Disclaimer: The Hunger Games is not mine.

Note: First off, Mags won the mentor poll by a landslide. Not that I'm particularly surprised; she's a lot of fun to write, and, being the newest mentor, she's the logical choice for a lot of this stuff. So we'll be seeing more of her soon, interspersed with the other mentors. Right now, my plan is to start and finish the chapters with an outside perspective – a mentor, the Gamemaker, the President, or someone else.

New poll on my profile. Pretty self-explanatory, but read the chapter first!

Lastly, just clarifying that this is still the first day. I've got most of the Games planned out, and most days will end up having two chapters. So here's part two of Day One...

Day One
Laid Before Your Feet

Jade Floren
District One Mentor

Perfect.

Six kills so far, and half of them belonged to Abstract and Angus. Even he hadn't expected Angus to turn on Prius so quickly, but the boy had seen his chance and taken it. And it had paid off – both with the sponsors, and, apparently, with the Gamemakers. Whatever that tentacled mutt was, it had saved Angus' life.

Unfortunately, Angus seemed to have been injured, as well, in the fall that had left Mars helpless against him. The little boy was badly bruised and cut, and was favoring his left leg as he limped back to the water to retrieve his shirt, which he had been washing when Mars had attacked him. He'd lost Prius' comb in the struggle with the mutt, but gained a knife. Not a bad trade-off. And none of the other tributes were nearby; he would have time to rest.

So maybe it wasn't perfect, but for a thirteen-year-old to have killed two older, stronger, trained tributes and come away with a few bruises and a hurt leg – that wasn't bad at all.

Abstract, as well, was doing splendidly. Being the only one to reach the Cornucopia so far was impressive, yes, but Jade was even more relieved by the fact that she hadn't hesitated a second before killing Heloise. If she could kill a little girl from District Twelve without batting an eyelid, none of the others would give her qualms.

Pardeck had been a good sport about it, too, coming over and clapping Jade on the back, congratulating Abstract, before heading off to buy Nerond a drink. Then again, Pardeck always took his tributes' deaths rather well – much better than Nerond, who had broken a few chairs when his pair of tributes had placed dead last.

Not that placements mattered, in the end. Whether a tribute came in twenty-fourth or second didn't really matter; they still ended up dead. But he couldn't deny that, last year, the boy from One placing sixth had been a bit more satisfying than the girl being killed in the bloodbath.

But now, a year later, both were still dead. One had lived a few days longer than the other, but he expected more out of this year's tributes. After such an amazing start, surely one of them would live through the Games. Both of them were on their own now – no allies – but maybe Abstract had been right. Maybe it was better that way.

It had certainly worked so far.

Brie Fallyn, 17
District Five Female

Boom.

At the head of the group, Zione froze for a moment after the sixth cannon fired. Sher opened his mouth to speak, but one glance from Zione halted any speculation about whose cannon it was. They had left the forest now; they had to be careful. If other tributes had found the Cornucopia and were now armed, they could be spreading out now, hunting for others.

Or maybe they would simply stay by the Cornucopia, which Brie could now see in the distance.

Slowly, they ventured closer, staying as close as possible to the mountains for cover. Maybe five hundred yards away, Zione halted again, and held up a hand. "Wait here," he mouthed, and continued on alone.

Brie felt her muscles tense as Zione drew closer and closer to the Cornucopia. Every instinct told her something was coming. Someone was waiting. It couldn't be this easy. Not when there had already been six cannons.

But no attack came. Zione circled the Cornucopia, glanced around at the surrounding area, and waved to the others to join him. But even as she and the others drew closer, Brie couldn't shake the feeling that they still weren't safe.

Then again, she'd felt the same way in the forest. And on the plains. Maybe that was just how everywhere in the arena would feel. How did people live like this – always glancing over their shoulder, always on alert? Her mentor's constant jitteriness suddenly made a lot more sense.

She nearly jumped when she felt Sterling's hand on her shoulder. "You all right?" he asked.

Brie nodded quickly. "Of course. Let's just get what we need and get out of here."

Sterling nodded, but Kiona spoke up. "I'm not sure that's the best idea. Maybe we should stay here – make camp nearby."

