The Hanging Tree

Chapter One (Part I)

Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games and I am not, and am not affiliated with, Suzanne Collins. There is no financial profit gained from this nor will any be sought.

Hung for a thief with my bones cast to the starving fingers of the mudlarks. I could imagine the sickly feeling of the cold, foul fingers as they would dig at my skin and break apart the brittle bones hidden beneath.

I clenched my fists and squeezed my eyes shut to get the image of Astrella's broken body and empty eyes out of my head. I took a breath to steady myself before reaching out a hand and gently rubbing the horse's head.

"Hey, boy," I said as he nudged his nose toward me, looking for food. I slipped a carrot out of my pocket and held it out for him to eat. "Are you ready?"

When he heard the familiar creaking of the stall door opening, he let out a soft neigh and I urged him to quiet down, offering him a second carrot to give his mouth something else to do.

"We've got to be quiet, Jax," I whispered as I patted his back before slipping a halter on him, attaching a rope to it.

I urged him forward, hurrying him out of the dark, eerie stable and into the cool, night air.

He whinnied again, wanting more food and I shushed him.

"Later, Jax," I promised but he lowered his head and found the rest of the carrots in my pocket and pulled them out and neighed again, pleased with himself.

I was exasperated but had to bite my lip to keep from laughing at the whole thing. I let him eat another one before pocketing the rest so he wouldn't get a stomachache and then, when we'd left the abandoned ranch behind and reached the dirt path, I pulled myself up onto his back.

He shifted, waiting for my signal, as I leaned forward and when I lightly urged him forward, he took off like a bullet, shooting forward so fast I'd almost fallen off but I retained my grip and grinned against the wind that whipped my pale blond hair around my face.

I flew down the road, passing the lake and my family's ranch and leaving them far behind, before veering off of the path and heading toward the plateau in the distance. When we neared the plateau, I urged Jax into a light trot and then a walk, stopping at the edge of the crowd of people, shouting and laughing amongst one another.

I slid off Jax, guiding him forward to a water trough set up at the edge of the group in an patch of grass and loosely tied the rope to a nearby wooden pole hastily stuck up, letting him rest.

I offered him another carrot and had just begun to pat him on the back when someone emerged from the rowdy sea of bodies and jogged toward me.

"Rowan! It's about time!" My brother shouted, wearing a crooked grin. He threw something toward me - a bottle - and I caught it, sniffed it, recognized it as alcohol and then, when he'd turned away, abruptly tossed it behind me.

"Kota! Kota, where did you go?" A voice yelled from behind him. "Kota, you son of a -,"

Mieka approached from behind him and jerked to a stop at the sight of me.

I stared at her for a second before bursting out in laughter.

"I'm impressed," I told Kota. "What'd you do to get her to come? Tie her up and drag her here?"

Kota laughed but before he could say anything, Mieka crossed her arms over her chest and huffed.

"He might as well have," She muttered.

Kota snorted. "Oh, please. That is not what happened -,"

"Well, in any case, he gave me no choice -,"