Post by Geraldine Killian on Oct 2, 2014 0:34:30 GMT -6
Geraldine sat in a small tent, slightly larger than the sleeping tents just outside, but this one had a table within it with a map spread out and several markers along a trail that her superiors were expecting her to take. The markers represented camps. The training got more rigorous as the time wore on. It started slow and kicked into full gear about halfway through. But that, sadly, wasn't saying much. Considering that they were expecting hopeful recruits, the training was still difficult regardless.
This trip would take the better part of a month in the best of conditions. Considering she was expecting greenhorns...
She might make it back in time for the fall harvest. Might.
The warrior woman ran her hand over her face in exasperation. "...They're trying to weed out the weaklings at a time like this... I understand the humanity behind that but... it is because it is a time like this that we require the sheer numbers, even if all they're doing is medic work... The more hands we have the better... so why do this ... impossible training ... to make the army stronger?"
She looked over the map. Day one would start them out on a hike down the path to the meeting point where they would join with the medics from the Rose for training. It would take day one and day two to get there if they didn't stop except to sleep. That wasn't feasible. The greenhorns would need to hunt and eat... They couldn't carry everything on their back they would need. It was a fool's bliss to have the meeting time exactly twenty four hours after departure...
Then when they met with the priestess, the training was supposed to begin immediately, meaning that even if they didn't make it until nightfall on day two, they would have to begin training until midnight to get in even half the work they were expected to do.
This had to be some kind of test. There was no way her educated and seasoned commanders were asking her to make this schedule work without killing the greenhorns or telling them they just couldn't come...
...Was she being tested to see if she would drive them to their deaths?
Yes... that had to be the explanation. They were being tested for their endurance and ability to push their limits... and she was being tested for her qualities as a leader.
Archery, strength, sword combat and maintenance... those things were her responsibility. She would be teaching them directly to the greenhorns and honing the strengths of the trained. Killian lineage and pride demanded that she make this test a shining example of what Killian heritage could provide.
But she'd watched the recruits come up. Some of them were barely old enough to apprentice. These young pups were the ones she was expected to run ragged and build up after breaking them. Sure it had been done to her... but she'd grown up in this environment... and she knew there was no running once you enlisted. Only one fate awaited deserters...
She shook her head. No thinking about that right now. Alright... so they would make camp day two and that would be their home for seven days... those days would involve training and working to survive in the area with only what we could carry with us. It would help their strength and endurance, but morale would suffer. Day eight would see them all pack up and walk down the path to a small village, which would help considerably as the province there is very hospitable. They'd get a night of rest and we'd begin patrol and guard training, shield and defense training... the Priestess would remain with us.
Alright. So, working out from there... the training trip would end on day 21 at the base of the Keep of Divinity where the alter was. From there, the new recruits would receive their honors and marching orders. Simple enough.
... But why were they meeting there? Geraldine had stared at the location and drummed up everything she knew about it. It was a valley, a stone wall around the base behind the alter as a ward to people to remind them never to go up. The alter had a small temple that was never attended by more than one or two priests or priestesses... Other than being utterly isolated there was nothing to it. So why were they meeting there for honors and graduations? The thought nibbled in the back of her mind but she couldn't place what it was that was bothering her. That location... it didn't seem proper.
She'd know soon enough, she supposed.
((Know there's not much to respond to but I wanted to go ahead and introduce the day before the start of training so that you guys kind of know that we'll be time skipping now and again. This will give your Shield and Shield hopeful characters a few things to add to their profiles through in character growth, including hunting and fighting skills. Just do your best.))
This trip would take the better part of a month in the best of conditions. Considering she was expecting greenhorns...
She might make it back in time for the fall harvest. Might.
The warrior woman ran her hand over her face in exasperation. "...They're trying to weed out the weaklings at a time like this... I understand the humanity behind that but... it is because it is a time like this that we require the sheer numbers, even if all they're doing is medic work... The more hands we have the better... so why do this ... impossible training ... to make the army stronger?"
She looked over the map. Day one would start them out on a hike down the path to the meeting point where they would join with the medics from the Rose for training. It would take day one and day two to get there if they didn't stop except to sleep. That wasn't feasible. The greenhorns would need to hunt and eat... They couldn't carry everything on their back they would need. It was a fool's bliss to have the meeting time exactly twenty four hours after departure...
Then when they met with the priestess, the training was supposed to begin immediately, meaning that even if they didn't make it until nightfall on day two, they would have to begin training until midnight to get in even half the work they were expected to do.
This had to be some kind of test. There was no way her educated and seasoned commanders were asking her to make this schedule work without killing the greenhorns or telling them they just couldn't come...
...Was she being tested to see if she would drive them to their deaths?
Yes... that had to be the explanation. They were being tested for their endurance and ability to push their limits... and she was being tested for her qualities as a leader.
Archery, strength, sword combat and maintenance... those things were her responsibility. She would be teaching them directly to the greenhorns and honing the strengths of the trained. Killian lineage and pride demanded that she make this test a shining example of what Killian heritage could provide.
But she'd watched the recruits come up. Some of them were barely old enough to apprentice. These young pups were the ones she was expected to run ragged and build up after breaking them. Sure it had been done to her... but she'd grown up in this environment... and she knew there was no running once you enlisted. Only one fate awaited deserters...
She shook her head. No thinking about that right now. Alright... so they would make camp day two and that would be their home for seven days... those days would involve training and working to survive in the area with only what we could carry with us. It would help their strength and endurance, but morale would suffer. Day eight would see them all pack up and walk down the path to a small village, which would help considerably as the province there is very hospitable. They'd get a night of rest and we'd begin patrol and guard training, shield and defense training... the Priestess would remain with us.
Alright. So, working out from there... the training trip would end on day 21 at the base of the Keep of Divinity where the alter was. From there, the new recruits would receive their honors and marching orders. Simple enough.
... But why were they meeting there? Geraldine had stared at the location and drummed up everything she knew about it. It was a valley, a stone wall around the base behind the alter as a ward to people to remind them never to go up. The alter had a small temple that was never attended by more than one or two priests or priestesses... Other than being utterly isolated there was nothing to it. So why were they meeting there for honors and graduations? The thought nibbled in the back of her mind but she couldn't place what it was that was bothering her. That location... it didn't seem proper.
She'd know soon enough, she supposed.
((Know there's not much to respond to but I wanted to go ahead and introduce the day before the start of training so that you guys kind of know that we'll be time skipping now and again. This will give your Shield and Shield hopeful characters a few things to add to their profiles through in character growth, including hunting and fighting skills. Just do your best.))