Sterling raised an eyebrow. "Why would we want to do that? That's just inviting the other tributes to attack us."

"With what?" Lordez pointed out. "If other tributes reached the Cornucopia, where are they? Maybe we're the first, after all. And if we can keep it that way – if we can stay here, well-armed and well-supplied, while they have to make do with what they can find, we'll have a better chance."

Brie shook her head. "I don't like it. What if some of them did find it already? They could be hiding out nearby."

"They could," Zione agreed. "But Lordez has a good point. Look around. Do you see any signs of a fight? Anything that would suggest other tributes have been here?"

Off to the side, Sher was giggling. "You really don't see it, do you?"

Brie could practically hear Zione counting to ten in his head before he replied. "See what?"

Sher pointed off towards the mountains. "Blood. On the ground, there. But only there – no trail – so the wounded tribute didn't escape. That's one of our cannons, right there. Doesn't look like it was much of a fight, so it was probably one of the more experienced tributes against one of the younger ones. Probably only one tribute, as well, because they obviously wanted to leave before we got here. I'd reckon either Abstract or Mars, and they probably headed for the mountains, since there's not much cover elsewhere."

"I thought you said Mars was dead," Lordez pointed out sarcastically.

Sher shrugged. "I could be wrong; it does happen on rare occasion. Or maybe he killed someone here, left, and then died. Doesn't matter, really – they're both much too smart to attack six of us at once."

"So you think we should stay here?" Sterling asked.

Sher nodded. "Why not? Where else would you have us go?"

"Back to the forest," Sterling suggested, and Brie found herself agreeing. As dark and cramped as the forest had felt, it would be better than this open desert. She felt so exposed here.

Lordez shook her head. "If we go back to the forest, we can only bring whatever supplies we can carry. Eventually, we'll run out, and have to either return or survive on what we can find. Here, we have everything in the Cornucopia at our disposal. There's a lake to the north there, in case we run out of water. And you can see quite a ways in any direction; it'd be very hard for anyone to take us by surprise. I vote we stay."

"So do I," Kiona agreed. "Strategically, it's the best option."

"I vote we leave," Sterling countered. "If we stay here, we're only making ourselves targets."

"We're targets, anyway," Sher pointed out. "We're the largest group – we're the ones to beat. We should start acting like it, make it a strength instead of a weakness. If we stay here, yes, we're daring people to come attack us. But if they take the bait, well, all the better – we outnumber them, anyway. I vote we stay."

Brie shook her head. "I vote we go. You're right – to stay is to invite an attack. I'll fight if it's necessary, yes, but I'd rather avoid it if it's not."

The group turned to Zione. He considered a moment, but then spoke. "We stay. We're not going to win by avoiding fights, and we'll fare better in the fights that are certain to come if we're well-supplied and our enemies aren't." He turned to Brie and Sterling. "You're right – it would be nice if we could avoid fighting. But we can't. And the sooner you accept that, the longer you'll last. That said, if the two of you want to return to the forest, I won't stop you. You're free to go and take your chances on your own."

Brie felt as if Zione had punched her in the gut. He was willing to part ways already, just like that? Maybe she had misjudged him. For all his talk about family and protecting each other, maybe he just wanted to survive – just like the rest of them.

She could feel Sterling's eyes on her. He would follow her lead. It was clear he wanted to leave, but he didn't want to go it alone. Brie took a few deep breaths. How long would they last by themselves, with only the supplies the two of them could carry? Zione was willing to let them go, but how long would it be before he was forced to come after them, as well?

"We'll last longer together," Brie said at last. "I'll stay."

As she expected, Sterling immediately echoed her. "I'll stay, too."

Zione nodded. "Good. Let's get the supplies sorted out. Sterling, Brie, you're in charge of food – see what we've got, figure out how long it will last, ration it if you have to. Kiona and I will sort out the weapons. It looks like we're dealing with knives, so everyone take at least one and keep it with you at all times. Lordez, Sher, you sort out the rest – clothes, first aid supplies, fire starters. We share everything. We're a team. Let's get to work."

