In the Willow's Arms

The Wind, It Listens

Briar's P.O.V

I opened my eyes to the bright, shimmering light coming from the small window next to my bed. I sit up and look across the room. My mother is fast asleep.

"Dad must have gone to work already..." I thought, as I looked back to the window.

You see, here in District 7, the workers must start their shifts early and work late in order to ready enough wood to be transported to District 1, to be made into furniture and expensive items for the Capitol. But there was always an exception...

Of course, by this I mean the Reaping. The day that every citizen in the district dread as much as their own funeral. A day where there would cameras, filming the last true moments of a citizen's hope, before being yanked away at the sound of their name. But as they say, May the odds be ever in your favour.

I have always tried to remember a life when there were no such things. No Reaping, battles to the death or tragedies. It couldn't have always been like this. There must have been a time where everyone was together and there were no districts or a Capitol or Hunger Games.

I needed to stop, I was giving myself a headache.

I got dress in to my pants and shirt, which were both a bit big on me as they were my fathers. I then exited the house and started to walk towards my favourite spot, in the arms of the great big willow tree that bordered the forest.

Aliver's P.O.V

"First off, we will start with the simple dagger," I explain, pulling out a dagger and handing it to Moxie. "You need to have a firm grip and be able to move quickly with it in hand at the ready."

Moxie starts to hit the targets that I have set up for her.

"Try again, but this time, you have to feel it. You need to make sure your hits count, but if the first one fails, be ready for a backup blow."

"Okay."

Moxie hits the target with her dagger, and backs it up with a following blow.

"Good, now we can move on to throwing." It's odd that her father would have asked for this training specifically, but I guess it will give Moxie skills that could come in handy.

For the rest of the afternoon, I train Moxie in the skill of hitting a moving target, with daggers, and have trained her in hand to hand combat. She struggles with shooting with a bow, but does really well with hit a moving target with the daggers and sword and at hand to hand combat.

Moxie puffs as she lays on the ground.

"All right, we can head inside now, we're finished for the day." I say, as I start to head inside.

As of now, the citizens of the Capitol would be preparing for the annual Hunger Games, and the people of the districts, would be dreading it. I wonder how it must feel in those places.

I have lived in the Capitol as long as I can remember, but I feel like I'm missing something, something important.
I have been told that I haven't always lived in the Capitol, and as I've been told, I wasn't supposed to end up here.

I was amongst the excitement of the crowed trains to the Capitol, watching the chosen tributes go, and I fell and hit my head. I woke up in a hospital, in the Capitol, and had no way of getting home, wherever home was exactly.

Briar's P.O.V

The wind soars through the leaves of the trees as I sit in my favourite sport, in the arms of a huge willow tree. I have been coming to this spot for as long as I can remember. It was a calming place. For some reason, the girls at school envied me as I was apparently 'beautiful'. How ridiculous. I looked just like everyone else. I never understood looks and such until the girls at school explained to me that I was born as beautiful as rose. But this was true as I, Briar Emberflake, was but a wilted rose left alone in the fields. I never used to care about my appearance until people noticed me. I didn't enjoy the attention. But this tree had always been there for me. It was my dad who showed me this tree, when he told me about my twin brother, who had become ill and died. I tried to picture him in my head a lot, but he was only but a name. I was told that he looked just like me and had the same golden eyes like the sun.

The leaves of the great willow rustled and swayed with the win, a dance of grace and warmth. Tomorrow, this peace would be disturbed by the rush of people to the town square, the saddened faces of families. Tomorrow, two tributes would be reaped and taken to the Capitol. Those tributes could be only 12 years old for all we knew, but I guess that's the way it is.

I walk through the front door to see my mother up and preparing some food.

"Oh, you're home Bri," She says cheerily, "Out for a walk I see."

I nod and take a seat at the table, picking at the worn wood.

The door opens and my father steps through the door. My father looks like he was built to chop down trees and such. He has a solid build, is tall and has strong arms.

"I'm home." He says, as he walks into the house, pulls out a chair and sits down.

"I managed to pick up some bread from the baker and some rabbit from the butcher. There isn't much though..." My mother says, while putting the food on the table in front of my dad. I take a seat.

"Its fine," My father says reassuringly, "Some people don't get this much."

I nod at my mother reassuringly. Even though we have never had much money, my mother has always found a way to get enough to keep us from starving. We begin to eat our rolls and meat. Every so often, my dad will talk about work and mom will talk about her day, and I will just eat my food in silence. Another day closer to the inevitable...

Aliver's P.O.V

"Do you know what you father does?" I ask Moxie, as we sit in her tutoring room. The room is a neutral yellow, with an outline of white around the door and windows.

"Well, he's the president so, it must be good right?" Moxie replies innocently. I stop.

"He's really been keeping you in the dark," I sigh, "Have you never heard of the Hunger Games?" She looks at me with a clueless look on her face.

I explain, "The Hunger Games is a televised battle, made up of two tributes from each district, one male and one female. They must survive and fight to the death to win. Your father has been running this horrific event for years. It's all because of the uprising of the Districts...."

"Wwhat? That can't be! He never told me about that!" she cries.

"I'm really sorry Moxie, but it's true. In fact, the reaping for the Hunger Games is tomorrow" I inform her.

"Reaping?" She asks, with a scared look on her face.

"Yes, the Reaping, where a name is drawn from the bowl filled with female tributes and the same for the male tribute. One from each."

"No, this can't be true...." Moxie whimpers as she stands up.

"Moxie I'm sorry...I shouldn't have told you..." I tell her.

"No, it's okay. Aliver, I must attend to some things right now." She quickly says as she runs out of the room.

"Wait Moxie!"

____________________________

Hey guys, I am sorry in advance for this being late (which it was by almost a week :P) but its here! I hope you guys have enjoyed the first segment of In the Willow's Arms and are excited for more!

Byeness! ✌

Also check out these weirdos for their character's P.O.V!

Annabella____Malfoy

EndermanBuddie