Thank you to my exceptional friend and beta-superstar Court, for helping to make sense of the formerly hot mess. Also thank you to ackenndy7 for pre-reading and being my cheerleader.

Wtitten for round five of PIP day 5, Peach Blossom- Captive

Captive of the Seam

Peeta awoke inside a small dark building; the only light was the sunlight filtering through the cracks in between the logs. His hands were bound and he heard foreign tongues—a man and a woman's, speaking just outside of the walls. It took him a few seconds to remember what had happened. As soon as the memory came back, he wished that he could forget again.

One chilly spring morning the seventeen-year-old was chopping down trees on his family's Pennsylvania farm when the French soldiers attacked him, and forced him along with a pistol. The days and weeks that followed were a blur. He must have walked countless miles. His body was weak and ached; the soldiers had beaten him every time he tried to escape or didn't follow their directions and given him only enough food and water to keep him going.

The voices outside of the wall became louder.

"They're arguing over your price," a woman's voice whispered to him. "You are at a French fort in the Ohio territory."

Peeta was a little surprised that he had a companion. He did not remember her being there when they threw him in the cell last night. He turned his head to see a woman, a bit older than himself, sitting in a corner. She inched closer to him and brought a ladle filled with water towards him.

Her appearance was perplexing. She was white, her skin was pale, and her eyes were large and doe-like, but her auburn hair was in braids and she was dressed in a cotton shirt, a leather skirt, and moccasins much like the Indian women he'd seen on occasion.

The woman peered outside, "They look like Seams…that is good. They are usually a kind tribe, unless you cross them," she told him, as he drank greedily. He had heard of the Seams before. They were a small tribe, much similar to the Shawnee, but strange in terms that they weren't like typical Indians. Many of them had grey eyes.

The woman continued, "They have a custom that whenever a family member dies in battle their death is avenged in one of two ways: they take a scalp or take a captive."

"What can I do?" he asked stupidly.

"Just wait to see what they decide. I don't speak much Seam or I could tell you what they want you for: a scalp or a hostage," she informed him. "Death might be easier…A mean family will work you to death. A nice family will treat you right and might even eventually let you go. That is if…" she trailed off.

"If what?"

"If they don't make you run the gauntlet," she said softly and stared into his eyes. "It simply depends on who takes you and for what purpose."

Peeta stiffened; he'd heard of the gauntlet before. The Indians would stand in two lines, with rocks and clubs, and the hostage would run through it. It was often deadly.

The woman used her sleeve to wipe some dirt from his face.

"How do you know all this?"

She gave him a wry smile. "This isn't the first time I've been through this. I was taken captive when I was a child and I lived with the Seneca. Once every few years or so, someone tries to drag me back to civilization, meaning that someone finds out that they'll get paid a ransom by dragging me to my white family. This is the third time they've tried to take me back."

"How do you get away?"

"I pretend to be a nervous wreck and eager to get back," she stated and showed him her wrists. "Look they don't even bind me. Then when they let their guard down, I run for it."

"Why don't you want to go back?" he wondered why she didn't want to live with her family.

"I don't belong in the white world anymore. I have a family— a Seneca husband and children. I am a leader in my tribe. I own land. I'm more important in my tribe than I ever will be back east. There I'm simply Johanna, the girl who was raped by an Indian."

Peeta was so exhausted and worn and could not make sense of all that he'd been through. He thought about his family and wondered if anyone had even searched for him. He imagined his mother's rage when he did not return that night. She would not have allowed his father to waste time looking for him. Everyone would most likely thought that he simply ran away, like his brothers had. His heart sank; he was utterly alone.

Johanna quickly scurried back to her corner and began to sob. Seconds later the door swung open and two soldiers walked in and took him by either arm and drug him out.

He looked back at his companion with looked up from her hands and gave him a face that seemed to wish him good luck.

The sun dazed his eyes for a moment, and then he was pushed to his knees before three women. The one doing the speaking was a hunched-over old woman. Next to her was a young girl, about twelve maybe, with nearly fair skin, dark blonde hair, and blue eyes. Then his eyes landed on a girl about his age. Her hair was black, eyes were grey and her expression was stern. He might have been frightened of her if he'd not been so taken by her beauty.

The old woman haggled with an officer. The younger girl looked him over, taking note of his multiple injuries, a nasty gash on his head, a the many cuts and lacerations all over his body. The grey-eyed girl just glared at him, as if his mere existence annoyed her.

One of the soldiers reached out and took one of the smaller girl's braids. "Blanc?"

The older girl and gripped the large man's wrist. "Seam!" Her voice was low and threatening, and the man let go of the blonde plait, then stepped back.

The old woman shook her head and resumed her bargaining. Finally, they seemed to reach an agreement, and the blonde girl smiled widely at Peeta. The grey-eyed girl took a length of rope and tied it around his throat like a noose. In English she growled, "Come."

Peeta dared not defy her…she was small, but she did not look like one to be trifled with, especially in his weakened state. She led him out of the French fort, and a couple of the Frenchmen followed them. Outside there were three horses. One was loaded down with animals' pelts; the soldiers took the furs. Peeta looked at stack of beaver and deer skins and realized that it was all that his life was worth: a hundred pounds or so of animal hides.

The girls helped the old woman onto a horse then they each mounted one. He prepared to walk, but then the old woman motioned for him to get on the horse. He looked at his bound hands. The girl holding the rope rolled her eyes and helped him on. He and the girl were pushed together on the horse's bare back; the ride was awkward, and they rode for what seemed like hours before they stopped. They directed him towards the riverbank.

The girl holding his leash pointed at him and said, "Stink," then motioned her head to the running water. "Bath." It took him several moments to realize that they wanted him to strip and get into the water. He cringed at the idea. It went against everything that he'd ever been taught about how to behave around women, let alone young ones.