Brie glanced at Sterling as they started sorting out the food. A team. Maybe. They'd voted, sure, but it had been clear that the final decision was Zione's. And just as clear was a question she'd been wondering since Zione first proposed the alliance:

How long would it last?

Lina Leto, 15
District Three Female

Don't think. Just run.

She'd been telling herself the same thing for hours. Ever since Equinox had attacked Tracer. Ever since she had left him to die.

She hadn't even thought about it. She had just run. Followed Cahra and Ella and Heloise because she hadn't known what else to do. Even though they had been heading for the Cornucopia – probably the last place she wanted to go.

And now they were running again – away from the Cornucopia. Away from the tribute who had killed Heloise. They had been running for hours, it seemed, along the rocky edge of the mountains. Once, they had heard voices, and ducked down behind the rocks as a larger group passed in the opposite direction.

Now they were nearing a forest. Lina tried to remind herself that was a good thing. Cahra was from District Seven, after all. She knew her way around trees. This would be good. They would be safe.

Except they would never be safe in the arena.

Lina pushed the thought from her head once more. There would be time for that later. After they had found a place to stay for the night. Already the sun was beginning to sink lower in the sky, and the air was growing cooler.

"Almost there!" Cahra called back. And they were. The trees were close now. Soon, they were safe beneath the branches, plunging deeper and deeper into the dense woods.

At last, they came to a small clearing, and Cahra plopped down on the ground, breathing hard. Ella and Lina collapsed beside her, exhausted. "This'll do for now," Cahra concluded. "In the morning, we'll look for water."

Water. Lina hadn't even had time to think about how thirsty she was. Now it all came rushing in to hit her like a wave, and she began to cry. Not over the water, but everything else – Tracer's death, Heloise's death, the fact that she'd been unable to do anything but run.

Ella put an arm around Lina's shoulders. "We'll be okay," she said softly. "We'll be safe here for a while. And if there are plants, there's probably water somewhere nearby. We can stay here."

Cahra shook her head. "Not forever. For tonight, yes, but then we should start planning."

"Planning what?" Ella asked. Clearly, she had been hoping to stay for a while longer.

"How to strike back," Cahra said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "We owe it to Heloise – and to Tracer – to go after those responsible."

Lina stared. Cahra sounded so certain. Was that what she should be feeling? Anger? Hatred? A thirst for revenge? Lina looked away. She didn't feel any of those things. She just felt tired. Defeated. And very scared.

Ella seemed to agree, but didn't want to say so and upset her friend. "Well, we don't have to decide anything tonight. Maybe we should look around a little bit after we've rested, see if there's anything here that would be good to eat."

"And make weapons," Cahra added firmly.

"Weapons?" Ella asked. "Out of what?"

In answer, Cahra stood up and broke a branch off a tree, then started sharpening the end on a rock. "These. It's not a sword or a bow, but it'll do in a pinch. Maybe not against a tribute with an actual weapon, but who knows what else is in these woods? There could be all sorts of things – wolves, bears, anything."

"And we could use them to hunt," Ella reasoned, trying to lift the mood. "Good thinking, Cahra."

Lina stared at her two new companions. Really? Did they really think a sharpened stick was going to do them any good in a fight? Did they really expect to be able to kill a rabbit with it, let alone a wolf? But she said nothing. These were the only allies she had left, so it would be best not to upset them.

Cahra quickly finished sharpening her stick and started off in search of supper. "I'm glad you decided to join us," Ella said once she was gone. "So's Cahra, even if she doesn't show it."

Lina smiled a little. "Thanks."

"For whatever it's worth, I'm sorry about Tracer," Ella added. "You two seemed like friends."

Lina looked away. "I just … left him. Just like that. I didn't even think. I could have tried to help him. Maybe together, we could have—"

"No," Ella interrupted. "No, you couldn't have, because you're right – you weren't thinking about it. And that's good."

"What do you mean?"

"Last night, Mags – my mentor – she told me that no matter what she said, it wasn't going to matter once I saw the Cornucopia, because I would just do what my instincts told me to. And I did. And so did you. So did everyone. Some people's instincts told them to kill. Some told them to run. You couldn't help it."

