Chapter Ten: Brilliant Ideas

Disclaimer: I don't own The Hunger Games.

Clove:

Clove has never been known for her patience. Sure, she was more patient than say Johanna, but it wasn't enough.

She tapped her foot in an annoying manner as she waited for more tributes to show up for training that morning. She and Brutus were the first to arrive, followed by the lovers from Twelve.

Time to see her in action. Clove relished the fact that she'd be able to see Katniss's shooting skills up close. She'd know what she was facing should she have to ever defend from flying arrows.

A little while later, only half the tributes had deemed it necessary to attend training and the day began.

Finn and Mags were sticking together, making knots and hooks. Brutus, Cashmere, and Gloss have made their alliance. Small this year, but twice as deadly. All three won for a reason.

Clove practiced some archery, but quickly gave up after missing the target a few times. She's not terrible, but she doesn't need a bow to stab someone. Knives are much more comfortable and less worrisome to carry.

The knife station wasn't empty. A few other tributes were there trying to hit the targets. They fumbled with the knives and missed by miles. Did they think knife throwing is easy? Idiots. It took years of practice to even master the stance.

Among the knife throwers was Peeta Mellark. Clove was pleasantly surprised to see that he wasn't completely incompetent at knife throwing. He had some idea of how to handle a knife and he often hits the target. Some of the hits could potentially be deadly.

"Peeta Mellark, right? That was a good throw." Clove attempted to give him a compliment. He must be better company than Everdeen.

"Not really. I just got lucky." He shrugged it off.

"Don't be so modest! Luck has nothing to do with it. You've had some practice, I can tell." She picked up a knife and threw it at a target. Thump! Right in the head.

"It takes a lot of work and concentration." Another knife hit the dummy. The center of the abdomen, more specifically the aorta. This person would bleed to death in minutes

Peeta watches her throw,studying her technique.

"Need some pointers?" She asked. Why not have another ally. If Katniss wanted to kill her, Mellark could plead her case.

"Sure." He answered. Clove gave him the friendliest smile she could muster and then threw another knife. Right in the heart.

Before the day ended, Finnick waved her over to be introduced to Katniss. Clove wasn't at all enthusiastic, but it is necessary to kind of form an alliance. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the Careers watching them. They can senses another alliance forming.

"Katniss!" Finnick talked to the girl like they were old friends. "This is Mags, my district partner."

Katniss nodded. "She's good with fishing hooks." Katniss had been watching Mags. The older woman mumbled incoherently, trying to talk to young girl.

"She can make a hook out of anything! Amazing, huh?" Finnick praised. Katniss agreed that Mags was talented. Her grey eyes then shifted over to Clove.

"Clove Kentwell. District Two." Clove said.

"I know." Something about the way Katniss said that bothered Clove. The girl didn't personally know her and already, Clove was being classified as an enemy.

"Katniss Everdeen, Twelve. See? I pay attention, too." Clove said.

Katniss frowned slightly.

Katniss Everdeen was a strange girl, in Clove's opinion. She's completely resistant to Finnick's looks and few people are. She was able to stand talking to Cashmere and Gloss, both at the same time. And she did it for more than three seconds, which was incredible. Lastly, she spent a while talking with Nuts and Volts. The district Three victors weren't riveting story tellers or particularly charming. Katniss had to have a her reasons. It didn't matter to Clove what they were, as long as she didn't get her killed.

Clove noticed Katniss was busy staring at something behind her. She turned and there stood Cashmere and the alliance. Cashmere tried to see of she could make Clove explode with only her glare. Clove gave the statuesque blonde a friendly wave and a big grin. Cashmere quickly turned away.

"Cash is so friendly." Clove told the group. Finnick scowled, warning her not to try and start a fight with One. Mags was immersed in one of her hooks.

Katniss seemed intrigued by the interaction.

"Is that why you're not in the alliance? Cashmere didn't want you to join?" They grey eyed girl asked.

Clove smirked. "No. I'm not in because I don't want to be part of their alliance. I don't trouble myself with Cashmere's opinions."

Katniss doesn't pry but Clove suspected she would ask Haymitch. He could tell her.

He'd tell her how Clove made an alliance with the district One girl her games. Satin was a knife thrower, like Clove, but she thought herself more experienced because she was two years older. Clove let Satin believe she could best her and made a deal. They'd kill all the threats and then they'd find out who was the better knife thrower. A competition within a competition, the audience would love it. It was Satin who broke the career alliance by killing the girl from Four. Clove took out the boys from One and Four. Satin got Clove's district partner. They agreed that girl six was next, but before they hunted her down, Clove eliminated Satin. She couldn't trust another knife thrower.

It was possible that the knowledge would end up making Katniss distrustful of Clove, but that was her problem. Clove was still going to go through with the plan. Keep them alive and bust out of the arena.