The grey-eyed girl looked at him impatiently, Peeta again held out his hands to show that it would be impossible for him to get undressed on his own. She came up close to him to untie the rope and set him free. He had not realized how raw and painful his skin was until he saw it. Her harsh expression softened when she saw it too before she gave him a scowl that told him that he was wasting time.

He stripped off his tattered shirt and gave it to the old woman along with his worn, holey shoes, what was left of his knit socks, and his torn breeches. He thought that he saw the dark-haired girl's cheeks turn slightly pink when she looked upon his naked body. The other two seemed to pay him no mind.

The old woman tossed his clothes in the river, and he watched in horror as the last physical connection to his home floated away. The girls pushed him into the river; the water was cold, but it felt good to his painful body. They scoured his body with sandy silt from river's edge. When he was clean to their liking, they pushed him back onto the bank and sat him on a rock. With a comb they worked the knots out of his jaw-length blond locks. The little one giggled at his blond chest hair. Peeta had not thought of it but body hair would have been somewhat of a novelty for native girl.

The old woman finally returned with some clothes. A pair of long leather pants, a cotton shirt, and pair of moccasins, which were by far the most comfortable shoes that he'd ever placed his feet in. The shirt was a bit small and the pants a bit long, but it was a pleasant change from clothes that he'd spent weeks running in.

The fair-haired girl brought her finger to her chest, smiled, and said, "Primrose." She pointed to the old woman. "Sae." And she finally motioned to the dark-haired girl. "Katniss." She looked at him expectantly. "You?"

"Peeta," he said in a gravelly voice.

The old woman laid her gnarled hands on his head, looked to the sky, and chanted some words, and the girls sang along. Katniss was not as enthusiastic as the other two, but she sang dutifully. Even naïve Peeta knew that this was some sort of ceremony…but its purpose was unknown. They could have been preparing to slit his throat and sacrifice him to some heathen god for all he knew.

Sae gave him a toothless, loving smile, and said, "My son."

He felt a little sense of relief; he would not be killed, at least not today.

They fed him jerky and some sort of cornmeal bread. He ate the strange food hungrily; it had been ages since he'd eaten his fill.

After the meal, Katniss again produced the rope to bind his wrists. He offered up his wrists and involuntarily winced; his tender flesh was already in screaming in pain.

She looked into his eyes, as if she were examining his character. Finally she asked, "Peeta…stay with Katniss?"

"Always," the word spilled from his mouth before he could stop it. Peeta had no intention to staying with them indefinitely but he didn't want them to know that.

Her eyes narrowed at him; she must not have understood his answer or distrusted it. She put the noose back around his neck and again bound his wrists, but looser than before.

They remounted the horses and rode until nearly dark when they reached an Indian village. The women led him into a little circular hut with smoke billowing from the roof. He quickly realized it was not empty. In the firelight, he saw the outline of a woman curled up on a cot. Upon further inspection he saw that her hair was light blonde and that her pale blue eyes stared off into nowhere. He saw that she looked very much like Primrose and guessed that she was the girls' mother; she too must have been taken captive many years ago.

He found himself wondering what her story was. Was she forced to stay by the savages or had she, like his companion at the fort, fought to stay with her children?

Then began to wonder whom they lost, her husband or a son?

The women again fed him and showed him a pile of furs that he assumed was his bed for the night. He laid down comfortably for the first time in ages and fell deeplyasleep. In the dark of the night he heard a whimpering cry; he looked around the hut to the various inhabitants. Prim had crawled onto the pallet with her mother and they were still; old Sae was snoring in across from them. And then he found the culprit. It was Katniss, leaning against the doorway. It looked as if she had fallen asleep watching him to make sure that he did not run away.

She cried in her slumber, and even though he did not understand the language, he knew that she was calling for someone who would never come. He felt sympathy for her; she had seemed so strong earlier in the day and he never imagined that she could have such vulnerability. He reached out. She was within arm's length of him, and he softly touched her foot and whispered her name.

She awoke with a start, looking around the hut then her eyes met his. She scowled at him. He drew his hand away. "Sorry." Then he rolled over and tried to fall back asleep, although he dared not to look at her. He knew that she was watching him for the rest of the night.

Peeta woke up late the next morning to a grinding sound. The hut was empty, except for the blonde woman lying in the very same place she was the day before. He cautiously went to the doorway. Sae was sitting cross-legged outside, grinding corn in between two rocks. She wished him "good morning" with a grin. Primrose was next to her sorting out some plants and said something cheerful in her native tongue and then offered him corn cake to eat. He wolfed it down hungrily; his stomach was empty despite his full meal he ate the day before.

People of the village passed by and many stopped to look at him. Little children whispered amongst themselves and laughed at how he ate. He knew that his fate very well might be tied to how well these people liked him, and if there was anything that Peeta was good at, it was winning people over. He smiled and waved to the little ones, knowing his charismatic skills would be put to the test, because he would not be able to use his words.

He remembered what Johanna had said, what she did to get away from her French captures: simply act as if you're willing to go along and eventually he would find his opportunity to escape. He knew that he would need supplies and would have to make a plan.

Katniss appeared sometime later, carrying a bow and arrows and several squirrels which she laid at Sae's side. She seemed determined to ignore Peeta. The women talked at length; Katniss was clearly unhappy. She stood and then pointed at him. "Come."

He did not hesitate, stood, and followed behind her just as he did the day before. Prim and Sae came along with them. Katniss led them to a hut in the middle of the village and asked for entry.

A gruff voice answered and then the group entered the little building. A middle-aged man, who Peeta took to be some sort of chief, sat in the middle of the hut and he motioned for them all to sit. He began to speak to the women. Katniss became argumentative with him. Sae scolded her and Katniss again became quiet.

The chief finally looked at him and addressed, "I am the chief of the Seam. I have many names but you may call me what the white man do, Haymitch. What is your name?"

