"I know," she gives a sigh, acknowledging that yes, hiding wasn't fair to Gale. That he deserved answers, even if she couldn't give them. But hiding and running were always her first instinct, besides fighting, which also comes naturally to her. The thought only serves to pull the heaviness in her chest deeper as her feet gloss against wet stones at the bottom of the pool. "I just needed time to think," her voice is even and it's a surprisingly mature response from her.

Katniss hasn't been a child in a very long time. She keeps his gaze, holding on to gray eyes that were so much like hers.