15: Reactions and Planning

Katniss POV

After Gale put the burn ointment on my leg and hands, what used to be a painful, dark red layer of flesh turned a pale pink shade and stopped hurting almost all together. The Capitol medicines really are incredible, my mother used to treat burns like this, but her mixtures of herbs always took around a day to really start making a difference. I'm so glad that Haymitch sent this of all gifts because I hate burn more than any other injury. I have since I was young and walked in on my mother treating someone who's flesh was burned off from a mine explosion. He died.

Gale is hovering nervously at my side, waiting for me to get up. I gingerly put my hands on the floor and push myself into a sitting position. It feels fine so I stand up, still amazed at how fast-acting the ointment was. Gale puts his arm around my shoulders and I know what Haymitch meant in his note.

This is what the Capitol really wanted to see: proper love and emotion for each other. Fear and us saving each other. Haymitch is definitely more intelligent than he lets on. I don't need to, but I lean slightly on him as I walk to show the Capitolites how much I trust and love Gale.

That moment where he nearly died showed me: I didn't even have to think before throwing myself at him to knock him out of the way. I didn't even care that I might die so long as he lived. And that soft, loving kiss he gave me showed me how much he cared for me. Not that him volunteering didn't show that.

I need to get my mind of that now though. There are still things to plan. How Gale will get his bow, how we can get together to make the attack. The careers don't trust us already, I know that. They don't often put people from the same District together, but with us it's even worse. I've never been on the same hunting team as Gale.

Perhaps I should pretend my leg is still burnt. The skin is bright pink and shiny so it shouldn't be too hard and of course Gale will end up staying with me. He can get his bow, we can meet with Aravis. The attack will happen and assuming it works then our main worries in the Games will be over. The other tributes, minus Thresh, will be easy prey.

I lean on Gale slightly as I walk to support the idea of my leg still being injured for when they see us coming and explain my idea to him. He takes it well, nodding and saying that that will be believable as they all see him as a star-crossed lover, so that is the plan we decide. Aravis could have helped us with this, she's better with planning, whereas Gale and I have the odd genius moments. Like the star-crossed lover plan.

The career camp comes into sight, where Clove, Cato, Mara and Marvel are already sitting. Marvel seems to have a few minor burns and they all seem a bit tired from running and breathing in smoke, but they are all pretty much unharmed. I put on the limp even more, my head resting on Gale's shoulder acting as if I am really hurt. Not enough to be useless, but a few minutes after a huge burn that will get better quickly type injury.

"Katniss?" Mara asks. "What happened to your leg."

"Fireball," I growl. "Protecting Gale. It should be better in about a day or two, but I don't think I can hunt for the next few days."

"Fine," Cato responds. "Can you keep guard alone?"

"Yes, I think so," I reply. "It's just travelling that I have difficulty with."

"You won't be alone," Gale insists. "I'll stay with you on guard." He looks around, as if daring any career to go against him. Protective Gale is probably what the Capitol want to see now anyway and he does it very well. Very believably. No one protests against his idea and Cato just grunts.

"If you must," Marvel says in a superior tone. "But you would be of a lot more use hunting."

"You don't have to stay.." I start, knowing that he will interrupt me. It makes it look convincing though.

"I'm staying with Katniss," Gale repeats.

"Well I won't insist that you go.." I say, to keep along with both being convincing and being a star-crossed lover. "But I don't want you to feel tied down to me."

"Oh, and Everdeen?" Clove says, threateningly. "You're on thin ice. You'd better be well enough to hunt by tomorrow afternoon. This fire storm was your fault." I open my mouth to protest that I didn't ask for myself and Gale to be nearly roasted, but she speaks before I can say a word. "And don't say it wasn't your fault. I doubt it's a coincidence that the first attack of this kind for five years happened after the 'girl on fire' and 'boy who was ablaze' things."

"I'll be well enough by tomorrow afternoon," I promise. "I can even come now if you really want."

Mara snorts. "Just accept that you're injured Everdeen. It's just until tomorrow afternoon." Well that went better than I thought it would. I wasn't expecting the be ready by tomorrow or we kill you thing, but I will be better by tomorrow and hopefully most of the careers will be dead by tomorrow.

"Fine," I mutter, as if disappointed.

The careers split into two groups and leave. It seems that the plan worked. Gale and I sit in silence for a few minutes, then when we're confident that they can't see us, we head to the pile of weapons and food. There are two bows in the pile, my one and a spare that was probably intended for Gale. We strap the bows to our back and also collect two sets of knives.

Gale looks like a true career, I think, seeing him standing with the arena bow on his back and belt of knives around his waist. But there's something else about it, his face. His eyes are filled with determination and I can see that he has accepted that he will need to kill for one of us to come back. It's something I've accepted too, I realise, and wonder how I look to him.