"I am Peeta Mellark."

"Peeta, do you know why you are here?" the man asked.

"I am a replacement for someone," he replied.

The chief nodded. "It is not good to speak of the dead but since you do not our past I will tell you. Sae's son and Katniss and Prim's father was a mighty warrior. He met his end in battle, leaving his family with no man to hunt for them or to protect them. He came to his mother in a dream and told her that there would be a helper waiting for her at the French fort."

Peeta wondered aloud, "What am I to do?"

"Learn our ways and become one of us," Haymitch replied simply. "You would not be the first white to join out tribe. Generations ago a group of Englishmen were adopted by the Seam, married our women, and had many children. It is why we appear different than our neighboring tribes."

Peeta didn't know how to reply or what to make of everything; his whole world had been turned upside down.

"Katniss and Primrose will teach you our ways and language," Haymitch continued.

"I do not think that Katniss likes me," Peeta replied.

Haymitch grinned. "Katniss does not like anyone."

Katniss looked very displeased to hear them talking about her, and she scowled at them both. Prim and Sae looked mildly amused. They all must have known just enough English understand the gist of the conversation.

Haymitch then said more seriously, "Katniss wanted a scalp, not a captive."

Katniss's face flushed in anger. She stood, and left the hut hastily, muttering something under her breath.

Haymitch laughed as soon as she was out of the door and assured him, "She will mellow in time."

Peeta learned much about the Seams quickly. Everyone had at least two names: a "white" name, which was a tradition started by their English forefathers, and an Indian name. He found out that the village children had named him Boy with Bread after the way they witnessed him eating that first morning.

Everyone in the family had at least two names. Sae's was Pot Stirrer, since she was considered the best cook in the village. The girl's mother, Lily, was also called Medicine Maker. From what Peeta understood, before her husband died she was a healer. Prim's name was Ray of Sunshine for her hair and sunny disposition. Katniss was special— she had two Seam names. The first, Girl on Fire, was for her hot temper; Peeta didn't think that she appreciated that name very much. Although Peeta did like her other name better: Songbird; he thought that it was befitting her lovely singing voice.

The women kept the homes and tended the crops and were considered to be equals with the men. He was very surprised to learn that property was passed from mother to daughter. The men hunted, built, and were the protectors.

The tribe had no qualms about nudity while in the company of their families. They wore modest clothing during the day, but they usually slept naked, and both men and women worked shirtless when the weather permitted. It was a drastic change for the prudishly raised colonial boy.

Soon Peeta understood why Sae wanted a helper: Katniss was trying to fill both a man and woman's role, and it was wearing on her. She woke up early to hunt and worked all day in the fields. Over time he also wondered why Katniss wasn't married; it looked like most of the other women her age were already married and carrying a baby on a backboard. Although Katniss treated him with contempt, more often than not he could not help but to be drawn to her.

One day he was sent to work digging irrigation ditches while the women worked in the fields. Peeta had never seen a woman's bare breasts before coming to the village, and it was a bit overwhelming to see them everywhere. He felt guilty looking at them, although they obviously felt no shame in their bareness.

The young girls like Primrose he avoided because he felt like a pervert, the old women he ignored out of respect. But he could not take his eyes off Katniss no matter how hard he tried. She was by far the most beautiful in his opinion. Her arms were muscular, her waist was slender, and her pert breasts swayed slightly as she worked. He could not help but to wonder how they would fit in his hand, or how the dark tips would taste on his tongue. Before he realized it, his hands had stopped working as he observed her. Suddenly she paused and her grey orbs meet his blue ones; they stared at each other for a moment and then she rolled her eyes and continued her work.

He berated himself for such unwholesome thoughts.

Peeta shook his head and reminded himself that he was not going to be there forever, so it was best if he did not get overly attached to her, which was beginning to become a concern for him. While Katniss appeared to be fierce to everyone else, in her home she was kind and gentle and took care of her family before herself. She always made sure that her grandmother had plenty of ingredients for her cooking pot, that Prim ate her share of food, and that her lethargic mother got out of bed for a while everyday. She even looked after Peeta, tending to his wounds and showing him how to best complete his tasks.

The family made strides to integrate Peeta into the tribe. Some people treated him with cold indifference, but most were friendly with him out of respect for Sae, who was the oldest woman in the village, and she had much influence.

Soon he noticed that he had a following amongst some of the girls of a marrying age; there was a pair of fourteen- or fifteen-year-olds in particular, Leevy and Bristel, who always appeared close by. And when the weather became warmer and he worked without his shirt, he would hear the giggles of the girls spying on him. If Katniss were there, she would chase them off with some terse words.

Katniss took him out daily to teach him how to hunt with a bow and arrow. It was flustering for both of them because of the language barrier. The only word that he could understand when she lectured him at the end of every hunt was, "Quiet!"

Although he was terrible at hunting, he had proven himself useful in other areas. Sae fed him well and soon his old strength returned; he could carry heavy loads, and huge logs for buildings. He soon became popular in the village, since able-bodied young men were few and far between. Haymitch told him that many were gone in war parties. Peeta got the feeling that the chief did not approve; he often said that he did not want to get in the middle of the French and English and their war. The Seams were neutral and Haymitch wanted to keep it that way.

When Peeta spent time with the family, he and Prim would play a game to teach him how to speak Seam.

He would point to an object and say the English name and Prim would tell him the Seam word.

"Hut," he said and pointed to the dwelling.

"Wigwam," she told him.

After nearly two months of this, he was able to carry on simple conversations. But Katniss still did not speak to him much. Overtime he became better at hunting, and actually made some kills. They were never as clean as Katniss's shots, but it put dinner in the cooking pot and eventually he was even given a knife, which was a sign that the tribe members were coming to trust him. In his mind, he started to make a plan of escape, and he knew that if he were to leave that it must be done before the fall. He did not wait to travel in winter and he knew that the longer he stayed, the harder it would be to leave.

