Chapter 20
That with how we spent the next two weeks, the same training but increasing in more intensity every two days. In the morning and night training every two days they increased the number of times we have to run up the mountain until we reached fifteen times, and almost everyone was coming to the mountain before five to start, as not finishing was not an option and while skipping a meal once or twice was ok, not eating for a few days would leave you in the infirmary unable to move in agony.
While in the midday strength training every two days, they added an extra five kilograms in total on our wrists, ankles and chest. Then they continued adding weight while forcing us to keep a proper stance while going through the drills and the punishments for slacking grew more sever.
Today we finally finished the individual training, and as we returned to the tents no one had the energy required to open their mouths let alone eat. But this had already became somewhat normal and everyone, to the point that only a group of about ten people would go just before the canteen closed and get food for everyone, and we had followed this routine for the past two weeks of hellish training. But what was bizarre was that the drill sergeants where already waiting for us back ar the tents, usually after training we would all fall down on the spot and spend close to half an hour gathering our breath before returning and during this time they would return and we wouldn't see them until the start of training the next day.
We were all wearily watching them wondering what fresh hell they would bring now when suddenly the drill sergeant shouted, "LINE UP," dragging ourselves we stood in what could be considered as a line and we looked at them as if we wanted to kill them, and if looks could kill we would have.
Seeing our accusatory looks caused them to chuckle a little before the drill sergeant continued, "you all have just finished individual training and have barley reached an acceptable level," we all groaned and if we had the energy, I have no doubt that almost everyone would be cursing him. He didn't even look at us before continuing, "I would have liked to spend at least a year training you into proper soldiers, but alas time is a commodity that we can not spare at this time. So. although you are barely qualified to be called recruits let alone soldiers you lot will have to do."
I think that if we had the energy almost everyone would be swarming him trying to kill him before spitting on his body and asking, "who is the real soldier now?" Alas no one had the strength mental or physical to act upon their desires so we just glared at him even more intensely. And he said, "I like the look in you eyes, but don't worry I don't have just bad news for you lot. I am here to inform you about the next part of your training. The next part as you all should know will be learning minor battle formations alongside nine other groups, so you should be prepared to work with others even if you have a grudge against someone from the other groups. This training will be separated into two parts each lasting a week. The first week you all would be learning how the military formations and how to apply them. The second week will be more interesting, you will fight other groups of a thousand."
Every one sighed in relief that we would finally stop our own hellish training, and thought that whatever happened next it would be better than the hell that we had just passed through. While everyone was digesting the news the drill sergeant hit us with the best piece of news we had heard since we arrived in this camp, he said, "this training will start after breakfast and end before dinner, but your information breakfast is now two hours earlier for those who want to eat. For those who want a lunch take something from the canteen and eat it between the sets of training," at this everyone was happy that they would be able to sleep reasonable hours, but the next thing he said was, "and because we don't want you to fall dead at the start of your real training tomorrow is a free day."
Everyone looked at him as if he had grown horns on his head because of their disbelief and that just caused him to roar in laughter at our looks, so the assistant drill sergeant was forced to continue at his behalf, "you know what a free day is, you can do whatever you want. I suggest you catch up on sleep before the next training. Because I can see that some of you think that it would be easier but let me tell you it will not. It might even be harder and some of you might end up in with broken bones. That is all for now you are dismissed."
We tensed up when we heard that we might be injured but after they left and we could still hear the occasional bout of laughter from the drill sergeant drift away we finally able to register that tomorrow was a free day.
Some fell on the ground and directly fell asleep as if they had never slept before, they rest stepped over or on them to reach their bunks, and the moment we did we fell into such a deep sleep that if someone walked into the tent, they would have thought that we were all dead.
I was the first to wake up the next day, and because I was moving around the bunk bed creaked a little causing Pera to wake up as well. Since it was already midday, we decided that it would be better for us to get up and enjoy this brief respite.
