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I found it funny that once again, Roland and I were twins.
We both wore our training outfits which looks surprisingly like normal clothes. The conditions for our arena must not be that humid or anything.
I don't know if that's a good thing or not.
"Do you want to train separately?" Aurora asks in her tired voice.
We look unsure at each other. Both catching what we thought of it and turned back to Aurora.
"No, we'll train together" he says.
"Alright" she says eying us. Thinking about something.
Probably thinking about something along the lines; is something happening between them or that we shouldn't get so close as we might actually have to kill each other.
I know that we might kill each other, and I really hope I don't have to kill him and I hope someone else does it, because even if I hated him three days ago, I don't think I can do it now. He's growing on me.
"Anyway, shouldn't we go?" I spoke, getting up from the table.
"Yes!" Beamed Baxtin, who was now getting up from the table
"Don't show off your skills, practice everything else but your knife skills"
Aurora said looking pointedly at me before her eyes moves to Roland "And your bow and arrow skills"
"You can use a bow?" I say immediately as it came in my head to Roland. "Yeah, my dad taught me" he smiled, proud of himself.
"You good?"
"I guess so, I can shoot an arrow into my target when I'm on a moving horse" he informed me.
My eyes widen from shock "On a horse?" I smile widely "You must be good"
He smiles "Thanks"
"Anyway, stay away from those stations" Aurora said, cutting in.
"Okay" we both say, walking towards the door that leads to the elevator.
As soon as we are in the elevator, Baxtin quickly spoke "Now we're supposed to be there at ten but now, it's half past nine" we nod as Baxtin explains "most tributes will already be there, so don't worry. Once you get in there they'll pin your numbers on your back and you'll join the circle where you'll be explained what stations there are"
The elevator doors open.
Baxtin was right almost everyone was there, but fortunately, me and Roland were the fourth last pair to arrive.
"Have fun" Baxtin chimed when me and Roland step off the elevator.
We nod silently to him.
Okay, I am a little scared to face the rest of the tributes.
Once the number ten got pinned on our back, we both went forward to the circle of tributes where everyone was silently observing each other, making the whole circle tense.
I glance at Roland, who was looking anywhere but the rest of the tributes without any clear expression that he's scared or anything. He just looked like he didn't want to be there.
I on the other hand, did look at the rest of the tributes. 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9 and 11 were all there, meaning 3, 6 and 12 were still to arrive.
The career tributes were all looking around at us with a smug look and all had that over confident vibe coming from them. Typical careers.
They probably think, that one of them will continue on the winning streak that the careers have made in the last four games.
They won't.
Not this year. They are being too smug about it.
As I'm observing the careers, I noticed that district 12 and 3 had entered. I also noticed the amount of looks both me and Roland were getting.
Must be because of the tribute parade. We actually got more screen time than any other pair. Baxtin was delighted about it, he couldn't shut up about how lucky he was to finally get a pair that could actually win afterwards.
As soon at district 6 arrived, a woman who looked very fit and athletic started to explain to us what type of stations there is available and that we cannot engage in a fight with any other tribute "There will be plenty of time for that in the arena" she stated. I had to suppress a scoff for that. 'There will be plenty of time for the careers to kill you off, you mean' I thought.
She started listing off the stations. This was when I started to look around the training room. There was a bunch of equipment, targets and obstacles set up, every single one of them had a person standing beside it to assist us, if we needed it. Then I saw a room above us that overlooked the whole training room.
The Gamemakers.
I study them. They were all looking over us on what looks like very comfortable chairs. They also all looked untrustworthy, like President Snow.
Well I thought that until, I caught one looking at me. He stood next to a bowl of punch. He didn't have a look that the rest of the Gamemakers had. His looks were more friendly but somehow he looks concerned as well.
Like he doesn't want to see us all die.
He's trustworthy.
I tilt my head to the side in curiosity towards him, trying to convey the message of 'why are you looking at me'
He actually copied my actions afterwards with an amused smile. 'I'm a Gamemaker, of course I will look at you'
Well, this is weird. I'm creating a relationship with a Gamemaker from afar.
I roll my eyes with a smile and look back at the woman, who was listing off the survival stations.
Since I'm supposed to clear off knife activities.
I'll start with the fire station or even camouflage.
When she finishes and instructs us to go off. I turn to Roland who does the same "what are you doing first?" I whisper so the rest of the tributes don't hear.