Gale reaches across and takes my hands in his. "Katniss, we'll get through this," he says. "We won't die. And I die, remember that I love you. Tell Rory and mum that I love them."

"And if you win Gale, remember that I love you too. Tell Prim and mum that I love them." The words come from my mouth naturally, this isn't playing for the Capitol. I actually mean it. I love Gale. I reach over hesitantly and kiss him lightly on the lips. He seems surprised, but pleased and our lips are together for a second more before we pull apart.

There is silence for a moment and I wonder if I did something wrong when he opens his mouth. "You are incredible Katniss," he says finally. "You will always be my only love."

I don't really know what to say to this, so I murmur, "thanks Gale," and then straighten up. "We should find Aravis."

"You're right, we should."

We hold hands and head to the clearing, our footsteps light on the soft ground. "Aravis?" I ask, slowly and quietly. There is no answer, but I hear a slither of leaves and Aravis drops from a tree in front of me.

"I've been waiting for you," she says impatiently. I see her eyes sweep up and down our bodies, taking in the bows and knives and the sword at Gale's side before saying, "I take it you're ready then?"

"We have what we need," Gale replies. "Are you?"

She opens her jacket, showing a selection of throwing knives inside. "As ready as I'll ever be. I've said goodbye to my mum and dad and sister."

"You have a sister?" I ask, in slight surprise and curiosity. I don't know why I'm surprised, but I just never imagined Foxface to have a sister.

"She's thirteen," Foxface responds, her soft brown eyes shining with emotion. "When I was reaped she tried to volunteer for me. I didn't let her, she wouldn't have a chance." Like Prim, a malicious voice in my head whispers. You might end up killing a girl who's just trying to get back to her sister.

"I'm sorry," I say to her.

"What for?" She seems surprised by my apology. "It wasn't your fault I was reaped, it wasn't your fault I have a sister." Her voice stays level throughout her response and I wonder if this is how she copes. I get angry with people in general, she gets angry at the Capitol and is smart enough not to show it.

"For this whole situation," I reply. "I have a sister too. Her name's Prim. She's only twelve and I love her more than anybody else in the world."

"That's how I feel about Tessa," Rusty replies sadly. Suddenly all emotion leaves her voice. "I suggest that we wait up there," she says, gesturing to the middle branches of a tall oak tree. I can easily see why it is a good place, we can keep a look out for the careers, if we fall we can grab lower branches and the leaves make a nice canopy over the inner branches. Perfect.

"I agree," Gale says. "We attack when they are close enough to reach the supplies within a minute or so. They will hear the explosion, then we rain arrows and knives down on them."

"Why don't we just wait until they come and use the explosion to blow them up?" Rusty asks.

"It will take more than one knife or arrow to knock the apples down," I reply. "They'll know and will get away if they see us. This is the only way we can kill some of them and blow up their food supply." I grin sadistically. "And I bet you anything careers don't learn how to hunt."

Aravis and Gale smile along with me for a second and laugh. "I doubt that they've ever had to hunt in their pampered District 1 and 2 lives," Rusty says resentfully. It was more of a sadistic vengeful laughing than an actual humour laugh, definitely. We scale the tree, me going first because I'm good at knowing which branches will hold our weight, then Gale and then Rusty.

We perch on the thick branch, mainly covered by leaves. Gale and I load arrows and Foxface pulls out a knife. We sit in silence for what feels like hours, but is probably only a few minutes, waiting for the four careers to return to the camp by the lake. Footsteps catch our attention at the same time, and the careers are laughing, probably at another few tributes they killed off. Gale, Foxface, Cato, Clove, Mara, Marvel, Thresh and me are the only tributes left now, I think.

Foxface signals at us to fire at the bag of apples. Gale and I shoot at the same time, our arrows slicing through the top of the bag. Almost there, I think, nocking another arrow. I let the arrow loose and it hits the apples. The bag bursts open and the apples seem to fall in slow motion to the ground. Our eyes are tracking the apples until one hits the ground.

The explosion that follows made me fall out of the tree in shock as the other apples set off the mines. I hear the shouts of whichever career team was coming back as the rush towards the supplies. The supplies are now in flames, having been blasted by the mine explosion. The ground around them is charred back.

It is moments before the first career comes. Cato's head sticks out of the bushes and he draws a sword, an insane look in his eyes. Clove, Mara and Marvel soon follow. All of the careers. My only thought is damn. They knew. They knew all along that we were planning something and rejoined the two groups once they were out of our sight.

My hand reaches for another arrow and from the corner of my eyes, I see Gale do the same and Foxface draw a knife.

"I'll kill them!" Cato shrieks insanely.

xXx-X-xXx

Cliffhanger.. Sorry for ending it here, but I think the actual attack and reactions to it deserve a chapter of their own. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and please follow, favourite or review. Thanks.

-MoonOfPluto