Sergeant Porrex indicated for 3rd platoon to wait after Lieutenant Edward had finished informing the company of what they were to do. "You heard the lieutenant, however before we head into camp lets wait for 1st and 2nd platoon. Once they have gotten to their designated areas you can enter. When we get to our area get your gear of quickly and get the tents up. Corporal William, your squad will be responsible for getting the cooking for our platoon started whilst the tent is set-up. Okay, get to it men!" Sergeant Porrex told them.
Alexander and the rest of Corporal William's squad got started with the cooking once they got to 3rd platoons area of the camp. Alexander was designated to stir the pot seeing as he would still have to stay awake the entire night, with the two other guys from the platoon that didn't wake up in time. Thus it was better for that he do something that didn't require too much concentration.
It didn't take them long to finish setting up the tent and preparing a meal. After all the meal was basically just a large pot of random ingredients. However, since they had been walking for most of the day and hadn't eaten anything more than some easy rations the meal tasted fantastic. Everyone in 3rd platoon wolfed down the stew, some even managing to go for a second bowl. Alexander was quite glad when Sergeant Porrex said that everyone was to clean their own bowls after eating. He even got to lay down for and sleep until night with the other two whom were to take on the night watch.
Both Alexander and the other two from the platoon that were to do the night watch was woken just before the rest of the platoon was going to head to sleep. They were told to grab their rifles and do circuits of the camp ground, whilst the men that were part of the rotations would be responsible for the stationary watch positions. All three of them grabbed their rifles and Alexander grabbed a lantern that he could attach to his belt so that they would have some light whilst patrolling.
Not much really happened during the night, the only thing of note was when someone tried to sneak through the camp. Unfortunately for the person trying to sneak he almost crashed into Alexander and the two others from 3rd platoon as they turned around one of the tents. At first all four just stared at each other in dumb silence, before they all came to their senses. The person sneaking was just about to turn around and run when the three from 3rd platoon managed to grab him. "Who are you? Why are you sneaking around here at night?" Alexander asked of the man. "I… Uhm… I was hungry, and didn't eat anything when my platoon made food earlier because I was throwing up from the march." Answered the man. "Which platoon do you belong to?" asked one of the others from 3rd platoon. The man answered that he was part of 4th platoon.
They dragged the man with them towards 4th platoon, Alexander holding on of his arms whilst the two others where in front and behind them. As they got to 4th platoons area they asked the two recruits stationed outside the tent to wake up their sergeant. One of the recruits nodded in response and walked to the officers tent to wake up 4th platoons sergeant.
It didn't take long before the recruit came out of the tent with the sergeant. Alexander pushed the man he was holding forward so that he would stand before the group from 3rd platoon. "Jacob, really? Didn't you learn anything from trying to leave last night? Will I have to give you a new punishment everyday?" The sergeant asked of the man before turning to the group from 3rd platoon and saying "well, you've done you job so return to your stations recruits!"
And so the night proceeded without anything else happening. Somehow both Alexander and the two others managed to stay awake, most likely due to them having a circuit to walk the entire night. When morning came they returned to 3rd platoons area and joined the rest for breakfast. Once everyone had eaten they proceeded with taking down the tents and the entire company assembled again in front of the camp in the same order as the day before. After the entire company had assembled Lieutenant Edward called for the march to resume.
The next three days and nights didn't really have anything happen, they marched during the day with some increase in pace from one day to the other. And during night some recruits from each platoon did different stations for night watch.
Finally on the fifth day of marching they could make out the shapes of what seemed to be a larger area of permanent structures. Lieutenant Edward wasn't too happy about the fact that the pace hadn't gotten up to his hoped for speed, thus leading them to take one day longer to get to Elghus than he planned. The company made their way towards the area with all the permanent structures, and after entering they made their way towards a parade ground. Once at the parade ground the company formed up into platoons at six men per line.
When all the platoons had formed up Alexander could see a few men in uniform making their way towards the stage on the parade ground. From the looks of it this was probably officers of a higher rank than the lieutenant. Once the men had made their way to the stage one of them stepped forward and started speaking. "3rd Recruit Company of Tiramdal, General Reaver welcomes you to Elghus Garrison, where you will be having your initial training period. I am Major Terkand and I will make sure that you get the training you need. Without further ado, Lieutenant Edward, please take your company to barrack five, one platoon per room, the sergeants have rooms in the same barracks whilst you have a room in the officers barrack."
The company made their way to barrack five where they could put down their gear. Once they had done that they were told to form up outside the barracks for further orders. When the company had formed up outside the barrack Major Terkand and Lieutenant Edward made their way over. "So, I assume all of you are eager to get started with training. Before anything else let me just say one thing. I will not tolerate any insubordination. Nor will I tolerate anyone trying to leave before the training period is over. The only ways you will be getting out of here is; one, I tell you that training is over; two, you die or get severely wounded by being a stupid idiot; or three, you do something even more stupid than getting wounded or dying, so stupid in fact that I would have to arrest you. Though to be fair, if it comes to that, you would wish you had only died." Major Terkand said whilst walking slowly back and forth in front of the company.
"Now, let us get to the more interesting items. The first thing we will be doing today is showing you the mess hall, where you will have half a glass to get some food. Once the half glass has passed everyone will form up outside the mess hall. Then we will return here and grab your rifles, before proceeding to the firing range. There you will learn how to use that rifle. You will learn how to load it. You will learn how to fire on command. And you will learn how to fire as a platoon." The major continued before indicating for the company to follow him.
They walked for a bit before they got to a larger building which Major Terkand said was the mess hall. He reiterated once more that everyone were to be back outside in half a glass before letting them go inside. The food that they found in the mess hall was many times better than what they had been eating for the last four days during the march. Finally they got something that wasn't just a collection of random ingredients thrown in a pot with water and boiled. They actually got a proper bowl of stew this time.
Half a glass later the entire company was formed up again outside the mess hall, no one being late or doing anything else that was stupid for once. Major Terkand nodded slightly when he saw that they weren't entirely a lost cause. Having formed up they made their way back to barrack five to get their rifles and proceeded to follow Major Terkand to the firing range.