Twelve – Training Part One

The next day is the sixth day in training camp. After the morning bell, everyone is ready to start with the morning gymnastics. Today, however, they don’t start with that.

Instructor Morris is waiting for them with the rest of the instructors and supervisors.

"Starting today, you are going to wear your armor. We have seen that your condition and strength have improved immensely. That's why we're going to test whether you can start using the harnesses," he says. "So chop chop, back to your barracks and put those harnesses on."

They do as they are told. Together they even manage to put their harnesses on correctly, because although they have practiced it a few times, no one is able to get all the parts on properly themselves.

Although the harnesses are still heavy, to Raidon it seems like it's easier to walk around in them. The others look just as surprised as he is.

Back on the training field, they have to do their normal morning gymnastics. Today this really is an ordeal, because although the recruits have become strong enough to wear the armor, the darn things remain very heavy and limit mobility. In the end, everyone does manage to finish their morning gymnastics. This is followed by the rest of the morning exercises.

When they are finished, and they look forward to take the harnesses off, they are disappointed. Instead of going to the barracks to change clothes, they are directed to the canteen for lunch.

While they are eating, the harnesses are the talk of the day.

"I think we are going to wear the harnesses all day," Raidon says. "Morris said we were going to wear them, not that we should only wear them in the morning."

"But that’s not possible, is it?" Replies Gareth. "We’ll never manage to drag those things around all day long. After those few laps of running this morning, we're already exhausted."

A few others also get involved in the conversation.

“It is so heavy that it feels as if my back is breaking. I hope that we can take it off soon." "We'll probably wear them for the rest of our lives." The conversation goes on and on in both directions like this. Just before the bell, Raidon stops the discussion with the comment:

"We’ll find out when we find it out. We can't do anything about it."

As they had feared, they have to perform all their normal tasks today in their armor. From the weapon exercises with the swords to the writing lessons. Everything is very uncomfortable, because their mobility is so limited. They also have to be very careful when sitting down on chairs and watch out that they don’t knock anything over.

Fortunately, Raidon manages to get a lot further with reading his handbook. He is now halfway through the book and although there are large parts that he does not understand, it is becoming easier and easier to understand what is written in the book.

They also have to perform the afternoon training harnessed. This time the training is the throwing with spears. This turns out to be even more difficult with harness on than it was without.

The next day is the first day of the second week. Today there is another surprise. When they line up in front of the barracks, the field is not empty as usual. Another group in uniform is waiting on the other side with some of the instructors. Apparently a new batch of recruits has come in.

"Indeed, as you can see, the second platoon has arrived. Just like you, they have only just been registered, but these come from several different cities. Starting today, they will follow the same training that you have already had. Hopefully they will soon catch up so that you can perform joint exercises," is the explanation of instructor Morris when he is finished with the second group.

They don't see much of the second group this first day. Because the members of this group must first take the oath and try on harnesses, their daily schedule is different. Only in the evening do they really notice a difference. The canteen is suddenly twice as full. Although the two groups do not yet seek much contact with each other, prying eyes are already being exchanged.

After eating there is another change. It turns out that with the new recruits, more staff have arrived. There are now, among other things, real masseurs in the camp. Everyone from the first platoon gets the chance to get a massage. This allows them to go to bed tired but relaxed.

The next day is pretty much the same. Both groups of recruits still remain largely separated. However, there is a sporadic conversation in the canteen. Other than that, they hardly see each other.

On the third day after the arrival of the second batch, this changes. Until now, the new recruits have walked a different route in the morning, but today they have to follow the same route as the first group. Since everyone is still keeping their own pace, the groups start to mix up. With a hundred people walking together, it's quite a chaos.

When they come back from their first round, the instructors are waiting for them. "As you've seen, that was kind of a mess," Morris says. "From today, your rounds will change. We know that the second platoon is not quite caught up with the first, but we are going to introduce this change anyway." He then begins to explain that from now on the two platoons will run together. Actually, it's more like a fast march than running, Raidon thinks. The intention is that they even make the same steps as the others in their platoon. Fortunately, Raidon's platoon has already practiced this during formation training, but the second platoon doesn’t even know where to start.

After breakfast it becomes clear how important the instructors think this collaboration is. Instead of weapons drills, they continue to march and run. The second platoon starts to work with training the different formations, but the first platoon has to alternate practicing with the formations and marching, but also running in formation.

In the afternoon after the writing exercises, they even have to run with full equipment. This means that they have their weapons, shields and helmets with them. They also get a backpack with what the instructors call 'some supplies'. In practice, it means that there are a bunch of stones in the backpacks.

At the end of the day, the instructors are not very satisfied.

"But this is to good enough for now," Morris says.