At night the whole family laid in the wigwam to sleep. Katniss still slept in front of the entrance, as if she were worried that Peeta would flee. She often would wake Peeta in the middle of the night when she called out while she had nightmares. He came to learn that she was calling her dead father. Peeta reached out and held her hand, letting her know that she was not alone; it must have comforted her, because her cries would cease and she would hold his hand until morning came. But she would never comment nor thank him the next day, but she would be more personable with him.

The days that she treated him with kindness it made him think about staying with her for good and thoughts of leaving the village were fewer and fewer.

At night he would act out and tell Bible stories in broken Seam, and sometimes Haymitch would translate for him. The Seam people were somewhat familiar with them because of their heritage and from the missionaries who travelled the area. His theatrics soon made him very popular; some nights the whole village came to watch him. His version of David and Goliath was especially popular. He could make them laugh or gasp with surprise. Sometimes he would see Katniss smile when she thought that he wasn't looking.

About three months into his captivity, his routine in the village was disrupted. One morning while Peeta was feeding the horses he heard a commotion. The young children squealed and women sang happily.

The warriors had returned.

When Peeta reached the wigwam, he saw about 20 young men on horseback entered the village. There was one in particular that caught Peeta's attention: a tall young man leading the group. He had long jet black braids and gunmetal grey eyes. He was truly a fierce-looking young man.

The warrior was greeted by a woman whom he'd come to know as Hazelle and her young children. Peeta instantly knew that the warrior was her eldest son, Mighty Wind, or rather Gale.

What Peeta witnessed next stunned him. Katniss came running to towards the group of warriors. Gale dismounted his horse and opened his arms to her, and she jumped into them and laughed like Peeta had never heard her laugh before.

Disheartened, Peeta went on about his usual chores. He found himself wondering what the relationship between Katniss and Gale was. Where they lovers? If so, why they were not married?

When Peeta returned after his work was done, he found Gale sitting with Katniss, Sae, and Prim in front of wigwam. The warrior gave him a passive expression, but his eyes smoldered with anger. Gale demanded, "What is he doing here?"

"He is now my son," Sae said with a sense of superiority and a smile. "You are to accept him as your brother."

Gale's face turned red. "I will never call a white man my brother. Has he earned his place here? He has not run the gauntlet. He is not worthy of being a Seam."

Katniss tried to calm him, but the warrior would not be placated and he rose and stomped off. Katniss followed after him.

That night no one came to listen to his stories, even his two giggling shadows even abandoned him in favor of the Seam young men. Instead the whole village gathered at the campfire in the center of the village to listen to exploits of the warriors,and to feast. Peeta was weary to listen to how they killed in battle, especially when they spoke of the white settlements that they attacked. He volunteered to stay at the wigwam with Lily.

Since he first came to the village, she had slowly become more active. She still never spoke, but she had been able to do some simple tasks such as stringing beads or to pass around meals at dinner. Peeta felt a kinship with her for reasons beyond the color her skin and hair, and he often wondered about the kind of life she had lived. She still wore a pewter cross, but was not really a white woman, nor was she wholly Seam—she was stuck somewhere in between. He wondered if he were to stay if he would end up in the same sort of limbo.

The next few days were difficult for Peeta. Katniss did not take him hunting, and instead she went with Gale. He again began to make plans for his escape and began to squirrel away things that he needed for the trip: some rope, jerky, and rock flakes to use as knives and hid them in a hollow of a tree near the hut.

He began to brood during the day; sometimes he worried over Katniss, other times he was mentally preparing to leave, although he had no idea how to get back. Prim must have felt his overall frustration, because one morning after Katniss left, her sister told him, "Gale is not good for her. He stokes her anger. You soothe her, you are better."

Peeta looked at the young girl in surprise. She smiled at him knowingly. If he were to leave he would miss the family. Primrose was like the sister he never had, and Sae was far more loving to him than his mother ever was.

His prejudices were constantly being challenged; he was coming to find that the Seam were more "civilized" than many white people.

One night Gale came to the family's wigwam while Katniss was gone and presented Sae and Lily with three scalps: one was Indian and the other two were from white people. The white woman shuddered and shrunk at the sight of the scalps. Gale also set a cooking pot, sewing needles, and a sack full of glass beads before them. "I ask that you let me have Girl On Fire for my wife."

It struck Peeta as odd that Gale chose to call her by the name that was her least favorite and couldn't help but to wonder if Katniss even knew if Gale was asking to marry her.

"Does Katniss know that you are asking?" Peeta heard himself say before he could think better of it.

Gale glared at him. "It is not your concern!"

"But it is mine," Sae said evenly. "Has she consented?"

"No," Gale answered the old woman. "But she will be more likely to marry me if she knows that you approve. You need a man."

Sae motioned towards Peeta. "We already have a man."

"She needs a Seam man," Gale said bitterly and laughed. "That is a boy, even his name says so. You need a man to hunt and protect you."

Sae said dismissively, "We are doing fine, and Katniss must decide for herself who she will marry."

At that very moment, Katniss entered the wigwam, took note of the items on the floor, and asked, "What is going on here?"

"I came to speak sense to your family," Gale said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Gale, I told you that I need more time," she whispered just loud enough for all to hear.

The warrior collected his things and hastily left the dwelling. Katniss sat down in between her mother and grandmother and put her head in her hands. No one said another word about it. But Peeta felt the first bit of hope that he'd had in a long time.

The next evening the warriors were jovial and were having good-natured wrestling matches for the entertainment of the village. Haymitch called Peeta over to watch with him. The chief often invited Peeta to sit and talk with him. He wanted to know more about white people and wanted to improve his English so when he spoke to them he sounded intelligent. The gruff chief was the only man in the tribe to truly befriend him.

