Winter. The Lands Farque.
Hamblin the teenage recruit runs along the forest trail to the east of Gildin Dale.
It's nighttime, and there's light snow falling over this part of the forest.
And the night is very cold, a little unexpected for this late in the winter.
The recruit from the farming village of Polsten, who is wearing the lightest of armour. With a short winter cloak over it. Who this night, has no weapons.
Runs off the trail, and heads into the trees away to his right. The teenage recruit who is out here with his group, the first group.
Comes to an abrupt stop. And over the sound of his beating heart. He listens carefully to the forest around him.
Hamblin who is the unofficial leader of the first group of recruits. Who is standing behind a thick trunk of a pine.
Glances around it, hoping the light of the two moons in the night sky at the moment, doesn't give him away.
As he searches for his group's objective.
The son of farmers from the village of Polsten. Which lies about forty five miles to the southeast of the forest town of Gildin Dale.
Knows that others in his group are doing the same thing he's doing. Looking for their objective that he knows is close.
Unfortunately, he also knows that those who are opposing them tonight.
Are doing the exact same thing with their objective. Which Hamblin's group, the first group of recruits, have to protect.
The tall, lean teenager, who turns fourteen in the summertime. Has gone out with Dammis, Jinsa and Lamis.
While Marshay, Claradene, Farnid, Markell and Garmon have remained behind to protect their opposition's objective.
Meanwhile, Maselle is out roving about in the forest. Hoping to waylay any of their opponents she might come across this night.
No doubt they're doing exactly the same thing as they try to take their objective.
Though the snow is light, it is constant. And Hamblin who is just glad that both Sarill the mage and Alisian the water elemental aren't here tonight.
Sees that piles of snow are starting to appear in the open spaces between the trees.
The teenage recruit from the farming village of Polsten is searching for movement away to the east through the trees.
As he knows the small clearing that's his objective, is in that direction.
Hamblin is completely still as he waits behind the pine tree, which he's looking around.
The young army recruit, who no doubt will end up in the scouts and rangers division in one of his lord's armies.
Is about to move, when he hears something away to his right. And though it sounded like snow falling off a tree branch.
He knows it wasn't. As someone hoping down out of a tree, would make a similar sound.
And though it could be one of the others in his group. He knows only Jinsa would be able to keep up with him.
But she is even more quiet and elusive than he is. And wouldn't make a sound like that.
Hamblin barely moves his head in that direction, and spots a small patch of open ground about ten yards away which the moonlight is striking.
The teenager from the farming village of Polsten remains absolutely still as he continues to look that way.
And eventually he spots movement. Someone just beyond the open ground, moving slowly so as not to be noticed.
Hamblin who after two and half months of living and training with the other members of the first group.
Can recognise them easily, even at nighttime and at a distance if he spotted them.
And who he's caught a glimpse of, isn't one of them. And he instinctively knows it's one of the recruits of the second group, who the first group are up against this night.
Hamblin continues to wait, listening and looking as he remains completely still.
And he realises whoever it is from the second group, is heading in this direction.
The son of a farming family from Polsten looks down. So the whites of his eyes don't give him away.
Hamblin who is wearing a scarf wrapped around his face. So that his breath isn't seen, and give him away this night.
Stays completely still as he remains behind the thick trunk of the pine tree. And eventually he hears the recruit from the second group moving slowly in this direction.
Hamblin slowly turns his hips and shoulders as he prepares himself. Still keeping his eyes down as he does so.
The teenager who is the unofficial leader of the first group of recruits, continues to wait, keeping as still as possible.
And eventually he's rewarded with the breathing of the recruit from the second group that he can hear.
Whoever it is, must not be wearing anything over their mouth and nose. A mistake on such a cold night this late in the winter.
Hamblin who has slowed his breathing down, continues to wait.
Doesn't even flinch, where in the distance there comes a shout that echoes through the forest.
Not so the recruit from the second group, who is close, who mutters "Shit" when they hear the shout in the distance.
It's one of the girls in the second group. And Hamblin is pretty sure he knows which one it is.
She's briefly paused, then she continues forward, heading towards the large pine, where she thought she glimpsed a bit of movement.
Hamblin hears the other teenager take a slow step forward, then another. Trying to keep as quiet as possible.
The teenage recruit who is often the lead scout for the first group. Tenses as he hears the opposing recruit step even closer to where he is.
And when she's just a few yards from him, hamblin makes his move.
He dives out, and tackles the other teenager, taking her by surprise.
They hit the ground, and as the teenage girl groans after hitting the ground, and her breath is knocked out of her.
