Recruited Mage (10 page)

We passed over the crest of the hill towards the camp but we stopp
ed before we reached it and we walked into the middle of the flat lands. We gathered around the Engineer and he gave his instructions.

“`T
his will be your first introduction to fighting. This will be very light to start off with but it will very quickly get harder and more real,” he said loudly. “Pick a partner to fight then we will begin the first exercise.”

We quickly looked around for a partner. Donal came
over to me and I agreed to be his partner. Once we were all paired up the engineer continued to explain the drill.

“For your very first exercise you will lie next to each other until I say go. The first person to pin the other pers
on down wins. Start when I say ‘Go’.” We quickly lay down next to each other and tensed in readiness. “Ready! Go!”

10
Training exersices

Donal and I
both instantly tried to sit up and dive on one another, each of us struggling for the upper hand. Donal had risen quicker than me and he was able to push me backward onto me back. I struggled but I could not get up, Donal held me down whilst he got up onto his knees then onto his feet where he had to hold me down with his feet. He was momentarily distracted and I quickly pushed off his foot before grabbing his legs and using what momentum I could from the ground I pushed him over.

Unable to balance himself, Donal fell to the ground and I dived onto him from my knees. I held him down and he shook around but
he could not dislodge me. The Engineer said to stop and I smiled at Donal but did not get off him for a few seconds, which annoyed him greatly.

“Now, for the next exercise!” t
he Engineer called out and we turned our attention to him. “You will now start on your knees facing your partner. The same applies as last time; whoever pins their partner to the ground wins. Start when you are ready.”

I kneeled next to Donal who was already in position. He was tensing and had clenched his hands into fists by his sides.

I said “Go” and we dived at each other. Donal smashed into me, sending me sprawling backwards to hit the ground behind me with a thud and before I could dive out of the way Donal was on top of me, pressing me down. He pinned my arms to my sides and put his knees on my stomach.

When the E
ngineer said to stop Donal jumped to his feet, he had a large grin on his face and he nudged me with his elbow as I stood up. 

“What does it feel like to
lose?
” he said.

What? I did not gloat when I won. What is he talking about
? It is no big thing.
To my great annoyance Donal looked like he was going to continue gloating but the engineer called out the next exercise.

“This time you will be st
anding up” said the Engineer and I winced.

Proper fighting now.

“However, you will start back to back.”

Donal and I got into position. I had no time to think t
hrough what I should do as the Engineer called for us to start almost immediately.

I was caught off guard and Donal had already turned by the time I had turned only half. He ducked to my waist height and wrapped his arms around my legs, and then he pushed as hard as he could and I was on the floor just as I had finished turning around.

Donal was once again on top of me, which was the best advantage but, because I had turned around, I was facing him and I managed to trap his hands in mine so he could not fully pin him down. Donal felt exceptionally strong however, and he easily forced my hands down below my waist and I was powerless again. This time Donal pressed his knees harder into my ribs and it stopped me breathing n in deep breaths. I struggled for air but he just dug his knees deeper into my stomach and my breath was constricted more. I gasped for breath and struggled but Donal just brought his face up to mine and looked me in the face. Suddenly he let go and jumped to his feet and I laid there gasping for air. I stood up as well when I saw that everyone else had stopped also.

Over the hill there were about one hundred boys marching in precise rows. When they were in line with us the group turned in a curve and headed towards us. All we could do is stand still, gaping in awe at their prec
ision. When they were a few metres away an Engineer called the entire line to a stop.

Every one of the boys now stood with their legs firmly placed shoulders width apart. I saw that each of the boys also had a small bag on their back exactly like the ones that we were given with our uniform.

Two of the Engineers who were at the front of the column walked forward. One of them was carrying a strange object; it was a wooden handle with a thirty centimetre metal tube on the top with a few other bits of metal pointing out the back.

It
’s just like the thing I saw on Commander Ormond’s belt the very first time I saw him.

“No
w, you are the new recruits to Junior Assault Group Three Hundred and Seventy Two, which is now a complete one hundred and fifty strong,” he said addressing us. “So you will not know about most things. Especially this.” The Engineer held up the metal thing in front of him. “This is called a fireshot. It uses fireshot powder to fire a small shot about one hundred metres. The best thing about it however is that it makes a very loud noise like the Bombardiers you will see tomorrow. It is very good for scaring horses but it takes about five minutes to load and anyway, none of you will be using them. We are going to do a training exercise and all I will be using this for is to start you off.” He then turned to the boys behind him. “Bring their bags forward.” At his command about fifteen boys came forward to with two of the small bags each and they gave one each to all thirty of us.

I stepped forward and took up a
bag, which felt light in my hand. As I stepped back I took a quick look in the bag and saw that it contained the same as my own bag had; a needle and thread, a knife and lots of the strong string.

The rest of us took bags as well and
soon we all had one. Then the Engineer walked down the column of boys, picking boys as he went until he had thirty boys with him. Next the Engineer talked to those boys, who were glaring at us, in a hushed voice that I could not hear. The boys then walked over and one boy went to each of us. I looked to see which one of them would chose me to go with and a tall and skinny boy walked over. He nodded to me as he approached and he shook the hand I outstretched to him in greeting.

“My name is Detarian and I will be your mentor for the next few weeks until we go on the invasion.” He said.

“I’m Samuel Morrin.” I replied looking up at his brown eyes as he stood over me a good head-and-a-half taller.

“Well, good luck Samuel, I hope that I can teach you well. We have been in training for two months. You lot arriving was a shock to us this c
lose to the invasion, how can you be ready in time?”

