Chapter eight:
James and I told Ray and Celia about Irvette's offer and to our surprise they didn't dismiss it as we had expected them to. Irvette was meant to be a Career and it was rare for a Tribute from District 4 to branch out from the Careers let alone seek out a different alliance when the Career's were so strong. A Career was almost always the winner of the Hunger Games and they always received the most sponsorship.
So for Irvette to remove herself from her alliance was a huge risk on her part as well as a big compliment that she had chosen us as Celia informed James and I.
Ray told us he would speak with Irvette's mentors but he was sure they would not be happy with Irvette's decision.
Word must have spread that Irvette had sought an alliance with us as the next day we received an offer from Ilium a 12 year old boy from District 6 as we were eating lunch in a dining room attached to the gym and Sawyer who had to put up with Imelda from District 11 as we were going to the elevator to go back to our room that night.
James and I were surprised and flattered that the other Tributes trusted us enough already that they would alliance themselves with us but we were weary too and we kept our distance from them until we had come to an agreement with our mentors about whether or not to make an alliance with them.
On the third day James and I split up during the day and I came across the Tributes of District 2 arguing over survival stations.
"This is a waste of time; we'll never use this in the arena!" The boy, Hunter, I remembered his name to be grumbled to his partner Megara. His face contorted in frustration as he failed to set a trap properly and the sticks he was using collapsed inwards in a heap.
Megara scoffs, "You never know! Someone might eat all our supplies and then we'll be doubly screwed if that same someone can't even set a simple snare that could have prevented us from dying of hunger! It is called the Hunger Games you know!"
Hunter flings a stick at her, "Why don't you do it then since you're so good at it."
I watched from the end of the table as she plucked the stick up and pushed him out of the way and began to set the trap far more successfully than Hunter. I watched her face change with concentration and I recognized the same look she wore when I saw her at one of the weapons stations shooting dummies expertly from a large crossbow.
Hunter trudged off in a huff after she shows him up with her snare and she lets out a pleased laugh. She looks down the table at me and shakes her head, "Boys," she says, "Always right until proven wrong."
I laugh surprised that she didn't mind me eavesdropping. "I know what you mean," I gestured over to James.
She smiled, "Its Helen, right? I'm Megara."
I nodded, "I know, I saw you with that crossbow that was pretty intense."
She winced, "Yeah, I guess... hey, how come I never see you using a weapon?"
I shrugged trying to appear indifferent, "I don't have any skills with weapons and I doubt there is much I could pick up in a few days that would make any difference in the arena."
"Maybe, maybe not," She replied, "But it might not hurt to try."
I shrug again, "Where did you learn to shoot like that?" I asked though I was sure I knew the answer.
She winced again, "I've been training since I was 10. My dad was a Victor and he won using a crossbow and so he started training me in case I ever got Reaped." She laughs dryly, "Oh, you should have seen his face when I was. I thought that all these years he'd just been trying to protect me, but he was so proud." I hear the malice in her voice and I frown surprised at how different her dad sounds from mine who was so upset and torn when I was Reaped.
"Well, at least you have had some training." I don't know how to make the situation lighter and we fall into an uncomfortable silence when she doesn't reply.
"Yeah," she finally says and sets her tools down, "Guess I'll see you around, though hopefully not in the arena." She gives me one last smile and moves away back to the weapons stand.
I hope that she means what I think she does, that she would keep her distance in the arena to avoid having the awkward job of killing me. Though I try not to get my hopes up, at the end of the day she was still a Career and more likely to kill me then let me off the hook if she wanted to go back home.
James and I sought out Ilium, Sawyer and Irvette after Celia and Ray had finally given us their verdict on whether or not to form an alliance after the second day of training.
"It would be better in many ways not to have an alliance as we don't know these Tributes and for all we know they could be playing us. But we've decided it'd be best for the both of you, to have that extra support in the arena." Ray had told us on our way back to our floor. "We've already given their mentors the green light so all you two need to do now is start to get to know your allies better. Find their talents and find their weaknesses, before they find yours because if it comes down to it, you are going to want to have the better foot hold if you're stuck in the arena and they are the only thing standing between you and victory."
James and I had surveyed our allies starting with Ilium from District 6. I didn't remember much of his Reaping but I remember I had hoped that someone would take pity on them and sponsor him so it was strange to find myself in an alliance with him. He didn't have any talents for weapons but he was less reserved in person and was good with words telling us about his District which made transport for the Capitol like the gleaming silver train that brought us here.
Ilium was young and innocent and small and in some ways I was glad he was on our side so that I could have a chance to protect him.
Sawyer from District 11 was a different story. He was quite sullen but James and I had seen him wield a scythe with ease though I doubted he had ever used it to attack someone before. He told us grudgingly he had wanted to be in the Career pack but his mentors thought it was better for him to be with us and we didn't mind so long as he used his talents.
Irvette was her same smiley self and was very glad our mentors had allowed us to accept her alliance. In some ways we were glad too. She was very talented with knots and nets and traps which I knew without a doubt would come in handy in the arena.
Our team was a bit rusty at best compared to the Careers but it was better than nothing.
