Hey, guys. Unfortunately, this isn't what you're thinking it is. It's a rewrite of A Tale of Two Lovers. I decided to fix any mistakes I had made and build a better frame for the story's plot. When I originally wrote it I had only a loose idea of what I wanted to happen and now I've beefed it up and changed the lore so it would better impact the story. My over-eagerness got the better of me and for that I"m very sorry. The story that I now have in my head is much more realistic in my opinion and may appeal more to you guys and girls too. If you read the original fanfic I wrote you can probably just scrap that plot line and thanks again for your patience.. This first chapter isn't too different, but I'll explain more at the end of the chapter in an author's note, which I highly recommend you read.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

The little girl ran up to the frail old woman, enveloping her in a tight hug. She clung onto the older woman's dress tightly and buried her face in it.

"Hello, Grandmother," she said, her voice muffled. She inhaled the scent of her great-grandmother's clothes, her blonde hair cascading in waves behind her.

The old woman chuckled and a smile formed across her wrinkled face. "Hello, child. How are you today?"

The girl looked up and smiled. "Good," she said, burying her face back into the dress.

"Lyss! Where you?" a small voice called from outside the hut..

Alyss frowned. Her great-grandmother gave her a gentle push.

"Go get your brother, Alyssum," she said.

The little girl bounced out of the hut and into the night as her grandmother gently lowered herself to the ground. Her aged hands moved quickly and soon a flickering fire burned before her. Alyss came back, a toddler holding her hand. His dark brown hair flowing over his eyes.

His eyes lit up when he saw the old woman. "Nana!" He shouted, waving, and waddling over to her. He collapsed into her open arms and she chuckled as he sighed contently.

"Hello, Rowan," she said softly. "How's my baby boy?"

Rowan giggled softly before hiding his face in his hands. Their great-grandmother smiled, her warm grey eyes shining in pure adoration.

Alyss say down across the fire from them. Her tiny six-year old body soaking up the fire's warmth. She pulled the bear fur blanket away from the bed and curled up in it. Her blue eyes reflected the flickering firelight that cast changing shadows onto the walls. She watched as her grandmother tickled her little brother's tummy and sighed.

"Grandmother, you promised you'd tell us a story," Alyss whined.

Her great-grandmother stopped and looked up, smiling. "Oh, of course, Alyss. Story time."

Rowan froze immediately upon hearing the words 'story time.' He clapped his hands and kicked his feet excitedly. "Story time!" He held up a finger to his mouth. "Shh!" He propped himself up on his arms and crawled over his sister, who opened the blanket. He slipped in beside her, leaning into her side. Her grandmother smiled at the way Alyss brushed Rowan's hair from his eyes. He giggled at her soft touch.

Their grandmother closed her eyes and took a deep breath, listening to the hum of the summer insects. She opened them and looked at her great-grandchildren, her eyes nearly blind from age. "Now, what story do you want to hear, children?"

Alyssum's face lit up and she leaned forward eagerly. "Two lovers! Can you tell us about the two lovers, Grandmother?"

Rowan nodded vehemently, clapping his hands again. "Yay, two lovers!" he squealed.

Their great-grandmother laughed, her voice musical. "I knew you would pick that one." Her grey eyes grew cloudy and her voice shook as the smell of pine smoke filled her senses.

"Long ago-"

The old stories tell of gods and goddesses that created the world, each putting in their own unique feature. Eyo created the clay that became the earth. Wu covered it in liquid that flowed and shifted as Atashu created the air that floated above. Lima created the life that lived on Eyo's creation, while Sitmi created the soul, a small sphere of energy, that existed within each living thing and upon death, was sent to Sitmi's realm, the spirit world. But the most important god was Humi, who created the people in his image. Humi breathed life into the first people and it is to him who the People call upon when in need of answers.

As time passed the People began to forget about their creators, who were content with watching their play things do as they wished. The ancient people lived and died for many generations, each person living the same life as those before him. Then, during a particularly harsh winter, the People split. One group traveled west, over the mountains, and into the ancient forests that had existed since the dawn of time. Soon, they became known as the Forestpeople, practicing slash and burn farming in the dense underbrush. Another moved south into the Endless Desert, where they adapted quickly to the burning sun and their skin slowly turned black as night. The Sandpeople were the ultimate survivors, able to live off the desert oases that were scattered throughout it. A third group traveled north and east, inhabiting the luxurious white sand shorelines of the Great Water. The Waterpeople became excellent sailors, quickly spreading out over the uninhabited islands that dotted the coast and hunting the dangerous beasts that lurked below the surface. The last remained behind, continuing their search for food on the Great Plains. These nomads became the first of the Plainspeople.