Haymitch was telling Peeta about the various warriors and what their claim to fame was. Gale cast him nasty looks. Peeta asked Haymitch, "Why does Gale hate me?"

Haymitch shrugged and said, "Gale thought that Sae should have taken a scalp; he does not want peace with the settlers. He does not want you here and does not like that you have changed Katniss's thoughts…and her heart."

Peeta mulled the idea over, but found it hard to believe that he'd affected her in any way.

After a while of watching, the warriors started to call for Peeta to come take a turn. He tried to decline them until Gale said over the crowd, "He is a coward! Boy with Bread is not a man. He has to hide behind women's skirts!"

The good-natured feeling ceased and all went quiet; it was a major slight. Peeta knew that he could not leave it unanswered.

"Do you want to take me on?" Peeta challenged the warrior.

"I will gladly beat you Boy with Bread," Gale laughed as Peeta approached him. The circle of bodies opened to allow Peeta in after he took off his shirt and threw it to the ground.

"Nothing unfair!" Haymitch called to them.

Peeta and Gale began to circle each other, sizing each other up. Gale was taller, but Peeta was stocky and far stronger than he appeared. Peeta waited for the warrior to make the first move; he always did better being defensive.

"Are you afraid of me boy?" Gale chided.

"No more than you are of me," Peeta smiled. It had the desired result, and Gale charged at him. Their bodies slammed together. The warrior was just as powerful as Peeta estimated he would be. He used his lower center of gravity to cause them to tumble to the ground. Gale was quickly on top of Peeta and pushed his forearm against the smaller man's throat.

"Do you think that you deserve her?" the warrior whispered and pushed harder on Peeta's windpipe. "You are a dog, unworthy of the place that you have here. Your scalp should be hanging on Girl on Fire's door."

From somewhere beyond the circle and over the shouts of the crowd, Peeta heard Katniss yell, "Gale, stop!"

When Gale looked up, Peeta took the opportunity to push Gale off of him, stand, and catch his breath.

Somewhere in the background Katniss was still calling for Gale to relent, but he did not heed her. He again ran at Peeta, and this time the blond was better prepared. He purposely did not use all of his strength in the first assault, as he wanted Gale to think him time Peeta moved out of the way a second before Gale reached him and then turned and wrapped his arms around Gale from behind, spun him and then threw him to the ground hard and landed hard on top of him. It knocked the wind out Gale and then pinned him in such a way that it would be impossible for him to get up.

Some of the crowd was cheering for Peeta; others were rallying for Gale. Haymitch called above them all, "That is enough!"

Peeta eased off his opponent. When Gale arose, he was shaking mad. Haymitch told the crowd, "That is enough for tonight. Save the violence for the battlefield."

As the crowd scattered, Peeta saw a livid Katniss glaring at them both. Gale approached her and started to say something, but she simply held up her hand to him and then walked away from him. Peeta was being patted on the back by some of the warriors who were surprised at his abilities, and they asked him to show them the move that he had used to hold down Gale.

Peeta's admirers and well wishers kept him talking for a long while. He finally was able to get back to Sae's wigwam and found the old woman, Lily, and Prim sitting together with worried looks.

"What is the matter?" Peeta questioned when they saw their concerned faces.

"Katniss and Gale had a fight, and she ran into the woods. We do not know where she is and she did not take her bow with her," Primrose told him. Peeta knew why they were so worried; there had been many panther sightings in the past few days and everyone was weary of woods at the moment, even in the daylight. Night time was far more daunting.

Peeta found his knife and lit a torch; he had a very good idea where she was. He found her in the cave where they had taken refuge a few weeks prior during a storm. She confessed that it was her hiding spot as a child.

Without turning her head his way she said, "Haymitch stopped you because he was afraid that you would beat Gale and that would shame him. Haymitch does not want to anger Gale anymore than he already is."

"Why is Gale mad?"

"He wants to join the French and have open warfare against the English settlers, because they have made him promises. Haymitch won't let Gale, because he does not trust them. Their promises are too good to be true."

"Is that why you will not marry Gale?" Peeta questioned.

She shook her head. "I do not want to marry for many reasons. I do not want to be a widow because of war, to have babies that starve when times are hard, to send sons to die in battle, or daughters to be kidnapped when the village is attacked by our enemies."

Peeta didn't know how to reply. It was the way things were. Her choices were few.

"It doesn't have to be like that," Peeta assured her and turned his head to look at her and found that her attention was not on him but something behind him; her expression was one of pure fear.

She whispered, "Peeta, turn around slowly."

Peeta turned to see a pair of golden eyes reflecting in the torch light. It was a panther; his teeth were bared and he looked ready to attack. Peeta took the knife from his belt and stood in front of Katniss shielding her. "When I say, you run."

The cat approached them and Peeta readied himself for an attack. The large but thin black cat had seen its better days. Its jaw hung lopsided and it had many old battle scars. It was sick and desperate, which made it far more dangerous. It waved its massive paw at him and it caught his thigh, ripping into his flesh.

"Katniss, run," he yelled and lunged at the cat, slashing the side of its face. The panther roared and Peeta prepared to attack again. It pounced on Peeta, and its claws dug into his shoulders. Peeta used every ounce of his strength to bury his knife in between the cat's ribs again and again. It groaned in pain still above him. Katniss, who had not run, helped to shove the dying animal off of him.

"We need to get you back to camp," she said and helped him up. His leg was in agony, but he could not clearly see his wounds. The torch had been extinguished in the struggle. Katniss took his arm and put it over her shoulder. He could feel the blood pouring down his leg as they made their way back to the village; by the time they arrived he was light headed. Katniss yelled for help; she was far more panicked than he'd ever heard her before.

Soon a pair of men came running towards them, and they lifted Peeta and carried him to Sae's and laid him on a pallet. The old woman and her daughter-in-law cut the pants off Peeta's body. In the firelight he could see the long, jagged claw mark down his leg.

