maybe that would make it worse. Would I feel comfortable killing somebody who loves me enough to sacrifice their life so I can live? I doubt it, but there is no way that we can both win.

After eating we get out sleeping bags. It's only the first night of the games, so I'm not too worried about mutts or weather, there has been a lot of killing recently so the Capitol should be happy for the next few days. Higg and Katniss are put on watch, and I offer to join her. She accepts, and I can see that she is grateful for the company. When I see the other careers have gone to sleep, I whisper to Higg "you can sleep too. Me and Katniss'll keep watch." He nods slowly and lies down.

I hug Katniss tight. "I'm sorry," I whisper. "I'm so sorry for what you have to go through."

"It's not your fault," Katniss murmurs back. "I killed a boy today. District 7."

"I saw. He was trying to kill you Katniss. You did the right thing," I say, wondering how she will react.

"No. I killed someone who was only trying to preserve his own life. Like me."

"Is it wrong to preserve your life?" I ask, knowing she will have no answer.

"Was it wrong for him to try and kill me?" she challenges.

"To him, no. He was trying to do the same as you and I. He had no choice."

"I guess," she whispers.

We just sit there, hugging each other for warmth and comfort for a while. I savour the moment, chances are there won't be another like this soon. "I love you Katniss," I murmur, brushing my fingers through her hair.

She shifts slightly, then murmurs back "I love you too Gale."

As the cannons go, we count them. Twelve are dead, half of the tributes. Two killed by me. The boys four, five, six, seven, eight and nine. Girls from 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10. I feel Katniss hug me a bit tighter and I return it, feeling part glad and part nauseous that half of the tributes are dead.

After about half an hour Katniss falls asleep in my arms while I keep an eye out for tributes. I catch a glimpse of red and hear a few leaves rustle and wonder if it is the girl from five. Or maybe it's the same thing I saw earlier, an animal, perhaps a mutt. I decide not to alert the others, it's steps are too light to be a tribute, it took years of hunting for me and Katniss to achieve that level of stealth.

Hearing something a bit closer I shake Katniss awake hurriedly. She wakes up quickly and turns around to see the faces of Marvel and Mara. "It's our turn to watch now," Mara says. "Get some sleep." We nod and head to our sleeping bags. Nightmares plague me for a while, Katniss being killed and me not being able to do anything. The face of Cato, splattered with blood and with a sword under my neck. Marvel thrusting a spear into Katniss stomach. I know that I will not get any sleep and give up trying, just staying awake.

xXx-X-xXx

Katniss POV

Tonight with Gale was the most comfortable I have felt since the reaping. Us just being together, everyone else asleep, made me feel almost as if I am back in District 12, maybe staying a night in the woods if the electric fence was actually running. It was rare, but those were good memories with Gale and I sharing stories and cooking rabbit on a campfire. It almost makes me feel that my love for Gale isn't just a plot to get sponsors, that it is actually real.

I would like it to be real, if I'm honest with myself. Real would mean District 12, no imminent threats of death. No deciding whether or not I can kill the only person who loves me enough to give up his life for me. But maybe, maybe this is real. Not how I imagined it, but I definitely have feelings for Gale, I just don't really understand them at the moment.

My nightmares before the games and tonight have been about both of us. For the last two years we've shared almost everything. I mean, he doesn't know everything about my life, like when Peeta threw me the bread. My mind begins to wander towards Peeta and my feelings towards him. He saved my life that day, and he probably knows it too. He risked a beating for me and I'm not sure why. Part of me feels grateful to him, but another part resents him because I owe him and there is no way of returning it.

Being with him in the Games would be awkward too. Less difficult than with Gale as there wouldn't be love and knowing him well for years, but still hard. I wouldn't find it easy to kill him though, and there isn't the feeling with Gale that I can trust him. I know Gale and that can work to my advantage. We make an excellent team, especially in hunting. He brings out my ruthless side which I will need for these Games.

But he'll need my help. He seems so strong, but I can see he also feels guilty about what he's doing. The difference is that he channels that guilt into an anger at the Capitol. Which won't help right now. I take a brief glance at Marvel and Mara, who are still on watch and try to hear any animals around me. I think I can hear mockingjays. They remind me of District 12 and my father. I will be strong, I think to myself. My father was a strong person and I must be strong, for my mother and Prim and Gale. I must win, I think as I drop back into sleep.

xXx-X-xXx

Another chapter. Sorry for the delay, updates will be slower now that I'm done posting the chapters that I'd already written. I've been thinking of making a chapter soon about other characters thoughts, maybe Cato, Peeta, Prim, Haymitch and Seneca. What do you think of that idea? Tell me if you like it and as always, please review.

-MoonOfPluto