The fresh, cool air of the mountains was a wondrous place to grow up. District Seven, housed in the woods and mountains that had once been the cascades, offered a variety of food options many of the other poorer districts could not amass safety: fresh berries, small woodland creatures, wildly grown fruits, and fresh water streams that offered the occasional fish. While still considered one of the poorer Districts, and though food was never in abundance, it was rare that a child went hungry due to the resourcefulness of the people to provide for themselves off the land they worked and loved.
Cynara Fairbain was not born into one of the wealthier families in Seven, but she was born into a family healthy with love. From the moment of her birth her parents adored her, believing themselves truly blessed to have a child. Still young themselves, they had dreams and hopes, but they all consisted of living out the rest of their days here, in the mountains and forests. Henrith, her father, worked long and hard hours, as an axe chopper. One of the lowest positions, he never complained of his pay or job, and would come home with a smile on his dirty face, happy to be back in the arms of his wife and daughter. Zenor, a young beauty who could have married for money rather than happiness, worked as a wash maid and totted Cynara around with her during the day.
Every Sunday before dusk the ‘block’ or section of houses where she lived would meet (in District Seven, the houses are set more in small village like settings, spread out from each other) and would scavenge the woods within a safe distance for food. Berries, small animals such as squirrels, woodchucks, chipmunk, badgers, and birds, as well as fresh fruits that grew wild in the trees, would be amassed and divided evenly throughout the families participating in the hunt. The larger game, Deer and bear, were often given away to the Peacekeepers for turning a blind eye when they would wander (often) out of the bounds of the city. Due to this, most families in Cynara’s neighborhood rarely went hungry. While they still had to ration and preserve their food supply, this allowed most families to keep their children from adding their names multiple times to the games for food, which evened out the odds between the rich and the poor in District Seven.
By the time she was four, the Fairbain family had been blessed with a second child, and had another one on the way. With the added child for Zenor to watch over, Cynara was allowed to accompany her father into the woods rather than stay behind with her mother. Though young, Henrith taught his daughter to wield an axe from an early age, and would set up targets for her to practice on while he worked. Cynara loved being deep within the forest, and would often leave the sight of her father’s eyes to explore the mountain.
As time passed, Cynara learned what many of the people of District Seven learn. To move quietly through the forest without scaring off animals, to swim quickly while carrying homemade nets for catching fish, and to throw an axe with the aim of a trained marksman. While she wasn’t the most book learned child, Cynara excelled at most outdoor activities, and though only eight, she could out run any other child at school. Her father would often joke that she was like the wind, the way she moved so swiftly and with hardly a sound.
When she was nine her father, Henrith, was hurt in a logging accident. One of the buckles securing the latch that held in place the lumber that had been cumulated in the day broke, and Henrith and numerous others were buried under the logs for several hours. When the mess was cleared away and the men doctored, Henrith found he could no longer move his legs. Zenor put on her bravest face for the children, who now numbered in total at five, and promised them everything was going to be fine.
Cynara, however, knew differently. She could see the worry lines on her mother’s face, could hear her as she cried late at night when she thought they were all tucked away into bed. Their father had brought in most of their income. Zenor made only a small amount compared to Henrith’s, and Zenor worried that they would not be able to live on the small sum of money they now had. Cynara, worried for her family and without permission from her parents, applied for a job at the mill.
Tiny even for her age, she was not taken serious at first, but because of her perseverance and refusal to leave without a job, she was finally offered the position of errand boy, usually reserved for one of the many Forman’s son’s. Cynara, however, proved to be worth her pay. She was fast, and could easily navigate the forest from one camp to the next, relaying messages and delivering packages as was needed. When she received her first pay check Cynara finally revealed her activities to her mother. Zenor wasn’t happy that Cynara had quit school, but she also knew she could not argue with her daughter. In order to survive they needed the income, and if Cynara had to forgo school to do so, then it was a necessary evil.
The Fairbain family did not grow any larger from then on, but they grew no smaller, either. Henrith, though unable to walk, was able to get around with the help of a wheelchair the men at the mill had fashioned for him, and he took over watching the children and picking up small jobs as they were offered to him, mostly consisting of fixing what was broken. Though he had little knowledge of doing so, he had more time than most adults in the district had, and as time went by he became very good at fixing electronics.
Cynara continued to work for the mill until Reaping Day of her twelfth year, where she was chosen as the female tribute for District Seven. Zenor, who had been standing in the crowd with the other adults, her younger children anxiously waiting with her, had broken down, screaming and crying. She tried to volunteer in her daughters place – as for the Quarter Quell the age requirements had been lifted. Cynara, tears streaming down her face, her wild, strawberry curls a mess, had thrown herself into her mother’s arms. No one is exactly sure what was said between the two of them during that tight embrace even the Peacekeepers had a hard time breaking, but it was Cynara that ended up on the stage and Zenor that ended up, her babies clinging to her, weeping on her knees.
