Everthorne

Fighter

Katniss's POV
    Gale, Haymitch, and I are already on the train and waiting for Effie and the tributes to join us. "The boy reminds me of you," Haymitch says as we replay the video of the reaping while we wait. "He's my brother," Gale says before I could respond to Haymitch. "Well, he's a fighter, that one. I think we'll have our second victor in two years with him. He's one of the oldest and looks pretty strong. Not to mention a volunteer. You should be proud Gale. He's a good one, a lot better than the boy from last year," Haymitch tells him seriously. "Thank you, I am very proud of him," is all Gale can manage to get out before leaving Haymitch and I alone in the car. 
    Haymitch and I finish the tape and gather that the girl tribute is around 12 and from town. She's a blonde and looks better fed than most of the seam kids. Her first name is Anne, but I couldn't catch her last name. Haymitch says she looks to scared and timid to be a good one, but then again, she was just reaped for the Hunger Games, who wouldn't be scared. I just hate that I'm sending her to slaughter. She's so young and reminds me a little of Prim with her blonde hair.
Finally, Effie brings Rory and Anne onto the train. They look rattled from all of the cameras and people in the station. "Well, Katniss I'll let you three get to know each other. I'm going to get a drink," Haymitch says as he stumbles out of the train car. I take this as my cue to say something, "I'm sorry you guys have to go through this and I'm here to help you in anyway that I can. We can jump right in and start learning about survival in the arena or if you'd rather, I can show you to your rooms to get settled in and start tomorrow." Anne immediately stands up and says, "I think I'll go to my room thank you." She leaves quickly without waiting for me to help her find her room. Effie catches my eye from where she's sitting and hustles off after her.
"I'd like to start learning now if you don't mind," Rory says, "I intend on making it out alive, so I'll take all the help I can get." "You're smart Rory. I have no doubt that you could make it out, but it's always hard." I tell him before launching into a lesson on general survival skills. Not long after we start, Haymitch comes back in, with an entire bottle of liquor. "Already got started have you?" He asks, giving Rory a once over, "I told you we got a winner here Katniss." He's not wrong. Every scenario I give Rory, he gives me a clever way to survive it. Sometimes his answers are unconventional, but they would certainly get him out of the sticky situations I'm giving him. By dinner time, we've established a general plan for survival. I'm actually pretty impressed with how much he knows. But then again, he is Gale's brother, so he has to have some kind of survival instinct in him. He also informs me that Gale's been teaching him some basic snares. Knowing how prepared Rory is makes me feel better about him going into the games. I still worry about him, and about what would happen to Gale if he died. Rory seems really determined to win, and being a Hawthorne, that's serious. When Hawthorne's put their mind to something, they get it done. With his attitude, I think he might actually have a shot.
     After dinner, I decide to go to bed and let Gale and Rory talk by themselves. I still haven't seen anything else out of Anne. I don't want to push her, I of all people know how stressful this is. I tell myself that if she's not out for breakfast tomorrow, I'll try and find her. Gale comes to bed sooner than I'd expect, sliding into the bed next to me and wrapping an arm around me. "Don't worry about him," Gale says, "He's a fighter. He's going to be the victor. I just know it."

Another short update! Hope y'all like it!