So, after chuckling at the few people that where still asleep on the ground between the tents we went to the river we found on the first day and cleaned ourselves. We also cleaned all of our uniforms as although we usually cleaned ourselves in the morning, we didn't have the time to wait for the uniforms to dry before training, so Murtok was usually on laundry duty, making sure no one took our clothes and left us without clean to wear after training.
This time after Murtok came down we decided to stay by the river enjoying ourselves in the cool wind that splashed some water on us from time to time. I also pulled some food from the portal and ate while all three of us talked with me translating for Murtok.
We spent a couple of hours like this sitting by the river our legs soaking, when we heard a sound behind us, so we turned around and found a woman my age there. We were a bit surprised but not that much, as even though the spot on the river was a bit out of the way there was still more than ten thousand people in the camp if you count the soldiers and all the commanders. And everyone uses this river to clean themselves so it was bound to be that someone knows about this secluded part of it.
Seeing us looking at her she hurriedly spoke, "I am sorry to interrupt you, I will be on my wa…" she fell silent for two seconds he eyes darting from Murtok to me and then to Murtok and returning to me, her eyes traveled between the two of us countless times. I was curious about why she was doing this and I the reason that I felt that I knew her but just as I was about to ask her, she screamed, "YOU ARE HIM, I KNEW THAT I WOULD MEET YOU AGAIN."
Then she ran forward standing just a single step in front of me and asked, "do you remember me? We met long ago, when I was ten years old, so about 8 to 9 years ago. Do you remember? Do you?"
Just I was about to push her away from me a bit to regain some of my personal, Pera came to my rescue, she pushed her back and then came next to me and hugged my arm while scowling at this wild woman.
She seemed to realized what she had done so she quickly apologized, "I am sorry I didn't mean to be this close to your man." At that Pera's face turned bright red but she didn't refute her as she didn't want her to get close to me, then the woman said, "My name is Brenda, and I just remembered that when I was ten years old a boy my age came to our farm house with my dad slept for a day and then left the next morning. But I was watching from the window of my room when I saw him leave, and then I saw a raven land on his shoulder as if it was the most natural thing in the world. I have tried to train any bird to stay on my shoulder like that but was never able to. So, I was excited when I saw you again and thought that maybe you could teach me how to do it. If I interrupted you then I am sorry and will just leave."
Seeing her genuine expression Pera relented and told her to stay. While this was happening, I remembered Blake the farmer who gave me my first copper coins, as well as his youngest daughter Brenda who was an extremely active chatter box when I met her and from the few moments nothing has changed even though she had grown older.
So, as she sat down beside us, she kept pestering me for how I had trained Murtok, and I told her honestly that I didn't. That I had found him when I was still a child when I wondered the forest alone and came back to the orphanage with him on my shoulder. She looked so disappointed in the fact that I couldn't help her but got over it when I suggested that she raise one from the moment it hatched at it would probably think that she was its mother.
She wanted to go searching for a bird nest at that moment, but Pera and I managed to convince her that I would be better for her to that after the war ended as she wouldn't be able to raise it now. Her response was one of the funniest things that I have encountered in my life, as she hugged her legs to her chest and hid her head between them in embarrassment as she said in a small voice, "right the war, I forgot about that." It was so absurd that we couldn't contain our laughter for more than a second and burst out laughing.
After that we calmed back down and talked. From Brenda we learned that one tenth of everyone working in a farm outside the city was conscripted so that although the farmers might struggle a bit more, it wouldn't be impossible for them to maintain the same yield that they had before.
We also learned that Brenda was in camp number two and since we were in camp number one, we would be training together in the next part of our training, so we agreed to look out for each other.
At lunch we headed back to the canteen and ate together, so we introduced her to Max and Donald, and she promised to introduce us to her friends the next time we meet each other.
After lunch, the group separated and Pera and I headed back outside the camp, there we found a quiet spot beneath a tree and we sat underneath it for the rest of the day. When the sun set, we watched the stars in comfortable silence while we ate some bread and a broth that was still hot since I had in my portal. Then we returned back to our bunk bed in the tent our hearts a little lighter as we slept preparing for the training that tomorrow would bring.