(It's not finished yet, >_>)
Cynara Fairbain was not born into one of the wealthier families in Seven, but she was born into a family healthy with love. From the moment of her birth her parents adored her, believing themselves truly blessed to have a child. Still young themselves, they had dreams and hopes, but they all consisted of living out the rest of their days here, in the mountains and forests. Henrith, her father, worked long and hard hours, as an axe chopper. One of the lowest positions, he never complained of his pay or job, and would come home with a smile on his dirty face, happy to be back in the arms of his wife and daughter. Zenor, a young beauty who could have married for money rather than happiness, worked as a wash maid and totted Cynara around with her during the day.
Every Sunday before dusk the ‘block’ or section of houses where she lived would meet (in District Seven, the houses are set more in small village like settings, spread out from each other) and would scavenge the woods within a safe distance for food. Berries, small animals such as squirrels, woodchucks, chipmunk, badgers, and birds, as well as fresh fruits that grew wild in the trees, would be amassed and divided evenly throughout the families participating in the hunt. The larger game, Deer and bear, were often given away to the Peacekeepers for turning a blind eye when they would wander (often) out of the bounds of the city. Due to this, most families in Cynara’s neighborhood rarely went hungry. While they still had to ration and preserve their food supply, this allowed most families to keep their children from adding their names multiple times to the games for food, which evened out the odds between the rich and the poor in District Seven.
By the time she was four, the Fairbain family had been blessed with a second child, and had another one on the way. With the added child for Zenor to watch over, Cynara was allowed to accompany her father into the woods rather than stay behind with her mother. Though young, Henrith taught his daughter to wield an axe from an early age, and would set up targets for her to practice on while he worked. Cynara loved being deep within the forest, and would often leave the sight of her father’s eyes to explore the mountain.
As time passed, Cynara learned what many of the people of District Seven learn. To move quietly through the forest without scaring off animals, to swim quickly while carrying homemade nets for catching fish, and to throw an axe with the aim of a trained marksman. While she wasn’t the most book learned child, Cynara excelled at most outdoor activities, and though only eight, she could out run any other child at school. Her father would often joke that she was like the wind, the way she moved so swiftly and with hardly a sound.
When she was nine her father, Henrith, was hurt in a logging accident. One of the buckles securing the latch that held in place the lumber that had been cumulated in the day broke, and Henrith and numerous others were buried under the logs for several hours. When the mess was cleared away and the men doctored, Henrith found he could no longer move his legs. Zenor put on her bravest face for the children, who now numbered in total at five, and promised them everything was going to be fine.
Cynara, however, knew differently. She could see the worry lines on her mother’s face, could hear her as she cried late at night when she thought they were all tucked away into bed. Their father had brought in most of their income. Zenor made only a small amount compared to Henrith’s, and Zenor worried that they would not be able to live on the small sum of money they now had. Cynara, worried for her family and without permission from her parents, applied for a job at the mill.
Tiny even for her age, she was not taken serious at first, but because of her perseverance and refusal to leave without a job, she was finally offered the position of errand boy, usually reserved for one of the many Forman’s son’s. Cynara, however, proved to be worth her pay. She was fast, and could easily navigate the forest from one camp to the next, relaying messages and delivering packages as was needed. When she received her first pay check Cynara finally revealed her activities to her mother. Zenor wasn’t happy that Cynara had quit school, but she also knew she could not argue with her daughter. In order to survive they needed the income, and if Cynara had to forgo school to do so, then it was a necessary evil.
The Fairbain family did not grow any larger from then on, but they grew no smaller, either. Henrith, though unable to walk, was able to get around with the help of a wheelchair the men at the mill had fashioned for him, and he took over watching the children and picking up small jobs as they were offered to him, mostly consisting of fixing what was broken. Though he had little knowledge of doing so, he had more time than most adults in the district had, and as time went by he became very good at fixing electronics.
Cynara continued to work for the mill until Reaping Day of her twelfth year, where she was chosen as the female tribute for District Seven. Zenor, who had been standing in the crowd with the other adults, her younger children anxiously waiting with her, had broken down, screaming and crying. She tried to volunteer in her daughters place – as for the Quarter Quell the age requirements had been lifted. Cynara, tears streaming down her face, her wild, strawberry curls a mess, had thrown herself into her mother’s arms. No one is exactly sure what was said between the two of them during that tight embrace even the Peacekeepers had a hard time breaking, but it was Cynara that ended up on the stage and Zenor that ended up, her babies clinging to her, weeping on her knees.
(It's not finished yet, >_>)