Chapter 7

The next morning the Captain awoke to the sound of a heavy knock at his door. He sat up groggy from staying up most of the night finishing up the letters for the families of his former soldiers. Rubbing his unshaven chin, he got up and walked over to the bowl of water to freshen up.

Another heavy knock thudded in his door, "Sir?" A voice called. It was the Major.

"I am awake now, be out in a few moments." The captain called out. "I just need to get my armor on."

He then walked over to the bowl of water on his dresser and splashed the cool water over his tired face. He grimaced in pain as his scar stung him as it did nearly every day.

"I will have your head soon, Helgrath." He said angrily to his reflection as he dabbed his scar gingerly with a towel. He then put on a military green shirt and matching pants.

Then walking over to his closet door and opened it exposing his well-kept steel armor and sword. He began to put it on, starting with the breast and back plates. He needed to adjust the leather straps so that the armor fit snuggly to his chest. On the chest plate was his symbol of his House, it was a Green Boar with two spears crossed bellow it. Though not a powerful House but still in the realm of Lesser Nobility.

Next, he put on his leg guards tightening them so they wouldn't chaff his legs when ridding or running. He then quickly put on his arm and shin guards as they were the easiest to put on. Then he put on his heavy leather boots. They were still dirty from the past few days and had mud and grass still plastered to its bottoms.

Lastly, was his leather belt and steel sheath. After they were snug about his waistline, he picked up his sword from the floor next to his bed were it never left his side, which was the habit of many an active duty soldier.

He looked at his reflection on the sword. The hated scar smiled back at him. He knew he wasn't a handsome man before but after his bandages had been removed children never could stop their staring at him. Even his own ex-wife said she didn't recognize at first and even thought that the medical team had brought her the wrong man. This bothered him greatly. Sure, the bandages prevented him from speaking but her words cut nearly as deep as the orc's sword.

The whole armoring process that he had done thousands of times before only took three minutes, if he rushed it could be done even faster. He sighed heavily and sheathed the sword. He turned to the door and picked up his helmet from the nightstand, he never left it behind for it had saved his life from the orc.

Opening the door, he saw the Major snap into attention. "At ease." He said to her. Turning back, he locked the door. He then continued towards the barracks.

"Now Major," He said to her as she followed behind, "Tell me how long have you and your troops been in the military as last station."

"Well Sir, none of us have had any experience outside of boot camp and being stationed at an outpost just outside of the capital city for highway patrol." The Major reported. "However, I did pass third best from our class and the rest of us are all competent for our duties."

"Hmm, we'll see about that." The Captain said a bit disappointed.

They headed to the southern barracks, where the new recruits were sleeping. As he crossed the training ground, between the officers' quarters and barracks, the gravel crunched under his boots and the morning's cool air made him feel much more relaxed. A sentry passed by them on his way to relieve another sentry from his duty. The captain saluted the sentry, who did the same as they passed each other.

Then the captain arrived at the door leading to the new recruit's chambers. He adjusted his armor so he that he looked professional and then he gripped the doorknob and quietly opened the door. He stepped in without a sound and closed the door quietly behind him.

The Major also followed behind a bit confused. He waited for his eyes to adjust to the dim light and then he looked at the sleeping recruits all peaceful and quiet. All were unaware of what was about to happen. The captain smiled.

He then tip toed to all of the windows and shut the blinds making the room nearly pitch black. Walking back to the door he stood there his hands folded over his chest.

Then in a loud voice he barked, "GET UP you lazy good for nothing whelps! Is this any way to look in front of your commanding officer? ASLEEP? GET UP!"

All the recruits jumped, startled and half awake, wondering what was going on. "Everyone get up, get dressed as fast as you can, this is no time to be sleeping!" the captain screamed at the recruits in the dark.

The recruits stumbled around the room trying to find their armor and weapons. One of the recruits tripped over another recruit on his knees, who was feeling the floor for his armor, and fell right into the middle of the floor and was stepped and tripped on several times before he got up.

"Come on everyone you're here to be a part of the military and yet you still aren't ready? HURRY UP!" the captain yelled.

But the hapless recruits were hardly making any progress at getting ready. So, the captain turned angrily around to the door and threw it open letting light stream in and exposing the chaos within.

"Stop, stop, everyone STOP moving!" the captain yelled as he waved his hands above his head in frustration.

The recruits stopped stunned by the sudden exposure to light and the captains yelling. All the recruits had stopped, all but for one recruit, who was still trying to put on both his breast and back plate at the same time and he was wriggling around trying to get his head through. The captain stomped over to him and grabbed the armor with both hands and ripped it off his head and yelled right into his face,

"I SAID STOP!" the blood vessels stuck out of the captain's neck as he yelled.

The unlucky recruit put up his hands over his head, to shield his face from the captain screams. The captain threw the armor down with a loud crash! The captain then stomped back to the door and bellowed, "Everyone line up, single file, outside, now, on the double!"

As they quickly filled past the Captain noticed that the Major had her hand over her face. Clearly embarrassed at them for she had just said that they were competent.

The recruits stumbled around for a moment, before they all scrambled outside and stood in a line, blinking heavily in the morning light. The captain walked to the end of the line and then yelled, "Everyone in ATTENTION!"

"Good morning new recruit squad! I hope you all slept well cuz' you won't be sleeping well for the next several days! Thanks to your horrible preparations." The captain then walked down the line toward the other end, overlooking his new recruits as he went.

"Now what just happened was a test to see how prepared you are in case of a surprise attack. Let's see how you did."

The captain had reached the end of the line there were only 20 recruits this time, so it didn't take long. All of them were boys, all between to the ages of eighteen too twenty years old.

"First off," the captain said turning around, "It looks like you all got lucky there are no girls around to beat you wimps up like the last group. The last girl finished this training exercise at the top of the class." He stopped and looked one of the boys an inch from his face and yelled, "You won't let a girl out score you will you recruit? Including your Major?"

"N-no sir." The boy answered nervously.

"What did you say?" The captain screamed; his face was turning red from all the yelling. "I couldn't hear you."

"No sir." The boy said a little louder.

"I still don't hear you, speak up!" the captain bellowed.

"NO SIR!" the boy yelled back.

"That's better." He said continuing to pace in front of the troops. "Second, none of you have put on your full uniform, so none of you passed this first exercise. As punishment, for the first half of our trip to the next town you all will be walking in full uniform next to your horses."

The recruits look disheartened but said nothing. The captain looked them over carefully. "At least they know not to complain." He thought.

Two sentries watched from the fort's walls. One of them shook his head, "The Captain of Mustang Company sure is fired up this morning."

The other nodded agreeably, "They got put into the toughest Company here. Oh well, it's a shame, but since we cannot do anything might as well keep watch." They then turned back to stare at the sleepy town below.