ut possible game。 I easily take out a strange bird that must be some form of wild turkey。 Anyway； it looks plenty edible to me。 By late afternoon； I decide to build a small fire to cook the meat； betting that dusk will help conceal the smoke and I can quench the fire by nightfall。 I clean the game； taking extra care with the bird； but thereˇs nothing alarming about it。 Once the feathers are plucked； itˇs no bigger than a chicken； but itˇs plump and firm。 Iˇve just placed the first lot over the coals when I hear the twig snap。
In one motion； I turn to the sound； bringing the bow and arrow to my shoulder。 Thereˇs no one there。 No one I can see anyway。 Then I spot the tip of a childˇs boot just peeking out from behind the trunk of a tree。 My shoulders relax and I grin。 She can move through the woods like a shadow； you have to give her that。 How else could she have followed me？ The words e out of my mouth before I can stop them。
¨You know； theyˇre not the only ones who can form alliances；〃 I say。
For a moment； no response。 Then one of Rueˇs eyes edges round the trunk。 ¨You want me for an ally？〃
¨Why not？ You saved me with those tracker jackers。 Youˇre mart enough to still be alive。 And I canˇt seem to shake you nyway；〃 I say。 She blinks at me； trying to decide。 ¨You hungry？〃 can see her swallow hard； her eye flickering to the eat。 ¨e on then； Iˇve had two kills today。〃
Rue tentatively steps out into the open。 ¨I can fix your tings。〃
¨Can you？〃 I ask。 ¨How？〃
She digs in the pack she carries and pulls out a handful of eaves。 Iˇm almost certain theyˇre the ones my mother uses。 Whereˇd you find those？〃
¨Just around。 We all carry them when we work in the orchards。 hey left a lot of nests there；〃 says Rue。 ¨There are a lot ere； too。〃
¨Thatˇs right。 Youˇre District Eleven。 Agriculture；〃 I say。 Orchards； huh？ That must be how you can fly around the rees like youˇve got wings。〃 Rue smiles。 Iˇve landed on one of the few things sheˇll admit pride in。 ¨Well； e on； then。 Fix me up。〃
I plunk down by the fire and roll up my pant leg to reveal the sting on my knee。 To my surprise； Rue places the handful of leaves into her mouth and begins to chew them。 My mother would use other methods； but itˇs not like we have a lot of options。 After a minute or so； Rue presses a gloppy green wad of chewed leaves and spit on my knee。
¨Ohhh。〃 The sound es out of my mouth before I can stop it。 Itˇs as if the leaves are actually leaching the pain right out of the sting。
Rue gives a giggle。 ¨Lucky you had the sense to pull the stingers out or youˇd be a lot worse。〃
¨Do my neck！ Do my cheek！〃 I almost beg。
Rue stuffs another handful of leaves in her mouth； and soon Iˇm laughing because the relief is so sweet。 I notice a long burn on Rueˇs forearm。 ¨Iˇve got something for that。〃 I set aside my weapons and anoint her arm with the burn medicine。
¨You have good sponsors；〃 she says longingly。
¨Have you gotten anything yet？〃 I ask。 She shakes her head。 ¨You will； though。 Watch。 The closer we get to the end； the more people will realize how clever you are。〃 I turn the meat over。
¨You werenˇt joking； about wanting me for an ally？〃 she asks。
¨No； I meant it；〃 I say。 I can almost hear Haymitch groaning as I team up with this wispy child。 But I want her。 Because sheˇs a survivor； and I trust her； and why not admit it？ She reminds me of Prim。
¨Okay；〃 she says； and holds out her hand。 We shake。 ¨Itˇs a deal。〃
Of course； this kind of deal can only be temporary； but neither of us mentions that。
Rue contributes a big handful of some sort of starchy root to the meal。 Roasted over the fire； they have the sharp sweet taste of a parsnip。 She recognizes the bird； too； some wild thing they call a groosling in her district。 She says sometimes a flock will wander into the orchard and they get a decent lunch that day。 For a while； all conversation stops as we fill our stomachs。 The groosling has delicious meal thatˇs so fatty； the grease drips down your face when you bite into it。
¨Oh；〃 says Rue with a sigh。 ¨Iˇve never had a whole leg to myself before。〃
Iˇll bet she hasnˇt。 Iˇll bet meat hardly ever es her way。 ¨Take the other；〃 I say。
¨Really？〃 she asks。
¨Take whatever you want。 Now that Iˇve got a bow and arrows； I can get more。 Plus Iˇve got snares。 I can show you how to set them；〃 I say。 Rue still looks uncertainly at the leg。 ¨Oh； take it；〃 I say； putting the drumstick in her hands。 ¨It will only keep a few days anyway； and weˇve got the whole bird plus the rabbit。〃 Once sheˇs got hold of it； her appetite wins out and she takes a huge mouthful。
¨Iˇd have thought； in District Eleven； youˇd have a bit more to eat than us。 You know； since you grow the food；〃 I say。
Rueˇs eyes widen。 ¨Oh； no； weˇre not allowed to eat the crops。〃
¨They arrest you or something？〃 I ask。
¨They whip you and make everyone else watch；〃 says Rue。 ¨The mayorˇs very strict about it。〃