"I might go learn how to tie a knot" he responds with a shrug.
"You joining?" He adds.
"No, I think it's better if we join up later" I say. Considering most pairs have stuck together.
He nods "later then"
We both separate and move off. Him going to the knot tying station and myself, going to the fire station.
I smile at the assistant as I got there and she started to teach me how to light a fire.
"Can I join?" Says an almost husky voice, I turn to see the district 11 male tribute. I don't know his name.
I shrug and the assistant started to teach him as well.
As soon as she left us alone and did her own thing. He spoke up.
"That was a good entrance yesterday in the parade" he says, still trying to the light the fire with his stick.
I act cautious. Unlike the Capitol citizens like my prep team and my stylist, I don't think I can quickly start to like this person.
"Thanks" I responded.
"I thought for a moment that you and your tribute partner were representing something more than just your district"
I look up at him when he says that.
Then I remember my thoughts when Baxtin said about my costume being tribal. I thought 'Rebels', I didn't really know why I thought that. I had thought about it last night before I slept. I had come to the conclusion, that I just looked like I would rebel, if you got on my wrong side.
"That's what made me want to trust you" he says, meeting my stare.
"Trust me? Like you want an alliance or something?" I ask, getting confused on why he would trust me so easily.
That was when it hit me. He must hate the games and because of my costume having a small amount of rebellion to it. He assumed that I thought the same.
Which I do but not to an extreme like most people.
I just think the whole thing is stupid and silly.
He shrugs, getting back to his fire "If you survive the blood bath. I want an alliance."
I nod in understanding and get to my fire, which is finally starting to work.
Alliances sounds like a good idea, but in the end, you'll still have to kill each other.
"I'll think about it" I say.
"Fair enough and your tribute partner can join as well"
"Okay, I'll tell him" I say, lighting my fire.
"I'm Alexis, by the way" I add getting up, done with the task of lighting a fire.
He looks at my fire then looks up at me "August"
"It was nice to meet you, August" I say, walking to the station where you learn about the type of plants that could be in the arena.
While walking to the station, I look up to where the Gamemakers are. That one Gamemaker was still looking at me but once I met his gaze, he slowly moved to where the careers are.
The careers were all laughing and throwing spears into the training dummies. They were pretty good at it especially district 2's male and it looks like all of them have teamed up. It looks like the career pack are together this year like every other year. Even if sometimes, district 4 doesn't join them.
I think about how to defeat them. You can either keep away from them, but most people are dragged to them by the nature, obviously done by the people above us; or we give them an equal amount of force.
Another alliance.
I look over at August whose now walking over towards his district partner who is at the climbing station.
I think I will accept his offer for an alliance; I glance over where Roland is still trying to tie knots, but I'll ask Roland before doing so.
I'd say I know my basis of the plants now and I'm also sure I know almost every tributes name.
I had been learning about plants for over three hours now and in the mist of that, I've been catching the names of almost everyone.
The male and female tributes from the careers was easy to catch.
Flicker, Lustra from district 1. Iren, Agrippina from district 2. Nile, Marina from district 4.
Out of all of them, Nile seems the most hesitant to show off his skills. He keeps on looking around at all of the other tributes.
I remember that he had volunteered instead of a twelve year old boy. So I guess, he has some humanity in him compared to the other careers.
I also heard district 5's tributes names, when I focused on them cause I saw August talking to them. Max and Elesa.
I had got the male tributes names from district 3, 7 and 8. Volt, Carter, Denim.
Then there was Theo and Niobe from district 12.
The rest of the tributes was too quiet for me to get.
It was now that Roland comes over and joins in with me on the plant station.
"You should try the knot tying station" he says "the guy there looked real excited to have me there"
"I will when I pass the test for edible plants here" I inform him.
The assistant here had been helping me out and after a bit she would test me. I haven't been doing to well but the assistant was very nice about it and continued to teach me.
"You've been on this for a couple of hours. I thought you were smarter than that" he said, teasing me but actually sounded curious.
"You don't learn things straight away, it's the repetition of the things that makes you learn" I say, glaring at him. "Plus, I was also busy eavesdropping and finding out the names of the rest of the tributes"
"You didn't listen when we watched the reaping's?"
I look at him with my 'are you serious' look "Did you?"
He laughs, shaking his head "Good point"
I ask to take the test again, after taking time looking over every plant. Roland does as well.
