Chapter 23 Chapter 23 Fox Face and Wild Fruits

I really want to dive headlong into the stew and gulp it into my mouth and eat it all in three bites.But Peeta stopped me. "We'd better take our time with that stew, remember our first night on the train? I ate so much I felt sick and I haven't even felt hungry since." "You're right, there's no way I'd eat all of this!" I said regretfully.In fact, we have no regrets, we are very rational.Each of us ate an egg roll, half an apple, and rice stew with the size of an egg.I ate the stew - they even brought silverware and plates - and let us savor the food.After we finished eating, I was still staring at the food with greedy eyes.

"I still want to eat." "Me too, so let's wait an hour, and if we're still hungry, we'll eat more," Peeta said. "Agreed, it must be a long hour," I said. "Maybe not that long," Peeta said. "What you said before the food came, it was about me...no competition...it's best for you..." "Those last words, I don't remember saying them," I said, hoping it was dark enough for the camera to miss my blushing. "Oh, yes, that's what I was thinking," he said. "I'm freezing over there." I make room for him in the sleeping bag.We leaned against the cave wall, my head resting on his shoulder, and he put his arms around me.I can feel Haymitch saying - stay in this position. "So, there were five of us, didn't you notice the other girls?" I asked him.

"No, I've seen almost every girl, but you've left the most lasting impression on me," he said. "Your parents must be surprised that you like a 'Sandwich' girl," I said. "It's a little bit, but I don't care. Anyway, if we can go back, you won't be a girl from The Seam, you'll be a girl from Victory Village," he said. That's right, if we win the game, we'll each get a house just for the winner of the Hunger Games.Long ago, at the beginning of the Hunger Games, the Capitol built twelve beautiful houses in each district.Of course, only one house in our district is occupied.

Speaking of this, I feel very disturbed. "Then, our only neighbor is Haymitch!" "Ah, is that good," Peeta said, giving me a tight hug. "You, me, and Haymitch, it's cozy. Picnics, birthday parties, and we can sit around the fire on long winter nights and tell Hunger Games stories." "I'm telling you, he hates me!" I said.Haymitch has become my new friend, which is ridiculous. "Sometimes he might be, but when he's serious, I don't hear him say a bad word about you," Peeta said. "But he's never serious!" I objected.

"Yeah. Who am I talking about? Oh, yeah, Cinna likes you mostly because you didn't run away when he lit your fire," Peeta said. "As for him, Haymitch... umm , if I were you, I would also avoid him, he doesn't like you." "I thought you'd say I was his favorite," I said. "He hates me more," Peeta said. "I don't think he fits in with most people." I know the audience loves that we make fun of Haymitch.He's been in the game for so long that, for some, he's an all-too-familiar face.He has become a household name since his fall from the stage at the Harvest Festival ceremony.At this very moment, someone must have dragged him out of the control room for an interview about us.I don't know what kind of nonsense he will make up.He's at a disadvantage because most instructors have partners who can help each other out, but Haymitch has to be ready for a fight.Kind of like when I was alone in an arena.I wonder how he manages to drink, stay sober, and try to keep us alive.

It's funny, I don't get on very well with Haymitch in private, but maybe Peeta is right, we're very similar, and I seem to agree with him on many things: such as the time control of giving gifts, after his delay When I'm not given water, I know I'm near water, and cough sleeping syrup isn't for Peeta's pain, and the romance I'm supposed to be acting on now.In fact, he didn't put much effort into communicating with Peeta. Maybe he thought that to Peeta, a bowl of broth was a bowl of broth, but I could see why. It occurred to me that I was amazed how long this question had been on my mind, maybe because I hadn't been curious about Haymitch until recently.

