The Life of A Victor || Finnick Odair

CHAPTER 20

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The three training days went by quickly. Dove had let everyone know about her alliance with Twelve, to which her district partner laughed at. From the very day she met Twelve, they ate together at dinner at the same table inside the training area.

It wasn't only weird for people outside the Career group to be together. But the odd combination between a hopeless girl from Four, technically a Career, and a boy from Twelve, the poorest district, made everyone think they were insane. Which wasn't too bad. If they were harmless, they wouldn't have many tributes going after them because they weren't a threat.

Dove had tried to talk to the girl from Twelve, but she seemed too focused on proving herself to the Careers. A thing neither Dove nor her ally shared with her. Their mentor, Haymitch Abernathy, had advised them to go unnoticed during the training. But the fifteen-year-old had other plans.

In the end, the alliance remained the same as the first day. The girl from Twelve had rejected their offer to help each other. She wasn't malicious, just naive, which was a dangerous trait for a tribute. They hoped she would at least survive the bloodbath. But the odds didn't seem favourable for her.

During their dinner, Dove and Twelve talked about anything that wasn't Capitol or Home related, which resulted in scarce topics to be discussed. The second day, Dove noticed a fish-shaped loaf tinted green with seaweed, the typical bread from her home. The bread her brother used to do.

She ate all the bread she could. When she did, it reminded her of home. It was somewhat comforting and heartbreaking at the same time. As the third day arrived, the tributes started to get called during dinner for the individual assessment. First the boy, then the girl.

Dove and Twelve talked until she was called to the room. As she entered, she saw the Gamemakers. All high and mighty in their comfortable couches. They were interested in watching what she would do.

Finnick had advised her not to show her handiness with a trident unless it was in a dangerous situation inside the Arena. She had to get a score between 6 and 7. High enough for sponsors to be interested, and not deadly enough for the Careers to consider her threatening.

She didn't do much. Dove showed her extensive knowledge of plants and did a few traps, in which she threw dummies to show how deadly they were. She could trap anyone up high in a tree and finish them off. That would be enough for the score Finnick had asked her to get.

Once she was dismissed, she went back to her floor, where everyone was listening to her partner. He was talking about his assessment, visibly proud of the show he had pulled with the trident.

She approached the couches and thought before sitting next to her mother. There was a space between Finnick and Melo, but she couldn't be so blatant.

Supper time went by in a blink of an eye, and the next thing Dove knew was watching the tribute announcing scores. As per usual, the Careers got high scores. Her fellow partner got a 9, not bad, but definitely not the best District Four had seen from a volunteer.

It was Dove's turn. Her face was shown, and immediately after, it showed the number eight. Eight! It was a bit higher than what Finnick had asked her, but she didn't care at the moment. She had a high score without barely trying. What would have happened if she had shown her fighting skills?

Even though everyone celebrated the two scores, Dove kept staring at the television. As the face of the District Twelve boy appeared, she read his name. Alder Caldwell. That's his name. She thought.

Alder surprisingly got a high score for a District Twelve tribute, an eight, just like her. She had to ask him if he had contained himself as well. Maybe after they were somewhere safe in the Arena, she would.