𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔻𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕝 𝕀 𝕂𝕟𝕠𝕨 | ℂ𝕝𝕠𝕧𝕖 𝕂𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕨𝕖𝕝𝕝

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝙵𝚒𝚟𝚎

I stuck by Clove's side as we followed Peacekeepers, who led us to a waiting room with metal benches lining the walls. We were directed to the benches closer to the door, where we would receive our individual training assessment in front of gamemakers. I opted to sit with Clove, which left Cato with Cedar as we waited for the other tributes to arrive. They slowly filed in one by one until the tributes from 12 entered the room. As soon as Katniss sat down, I noticed a minor detail. Her face showed bravery, but her fingernails picking at her skin said otherwise. Peeta, on the other hand, didn't bother masking his nervousness as it seemed his eyebrows were stuck in a worried state most of the time.

Being a female tribute from the first district, Glimmer was the first to be called in. I couldn't imagine what it would be like not to have time to prepare mentally. Although, she didn't seem awfully nervous about any of this. It could be just an act, something the rest of the Careers seemed to be putting on.

There was a few minutes of silence while District 1 tributes were being assessed. Clove sat with her back against the wall and her arms crossed, something she was doing a lot lately. I had been leaning forward with my elbows on my knees, my chin resting on my interlocked fingers, before opting to sit up, similar to Clove. I looked around the room to watch the other tributes' behaviors. Some were whispering amongst their district partners while others were silent, deep in thought, most likely strategizing their plan for their turn.

I took this time to think about what skills I'd showcase. I couldn't get a low score, for it would make the Careers look bad. I couldn't get too high of a score either; otherwise, the sponsors might take notice, and I'd draw a lot of unnecessary attention. I decided to try my best with the weapons but ensure I didn't do anything they hadn't seen before.

I felt a hand wrap around my left thigh, which I wasn't aware had been bouncing restlessly. My gaze moved from the hand to its owner, Clove, who gave me a small, reassuring smile. It was small enough not to be noticed by the other tributes but visible enough to calm my racing thoughts. Her hand still sat lightly on my thigh, as if it was trying not to stop my nervous bouncing but to ease the anxiety altogether. I returned her smile and stopped my leg before deciding to fidget with my locket instead. I noticed her eyes shift down to my fingers, and I furrowed my eyebrows in wonder. Before I could voice my thoughts, the doors reopened, and a Peacekeeper called for Clove as the last District 1 boy, Lucas, walked out. As Clove got up, I gently grabbed her wrist, and she gave me a bewildered look.

"Give them hell, Kentwell," I said with a smile, which she returned with a firm nod. She disappeared into the training room with a somewhat straighter posture, making her look more confident. Or perhaps my comment did make her feel that way.

It took merely five minutes before Clove emerged from the door with a proud smirk, letting me know it had indeed gone well. The Peacekeeper called my name, and I stood up to meet him. As I crossed paths with Clove, she briefly stopped me by touching my chest near my shoulder.

"Give them hell, Sinclair," She said before walking away as I chuckled before doing the same.

The first thing to catch my attention was the knives that an Avox was removing from the targets, all perfect shots. Knowing she would get a high enough score to earn some sponsorships gave me a sense of relief. On a small balcony overlooking the training room sat the Gamemakers and a few sponsors, each studying me as I walked in with as much confidence as I could muster. I turned toward them as I reached the middle of the room.

"Della Sinclair, District 2," I said before grabbing my katara and going to a couple of training dummies.

I took a deep breath before focusing on the task at hand. I gripped the katara before swinging them at the first dummy on sight, immediately cutting off its arms before taking off its head and moving on to the next. I pulled a few tricks while mutilating and decapitating each dummy before dropping the katara, swiftly grabbing a few throwing stars, and hitting targets in the head. As I released the last star, I took a dagger from the table before spinning around and throwing it at the last target, hitting it right on the heart. A few deep breaths escaped my chest as claps erupted from the Gamekeepers' balcony.