And Luke does nothing to betray that trust though he knows there are more than a few vicious opportunists out there who would’ve leapt at the chance to throw a knife at Ellis’ back. Easy prey. Every tribute still alive and in any shape to bear weapons hurts his chances at survival and protecting those he cared for, he knows that. But he won’t start weeding them out at the cost of his morals, at the cost of the sort of man he’s elected to be even in the darkest and most desperate of times. Like the barrier, his spear is more a deterrent than anything else -- and that’s just how he’d like it to be for as long as it could be.

“Thank you." He answers, unsmiling and careful.

His gaze steadily follows Ellis out the cave and he waits for him to disappear from his field of vision before turning back and making for the warmth of the fire with a furrowed brow, thoughts swarming his mind.