Change of Chaos

by Jacinta Jade

‘Mmmmmmmm.’ The male sounded like he might possibly be drooling.

  Siray could hear the voices of the other trainees growing in volume as they, too, caught the scents wafting from the tent. The aroma of warm spices and roasting meat filled Siray’s nostrils, and she swallowed a couple of times as her own mouth began to water.

  She and the male were lengths behind the others when they both stepped through the tent’s entrance flaps together. Inside, the tent was long and appeared soundly built, with strong columns of wood standing at attention along its lengths, their bulk supporting the weight of great beams running overhead, over which a thick material was stretched. The area inside was well lit by smaller torches in brackets, and a wide aisle had been formed by two long rows of tables that ran the length of the tent.

  The incredible smells seemed to be wafting from the far end of the tent where the other trainees were fast forming a queue. Siray and her helper both moved faster, their stomachs urging them on.

  They quickly reached the end of the aisle where an older, large male was standing on the other side of a serving table, giving directions in a deep voice.

  ‘Alright now, no pushing. One at a time. Grab a bowl, fill it, and move to a table. That’s it, keep moving.’

  The male directed the trainees with a large ladle, pointing it at those who he deemed to be impatient and waving it at others who did not move fast enough for his liking.

  Resting the big ladle against his shoulder for a moment, the male spotted Siray and her walking support.

  ‘Ah—one injured already. It’s going to be tough for you for a while, but we’ll soon fix you up.’ The male stuck out his ladle to tap it against the chest of the next trainee in line to get served, a female, who jumped slightly at the gesture.

  ‘Stop!’ he commanded. ‘You there—hand me two bowls.’

  The other trainees passed two bowls up the line to the indicated female, who then placed them on the table before the large male. In turn, he stepped forwards and deftly served up two large helpings of stew.

  From the way the male was comfortably commanding everything within the tent, Siray assumed he was the head cook.

  The male pushed the full bowls at the female before him. ‘Now you just place those bowls on the table for them and come back for yours.’

  The female nodded at the cook and, picking up the bowls, briskly walked across to a table close to the serving area and put the bowls down. Spinning on her heel, she walked quickly back past Siray and the male to get her own serving.

  Siray acknowledged the cook’s kindness promptly. ‘Thank you.’

  The cook waved his ladle at Siray and then motioned for the line of trainees to begin moving again, his voice continuing on in the background as Siray and the male assisting her moved to the table to sit. The male steadied her as she slowly lowered herself down to the bench and then took a seat himself next to her as she carefully swivelled her legs up and over the seat so she could sit properly.

  Then all she could see and smell was the dish of food before her, and Siray picked up the spoon glinting in her bowl and began devouring the stew, taking pleasure in chewing the chunky, tender meat. The dish was spicy and thick, with chunks of vegetables adding to its heartiness.

  When Siray reached the bottom of the bowl, she scraped it with her spoon to get the last remnants of juices, but, feeling the prickle of eyes on her, she looked up to see the male who had helped her to the tent watching.

  That was when she realised she hadn’t yet looked at his face in this light, and now she took in his friendly and keen eyes. He was grinning, and for a moment she thought he was laughing at her eating habits until he picked up his bowl and began licking up the last droplets of stew.

  Siray grinned back and, placing her spoon on the table, picked up her bowl to lick it clean.

  When the last drop of stew was gone, she placed the bowl back on the table and, seeing the other trainees were still finishing their stew, twisted back to face the male next to her who was also looking around.

  He had messy red hair, with freckles thick across his face, and when he looked in her direction again, Siray seized the opportunity.

  ‘Thanks for helping me earlier. I’m Siray.’

  The male smiled. ‘I’m Tamot. And happy to help out, especially if it means I get to skip the queue for dinner.’

  Siray smiled more widely and watched as Tamot spun his empty bowl gleefully on the wooden surface of the table. He still seemed to have so much energy, whereas now that her stomach was full and warm, Siray felt like putting her head down on the table to sleep.

  In a few moments, the other trainees had finished their stew and were looking around the tent, a motion that was soon rewarded by the sound of Dirl’s voice.

  ‘Trainees—over here, in your line.’ His voice came from a table in the far corner of the tent where he must have just finished taking his own meal with Dirl.

  Everyone apart from Siray got up from the table, moving slowly and clumsily as their tired and full bodies protested.

  Siray lifted her legs carefully and spun on the wooden bench.

  And found Tamot standing there again, ready with an arm and a smile.

  She gave a small smile in return and used his proffered arm to stand.

  The cook’s voice came from behind them again. ‘Now you all just place your bowls over here in an orderly pile before you leave.’

  Siray saw Trainer Dirl nod for them to obey. Obviously even the trainers didn’t like to argue with the cook.

  As the other trainees obediently went back to pile their bowls, Tamot swivelled to grab both his and Siray’s, sternly shaking his head at her when she reached for them and pushed the bowls into the arms of the first trainee who walked past.

  Turning back again, he helped Siray move up to the tent’s entrance and proceeded to wait with her as the trainees returned and lined up behind them.

  Trainer Dirl eyed them all. ‘Follow.’