I can tell by her expression that itˇs not that unmon an occurrence。 A public whippingˇs a rare thing in District 12； although occasionally one occurs。 Technically； Gale and I could be whipped on a daily basis for poaching in the woods well； technically； we could get a whole lot worse except all the officials buy our meat。 Besides； our mayor； Madgeˇs father； doesnˇt seem to have much taste for such events。 Maybe being the least prestigious； poorest； most ridiculed district in the country has its advantages。 Such as； being largely ignored by the Capitol as long as we produce our coal quotas。
¨Do you get all the coal you want？〃 Rue asks。
¨No；〃 I answer。 ¨Just what we buy and whatever we track in on our boots。〃
¨They feed us a bit extra during harvest； so that people can keep going longer；〃 says Rue。
¨Donˇt you have to be in school？〃 I ask。
¨Not during harvest。 Everyone works then；〃 says Rue。
Itˇs interesting； hearing about her life。 We have so little munication with anyone outside our district。 In fact； I wonder if the Gamemakers are blocking out our conversation； because even though the information seems harmless； they donˇt want people in different districts to know about one another。
At Rueˇs suggestion； we lay out all our food to plan ahead。 Sheˇs seen most of mine； but I add the last couple of crackers and beef strips to the pile。 Sheˇs gathered quite a collection of roots； nuts； greens； and even some berries。
I roll an unfamiliar berry in my fingers。 ¨You sure this is safe？〃
¨Oh； yes； we have them back home。 Iˇve been eating them for days；〃 she says； popping a handful in her mouth。 I tentatively bite into one； and itˇs as good as our blackberries。 Taking Rue on as an ally seems a better choice all the time。 We divide up our food supplies； so in case weˇre separated； weˇll both be set for a few days。 Apart from the food； Rue has a small water skin； a homemade slingshot； and an extra pair of socks。 She also has a sharp shard of rock she uses as a knife。 ¨I know itˇs not much；〃 she says as if embarrassed； ¨but I had to get away from the Cornucopia fast。〃
¨You did just right；〃 I say。 When I spread out my gear； she gasps a little when she sees the sunglasses。
¨How did you get those？〃 she asks。
¨In my pack。 Theyˇve been useless so far。 They donˇt block the sun and they make it harder to see；〃 I say with a shrug。
¨These arenˇt for sun； theyˇre for darkness；〃 exclaims Rue。 ¨Sometimes； when we harvest through the night； theyˇll pass out a few pairs to those of us highest in the trees。 Where the torchlight doesnˇt reach。 One time； this boy Martin； he tried to keep his pair。 Hid it in his pants。 They killed him on the spot。〃
¨They killed a boy for taking these？〃 I say。
¨Yes； and everyone knew he was no danger。 Martin wasnˇt right in the head。 I mean； he still acted like a three…year…old。 He just wanted the glasses to play with；〃 says Rue。
Hearing this makes me feel like District 12 is some sort of safe haven。 Of course； people keel over from starvation all the time； but I canˇt imagine the Peacekeepers murdering a simpleminded child。 Thereˇs a little girl； one of Greasy Saeˇs grandkids； who wanders around the Hob。 Sheˇs not quite right； but sheˇs treated as a sort of pet。 People toss her scraps and things。
¨So what do these do？〃 I ask Rue； taking the glasses。
¨They let you see in plete darkness；〃 says Rue。 ¨Try them tonight when the sun goes down。〃
I give Rue some matches and she makes sure I have plenty of leaves in case my stings flare up again。 We extinguish our fire and head upstream until itˇs almost nightfall。
¨Where do you sleep？〃 I ask her。 ¨In the trees？〃 She nods。 ¨In just your jacket？〃
Rue holds up her extra pair of socks。 ¨I have these for my hands。〃
I think of how cold the nights have been。 ¨You can share my sleeping bag if you want。 Weˇll both easily fit。〃 Her face lights up。 I can tell this is more than she dared hope for。
We pick a fork high in a tree and settle in for the night just as the anthem begins to play。 There were no deaths today。
¨Rue； I only woke up today。 How many nights did I miss？〃 The anthem should block out our words； but still I whisper。 I even take the precaution of covering my lips with my hand。 I donˇt want the audience to know what Iˇm planning to tell her about Peeta。 Taking a cue from me； she does the same。
¨Two；〃 she says。 ¨The girls from Districts One and Four are dead。 Thereˇs ten of us left。〃
¨Something strange happened。 At least； I think it did。 It might have been the tracker jacker venom making me imagine things；〃 I say。 ¨You know the boy from my district？ Peeta？ I think he saved my life。 But he was with the Careers。〃
¨Heˇs not with them now；〃 she says。 ¨Iˇve spied on their base camp by the lake。 They made it back before they collapsed from the stingers。 But heˇs not there。 Maybe he did save you and had to run。〃
I donˇt answer。 If； in fact； Peeta did save me； Iˇm in his debt again。 And this canˇt be paid back。 ¨If he did； it was all probably just part of his act。 You know； to make people think heˇs in love with me。〃
¨Oh；〃 says Rue thoughtfully。 ¨I didnˇt think that was an act。〃
¨Course it is；〃 I say。 ¨He worked it out with