Many more years passed and the people grew. They expanded ever more, ever farther into the unknown, always searching for resources. Then, gold was discovered in the mountain range that divided the people of the forest and plains. Mountains, once thought to be nothing more than an annoying barrier, suddenly became the most important region on the continent. Forestpeople and Plainspeople flocked to the mountains in search of riches and fortune. It wasn't long before arguments broke out over the most promising sites and on a dark night, in a small mining village, a forestman's throat was slit. His body was found the next day by his son and the next night his son and a fellow forestman retaliated. And, thus, the cycle of bloodshed begun. Tit for tat; the fighting quickly escalated until the two People were ready for war.

An urgent message from the High Shaman of the People called them to a peace meeting. The High Shaman led the people in matters of the heart. He gave advice and mediated whenever the chieftains met. 'Forgive and forget,' he said. 'Balance has been restored to our people.' The Sandchief melted back into the sand dunes and the Waterchief returned to his village in the east. The Plainspeople, however, ignored him and prepared their weapons for war. That summer during the annual monsoons they attacked the Forestpeople. And the cycle continued.

The years slowly passed until the Sand and Seachiefs, who had earlier avoided the war, called for a temporary peace meeting. The Shaman was dying. He was ancient and wise, his hair grey and his eyes blind. It was time to choose a new successor. A young woman was chosen to lead the People and the chieftains crowded around the shaman to listen to his final words, his voice weak and hoarse.

"This war will end . . . when the grey eyes . . . meet blue. The mountains . . . will call their names . . . and the spirits will guide them. Wait for the boy . . . and the girl . . . who's bonds . . . bring together . . . these four tribes. When they meet . . . they will . . . overcome. Even when . . . all hope is lost."

And with that last breath the shaman passed from the world.

Katniss Everdeen sighed softly as she looked over the prairie grass. Her silvery grey eyes slowly shifted from left to right, taking in the morning light. She slowly crawled through the grass, her shoes making quiet shuffling sounds through the powdery snow. Katniss wore her dark brown hair in two intricate braids that flowed down to her mid back. A bow was clutched in her hand and a quiver filled with white feathered arrows was worn on her back. A water skin and obsidian blade were worn around her waist. A thick fur coat protected her body from the early March cold and she licked her chapped lips nervously as she watched her prey, tugging the thick hood tighter around her head.

The small herd of plainsdeer remained blissfully unaware of the approaching danger. They were beautiful creatures, really. They had beautiful, sleek black coats and stood five feet at the shoulder with beautiful antlers, a foot wide with long, sharp s. Their long, powerful legs allowed them to easily jump thirty feet in a single bound, as well as watch for predators over the tall grass. They were majestic, powerful creatures that, when cornered, could easily kill a man with a shake of their heads. Luckily for Katniss it was still early spring and none of the deer had begun to grow their antlers yet. During their Fall rut were the deer at their most dangerous.

Her stomach growled and she looked up, panicked, sighing as none of the deer showed any signs of being alerted and were still peacefully grazing and snuffling around in the snow. Katniss breathed a sigh of relief. Her family's supply of preserved meats had been dwindling down and would only last a few more days. Katniss' father, Alder Everdeen, had been injured in a raid early in January and, only through careful rationing, had Katniss miraculously gotten their food to last until now. Her mother, a healer, had poured all her energy into returning him to full health and now sat comatose, hovering over her love's bedside as his health worsened. Mr. Everdeen was a well-loved individual of the tribe but even at a young age Katniss had been taught that taking from others, even if it was needed, without repayment was looked down upon. The small amount of food they had accepted had been paid for with small gifts such as necklaces of bead or some medicine that her mother had made; but now with most of the snow gone, Katniss could finally head out and hunt for their own food.

The men of her tribe would not allow women to join their hunts so Katniss had headed out early this morning, moving towards the mountains that separated the warring tribes of the plain and forest. The women of her village would handle the game brought in by the men, the foraging, and during the summer months, the gardens. Katniss was taking a large risk disrespecting their customs. If she came home empty-handed she would surely be scolded by the elders.

Katniss' eyes carefully observed the deer before reaching to her quiver and selecting an arrow. She kissed the head of the arrow softly and whispered a quiet blessing before knocking it to her bow. She pulled the bowstring back, her arms straining against the draw weight, before honing in on her target, a smallish deer with a slight limp. Katniss slowly breathed in through her mouth before exhaling through her nose, her breath creating a mist in the cold morning air.

