The gymnasium below the Training Centre is every athlete's dream. Our training school's equipment is well worn and we always have to take turns sparring because there's not enough floor space. Off to the left I can already see a spear-fighting station with more of the weapons than we have at home.
Beyond that there's areas for swords, knives, blunt weapons, projectiles. Back the other way are survival stations, the closest one teaming with ropes and nets. I notice I'm not the only one glancing around, though most of the others look nervous and jumpy. I spot Maria, the girl from Five and throw her a quick smile, though don't go over to her. I doubt the alliance would be interested.
I try to see if there is anyone the alliance might be interested in taking, and end up watching the pair from District Ten, who are talking in low voices and glaring around the room. Up close the girl looks scrawny but strong, and she doesn't seem intimidated by the room full of weapons.
The boy, Tarris just looks angry. He's the nephew of one of their victors I remember. Might be worth approaching if he was alone, though if he's already working with the girl the pack won't want him.
As the last few pairs come in, I decide the only other people possibly worth considering are the girl from Eleven and the boy from Six, both bigger than me. She's solidly built and not very attractive. I add her to my list of people to try and charm. I doubt I'd end up allying with her, but if she likes me she'll be less likely to try and kill me if it comes to a fight in the arena. Distracting them with a flutter of my eyelashes seemed to help when I fought girls back home, anyway.
A young man leaning on one of the spears calls the room to attention and gives us the rules and information. Beside me Anita is already stretching, keen and eager to get started. The boy from One, Angelus mutters something to his district partner, who smothers a laugh. Across the arc of tributes listening to the head trainer Carla catches my eye and nods. As soon as Uriah finishes talking I head over towards our traditional allies, trying to look confident but not too cocky.
"I guess there's no objections," Angelus says as we meet in the open space. We all shrug and nod in confirmation. He flicks a quick glance my way, his lip curling slightly, and says "Why don't we go kick the runts off the weapons stations and show them how it's done."
That's how we spend the rest of the morning. I quickly discover that my new allies are just as well trained in a fight as I am. Marcellus is deadly with both a sword and a club and Carla is skilled with everything. Of all of us, she's the only one who's any good with the bow (technically we're not permitted to have bows in Four, even in the training school, and we almost never use them), though all of us can throw a spear straight.
Watching the knife-fighting, I decide that for all his bluster, Angelus is possibly the weakest of the alliance. He's still pretty good and I wouldn't want to pick a fight with him, but as long as I was armed with a spear I think I could take him. If I had a net as well, I'm certain I could beat him one on one.
Anita's probably on the weaker end too, though not from lack of training. She's just smaller than the rest of us, and it hurts her when a fight turns to wrestling. I guess the rest of them probably think I'm in the weak group as well, being only fourteen. I make sure to show enough skills with both spear and knives to keep them happy without giving up everything, like Mags suggested.
We eat lunch together, claiming first pick of the spread feast and joking loudly with one another. Gabriela said at breakfast that some intimidation of the other tributes is good, as it might make them hesitate at the Cornucopia. The dangerous ones are the ones who don't stop and think. It doesn't matter whether they run for the weapons or away into the wilds, they're still more likely to kill you than the ones who freeze up.
Our pack splits up for the afternoon now that we've sized each other up a bit, and I wander over to the rope station, where Maria from Five is trying to set up a snare. This makes me realize for all my skills with knots, I don't actually know anything about sourcing food on land and join her for the lesson. She seems genuinely happy that I'm talking to her and blushes when I pretend to tie her up in a bowline. Eventually I decide I have to move on and blow her a kiss farewell before moving on to shelter building. There's no other tributes around so I flirt a bit with the trainer, an angular faced woman in her twenties. She shows me a few different ways of setting up, from a tarp over a branch to a circular weave of branches. She also promises to tell her friends that I'm a 'lovely boy', since as Games staff, she isn't allowed to sponsor tributes herself.