Lina shook her head. "You make us sound like animals – like we don't have a choice."

Ella shrugged. "Maybe we don't. Maybe we're all just animals in the end – just doing what we've been trained to do, or what our instincts tell us to. And maybe that's okay. It's kept us alive so far."

"And what are your instincts telling you now?" Lina asked.

Ella hesitated for a moment, as if debating whether or not to tell her something. But when she spoke, she was smiling a little. "That we need to find some food now. Come on; let's go help Cahra."

Lina nodded, but she couldn't shake the feeling that Ella's instincts had been telling her something very different entirely. And all of her own instincts were telling her that they should still be running. That they were still in danger. That they needed to find somewhere safe.

Which, of course, was the problem: There was nowhere safe.

Wulfric Harding, 18
District Ten Male

Wulfric threw another rock at the third rabbit he'd seen in a few hours.

Getting ahold of the little critters was a lot harder than it looked. So far, he'd seen rabbits, snakes, a few chipmunks, several birds, and a gopher, but had been unable to catch any of them. If only they would stand still and let him kill them.

Like Husk had.

He was trying not to think about that, but it kept coming back. The warmth of the blood. The smell. The look on Husk's face in the instant he realized that the hunter had become the hunted, the predator the prey. But Wulfric had only been doing what he had to do.

He'd only been protecting Libby.

Because that was what it came down to, in the end. He could tell himself all day that he had been trying to eliminate a stronger opponent while he could, that he had been taking his chance to narrow down the competition a little. But that wasn't the reason he had done it. He had been protecting Libby, plain and simple.

And that was dangerous, because he couldn't protect her forever.

So he had run in the opposite direction. But not too far. And not towards the Cornucopia. The plains would suit him just fine, he had thought. Plenty of open space, with a few larger boulders for shelters. Plenty of game to hunt. Plenty of food.

Except he hadn't been able to catch any of it.

Wulfric caught himself wondering how Libby and her allies were faring. The last he had seen of them, they were headed for the beach. Maybe there would be more food there. Or slower food. Maybe.

Reluctantly, Wulfric turned and headed in the direction of the beach.

It wasn't difficult to find Libby and her allies. The younger girl – Nicoline, he was pretty sure – ducked down out of the way when she saw him coming, but Libby smiled and waved him over. Her face was bruised and swollen where Husk had struck her, but, other than that, she looked all right, and the two younger tributes had escaped unharmed. "Decided to join us after all?" Libby asked with a smile.

"Just checking to see if you'd had any more luck with food than I've had," Wulfric lied. "The rabbits are pretty quick."

The little boy, Pike, shook his head. "So are the fish. But we did find some water – fresh water, that is. There's a small pool in those rocks up there – probably rainwater that collected." He pointed off to one side. "There's a big turtle up there, too."

"A turtle?"

Nicoline nodded. "Sunning himself on one of the rocks. He's probably still up there if you want to see."

Wulfric was laughing. He couldn't help himself. A turtle! A big, slow, turtle, and it hadn't occurred to any of them that maybe they could eat it. Wulfric glanced around the beach and chose a large, sharply pointed rock. "All right. Where's the turtle?"

It was Pike who pieced together what Wulfric meant to do with the rock. "You want to kill it?"

"Want to? No. Wrestling large turtles isn't really my idea of fun. But if it's as big as you say it is, it would make a fine supper. Now where is it?"

A few hours later, the four of them settled down to a supper of boiled turtle. Libby had managed to find enough dry grass to start a fire, and Nicoline had carefully cooked the turtle meat after Wulfric had killed and gutted it. Pike had managed to find the turtle's nest, so Nicoline was already planning turtle eggs for breakfast.

They made a good team.

"Don't even think about it," Glenn had said when Libby had suggested that he join her. And maybe it wouldn't last very long. But, while it lasted, he would savor it. And part of him needed that.

"I never said thank you earlier," Libby said quietly between bites of turtle. "For saving my life. You didn't have to do that."

He wasn't sure what he was supposed to say to that. Because he did have to; he knew that now. He'd had to save her for the same reason he had to stay with them now. Not for them, but for him.

