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[ssa_emilyprentiss]

WHO|  Emily and Derek
WHAT|  Arena stuff
WHEN|  Second or third day...whatever it's supposed to be (confusing timeline is confusing)
WHERE|  S20
WARNINGS|  Probably not?  No promises.

"Did you ever see that move, Never Cry Wolf?" Emily asked, sighing, turning her head against the brick wall from where she had been watching the death toll on the horizon to look at Morgan.  The wolf calls that permeated the night silence had increased in frequency and volume the farther from the Cornucopia they'd traveled.  They'd traveled along a chain link fence since they'd left the amusement park - she wasn't sure if it was the actual border of the Arena or not, but she didn't want to chance it since it was probably electrified or set you on fire or something.

Comments

[ssa_derekmorgan]

"No," he replied with an amused smile. It seemed to normal for them to be walking endlessly and talking about movies, music or books like they used to a long time ago. "Tell me about it..."

[ssa_emilyprentiss]

She turned her head to both sides, stretch, her neck popping a few times. She slid down the crumbling brick facade to sit down and immediately untied her left shoe and probed the inside for a pebble.

"It's based on a book...the guy that wrote it, for some reason, decides to live with this pack of wolves. And he decides to keep the wolves away from his camp by peeing all around it, just like the wolves do."

[ssa_derekmorgan]

He settled down next to her, somewhat grateful for the break - they had been walking for hours, after all. He stretched his legs out and sighed quietly.

"Did it work?" he asked, taking a sip of water from the bottle they shared. "Peeing around his camp helped keep the wolves away?"

[ssa_emilyprentiss]

"Surprisingly, yes. Apparently he had to drink like as much coffee as Reid to have enough piss, though." She flashed a brief smile. It faded as she used her unworn shoe to squash a spider crawling through the rubble beside her.

[ssa_derekmorgan]

He let out a hearty laugh, shaking his head. "I highly doubt that is possible," he grinned. "So, what happened? The story can't just end there..."

[ssa_emilyprentiss]

She elbowed him playfully. "I can't really remember, I haven't seen it in ages. I think the wolves accept him and get used to him and he gets in really close to observe them. I don't know. But my point was, maybe you should hold it in and protect us from those dogs eyeing us like we're delicious...if we ever find somewhere to make camp."

[ssa_derekmorgan]

"That sounds like a smart thing to do..." He looked around them - a habit he had developed since they entered this land - making sure there were no other tributes or dogs that might want to hurt them. "They would help protect us if someone tried to harm us... They might even let us use their water supply.*

[ssa_emilyprentiss]

"Are you nuts? I just meant to keep them the hell away from us...I don't want to be someone's dinner. I'm sure I look delicious."

[ssa_derekmorgan]

"No, you don't... Not when you're covered in dirt, dust and other stuff..."

[ssa_emilyprentiss]

She rolled her eyes and punched him lightly in the shoulder. "You're such an ass. But I'm serious, I don't want those things anywhere near me while I'm trying to sleep."

[ssa_derekmorgan]

"Very well, your highness," he teased. He stood up and helped her up. "We better go back to our old shelter or find a new one because it's getting dark..."

[ssa_emilyprentiss]

"If you were a true gentleman, you'd make a shelter for me, then come get me." She raised a brow, knowing he'd get indignant at the jibe. "But you'd probably just screw it up."

She ducked out of the way, just in case he sent a playful blow her way.

[ssa_derekmorgan]

"I could totally kick your ass but I won't," he retorted, "Because you're a girl. It would just be unfair to you."

[ssa_emilyprentiss]

She whirled around and shot him a death glare. "Do you want me to hurt you? Keep it up with the girl jokes if you do... You might tackle trains, but I got stabbed and lived to tell the tale."

[ssa_derekmorgan]

"I happened to be there the first time you were stabbed," he said quietly. "Try not to do that again. I'd hate to have to save your ass again. It's a cute ass but.."

[ssa_emilyprentiss]

Her face contorted into a look of confusion, lips pursed, thinking. The silence that followed was long, heavy with thought.

"I didn't want to be saved."

[ssa_derekmorgan]

"You think I'd sit back and do nothing just because I know that was what you wanted?" he asked, raising his brows. "Maybe you don't really know me..."

[ssa_emilyprentiss]

Emily opened her mouth to reply, but she stopped, words caught. She held a finger to her lips and nodded her head to the right.

"Someone's watching us..." she whispered.

[ssa_derekmorgan]

He froze in his step and slowly turned his head to the right and what he saw surprised him. "It's a dog..." he whispered to her. "Don't move...he must have been separated from his pack."

[ssa_emilyprentiss]

"Don't move?" she hissed incredulously. "Are you insane? We should be running in the opposite direction as fast as humanly possible! I told you we looked delicious!"

[ssa_derekmorgan]

"Haven't you heard that if you run their instinct would be to hunt you down? And that they won't stop until they get you?" he asked, tightening his grip on his rusty crowbar they found in an old shed last night.

He watched the dog for a while and noticed that while it looked just like other bloodthirsty dogs, this one doesn't seem like he wanted to hurt them. Actually, he actually looked confused and curious.

"I don't think he wants to hurt us..." he whispered, squeezing her hand. "He's not grunting or bearing his teeth."

[ssa_emilyprentiss]

"Okay, now I know you've lost it," she hissed, smacking his arm again. "It's probably just a scout and he's going to wait until we fall asleep and then get the rest of its pack and come back for an easy meal."

[ssa_derekmorgan]

"Why would he come all the way out here?" he asked incredulously. "There are still people back there. It would be easier to get them...and don't you know anything about dogs? They would hunt and kill together...they don't work alone."

[ssa_emilyprentiss]

"Dogs don't hunt," she hissed, "And this isn't the wild. Who knows how they've adapted." She looked at him, clearly displeased. "And FYI, I got attacked by a wild dog in Russia, so forgive me for being a little overly cautious."

[ssa_derekmorgan]

"Calm down," he hissed. "Let's just walk away slowly. I'll walk behind you and keep an eye on him. But I swear, he doesn't look like he wants to hurt us. He looks lost."