A Piece in their Game

Prolouge

Flashback - Italic

I lift the heavy, wooden sword and look over at my father. " Good," He says before fixing my grip and  repositioning my feet, " always remember, practice doesn't make perfect. Only perfect practice does." 

I am six years old and with my father in the tall grassy meadows surrounding our home in District 9. When my father was 18 he volunteered for the Hunger Games and won. He fell in love with my mother a year later after they met on her victory tour as she visited district two. They got married six years later and had my oldest brother, Charlie, three years later. A year later  Arthur  followed and then two years later Gabriella or Gabby and then four years later its me, Raven, named after the district nine tribute who died that year on account of her dying when I was born. Two years after me came the twins Finnick and Maya my mothers " miracle babies" because Maya almost died when she was two days old until Finnick was put next to her to say goodbye. He somehow miracuously saved her. In my opinion its nonsense but everyone says I shouldn't say that.

" Raven are you even listening to me?" My fathers words jolt me out of my thoughts.

" Huh," I say looking up suddenly.

" I was saying do you want to do knives or.... oh forget it you seem a bit off today we can  try again tomorrow."

" No wait I want to-," I protest but, my father is already lifting a hidden platform in the ground, and putting the weapons inside.

"Tomorrow Ravi," he says quietly," Lets go home and if you want we can stop at the bakers see if they have anything worth arguing over," He lifts me up onto his shoulders and I say joyfully," Can we get cinnamon rolls please." I say stretching my words to make my fathers nerve melt. 

" Of course we can Ravi sweetie and should we get some for the others?" He replies.

"We should get them sweets." I say as my father tickles the bottom of my feet making me squeal in laughter. 

Little did I know this was the last time I would see my father for a long time.

As we arrived at the row of cottages in victors village we passed a big grey van with what looked like a camera crew standing around it. They all started chattering franticly, a bit like the squirells I can see from my bedroom window hopping about in the trees, when they see me father who suddenly speeds up as if worried that they would chase us. My father walks to the front door of our cottage and nocks on the door a bit franticly. My mother opens the door quickly and says to me," How was the walk Rave? Oh, did you go to the bakers. What did you get us lucky people today. Oh lovely sweets and cinnamon rolls. Well we have visitors so those are likely to be eaten all up." With the last bit she sends a sharp rather nervous look at my father, who straightens his shirt and heads towards his study looking a bit worried.

He returns just before I go to bed and says to me," Darling the very important people want me to go back to my home district so I'm heading back to district two to help train children and I'll be back soon. Here is something to remind you of me." he hands me a small gold chain with a little Raven pendant hanging off the end," so when you miss me just look at this and think of my embrace, my little bird,"

"But but we never got to train knives."

" I know but you already know how to so you will be fine."

" I love you." I say trying not to cry," See you soon."

"I love you too. I will see you soon. And remember  although I can't always show my love I will love you forever

I only understood what he meant years later.

My father might have won the hunger games once but that doesn't mean he has won at anything else.