"How do you think he did it?" "Who? What?" Peeta asks. "Haymitch, how did he win the race?" I said. Peeta thought for a long time, but didn't answer.Haymitch was strong, but not as big as Cato and Thrash.He wasn't particularly handsome, either, and he wasn't the type to get a lot of presents from his patrons.And he has a surly temperament, it is hard to imagine anyone willing to be with him.There's only one way Haymitch can win.I just said why, and Peeta blurted out too. "He's smarter than the others," Peeta said. I nodded and said nothing more.Privately I wondered if Haymitch was awake long enough to keep Peeta and me alive, because he thought we were smart enough to survive.Maybe he wasn't always drunk.Maybe, when he was the instructor at the beginning, he really helped the players, and slowly he found it unbearable.Mentoring two children and then watching them die was painful.I realized that if I could get out of here, then, year after year, this would be my job too.Guiding the girls in District 12, I was reluctant.I am determined not to think about it.

After about half an hour passed, I decided I needed to eat something.Peeta himself was too hungry to argue with me.We scooped out two spoonfuls of rice stew and were about to eat it when the national anthem rang out.Peeta peers out at the sky through a crack in the stone. "Nothing to see tonight," I said, far more interested in the stewed rice than in the aerial images. "There will be nothing, and we won't hear the cannon." "Katniss," Peeta said softly. "What? Are we going to split another egg roll?" I asked. "Katniss," he repeated, but I still didn't pay much attention.

"I'm going to split one, but I'm saving the cheese for tomorrow," I said.I see Peeta just staring at me, "What?" "Sarish's dead," Peeta said. "He can't," I said. "It must have been a cannon when it thundered, we didn't hear it," Peeta said. "Are you sure? I mean, it's pouring rain, I don't know how you see it," I said.I pushed him away from the edge of the stone and looked out into the dark rainy night.For about ten seconds, I saw a distorted image of Saresh, so to speak, he was really gone.That's it.

I sat down beside the stone wall in a daze, temporarily forgetting what I was doing.Salish is dead.I should be happy, shouldn't I?There is one less opponent, a strong opponent.But I wasn't happy, all I could think about was Saresh letting me go, for Lulu, the girl with the spear in her belly. "Are you okay?" Peeta asked. I shrugged, confused.I crossed my arms and stayed close to my body, trying to hide my true feelings as best I could.Otherwise, who would sponsor someone who mourns the deaths of other contestants?Lulu is something else, we are partners.And she is very small.But at this time no one understands my grief for Saresh's death.One word popped into my head: Murder!Thank God I didn't yell, or it wouldn't do me any good in the arena.I faltered, "Actually, if we don't win... I hope Saresh wins because he let me go, and Lulu."

