Author Games: The Last Cannon

District 11 Female - MIRIAM ROWEN [5]

NAME: Miriam Rowen

AGE: 16

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Miriam has the typical appearance of one from Eleven. While her nearly ebony skin may be darker than most of the population of Eleven, she fits in and blends well with the general population. She stands at a modest height of 5'5'', and while she lacks muscle tone and body fat from years of malnourishment, she still carries herself with grace and has a much better physique than the children who are severely malnourished. She has deep brown eyes which, when one stares long enough, one can almost see their own reflection behind her gaze. A bright smile accentuates her eyes and her small features, framed by an oval face. Her bushy black hair is often in a mess, and she has long since given up trying to tame it, letting it go wherever so long as it doesn't disrupt her vision.

PERSONALITY: While most would consider Miriam at first glance to be quiet and unassuming, she often surprises people by her quick speaking and jumpy personality. Miriam is a firecracker in the way that she always is bouncing around from idea to idea. While never outwardly yelling about her ideas, she prefers the peace of her home or the orchards, where she can bubble over to anyone who will listen to her speak. She's feisty yet completely loyal, the morals instilled in her teaching her loyalty and perseverance never leaving her. She's a hard worker, never leaving a job unfinished, which is both a good and bad thing as she has several ideas and plans running through her head at once. At times she can be an idle daydreamer, thinking of impossible scenarios while pruning apple trees or while harvesting the fields. This has lead her to not only become a quick-speaking person, but also to lend her an idealistic side perfect for attending to sleepy children in need of a fantastical story.

Her downfalls, however, are plenty, too. While smart, she's often naive to anything other than her immediate surroundings. If she is working on one thing, she can hardly bear to focus on any other thing. Her loyalty and feisty temper has led way to many reprimands from her parents and overseers of the field, often dawdling or becoming absorbed in a different trivial task.

THE REAPING: Reaped

WEAPON OF CHOICE: Scythe

TRAINING SCORE: 6

LIFESTYLE: Miriam grew up in one of the little villages surrounding the city center of Eleven. Her family was never wealthy, often scraping by on what they could barter and sell. Her family, consisting of her parents Ruth and Hadrian, her brothers Abel and Abijah, and her sisters Einav and Edith, have always lived in one of the tiny, ramshackle homes that house many of the District's people. Her extended family-her grandfather Eli, as well as her aunts, uncles, and cousins-all live in the nearby homes. While they have always been a close family, they've all met their fair share of tragedy. Eleven is known for deaths and starvation, and not even the Rowan's have been immune. That being said, Miriam and her family have been blessed and thankful that only a few have been taken before their time, and Miriam knows how lucky she is to be within a caring family.

Her parents both work in the fields, her father often working second jobs unpacking cargo from the Capitol that comes in every six months. Her mother also works trading old clothing and materials, often taking Miriam with her into the town to teach her the trade, since she is the eldest daughter. Both of her parents have always been strict with them, teaching them to be kind and respectful to everyone. Miriam has always thought it to have helped her, the skill of being polite and well-mannered a good trait.

Miriam and her siblings have lived a life of strict work. They've never attended school, but her father would teach them by candlelight the very basics of education. Miriam has been working the orchards since she was six, harvesting in the trees since she was four, as the overseers need nimble hands and bodies to climb to the tops of the branches.

Because of this, Miriam has only garnered friendship through her work, befriending some older women who watch out for her and the younger ones. Miriam, however, has always felt closer to her siblings and cousins, preferring to spend her days with them.

She spends her evenings racing around with her siblings to give her parents rest, and Abel, who is seventeen, is often found with her after the kids have gone to bed, watching from the rickety back porch the stars as they both reflect and chat about their work.

All in all, even though Miriam has never had a bounteous life of goods and riches, her life is full of happiness and goodwill, and she is grateful for that.

TOKEN: A bracelet of dried flowers her sister Einav made last summer.