The Hunger Games

Chapter Nine

EDELMIRA'S POV
I sit outside the room beside the tributes of District 12. I rub my mother's ring nervously. It seemed to calm me, the smooth silver band. Hayden appears from the private training session area, looking slightly flustered. I stand up and he stops me by grabbing my shoulder and holding me back. "What?" I growl, looking up at him. He's not much taller then me, but enough so that I have to stand on tip toe for our eyes to be level.
"The game makers are getting bored. You need to be entertaining. Stand out." He says quietly into my ear. I step back to look him in the face. "How?"
"Be yourself." He answers, letting go of my shoulder. I watch him carefully as he walks away. I believe that the games makers are getting bored, but I don't entirely trust Hayden. I don't plan to, but you never know. As I enter the training area, the game makers don't even notice me. That's fine. They will momentarily. I slip behind them and grab what I count as eight throwing knives. I look around. They still haven't noticed me. I dart out from behind them, four knives in each hand. I stab them into the nearest tree and scramble up, without a sound. Trees. It's nice to see them in the Capitol. They remind me of the orchards back home. When I'm out forty five feet high, I stop. I want to be quiet. I don't want the game makers to hear me in the trees. A cool breeze passes by, and I take my chance. I jump forward, the noises I'm making mixing with the ones that the wind is making. I land on a single tree branch and peek through a gap in the leaves, the branch bending from my weight. I know it will hold though. I've learned that for a branch to hold you, it must be as thick as your wrist. This branch isn't large, but it's a little bigger then my wrist. I slide three knives from from my right hand to my left, taking my aim carefully. I throw better with my right hand. I watch the game makers closely. I think that they are starting to realize that someone is supposed to be there. Well someone is. I'm here. You're just to dumb to notice. I think. I raise my right hand behind my head and bring it forward, releasing the knife. I follow it with my eyes and feel a hint of pride as the knife lands right between one of the game makers feet. The second it stabs into the ground, I realize something. Would that be considered as attack?
I'm not sure.
One way to find out. I throw three more knives, all landing where, or at least near where they were intended to. I climb down, clutching the remain four knives in my left hand. I stop and leap to the side, into the next tree. My feet slide out from under me and I grunt in frustration, hauling myself back up.
"That must be that girl from District 11," one of the game makers says.
Took you long enough. I throw another knife, catching the dummy behind them right in the forehead. I throw two at once. One sinks into the dummy's shoulder, the other into the stomach.
Nice. I didn't think I would get that.
Left with one knife, I lower myself from the tree and quickly run in a circle around the game makers. They're so focused on the first tree that I was in that they once again, don't notice me as I stand behind them. "Ahem." I clear my throat. They all whirl around to look at me. "I told you it was her!" One of them exclaims, pointing at me.
"Yes, that's all very well," a male game maker with graying hair begins, his eyes gleaming with amusement and interest. For being from the Capitol, he looks oddly natural. "What's your name again?" He asks, not taking his eyes from me. I blink. "Edelmira Velez." "Interesting. Do you know what Edelmira means?" He still is looking at me. Does he even blink?
"It means warrior princess." I reply, holding his gaze. He nods slowly.
"It suits you." I don't say anything. Is that a compliment? "You may leave now." He says, turning to face his fellow game keepers. "Thank you for your time." I say politely, stalking out of the training area. Is that what Hayden meant? Was that entertainment or stupidity? I just can't tell. I don't get why everything has to be so confusing.