Because these three were everything the Games weren't. Peaceful. Gentle. Human. And he needed that.

"You're welcome, Libby," he said at last. "You are very, very welcome."

Ella Halliwell, 17
District Four Female

It was dark by the time they settled down for supper – some berries and roots that they had managed to find and which Cahra had assured them were edible, although not particularly tasty. Lina seemed troubled by the dark, but Ella welcomed it. She felt much safer now, knowing that anyone who happened to wander into the forest wasn't likely to find them.

But Cahra seemed restless, and was sharpening another stick; she had quite a collection by now. "Why can't we light a fire?" she asked.

Ella sighed; they'd had this conversation at least three times already. "Look, right now, nobody knows where we are. If we light a fire, they may see the light. They may smell the smoke. Either way, they'll be able to find us. We're safer without it."

Frustrated, Cahra flung another stick onto her pile. "I just don't like waiting here for something to happen. If they're going to attack us, I wish they'd get it over with."

"I don't," Ella shrugged. "Let them take their time, kill each other off. We're safe here. Well, about as safe as we can be."

Cahra shook her head and finished the last of her berries. "I'm going to see if anything's going on out there." And, with that, she swung herself up into one of the trees and started climbing.

"What does she think she'll be able to see up there?" Lina asked in a hushed voice once Cahra was too high up to hear them.

Ella shrugged. "Maybe a fire, if anyone else has been stupid enough to start one. Other than that, I don't know. She just wants to be doing something. She doesn't like to sit still."

Lina nodded, and Ella suspected that she did understand, at least to some extent. She'd been restless ever since they'd entered the forest, looking like she would rather keep running as far away from the others as possible. Ella didn't blame her. But they couldn't keep running forever, and this was as good a place as any to stay for a while.

Lina opened her mouth to speak, but she was cut off by a deep, rustling sound – almost like the wind blowing through the trees, but louder, stronger. Ella reached for one of Cahra's sharpened sticks. "Did you hear that?"

Lina nodded as another rumbling noise shook the forest, and this time the ground trembled, as well. There was a scream, and Ella could see Cahra climbing down quickly from one of the trees. "The trees!" Cahra shouted. "The trees are moving!"

And it certainly did seem to be true. The trees seemed somehow closer than before, their branches looming towards the three of them, menacing, cutting off what little light the moon had been giving off. In an instant, everything was pitch black.

Ella felt something tug at her from behind. Something that felt like a tree branch. Startled, she whirled around and struck out with her stick, fumbling blindly in the dark. She could feel the terror creeping over her. No. No, she had to control it. Not now.

Not now.

In a blind panic, she lashed out again and again. The trees closed in, grasping at her, and suddenly she could feel something else – something hot and sticky, covering her hands, smearing her face. Sap, maybe, but the smell was different. The smell.

Boom.

Vaguely, as if in a dream – no, a nightmare – she was aware of screaming, but whether it was hers or someone else's, she wasn't sure. All she knew was that she had to protect herself. Had to keep striking at the darkness, because there was nothing else she could do.

Suddenly, there was a sharp pain in her shoulder, followed quickly be a brilliant flash of light – warm and hot. Fire! The forest was trying to burn her alive! Well, it wouldn't have her! She whirled around once more, striking with her stick, and the sharpened end sunk deep into something soft. There was another scream, then a gasping, wheezing noise, and the flame fell.

Boom.

The light went out.

Ella staggered around blindly in the dark until she tripped over something. Something soft and warm and wet. Trembling, she looked, and, in the moonlight, she could see a body. No, two bodies.

No.

No, not like this.

Ella stared, motionless, at the bodies of her two companions, her own stick still lodged in Cahra's stomach, the younger girl's hands gripping her own stick, smeared with blood from Ella's shoulder. Tears came to Ella's eyes as she turned and fled deeper into the forest. Away from the bodies. Away from what she had done.

Away from anyone else she might be able to hurt.

Harakuise Swallot, 14
District Five Male

At least it was a bit warmer on the edge of the swamp.

