They were led up to the main floor and through a maze of halls, finally exiting the building and processing to a massive, walled field that included an area of untamed forest and large wooden structures that Eldan thought were forts. There they were directed into a low, squat building to change into their exercise clothes, and as they exited back onto the field they were each handed a paper badge with a number to pin to their chests. Outside, the students spilled out into an untidy cluster on the grass. Eldan and his suite-mates formed up together, he and Cale sharing a nervous look while Stal stood serenely in a wide stance with his hands behind his back and Amuel crossed her arms over her chest, glaring straight ahead.
“We will start with a run.” The Captain shouted. “You will run the entire perimeter of the field twice. Your squad leaders are positioned at regular intervals, do not attempt to shave any distance or circumvent any obstacles. You will be assessed on speed as well as the ability to cross different terrain challenges. You will start NOW!”
The crowd moved in a mad dash, many students sprinting as hard as they could to race to the head of the pack. As the jostling for position slowed and the large group began to spread apart, Stal turned to the other three roommates and gave an apologetic smile.
“I suspect I will perform to less than expectation in other portions of this assessment, so I must take an advantage where I am able. I would be glad for company should any of you wish to join me, but please understand I will not slow down once my pace is set.”
Amuel snorted in response, focusing on the path ahead. “Not gonna get in a foot race with someone from the sands.”
Cale glanced at Eldan, and sensing his agreement turned her head to Stal to speak for both of them. “We will hold at a pace we can maintain and hope it is enough.”
Stal nodded at the three of them politely and then leaped ahead, his legs stretching in impossibly long strides as he devoured the ground beneath him, soon disappearing in the distance. Eldan shook his head and kept running, pushing himself to keep the fastest pace he could without winding himself to a point that he would have to slow down to recover. They slowly passed some of the early sprinters who had blown their reserves too early, and Eldan saw that they were approaching a series of terrain changes ahead.
Their trio broke apart and reassembled several times as they crossed the first terrain obstacles, running over hills and steppes and through a mud flat. Eldan took the lead as they scrambled over a field of huge boulders, and Cale edged past him when they shimmied up poles to cross narrow rope bridges between. They passed other runners at several points, though Eldan could not tell where they now fell in the group as a whole. As the Captain had said, they occasionally saw an older student in military dress watching them and making notations in small books.
After the obstacles they plunged into the wooded portion of the field, where Amuel immediately surged ahead. While Eldan and Cale dodged branches snapping at their faces and stumbled through undergrowth and over fallen branches, she ducked and leaped with preternatural grace, forging a direct line forward as though nothing stood in her way. Eldan managed to keep her in sight as he ran, though he emerged covered in scratches from brambles and shaking twigs and leaves from his hair. Cale followed doggedly behind him, cursing quietly.
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Finally they rounded the last corner and the Captain and Ironkeeper came back in view. They both stood exactly where they had been at the beginning of the run, watching the now somewhat bedraggled students turn into the second lap of the perimeter. When Eldan passed them he thought he saw a twitch of a smirk at the corner of the Captain’s mouth.
The second lap was excruciating. Eldan saw several students give out entirely, dropping from the course to be sent to walk back across the field by the fourth years. One girl sat on the ground in tears, finally being cajoled and pulled to her feet by another boy who had abandoned the run. Eldan’s breath came in gasps, the terrain challenges proving to be more than he could handle at his original pace, but he pushed through regardless, refusing to slow more than absolutely necessary. His arms shook as he pulled himself up hand over hand on the face of a tall boulder this time, and rather than race up three separate poles to the rope bridges they worked together to climb one, boosting and pulling each other up in turn. Amuel pulled ahead again in the woods but Eldan saw her miss her footing once or twice, and she stopped briefly to catch her breath as he and Cale caught up to her at the other end.
They ran the final leg abreast, their feet hitting the ground in hard, short thuds. As they approached the group of students already at the end they found them divided into two groups, those who had finished the second lap early and those who had been forced to abandon that lap partway through. Most of the runners in both groups sat or huddled on the ground, some holding cups of water. Eldan saw that one or two had vomited. Stal stood, looking completely relaxed, in the same wide stance with hands folded at his back that he had adopted before the run began.
“Starting with you three, form into a new group.” The Captain called out to them as they approached. Cale nodded and waved a hand in understanding as they slowed to a walk. As they staggered off the path and stumbled to a stop a haggard looking boy looked up, pointing toward a barrel nearby before dropping his head again. Eldan dragged himself over, taking a cup from a stack and ladled out water, gulping at it greedily.
“Don’t drink so fast. S’why some of those kids threw up. Probably.” Amuel stood at his elbow, ladling out a cup of her own. Eldan reluctantly stopped drinking, and they carried their cups to over to where Cale had flung herself, flat on her back on the grass. They watched as the remaining students straggled in, some running down the path and more trickling in from across the field. Eventually the fourth years followed, jogging briskly from their various stations directly toward the Captain. Eldan counted twelve in total.
A lean young woman with classical features, olive skin and glossy black hair tumbling down her back stood smartly at attention, addressing the Captain. “All runners have returned, Sir!”
“Thank you, Seargent.” The Captain turned back to the students, who were clambering to their feet.
“You have been divided into three groups based on speed of completion. We will refine these rankings based on your individual performances in the terrain challenges as noted by your Seargents. Physical prowess is not the only factor we will judge, camaraderie may also count in your favor.” The Captain’s eyes flicked briefly to the boy Eldan had seen helping another student cross the field before sweeping across the crowd.
“As you know, our military force has a major naval presence. Today’s second assessment will test your aquatic skills. At the second bell you are expected to be on this field in proper swimwear. Failure to arrive on time will mean failing that portion of the assessment. You have until that time to rest from the first test, use that time wisely. You are dismissed.” The Captain turned his back on the students at that, marching toward one of the forts with the Ironkeeper at his side and the Seargents following.