"So whose names did you find out?" I asked after a while into the test.
"The careers, both of the tributes from 5 and 12, and male tributes from 3, 7, 8 and 11"
"So fourteen out of twenty-two" counted up Roland then he added "nice eavesdropping"
I grin "thanks" then I frown "I got one wrong"
Roland peers over "Nightlock Berries"
I sigh, frustrated "I always get that one wrong. They look just like normal blueberries"
He looks at his results and smiles "don't worry, if you don't know the difference. I do" pointing to his screen which said he got everything right.
"How? You literally just got here"
He smiles wider "I go hunting with my brothers all the time. I know my plants"
"From going out into the forest so much?" I ask which he nods too.
"That's cool" I remark, almost guiltily.
I really don't know anything about him. Why did I ever hate him. It makes me feel stupid, knowing my number one rule, isn't to judge people based on what other people say, and in this case. I hated him because his family made a deal with my mother to tame a horse which killed her. A horse they got from the Capitol. It was the Capitol's fault that a crazy horse had come to our district.
But I blamed him for it.
He seemed to have noticed my expression and caught my hand, knowing exactly why I was feeling guilty "I forgive you. It's not your fault, you were only six. You had to blame someone"
I nod, sighing "I know but, I really shouldn't of."
He let go of my hand "let's just go to the knot tying station"
I see the need of his eyes to stop talking about something so depressing. I get it.
Our days are limited. He would rather fill them with good memories.
"Okay"
By the end of the three days of training. Me and Roland had ventured to every station but the knife and archery stations.
We accepted August's offer of alliance, after a long discussion at the camouflage station.
We had become friends with August and his tribute partner, Georgia who was actually sweet. She had made me a flower crown at the plant station and helped me learn how to climb. Which I failed at so much but I finally got the hang of it, and now I'm alright at it. Just a bit slow.
Our alliance actually grew, bringing in the tributes from 5, 7 and 12, but we didn't make it obvious that all of us were an alliance. The only thing that indicated that we were an alliance was that me, Roland, August and Georgia all sit with each other at lunch.
Aurora and district 11's mentor, Chaff joined us at times. Chaff is actually fun to talk to.
I talked to him more than the rest of them. Mostly because he talks a lot and I talk a lot, so we ended up talking a lot together.
I also found out that August and Theo from District 12 are natural's in fighting.
Apparently Theo had fought a lot at district 12 because he has a short temper. He also apparently loved how I was angry at the reaping. I had laughed when he told me. He liked me even more when I told him why I was angry.
While August is the more of leader type of guy and quite serious; but he makes it with his skills with a sword. Which I'm actually good at doing as well. Knife skills paid off in that section.
Now we're waiting for our names to be called out for our assessment.
I already know what I'm doing, which is doing fancy tricks with a knife and carving into wood to make a small horse. I had seen blocks of wood at the knife station and the fire station , so I was going for it.
As soon as the district nine girl had left for her assessment. Theo groaned "Why do we have to be the last district?" I laugh along with everyone else. Somehow, we all got along, despite only knowing each other for three days.
"We'll you wouldn't if district 13 was still around" Roland says. I nod, it's the truth.
"But sadly they have been blown up" I say
"Actually, I think they are still there" Georgia spoke up.
We all look at her like she had no idea what she was saying.
She looks at us then shrugs "it's just, my family thinks so."
"Why?" Niobe quietly says. We look at Niobe then back at Georgia, wanting a answer.
"Every time they play the video of district 13's ruins to remind us. There is always a mockingjay wing in the corner of the video, every single year" she answers.
"But you know, it could just be because it's already been covered by the nature. It has been sixty-six years since district 13 was blown up" Roland says.
"No," I say "they would still show it either way"
Georgia smiles at me "do you believe me?"
I shrug "You could be right."
"But if that's true, why haven't they shown themselves?" Theo growled. He believed her but he looked pissed that they haven't done anything.
We all shrug and Roland was called up "Maybe they are waiting for something"
We all watch him as he walked through the doors to the training rooms.
"Like what?" Niobe whispers.
"Who knows" I answer
Lalalalala. This chapter almost went to 3000 words.
Sorry people who don't like how long stuff are xD
But you can deal with it!
Next chapter; interviews! Ahhhh! And maybe something extra ;)
(Also I'm not showing what she did in the assessment. Just the score xD)
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