Unfortunately, they hadn't been able to find anything that seemed edible, at which Equinox was clearly upset. But Aldo seemed a bit more accustomed to hunger, and Harakuise had often gone for days without eating – not out of necessity, of course, but because he simply forgot sometimes, if he was busy.

And he was busy a lot.

Boom. Boom.

Lying on his back, staring up at the stars, Harakuise smirked. Two more cannons. That made eight all together. With any luck, one or two of them would belong to the larger alliance, making them a bit more vulnerable, as well. Maybe that would make up for the loss of Husk.

Not that it was a terrible loss, in the end. Husk had been hot-headed. Reckless. He had been physically strong, yes, but that had the potential to be as much of a danger as it was an asset. They were probably better off now.

Or, at least, that's what he kept telling himself, because they didn't exactly have a say in the matter anymore. Husk was gone, and they'd just have to make the best of it.

Just then, the Capitol anthem began. Harakuise sprang to his feet and stood at attention, surprising both of his allies, who, after a moment's hesitation, copied him. But Harakuise knew they didn't understand – not really.

And they certainly didn't realize that the Capitol citizens might remember another tribute who had made a point of standing respectfully every time the anthem had been played during his Games. A tribute who had won favor from sponsors because of his loyalty to the Capitol. A tribute who was now the mentor for District Two.

The pair from Three were the first to appear. No surprises there. Equinox had killed Tracer, leaving the girl without her only ally. An easy target.

Mars' face appeared next. Now that was a surprise. Harakuise smiled a little. Good. Very good. At least one strong opponent down.

Prius. Then Cahra. Antiquity and Husk. And, last of all, Heloise.

"Damn," Aldo mumbled, but that was all they got out of him, though he was clearly disturbed.

Harakuise was disturbed, too – not by whose faces had appeared, but whose faces hadn't. The larger alliance – Zione's alliance – remained untouched, and had quite likely reached the Cornucopia by now.

Harakuise lay down again, trying not to show how much he was actually bothered by that. As it stood now, they were outnumbered two to one, and their opponents were older, stronger, and most likely well-armed and well-fed.

There were two ways to deal with that, as he could see it. One was to wait until they separated for one reason or another and try to pick them off one by one. They wouldn't stay together as a group all the time. If they split up to hunt for food or explore, they would be easier to target. Not an ideal option, but it might work.

The other option was to work with someone on the inside.

His first thought was Brie, but only because she was his district partner. Yes, she owed him a favor, but he knew better than to think that she would choose him over her allies. He did have an ace up his sleeve, one last card he could play with her, but he wanted to save that. He might need it later. And he didn't need her yet.

Not when there was a better choice.

"I wish we could send messages in the arena," Harakuise said without any other explanation.

Clearly, his allies were puzzled. Good. "You mean, talk to our families at home?" Aldo asked.

Harakuise had to fight to keep from rolling his eyes. Of course that would be Aldo's first thought. He didn't really get it yet – they were on television! If he wanted to say something to his family, all he had to do was talk. The cameras would pick him up, and not only his family, but all of Panem would see it.

That was what Harakuise was counting on.

"No, no, I mean send messages to other tributes in the arena," Harakuise explained. "Tell them things. Communicate plans, maybe."

"Why would you want to do that?" Aldo asked.

Harakuise didn't answer. Wrong question.

"Who would you want to communicate with?" Equinox asked

That's more like it. "I think I'd want to communicate with … Sher Haimish."

"The boy from Eleven?" Aldo asked. "Why him?"

Wrong question again.

"What would you want to say to him?" Equinox asked.

Harakuise smiled. Maybe Equinox was catching on. "I'd want to say … Come and play. Where the marsh and the mountains meet. Tomorrow night."

"Why?" Aldo asked for the third time. But it didn't matter. Let him keep asking.

He would know soon enough.

Sher Haimish, 17
District Eleven Male

"You were right about Four and Six," Lordez conceded as the pictures finished flashing across the sky.

Sher shrugged. "And you were right about Seven and Twelve."

Lordez nodded. "I'm sorry, Sterling."