  Both trainers turned and left the tent, and the trainees filed out after them.

  This time, the trainers set a much slower pace, and Siray and Tamot had no trouble keeping up at the front of the line. Thankfully, Dirl and Gesad did not take them far but directed the trainees to stand outside two wood cabins. Siray thought it odd at first that the cabins were made of wood while the rest of the camp was made up of tents.

  But then she saw the signs of age on the cabins and the repair work that had been done to obviously make them habitable again. The cabins must have been there long before the Resistance made use of them and, while separated by a large space from the rest of the camp, were within sight of the meals tent.

  The trainers moved to the side and indicated to Siray and Tamot that they should line up in front of them.

  As the trainees faced them, Gesad pointed to the cabins behind him. ‘These will be your quarters while you train with us. You will keep them clean and treat them with the respect that a roof over your heads deserves. Any trainee who does not will soon find out just how lucky they are to have the option of a dry bed at night.’

  Gesad nodded at Dirl, who had walked to the far end of the line.

  Dirl began striding down the length of their line, pointing to each trainee and counting out loud. ‘One, two, three, four, five, six, seven—cabin one.’ He stopped and looked to the last seven trainees, which included Siray and Tamot.

  ‘You other seven will be in cabin two.’ He pivoted and walked back to once again stand beside Gesad.

  ‘On each bed will be two sets of clothes. Look after them, as they will be the only sets you receive for the duration of your training, in addition to the clothes you wear now. I advise that you get as much rest as possible tonight.’

  Dirl finished and simply began walking away, Gesad falling into step beside him.

  Siray blinked a few times and then looked about, almost waiting to see if someone else would pop out of the darkness to give them orders. When no one else did, she began accepting that the trainers rea
lly wouldn’t coddle them at all. Fly or fall it was.

  Tamot seemed less fazed then everyone else. Or maybe he was just more awake.

  ‘Well, alright, then.’ He turned to Siray and offered his arm once more. ‘Let’s go check out our new home.’

  Together they moved towards cabin two, leaving the other trainees to do as they would.

  One trainee moved briskly past them both and stood to hold the door open for them.

  Siray smiled thankfully and was glad to see wavering light emerge from beyond the open door.

  Tamot led her over to the bed nearest the door and, once he saw she was safely seated, proceeded to flop down onto the one besides hers, his limbs spread out.

  Siray watched from her new bed as the other five trainees filed in and selected their beds. There was one other female in her cabin, which meant that there were only three females total in the group of trainees. She had thought that the trainers might split up the males from them, but when she really considered it, she supposed that they would be living and fighting beside one another all the time after training, so what did it really matter?

  Kaslonians were not too sensitive about their bodies in front of each other anyway. How could they be, when this body was just one form?

  Looking down at her bed, Siray saw a pile of clothes lying there and, too exhausted to care, simply pushed them off so they fell to one side. Stripping quickly down to just her shirt and undershorts while she balanced on the bed, she hopped on to the bed and manoeuvred herself around until she was correctly positioned and then began pushing and pulling at the covers until she had them settled just right.

  Now happily cocooned in her blankets, she saw that Tamot had gotten into bed even faster, his blankets already in a mangled pile that just seemed to cover him.

  His voice emerged from the soft mound in a muffled declaration. ‘Last one to bed puts out the torches.’

  A flurry of movement occurred as the remaining trainees raced to get into bed, after which a quick debate ensued over who had been the slowest.

  With a groan, one of the other males got back out of bed and, starting from the door, extinguished the torches that were spaced down the middle of the cabin, finishing finally at the one closest to his bed.

  Siray blinked her eyes at the sudden darkness and, breathing out, sank deeper into her sheets. She waited for her exhaustion to carry her off to sleep straightaway, but instead her thoughts drifted, going back to the previous evening where she had been in another dark cabin, and Baindan had whispered her name …

  She wondered what he was doing now.

  It was with his face in her mind that she finally fell asleep.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  ‘WAKE UP! Training begins now!’

  Siray bolted upright in her bed as a voice punched through the silence. Dim light was coming through the now-open door of the cabin, and Siray could see the pale face of the other female in the bed across from her, looking around wildly as she also started from sleep.

  Trainer Dirl seemed to be moving through the cabin in a rush of noise and activity, or so it seemed to Siray. She felt like she could sleep for three days straight, and she had to blink several times before she could fully open her eyes.

  She gasped as Trainer Dirl sprang to the end of her bed and ripped the blankets off her, exposing her body to the chilly morning air.

  ‘Start moving, trainee!’ Dirl shouted before turning away to address the cabin in general. ‘Last one outside will be doing a lap of the camp before breakfast!’

  He turned and walked out the door.

  This order spurred the other trainees into running about looking for their clothes, or to dress faster if they already had them.

  In light of the threat, however, Siray didn’t stop to get dressed but simply scooped up the clothes she had brushed aside the night before and hopped out the door of the cabin on her good leg, choosing to dress outside instead, where it was even cooler without the protection of the cabin.

  Goose bumps came to attention on her arms and legs, and Siray tried to not to look at the trainers as she passed them in her undershorts.