I continued to shy away from Colt after my nightmare though I still got a few glances here and there from him that made me feel nervous though my emotions were running in two directions. He had been so nice and charming when I met him, but there was an unsettling part of me that screamed to stay away especially after the dream I'd had that still haunted me whenever I saw his face.
But he found me though on the third day as I was cramming in some last minute practise with one of the survival trainers. She had disappeared to go get some more matches when I felt a presence behind me and his breath tickled the back of my neck as I leaned over my makeshift fire.
I jumped back with a jolt bumping into him and whirling around to face him.
"You've got to stop running into me like that," He laughed as I pushed myself back against the table it a subtle effort to get further from him.
I let out a shaky exhale struggling to compose my features, "I think you're the one who keeps running into me," I told him lightly.
He gave me a lopsided grin, his handsome features brightening until he longer looked like the face in my nightmare. "Maybe..."
The silence stretched on a bit and I glanced behind me hoping that the trainer would come back soon.
"So," he cleared his throat, "Are you going to impress the Game-makers with your amazing fire starting skills?" he looked pointedly at my pathetic bundle that wasn't even smoking no matter how hard I tried.
I blushed embarrassed, "No, I'm still not sure what I'll do, but I'll think of something." I didn't let on that I already knew exactly what I was going to show the Game-makers test as they gave us our Training scores.
He nodded with a strange look on his face that I couldn't place. "Okay, well at any rate, good luck."
I gave him a weak smile, "You too."
He cleared his throat again and then looked back over his shoulder to where a small group of the Careers were practising with weapons. Seeing them distracted he turned back to me and lowered his voice, "I came over here to tell you that I've been asked to join the Career's group."
I raised my eyebrows at him. It didn't come as a surprise to me as he had the right build to be a Career and I had seen him practising with spears well so it was only a matter of time before they asked him. But that he was telling me this?
"I just wanted you to know because I need you to understand that you can trust me." He continued.
I lowered my voice as well, "Why would I need to trust you?"
He gave me a sad smile, "Because you and your brother have something worth fighting for, something I've never had... And if I know I'm going to die, then I want to die knowing I made a difference. And knowing that I meant something..." His confession left me shocked but still suspicious as to why he would tell me this as he moved away from my table. The Trainer chose that exact moment to return, shifting my thoughts back to making a fire though I could feel I was distracted for the rest of the day.
After dinner Ray sat us down and listed off the names of the Career's that he had learnt of during the day talking to other mentors and insiders.
The Career pack was quite big this year. There was the Tributes of District 1of course, Diamond who had an eerie beauty and was good with knives and Markus who volunteered before knocking someone out to get here who was dangerous with swords, from District 2 there was Megara and Hunter, Merrick from District 4 who had volunteered and was quite arrogant, Rowan from District 7 who was so like my dad with his quiet nature but I had seen him excel when it came to plants and food, there was also Tex from District 9 who had bullied the other Tributes often during the Training sessions and then there was Colt from District 10.
"There's a lot of brawn in that pack but not much brains so if you want to outlast them you've got to make sure you exploit their weaknesses well." Ray advised us. "Don't under estimate them but don't over estimate them either. They want you to fear them so they'll put on a show but that might be all it is, a show. Some of them won't really want to kill you if they don't have to so don't go giving those opportunities."
The next day we had our private training sessions with our mentors which we decided to have together. We had a later session at 2 o'clock so for the rest of the day James and I spent our free time playing games and talking. James admitted he was missing Britta and Dad and I agreed. I wondered how they were coping back in District 8. Dad would probably be at one of the markets selling his carvings and Britta would still be slaving away in the factory. Being a part of the Hunger Games made me wish I was still back in District 8. I'd take a hundred beatings from the peacekeepers over this.
At quarter to 2, Celia and Ray led us down to the Training Room where the Tributes of District 7 were just finishing up. Hazel was locked in hand to hand combat with a trainer while Rowan and their mentors looked on.
After they had left, Celia turned to us and told us to "go crazy" with a smile. James went first and went straight for a long knife with one sharp side and one toothed side. The trainer went through simple ways to use the knife and then how to block an attack or how to get close enough to attack someone else.
I watched unsettlingly hoping he would never have a reason to use this training but I was also in awe of how easily he picked up the moves and he soon had the Trainer sweating as he lashed out swift and sure at the practise dummies.
I think Ray was sure that I would pick up a knife as well but I surprised him by picking up a medium sized silver double headed axe from a stand and swinging it in arks and waves to get a feel for it and admiring up close the sharp curved edges.
"Uh, has she done this before?" he asked my brother.
James gave me what must have been a proud smile but it dropped quickly, "Oh yeah, this isn't new to her, so don't worry, she knows what she doing."
Practising with an axe was like second nature and I was so relieved to finally get my hands on it for the first time since I saw it sitting neglected on the weapons stands. To me it was a golden ticket. If I could get my hands on it in the arena then I was sure to stand a chance against the Careers.
A/N Phew so this chapter was quite eventful and as you can see there are two main alliances forming so it will add some drama to this story for sure. I can't wait to write the next chapter as it will be about the training scores and could be quite interesting! xx