But Sterling was ignoring them. He and Brie sat off to one side of the Cornucopia, facing the mountains. Still upset about remaining at the Cornucopia, perhaps. Sher closed his eyes. Clearly, they didn't understand. It didn't matter, in the end, whether they stayed at the Cornucopia, ran to the forest, or headed straight into a trap in the mountains. No matter how hard they tried to avoid the other tributes, the Gamemakers would force them together eventually. If they stayed here, at least they could face the others on their own terms.

There was a glimmer of respect on Zione's face as he approached Lordez and Sher. "You knew. You knew about Mars and Prius, and you knew about Cahra and Heloise. How?"

Lordez shrugged. "Lucky guess. They were two of the younger, weaker tributes; they were the likeliest."

"I had my eye on Angus," Sher admitted. "Little things – a change in tone of voice here, an exasperated look there. He was tolerating Prius because he needed someone. It was only a matter of time before she wasn't useful anymore, and he doesn't have much patience."

"And Mars?"

"Mars was bound to go after either Abstract or Angus, and, being the younger, weaker option, Angus was the likelier target. But Mars underestimated him – almost everyone did. And that's dangerous."

Zione nodded. "Yes. Yes, it is."

Sher smiled, but, inside, he was wondering if maybe he was underestimating his district partner. She had been right about Cahra and Heloise. Sure, she passed it off as a lucky guess, but no one was that lucky. She was smart – maybe smarter than he had given her credit for. And that was dangerous.

A soft pinging noise interrupted his thoughts. Two parachutes – a large one and a small one – floated down out of the sky and landed on the dry ground. Without hesitation, Zione hurried over to retrieve them, studying them for a moment.

"For you, I assume," he said with a smile, handing the larger one to Sterling – a warm blanket with a green "7" on it. Sher shrugged. There had been several blankets and sleeping bags in the Cornucopia. But maybe the death of his district partner had upset his mentor so much that she felt she had to send something. As if that would make up for losing a tribute.

"And for you, Sher," Zione concluded after glancing at the other package – a plain white envelope.

"And how do you know?" Sher asked with a smile. "Or did you just figure that the sponsors will be so impressed at my accurate predictions that they'll shower me with gifts?"

Zione actually laughed a little. "I'd hardly call one envelope a shower. But unless someone else's initials in this group are SH, it's for you."

He handed it to Sher, who turned it over in his hands. Sure enough, the front read SH. But who would be sending him a letter?

For once, he had no idea.

Curious, he opened the envelope. Inside was a note.

Come and play.
Where the marsh and the mountains meet.
Tomorrow night.

"What is it?" Lordez asked, but Sher had already folded the letter again and tucked it in his pocket.

Sher lay back and closed his eyes once more, not quite sure what to make of the letter. A summons? A warning? A challenge?

No. An invitation. An offer from someone who was playing the same game he was. Not a game of physical strength, but a game of intellect. A worthy opponent.

Someone who knew he wouldn't be able to resist.

Ivy Asters
District Eleven Mentor

"What do you think you're playing at?" Ivy demanded.

Tania looked up from her drink, startled. "What do you mean?"

"That letter – that's what I mean. He's my tribute, and I didn't send it. And your tribute just happened to say a few minutes earlier that he wished he could communicate with Sher. And then Sher just happens to get a secret letter. So you sent it – but why?"

Tania shrugged. "Because the sponsors were willing to pay for it. An envelope and a few words don't cost all that much. And apparently there's no rule against it."

Ivy glared. There was more to it than that – she was sure of it. Whatever Harakuise was planning, it wouldn't turn out well for Sher, or his alliance, and Tania knew it.

Tania shook her head tiredly. "Look, Ivy, I don't have any more idea what he's planning than you do. The boy's a mystery to me. He came up with this on his own."

Ivy sighed. She was probably telling the truth. Tania was clever, but not that cunning. Whatever Harakuise was planning, she wasn't in on it. But that didn't make Ivy feel any better. She just hoped Sher would have the sense not to go.

But she wasn't counting on it.

"Do not trouble your hearts overmuch with the thought of the road tonight. Maybe the paths that you each shall tread are already laid before your feet, though you do not see them."