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Lin:

He heard the soft thump of a kick hitting a practice dummy. He opened the door to the gym and looked in. A solitary lamp lit a small area. He heard the thump again and looked toward the training dummies. "What are you doing here, Lin?"

"I came looking for you, Septa." He answered her. He didn't question how she knew it was him. He was the only one who ever made the effort to find her. "We missed you at dinner tonight."

"That's because I ate alone."

"How did you manage to sneak past us?"

He heard a soft grunt as she picked up something and threw it across the room. "You don't leave the arena with retaining what you learned." Another thump, this time accompanied by a twang. "I left during the reply of the Opening Ceremonies."

"And the Peacekeepers let you in here?"

"They always do." She sighed and stepped into the lamp light and turned off the lamp before walking to him.

"You know, the tributes need this stuff tomorrow."

"I put everything back." She brushed past him and went outside. It was late and no one, not even a Peacekeeper was around. She walked across the City Circle and sat on a bench and took a deep breath. He sat next to her.

"What's the matter?"

"Everything. The Capitol forces us to pay for the crimes of a generation long dead. It ruined the lives of everyone we know when someone tried to make it right. I have to watch another family member possibly die within the next month. A little girl who has barely begun to live will more than likely die. And then it happens all again. You're usually here. You don't see how depressing home gets when the Games come around again." She sighed again. "And to top it all, the same people who tried to make this right want me to lead them and try again." She laughed harshly. "But I know better." He saw her shoulders slump. "Even if I agree, what is that going to accomplish? There is no guarantee that I will succeed where three others have failed. Look what's happened to one of them. She has to pretend she is dead. I don't want that to be my fate. I don't want other children to share my fate or that of the other tributes. But there is nothing I can do against this system. She says there is, but I know better. I know that it will only lead to worse things for the people of Panem." He watched as she examined her medallion. He had noticed her looking at it often lately. "Have I failed them, Lin? Should I have just joined them when I entered the Games? I was ready to, you know. Before Hima came to tell me goodbye. I was ready to die. She was the one who gave me the strength to fight. But I can't help but wonder if they would have wanted me to do that. I mean, look at what's happened to me. I have to teach a little twelve year old girl how to kill other children." He watched in amazement as tears streamed down her face.

"I can't do this anymore, Lin!" She cried. "I can't! Year after year, training children to kill other children! I just can't do it!"

"Septa, look at me." He cupped her face in his hands and looked into her sapphire and gold eyes. "This is not you. Forget what she told you about them wanting you to lead them. They are dead. You know better. You know that if you help them, it will only get worse for other generations after us. But you are wrong about one thing. There is something you can do. You can get as many children home as possible. The more children who return to Twelve, the more hope we have of surviving." He took her medallion from her hand and held it in front of her face. "That is how you remember your family, Septa. Not wishing you could join them. You save as many as you can. Forget that Cain died. Remember him how he was and that he can grow into a man, safe, wherever he is now. Think that way every time you lose a tribute. But keep fighting. Don't choose between them. Mentor both tributes to their best and then set them loose. Think of yourself as an eagle and them as your hatchlings. All hatchlings have to leave the nest and learn to fly sometime, right?" She nodded and he saw the fire return to her eyes. "Good. Now let's get to bed. You have two hatchlings and only three days in which to teach them to fly." He stood and pulled her up. She gave him a quick hug. He threw an arm around her shoulders when she let go and they walked to the Training Center together.

Evan:

He watched as the District escort led Septa back into the Training Center. He wondered if that would happen to him. If he would suddenly not be able to take it anymore. His parents had lied about his age when he was younger. It worked. It had given him an advantage over his fellow tributes in his Games. Eva had not been that lucky. The Peacekeepers had been right next to her when his mother had gone into labor and Eva was born. When he was picked to go into the Games, his father had told him what they had done and begged him to keep it a secret. He had and now they were both gone. He and Eva only had each other left.

He kept his eyes on Septa until she and the escort had entered the Training Center. He wondered if Rue had ever felt that way. If she had ever felt like she couldn't do it anymore. "Is this how Eva and I will turn out?" He dismissed the possibility. He and Eva had each other. Eva didn't have anyone. He sighed and emerged from the bushes and went into the Training Center. The male tribute, Thresh, had chosen him as his mentor. He had to figure out how to get him to the end and crowned the victor.

Septa:

I lie in bed for hours, trying to think of what I could do to get Isaac and Lizabeth a fighting chance. I had fallen asleep thinking about it and had woken up hours before I normally do, still thinking about it. Lizabeth is quick. She can use that to her advantage. But Isaac is a different story. He is not quick. I doubt he can throw accurately. He is a lot different from Cain. Cain knew there was a chance for him to follow me into the Arena. He had followed me out into the woods and watched me clear my head which involved hitting homemade training dummies until whatever was on my mind was forgotten. Which is what I had been trying to do last night.

I had been in the gym for hours before Lin had found me. Katniss's proposal had driven me over the edge. I couldn't calm down, no matter what I did. I can't believe she wanted me to lead a rebellion. I refuse to take on that responsibility. There is nothing down that road but death and making things worse for the survivors. Didn't she learn that when she tried to help make things better? I am not making her mistake. Besides, it's not like I lived in absolute misery before. I never had to go into the woods to hunt for my family.

Hunting. Isaac never took a lunch with him to the mines like Ed. When they worked together, Ed wouldn't take a lunch either. I sit straight up. Isaac's hands may not be accurate, but they are nimble. Nimble enough to tie knots and snares!

"What's this?" He asks me as I drop a piece of rope next to his plate along with instructions for a complicated knot.

"Tie this knot for me." I say as I walk over to the bar and serve myself breakfast. He mumbles but does what I tell him to. I toss a roll at Lizabeth. She snatches it out of the air without trying. Yes, she is very fast. I sit at the table and Isaac hands me the ball of knotted rope. I nod.

"What was the meaning of this?" He asks. I don't answer and start eating. "Septa, why did you have me tie this knot?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Lizabeth answers for me. "She figured out your special talent. Just like she figured out mine." She holds up the roll and turns to me. "So what's the plan?"

"Isaac, stay away from the knots for now. I want you both to try your hands at some weapons. Keep an eye on each other. If one starts displaying talent and doesn't notice, you need to let them know. We cannot let the other tributes, especially the Career Tributes, know where you have hidden talents. Am I understood?"

"Yes Septa." They say together. Lin picks that moment to enter. I lift an eyebrow at his very disheveled look. The children respectfully do not comment, especially Isaac. Isaac knows that Lin is always dressed properly. I stand up and walk over to him.

"What happened to you?" I whisper while grabbing a bagel and smearing it with cream cheese.

"What do you mean?" He whispers back.

"Have you seen yourself in a mirror recently?" I grab a napkin and wrap the bagel in it. "You look as if you just crawled out of bed."

"That is because I did."

"Sleep deprived?" He just looks at me. I nod to the Avox who grabs his shoulder. "I'll take them down." The Avox leads him away and I return to the table. The children don't ask and I don't tell. At fifteen minutes to ten, I take them to the elevator and take them down to the gym and leave them there, staying in the elevator. I nod to them and then go to the main floor and go outside and begin my usual duties as a mentor for District Twelve.

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