He spun on his heels and looked at me, surprise clearly on his face; he wore his façade, which was probably a good idea, considering the circumstances. We moved towards each other, wrapping our arms around each other in a bone-crushing hug. "You're here too?" I asked quietly, "I am, and so are you." There was silence for a while then Effie spoke up. "Well, looks like you two know each other already!" she had the widest smile I had ever seen. We let go of each other and Effie started asking thousands of questions about us, we answered them truthfully so now they knew Skulduggery and I were best friends. She seemed to think that we were a couple, which disturbed me greatly.

"So, you too have arrived a little late!" Effie said, "You missed the carriages, that introduce your district, but it should be alright, you two aren't in a district so it won't matter much."

But! You have training for three days, you will present your chosen strategy and you will be going to the interview!"

Well then, ain't that just fabulous

I had to part with Skulduggery and get dressed, again! Katniss helped me suit up in training gear, which was respectable but I would rather be wearing my normal black protective clothing. Peeta and Skulduggery came to meet us by the elevator.

Katniss was arguing about something with Peeta and Skulduggery and just stood in the corner talking. "Since when did your façade cover your body?" I asked "apparently the people responsible for all this knew I was a living skeleton, somehow they gave me a functioning body, so I will be like everyone else, except probably have better skills than them!" he said with a smile, his dark hair slightly covering his eyes, "that scares me even more" I said smiling, I lay my head on his shoulder closing my eyes.

We entered the training area, it was quite large, and all around us people were training and fighting with a series of different weapons.

I spotted two people trying to make a fire with a large log and thin stick, and an old lady making something that contained feathers, string and a hook, a fishhook?

Everyone left to do their own training; Skulduggery squeezed my shoulder then left to explore weapons.

I had no idea what to do; everyone else knew exactly what they were doing and all I could do was stand there.

Valkyrie caught sight of a rack of swords; she ventured off towards it and looked through them all. She eventually found one that suited her style, she was glad Tanith had given her that extra training.

She was going to go find somewhere to train when she felt a light tap on her shoulder.

She turned around to face a girl. She had short choppy hair, shoulder length, and a fringe going across her face, oh and she was smirking.

"So you're the famous Valkyrie Cain?" she held out her hand, I gingerly shake it, "I'm Johanna", she lifted some sort of battle axe on her shoulder and continued talking.

"A lot of people plan on killing you first you know? They heard all the things that you had done, they don't want competition, they want to win, and your young, and you want a fighting chance.

I know you're new to this thing so I'll explain, you need allies, you need people to trust and I reckon you're going to be allies with Katniss and your other fellow friends. But when you can't find them? You have no one; Finnick and I are planning on being allies, and maybe Beetee and Wiress, but how about you join us? I'm sure you don't want to be alone in this, and at some point you will be. So how about it! Wanna be allies?"

I raised my eyebrow, "why should I trust you?" I stated simply. And Johanna just smiled "why not." I thought for a moment, I simply nodded and she continued to keep that smirk on her face.

Training had gone quite fast, I trained with Johanna and later on met Finnick, I couldn't help but blush around him, he was handsome.

I liked my chances, I had two groups to go too, and I only planned on going with Johanna if absolutely necessary.

We all travelled back up towards our temporary mansion/apartment. As soon as we got there Effie set us down and turned on a large flat screen TV, and it was even fancier then the ones we have, just how much money do these people have.

Haymitch told us about the tributes and the whole way through Peeta was staring at me with worry.

"Alright, I believe everyone should have chosen allies by now, Katniss half of the tributes want you as your ally, which tributes do you choose?" she talked, but I wasn't listening, I was thinking about my choices with Johanna, Katniss and Skulduggery... If it came down to us, what would we do, who would kill first and who would die?

I was so lost in thought I almost didn't hear Haymitch "Valkyrie, who do you want as allies, Katniss wants you, same with Skulduggery, wanna join them?"

"Yes, but…" I hesitated "as a backup I'm going to be allies with Johanna and Finnick." everyone was physically shocked except Effie who was simply smiling and Haymitch who wore an exited grin, "Good job sweetheart, you found yourself a backup plan, very well thought!" and then Skulduggery spoke up "why did she want you as an ally?" I hesitated again "well she heard that I was a good fighter and she made a good point that I may not find any of you and I will be alone, so if we find each other we will stick with each other, and she offered some protection from some of the other tributes because…" she had said to much, she knew that, she shouldn't have said that.

"Because what" Katniss asked, and then Peeta spoke up, "because everyone want to kill her." I stared up wide-eyed at Peeta, "how…" he sighed, "I overheard some other tributes talking about you, and how to kill you…" Haymitch and Effie were now wide eyed too. "Valkyrie, why didn't you tell me?" Skulduggery said.

"I didn't think you needed to know"

"Of course I needed to know, so I can protect you!"

"I don't always need your help, I can protect myself!" and with that I stood up and walked away. They called my name but I didn't turn around, I didn't listen, I just needed to think.

I found a balcony and stayed there for the rest of the afternoon, the wind blew my hair in all directions making it a tangled mess. It became night by the time Katniss sat down with me; the city lights illuminated her face. "I know exactly how you feel, I used to think I could manage myself… but then I realized it's not a bad thing to have a friend by your side" I looked at her, "when was this?" Katniss let out a deep sigh "when I first entered the Hunger Games, I was so stuck up then… I probably still am" she smiled slightly then it disappeared. "You remind me of two very special people,"

"Who?" she hesitated, "my sister, Prim and… Rue" I could see the sadness in her eyes, and guilt. "Would you tell me about them?" I asked, she smiled again, and it lasted.

"Prim is my sister, I always promised to protect her, she was my number one priority, last year she turned of age, so she had to go to the reaping for the first time, she was so scared I told her she wouldn't be picked, she wouldn't.

But I was so wrong, I could see her face from where I was standing, she was absolutely terrified, so… I volunteered, and took her place."

She finished, I knew how she must of felt, and the thought of my own sister battling to the death would have torn her heart out.

"And Rue?" Katniss waited for a long moment and spoke. "She was one of the tributes… only twelve, she was so young, she was my little shadow, and she took an interest in me.

She was skilled but she didn't kill, no she was too gentle for that, she saved my life, while we were in the arena, so I protected her, we made this plan to blow up all the supplies and the carriers along with it, I worked so well but no, of course there was a flaw… I heard her scream, I found her, she was under a net and I helped her, but I didn't see the other tribute… I wasn't paying attention to that godforsaken spear… and I was too late.

I surrounded her with flowers and cried over her for hours, and every day I feel guilty, I could have saved her, I could have… "She trailed of and I saw tears fall down her puffy red chees and fall from her chin.

I put my hand on top of hers and gave it a squeeze, she looked at me and smiled we stayed like that for a while and then she broke the silence, "I forgot to ask, how old are you?"

"Seventeen" she chuckled slightly, "same here, god, we should be at school, or playing or just being teenagers but no, life has different plans for us."

She stood up suddenly and held her hand out, "how about we go back inside, there might be something left from dinner," she smiled, and she kept that smile, and I found myself smiling as well.

I reached up and griped her hand and she pulled me up.

"Sounds like a plan!"