Can't get a break. (snakebird)

"Why must I always get lost in this maze of a forest? wondered Hawthorn Fray. He had been getting lost on this part of his trapping run for two weeks now. It was kind of ridiculous actually. His family was now used to him coming home late from his daily hunt. "I wonder if I can find anyone here that can lead me back to District Nine? I mean surely there must be someone out hunting on a beautiful Friday afternoon."

Out of the corner of his eye he saw a girl. She was obviously a hunter If someone carrying several dead animals through the woods was not a hunter then Hawthorn was deluded. He fell into step behind her. She seemed little nervous and jittery. "She must have done something." He supposed. Suddenly the girl seemed to notice the footsteps behind her. She whirled around and brought up her bow. "Please don't shoot me!" exclaimed Hawthorn. "I'm just trying to get back to the District. I lost my way in the woods. Can you help me?"

The first question the girl asked was how he got out this far. "Isn't that kind of obvious?" He wondered, "I mean I just told her I was lost!" "I just told you I was lost! I mean really, how could you mishear me?" Hawthorn shouted, immediatly wishing he hadn't. Seemingly unfazed by his outburst the girl asked him what his name was and then walked up to him. She seemed like she was sizing him up for something. "Oh, it's probably because she is going to expect me to keep up with her." "Well my name's Hawthorn. What's yours?" She didn't even respond to the inquiry, she just kept talking. God, this girl liked to talk. "If you're coming with me you're helping me carry my kills," she said, "If you can keep up I'll let you keep one of the deer." Then she dropped a six-point buck and a wild dog at his feet and started walking away.

"I get to keep a deer!" He shouted in his head, "My family loves deer." "Thank you very much ma'am. I greatly appreciate you helping me out." She was to far away to hear him though. After a few seconds she had sprinted away and left him in the dust. He began sprinting to keep up with her. "Wait a second! You're really far ahead. Please slow down!" He had made it to fifteen feet behind the girl when a white-robed figure burst through the trees.

The peacekeeper that popped out of the forest got into a stand-off with the girl. She had her bow and the he had a weathered gun. Hawthorn knew that many of the peacekeepers in District Nine were corrupted and able to be bribed. Some of them were not. This appeared to be one of them. The scene in front of him was almost surreal. It seemed to be happening in slow motion as the girl fired at arrow at the peacekeepers knee, crippling him. As he fell to the ground writhing in agony, she quickly ran up to him. Hawthorn thought she was going to dispatch him with another shot. “It wouldn't be much of a step up from what else she had done” he thought. When she gagged the peacekeeper, Hawthorn was thoroughly surprised. “I thought she would quickly kill him instead of just leaving him for the beasts.” He knew that if the peacekeeper was found he would easily be able to identify him. That thought terrified Hawthorn. He had heard the tale of the inhumanity that had gone on at the Detention Center. It had been enough too scare him away from wrongdoing. He was snapped back to reality by the sound of the girl's voice. She said her name was Rosella Cain then took off running again.

Hawthorn struggled to keep up with Rosella as she plowed through the forest. Nothing seemed to slow her down. She was every bit as much of the forest as the animals on her back. Hawthorn was used to slowly meandering back to the District, not the fast-paced running and jumping that came with being helped by Rosella. They had been running back to the District for at least fifteen minutes straight. It was pushing the limits of Hawthorn's physical endurance. He needed a break badly. It was then he saw a perfect opportunity. A lake glistening and gleaming as the rays of the sun bounced off of it. “Can we please get some water Rosella? I'm very thirsty.”