They split up once again. Finnick and Mags went to the plant station to study, well, plants. Katniss went for archery and Clove finally had her chance to study her.

Accurate was an understatement. Every arrow she launched hit the target and guaranteed death. The arrows traveled at lightning speed and Clove thought it was impossible to avoid getting hit. It would take unbelievably quick reflexes to avoid a death blow.

She wasn't the only one watching. Almost everyone in the room had stopped to observe the archer. The Careers were whispering amongst themselves, already claiming her as an ally.

Katniss wouldn't leave Peeta. She was smart and she'd know they would kill her first once the alliance fell apart.

The head trainer announced the end of training and Clove got on the first elevator. Finnick, Mags, and Johanna joined her.

"Mason."

"Kentwell." Civil enough.

"Haymitch wants us to meet him on the roof tonight. Midnight." Finnick stated.

"What does the old man want?" Johanna asked.

"I don't know, but it's important. It's probably about the games." Finnick said.

"Mags?" Clove spoke this time. She doubted Mags would stay up that late.

He shook his head. "I think it's just the three of us. Plus Haymitch."

Johanna scoffed. "Use your brain once in a while, Clover. Too, many people would draw attention."

"Yeah, because a drunk district Twelve mentor meeting up with two careers and the girl from seven isn't suspicious enough." Clove countered.

"Midnight." Finnick reminded them as the elevator stopped at Clove's floor.

Clove reached the roof top last. Haymitch must have been there first.

"All here, good. I have a few announcements." Haymitch said. Clove noted that he was sober, like he had been last year. "Eleven agreed to help with the mission. Anything they can do to help, they will do. They won't be in the alliance, but they won't attack you." Clove was relieved. That's two people off the enemy list.

"I got a chance to talk to Ella, from Six. I think she's in. Hard to tell with that one."

A morphling. Not much help there. Clove recalled seeing her playing at the camouflage station.

"They all know who to avoid and who to watch for. Moving on, Three is crucial to the mission. They need protection so I'm trusting you three with them. Keep Beetee especially close, he's easier to work with. I'd rather you keep both of them with you, but if things fall apart...go for him."

"So we babysit Three and Twelve? Got it." Johanna said.

"You understand what risks you all run, don't you? It'll be dangerous, but you volunteered."

"We know, Abernathy. It's not like we can back out now." Clove quipped.

"You can, but then you'll be on your own in there. As of now, you watch each other's backs. Not just Katniss and Peeta. The goal is to save them, but we can save you, too. Work together, that's all I ask."

Haymitch took something out of his pocket and gave it to Finnick before going back to his floor.

"I'm leaving. This whole meeting thing was pointless!" Johanna complained. She left grumbling about how useless people could be and how Haymitch should have just sent them a note.

"So, what did he give you?" Finnick showed Clove a golden bracelet.

"I have your bracelet." Finnick said. Clove smiled as she accepted the gift.

It was a shell bracelet, like Annie had said it would be. One of the shells was different; it was made of solid gold.

"That one's a locket. It was Annie's idea to add it." Finnick said. Clove opened it and inside were two pictures. One was of her and Regulus on his wedding day. She was an awkward thirteen year old wearing a lilac colored dress. Regulus was beaming, full of joy.

The other was more recent, one she took herself. It was a picture of Cato and a four year old Max sleeping on his couch. It was the first time she had asked him to babysit Max and that was when she realized that Cato would be in their lives for a long time. It was weird that she didn't mind the thought. She took the picture to be reminded of how whole she had felt in that moment.

"How did you guys get copies of these?" She asked. With a free hand, she rubbed her eyes. Already, she felt tears pooling in them.

"We called Enobaria. She was nice enough to do it, since it was for your birthday and it was Annie asking."

"Annie's brilliant! This has to be the best gift anyone has ever given me. I love it. Tell her that, when you see her again."

"I will. Then you can come visit and tell her yourself." It felt nice to make plans for the future.

"I'll visit as soon as I can. Max loves the ocean and he's never seen it in person before." Clove had only seen the beaches briefly during her tour.

"You're crying! I can't believe it!" Finnick exclaimed.

"Am not! I'm tired, that's all. I'll see everyone in training tomorrow. Good night, Finn." She gave him a hug, a real hug, and went back to her room. She stared at the pictures in the bracelet for hours before falling asleep.

So a lot happened in this chapter. Cashmere hates Clove because she thought Satin could have won. And Katniss won't trust Clove because she betrayed Satin, but hey, that's what careers do. Clove did kind of try to befriend Peeta because she needs at least one of them to like her. Finnick doesn't have a lot of credibility with Kat at this point, so he can't say anything about Clove. And the shell bracelet will come up in a later chapter. Thanks for reading and please leave a review! They inspire me to write more and I'm grateful for each one! :)