"Listen to me," Petri snaps. I immediately straighten up. I had been dozing off. "Sorry," I mumble. Petri snorts and casts a look at Tara, whose eyes are sharp and awake. She shoots me a only half-playful scolding look, and I shrug. I have no idea how she has that much energy when she was up half the night.

" . . . sneaky. Don't trust them," Petri is saying. "The Careers have taken in tributes before, but it's never been profitable for any but the Careers. Said tribute would be killed quickly in the game, but their allies. The Careers look down on all the other tributes, believe them to be . . . less . . . worthy of the Games."

"So is it true?" Tara asks, her eyebrows going up on her face. "The Careers enjoy being in the Games? They are trained?"

Petri hesitates. "It would appear to be so, to the common viewer . . . but" he shakes his head. "I cannot tell you the truth. To find that, you would have to ask a Career tribute themselves. Which of course, I discourage you from doing."

"But wouldn't that keep us safe, if only for a few days?" I ask.

Tara lets out a huff of air. "Tori, haven't you been listening? They would kill us on the second or third day of the Games. We'd be safe until they killed us."

"They couldn't kill us if we got away," I argue. "or if we killed them first."

Petri is looking at me thoughtfully. "Do you know how to use a weapon?"

"Not particularly, no," I answer.

"Well, the way you were talking, I thought you were professionally trained," Petri spits, fire flashing in his eyes. "Thinking like that is going to get you killed, Tori. You can't handle a weapon. You couldn't kill them. And if you escape, which is very unlikely, you have marked yourself a target for them. You'd be dead in a day."

I glance at Tara, who meets me eyes. I see stubbornness there. Strength. The will to win; to live. She is strong – stronger than I could've ever hoped from a 13 year old. She could win. And I intend that she does.

I wonder what she sees in my eyes. Does she see that I've given up? Does she know that all effort in my life now, is directed to keeping her alive? I don't think so. She may be perspective, but I don't think she knows me well enough to know . . . so much.

"You're right," I nod at Petri. "Sorry, I was just thinking aloud."

Tara shoots me a look that says 'Be quiet.' "Tori and I have been talking," she began slowly. "We want to form an alliance."

Petri nods his approval. "I agree. Alliances are essential. Who do you have your eyes on?"

"Well, obviously each other," Tara says "and Roweena Tailsman." I notice that she didn't mention Jacob Turner. Maybe she changed her mind about him. I hope so. I'm not sure if it's smart, teaming up with him.

"Good," Petri says. "I want you to get to know her well today. See if you can find some others that you like, too. As for keeping to stations . . ." he gazed Tara and me up and down. "try every one. You are the underdogs here. Learn as much as you can."

With that, Tara and I left the elevator and entered the training room. Most of the tributes were already there, spread about and lingering alone. Some stood with their district partners awkwardly, just for the sake of not standing alone. The Careers stand in the middle of it all, laughing loudly, and glaring impressively at the other tributes. I shuddered just looking at them. They did seem to be enjoying themselves, and every single one of them had volunteered for another kid.

Were they trained? Did they choose to be here? Petri had suggested to ask a Career, but, looking at Alex, who was snorting at a comment, I didn't think that would be smart. She might just gut me if she caught me looking.

"Look," Tara says, snapping me back to reality. "Roweena."

Roweena Tailsman is standing beside a rather rat-looking boy, whom I assume is her district partner. She is attempting conversation with him, laughing and gesturing to the Careers, obviously making fun of them. However, the rat boy doesn't seem eager to make fun of them. He is, rather, glancing nervously at the sneers being thrown at them.

"C'mon," Tara encourages me, leading me over to Roweena, who smiles brightly upon catching sight of us.

"Tara!" she cries, hugging Tara like a sister. When she steps back, she glances at me, extending her hand.

"Tori Dawn, right? Tara's district partner?" I nod, taking her hand. "I'm Roweena Tailsman. Nice to meet you."

"And you." I'm not surprised that she knows my name. Roweena strikes me as the sort of person that knows everything.

"This," Roweena says, gestering to her rat-faced friend "is Shelton James. He's my district partner." Shelton only nods at Tara and me. He seems very nervous. I am tempted to yell "BOO!" just to see how far he would jump.

"So," Tara says casually. "Any idea when the Gamemakers will be here?"

Roweena shrugs and smiles at Tara. "Why? Eager to start training?"

Tara grins. "Something like that."

"Me too. I – " Roweena breaks off, glaring darkly at something behind Tara and me. "Don't look around you too," she says around a sneer. "We've got company. Hello, Alexis."

"Roweena," sneers a voice behind me. I turn, to see Alex Brown, from District 2, glaring at our group, with the girls from 4 and 1 behind her.

"And why are you over here?" asks Roweena almost casually. "Shouldn't you be over there with your friends, sneering and making fun of the other tributes? Hmmm?"