Hamblin the teenage recruit murmurs to her "Sorry". Before he punches her in the face, knocking her out.
The teenager from the farming village of Polsten gets up, and is on the move.
Heading through the forest as the snow continues to fall this late winter's night, making his way to where he knows a clearing is.
A clearing that has his group's objective in it. Which they have to retrieve, and bring back to their clearing in the forest.
Maselle the teenage recruit runs through the forest. She's spotted a couple of the recruits from the second group. Who are rushing through the trees. Heading towards the clearing that the first group have to protect. Well, protect something that's in it.
Maselle sprints across the forest trail, and heads back into the trees.
As she does, she hears Garmon shout out again. Garmon is their last line of defense. And the second group must be making a concentrated assault upon the first group's clearing.
Maselle spots one of those from the second group who she's been chasing.
And sees whoever it is, turn this way, and peer through the darkness in this direction.
And though the forest is quite thick here, making it difficult to see, as not too much moonlight is shining down between the trees and bushes.
The recruit from the second group doesn't have to see Maselle. As whoever it is, can hear the teenage girl running towards them.
At the last moment, Maselle spots the teenage recruit from the second group.
And she jumps up, and leaps forward. Drop kicking them as they try to dive out of the way.
Maselle kicks the recruit from the second group square in the chest.
Sending him backwards, to smash into a tree. He hits it, and staggers forward.
Where he gets clipped under the chin by an uppercut from Maselle as she hauls herself up off the ground.
She's just about to turn and hurry away from the recruit in the second group who drops to the ground unconscious.
When she's grabbed from behind, and picked off the ground in a bear hug.
It's the other recruit from the second group who she was following after.
Maselle hears him grunting with effort as he squeezes her.
A groan escapes from between her lips. As the teenage boy who has got a hold of her, is far bigger, and far stronger than her.
Maselle grimaces as her breath is squeezed out of her. Then seeing no other way to escape. The teenage girl slams her head backwards, wincing in anticipation as she does so.
"Fucking hell" mutters the teenage recruit holding Maselle up off the ground, who drops her, and staggers back with a broken and bloody nose.
Even though Maselle landed on her feet, her footing is a little unsteady too. And her head hurts like hell after doing that.
The teenage girl doesn't bother with the larger teenage boy, who no doubt is feeling just a woozy as she does.
She moves away, staggers away really. Heading away through the trees on this cold night, as snow continues to lightly fall upon the forest to the east of the town of Gildin Dale.
Leaving behind her one teenage recruit from the second group, who is unconscious and on the ground.
And other from the second group, who staggers away in the opposite direction, who has a busted nose and a rotten headache.
Regretting that he even grabbed Maselle, and wishing he had punched her in the kidneys instead.
The first and second group of recruits who were searched for weapons thoroughly at the beginning of the night.
Especially Dammis of the first group. And even more so, Jinsa of the first group.
Who were most likely to break the rules. And secreted weapons upon themselves.
Which of course is exactly what Jinsa did. As she was searched twice by their instructors.
And a pair of daggers, and a leather wrapped, iron sap was found. That was hidden beneath her armour and clothing.
It was only after she was told to strip, to make sure she had no other weapons was she allowed to join the rest of the first group for the night's training exercise.
And though they might not of been allowed to take weapons with them out into the forest tonight.
No one said anything about creating weapons once out in the forest to the east of the town of Gildin Dale.
And that's exactly what Garmon the teenage recruit has done.
The largest teenager, who at the age of fourteen is the oldest in the first group of army recruits.
Who will turn fifteen in the springtime. And is already accomplished with the broadsword. That there's talk he'll be a swordmaster is a few years time.
Has made a number of weapons for himself and a few of the others in the first group.
Simply by ripping off some branches down from some trees. Making clubs and cudgels out of them.
Infact the large teenage boy, who is the largest of all the teenage recruits based in Gildin Dale this winter.
Has got a thick branch in his hands, that has a bit of a wide split at one end.
In which he's shoved a large rock into. Making a fairly rudimentary looking mace.
And though the two groups of recruits have been instructed not to kill or seriously maim their opponents tonight.
No one said anything about not making them hurt like hell. And breaking a few of their bones.
Which is what Garmon has every intention of doing. As he's the last line of defence for the first group this cold winter's night in the forest a few miles to the east of Gildin Dale.
This area of the forest was chosen because it has two clearings in it. Over half a mile apart, on either side of the trail that cuts through the forest.
The clearing to the north of the forest trail is the first group of recruits.
While the one to the south, is the second group's.
