Author's Note: as promised the second paired update is here! These two I dubbed "first lessons" since they have a common theme…;)

Thanks go to SeaOtter, E-W-Dragon and Pandora for their reviews

Chapter 13

Know the Terrain

We all walk to the meadow, it's mid morning. I stretch and hop on my toes, I did this run early this morning but its enough to get me jazzed again. Like I said before, and I don't mind saying again.

I love to run.

"We will start each morning with this run, today I won't penalize, but starting tomorrow your goal each morning will be to beat me to the Mellark apple tree" I explain, "the last one will do twenty push ups and sit ups the second to last fifteen and the second place will do ten."

"Seems easy enough" Haymitch says

I chuckle, "you say that now" I smirk, "today is a dry run, we'll run the path and then back to Haymitch's for lunch and studying"

"Studying?" Peeta says

"Build up the body in the morning build up the brain in the afternoon" I reply, I finish stretching, "right then!" and off I jog.

It takes them a moment to realize I mean 'time to run'.

Peeta and Katniss seem to be able to keep up with my steady jog, but Haymitch has just realized that his endurance, much like his liver and kidneys if I am correct, is shot to hell. He's huffin' and puffin', I even hear his dry heave and gag for breath.

"Hold!" I call and we stop and wait for him, "come along Abernathy! Thought you said it was easy, I'm not even pushing it!" I don't stop moving preferring to jog on the spot; I'm bouncing on my toes like a boxer.

He flips me the bird, Peeta and Katniss watch for my reaction but I laugh, "come on old man, we'll walk it this time…just for you"

Again the huffin' and puffin' and the bird flies off his hand again.

"Very good! Maybe put that energy to better use" I reply, he finally catches up.

Down from the meadow thru the seam, past the justice building and the whipping post, gallows and stocks. Katniss slows, but with Peeta calling after her she catches us up. Past the mayoral office and into the market quarter.

"When I say 'go' I want you guys to run" I tell them, "all three of you" we pass the tailor, "GO!"

We bolt, well they do, I just speed up, Katniss close at my heels Peeta just behind us but giving everything. Haymitch curses and catches up…we make it to the apple tree me with Katniss a moment after then Peeta…then finally a hacking Haymitch.

"Right everyone down for twenty" I say and all four of us do push ups. Me on my knuckles like a good martial arts student. The stones bite into my skin from the dirt, Peeta and Katniss are young and are able to do twenty push ups and sit ups easily. I think since I am doing it with them they are more willing. Haymitch curses a few more times then manages to do them with all of us barking for him to hurry up.

We decide to walk back to victor's village.

"Tomorrow we meet at the meadow, around seven in the morning for our run, wear a track suit it will be more comfortable" I explain, Peeta nods face flush.

"That's it? Running and push up and sit ups?" Katniss asks

I smile softly, "trust me this is your warm up, every morning you are going to run your butt off, and you will have to beat me to the tree, and I do not under any circumstances let anyone off easy, except my friend Kenneth but I let him win once…" I shake my head, "let's just say it won't be easy"

"I almost beat you" Katniss points out, I chuckle and she looks put out.

"Kid I wasn't even flat out" I point out, "today was just an intro"

We make it to victor's village and head to Haymitch's.

"Now since today is just and introduction, we are going to go thru things you want to learn, make a list" I look at Haymitch and motion to outside after supplying paper pens and the book.

"I want you to contact your escort" I tell him

"Effie? Why?" Haymitch doesn't like the idea

"They need to study the games, they were only in one Haymitch" I hiss, "they need to know who they will have to go against, and to do that with no knowledge?..." I leave it hang

He nods, "fine, but you owe me"

"It won't be alcohol" I remind him, "maybe I will allow you one wave of the 20 sit ups and push ups you will owe me tomorrow"

He grumbles and goes to the phone.

When I re-enter after a moment they have a second book out. I recognize the drawing style but the writing isn't Peeta's, he has a very elegant writing very curvy for a guy, I think it's the artist in him. This is neatly written but in clear block letters.

"I see you had a head start" I say softly making Katniss jump. Peeta smiles, I guess not much gets to this girl. I take a better look but get a dark glance from Everdeen.

"I don't recognize this plant" I point out poison ivy, at least that's what it says.

Katniss looks at the plant and shrugs, "they don't have it in district Five? And you don't remember it from your books?"

"It's been almost five years Katniss" I point out, "I haven't seen my book in that time I am pretty sure I forgot half the entries"

She sniffs derisively, unimpressed with my honesty. I would usually let it go, but she's been stand-offish all morning.

"Did I do something to you Everdeen?" I ask curiously, "or do you treat everyone like they aren't worth your time"

"Ari" Peeta warns but I hold my hand up, this is important, if I am to train them I need to know if it's not worth my time.

"How do I know you are not just feeding us information so we make a wrong decision in the arena?" she says, "we could ignore everything you say and try our luck"

"Katniss!" Peeta looks annoyed and a bit upset, "she saved my life on the hover plane after the games, just like you saved my life in the games last year, if she meant us to fail she would have found a way to off me on the plane"

Katniss glowers at us, "I just-"

"Don't trust easily do you?" I finish her sentence, "I understand, I would be hard pressed to believe a Good Samaritan when they are here to help. Everdeen if I wanted I would have gladly sat in the capitol the rest of my natural life, ignored that Peeta was dying, ignored that you had a little sister who needed you. It would have been a simple act of tuning out and ignoring my conscience. Here are the facts: you can't trust me unless you know me, you don't know me therefore you don't trust me. That is something you will have to get to. Second thing is I know the victors a bit longer than you, I might know things you don't from your games. Third thing I won't lie, I might keep information but I won't outright lie. Finally I want you guys to survive, you are the youngest going in a second time, you need all the help you can get"

"So why you?" she asks, "why not Haymitch?"

Haymitch clears his throat, "she can train us without fear of having to defend herself in the game Katniss, to the capitol she's dead"

"What?" Katniss looks at me, I nod, "okay so that makes you what?"

"A ghost in their system, but to you a valuable resource. For now just know I will do everything in my power to make sure you are ready. That's all you really need to know, the rest will come in time" I explain