8 Chapter 7: A New Friendship is Born

They soon approached the tent. Dux held the flap open and Zane entered. Oran was the lone person in the massive tent. He had his back to them and was pouring over a large map on the table.

"Oran," Dux said. "We've got a troublemaker here. I know you've already talked to him once, so I decided to bring him back to you." Oran turned around and saw Zane.

He sighed and looked at Dux, "Thank you Dux," he said. "You can go. Zane here can tell me what he did himself." Dux turned and left the tent leaving Oran and Zane alone. "So . . . what happened this time?"

"I lost my temper again and attacked that kid named Winston." Zane told him. Oran sighed again,

"I already told you Zane, you need to control your temper, or it will get you into a lot of trouble, more than punishment at a training camp.

Zane nodded, "Yes sir," he replied meekly. Oran was about to continue when the tent flap swished opened, and Cliff entered the tent.

"It was me sir," he said definitively, standing straight with his hands behind his back. Oran looked taken aback by his words while Zane tried in vain to signal for Cliff to stop.

"What was you?" Oran asked.

"I knocked out Winston sir," Cliff said quietly. Oran turned to Zane,

"Is this true?" he asked.

"Well technically yes," Zane replied. "But it was my fault! I provoked Winston. Cliff was only defending me!" Oran turned back to Cliff.

"Is this also true?"

"Well kind of, I didn't really care about defending him but . . ." Oran smiled and cut him off.

"So, you mean to tell me that Winston was antagonizing Zane, and that you, Cliff, knocked him out because Zane was refraining from doing so himself. And when Captain Dux came to the scene, Zane, took the blame because you felt that it was your fault?" Zane and Cliff glanced at each other surprised.

"I guess . . ."

"That's kind of it . . ." Zane and Cliff responded at the same time.

"Go back to your tents," Oran said with a chuckle. "I won't punish you this time, but beware. Fighting with your comrades is not tolerated in an army, especially not the Semper Vitae. If you really want to stay here, then I suggest you get yourselves under control. Zane and Cliff shuffled their feet and gave each other and awkward glance. "Go on then, shoo! Before I change my mind." Oran motioned for them to leave, his attention already back on the map. Zane and Cliff left the tent and began to walk slowly back to their tent. The camp was quiet, everyone must have returned to their tents early to rest for the placements. Zane couldn't believe their luck, why did Oran let them go free?

"You didn't have to do that you know," Zane said after a they had walked a while in silence. "It was my fault, I should have taken the blame."

"You didn't hit him, I did," Cliff said simply.

"Thanks Cliff," Zane said. Cliff shrugged,

"Didn't do it for you. Something he said touched a nerve, that's all."

"Well whatever the reason, I'm glad I wasn't on the receiving end. That was quite the punch," Zane responded as they stopped in front of their tent. Cliff eyed him sideways with one eyebrow raised before ducking into the tent. Zane sighed and followed him inside.

Aaron and Pug were sitting at the table, obviously waiting for them to return.

"What happened? Are they forcing you to work in the kitchens? Are they making you go home?" Pugs words spilled anxiously out of his mouth in a jumbles mess.

"Dux took me to the command tent to talk to Oran," Zane answered. "Oran was talking to me about losing my temper when Cliff came in and said it was him."

"What did they do to you?" Aaron asked.

"Nothing," Zane replied shrugging.

"What do you mean nothing?" Pug asked looking confused.

"Nothing," Zane repeated. "He let us go." Pug and Aaron looked at him as though he was insane.

"He just let you go?" Pug said incredulously.

"Yup," Zane said. "We explained what happened and he just lectured us a bit and let us go." Pug threw up his hands moved across the room to his sleeping bag. He stretched with a yawn and sat down cross legged.

"I guess we won't question your good luck."

"What about you guys?" Zane asked. "What happened to you?"

"Not much," Aaron replied, "We carried Winston to the emergency tent, but don't worry, we were careful to . . . uh . . . accidentally bump his head on a couple things."

Zane burst out in laughter, "So that's it? You just took him to the emergency tent?"

"Pretty much yeah," Aaron said. "After that, Cliff left, he didn't say why, and we came back to the tent."

"Um . . . Aaron?! you forgot about the most important part of our little adventure!" Pug yelled from his sleeping bag. Aaron gave him a confused look. Pug stood up and covered his heart with his hands in a dramatic gesture. "My heart has been stolen by a smoking hot nurse!" Aaron sighed and rubbed his forehead with one hand.

"Oh yeah, that." He said with a sigh.

"I'm a bit jealous of Winston after seeing her," Pug continued unprompted. "I even thought about having someone give me a good knock, so I have a reason to go back. How about it Cliff? Up for round two?"

Pug looked over at Cliff who was back to polishing his sword. Cliff looked up at him and smiled menacingly.

"Well if you insist . . ." he said with an uncharacteristic reply.

Pug paled and said, "On second thought, I think I'll just stay here." Zane and Aaron burst out with laughter. Pug then realized that Cliff was pulling his leg. He stuck out his bottom lip in a pout and slammed himself into his sleeping bag,

"I don't know about you guys but I'm going to sleep," he said apparently not enjoying that he was the only one that didn't recognize the joke. Aaron blew out the lamp on the table and the other three got into their sleeping bags. Zane spent the night mentally preparing himself for the day ahead. He finally fell asleep late into the night, where he was tormented by his dreams.