I am pretty sure that Alex's blood is boiling (her fellow Careers are certainly cracking their knuckles), but if she is bothered by this jibe, she hides it well. "No, I thought I'd pay a visit to . . . you four." I see her eyes narrow on each of us. I meet her gaze steadily, and Tara does that same. Roweena smiles something similar to a sneer, and Shelton sort of cowers behind her.

"So . . ." Alex sneers "is this a little alliance we have here? Hmmm? Is this going to be the poor little tributes to challenge the Career pack?" Alex's little friends laugh harshly behind her. Vultures, I begin to think of them. Ready to pick the remains off the bones after the predator is done. I glance at Alex. She most definitely seems like someone ready to attack, with that glint to her eye and sneer on her face.

And it seems that she's made an enemy of us.

"Oh, I don't know, Alexis," Roweena says, answering Alex's question. "I don't think that anyone can compete with the Careers. Especially not this year, when they're such a powerful group. And, heavens, they even have a sly little pig with them. You."

Alex doesn't do so well hiding her anger this time. She sucks her lip in and clenches her fists, narrowing her eyes to slits on Roweena. "Oh, Roweena," she says, something between a croon and a snarl. "you have no idea what I have waiting for you in the arena."

Roweena opens her mouth to reply, but Tara beats her to it. "You know what Alexis?" she asked. "I think that you're scared."

Alex's sneer deepens. "Scared? Of you? Of them?" she gestured contemptuously as the tributes milling about us.

"Yes, I do," Tara says simply "of every single one of us."

Alex seems rocked. Is it just me, or does fear flicker across her face. I want to beam at Tara. I've always known that she has that sense of intellect, but rarely have I seen her put it to use. How does she know?

"I am not," snaps Alex, all bark and bite now. "Why should I be scared of them? Why should I be scared of you, little Tara?" she snorts. "Ridiculous."

Tara keeps her cool, saying only, "Fears may be ridiculous, Alexis, but they are still there."

Alex lets out a snarl and advances on Tara. My muscles click into place, and I begin to move towards them, but Roweena catches my eye, shaking her head just a fraction. No. I have to let Tara fight her own fights.

Alex puts her face in Tara's, though she admittedly has to lean down quite a bit. "Now, you listen to me, pipsqueak," she hisses. "I have no reason to fear you, or any of your little alliance-mates, or any other tribute. I fear not even the Careers. I do not fear you. You are weak and small and pathetic. Why would I fear you?"

Tara's answer is to smile sweetly. "You may not fear me, Alexis. But you should."

That surprises Alex so much that she actually backs off a bit. "W-why?"

"Because," Tara explains, the sweet smile dropping from her face. "You are selfish and mean and evil. And the evil people," she winks at me, perhaps seeing my concern. "always – always lose."

I am scared to think of what might have happened next. But the Gamemakers walked in, and took their seats, motioning at us to get started, and Alex disappeared immediately, melting into the crowd of suddenly-moving people.

I hurry to stand by Tara, as not to lose her in the crowds. "Impressive," I tell her quietly. She smiles slightly. "Thanks. I do try." This makes me grin, and we turn to Roweena.

"You guys want to walk around together?" I ask.

"Nah," Roweena says. "Divide and conquer, I say. How about. . ." she considers, blinking. "Non-violent stations before lunch, alone, and then, after lunch, we'll regroup at the more . . . violent ones." Her eyes sparkle dangerously as she says the word 'violent.'

"Sounds good to me," Tara agrees.

"Wait," I say suddenly. "Where's Shelton?"

Roweena sighs. Most tributes are at their stations now. "I don't know, and, to be honest, I don't care. My mentor says we should stick together, but, to be honest, I don't think he'll survive the bloodbath. He's such a . . ." she glances at Tara, a gleam of amusement in her eyes. "numbskull and a dung-brain."

After chuckling slightly, Tara suggests, "We'll just keep an eye out for other allies then."

And, with that, we part. I can't say where the others went, but I head to the berries station, which is empty when I got there. The instructor there greets me warmly, and immediately starts to educate me on poisonous and non-poisonous berries. I recognize some of those from my time in the pastures in District 10, and I pass the first two tests quickly and easily.

I move on to the knots station. The tributes from 4 are there, knotting like pros and totally outshining me. They snigger at my poor attempts that I am rather proud of, until I leave the station, having learned hardly anything.

I wander from station to station, avoiding the spears, bows, swords, wrestling, and other violent stations. I spend a long time learning to make a fire; first with matches, then with different types of wood. The girl from 5 was there, struggling right along with me. I try to joke with her a bit, but she doesn't acknowledge me much. When I move on, I am pretty confident that I can make a fire out of just about anything.

I go over to the animals station, where I know Tara is waiting, alone. Technically, we aren't supposed to meet up, but I don't care. I want to see her at this station.

