The Flames of the Mockingjay

Knowledge

After the first day of training Esmeralda and Rye had dinner with everyone on their team. Haymitch had told them to go into training to learn about the other tributes but not to really show off what they could do because they needed to show that to the Gamemakers soon.

While they were eating Haymitch asked "So anything special about you two?"

"Haymitch there is a much better way to ask that" Effie said wanting him to mind his manners.

"Okay okay Effie, is there any special talents either of you are willing to share with us that will keep you alive longer in the games?" Haymitch said earning a stare from Effie and almost made Rye and Esmeralda smile.

"Esmeralda can hunt, she helps everyone she can in 12" Rye said.

"Animals. I hunt animals" Esmeralda added sternly.

"Esmeralda that will do you better than anything that I can do, I can run that's about it. But you my mother says that without you we would have died a long time ago, and my father says you get the squirrels and the deers and the birds right in the heart with your knife" Rye explained.

"It's quicker so they don't have to suffer" Esmeralda said.

"But if you can run it will give you a better chance to hide, you've seen the blood bath that happens in the cornucopia every year, when if I was to get knives there is no chance of me making it out of there"

"Okay okay settle down you two," Haymitch grabbed the attention of the tributes from District 12, "A runner and a knife thrower. I can work with that."

"Okay Rye how fast would you say you can run?" Haymitch asked.

"My mom and my dad always said that they always wondered how quickly I can run all of 12 and back" the 17 year old boy said.

"Okay good good, know that I think of it when getting my 'refreshments' I would always see someone running around the Hob, was that you?" Haymitch asked.

"Yes, I would run stuff from merchant to merchant in trade of grain, berries, or honestly anything that would help feed my family" he said knowing that he doesn't know when or if he would see his family again.

"That's where I've seen you from" Esmeralda said, "when I would take birds to the Hob you were always running around, you are quick."

Rye just gave a semi-smile to say thank you, everything they said gave him a boost of confidence that he could potentially have a chance to survive in there.

"Okay Essie-" Haymitch was stopped.

"My name is Esmeralda" Esmeralda told him sternly.

"Okay Esmeralda, there's that 'spunk' I was telling you about, but anyways I know my way around with a sword but was knives work best for you?" Haymitch asked.

"Basically any that I can get my hands on," she said after waiting a moment to answer.

"Could you be anymore vague" Haymitch sat up correctly in his seat.

"Fine, smaller showing knives are easier to work with when I'm trying to hit a target, but I can work with knives that get progressively get bigger, ones that can cut throw wood and the ones that are sharp and big enough to cut through animals, as well as a double edged sword. So like I said any knife I can get my hands on" Esmeralda explained hoping that it was enough.

"And who taught you all of this?" Haymitch asked.

"My parents," she paused then continued "my mother taught me how to hit the target, she also taught me how to skin the animals, but my father saw how much fun I was having and for that he taught me how to use a double edged sword to hunt for bigger animals like deer" She explained once more.