Chapter 14 #2
“Wake up!” A deep voice roused me, and several of the other soldiers from sleep. I shifted to a sitting position on the bed, the dim light of dawn was just starting to filter through the window. I hadn’t been asleep long and my body protested.
“Prepare for combat training!” the same soldier, who I didn’t recognize, yelled. I glanced to the foot of my bed, noticing that there was no sign of my pack yet.
It wasn’t until he was across the room and standing in front of me that he spoke again.
“I’m Askel, your commanding officer.” He didn’t hold out his hand for the customary Ralheim greeting.
In fact, he didn’t seem welcoming at all, not even waiting for me to say my name before he was on his way away from the side of my bed.
“Karl says your items will arrive later today.”
I swallowed my groan. I would need to figure out something to do about the bleeding situation before then.
Not sure what the process was for breakfast, I watched as numerous men disappeared into the bathing area before returning to dress.
Many came back in the nude, and I felt I should avert my eyes, but knew that would draw attention to me, and the fact that I didn’t go to the bathing room with the rest, so instead, I busied myself with folding my blanket.
Unfolding it, only to refold it again, until the soldiers began to move from the room, then I fell in step behind them, trying to copy the way they walked so I would fit in.
It was easier said than done, though, as most of them seemed to be at ease and knew others in the group. They were talking and laughing, as if they weren’t training to fight in a war. Something pulled in my chest, remembering Milo, and how much better he would have fit in here.
“Watch it!” a man on my left yelled when my shoulder barely brushed his. I dipped my chin in embarrassment, and he scowled.
Though I had been raised to be a man, I was horribly out of place with these ones.
Breakfast was just as uncomfortable, though the rations provided to the soldiers were much higher than I had received as a reader.
After shoving a few bites into my mouth, I slipped away to the bathroom, relieved when I found my cloth sufficient to last another few hours.
On the way back to the area where the food had been served, I stopped by my assigned bed, but there was no sign of my pack yet.
A soldier at a nearby bunk raised his eyebrows at my reactions but said nothing as he pulled on his boots and uniform jacket.
After breakfast, we were told to head to the yard for training, and I thought about checking my bed again, but it was likely still too soon.
Using the same tactic that had gotten me through breakfast, I followed the other soldiers to the yard, none of them paying me any mind.
I don’t know what I expected when I first realized I would be joining the army, but it wasn’t this.
Once out in what must have been the training yard, the men were paired off by Askel and told to find space in the yard to spar. I stood by the side and chewed on my lip, fearful of who I might be paired with.
“Potson!” Askel called out at last. “You’re with me.”
That didn’t make me feel any better. But I knew this would just be temporary anyway. I moved to stand by his side while he addressed the rest of the men.
“While it is always preferable to use your sword or staff while in battle, there may come a time when you are without, thus your hand-to-hand combat needs to be just as good as your fighting with a sword.” Askel turned to me. “Knock me off my feet.”
“What?” The word was barely a breath as it left my lips.
“You heard me.” He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest, as if being asked to knock someone off their feet was an everyday occurrence. “Knock me off my feet.”
I glanced around, swallowing hard as I realized all eyes were on me. I turned back to Askel, flexing my wrist as I thought of something to do.
“If this was battle, you’d already be dead.” Askel sighed. “Hurry the fuck up already.”
Out of options, and time, apparently, I bent at my waist and lunged at him.
Only to be thrown through the air into the crowd watching. They parted as I fell. I landed on the ground, hard, a jolt of pain going up my back. Maybe I wouldn’t even make it to the front lines at all.
“I would say nice try, but I would be lying.” Askel brushed his hands together, like touching my body made them dirty.
“When you dive at someone, you want to go for the legs, not the midsection. That way they can’t push you out of the way easily, and you are more likely to knock them over.
This is also the reason why we train a strong fighting stance, so if someone dives at your legs, you are less likely to find yourself in trouble. ”
I brushed myself off, rising from the ground just in time to see another soldier demonstrate the move properly, Askel ending up on his back on the ground.
“See this?” He cleared his throat, thanking the soldier who had knocked him over.
“This is how your opponent should end up.” He turned back to the crowd.
“Once they are down you should knock any weapons they still have away, and sit on their chest if possible so you can hold their arms down, or reach for their neck if you can. For training purposes, if you get your hands on your opponent’s neck, you win. Then you switch. Now go.”
A flurry of activity broke out as men everywhere dove at their opponents’ legs. I turned back to Askel, who had a gleam in his eye, but it was too late, he was already diving at my legs.
I pinched my eyes shut and braced for impact.