Six: Informant

I slip into the game makers box with ease now. No one seems to mind my presence and it beats sitting in the tower doing nothing all day. Today my focus switches from Lennox and Horatio and onto the other teams. Choosing a good ally isn't only about how much you get along with them or how skilled they are, you have to think about their likability in the eyes of the Capitol too. If you ally with someone who's more likely to have good patronage during the game,s you're safer and more secure than you would be on your own.

I settle myself in, not only to watch the tributes train, but to listen to the game makers commentary. Many of them will bet on a winner, the more favorable they are in the betting pools, the more patronage the team is bound to get. Training starts, and my eyes immediately fall on the careers. Districts one through three all stand by the weapon station watching and jeering as the small girls from district five reach out for swords.

I see Horatio fumble as he's leading Lennox over to the same station. He gives me a quick glance and I know he's going to wait until they're gone. The district five girls really aren't so bad with the swords. The older one seems to know quite a bit about how to handle the thing, but they're both so small, I don't think they'll last long simply because of their ability to break. I watch as the twins from district one start tossing maces and axes at dummies. They want to prove that despite the fact that they're pretty, well-bread girls, they're still a threat and they think that strength has everything to do with that.

I search the room for district fours tributes, Arrow and Mace. They're big guys, probably the oldest in the competition save Horatio. I find them working at the survival station with the sisters from district eleven. They seem to be helping them along with some of the material. I remember then how they both volunteered after a young set of siblings was reaped. I look between them and my tributes; if they're willing to help two younger girls who could potentially be a threat to them and volunteer after two young kids were reaped, I have more than a little faith that they'll work to protect Lennox.

Even though I'm sure they won't need more than district four as allies, I still watch the rest of the teams throughout the day. District six is sad to watch. The boys are incredibly spindly and awkward, they don't stay in one place very long and they can't seem to commit to a weapon. I hate to say it, but those boys are toast during the blood bath, especially since I know what their mentor is like. Phylidia Collowell is one of the oldest mentors left in the games. She won the second annual Hunger Games by hiding away in the darkest space of a cave for the entire run.

It was quite a shock- so I'm told- that she kept alive so long. Back then the mentors were simply strategists who would occasionally vie for their tributes and comment on their "obvious" strategy, but never really did anything more than that. It all came down to her lack of water in the end, and somehow her mentor managed to get enough money to send her some. When the games were over she wasn't even strong enough to get out of the cave on her own. She was in a wheel chair when she reappeared at the fourteenth annual Hunger Games when each district finally had at least one victor. She's never been quite sane- so I've been told- but the games ruined her for life.

The tributes from eight, nine and twelve are pretty average tributes. They've watched enough games to know what they're getting into and they're listening to their mentors. District eight has an extreme advantage since last year's victor was one of their own. Maks Renner is his name, he's only sixteen now, but he's one of the fastest tributes I've ever seen in the games. He has a natural agility that trumped even the strongest careers. As if eight needed anymore help though. They're younger than district four, but just as big and that wasn't enough, their names are Gnash and Rip- not exactly the friendliest sounds.

District ten seems to be missing however. I scour the room for them until finally I see them sitting at the fire building station, watching my tributes at the knot tying station beside them. They aren't small, but they're sallow and malnourished. Their eyes are rimmed in purple and I can see scabs on their necks just below the collar of their training uniforms. I've never seen two people more aware of their fate. District six may not stand a chance but they're still training, these two aren't even trying.

Lunch has passed when Horatio finally brings Lennox to the weapons station. The Careers laugh a little as they approach, but re-focus their attention on the weights they've been throwing back and forth for the last twenty minutes. Horatio leads Lennox down the line of weapons pointing some out and skipping others. Finally she picks up a small ax and he stands behind her showing her how to throw it. They spend the rest of the training time going over proper technique and working with a few knives as well.

Just before the bell rings Horatio picks up an ax of his own and tosses it toward a dummy hitting it square in the chest. The weapon hits its mark with a particularly loud thunk and when the bell rings, half of the tributes and game makers are staring at the ax.

Desdemona rambles on at dinner about how she heard a bit of gossip that involved Horatio from a friend of hers who was in the box today.

"Of course, she couldn't tell me much since I'm your event coordinator, but it sounds like you really impressed them!" she chimes.

Horatio's face stays void of emotion as she speaks but Lennox is beaming. "He didn't want to show off, but he's been using an ax his whole life, you know."

My eyes flicker to Horatio and instead of seeing him, I see Haydrien. His silver hair glints in the light and his green eyes pierce mine. The white of his clothes give me shivers and I can picture the blood running down his face. My body goes numb and my hearing fades as I realize my eyes didn't fall on Horatio at all, but the Avox behind him.

I have to pretend like I don't know him. Talking to an Avox, or even so much as acknowledging that you ever knew them is cause for treason. My neck starts to sweat as I pull my eyes off of him and try to focus on my food. I can't. I don't know why he would have ever been put back in this building after what happened, but he's here. I keep looking back up at him in fleeting glances to make certain- but it's unmistakable; the Avox is Haydrien.

I leave the table before anyone else and run up to the tower. My heart is beating wildly in my chest and I feel like I might faint. My head keeps screaming at me because it knows it's all my fault that he ended up that way. I'm surprised to hear a rough rap on my door. I open it to see Horatio, his eyes darting every which way.

"I don't think I'm supposed to be here."

"No, but they won't question you." I return, opening the door wider.

He walks in and turns "Was the ax a bad idea?"

"No, not at all, I'm glad you finally showed them that you aren't just another tribute; you have a skill to offer."

He sighs "So, what do you think?"

"I think you need to ally with four. They volunteered for a young pair in their district and seem to have made an alliance with eleven, even though those girls both seem like strong contenders, they're still pretty young. I think they'll help you protect Lennox- in fact, eleven probably will too."

Horatio knits his brow and starts to pace a little. "How do I go about getting them to join my team?"

"There aren't any teams, Horatio, only one person comes out of this alive. But you shouldn't tell them what your ultimate goal is by making them your allies. Simply make friends with them, talk to them, make it so you have a relationship with them beyond adversaries. You have to ask them to take your side, without actually asking. Sometimes mentors will go and forge alliances for you, but I'm sure you know that Benedict isn't necessarily good for that." I reply.

He nods and stops pacing "So four and eleven are my allies now." He looks up at me "I guess that means I need to get Lennox into shape huh?"

"Yes, and might I suggest focusing on the knives more- maybe some shielding techniques. She's young and agile, her ability to move quickly will be her greatest weapon- just think about Maks last year. Teach her how to move with those knives, and if you can't, ask eleven to help you."

He nods and walks back to the door "I don't think it's a good idea to stay up here too long...but thank you again, Nerissa. Honestly, I need the help, I have no idea what I'm doing, and I have to save her."

I nod and smile, my inner eyes flickering back to Haydrien "I know."