Katniss inhaled once more, trying to calm her frantically beating heart. Finally, with one last exhale she stood up, simultaneously firing her arrow. She gave a startled yelp as the bowstring struck her arm, even though her thick coat protected it from any real damage. Her arrow spun through the air before flying wide of the herd, burying itself deep into the white earth.

The deer exploded, scattering in every direction. One bounded towards her with frightening speed before leaping clear over her head, its hooves nearly clipping her in the head. Katniss tripped and fell on her butt before leaping back to her feet, chasing after it. She was getting that meat even if it cost her an arm and a leg. She followed the panicking deer as it entered the mountainous forest looming high above her.

The Mountains of the Spirits separated the warring tribes. It was said that people who traveled into them without taking the correct passages or traveled alone were never seen again. The shamans believed that the spirits of the dead were angry with the people. Angry that they were still fighting over an issue of the past. But both sides refused to back down and the fighting continued.

Katniss frowned and glared defiantly at the mountains. She would follow that deer to the ends of the earth if it meant food for her family.

Katniss.

A chill went down her back as she looked over her shoulder. She didn't see any movement but something was definitely off. Ever since she had entered the forest she hadn't seen another creature besides the birds that fluttered out of reach above. All she saw were the naked trees and bushes. Snow fell from a small, sad-looking tree and her eyes narrowed before she started walking again.

Katniss. Katniss. Katniss.

She spun around quickly, her hands on her bow, ready to pull it out if needed. Her eyes darted around frantically. Nothing. She must be imagining things, she tried convincing herself; but even she knew that wasn't true. Her name was being spoken like a chant. Voices of men and women; boys and girls; adults and children; young and old whispered her name over and over. It was as quiet as the wind and seemed to ghost along her skin, leaving goosebumps in their wake.

The Great Plains had disappeared hours ago, blocked by the sheer amount of trees around her. Accustomed to wide open spaces, the trees were suffocating Katniss. The thick tree limbs above her covered the forest floor in shadows and the deer was still moving, continuing deeper and deeper into the forest and higher into the mountains. Katniss reached to her hip and untied her goatskin canteen from her waist. She opened it and took a sip of water, relishing the liquid that trickled down her throat even though it was beginning to taste more like the bag than water. Katniss looked around for any signs of prey once more before deciding to head back home. She clapped her hands twice together, closed her eyes, and muttered a plea for safe passage before turning around and heading towards, what she hoped was, the edge of the forest and her village.

It was then that she noticed the absence of noise. She turned her head from side to side nervously. The woods were now deathly silent, not even the whisper of the wind could be heard and the near silent chants had ceased to exist. Snow began to fall. Thick, fat snowflakes that drifted lazily down to Earth.

The sound of beating wings made Katniss jump. The bird landed in front of her, cocked its head to the side and eyed her curiously with piercing green eyes. The tiny thing was beautiful. It had sleek blue feathers that covered its entire body except for a white V that covered its breast and wing tips. The bird cooed softly before hopping a few feet away, kicking up little drifts of snow. It stopped and turned when Katniss didn't move. The bird whistled softly again, as if telling her to follow it, before taking flight, soaring away gracefully. The girl felt drawn to the bird but knew it wasn't safe to stay here much longer. She was thinking of turning around when a small gust of wind nudged her. Like ghostly hands she felt a pressure against her back, as if urging her to follow the creature. So she did.

Katniss ran after it, her heart beating fast and not quite sure why she was following it except for it felt right. She weaved in between trees and leapt over fallen logs, her bow and quiver bouncing against her back. She passed through beams of light that dappled the forest floor, always following the sound of flapping wings. Katniss ran until she emerged into a large clearing and bent over, her hands on her knees and breathing hard. She inhaled deeply, basking in the glow of the warm sun, and threw her head back letting out an elated laugh. She could feel the sun again.

The girl smiled to herself and took in her surroundings. She stood in a beautiful green and white meadow. The short green grass that popped out from between the snow looked so different from the long grasses of the plains she was normally used to seeing. The sound of sloshing water caught her attention and she turned her head to find a large, half frozen lake to her side. It sparkled in the noon sunlight and she rushed over to it, sliding to her knees and splashing her face into the ice cold water, relishing in the liquid's coolness. She took huge grateful gulps of the clear water and slowly sat down on the ground, releasing a sigh as her tired legs finally felt a moment of rest.