"Yes, I understand, but that means we're closer to District 12." He pushed a plate of food into my hand, "Eat it, it's still hot." I gulped down the stewed meat with rice, pretending not to care, but the rice swirled in my mouth, and it was hard to swallow it. "That means Cato will come to us." "Maybe he's getting his supplies again." "He's probably hurt too, I guess." "Why do you say that?" Peeta said. "Because Saresh must have had a hard fight with Cato before he went down, he's so strong and they're in his turf," I said. "The more Cato is injured, the worse it will be. I wonder what happened to Foxface?" "Oh, she's fine," I said angrily, still indignant at the thought of her hiding in the Horn of Zeus, which I didn't expect, "maybe it's easier to find Salish than to find her." "Maybe they find each other, and we can go straight home," Peeta said, "but we have to be extra careful when we're on sentry, and I've dozed off a few times." "Me too," I admitted, "but not tonight." We finished our meal in silence, and Peeta offered to watch first.I got into my sleeping bag and lay down next to him, closing the lid to block the camera lens.I need a little privacy, to release the expression on my face.Underneath the lid, I silently say goodbye to Salish and thank him for saving my life.I secretly made a wish that I must remember him. If I win, I will help his family and Lulu's family.Then I drifted off to sleep, my stomach full and the warmth of Peeta by my side. I smell cheese all of a sudden when Peeta wakes me up, holding up half an omelet with white cheese and apple slices. "Don't be silly, I still want to eat, this is half of yours." "Oh, good," I said, taking a big bite right away.The rich cheese tastes like the cheese made by Prim, and the apples are sweet and crisp, "Oh!" "We make cheese a lot in the bakery, and apple tarts," he said. "It must be expensive," I said. "It's too expensive, and our family can't afford it, unless it's been stored for too long and it's stale. In fact, everything we eat has a long shelf life." Peeta said.He pulled his sleeping bag up and within a minute he was asleep. Ha, I always thought shopkeepers were having a good time.Yeah, there's always enough food for Peeta, but stale bread, the kind that's dry and hard and nobody wants to eat, sucks too.As for us, our food is brought back on a daily basis, so most of the time what we eat is freshly made, but we don’t know if the food will be available the next day. When I was on guard, the rain didn't fall slowly, but stopped suddenly.The downpour has stopped, only the water dripping slowly from the branches, and the stream rushing around us.A full moon rises in the sky, it is beautiful, even without glasses, everything around can be seen clearly.I couldn't tell if the moon was real or just an image created by the contest organizers.I think back to the night before I left home the moon was full and Gail and I watched it rise as we spent our final hours hunting. How long have I been away from home?It's been about two weeks since I've been in the arena, plus a week of preparations in the Capitol, maybe the moon will be full again.Somehow, I'm particularly eager that the moon that hangs high in the sky at this time is our home moon, the same moon I saw in District 12.In this way, in a surreal world where everything is an imaginary arena, there is finally something real. There are four people left. For the first time, I contemplated the possibility of coming home myself.I thought of honor, I thought of wealth, I thought of my own house in Victor Village.Mom and Prim can live there with me.There is a new freedom in not having to worry about going hungry anymore.and then? ……How about it?What will my day-to-day life look like?I used to run around for three meals a day, but now it has changed. I don't know who I am and what my identity is.Thinking of this, I felt a panic in my heart.I thought about Haymitch, he was rich, but what about his life?He was alone, without a wife or children, and he was drunk most of his waking hours.I don't want to be in this situation. "But you won't be alone." I whispered to myself.I have mom and Prim.Well, now that's it, then what? ... Prim is grown up, my mother is dead, and I don't want to think about the future.I know I will never get married and take the risk of bringing a child into this world, because the victor cannot fully guarantee the safety of his own child, whose name will be put on the big tree at the Harvest Ceremony along with everyone else's. In the glass ball, I swore I would never let this happen again. The sun finally came up, and the sunlight shone in through the cracks in the stones, shining on Peeta's face.What would his life be like if we could actually go home?This incomprehensible but kind boy would spin a convincing lie to convince the whole of Panem that he was madly in love with me.And I admit, a few times, even I believed him.At least, I think we'll be friends, we've saved each other's lives, that's the truth.No matter what, he will always be the boy who gave me the bread, a good friend.Besides... I feel like Gale's gray eyes have been following me and Peeta from District 12 to the arena. I was lying uncomfortable, moved, turned around and shook Peeta's shoulders.He opened his sleepy eyes, and when he woke up and his eyes fell on my