  She saw Tamot follow soon after, also hopping through the door, one leg waving around as he tried to get it through the leg of his pants.

  From outside, Siray heard the mad rush for the door ensue by the rest of the half-dressed trainees remaining in her cabin.

  The unfortunate trainee to come last through the door happened to be the same male who’d had to put the torches out the night before, and he grumbled as he pulled on the last of his clothes and formed up in a line with the Siray, Tamot, and the others from their cabin.

  To their left, the trainees from cabin one were also piling out of their cabin, the voice of Trainer Gesad following them out well before the trainer himself actually appeared.

  As the other cabin formed their own line, the difference between the two groups was clearly evident—half of them were dressed while the other half were not.

  Dirl smiled triumphantly at Gesad. ‘Well, seems my group made it out faster than yours, Gesad.’

  Gesad frowned. ‘They did,’ the trainer acknowledged. He shifted. ‘Cabin one, you’re all on wash-up duty this morning following breakfast.’

  Siray and her group grinned around at one another.

  ‘But wait a moment.’ Dirl held up a hand. ‘I didn’t see any beds made in there,’ he said, nodding his head back in the direction of cabin two.

  The grins dropped from the faces of Siray and her cabinmates.

  Gesad nodded. ‘Same here. Right mess in there, actually.’

  Dirl nodded and then focused on Siray and the other trainees from cabin two. ‘I think you can all do a lap of the camp.’

  Tamot and a few of the other trainees from cabin two groaned, but Siray just pressed her lips together as the two trainers raised their eyebrows at the noise.

  She thought she knew what was coming next.

  ‘Gee, they must be really tired, groaning like that.’ Gesad said, his face a study in sympathy.

  Dirl nodded back. ‘Maybe two laps would help them wake up?’

  Gesad nodded again. ‘Excellent idea,’ he said brightly. ‘Cabin one can join them. All of you … move!’

  All the trainees bar Siray started off in a silent but resentful jog, but they quickly sped up as Gesad chased after them, harassing them to move faster.

  Tamot looked back for a moment, but Dirl shooed him on after the others.

  Siray had not even bothered to move, as she knew her foot couldn’t possibly handle running yet, and she looked back at Dirl, who still stood in front of the cabins, looking at her expectantly.

  ‘Are you on holiday, trainee one-four?’

  Dirl managed to ask this so casually that Siray had to think about his question for a moment before she realised what kind of response he wanted. ‘No, trainer,’ she said.

  ‘Well, then, give me one hundred push-ups.’

  Siray felt her eyebrows rise in disbelief but immediately lowered them as she remembered what groans from the others had resulted in. Carefully lowering herself down to the ground, she positioned her body into a push-up position, hopping her good leg back into the proper pose and crossing her bad foot over her good leg.

  Dirl came up beside her to check her technique. ‘Keep that back flat now, but don’t let your stomach sink. We want your body to work hard.’

  Siray kept her back flat as she arranged her hands beneath her and out to the sides, flat to the ground. Down, and up. Breath in on the way down, breathe out on the way up. Repeat.

  ‘Oops,’ Dirl interjected. ‘I’ve lost count of what you’re up to. What number was it?’ The sound of a hand slapping a leg.

  ‘Oh well, better start over.’

  Siray paused, and her head drooped just slightly as she grimaced. At least Dirl couldn’t see her expression in this pose. Taking a breath in and letting it out slowly, she restarted. And counted the repetitions out loud.

  �
��One. Two. Three. Four …’

  Siray kept going, her arms burning by the time she had reached a count of twenty. She hadn’t done activity like this since she was a youth. Not that she was unfit, but being fit for this was something completely different. By the time she got to fifty push-ups, her shoulders were burning and the leg that bore all her weight was shaking.

  Thankfully, Dirl didn’t harass her when she took pauses between repetitions as she sweated her way up to one hundred.

  Once she had completed the final push-up, she pushed herself back onto her knees and knelt there, breathing heavily.

  Dirl spoke after a brief moment of watching her. ‘Up you get, trainee fourteen.’

  Siray lifted her injured foot off the ground and pushed off with her hands, using the momentum of the push to right herself quickly, the knee of her injured leg swinging up to stabilise her balance. Once she was steady, she looked at Dirl, who was himself looking at the forest.

  ‘Ah, I can see your cabinmates headed back from their second lap. How about you make it to breakfast before them?’

  Siray looked at the trainees approaching at a run in the distance, looked to the meal tent, and then back at Dirl.

  He nodded.

  Siray forced back a rising groan and, chest still moving rapidly, pivoted towards the meal tent.

  Holding her injured foot as high behind her as she could manage, she began hopping away as fast as she could.

  ***

  Once they had all reached the meals tent and the trainers had taken the group through a round of stretching, they were told that the rest of the day was to be used to get to know each other.

  After this announcement, Dirl and Gesad simply turned and left the group of trainees standing there, stunned—a favourite trick of theirs, it seemed.

  It was certainly the last thing Siray had been expecting that morning. Yet, apart from feeling confused as to why the trainers would allow them this free time, she also felt a physical relief at the announcement. Any opportunities for rest would allow more time for her injury to heal, giving her that much greater a chance of making it through the training.