(and amateur cartography)

[burnwithus]

The invisible fence that keeps the dinosaurs from entering the rest of the island reminds her of the electrified fence that surrounded District 12. It looked entirely foreign to her, the presence of something modern and terrible in the middle of the forest. She goes no further than the posts that mark it, not stupid enough to risk her life over the

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[likedtheodds]

Eventually, this was always going to happen. Gwaine's been growing more bored by the day and his curiosity at the creatures in the vast wastelands on the other side of the island are too much like dragons and wyverns for him to stay away. He knows about such magical creatures because of his exploring and in avoiding them for as long as he has, it's almost a sort of accomplishment. Today is the day he stops staying away.

Apple in one hand, sword in the other, he wanders through the area, intending to use the fruit as bait at the first lizard he sees.

[likedtheodds]

Gwaine follows her, a wary look on his face. "Katniss," he calls out, when they finally hit the place he's figured out is some sort of magical boundary that the creatures can't pass. "Katniss, hold on," he pleads, running after her to get her to stop. "Thank you. Thank you for saving me when I needed it," he says, admitting that he did need the help.

[burnwithus]

It's the admittance that calms her down, in the end, because Katniss has her own pride and independance enough to know that admitting something like that would be hard for her. So she pauses in her tracks, head turned to listen to him before she shakes her head. Once out of the line of danger, this was easier too.

"It's fine," she muttered, as if the whole ordeal was already forgotten. "You're still an idiot, but I don't regret saving you. Somehow."

[likedtheodds]

"Why do you care, anyhow?" he asks, almost casually as he falls into step with her while they walk. "After all, you're so keen to call me an idiot and all other sorts of names. Wouldn't it just be easier for you if you'd let me to die?" He's always imagined it's coming like that -- a strange creature of magic catching him off guard.

He'll die, but at least he'll die in the midst of something adventurous.

[burnwithus]

"Because --" she stops for a moment. Because you look like him, Katniss was about to say. But that was wrong too, wasn't it? Gale was gone. The hole he had left behind was still there, but that wasn't all of it. The rest were things that he couldn't quite explain, and after a moment, Katniss simply rolls her eyes and pretends to be annoyed like she always does. Prickliness is her go-to defense mechanism, like a cactus with its needles. "Don't ask questions," she finally concedes, looking at him as if daring him to argue.

[likedtheodds]

"Don't ask questions, she says," he echoes, snorting as he walks along, not daring to talk back to her lest she put an arrow in him. "Well, thank you, Little Kit. And what shall I do to repay you? Leave you alone?"

[burnwithus]

"You don't have to repay me," Katniss hates owing people, that's a matter of pride that won't go away. But she has no qualms about others owing her. She won't even really keep track. It just helps to know the score, is all. "It's no big deal."

If this is kindness on her part, she neither sees nor acknowledges it.

[likedtheodds]

"Well, you did save my life," he points out, unable to keep his derisive scoff in. His brow is already pinched and he's feeling an ache coming on. "At least, let me drop off a pelt of something or other on your doorstep. Let you borrow my horse?"

[burnwithus]

"Horse?" Katniss had more than enough pelts and things, and even if she didn't she could always get some herself. But that was one word she hadn't heard much, or at all. There wasn't any use for them in the dystopian future. For all anyone knew, they were extinct. "What's that?"

He's being stupidly stubborn with his need to thank her, but fine. Let him. In some way, Katniss understands. She'd do the same thing.

[likedtheodds]

He stops, absolutely stops, and then grabs at her wrist. "You're coming with me," he says, bringing her along through the paths -- not in the direction of civilization, but towards the stable where he boards Esmeralda. "You've never ridden a horse before? You've never seen one?" he asks, in some disbelief. "I know I'm from a time before most people, but I thought horses would make it through."

[burnwithus]

"It's some kind of animal, right?" when he grabs her wrist, it's very hard for her not to flinch - in fact she does, but unlike in the past, she doesn't lash out. Katniss grudgingly allows herself to be dragged, curiosity winning over. These are things from a world completely different from hers, which she doesn't belong to. She sees it from a distance, head tilting for a moment.

"Wait. You ride it?"

[likedtheodds]

"I can't believe you've never seen one," he says and it really is pure shock that's all over his face as he talks to her. "Come on, you're not just going to see any old horse, you're going to meet mine. He's a beauty, very good for riding, and I've tamed him and fashioned a saddle. It's not the best, but it'll do."

[burnwithus]

He leads her along, the pair of them making their way into the stables, and Katniss stares for a moment, wrinkling her nose. It stinks in here, which is saying something because she's no stranger to weird smells. District 12 wasn't exactly the cleanest place in Panem. She watches what she assumes to be the horse warily.

"You could probably feed a family for two weeks with one," she murmurs, taking in how big it is. "There's a lot of meat on it."

[likedtheodds]

"Well, we're not in your world anymore, Little Kit," he says, protecting Esmeralda with his body in front of the stallion, worried that she might come up with a great number of ideas. "Here," he offers, extending his hand to her. "I'll help you up."

[burnwithus]

Normally, Katniss would have eschewed any help altogether, as was her nature, but one glance of the beast told her that there was no way that she was getting on it without any sort of external help and so she nods - grudgingly, but still. It's a step. "How am I supposed to keep from falling off?" she demanded, because there's nothing quite like this in her world. How could there be?

[likedtheodds]

Gwaine presses his lips together to avoid smirking too hard. He brushes a strand of hair back from off his forehead. "Not to sound utterly lascivious," he says, tapping the flank of the horse. "But you're going to have to pretend that you're astride a very handsome boy and hold tight with your legs."