A DEADLY DEVOTION ~ Cato Hadley

•POKE THE BEAR•

Gale hadn't really spoken to Ophelia, not that she minded. If anything it was much more peaceful training the following day. Gale was trying to protect her from Cato in his own way but my god had it been infuriating at times. Whenever he'd catch the grown girl with him he'd go into a type of hissy fit as if he were a child finding another child playing with his favourite toy.

This particular day Ophelia found herself stood alone by a table which had an array of survival items to familiarise herself with. Fishing hooks, rope and more. No one had paid much mind to it so far which surprised her, surely there would be just as many deaths from starvation and natural causes as there would by sword, dagger, arrow etc. Ophelia had initially gravitated to the fish hook, trying to attach it to a wooden stick that would be spear like, trying to replicate such that would allow her to keep herself fed should there be water around. The hook however would continue to fall in every attempt which caused her to smack a hand on the table. The sound would cause something in her peripheral to move.

Lifting her head she'd see dark curls barely peeking out behind a pillar. That was the young girl from district eleven she was sure.

Clearing her throat she'd whisper a "psst" and watch the young girls head poke out. Ophelia would then tilt her head asking the girl to come to her which she would. She had been very timid in her approach though she shouldn't be here, she was barely twelve by the looks of it.

She didn't get too close, keeping at least a foot between them. She was smart, Ophelia liked that.

"Hello" the older of the two would start small, "my name is—"

"Ophelia Fox" the younger girl spoke immediately, "district twelve, with Gale Hawthorne" Ophelia's eyes widened a little, taken by surprise of the young girls calm nature, "my name is Rue, district eleven"

Ophelia smiled down at the girl, "impressive"

"I can't use muscle in the games" Rue's voice had been so soft that it became another hurtful reminder of just how young she had been, "so I must use smarts, that's what my mama told me" she smiled absentmindedly at the thought of her mother, "what did yours tell you?"

Ophelia had noticed the lurking ear behind her when she spoke up knowing no one except Gale had known what she was about to admit to, "nothing" she watched Rue try to work out just what she meant, "I don't have a mother, nor a father" she smiled as sweet as she could watching sadness capture Rue, pity. God Ophelia in her life had been shown enough pity to power a country. She didn't need more, not now, "don't be sad for me, I'm perfectly capable of caring for myself"

Rue couldn't help but ask, "who was there to wave you goodbye?"

"No one"

"I—I'm sorry Ophelia"

"No need to apologise to me Rue" she knelt down closer to Rue's level and held out her hand surprised when Rue placed hers atop letting Ophelia hold it and give it a small squeeze, "more importantly, do you by chance know how to craft a fish hook?"

Rue would laugh at the topic change but shake her head timidly with a smile before waving a goodbye and running off into the shadows again. Rue was a watcher. She paid attention to the talents of her other tributes noting what their weakness's would be in turn.

The clearing of a throat would pull her from her thoughts. Standing straight and turning to see him.

Gale.

His awkward thin lipped smile greeted her whilst she found the hook once again, still partially irate at his need to tell her what she should and shouldn't do. She had only really met him properly less than a week prior and he was telling her to avoid someone he hadn't liked. Of course she'd understood Cato would take her head from her neck the first chance he got but that hadn't been the point. Perhaps she had always been overly independent and the feeling of someone being protective felt foreign to her, it felt near controlling.