A/N- I've now got a cast list on the side.

Hope you enjoy this chapter :)

-Wildifae

Valentyna Taras, District One-

After asking my question, Mia and her two allies, look positively shell-shocked. Mia seems to clam up and retreat deep inside herself. Her allies just sit, staring at us like rabbits caught in headlights.

I turn to the rest of the career tributes, keeping an eye on the other alliance as I do so. There is only three of them, and six of us. We outrank them two to one, but I don't want to take any chances.

I begin to tell the other tributes what to do. "Troy, Rosabelle, kill the girl to the right of Mia." She lets out a choked sob, and her eyes fill up with unshed tears. I ignore her, and continue. "Damon, you and I will take the boy. Neleesha, Damon-Lee, you get Mia. Don't kill her though, I have special plans for her."

As we step towards them, Mia shudders, and Pritt stares at us, a scared expression apparent on his face. When we are but a few metres away, he gets up and looking at us wildly, turns to run. Quick as a snake, Damon reaches strides forward, stretches out a hand and grasps Pritt's collar. "Oh no you don't," he hisses sharply.

Pritt casts his eyes to the ground. "What do you want with a nine year old boy?" he asks, his voice trembling slightly.

I pretend to consider this for a moment. "Well... I intended to kill you. But I might put that on hold for a few moments."

He smiles in relief. "Um, tha-"

I cut him off, smiling sweetly. "I believe I didn't finish what I was going to say. You have until your fellow ally over there dies... did I forget to mention that you'll be watching her?"

His expression turns to one of horror as Damon and I force him to turn around, and hold him in place. Damon secures him, and I let go, wanting to watch the fight.

To her credit, the girl is holding up fairly well against Troy and Rosabelle, even managing to get in a couple of blows. I raise my eyebrows. It can only be a matter of time before one of them goes down.

Pritt chooses that exact moment to yell, "Rose, Rose! Help me!" The girl swivels round to face us, just as Troy brings her sword down into her back.

She bends forward, a shocked expression on her face, as she starts gurgling, coughing up her lifeblood. Pritt sinks to his knees, sobbing uncontrollably at her death. I smile at him. "Your turn!" I say in a sing-song type of voice.

A scream pierces the air behind me, and I turn around. Mia is staring at the dead girl, tears streaming down her face. She glares at me in hate, trying to get up. "Keep her secured," I order Neleesha and Damon-Lee. They nod and secure her tighter.

I turn back to Pritt and Damon, a smile playing round my mouth. "Make sure he stays down."

Damon tightens his grip, but Pritt doesn't struggle. He closes his eyes and prepares himself for what is coming.

I scowl, and stride over to him. I trace one of my fingers around his eyes, then bring my knife to his face.

He lets out a bloodcurdling scream, and bloody tears trick down his cheeks as he looks at me. His eyes are glazed over in pain from the loss of his eyelids.

"That's better." I smile as Mia lets out a yell and struggles to reach Pritt. Her efforts are futile, as Damon-Lee and Neleesha restrain her.

I turn my gaze back to Pritt. "Now you will be able to see me as you die."

He just looks me in the eye, and I feel a flash of guilt. I try to shake it off, but it remains. This boy is only nine, after all.

I glance down at the weapons I have got hanging from my belt. After earlier, I picked up a few extras.

I smoothly draw out the axe from its sheath, and Pritt's eyes go wide with terror. Swinging it experimently, I deem it a good enough weapon to use, and let go off all emotions, swinging it down to where Pritt is sitting.

It cleaves into his skull, and he slumps forward, dead. I grin, knowing that this is another tribute down; there are less tributes to kill.

Eyes flashing, I turn to Mia, who is whimpering, confused and terrorfied. I give her a look over, and my lip curls into a snarl. She is injured, and won't be able to fight back. There is no point in killing her now; we will not get any glory by killing an injured tribute.

Might as well wait until she heals.

I face Neleesha and Damon-Lee, and order them to let her go. My allies protest against the idea.

"What are you doin-"

"We have her trapped! Why not kill her now!"

"Are you an idiot?"

I shout for silence, and then glare at the last speaker. "What did you call me?" I ask, in a soft but deadly voice.

Troy smirks. "Oh, no need to worry your sweet little head over it, Dia."

I shoot him an icy look, "Valentyna, not Dia."

He begins to say something, but I cut him off. "Lets go," I say, a little to loudly.

My allies follow with only a little complaint, and I glance back at Mia. She is rocking herself slightly, her eyes wide, with a haunted expression. Quickly I turn my head away, and stroll forward to take my rightful place at the head of the alliance.

The Afternoon passes without any drama. We set up our headquarters at the Cornacopia, finding tents in some of the canvas bags there. We also discover plenty of weapons, food and drink. We take all these out of the rucksacks and toss the rucksacks to one side.

As night draws closer, we begin to discuss who will be on the lookout details. It is agreed that we should be in teams of two- Troy and Rosabelle, Neleesha and Damon-Lee, Damon and I. Damon and I are on duty from eleven until two.

When we have refreshed ourselves, we lie down to get some rest, with the exception of Neleesha and Damon-Lee, who are on first duty.

I find that inside my tent it is surprisingly warm, and I push aside my sleeping bag. If I am entangled in it and I need to make a quick escape, I would surely perish.

Before going to sleep, I leave a corner of my tent open, so I can hear any disturbances. Smiling, I lie down, knowing I am prepared, with my weapons close at hands. I have trained myself to be a light sleeper, so I will wake up at the first sounds of trouble.

These reassurances on my mind, I fall into a relaxed slumber.

At Eleven, I am woken up by Neleesha for our lookout. I nod alert, then crawl out, as she takes my place inside and falls asleep immediately. Damon is already waiting, and silently I sit by him.

Nothing happens for the first hour. But, at precisely midnight, the Capitol's anthem begins to play, and we both look expectantly at the sky above us.

The Capitol seal appears, and I watch excitedly. This is when they show us the dead tributes.

As they come up, I count how many have died in the first day of the Arena, and take a mental note of which districts they were from.

District 4

- Blaze Summers

District 5

- Lee Markson

District 6

-Clarissa Jewel

District 8

-Poppy Bailey

-Rose Daltroy

-Pritt Driver

District 9

-Clarissa Marigold

District 11

-Asher Gillard

District 12

-Gwendolyn Williams.

I blink in surprise. I only heard eight cannons, although there are nine dead tributes... obviously one must have gone off when I was asleep. Mentally I scold myself for sleeping through it.

I work out how many tributes each district has left. The overall numbers surprise me, but I am careful not to show it.

Reaching into my jacket pocket, I bring out a pen and a pad of paper that I had taken earlier, and jot the results, as well as the dead tributes down.

Three tributes

-District One

-District Two

Two tributes

-District Five

One tribute

-District Three

-District Four

-District Six

-District Seven

-District Eight

-District Ten

-District Eleven

I notice with cool amusement that Districts Nine and Twelve have been completely eliminated. This is hardly surprising, as they are both outline districts with no training. District Twelve hasn't won in over a hundred years.

I return to my original position on the ground, by Damon. He acknowledges me, then twists round, pointing his previously concealed sword directly at my chest. I stand still in shock, then narrow my eyes at him.

"You promised not to harm any of our alliance."

He considers this for a moment, then smirks. "No, I didn't. I was cut off half way through."

Belatedly, I remember. He was cut off by the District Five boy.

Damon grins. "You remember then?"

He brings the point of the sword closer to my chest, and I suck in my breath, trying to evade it.

Before I can unsheathe my own sword to defend myself, someone coughs slightly behind me. Damon drops his sword and we swivel round to see a familiar face staring back at us.