Tara, of course, aces the first test of identifying animals, and telling what they do. I do fairly with it, being from District 10, but nothing compared to Tara. In fact, Tara begins to argue with the instructor over rights of animals.

"That is simply ridiculous, young lady. You will by no means survive these games if you do not eat the meat of the animals."

"No, sir, that is ridiculous. And if you were not born a dull-brained Capitol man, but a squirrel in those woods, I am sure that you would agree with me."

"I – I –" the instructor takes a moment to recompose himself. "I am only trying to warn you of the perils ahead, young lady. You would take good advice and heed me."

"Really?" Tara asks. "Funny, don't think I will." She winks at me, and is gone in the next moment. I stay only a moment, just to take one more test, and move on to snares, which I know Tara would not approve of. All the same, I soon learn how to make over 20 snares for small animals. I know that this skill will come in handy, even if it won't feed Tara.

I go to the roots station next, and learn about 30 edible roots. Of course, I already knew some of them, just from experience in the pastures. Both tributes from 9 are there, but they don't seem very keen to talk to me. I don't even manage to get their names off them.

"Look," the girl finally huffs. "We don't want to get to know anyone we don't have to, okay? No offense, but it will only make this harder than it already is."

Her partner nodded agreement, and I assented, moving on, my apologies said, but not recognized.

I go to the grub station, where the boy from 3 is. I try to speak to them, but he just stares at me openly the whole time. I find this distracting, and don't pay very good attention to the instructor, and barely pass the first test. I decide to stay awhile longer, and pay more attention when the boy from 3 leaves. But in his place comes the girl from 12.

I am immediately stunned as I look at her. She has long dark hair that falls down her back like a sheet of water, and sparkling green eyes. She smiles at me, and immediately transfers her attention to the instructor. I, too, try to look at the instructor, but I find the girl as distracting as the boy from 3 staring at me.

1's girl appears to be completely stupid, but I don't judge her by her appearance, because I know it's probably all just an act. She's all giggles and smiles, especially with me. I find myself shaking her off, eyes narrowed. But she's like a leech, and just clings on.

"Look," I finally spit at her. "Get off of me. Now."

She giggles. "What do you mean?" she grabs onto my shoulder. I shake her off.

"Get – off – of – me," I hiss dangerously.

She lets go, looking offended. "Gheez, boy. Lighten up." She looks into my eyes again, a sly look creeping into them. "Listen, I'm just gonna come out and say this." She lowers her voice. "I think you're cute. I might be able to get you into the Careers . . . if you . . ." she giggles "decide that you like me back."

For some reason, my gaze flicks to the girl from 12, who is studiously looking at the instructor and the grubs, but her rigid moves tell me that she knows what is going on beside her. I look back to the girl from 1 as she grabs onto my arm again, lacing our fingers.

"Listen," I try to pull my hand away, but I can't. She giggles and squeezes harder. Man, this girl has a grip! "Listen, I don't even know your name, and I already have –"

"No, you listen," she pulls me closer, and her blonde hair is all around my face. It smells like . . . vanilla. "My name is Dazzle," she tells me. Her breath smells of vanilla too. "And I think you will agree . . . I am named well."

I push her away, unlacing our fingers. "Dazzle, no. I already have an alliance. I –"

"Those losers?" Dazzle pouts, reaching for my hand. "Oh, c'mon, Tori. We could have such a . . . better alliance, couldn't we?" she giggles, and I lean away from her, looking at the girl from 12, who is stiff as a rock now, staring down at a grub, her eyes not moving. The instructor's words, I think, are lost on all of us now.

"Dazzle," I put all the resolve I can into these words. "I am not joining you. Now get off of me."

Dazzle does get off, but her eyes flash dangerously. "You don't want to make an enemy of the Careers, Tori Dawn."

"Yeah, well, I really don't care," I say indifferently, turning back to the grubs.

"You're making a big mistake," Dazzle hisses. "This offer will only come once."

I snort. "Big mistake? Please. Joining you would be the mistake, am I wrong?"

Dazzle quickly changes strategies, her eyes softening again. "But Tori," she wines. "I really, really, really like you."

"Yeah, well," I shake her off. "Go find another puppet, will you?"

And with that, I begin to talk with the instructor. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Dazzle stare at me, open-mouthed for a few moments, and then her face hardens. "You will regret this," she hisses. I take no notice, still speaking with the instructor. Dazzle huffs, flips her hair, and with a small tornado of vanilla, she is gone.

When she is gone, I risk a glance over at the girl from 12. A small smile is on her face. As I look at that smile, sunshine fills my heart, and I smile too. She looks up and meets my eyes a moment. They are such a deep blue, like the deep lake that we bath the animals in the pastures in. The twinkle a moment, and then she looks down again.

My heart soaring, I look back to the line of grubs on the table.