Lily, much to his surprise, Lily began to call out for herbs. Sae and Prim washed away the gore from his cuts, only for more blood to pour out. Peeta's head began to swim. He looked around to find Katniss. She was sitting on the opposite side of the hut, her face ashen and her hands bloodied. She was muttering a prayer, but to which God Peeta could not tell.

He eventually passed out but could hear voices of the women working on him; they kept talking about how much blood he had lost. Finally the voices ceased, and he drifted off into nothingness.

Peeta awoke hours later, his throat parched and his leg felt as if it were on fire, but the rest of his body was cold.

Katniss was asleep at his side, holding his hand much like he had all those nights that she'd had nightmares. He squeezed her hand, and her head shot up, and she smiled at him briefly before she became more serious, "I thought that you were never going to wake up." She rose and got him a cup of water and held it out to his lips.

"I am tougher than I look," he croaked when he was done drinking.

"You lost so much blood and the wound became infected almost overnight."

Peeta looked down at his leg. It was the only part of his body not covered with blankets. His flesh was red and swollen and flies buzzed around it. He went to wave them away, but Katniss stopped him. "They will help healing, the maggots will eat the infection."

Peeta cringed at the thought but did as he was told. "I am cold," he complained.

Without any further prompting Katniss lifted up his blankets and crawled in next to him despite the fact that he was naked. "I will keep you warm," she whispered and snuggled next to him. She said in a strained voice, "I thought that you were going to die."

He smiled into her hair, "I told you that I would stay with you."

She looked at him and rolled her eyes, "You did not mean it."

Peeta felt a little regret, remembering how he'd lied to her that first day, "No, I didn't mean it then but I do mean it now…I will stay with you always."

She grinned at him and then she settled at his side. He knew that this time she did believe him.

Over the course of the next few days, the women cared for his wounds, treating him with bitter teas and stinking poultices, and his body slowly recovered. Katniss was never far from him. She told him that some of the warriors had recovered the panther's carcass. It was thought to be the same one that was responsible for two children's deaths in a neighboring village. The cat was old and had a broken jaw and hunger had made it bold and forced it to look towards humans for food.

But many of the Seams thought that it was the offspring of a demonic sprit and the physical world, and that it came as some sort of punishment or warning to the people. The only English words that Peeta could think of that made sense to him were, 'evil mutt.'

Katniss tanned the animal's hide and kept its teeth and claws. Prim made him a necklace of them; she was so proud when she placed it over his head.

When Peeta finally came out of the wigwam ten days after his attack, he could tell that the Seams had a new respect for him when they called him by a new name, Mutt Killer. His altered appearance lent credibility to the name; where the cat's claws grazed his shoulders and chest purple scars were left behind. He no longer looked like boyish Peeta Mellark who the French soldiers forced from his home just a season before.

Even Katniss's attitude towards him had changed; she was nicer to him and engaged him in conversation more often. But what surprised Peeta the most was that she now ended up sleeping in his arms every night. They never started off sleeping together, but after the other's breathing leveled out Katniss would crawl over to where he lay and he'd open his arms to her. There were never any words, just comfort and sleep.

This was sweet torture, because Peeta had adopted the nonchalant Seam attitude towards nudity and most often slept naked on hot summer nights, as did Katniss. It was easy to will his body to stay calm while he was recovering, but it became more difficult has his health returned. He could no longer ignore her firm breasts pressed against his bare chest, or when she hitched a leg over his hip and he became hard instantly. Peeta had begun to sleep on his stomach to void "poking" her. If she was aware of his suffering, she did not acknowledge it. Maybe she thought that his thoughts were as pure as hers. She continued come him every night and would be gone before he awoke every morning.

If the others knew of their arrangement, they said nothing. Although Peeta thought that they had to be aware, as the wigwam wasn't more than fifteen feet in diameter.

As Fall drew closer, so did Katniss and Peeta. She opened up to him about her fears for the future of her tribe. Peeta felt for the Seam. They were too few in numbers to be taken seriously and needed to ally with a larger tribe, but which one? Peeta knew what had happened to the tribes back east: alliances that were made were easily broken. He hoped that the same thing would not happen the frontier.

Since Peeta's attack, Gale had been frequently been gone. He'd led hunting expeditions and had made trading trips. When he was in the village, he tried to seek out Katniss's company, but she did not seem as content in his presence as she once did. He all but ignored Peeta and refused to use any name for him but Boy with Bread.

One day Sae mentioned the panther that Peeta had killed. Gale remarked, "It was sick…my little sister could have killed it."

Katniss defended Peeta and Gale walked away.

Peeta smiled to himself whenever he thought about how irate the warrior would be if he knew how Katniss found solace from her nightmares in his arms every night.

On the eve of harvest, an Iroquois brave asked for the warriors to come take part in a war party. There was a village counsel, and Haymitch and the elders discussed at warriors themselves were split as to what they wanted to do: fight or stay home. Gale was very vocal and wanted to go. The elders decided the warriors who wanted to go could go, but that they did not represent the wishes of the Seams.

Before he left, Gale again came to the wigwam and demanded that Katniss give him a 'yes' or 'no' to his proposal of marriage. She told him 'no.' He left promising that she would come to regret her choice. The next day he and a handful of warriors left the village.

Peeta then realized that Gale's proposal of marriage had not only to do with his affections for Katniss, but it was also political. Sae had much sway in the village and Katniss was her presumed heir, and an alliance of marriage between them would have given the young warrior much more power than he already had. Peeta felt his sense of hope grow when he watched Gale ride out of the village.

Once Peeta was well enough to go hunting again Katniss took him every chance that she got and never complained on the rare occasion when his heavy feet caused too much noise. One day while they carried their game back to the village she stopped and asked, "Why were you so willing to protect me that night?"

