A Dangerous Game (A Hunger Games Fan Fiction)

13. Training

13. Training

I felt like I was experiencing déjà vu, walking on the other side of the district boundary fence. It wasn't so long ago that I was here, but I had come along only because Gale had dragged me against my will while he and Katniss hunted. That was a dark day towards the end.

Now, here we were, with Peeta, back again in the woods. Gale had to have thought this out last night, because he was wandering pretty deep into the woods. I couldn't remember how deep he, Katniss, and I had gone the first time; I had been too busy admiring nature then.

"This place kind of reminds me of the arena," Peeta whispered to me, "with all the trees." He looked around warily, as if waiting for something to pounce on us.

"Well, the only things you have to worry about here are the wild dogs," I said quietly. "They usually don't bother during the day; at night is when you have to be on your guard."

"How would you know?"

"The day Katniss got taken; Gale and I couldn't make it back right away because the fence got turned on. We stayed up in a tree practically all night until the fence got shut off again."

"I'm guessing that night wasn't pleasant."

"Not for me. But I got to climb a tree for the first time in my life."

"You've never climbed a tree before?"

"Why is everybody so surprised at that?" I groaned.

"She got a little taste of the survival instinct," Gale called over his shoulder.

"Yeah, and I nearly fell out of the tree when coming down," I grumbled. "How much further?"

"Not far."

The only noises that were made were our breathing and the crunch of grass under our feet. We had to jump over a log, or at least step over it. Birds twittered in the trees, making the woods seem like a tranquil place. The sky was clear just like the last time Gale and I had ventured here.

We stopped, surrounded by a circle of trees. I looked up. There were lots of leaves and branches that seemed to lock together, so cover didn't seem like much of an issue.

"I guess this'll do," I mused. Gale sat down the bow and arrows. "All right, what am I doing first?"

"We'll alternate," Gale proposed. "Peeta will teach you how to fight hand-to-hand combat."

"Wait, what?" Peeta sputtered. "I didn't agree to that."

"You agreed to help me train her."

"I don't think that's fair," I piped. "Peeta wouldn't hurt a girl."

"She's right," Peeta agreed. "I have strength, but I don't use it for beating up women."

"Sadly, for this you'll have to, whether you like it or not," Gale said. "She'll practice with you for a little bit so she can get the basics. Once we feel that she's ready-and hopefully that's by the end of the day-she'll take us both on to see how good she really is."

"You really think a day of training for combat is going to make me so good that I can beat you two?" I snorted, folding my arms. "Please. It'd take days."

"We don't have days, we have a day. This is the only chance we have to help you before we set out for the Capitol."

"Well, if it helps Katrina out in the long run, I guess I can give it a shot," Peeta said.