2: Our Mentor

Gale POV:

"You what?" I ask in shock. This was definitely not what I had expected. And unsurprisingly, my first thought was 'stay away Peeta. She's mine.' Peeta Mellark loves Katniss. I find myself feeling slightly irritated at him. If you love her so much why don't you go to the Hunger Games to protect her, I want to ask. But I refrain. Anyway, what chance does he stand with her. They've never even been proper friends and Katniss and I have known each other for years and helped each other out when times were hard. Where was he when Katniss was starving?

"I love Katniss Everdeen. Ever since I heard her singing for the first time," he admits. I grudgingly nod. That, I can understand. Katniss has a beautiful voice, though I was first attracted to her fire and hunting ability. But when I heard her voice I was taken. No other girl would ever be able to compare to her.

"She's my girlfriend," I state. "But if I don't come back and she does, you may have a chance."

Peeta nods. "I will help feed your families," he says. "It's the least I can do after you volunteered for me to protect my love."

"Fine," I say. I don't really want to accept anything from him, but when you've been hungry, you know better than to decline free food for yourself or your family.

"Good luck," he mutters. "Oh, and I brought you a token if you don't already have one." He opens his hand revealing a piece of amber with a ladybird inside it. It is quite beautiful. "I found it a few years ago," he says. "I brought it to the Reapings with me for luck. Now I want you to have it."

"Thanks Peeta. Goodbye."

"Goodbye," he says as the peacekeepers come in.

There are no more visitors. I tuck my token into my pocket, wondering what Katniss had. She would love this, she always has been one who can appreciate beauty. Maybe I can show her on the train. After she cools off about me volunteering of course. Which may take a while, knowing Katniss. But then, it is her fire that I find amazing about her.

xXx-X-xXx

Katniss POV

Why did Gale volunteer for me? Did he completely forget about our deal? Mum and Prim should live though, mum is still earning money and Prim can forage and I think she knows a few simple snares. She'll probably never use them though. And Gale and I can make a team. We can both shoot and throw knives. We can set snares. We just work well together. Maybe I can even win. But that means I will have to kill Gale. I shudder, putting the thought out of my head for the moment. That problem can be dealt with when I come to it. If I come to it, I correct mentally, there is no guarantee that Gale and I will be the last tributes alive.

I clench my fingers around the pure gold mockingjay pin given to me by Madge. A mockingjay, the creature that survived against all the odds. I can't help but hope that it is symbolic of me. As a District 12 tribute the odds aren't exactly in my favour. I remember all the times that Gale and I sat in the woods, sharing food and mocking the Capitol accents. May the odds be ever in your favour. Happy Hunger Games. I can't believe that just this morning Gale and I were mocking the Capitol and now we are on our way to the Hunger Games.

With Haymitch as our mentor. Just the thought of the drunken old fool makes anger shoot through me. How can he just watch every year as his tributes die in the bloodbath? How can he drink himself into oblivion while tributes need him. Well Gale and I won't let him do that this year.

I smile slightly, remembering when a drunken trader at the Hob had tried to take our catch for a terrible price. Gale had told him exactly what he thought and when the trader tried to hit him, he grabbed the fist and twisted it. Definitely not one to stand for drunkenness and idiocy.

The peacekeepers come in and drag me out to the huge Capitol train. I enter and am immediately taken aback and angry at the luxury of the carriage we are in. Chandeliers hang from the ceiling, there are statues, a bar and I can just see the amount of money spent on it. Enough to feed a family in District 12 for over a month. The Capitol lives in luxury while we, the Districts, starve. I see Effie enter the train with Haymitch and Gale in tow.

xXx-X-xXx

Gale POV

Up close, Effie looks even worse than far away. She truly is one of the Capitol freaks with her pale pink lips and unnaturally blonde curly hair. And they think we look disgusting. As I enter the train with Haymitch stumbling behind me, hate rises in me at the money and effort put into this carriage. Katniss is already sitting down at a small table with a few chairs set around it.

I plonk myself down in one chair and Haymitch takes the other. Effie walks away, probably to put on more make-up or something. Yuck. Haymitch leans forward to pour himself a drink.

"So you're our mentor?" I prompt him.

"Yup," he mutters.

"So do you have any advice for us?" I prompt again.

"Here's some advice for you boy. Stay alive." Haymitch cackles.

"Oh, very funny," Katniss spits sarcastically. "Just not to us," she ends her voice dead serious. Haymitch just shrugs and reaches for another drink. Katniss and my eyes meet for a moment and we simultaneously lunge forward. I knock the glass out of his hand while she stabs a knife between his fingers.

"A pair of fighters this year?" he asks. "Finally." Then he laughs again. Katniss and I look at each other confused. Is he drunk or just crazy, we wonder. "Can you hit anything else with that knife girl?" he asks.

"Katniss," she corrects. Then she picked up her knife and aimed for a second. I could see her glance at a thick plank of mahogany wood across the room and she throws the knife. It whizzes through the air and impales itself in between two planks of wood. I grin slightly, this makes her look much better than she actually is. Not that she isn't good at knife-throwing, we've both had to throw more than our fair share of knives, but it takes a special talent and precision to be able to do that on purpose.

Haymitch claps slowly. "Very nice girl." Katniss and I glare at him. "So what can you do boy?" he asks.

"Gale," I state. "I'm good with snares. And I can throw knives too."

"He can also shoot a bow and arrow," Katniss interrupts.

"We both know that is your weapon," I say. "But she's right, I can use a bow and arrow decently," I add to Haymitch. "But Katniss is much better than me. It's her special weapon."

"I'm not that good.." Katniss starts.

"Don't lie Katniss. We both know you're amazing," I interrupt her.

"So you two know each other?" Haymitch asks.

"We hunt together," Katniss says. "You may have seen us at the Hob."

"Maybe," he agrees. "So you two can hunt. That's very useful, food is one less thing to worry about. If you show that game makers your talent then they'll make sure there are bows and arrows in the arena. So why did you volunteer for him boy?" Haymitch asks rather directly.

"Gale," I correct. "And how did you know I volunteered? I thought you were drunk."

Haymitch looks away for a second. "I have a tolerance," he says. "Answer my question."

I know I'm pushing it, but I still ask "why should I?"

Impatience flashes in his eyes for a moment. "Because I am your mentor and only link to the outside world in the arena."

"I wasn't thinking. I just wanted to protect her," I tell him.

"Love in the arena?" he asks cackling again. "It won't last," he says sobering up a bit. I can't believe that he hit the nail on the head so quickly. But Katniss doesn't know I volunteered because I love her, she probably just thinks my explanation is true. I am impulsive, it's believable. I realise that I have been staring at him in surprise for a few moments.

"Kid, I was joking," he says. "We all know love doesn't happen between tributes. You have to kill each other."

An idea suddenly hatches in my head. We all know love doesn't happen between tributes. The perfect way to stand out. A stance that no tributes have ever taken before. And from a Capitol TV show I once saw I know that the Capitolites are crazy about forbidden love. This will get us sponsors like nothing else.

"I need to go," Haymitch says. "Ask Trinket if you need anything."

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Another chapter. Please review if you like or have criticism for the story. Thanks to EllRose for reviewing last chapter.

-MoonOfPluto