Mira Pryce-Ruze; D2 Ready

The winter wind is calming. It's my favorite season. I love the chill that surrounds my skin, prickling the senses. It brings me to life getting to cover up and get warm. When the shivers come without notice and my body is wracked with movement, I watch as the wind picks up the leaves, tossing them all around. They swirl without a care like a mini tornado. Nothing and no one can tell them what to do. The wind don't even dictate where they land. The ugly brows and spotted reds just move wherever the wind takes them and when they finally sit still is where they are meant to be.
The leaves remind me of myself.

I feel like a leaf fallen from the tree. I am moved, tossed around, picked up and taken and put back down again. My life has only one constant and that is the love that surrounds my family. I was blessed to have a big family. My mommy, Kyanite, is with my other mom and her name is Vy. She's really an awesome woman, a role model. She's tough and kind. She loves me and my other three siblings (Scarlett, Brooklyn and Matteo) to death. She harder on me because she knows that I am capable of doing whatever I can set my mind to and she gives me just the extra push that keeps me focused and motivated. She also really loves my mommy and she takes care of her.

My father isn't in the picture at this time. Hasn't been since I was one. Mommy told me that something had happened to him and he disappeared for unknown reasons, but I've only heard from him once a year in the form of a birthday card and there's no return address. I'm beginning to wonder why I even care about these things when I literally don't even know him. It hurts sometimes though knowing that there's a man out there with my dna that doesn't want to see his own kid, but I'm sure that he will regret it one day. I can only hope that maybe one day I'll find out the answers I truly seek. I just want to know why he decided that I wasn't worth his time.

While I'm on the topic of men, I have three in my life that are absolutely perfect. They are the first to drop whatever they are doing if I need help or just need a friend. First, there's Jeran. As my uncle, He's entitled to as many pictures as my mom can send to him. See he's a peacekeeper and he's stationed in another district at the moment. I miss him terribly. He's such a fun guy to be around. He used to carry me on his shoulders when I was little and take me out into the district for walks. He would teach me about things I didn't know. He'd tell me a little about the keepers and introduced me to some of his friends in the district that were stationed here. Most of all I love the way he'd hug me.

While i'm not getting presents and attention from my uncle Jeran, Uncle Brody and Grampa Nolan has more than often taken over.

There's a bit of history with them and while they aren't blood related to my mother, they definitely earned their Ruze wings according to my mom. See, before I was born, there was a bad man that tried to hurt my mom on numerous occasions. She won't go into detail with me on that, but she just tells me that Uncle Brody saved both of our lives by shielding her and taking a bullet for us. He was hurt and from that moment, there had been a connection. My mom had met Grampa Nolan in the hospital watching over Uncle Brody and it was just meant to be for them. My own grandfather died when I was a baby, so I never knew him and my own father's relation has never tried to get in touch with me.
So, I guess I'm three for three.

I'm okay with it though. GRampa Nolan spoils me like a princess and Uncle Brody spends his time teaching me how to become a 'proper' career and while that's not all that much fun, I also get to learn how to play the piano from him. That's the fun stuff, along with making mischief at times. The music lessons are my favorite thing to do with Uncle Brody and spending time with his boyfriend, Roman. He's really into gardening and teaching me horticulture. I've been really lucky in my life though.

In school, I think I'm fair at most of the lessons and I even help Scarlett with her's. I'm really good with writing and arts and things, but I struggle with friendships. Momma Vy says its because I'm a career. Especially with the boys because with the games coming up, it's only a matter of time before that friendship could turn deadly. I don't fit in with the other girls all too much. I am constantly harassed for being smaller than most of them. It doesn't seem to matter though and I'm easily matched when it comes to combat training. Being smaller, as Uncle Brody would have it, gives me the advantage to be more nimble and get away quicker, slink away beyond their grasp.

Grampa Nolan's specialty was more along the ways of evasion and getting away from situations that could cause harm to oneself. Teaching me ways to evade a possible attack and defend myself if ever I needed to. Grampa Nolan always told me, "If you keep your enemies at bay, you can have more time to get away." That training was fueled by my mommy's need though.

My mother's specialty when she was a career was targets and throwing knives. I can't imagine throwing full sized weapons like most careers do. For starters, since I'm only twelve, the smaller weapons would do enough damage. They will be harder to dodge and easier to throw. So, I practice with my spare time with anything I can get on hands on. I train blindfolded with beepers on targets. I’ve learned to listen and to know where to aim. I use all of my other senses when I robbed of one. It doesn’t matter if I’ve blocked my hearing or sight, I train. Among the careers my age, they look at me like a meal, but I long to show them I will not be undersold.

I am strong because of the influences around me.