I wake, my eyes fluttering as I lean back against Peeta, wanting for nothing more than to lay here for at least a day. I can feel his fingers tracing over my skin, drawing unseen pictures on my arm and shoulder. I sigh and he chuckles, kissing my shoulder gently. 

"You are so peaceful as you sleep," He whispers and I just close my eyes again. 

"Then leave me to it," I groan. "And stop bothering with your finger on my arm." He stops, carefully residing himself to trace an old battle scar across my shoulder. 

"Well, what else would you have me do?" Peeta asks and glance at him. "I am trapped against you and you haven't given me a paintbrush to draw my pictures."

"You are not painting anything on me," I say. "Not this winter, certainly."

"Not yet, but I can imagine what it will be like to cover you in my pictures," He says softly and I glance at him.  He looks at me and sighs, his finger lingering on my cheek. "I think a lot of what it will be to take you as my wife."I sigh and turn back on my side, shaking my head. 

"You are a man who I don't allow to properly bed me," I say, "Please spare me the whimsical dreams of passion you have for me. I'm sure they are quite fascinating, but I really only want to sleep right now." Peeta chuckles and I feel his lips against my neck. 

"Do you not want to marry me after all?" He asks and I roll my eyes at him. 

"I did not say such a thing," I whisper. I notice his arm laying above me and I rest mine on his palm. "I just said I don't want to hear the ramblings that set that thing between your legs poking my ass at night." 

"I cannot help that I am attracted to you, Katniss," He says and I sigh, trying to settle myself against him. "You are a marvel and always have been." 

"I entertain you?" I ask, "LIke a pet?" 

"Of course not," Peeta says quietly, "I see you as my equal or perhaps even myself as below you. I simply enjoy your company and wish to spend every day for the rest of my life, close to your side." I feel my heart flutter and he carefully presses his lips to my ear.

"You certainly know how to ruin a good rest with your talking," I groan and he sighs, slowly starting to get up.

"Fine," Peeta says and I sit up, grabbing his arm.

"Where do you think you are going?" I ask and he smirks. 

"Do you not want me to leave with my chattering, Lady?" He asks and I rest my head on his shoulder. I breathe in that warm smell of his skin and he swallows nervously.I rest my hand on his chest and he leans down, gently kissing my neck. "Perhaps you would like me to leave for breakfast."

"No, I'd rather you didn't," I whisper and he looks at me, pressing me down into the furs of the bed. He kisses me sweetly and I groan as he grips the top of my breast. I look at him and he pulls away leaning his head against mine. I look up at him and he links his hand with mine. He stops and gets off, glancing at the door.

"The others are stirring," He says, "And I have a feeling that you wouldn't want to be walked in on." I sit up just as the tent rustles and the priestess ducks in.I quickly cover myself and she chuckles.

"Oh, young love," She chuckles and I glare at her.

"What is it this time, Tigris?" I ask, "It's a little early for you isn't it?"

"A little early for a trist too," She chuckles and I get up, pulling a deer pelt around myself and go to get dressed. "Though I won't pry too much on that. You've voiced your intentions. A quiet marriage will come not too long after that. Before the snow melts I would bet my best elk skin." I glance at the two of them and then at the band around my finger. I turn my back to them and shrug on my dress.

"We'll see," I say and Tigris chuckles a little. 

"Why have you graced us with your presence so early?" Peeta asks. "Surely you weren't lying when you said you had nothing of importance last night."

"Well, I suppose that isn't entirely true, but I think the two of you needed rest more than your brother needed an audience," She says, sitting down and making me tilt my head a little.

"I have no brother and his were killed in the blasts," I say and she looks over at Peeta. 

"He calls himself Kolby," She says and Peeta suddenly looks intrigued. I carefully step forward and he looks at me. "He looks an awful lot like you, minus the unruly hair and scraggly beard, M'Lord. He also asked for you by name, not just to speak to the leader."

"How would he know where you are?" I ask and Peeta slowly gets up. 

"I suppose I'll go see," He says starting to stand up and I grab his arm. 

"What if it is a farce?" I ask and he looks me up and down a moment. He reaches for my hand and squeezes lifting it up. He looks at the pearl on my hand and smirks.

"Well, I suppose I will take back up then," He says, pulling me after him and I glance at Tigris. 

"Where is he?" I ask and she smirks as she sees the ring on my gripped hand.

"Outside being boastful, as men usually are after a trek through the wilderness," She says. "Can't miss him among your men." 

Peeta drags me out of the tent and I pull my hand back. He looks at me and I stand there my hand hovering in the air and I slowly pull it back. He looks at me and I just blink at him, unsure of what I should say.

"What's wrong?" He asks and I just blink at him.

"What if," I look down. "What if it isn't him or he isn't what you hope to find?" He walks over to me and takes my hand again. "I don't want you to get your hopes up." Peeta grabs my hand and I look up at him. 

