It was only by virtue of the fact that Rick had been expecting his group that Ellis had gotten as far as he did. The crunch of snow had caught his attention before the trespasser had even reached the cave entrance, and he was on his feet and out of the tent before they'd managed to cross the threshold. Pressed against the wall, the shadows were dense enough to temporarily mask his presence, leaving him the brief moments he'd need; while he'd been waiting on Beth and Daryl's return, there was always the other option.

Based on the unfamiliar gait, he was betting on the latter.

In the end, it had only been a matter of time; the arena was a finite space, and with the building snow, shelters were probably limited. Unfortunately for Ellis, this one had already been claimed.

"That's far enough."

Rick didn't need his gun to back his threats anymore; the look in his eyes carried more dangerous potential than any firearm. The space between them was still wide enough to eliminate any immediate threat, and he made no effort to hide his own weapon as he stepped out into the light of the dying fire. He moved with a practiced finesse, assertive but non-threatening - one of the few things that lingered from when he was still just a small town cop, defusing a tough situation.

Thus far, he'd managed to scrape by without killing any of the other tributes - but it wasn't because he was unwilling.

"I suggest you turn around."