Peeta answered simply, "Do you not know?" and reached out to touch the end of her braid.

They stared into each other's eyes. Katniss inched closer to him, stood on her tiptoes, and pressed her lips to his. He dropped his game sack to wrap his arms around her waist. The kiss was everything and yet nothing like he expected. She was passionate and the aggressor, and Peeta happily went along with it.

Katniss pulled away suddenly and announced sadly, "I can never be a wife."

Peeta had never been so confused in all his life, as she left him behind.

She avoided him the rest of the day and did not come to him that night. He never slept a wink and got up and dressed early; he wanted to see if he could hunt night there going to be a harvest feast and he wanted to contribute to it, to prove himself as a provider.

Not wanting to wake anyone by looking for something to eat, he thought it best to just take his sack that he had hidden in the tree hollow. He would not be running away now, or at least not until he knew exactly where he stood with Katniss.

He picked up his bow and arrows, stopped and collected his things, and left for the woods. He walked further than he'd ever been. Peeta was truly alone for the first time since his captivity; it was freeing and lonely all at once. He tried to concentrate on hunting but he was finding it difficult, Katniss was at the back of his mind.

He prayed that there could be a way to prove his worth not only to the tribe, but to her.

Peeta heard a noise from the north, and when he looked he saw a large buck grazing in a clearing. He drew set his arrow and drew his bow. He took a deep breath and let the arrow go, striking the buck just behind its forelegs, piercing it in the heart. It staggered a few steps before falling to the ground. His prayer had been answered.

Peeta went about the laborious task carrying it back to the village; he smiled with pride when thought of how the whole village would feast on his kill that night. He wondered if Katniss would be proud of him. The buck was heavy, but he was able to sling it over his shoulder.

About halfway back, he stopped to get a drink. Along the edge of the creek there was a pool of still water, and he paused to look at the stranger who stared back at him. The man had pale locks nearly down to his shoulders, and braids at his temples to keep the hair out of his face; his skin was darker tan than it had ever been, his features were sharper, and a short blond beard covered his jaw. He looked much older than his seventeen years and knew that it was his own reflection but he could hardly believe it. This was not Peeta Mellark—this was Peeta of the Seam, the Mutt Killer. He could not go back home now, even if he wanted to. Too much had changed.

When he got back to the village, he presented the buck to Sae. She was elated and happily told everyone about what her man had brought for them all. Even Lily came to see the deer and gave Peeta a motherly kiss. Word spread quickly, but he could not find Katniss. He pulled Primrose aside to find out where she was.

"She is in the wigwam," Primrose whispered. "She thought that you left. I told her that you did not, but she could not be convinced."

Peeta entered the hut and saw that Katniss was lying on the very same spot where he slept.

"Katniss," he said softly and kneeled next to her and petted her plait.

She lifted her head; her eyes were puffy from crying. She blinked her eyes a couple of time as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing. She croaked, "I thought that you left me. You left so early and then I looked for you bag in the hollow of the tree and it was gone…" she sobbed. "You promised that you would stay with me always."

He had never seen her so emotional and the thought that he had caused it wore heavily on him.

"I could not leave you even if I tried," he told her honestly.

She smiled at him. Sae came into wigwam telling Katniss that she needed her help to process the deer.

"The deer?" Katniss repeated in confusion.

"Yes, our man killed a buck," the old woman informed her granddaughter and collected her knives. "We told you that he would not leave. Now wash your face and come help us. It is feast day; it is no time to be lazy and pout."

Katniss looked at Peeta with some disbelief and then grinned and did as Sae had bid her to do.

After she left he wondered, If she had thought that I left then why had she not alerted the others to go look for me?

The rest of the day passed in blur. Peeta was celebrated like a youth of the village would be after his first kill. He was now officially a man in the village. He was useful he could hunt and provide for his family.

Haymitch patted him on the back and congratulated him, "You have done good. Look at how the people admire you, you have won them over."

That fact was further established when Bristel's mother came to him and asked if he was interested in marrying her daughter. Peeta declined the offer; the girl wailed when she heard his answer.

That night there was much feasting and merriment. The crop had been plentiful, and they had Sae's famous bean, squash, and venison stew. Peeta ate bowl after bowl. He never remembered being so full or content in all of his life, not even in his parents' home.

Some of the men beat drums and the women danced around the fire, thanking their nature spirits for a bountiful harvest. Primrose and Katniss sang songs and danced hand in hand. Peeta had never see Katniss so happy. Even Lily danced when Sae drug her was surprised to see how spritely Sae was on her feet.

Peeta excused himself from the party, for a few moments and found himself on the woods. He sat on a boulder to sit on and he took a few moments to admire the moon and stars.

"Peeta," a woman purred; he had never heard his name said like that before. He turned to see Katniss approaching him. "I heard that you were proposed to today."

"Yes," he laughed. "I think that I broke her heart, I hope that she will forgive me in time."

Katniss waved her hand dismissively. "Silly girls find new love quickly enough."

"That is good because I am already bound to another," he said in sincere tone. She gave his a confused look. Peeta explained further. "I have been tied to you since the day you put a noose around my neck, although I did not know it then. At first I knew that if I strayed from you that I would strangle and die, my life was literally in your hands. Then sometime later I realized that even after you took off the noose from my neck, I was tied to you, our fates entwined. I will stay with you always because if I leave you I will surely die. I am your captive now and forever."

Katniss's lower lip quivered some, she was having an internal battle her heart was at war with her head.

"I love you and I would like to marry you, Katniss," he told her honestly. "If I can't have you for a wife then I will have no one. I tell you this not to force you but because it is the truth. I would content to continue the way that we are now but I know that we can be even happier if we were married."

Katniss took a deep breath; she had not breathed during his speech. She smiled whispered, "Peeta, I will marry you. I do not know when exactly but somehow I have fallen in love with you and I cannot be without you. I realized that when I thought that had left."