"Then I will have you by my side ," He says and I sigh, letting him lead me towards a small gathering of people. They suddenly part revealing a tall, broad shouldered blonde man in ragged clothes. He blinks at us and Peeta suddenly stops walking, just staring at the man. I study his face, seeing nothing.

"Is that really him?" I whisper and Peeta just blinks in disbelief.

"Patricia!" The man calls and Peeta looks up at the sky. Everyone looks at us and I groan.

"He sees you for the first time in months and that's how he greets you?" I grumble and he chuckles, letting go of my hand and walking towards his brother.He suddenly hugs him and I sigh, realizing it really it the arrogant eldest Mellark brother. I cross my arms as I watch them and Johanna walks up, tearing a piece of jerky off with her teeth.

"Another fucking Snowflake?" She asks and I nod at the slightly taller Mellark brother.

"Ragnar Mellark's Eldest son, Kolby," I say. 

"I thought his family kicked the bucket when that bakery collapsed," She says and I shrug.

"I didn't see it," I reply, "I was rolling on the ground from the blast of a hovercraft. " I look at the brothers as Kolby tossels Peeta's hair. "He chose to pick me from the rubble instead of continuing to try to dig out his family."

"Why?" She asks and I watch as Kolby shoves Peeta over, clearly playing with the cruelty of brothers that verges on malice. 

"HIs family was not loving," I say. "He was meant to replace the cherished daughter that died in infancy when he was born a male. His mother hated him for it and being so much younger than the other boys, they picked on who they saw as the runt." I pick at my fingernails. "Apparently the lovely eldest brother has decided to grace us with his presence."

"Huh," She says and Finnick walks up, chewing on something. He nods at the two boys and then tilts his head.

"Bling, bling!" He says and suddenly my hand is lifted up. "Somebody got herself a pretty." I pull my hand back and Johanna then clutches it.

"My, my," She says. "The boy actually has a set of balls on him." I pull my hand away again, flexing my fingers.

"So what," I say. "We already voiced such intentions with the council. It was the next step. It isn't as though we went and got hitched."

"Katydid!" I hear the eldest Mellark brother call out and I groan, flexing my fingers.

"Did he just call you-" Johanna starts and suddenly she is cut off as Kolby runs up, turning me to look at him. I cross my arms and turn to look at him.

"Holy shit, you really are alive!" He says and I blink at him, looking bored. "I thought the baby boy was going senile all those years insisting you had to have made it out here." I glance at Peeta and chuckle.

"So, he lives?" I ask and Peeta shrugs. 

"Well of course I do, what do you take me for?" Kolby says and I look over at Peeta. "So tell me, is he lying? You aren't really a queen and aren't really going to marry that fool, are you?" I flex my fingers and sigh, slowly lifting my hand from the fold of my arm. I show off the pearl I had hidden, chuckling. 

"My council agreed to accept his courting me on the longest night," I say. "Though let's be honest, he's been trying his chams since he got here." I look at the ring and sigh. "I accepted the ring only last night, but I suppose if he told you, it is no secret." There are mumbles among the crowd and I rest my hand on my elbow and smirk at the elder brother. 

"So you are to be my sister?" Kolby asks and I just blink at him. I shift my feet a little and shrug.

"I suppose if you wanted you could call me that," I say softly and he chuckles. He looks over at Peeta.

"She still has a sharp tongue in her head, doesn't she?" Kolby asks and Peeta nods.

"That she does," Peeta says. I look over at him as he walks over and takes my hand. I feel the warmth rise to my cheeks but I just look straight at the brother infront of me. 

"What business do you have, asking for an audience with us?" I ask. "Surely it wasn't just a lost man looking for his little brother?" Kolby chuckles and smiles, looking very much like Peeta for a moment.

"Well, how is anyone to survive the winter's wrath without the aid of other people," He says. "I'm looking to join your army, of course, if you'd have me."

"What can you possibly offer her?" Gale asks from the corner. "We already put up with enough, don't you think, letting the other snowflake live here." Kolby looks over at the man and sighs. He pulls up a pike and spins it in his hands. He drives it in the ground and crosses his arms. 

"I've had to survive natures trials for nearly four months," He says. "You have sat in a camp. You think I'm weak? Feel free to challenge me." I step between them and shake my head.

"There will be no fighting," I say. "We do not draw weapons in winter. Not over silly shows of force when the healing supplies are so low." Gale huffs and I look past him as I turn back to Kolby.

"Peeta, see to it your brother is settled," I say. "And get him a bath. He stinks of toadstools."

"What do you care of how I smell?" Kolby asks and I turn my back to head back towards the tent

"You've earned your audience with me, Kolbert Mellark," I say, "You will have dinner with your brother and I." I glance back at the two blonde men, sticking out like sore thumbs. "We may be barbarians, but I still expect you to clean yourself up first." I turn back to my tent and grab onto the door. "Do not disappoint me."