I do first aid with the kids from Twelve, both around my age and kind of jumpy. The girl, Demmy calms down after a bit and starts chatting. The boy just stays quiet and shoots me suspicious looks out of the corner of his eye. I join back up with Anita and Citrine at the climbing wall, and we take turns racing up the false stone cliff. My ally from One is quiet too, though she's quicker than both of us when we swap over to climbing the large net. I feel a little ashamed, and judging by Anita's face so does she.
I wander around for a bit, looking for a chance to get some of the other potentially stronger tributes on side. Eventually I see an opportunity at the balance beams, where the big brawny girl from Eleven is wobbling badly. I catch her arm as she overbalances and help her land on the floor.
"Thanks," she mutters, pulling her arm free of my grip.
"No problem," I tell her with a smile. "That doesn't look easy."
She blinks, surprised maybe that I'm talking to her, and mutters, "Probably easier for you than me. People built like cows aren't much good at balancing."
The way she says it suggests it's a taunt she's heard before.
"At least you don't snap like a twig when someone hits you," I tell her, earning a small smile. "Anyway, cows are scary. At least they look scary on TV. I've never seen one for real."
This makes her laugh. "My aunt keeps two for milk. I had to help carry one last fall when she fell and hurt her leg. The cow, not my aunt."
I glance at her arms, which show plenty of corded muscle. "Now I really don't want to pick a fight with you. I've never met someone who carried a cow before."
She looks up hopefully. "Do you want to be allies?"
I smile as sweetly as I can and try to look disappointed. "I'm sorry, I've already promised to work with some of the others. I can ask if they want to let you join but you might be better off on your own."
She glances past me, and swallows a gulp. "Yeah. Yeah that might be better. You seem decent though, and if it doesn't work out with them maybe we can be...friends."
She blushes at the last. I put my hand out to her and she shakes it. "Sounds good," I say.
I reach up and haul myself onto the balance beam, wobbling slightly as I get up on my knees.
"Now you can watch me make an idiot of myself on this thing."
She laughs again as I struggle to my feet. It's not actually as easy as I thought it would be and I nearly fall off twice before jumping the last few feet to the mat at the end.
The head trainer calls the day to the end as I land and I wave goodbye to my new friend Rosemary—Rosie—and head up in the lifts with Anita and Citrine.
"That looked friendly," Anita comments with a raised eyebrow.
"Well, I have to share my charm around. If I only used it on you ladies I'd smother you," I reply.
Anita pretends to gag again. "Sickly sweet Odair," she says as Citrine hops out on the first floor. The glimpse I get through the door shows an apartment that looks exactly like ours. That makes me feel a little better.
"All sugar is good sugar," I tell her as we get out on our floor. We turn into the lounge room where Mags and Gabriela are waiting to discuss the day's working.
~xXx~
The second day of training goes much the same as the first. Marcellus, Angelus and me take turns lifting the heavy weights, seeing who can do the most. None of us are surprised that Marcellus wins, though Angelus and I go pound for pound until we both can't manage any more. He pouts about this for a bit, then goes over to the sword station and starts duelling the trainers. It's probably his best weapon.
I wander aimlessly for a bit, wishing that they had a pool, nodding briefly to both Maria and Rosie, who look busy at the plants and knife stations respectively. Finally I settle on the unarmed combat stop, where the girl from Six is struggling to get free of a headlock.
She eventually surrenders to the trainer and slumps down against the wall, tears running down her face. I wander over to her and she squeaks when she sees me. I put on my sweet smile, the one Oris says makes me look about ten years old, and say "Hey, you ok?"
She squeaks again and shakes her head, hugging herself tightly. "I'm going to die. I can't fight so I'm going to die."
I can't think of anything to say to this that will make her feel any better. You can sometimes go a fair way in the Games just with survival skills, but it almost always comes down to a fight in the end.
"Maybe you just need to be more sneaky than your opponents," I say doubtfully. She gives me an odd look.
"Why do you care? You're a volunteer. You probably like fighting. It's you and your friends that are going to kill me."
I shrug, not entirely sure why I'm talking to her myself. Unlike some of the others, she probably doesn't pose a threat.
"I'm not trying to kill anyone right now," I say. "Here."
I reach down to offer her a hand up. She hesitates, then starts to take it when a heavy weight slams me aside.