The rest of the week the formation exercises remain on the program, but now the morning training sessions are spent on weapons exercises. Of course, they also keep running and marching every day, through wind and weather.

On the last day of the week, Raidon finally reaches the end of his handbook during the writing lessons. Although he still does not understand everything, reading the handbook has ensured that he has a strong basis in the old language. He decides to finally start learning the rules of the old language. The clerks insist that these are important and while reading his handbook he has discovered that they should indeed be useful. Now that he understands something about the language, the rules also turn out to be easier to learn. Raidon soon catches up with the others. They are still learning the rules from the outside, while Raidon is beginning to understand the language itself.

Because this seems more effective, the others begin to learn from him. The clerks now even allow it!

On the first day of the third week, they get a new officer, captain Bras. This young nobleman gets the chance to prove himself by leading this small unit. The officer has only just completed his own training at the academy of the regular army. The academy is a place where young nobles who join the army can receive training. However, this training is completely without obligation and in practice it often means that there is more partying than learning. Usually, the officers in the regular army learn in practice what it means to lead their men.

The new officer does not know much about the new legion, but his father has managed to secure this appointment for him. That his father chose this position for him was because all the nobles who wanted to get in the empress’ good graces wanted it. The reason that everyone wanted this appointment is mainly to gain a political advantage by participating in the project that the new empress has spent so much time on.

This officer comes from a very important family and is therefore quite arrogant. He imagines himself above the recruits because they were not born into the nobility.

Fortunately, Raidon and the others don't have much to do with him. The training continues to consume all their time and although the young nobleman has been officially designated as their captain, they have only seen him once during the week since his appointment, and that was when he took command.

"Do you guys know anything about captain Bras?" Gareth wants to know from the group. They are all sitting in their room waiting for the ringing of the bell indicating to turn off the lights. Raidon has just helped John clean up his chest once more. He does this once every few days to make John a little more careful. As a result, he has already progressed a lot.

"No, not much," Raidon replies while he is just stretching out on his bed.

"Well, I do know something!" Says James. "John and I saw him today in the officers' canteen drinking and laughing with a bunch of others. That's all he's done so far. Playing soldier and meanwhile celebrating like an important nobleman."

"Hmm, that's going to be a headache," Gareth hums. "Let's just hope that his expensive noble education was worth it. I don't feel like dying at the first opportunity because an idiotic nobleman doesn't know what he's doing."

While the men are still talking about their new officer, they have to turn off the lights.

The arrival of their new commander also appears to cause adjustments in the training. Extra attention is paid to the formations. From now on, the training is not only focused on formations during marching, but also on combat formations.

The first day this is mainly theory. Raidon has already read most of this in his handbook, but it is a bit clearer now that the instructors explain it.

The recruits are divided per bedroom. Each group of ten recruits is called a ‘squad’, just as the whole group of five squads is called a platoon. The men are already used to practicing per platoon, but now they also have to do exercises per squad.

For example, they have to make a straight line with the shields against each other, which is called a shield wall. Or a circle with the backs against each other. Also, there are some other formations that they need to practice. After doing these exercises a few times with their squad, they have to do them with the whole platoon as well.

This training lasts about a week and although they don’t finish the exercises fast enough according to the instructors, it is apparently good enough.

A week after the conversation about their new captain, the big moment has arrived. Now that they have done their first training, the next step of their training has come. They are sent on patrol. Finally, they have to deal with their new captain.

The entire first platoon has to patrol along a certain route under the leadership of their new commander. The intention is to get to know the various duties that they have to fulfill when they have completed their education.

The captain doesn't say much. Only that they have to be in formation, "and quickly." Fortunately, the previous day the instructors already explained what the exercise would be, otherwise it would go completely wrong.

It immediately becomes clear to Raidon that it is going to be a long day. The captain does not know what he is doing, but is convinced that he knows it perfectly.

A typical nobleman, Raidon thinks.

The captain lets them march out of the camp while he himself rides on his horse. Once outside the camp, he makes them run faster and faster, until they go almost twice as fast as they are used to. The captain does not even realize this, because he lets his horse set the pace.

After an hour and a half, the first of the recruits are exhausted. The fact that they have lasted so long is due to the difficult training. Nevertheless, the captain still does not let up the pace and a break is certainly coming soon.

After two hours, most of the recruits have a hard time keeping up with the pace. But the captain doesn't care.

Raidon finally makes the decision and shouts:

"Sir, can we take a break? This pace is faster than we are used to."

His companions give him grateful looks, but the captain absolutely disagrees.

"Come here, recruit!" he shouts.

When Raidon has come forward, he says with a stern look:

"You get a penalty of five lashes as soon as we are back in the camp. And now back in your place!"

Embarrassed and angry, Raidon goes back to his spot. The rest of the patrol it is very quiet in the ranks.