In the middle of each clearing, amongst moss covered rocks and boulders. Is a pennant upon a wooden pole.
Basically a flag. One for the first group. And the other for the second group of recruits.
And the objective of tonight's training exercise. Is to take the pennant from the other group's clearing. And return it to your clearing.
Apart from no weapons. And not to kill or seriously maim those in the other group.
There's actually no real rules for this night's training exercise.
And both groups have quickly figured out the best and easiest way to win the exercise.
Is to take out your opponents. And render them useless so they can no longer take part in the exercise. On what's a cold late winter's night. Where snow, though light, is constantly falling.
Garmon who can hear fighting from amongst the trees around the clearing.
Looks away to his left, and spots Marshay struggling with a recruit from the second group.
While shouting can be heard from the direction of the trail, that's about halfway between the two clearings.
The large teenage recruit clearly sees Farnid stagger back into the clearing as he fights with a recruit from the second group.
As Farnid drops to a knee, and is kicked in the side of the head, knocking him out cold.
Garmon loudly shouts, nothing really, just a loud noise. A signal that once again their clearing is under attack.
The recruit from the second group who just knocked out Farnid runs forward, to where Garmon is standing next to his group's flag.
As he stands in the moonlight, the large teenager who is already accomplished with the sword.
Stands there fairly relaxed looking as the recruit from the second group running at him.
Then Garmon whose right arm is down and back beside him, swings that arm forward with ease, in a smooth motion.
And the wooden branch that has a fairly large sized rock wedged into the split end of it.
Comes up and around, and takes the recruit from the second group, right in the side.
Knocking him sideways down to the ground, where he lies gasping in pain, with a number of broken ribs.
He joins two others in his group lying injured in the clearing as they've tried to get to the first group's flag.
Only to run into Garmon and his makeshift mace he's made this cold, late winter's night in the forest to the east of Gildin Dale.
Garmon looks in the direction of the trail, as he hears shouting and yelling. As recruits from both groups call to one another.
He frowns as he listens carefully, then he faintly grins as he makes out what's being shouted out by some of the recruits.
"Come on Hamblin, you can do it" Garmon murmurs to himself, who then drops down into a crouch as he turns to his left.
When he sees Claradene stagger into the clearing from that direction, then she's shoved to the ground by a large recruit from the second group.
Who then charges at Garmon and the flag of the first group. Hoping to get the pennant on the pole.
Garmon is already swinging his makeshift mace, using both hands this time. Swinging it low at the legs of the recruit from the second group who is almost as large as he is.
Hamblin who has run across the trail, and back into the trees. Is heading back to his group's clearing.
He's carrying the second group's pennant. Which he took from their clearing.
The teenage recruit from the farming village of Polsten who hears someone scream in pain from the direction of his group's clearing.
Then hears Garmon scream, a roar really. Indicating that their flag, and more importantly, he is still in their clearing protecting it.
Hamblin hears Jinsa somewhere away to his right, shout out in elven to him to head more that way.
And out of the corner of his eye, he spots one of the recruits from the second group, run towards him from his left.
Calling out to another in the second group, to head this way. As their flag has been taken.
Hamblin who has forsaken stealth for speed. Leaps over Dammis who has been knocked down, and is on the ground, crawling away, groaning in pain as he does so.
The teenager who is the unofficial leader of the first group. Who can now see his group's clearing through the trees.
Shoves away one of the girls in the second group who goes to try and tackle him to the ground.
She stumbles away, only to hit the ground herself. When Jinsa comes running in, and dive tackles her around the waist.
The teenage girls roll around on the forest floor. Throwing punches and elbows at one another in a vicious fight to knock each other out.
Hamblin runs into the clearing, where there's a fair few recruits from both groups on the ground.
With only Garmon standing as the snow continues to lightly fall across the forest to the east of Gildin Dale.
The tall, lean teenage recruit from the farming village of Polsten slightly winces as he sees the recruit from the second group, who is still screaming as he lies on the ground, with what looks like a broken right leg.
Hamblin runs by Garmon who stands there with his makeshift mace in his hands.
And plants the second group's flag next to his group's pennant on it's pole, amongst the most covered rocks and boulders.
"The first group wins" says Tamric Drubine the field commander as he steps out from behind a tree at the edge of the clearing where he's been watching things.
The senior officer in the armies of Farque hopes Saanea the witch gets here quickly.
For as he looks around, there's an awful lot of the recruits from both groups who are injured.
As tonight's training exercise was a rather brutal affair between the two groups of teenage army recruits . . . . . .
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