She then leaned into him and captured his lips with hers. Her tongue parted the seam of his lips and begged for entry. The kiss was greedy; it was as if she were starving for him.

Peeta tried to sate her hunger, pouring as much of his emotion into it as he could. He also devoured her, caressing her tongue with his. He pulled her into his lap and held her tight as she straddled his hips.

She swayed her hips, making him painfully hard. He involuntarily bucked, surprising them both.

Katniss paused. "We cannot do this here."

His heart sank as she left his lap. She rolled her eyes. "It is too close to the village, they will find us. We need to go somewhere else."

She offered him her hand and led him deeper into the woods. Several minutes later Katniss had led them to a clearing. She stopped and turned to him, put her hand behind his neck, and pulled his head down into a heated kiss. Peeta slowly sank to his knees and brought her down with him.

She tugged on his shirt and he pulled it over his head. Katniss paused for a moment and lovingly traced his raised scars with her fingertips before kissing them. She stopped, stood, and began to remove her clothes, first her shirt and then her leather shirt, leggings and finally her moccasins.

Peeta had seen her naked countless times, but something was different. This time, he was finally going to be able touch her as he desired to…or could he?

"We do not have to do this tonight," he promised.

She gave him a coy grin. "I want to do this," then pushed on his shoulders until his back was in a soft bed of fallen leaves. She pulled off his moccasins and then his pants. His erection sprung free and she smiled when she saw his naked form. Ever so slowly, she lowered herself over his body and wrapped her hand around his aching member.

He could stand it no longer and pulled her close and rekindled her fire with a kiss. She stroked him faster,and he groaned into her mouth.

He flipped them over, and she let out a little squeak at the sudden change in position. It was his turn to admire her body. He knew its form well from all the nights that they slept nude together. He knew how to bring her comfort; now he wanted to bring her pleasure.

Peeta kissed her breasts the way that he had been fantasizing about since he'd first seen them. He placed his mouth over one dark peak and sucked on it. Her cries of pleasure urged him on, and he kneaded her other breast, rolling the tip between his fingers. He spent a long while alternating and enjoying them both.

"Peeta, touch me," she begged and spread her legs for him.

He was eager to comply. His left hand trailed down her flat stomach and to the thatch of hair between her legs. Her folds were wet, and she keened when he touched her. Emboldened he parted her lower lips and pushed a finger inside of her.

"Show me how to touch you," he begged. She replied by guiding his fingers to a strange looking nub and moved his hand back and forth. Peeta watched her face as he tried different movements, pressure, and speed. He knew that he had it right when she moved in tandem with his hand and hummed delightfully. He continued his work until her body stiffened, and she cried his name into the night.

As she lay there recovering he knew that she was ripe to be taken. "Katniss, can I…"

She placed her finger to his lips and stopping his words, looked into his eyes, and nodded her head. He settled over her body and in between her legs. His throbbing member was poised at her entrance, and he wondered how it could ever fit—she was tight around round his single finger.

Katniss sensed his hesitation, craned her neck to kiss him, and whispered, "I need you, Peeta."

He guided himself slowly into her body. Despite her brave words, her body seemed to be fighting him. There was an obstruction in the way. He pushed harder, and Katniss whimpered as he ripped her maidenhead. Peeta panicked and began to pull out. She clung to his body and wrapped her legs around him. "Don't stop."

Peeta thrust again, finally burying himself to the hilt, and he began to move. Being inside of her was nothing he had ever experienced before; it was so tight and hot, and her arousal lubricated his movements. Her body relaxed and she began to move with him.

Soon the base of his spine began to tingle; he knew that he would not last too much longer. His movements became bolder, and he pushed into her harder. He had a sudden animalist urge to drive himself in as far as he could go. It was all too much: the way she fit around him, her labored breathing, and mewls. Peeta let go, and he filled her with his seed. His member throbbed for what seemed like ages. Katniss kissed his neck and pulled him on top of her, urging him to rest his weight on her, and whispered sweet loving words into ear. It took him a while for him to grasp what she was saying to him.

"I am your captive too. You have my heart." she said over and over again.

They stayed there for a long while, but finally they knew that they would be missed if they did not return soon. In the moonlight they dressed and walked back to the village. He then asked the question that had been on his mind all day, "If you thought that I ran away, why did you not alert the other and come look for me?"

She gave him a sad smile. "I want you to be happy. I thought that you wanted to be back with your family."

He kissed her and informed her, "You are my family now."

She gave him the biggest smile that he'd ever seen, and it filled his heart with joy like he'd never known.

When they reached the village, they were a few revelers still dancing around the fire. Katniss and Peeta walked past several huts and heard rustling blankets, quite clearly more than one couple were doing what they had just done themselves. Finally they walked back to their dwelling. The other three family members were already asleep in their pallets.

They both removed all their clothes, but it was not longer innocent like it had been before. Peeta restrained himself out of respect for the family.

For the first time ever, Katniss came to bed with him and he held her tight. As he began to drift off she whispered, "We will have to speak to my family in the morning, we will need their consent to marry."

Peeta smiled against her hair and teased her, "So you will let me stay with you then?"

She sighed, "Always."

Peeta of the Seam tribe was home.

AN- The "Seam" tribe is based on several tribes that once lived in the Ohio Valley region. I picked and chose elements to suit the purposes of this story.

The inspiration for this fic came mostly from the true story of a woman by the name of Mary "Molly" Jemison, a white woman adopted by the Seneca Indians. I was introduced to her story when I was in jr. high by reading the Newberry award winning novel, Indian Captive- The Story of Mary Jemison by Lois Lenski and I never forgot her. Then a few years ago I found another book written about her life called The White by Deborah Larsen.

Mary Jemison's story is amazing and heartbreaking, if you ever get a chance to read her story do so.

You can also find me on tumbr as izzysamson