Dead Trees

Chapter 3

On the first day of training after the briefing from the head trainer, Maple and I began visiting the different training stations. Trench had suggested that we focus on survival skills for the first day, we decided to work through them from least popular to most popular to avoid having to wait around for stations to free up. That meant the first station we tried was hammock making, I never would have thought that being able to make a hammock would be an essential survival skill but then I remembered the snakes and critters that called the ground home and decided maybe it wouldn't be the worst idea to have a basic understanding of hammock making. We excelled at fire making, knowing the ideal types of wood to achieve our desired flame strength. Maple had a gift when it came to edible bugs and plants, she tried to pass some of her knowledge onto me but when I struggled to differentiate some plants, I realized she was willing to stay and help me for as long as I needed and I did not want to detract from time she could have spent learning a new skill.

On the next day Trench told us to experiment with weapons that we were not familiar with in order to keep any weapons we were proficient with a secret for as long as possible. For us that only meant we had to stay clear of the axe station. We started at the hand-to-hand combat station, a behemoth of a boy had the training assistant in a head lock when we arrived, a smaller girl with shoulder length black hair, approached the assistant next and instantly pinned him to the ground. It was clear that Maple was intimidated by these tributes who I was sure were careers, at her request we moved to a different station. The knife station taught us both a lot and I excelled at throwing knives, really they were just smaller axes.

On the final day Trench said we were free to go to whatever station we wanted to. I approached Maple when she was at the fish hook station,

"Have you thought about our strategy in the arena."

We had known from day one that we were going to try to form an alliance in the arena, hence why we had tried to stay together during the training days.

"I've been talking to Trench I think we should run from the cornucopia once the games start, let them kill each other."

This was a common strategy from those who came from the lower districts or weaker tributes, if Trench was recommending this I wouldn't be surprised if every mentor from eight to twelve advocated for the same thing, but when was the last time someone from one of those districts won the games. I had been thinking up a strategy of my own, "how are you with an axe?"

"As good as anyone from Seven," she replied, "why?"

"If we can both get an axe, we would have a much easier time defending ourselves, watching you yesterday in training, your fast and nimble, I think we could run in, grab an axe or a knife and get out before the bloodbath gets out of hand."

It was clear Maple didn't like this plan, "I think we should listen to Trench, Blight, he's won this before, he probably has a better idea of what we are going in to."

I didn't want to concede to this plan, having an ally in the arena would be valuable, especially at the start of the games and I knew Maple would be able to handle herself if she got a weapon, she had proven to be capable with all the weapons she had used in training.

"How about this, if you get a higher score than me in the private sessions we run at the start, if I got a higher score we go in and out before anyone can get us."

Maple took a moment to answer, "okay" she finally agreed.

As if on cue we were asked to assemble for our private sessions. After the district six girl walked back into the waiting room, I entered. There was a gang of game makers in a viewing booth above, examining me.

"State your name and your given skill." The head game maker said.

"Blight Gallows, axes."

The axe was like a third arm, I had been using one, ten hours a day, four days a week in the forest and learning how to use an axe in school another two days a week. I decided to show my axe throwing, I positioned myself fifteen feet from the target dummy and threw my axe with all the strength I could summon at the dummy. The axe planted itself firmly in the dummy, well, the dummy's thigh, I looked up at the game makers and saw some scoff and lose interest while some others whispered to each other. With my pride a little bruised I went to pick up another axe, and threw it at the same dummy, this axe was a bit better and struck the dummy in the chest, this got some of the game makers to pay attention to me again, I decided one more good axe throw might leave a better image of me in the game makers minds. This axe hit the dummy's arm.

"That will do please return to the training center," came the head game maker's voice barely hiding his boredom.

These game makers probably could not remember the last time a District Seven tribute had shown a skill other than axes and I doubted my show had left a standout impression.

I walked out of the room past Maple, she raised her eyes, as if to ask how I went, I just nervously smiled. Had I been so confident that I thought I would be able to get three perfect axe throws without any practice? It looked like I would be running away from the cornucopia. Maybe I wouldn't score as badly as I thought, an axe flying into your thigh or your arm was not something you could just brush off, but it was admittedly a lot less impressive than an axe between the eyes or three axes into the chest.

The night the scores were broadcast, we assembled in the main room of floor seven.

"What did you show?" I asked Maple.

"Just cut the heads and arms off some dummies with an axe, they seemed pretty uninterested."

Great, not only had she used an axe as well but decapitating a dummy was a lot more of a spectacle than hitting its thigh. The scores began to appear on screen, unsurprisingly the careers from district one and two scored eights or nines, the district four girl who pinned the trainer to the ground impressively scored a ten, the highest this year while everyone else scored predictably low scores. When it got to District Seven, I was happy to get a six, it was certainly not a record-breaking score, even for District Seven but it was more than I felt I deserved and it was higher than a few of the other tributes before me. Maple was next, my happiness with the six dissipated quickly, either we would have to follow her strategy or she would get a poor score which would mean that her chances of getting sponsors would be hurt.

I experienced a completely different emotion when a big six flashed on the screen.