face, he pushed me down and kissed me long. "We're wasting hunting time," I said, breaking free of him at last. "I don't think so." He sat up and stretched himself. "Then, is it easier for us to catch prey with an empty stomach?" "No," I said, "we'll have more energy when we're full." "Count me in," Peeta said.I handed him the rest of the rice stew, and he was surprised, "Eat it all?" "We'll earn it back today," I said.We ate.Even cold, it was the best food I've ever had.I put down my fork and scrape up the last bits of gravy with my fingers. "Effie Trinket's mouth will curl when she sees me like this." "Hey Effie, look at this!" Peeta said, throwing the fork behind him and licking the plate clean with his tongue while making loud contented noises.Then he blew her a kiss and yelled, "I miss you, Effie!" I put my hand over his mouth, but I laughed too. "Stop barking, or Cato will be outside the cave." He grabs my hand and pulls it aside, "What do I care? You're protecting me now," Peeta said, pulling me toward him. "Stop making trouble." I was anxious and wanted to break away from his grasp, but he still kissed me first. We packed our bags, came outside the cave, and immediately became serious.For the past few days, Cato has been tracking Saresh, we hid in the hole of the heavy rain, and the tension was temporarily relaxed, as if we had spent a vacation.Now, although the sun is shining and the weather is warm, we both feel like we are back in the Hunger Games again.I hand Peeta the knife, whatever weapon he used to have and it's gone now, and he straps it to his waist.My last seven arrows—the original twelve, three spent in the blast and two at the banquet—clanged in the sagging quiver.I can no longer lose my own arrows. "He's looking for us," Peeta said. "Gato isn't the type to wait for prey to come." "If he gets hurt—" I said. "It's okay," Peeta cut me off, "if he can move, he'll be looking for us." It had rained for several days and the water had risen several feet on both banks.We stopped to fill our water bottles.I checked the sets I had placed a few days ago and got nothing.In this weather, it is not surprising.Also, I haven't seen many animal sightings in this area. "If we're going to get game, we'd better go back to where I was hunting," I said. "At your command, you just tell me what to do," Peeta said. "Watch your surroundings carefully," I said. "Try to walk on the rocks. There is no need to leave his footprints. You have to listen carefully for us." It is now clear that the explosion has completely deafened my left ear. I walk in the water so that no traces are left.But I'm not sure if Peeta's injured leg can handle the force of the stream.Despite the anti-inflammatory effects of the medication, he was still weak.The knife wound on my head still hurts, but it has been three days and the bleeding has stopped, but I still have a bandage on my head to prevent external shocks from tearing the wound open again. As we walked up the stream, we passed where Peeta had camouflaged himself in the grass and mud.Fortunately, under the washing of heavy rain and torrents, all traces have disappeared.This means, if necessary, we can return to the cave.Otherwise, I wouldn't risk Cato following us. As we walked forward, the stones became smaller and smaller, from big stones to small stones, and finally to pebbles. I was relieved, and we returned to the gentle forest area covered with soft pine needles.But for the first time, I realized that we have a problem. Walking on a rocky place with a bad leg will definitely make noise. Even if you walk on the soft ground covered with pine needles, Peeta's footsteps are also loud. .The more I thought about the loudness issue, the more I felt that Peeta's footsteps were loud, like stomping, and I turned my head to look at him. "What's the matter?" he asked. "Take your steps lightly," I said. "Forget about Cato, you've scared the rabbits away for ten miles." "Really?" he said, "I'm sorry, I don't know." We walked on again, and his footsteps were a little quieter, but even with a good ear his voice was usually enough to make me jump. "Can you take your boots off?" I suggested to him. "Here?" he asked suspiciously, as if I wanted him to walk barefoot on coals.I had to remind myself that he was still very uncomfortable with the forest, which was a terrible exclusion zone outside the twelve-area barrier.Then I thought of Gail's light footsteps again.It was strange how low his voice was, and when the leaves were gone it was difficult to walk quietly over the ground even without chasing prey.I'm sure he's laughing at home! "Yeah," I said patiently, "I'll take it off too, so we're both much quieter." It's as if I, too, have a pretty loud voice.Then we both took off our boots and socks.The sound was quieter, but I'm sure he was stomping hard on every branch. Needless to say, although it took me several hours to walk to Lulu and I's original camp, I didn't catch a single game.If the trickle is gentle, you can still catch fish; but now the stream is very fast.As we sat down to rest and drink water, I wondered what I could do.I left Peeta to pick roots and go hunting myself.That way, he would have only one knife for self-defense and against Cato's lance, who clearly had the upper hand.So the best thing to do is to hide him in a safe place