Disclaimer: All stories are individuals of themselves and are unrelated to each other.
The noise from behind the bush causes Gale to draw his bow. He hasn't been hunting in a few days; his head is muddled with thoughts of the Hunger Games. He knows anything that shakes the bush like this will probably flee before he can get a good shot, but he has to get ready to aim just in case. Imagine his surprise when a blonde falls forward on her hands, grumbling under her breath.
"Undersee?" Gale lowers his bow and offers her a hand. Madge lifts her gaze and accepts the help up, frowning as she dusts dirt off of her dress. "What the hell are you doing out here?"
"My cat got out," she says before starting her search again. Gale raises an eyebrow and follows her tiny footsteps. "Here, kitty kitty kitty…" Madge makes a clicking noise with her mouth and groans. "If she's out through the night," she shakes her head, "I don't want to think about it." She turns back to Gale. "Will you help me look?"
Gale's taken back by the request. He hadn't meant to stumble upon her, nor did he have any intention of helping her. "I'm kind of…" he trails off as her eyes drop. Madge already knows his excuse, he's hunting. He's got the bow and arrow to prove it. She just thought, for once, maybe he wouldn't make a snooty comment about her being from town and just help her. He hadn't made the comment yet but it was in his eyes, how he didn't have time to help someone like her.
"It's alright I'll do it myself," she mutters, starting toward an unmarked trail in the woods. She started her search again when she heard Gale snicker from behind her. "What now?"
"You're following a rabbit trail," Gale shakes his head. "How do you know your cat's in the woods anyway?"
"I followed her all the way out here," she mutters in response. "She slipped under the fence and it took me a bit longer to follow." Madge crosses her arms and eyes up the hunter in front of her. His face is blank beside the slightest upward curve to his lips. "If you're busy then just go be busy," Madge drops her arms and sighs, starting in a different direction. "I'll find her myself."
"Previous knowledge indicates that when an animal is being followed," Gale suddenly says, "that they'll know. And they'll just keep running away." Madge stared blankly at him, waiting for him to continue. "Sit by some tree and wait, your cat'll find you." Madge chews on her lip as she decides if she wants to trust the hunter or not. His eyebrows shoot to his forehead, "What, you don't believe me?" Madge goes to say something but he beats her to it. "Right, because you've been in the woods so many times before. Go find your cat, have fun getting lost."
Madge looks around at the trees that surround them, she's already lost. So she does what he says, she picks a tree and sits down quietly, keeping her gaze away from his. "I'll just be here, then." Gale guffaws, taking the tree across the clearing from her. "What're you doing? I thought you were busy."
"I can tell by the look on your face that you're already lost, Undersee." She frowns, crossing her arms tightly across her chest. "We'll get your cat then I'll take you back to the fence with plenty of daylight to go." Madge starts picking at some grass and Gale watches with curious eyes. "I didn't know you had a cat." Madge keeps her mouth shut, chewing on her cheek. "What's his name?"
"Her," Madge snaps, dropping her gaze from the snickering Hawthorne. "We got her last year, her name's Tiger."
"Tiger? Really?" Again Madge keeps her mouth shut. She rests her head backwards against the tree and takes a deep breath, willing the tears out of her eyes. She hadn't had the cat very long but it was a great comfort to her, especially now with Katniss gone. "Aw, hi," Gale suddenly says, his voice dropping down to a quiet purr. "You must be Tiger." Madge's eyes snap open as Gale pulls a black and orange striped cat into his lap. "This your cat?" Madge nods her head and crawls across the forest floor, uncaring if her dress is getting grass stains.
"How'd you know she'd come?" Madge asks quietly, her hand slowly stroking her kitten.
Gale smirks, "I didn't." He was almost hoping she wouldn't.