When We Drown~Finnick Odair {Book 1}

Chapter Eight

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Tyson and Autumn walked down together to the training room, wearing their black training outfit with combat boots. The only thing on the outfit that looked different from the other tributes were the fours on each side of the shoulder, letting the trainers and other tributes know where they came from.

Autumn told Tyson to not look so scared and keep his emotions under control. Tyson found that that was easier said than done, but he tried his best.

Autumn and Tyson were gathered together along with the rest of the tributes in a circle. The head instructor stood in the middle of the circle, explains how things were going to work.

"Many of you will what to begin weapons training, but it is wise to remember to train for more natural causes of death as well," the trainer began to speak. Autumn told Tyson to listen and remember everything the trainer was saying, which Tyson did. Autumn knew the trainer was there for the tribute's benefit and should be asked as many questions as needed.

Many of the other careers and tributes didn't listen as they talked to one another, igniting the instructor and the things she said. Autumn smirked at this, knowing that it is their arrogance that will get them killed. They all have big egos. They know they have an upper hand since they're careers and feel like there is nothing left to learn, but Autumn is smarter than that.

"I suggest you learn to create first. Fire, fish hooks, shelters, anything that could help you," the trainer said. Autumn took notes in her head. She knew how to make fish hooks and was innovative enough to figure it out if she didn't have the normal materials she needed. She could get better at shelter building, although if she's able to get a rope she'll simply sleeping in a tree. But if Tyson is with her, she's not sure if there will be enough rope for that.

Once the trainer was done speaking, Autumn walked over to the camouflage station. She told Tyson to go work on his own weak spots, so they split up for the time being.

Autumn learned how to cake mud on her skin and use that as some sort of glue by then sprinkling crushed, dried leaves over the mud and laying on the ground. This, however, was not the most useful tactic as it would take awhile to cover her body. The instructor also told her she could put mud on the skin that was showing and hide in trees.

Autumn was good at climbing as she had climbed many trees when she was younger, waiting for her father to get done fishing and come home to play with her. She hadn't climbed in a while though, so she tested it out again.

Autumn was rusty, but after a few minutes she was able to get back into climbing quickly and easily. She had to stop herself soon, though. Finnick has told her and Tyson not to show their strengths yet.

This bothered Autumn as she watched the girl from District One throw knives at the dummies. She wasn't bad, but didn't have very good aim. She would manage to hit the dummy every time, but sometimes it was just in the arm or leg or it would skim their head.

The boy from District Six had a spear and he wasn't bad. He had very good aim and could hit the chest or head of a dummy every time.

Autumn spent a lot of the first day seeking out who may or may not be a threat, while also working on her weaknesses.

Autumn was at the fire starting section, trying to get her fire to light. When she was having trouble, a seventeen year old girl walked up to her.

"Move your hands down," the girl instructed. Autumn did as she was told and smoke started rising out of the piece of wood.

"Thank you," Autumn muttered as the girl sat down next to her.

"Livena Scres," the girl strawberry blond haired girl held her hand out to Autumn. "District Seven."

"Autumn, District Four," Autumn tried to be polite as she shook the girl's hand.

"I don't know about you, Autumn-" the girl kept talking. "But I'm not teaming up with my fellow hometown tribute."

"And why not?" Autumn asked, truly not caring as she continued to light the fire.

"That's why," the girl spoke, pointing at a boy that fell on the floor at the rock climbing wall. He couldn't be any older than thirteen. "His name is Alex. He's not strong and doesn't have a weapon. I don't like those odds, he'd just slow me down."

"That would be a shame," Autumn spoke, uninterested, as she stood up and walked over to Tyson, seeing what he was doing.

Tyson was testing himself to see which plants were edible or not. Autumn had no need to test this as she had learned that at a young age after her parents died. She often when scavenging for herbs and plants to see which she could eat for dinner that night in an attempt to save money.

Tyson got fifty six out of seventy, which wasn't that bad as he probably didn't know the first thing about edible plants when training began that day.

"How are you?" Autumn asked him. Tyson looked at Autumn with pride. The young boy was happy with his achievements of getting the score of fifty six.

"Pretty well," the boy smiled at his partner. "Have you been scouting out the competition?"

"Yep," Autumn nodded. "The District One girl isn't much of a threat. The boy however should be watched. It's the opposite with District Two. The boy isn't a threat but the girl needs to be watched. District three isn't much of a threat, and the boy from seven isn't a threat."

"I sure hope you're right," Tyson's nervousness broke through his pride.

"Hey," Autumn made the big face her as she took him by his shoulders. "You have just as good of a chance as anyone in here. You're strong, fast, a career, and you have me. I'm not going to let you die."

Autumn hugged the boy, quickly, so that nobody would notice. Her embrace seemed to calm him. Autumn couldn't believe how close she had gotten to Tyson in this short amount of time. He had become a little brother to her. But this scared her. What if she couldn't protect him? But she would. She would protect him with her life. Because just like Annie, he had something worth living for.