and go hunting and come back to him later.But I feel that with his conceited character, he will not agree to do so. "Katniss," he said, "we must part, I know I've scared the prey away." "Just because your leg is hurt," I said, being considerate of him.In fact, this is only a small problem. "I know," he said, "then why don't you keep going? Tell me what plants are edible, so we can both have work." "It's not good for Cato to come after you." I tried to speak in a gentle tone, but it sounded like I still thought he was weak. Surprisingly, he just smiled. "You see, I can handle Cato, I've fought him before, haven't I?" Yes, he did a great job and nearly died lying in the mud, that's what I want to say, but I can't.He did confront Cato head-on and save my life, and I tried to convince him with another tactic. "What do you think of you climbing up a tree as a sentry while I hunt?" I said, trying to make his job sound important. "You tell me what's edible, and then you go get some meat, what do you think?" he said, imitating me, "just don't go far in case you need help." I had to sigh and tell him which plant roots and wild vegetables can be eaten.We do need food, no doubt about it.An apple, two omelets and a piece of cheese the size of a plum won't last long.I'm only a short distance away, and I hope Cato is still far away. I also taught him a bird song—not Lulu's beautiful tune, but a simple two-note call—so we could communicate and say we were safe.Fortunately, he learned quickly.Leave him the bag, and I'll go hunting. I feel like I'm eleven again, where the fence used to be my safe zone and now it's marked by Peeta, and I'm only allowing myself to go twenty or thirty yards away from Peeta.Although not far away, without Peeta in sight, the forest is alive again with the sights and sounds of animals.Hearing his bird song, I was relieved and walked a little further away.Soon, I hit two rabbits and a fat squirrel.I think that's enough, I can make some more tricks, catch a few fish, plus the roots and wild vegetables that Pita dug, it's enough to eat for a while. I started walking back.Thinking that I hadn't contacted for a while, I immediately sang a bird, but there was no reply.I ran back quickly, and soon, I saw the backpack, a pile of plant roots neatly placed beside it, and a layer of berries on a piece of plastic sheeting on the ground, with the sun slanting on it.But where is he? "Peeta!" I yelled, panicking. "Peta!" There was a rustling sound from the nearby bushes, and I raised my arrow, almost piercing Peeta's heart.Luckily, I pulled the bow high at the last second and the arrow landed right on the trunk of an oak tree to his left.He jumped back, throwing the berries he was holding onto the floor. I was startled and angry, "What are you doing? You should stay here instead of running around in the woods!" "I found some berries by the stream," he said, confused by my anger. "I was singing, why didn't you hear back?" I robbed him and said. "I didn't hear it. The water was too loud, I suppose," he said.He came over and put his hands on my shoulders, and that's when I realized I was shaking. "I thought Cato killed you!" I almost shouted. "No, I'm fine." Peeta pulled me into his arms, but I didn't respond. "Katniss!" I pushed him away, trying to calm down. "If two people agree to use a signal, they have to do it, and if one doesn't answer, it means he's in trouble, shall we?" "Okay!" he said. "Okay. Because that's what happened to Lulu, and I watched her die!" I said.I turned my back on him and took another bottle of water out of my backpack, even though I still had water in my own.I'm not going to forgive him.I noticed the food, the apples and the egg rolls were untouched, but the cheese had apparently been taken by some. "When I'm not around, you still eat alone!" Actually, I don't care, I just want to find fault with him. "What? No, I didn't," Peeta said. "Oh, I guess the apple ate the cheese," I said. "I don't know what ate the cheese," Peeta says slowly, word for word, as if trying not to lose his temper. "It's not me, I've been picking berries by the stream, would you like some?" I actually wanted to eat it, but I didn't want to let it go so soon.I walked over and looked at the berries, I had never seen this variety before.Oh no, I've seen it, but not in the arena.Although it looked like the berry Lulu was talking about, it wasn't, nor was it like the berries I'd known in training.I leaned over to pick up some, twiddling them between my fingers. Dad's voice echoed in my ears. "You can't eat this, Katniss, don't ever touch this. It's a 'killing fruit', and you'll be poisoned to death before it reaches your stomach." Just then, the cannon rang.I dodged, expecting Peeta to fall, but he just raised his eyebrows.The helicopter appeared about a hundred yards away and hoisted Foxface's gaunt form into the air.I could see her hair glowing red in the sun. When I saw Cheese for the first time just now, I should have thought of her... Peeta took my arm and pushed me towards a tree, "Climb up, he'll be there in a while, it's better for us to attack him from the tree." I calmed down and stopped him. "No, Peeta, you killed her, not Cato." "What? I haven't seen her since day one, how could I kill her?" he said. In answer to his question, I held up a berry in my hand.