"You stay away from her."
Her district partner, the biggest tribute in the room glares at me as he helps her upright.
"I've seen you going around to all the girls," he says as she scurries away, wiping her face on her sleeve. "I don't like it. You stay away from her and the others too. They don't need you preying on them."
"I was just being friendly," I tell him, dropping my voice as low as I can.
"We aren't here to make friends," he replies, stepping forward so that he's looming over me. Rather than step back I jab a quick fist into his guts, forcing him away. He doubles over, slightly winded and glares. I check that none of the Gamemakers are watching too closely and lean in.
"Maybe you should be," I say softly and turn away, climbing into the unarmed combat ring. The trainer must have seen everything, but he doesn't say a word as he signals ready. He has long brown hair and hazel eyes, and for a minute I can pretend he's Oris and we're just play-wrestling at home.
~xXx~
Mags suggested I keep my fisherman's fighting back for my private session and spend the last morning of training watching the other tributes and looking for their strengths and weaknesses. I kill some time at the edible plants station, though even after an hour most of the leaves still look the same to me.
The boy from Eight, Markus doesn't seem to have this problem, and quickly sorts them under the approving eye of the trainer. Even little Demmy Darrow from Twelve seems to know more than me, and eventually I give up in disgust and decide to count on the Cornucopia bounty and sponsors for food.
Carla and Angelus are practicing spear throwing again, and I join in for a bit as it gives a good view of the knife fighting station. The boy from Six who threatened me yesterday is there giving his district partner some pointers. He sees me watching and makes a rude gesture. I reply by tossing my next spear at the target dummy's groin. Angelus smirks at this and lands his next throw just above it. The boy from Six apparently thinks better of saying anything.
I get bored after a while and do another round of the stations, watching the other tributes and looking for something interesting to keep me busy until lunch. Finally I see the least used weapons station, where they offer training in a range of exotic weapons, most of which are never at the Cornucopia.
I rummage through the collection, tossing aside star-shaped throwing knives, whips, bolas, and double-ended swords and axes until I see it. Piled behind some strangely weighted pole arms, a little short for my reach, but still more comfortable than the standard spears in my hand. I put the trident back where I'll be able to find it later and saunter over to the rope station to examine the available nets. It looks like I'll be able to show the Gamemakers the best of my fighting skills after all.
The final lunch is the noisiest yet, though we get quieter as each member of the alliance gets called out. I'm the second last of us to go, and start stretching as soon as little Eyjin from Three disappears.
"I expect a nine from you at least pretty boy," Anita says, mockingly imitating Angelus' pompous accent. "A ten would be better, an eleven outstanding."
I snort. "Angelus will be lucky to score a seven or eight. Oris could take him in a spear fight, I swear."
She shrugs. "He's better than either of us with a sword, and I wouldn't like him with a knife either. Seems the sort to stick it in your back while you're facing the other way."
"You don't trust him?" I ask, wondering if she wants to change the alliance at this late date.
"I trust him to play nice for a bit. I'm not going to mess anything up, but if anyone turns backstabber I'll bet it's him."
Most Games the alliance lasts until the end, or at least until they think it's the end to go melee. Every now and then someone decides to break it early though. Usually someone who thinks they would lose a fair fight.
"Finnick Odair."
I stand and head back in to the gymnasium, popping the top button of my shirt as I go. I walk to the middle of the floor and give them a quick bow. Like the last few days there's a feast laid out in front of them, but they stop paying attention to it once I'm centre stage.
"Do you require any assistants?" Uriah asks from the corner.
"Yes please. Two or three would be good. Spear, sword and knife maybe."
He mutters into his arm-band while I hurry to the back corner and grab the trident I found earlier. I try a few quick jabs to find the best balance and jog back over to the nets for the two I set aside earlier.
By the time I make it back to the middle of the hall the trainers are waiting. I glance up to the balcony, where one of the female Gamemakers actually licks her lips in anticipation. Wincing internally, I decide it's still a good play and tug sharply on the front of my shirt, ripping it off.
Several of them sigh, not just women.
