Survival task
One day has now passed and it is time for the Survival task for the trainees. Alex is still in with the nurse recuperating and won't be able to participate at this task. William is together with his team mate Clint waiting for the start of the task. They are now all walking together in the forest.
"Okay. Pay attention. We are now away from the training grounds. You will all be left to go on your own ways. I am going to stay here for the entire week and when its time for us to leave I expect all of you to be here on the seventh day. Whoever gets here later than that will have to walk back alone. Am I understood? "
"Yes, Teacher!"
All of the groups left after the words of teacher Boris. William and Alex went on their way one direction where no one was going. Clint wanted to really give it his all at this training. He didn't have any knowledge about survival in the wild. All the trainees did get a crash course one day before the actual task but that isn't the same as real life experience. On the other side William was very relaxed. He was going to complete the task of surviving a week in the wild but it wasn't like he didn't know how to do it. HE did consider himself an expert in that regard.
"Where should we set up camp William?"
"I would set it up somewhere dry, with some cover for rain and an open place so we can set up our fire." William started listing things that would be beneficial for their camp.
"Somewhere with a water source would be nice so that we can wash ourselves and don't have to be so rigid with saving our water."
They continued walking for some hours since they both had a very athletic body. They both stopped at a clearing where there was a lot of tall grass but not many trees around. William decided that they would set up camp here and would cut the tall grass down to give them some better vision of the area. Clint went with what William decided to do since he seemed quite knowledgeable in this area. After setting up the camp night started to come and Clint was trying to start the fire with the sticks and a piece of wood.
"Do you want some help with that?" William asked Clint who seemed to be having quite the troubling times. He was sweating like a bull. His forehead was filled with drops of sweat and he was indeed starting to tire his arms.
"Here. I give up. I can't do this." Clint passed the sticks over to William who was looking as his kind of friend with a smile.
"Here let me show you. You first set the wood in a position where you are able to put a lot of strength onto it without it turning or getting away from under the stick. After that you set your hand like this on the stick. From the very top until the very end of the stick you are going to put all your strength into grinding it." One time, two times and then on the third time smoke started to leave the wood from under the stick. William got some dry grass and put it over the smoke and started to blow into the small ember that was forming there.
"It must have already been hot. That is why you got it lit so easily. It was just luck." Clint said very annoyed at the current situation.
"Yes, I think so too. Well there will soon be a fire. Should we prepare our food?"
Both of them started to prepare their food and prepare to eat while sitting next to each other in front of the fire.
"Hey, is it alright to call you Will? William is just too long."
"Well no one has ever called me Will but I don't care. Call me what you want."
"Okay. So Will, why did you join the training grounds? Why become a soldier?" Clint asked William, trying to start some kind of conversation but also very interested in what his answer would be. He already knew that William would almost certainly graduate. He was one of the strongest in his class at the moment. Clint spared against almost everyone there and he knew the strength William had. There were two others that were considered the top trainees and William wasn't in there, but Clint knew he deserved a spot there. It is just that most don't know William. He was mostly training alone. William did want to make some friends but it was hard. He lived alone most of the time so he didn't have good social skills. It was already a miracle he managed to befriend Alex and Clint.
"Well, I didn't have a choice to tell the truth. I was trying to find a job in the village but no one needed anyone and I really just accepted it because they told me there was going to be food and a place to stay while I train here and after that I will get a job as a soldier."
"Well, that is also why most people choose to be a soldier. Guaranteed pay, food and a place to stay. It's why most are here."
"So why are you here?"