“Ok everyone,” c
alled out the Engineer to everyone, interrupting our conversation. “The cavalry have arrived.” He pointed to our left towards the army camp and I followed his gaze too where a huge line of, I would say, two hundred men on horseback.

What kind of training is this? What do the cavalry have to do with this?
As I watched the rider on the far left of the line raised a red flag.

“There is our signal that they are ready. Now remember all of yo
u,” he said raising his voice. “These men are trained to scout ahead of the army and capture any prisoners they can for questioning. They think they are better than you but you will be ready for them. You have been authorised to do anything short of breaking bones and so have they, also you will surprise them because as there are boxes filled with crossbows with bolts tipped with wood so as not to maim, just to cause a lot of pain. Also in the boxes you will find shields and clubs. If you do not get captured for half an hour you win. Those of you who are captured will very likely receive a beating from them as they have been told to treat you like enemies.”

I tensed as he said those words.
We are being chased by them? This is mad! I can’t outpace horses for half an hour!

“My advice is to set some of the trips early so they slow down. The moment I fire the fire shot, run for the woods; I will five minutes before I fire it again an
d the cavalry will start.” The Engineer raised the fire shot above his head and pulled a small lever at the bottom.

I did not think there was going to be such a loud bang and jumped backwards in shock and slipped to my knees.
What is that thing? Amazing! It is like a mini crossbow powered by fireshot powder!
Detarian ran over to me and grabbed my tunic, pulling me to my feet.

“Run!” h
e yelled and started pulling me towards the trees. I dragged along behind him until I had pulled my bag on to my back then I ran alongside, still however not as fast as him. “Faster!” Detarian yelled even more agitated. Detarian was very fast but I had been told to run many times with messages and I just kept up with him.

All around us the other boys were almost at the tree line except for those who were dragging boys they had been charged with looking after.
The tree line was barely a hundred metres away when I saw a head of us a wide ditch filled with water.

“See that ditch?” Detarian yell
ed and put on a burst of speed. “Jump it!” He yelled and I looked at him to see if he was joking but his face was straight and showed no emotion. When we came only metres away from the ditch I started to slow down. “No! You have to jump it there is no time!"

I heeded his advice and
gave a burst of speed just in time and leaped off one bank. I landed just short of the far bank and slipped in the mud. I pulled myself up and sprinted after Detarian who had landed cleanly and was already metres away. Detarian was fast and I would have been left far behind if he had not slowed down for me. When I caught up with him I saw he was scowling. I looked away as I knew all I was a burden to him.

All around us were other boys, most of whom were new b
oys like me following after their mentors.

I looked back as we reached the tree line and saw the rider
s had now reached where the Engineer was standing were silently waiting, their horses pawing at the ground.

We kept running into the trees, still running
as fast as we could. Up ahead of us I saw everyone start to form a line facing us. As everyone reached them, they joined the line and were handed crossbows and quivers. The line grew longer and I was sure that all one hundred and fifty of us were to join the line.

Suddenly Detarian stopped  and pulled his bag of his back. I stopped beside him and saw that everyone level with us was doing the same.

“Get out the string!” said Detarian and I complied and took my bag off my back. Then I pulled out the string and returned the bag to my back. “Now tie it tightly between trees.” I hesitated.

Tie it between the trees?

“Now! To trip the horses,’ he explained quickly.

I understood and tied the string as tightly as I could between two pines, just above my waist height. I looked to Detarian who was just finishing tying his and he scowled at me.

Before he could say anything a few hundred metres away I heard the loud bang of a fireshot.
Here they come!

“Run!” Detarian yelled and I turned tow
ards the line of boys fifty metres away which now consisted of every boy except for the twenty or so who had just finished tying the strings and were running, like us towards the line. Behind us a huge thundering noise began. As we got closer the line condensed until it was two boys deep. I was once against awed by their precision as the front row dropped down onto one knee. The result was that both rows could fire at the same time. 

As we reached the line the boys parted and I followed Detarian through behind the line where there were large wooden boxes which were all now empty of crossbows
, apart from one which had a few more crossbows and quivers left. There were also clubs and shields as the man had said, but a few other boys who were laying them ready behind the lines were taking them. Detarian took two crossbows and two quivers of bolts, shoving one of each into my arms.

As I wound the crossbow back the thundering increased to a roar and I just joined the front row of the line and got down on my knees as all two hundred riders gallope
d into the woods. I slotted a bolt in to place and, raising the crossbow to my shoulder aimed down it. Somewhere along the line a boy was shouting “hold!” and we did not fire. The horses thundered nearer and nearer but the boy shouted “hold!” again.

The riders began to shout a large war
cry that echoed over the thundering hooves that did not falter as they galloped terrifyingly towards us. My blood started to become audible as it rushed through my head. I felt sweat on my hands and I was about to wipe it away when the boy who had shouted “hold!” then gave the command to fire.

All one hundred and fifty of us fired our bolts almost in unison toward the charging men. The bolts flew out and struck man and horse. The horses stumbled and fell and men yelled. The horses at the
front, which were hit, buckled and fell to the ground, their riders thrown from their saddles onto the ground. The riders behind tripped over the fallen ones and fell to the ground as well. I had no time to look however as I reloaded as fast as I could.

The riders pulled back and regrouped  for another charge. Reloading seemed excruciatingly slow as
the riders lined up. Finally, I slotted a bolt in to place and raised my crossbow back to my shoulder.

The riders began their charge
from just over one hundred metres away. I knew that the two hundred riders outnumbered us and we had lost the element of surprise of standing and fighting with crossbows, rather than running and hiding.