"Fighter up," I call, and the spear trainer steps forward to face me. He tries to catch my trident on his haft and twist it free of my hand. I roll with it and use the net in my other hand to tangle his feet. He stumbles and I jab forward, the trident prongs stopping with a thud in his throat-guard. I shove him aside.
"Next."
The sword trainer steps up, slashing the air between us daintily. I pin his blade in the trident prongs and twist to disarm him, kicking him in the chest and stabbing down, tines into his stomach guard.
The knife trainer actually puts up a bit of a fight. His weapon is blunted or I'd have been bleeding from my arm, but I finally get a good throw with the net and pin his arms so that my next stab connects easily.
He grins and gives me a small salute as he untangles himself. I bow again to the Gamemakers, several of whom are now talking softly to one another. "Thank-you mister Odair, you may go," says the head Gamemaker, Bellona Sykes.
Feeling pretty good I head upstairs and treat myself to a nice long shower before joining Mags in the lounge. She doesn't comment about my missing shirt and nudges a bowl of the candied nuts in my direction, which I forage from eagerly. She's knitting again, a blue jumper that will probably end up in the charity bin for the community home, like most of her projects. She's very careful to make 'mistakes' so that no-one can argue this.
"All good?" she asks. I nod. "Good. Get some rest. Watch TV. Take a nap. I'll sent Acanthus for you for dinner."
I don't think I feel tired, but when I go to my room and turn on the TV, the boring movie about a Capitol girl getting abandoned in the wilds of District Ten sends me right to sleep.
~xXx~
We all settle into the stiff and uncomfortable couches after dinner to see the training scores. The scores don't necessarily mean anything about a tribute's actual chances of winning, but for the alliance it's a useful guide of which outer district kids we should worry about first, if only for sponsors.
I figure I'll be in the upper scores, like the rest of the pack. Anita said she did fine, fighting off two of the knife trainers at once and throwing a few spears for good measure. She also spotted my discarded shirt that the trainers apparently forgot to remove and spent most of dinner needling me, asking if I really thought a strip-tease or seducing the Gamemakers would score me a perfect twelve.
I guess Gabriela didn't have the same conversation with her as Mags had with me about sponsors, since she's being far too light-hearted about it. I just laugh along and tell her she'll have to eat her words if I beat her score.
Angelus is the first up on screen, and as I predicted, only scores an 8. Even quiet Citrine beats him with a 9. Marcellus gets a 9 too, and Carla a 10. I'm not particularly surprised.
Scores of 5 and 3 for the District Three kids, and then it's my face staring out.
"The handsome young Finnick Odair shows us that age isn't everything with a score of...Nine."
I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. The others definitely can't complain now. Anita scores an 8 and jokingly kneels and begs my humble pardon. I throw a cushion at her and go back to watching as Maria pops up with a 6.
The big, tough-talking boy from Six, Solphis Gunner is only rated a 6 too, and no-one scores higher until Markus from Eight pulls a 10. Anita and I stare at each other confused. I remember he was good at the plants station but I don't recall seeing him anywhere near any of the weapons. Definitely one to watch out for. Tarris Smith, Pelline Smith's nephew equals my score of 9, though he was only good with a knife from what I saw.
My 'friend' from Eleven Rosie Plane manages a respectable 7, and the boy from Twelve, Marlon Ridley makes the lowest score of the group with a 2.
"I imagine," Gabriela says pointedly as the commentators turn to a discussion of the bookmakers' odds, "That you will need to deal with the Weitz boy sooner than later. I would suggest trying to double-team him at the Cornucopia if possible. The Smith boy too, and his district partner. I believe they have a formal alliance, and will be popular with the Capitol audience. The sooner you take them out the better. Though I don't think we'll be lacking for sponsors."
"Especially if Finn here keeps ripping his shirt off," Anita adds and ducks away from my half-hearted swipe.
I look back to the TV where they have listed their top five tributes odds-wise. I'm rated third after Carla and Marcellus. Fourth is Markus from Eight, with Citrine in Fifth. As long as I can get my hands on a spear in the arena I'll change that.