Katniss opened her eyes to hear the sound of hooves pounding against the ground. It was followed by the sound of a creature crying out and then a thud. She stood and picked up her bow before running towards the sound, her feet making quiet crunching sounds in the snow. Katniss reentered the forest and jogged through the trees, warily searching for the noise, when she came across blood splattered snow, the red liquid staining the beautiful white snow. She stood fascinated by the blood before heading off in the direction of the blood droplets, slowing her pace to a silent, cautious walk.

She was moving around a tree when a ripping sound startled her, forcing her into a crouch as she pulled out her bow. She peered around the trees to find a person bent over a deer. The one she had been chasing. The figure wore a heavy grey parka with a strung bow and quiver on its back. A bloody arrow and a spear laid on the snow next to the figure as it took a knife and sliced off a chunk of meat from the back leg.

Katniss watched for a moment as a plan began to formulate in her head. Obviously, a hundred pound deer would feed a single person for well over a month and, seeing as this person was in the middle of disputed territory, she took the chance in believing that the figure was a person of the forest. Plainspeople knew not to enter the forest for it was not their domain. Of course, that didn't apply to Katniss but she was desperate and, as she looked at all the meat, she planned on stealing a few pounds. Just enough to get home quickly and still have enough to smoke and store for a few days.

"Get in and get out," she whispered to herself, her grey eyes observing the figure cut off piece after piece.

Suddenly, she heard the sound of heavy panting behind her and then a rush of footfalls as something rushed towards her. Katniss turned around just in time to see a shadow leaping and then the jaws of a large, grey wolf as it snapped shut inches from her face. It gave a savage growl as they crashed to the ground and, before she had even reached for the knife at her belt, it was over. She heard a whistle followed by silence as the wolf backed up and sat down.

Katniss looked towards the figure to find it standing a few feet from her and a spear point hovering between her eyes. The figure was of average height, around 5' 8" or so, not much taller than Katniss herself. It was stocky and wore a thin, white scarf over the bottom half of its face. Its eyes and hair, though, were covered by the parka's hood. It cocked its head to the side curiously as it studied her. Suddenly, the person's free hand lifted to its face and Katniss' heart skipped a beat. Her throat constricting in fear.

The hood was lifted off . . . and grey eyes met blue.

Yo! I've been gone a long time and for that I am sincerely sorry. I kind of fell out of love with the HG series over the summer to be honest. Then, I started college as a full-time student and also started a thirty-odd hour a week job. Any free time I had was spent playing League of Legends or playing games on my PlayStation. Then, for some reason this October I came back to fanfiction and started reading again. So with renewed passion I hope to continue this story. Once again thank you very much for sticking through this story with me. I can't promise a set time for updates at the moment but I hope to have a lot of free time this January while on break. I know what I want to do, it's just a matter of doing it. Hopefully, I'll be able to upload soon. Also, if you want to ever play League or Ps3 with me just pm me but be warned that I am terrible at League and I don't plan on getting a Ps4 until next Spring.

So, I hope you enjoyed it and thanks for reading. If you liked it leave a review, it'd be appreciated. If you didn't like it leave a review and tell me how I can improve. All and any sensible criticism is appreciated. Okay, now bear with me and just read the next long paragraph because if you continue to follow this story it probably won't make sense without this information. But if you don't want to thanks again for reading.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

So, just to clear things up and give everyone a clearer picture of what's going on, I'm going to be delving into the setup of their society, culture, and stuff like that. I figured it would be easier to just explain it in an A/N than to do it in the story, so here we go. The People and their religion were inspired by many cultures that have existed. They all share a respect for nature and believe in spirits and demons and that was inspired by many shamanistic religions. The Forestpeople are very militaristic, very much like the Spartans from Ancient Greece, and believe in a strong sense of honor and duty, like the Samurai of Feudal Japan. The Waterpeople and Plainspeople are were inspired by the Native Americans of the Great Plains in North America and the Sandpeople were inspired by the Zulu of Africa. Each group is led by a Highchief, who in turn leads the chiefs of the towns and villages. Then, it is broken down into your typical men, women, and children. The shamans are a separate entity from the main People entirely. They act as healers with no ties to any group and wander between the different regions helping those in need. They are led by the High Shaman and act as ties between the spirit world and the living world. I picture the shamans as very Buddhist-like, always searching for balance, peace, and tranquility.

Anyways, thanks one last time for reading and I hope you'll follow and join me in the next chapter of A Tale of Two Lovers.