Chapter 5:
The training process quickly becomes somewhat of a routine. I almost always wake up early so that I can walk Prim over to Peeta's and join them and Paavo for physical training. Paavo might be in just as good a shape as Peeta anyway, but sheer competitiveness and the desire to show Peeta up keeps him pushing his limits. Peeta, the genuine motivator, doesn't seem to care that that is the reason Paavo is excelling. Prim is fast but not particularly strong or coordinated; I shudder when I see her attempt to swing around the heavy objects meant to represent various weapons. But as time progresses, she begins to improve.
After the morning workout, which increasingly incorporates a lot of the heavy lifting, throwing, weapon handling, and martial arts, we sit down at the table and work on camouflaging until lunch. Peeta begins to show Paavo and Prim some of the more difficult techniques, such as the intricate painting used to conceal him in the arena for so long, but neither of them possesses the gift that Peeta does. However, they practice the some of the basic techniques, particularly concealment with leaves, so many times that they both become quite proficient at them.
Haymitch arrives for lunch, usually in a drunken stupor, but with enough wit about him to give them a fair amount of strategic advice. Certainly more than he ever gave Peeta or me, and we did well enough. As he talks to our siblings, Peeta and I sit together and talk amongst ourselves, about how his brother and my sister are doing, strategies for us to give them more effective training, and, on the rare occasion when we actually feel on top of things, about nothing in particular. But Haymitch frequently ends early or takes a long lunch, or otherwise randomly disappears for stretches of time. Wanting to maximize their training, and since we hadn't been subpoenaed for any wedding-related events as of yet, during Haymitch's absences we've popped in a few old Hunger Games videos. However, we also occasionally capitalize on the chance for Prim and Paavo to relax a little bit before I focus on survival skill training in the afternoons and evenings.
Not long after we started training, in fact it was the first day that we were off, I headed towards the woods and the District 12 boundary. Despite the warning that the fence would be electrified, when I found it, it was completely silent. I had gone there thinking about Gale, about how I missed our Sundays catching game, but as soon as I saw that the fence was temporarily uncharged all thoughts of Gale left my mind. I had absolutely no idea how long I would be able to go through the fence or stay in the woods but I knew that I couldn't take any longer than absolutely necessary. I dashed into the woods to retrieve my bow and arrows, and when I sprinted back and heard that the fence was still silent, I heaved a gigantic sigh of relief.
Later, I found out that the fence had been de-electrified indefinitely- that was the problem with the mines being shut down for weeks, and with the Capitol needing to fight revolts- they needed their electricity. Running that much electricity to maintaining the fence simply to keep one girl from hunting game was pretty wasteful. But even though after this point I knew I could meet up with Gale in theory, I didn't dare. Having seen our kiss, the Capitol had to be monitoring things pretty closely. And while I might risk my own life to see him, there was no way I could risk Prim's. We did manage to send brief messages back and forth through his mother, but they were mostly of the "Things are fine," variety. He didn't need to know how stressful and intense things were here, and he was probably too busy in the mines to think about it much, anyway.
So after acquiring my bow and arrows, I was able to start archery instruction as part of Prim and Paavo's training. Unfortunately, Prim was dreadful. The first week she couldn't even load the arrow properly, and simply did not have a steady hand. Even after a few weeks of practice, she was not improving quickly enough to make it worth continuing. Paavo was no master in archery but learned enough to get by- though he won't be killing anything fast anytime soon. In regards to combat, I think he felt much more comfortable with knives after using them so much at the bakery. Since I knew that Peeta was much better with knives than I was, I made a mental note to tell him about it during Haymitch's shift.
Prim and Paavo fare better with the rest of my survival skills instruction. Prim is excellent with the plants, no doubt because she had come across so many in healing- though Paavo is no slouch either, since presumably he has seen at least some of them in the bakery. Both do well with building fires and preparing the game once it has been killed. It's capturing the game that will be difficult. But Prim and Paavo both do well at the simple snares that I show them. I sigh. I wish I knew more complex ones, but those are Gale's specialty.
After my portion of the training, I alternate- half the time I walk home with Prim and stay with her, and half the time I walk with Peeta and stay there. My mother made it clear to me after she saw Peeta and I sleeping next to one another that first night that she didn't approve- not because she didn't like Peeta, or suspected anything illicit was going on, but simply because I had a thirteen-year old sister who slept in the next room over, and she didn't feel that I was setting a very good example. However, given what Peeta and I have been through together, she doesn't try to cut me off from the one person who makes me feel secure, suppresses my nightmares- she simply requests that I go somewhere else, which, since Peeta had absolutely no one living with him, is not a big deal. I feel torn though- I want to sleep in the comfort of Peeta's arms every night, but I have to be there for my sister, too.
About a month away from the start of the Quell, we see significant improvement in our tributes, but not enough that would make Peeta or I feel that we have some distinct advantage. Rather, we have merely matched some of the advantages that the tributes from wealthier districts already had. But Haymitch is pleased. One Saturday, he sticks around to watch my component of the training, which in and of itself is a minor miracle based on how often he tends to disappear even during his own training session. More surprising, he is grinning from ear to ear, yelling out compliments to Prim and Paavo as they build fires. Peeta is there too and looks at Haymitch like he's lost it. Haymitch puts on some loud Capitol music from a tape of the previous games, I'm guessing to motivate Prim as she quickly gathers kindling and lights it. But Haymitch immediately shoos Prim and Paavo away and calls Peeta and I over to him with a giant sweeping motion of his arm.
I am flabbergasted as I approach Haymitch. "What the….Prim and Paavo still had to…" I begin. But Haymitch quickly pulls Peeta and I into a huddle and begins whispering fervently.
"Look, sweetheart, Peeta, I'm only going to say this once, so listen up. In the time that I haven't been here I have spent some time contacting the victors from other districts- particularly the ones who are rebelling. A pain in the ass, too, since we can't use our home phones, but that's another story. Anyway, we know that the rebels have a fair amount of influence in Districts, 3, 4, 7, 8, and possibly eleven. So I have been asking the other mentors what their plans are for this year's Games- whether we were going to show signs of our rebellion in the arena, or whether we need to act as if nothing has happened and wait until the forces are stronger, possibly next year. The answer was overwhelming support for the former."
I try to process this, but can't. "So, you mean….the other districts want to 'Rebel at the Quell'?" I don't care that I made a lame joke. I can barely contain my excitement. Peeta looks exactly how I feel- his eyes are sparkling.
"Shhhhhhh," Haymitch warns. No one can likely hear us, but we are paranoid. I immediately nod my head in apology. "Anyway, remember how I mentioned that there might be other ways that Prim and Paavo can both survive? Well, I think we've got it all figured out."