Major Terkand and Lieutenant Edward returned to the firing range as they had said after two glasses, gathering the entire company again. Once the company had assembled in front of Major Terkand he started speaking "So, now that you have gotten a chance to use those rifles it is time for some more physical training before you hit the beds for the night. As you can also imagine this will be mostly how your days will be for the coming six weeks, after which you will be sent to the companies you will be serving in. Of course those six weeks of training is under the assumption that the enemy will not attack just yet. If they attack now, you will have your training cut short and sent earlier."
After Major Terkand finished speaking and explaining what would happen from now onwards they were led back towards the parade ground they had been at when arriving at Elghus. Once there Major Terkand indicated for Lieutenant Edward to take over again. "Alright recruits, it is time for some nice relaxed physical exercise. I want all of you to drop down and give me twenty push ups, followed by twenty sit ups and twenty squats. And before anyone is stupid enough to ask, NO! You may not drop your gear, now get started… One…" Lieutenant Edward said as he started counting as the recruits performed the tasks assigned.
They continued with various different physical exercises for about a glass and a half before they were allowed to relax for a short while. After which they did running to increase their endurance. When they had finished their run they were finally allowed to break for the day and have some dinner.
This was how the days went by, one after another, waking up, hurrying to get some food and then training, training and more training. Most of the time went to shooting at targets and physical exercise. Though interspersed within in this monotony they had some field training where they got to spend a day or two outside the garrison.
When they were out on field training it was to some extent quite similar to how their travel from Tiramdal to the garrison had been. Travelling for about five to six hours a day, aiming to cover about 30 km per day in travel. During these field exercises they would get different challenges, often in the form of obstacles that blocked their way forward, or they were to make camp in exposed areas and would have to build defences.
One day during these field exercises there was even a simulated attack by an enemy. The recruits on guard duty that night could spot what seemed to be movement in the trees that flanked one side of their camp. At first the recruit whom spotted the movement thought only it was him getting tired, thus decided to ignore it. And so, mere moments later, a mass of people came running from the forest towards the defences.
At first the recruits on guard only stared blankly at the people running towards them before they finally reacted and one of them ran towards the bell and rang it.
By the time all the recruits had managed to wake up, get into their uniforms and grab their weapons the people that had come from the forest had managed to scale the defences, knocking out the recruits closest to them. Some recruits started running wildly about, unsure on how they should respond, some started running towards the enemy whilst others raised their guns to try and fire.
The ones that tried to fire at the enemy soon realised that they had not been issued any ammunition for this specific field exercise and started panicking as well. Whilst the recruits running towards the enemy tried to bash at them with their rifles. The attack by the enemy soon turned into a melee. Most of the recruits that joined the melee ended up knocked out. And it wasn't long before the fighting started to wind down as Lieutenant Edward shouted for it to stop. At which point it was possible to see that of the enemy, only a couple had been knocked out by the recruits.
Shaking his head Lieutenant Edward said "I am somewhat disappointed with your reaction recruits. You allowed an enemy to get inside the camp with barely any fight. Many of you just straight up panicked. Some tried to fire at the enemy and then panicked when they realised they didn't have ammunition. Fewer still tried to actually run towards them and subdue them but in a fairly unorganised manner resulting in many casualties. The only good thing is that the enemy this time was just two platoons from the Elghus Garrison tasked with testing you."
After this particular field exercise, when most of the recruits realised that the only thing they were good for so far was firing the rifle, they started learning more about hand-to-hand combat, bayonet combat and general contact combat. They also started to train in bayonet charges after finishing a line volley instead of reloading.
By the end of the six weeks they had spent at Elghus Garrison most of the recruits started to feel like they really could contribute in the defence of their country. During this period only one person had managed to get himself into significant trouble. And seeing the kind of punishment he had gotten the rest of the recruits understood quite well what the Major had meant by wanting to be dead instead.
Before they were to be sent to their actual posts after this period of training one final, four day long, field exercise remained.
"Finally the time has come for you recruits to earn your place as privates in the glorious Verenden Army. Today you will start your four day field exam. I will be watching and seeing that Major Terkand has done his duties and taught you all that you need to know. You will be travelling out to the Lerin River Valley, were you will build a temporary camp, before turning around and coming back. When you come back you will be demonstrating your abilities to operate as platoons and as a company. I wish you luck" A man in a generals uniform with a large pot belly spoke to the assembled recruit company.
The company of recruits saluted General Reavers after he finished explaining what would happen and followed Major Terkand as he lead the way from Elghus Garrison.
To get from Elghus to the Lerin River Valley they would have to travel around 40 km. The path would take them through the Elghus Ducal Forest and across the Elghus River. Once they crossed the Elghus river they would make camp for the first day. On the second day they would continue until they hit the Lerin River and follow it until they reached the Lerin River Valley.
Their travel from Elghus to the Lerin River Valley went by smoothly and they reached it as projected on the second day after roughly a short march. In the river valley they started cutting down trees and raising tents by the river. The trees were used to build makeshift palisade enclosing them on all sides but towards the river. Behind the palisade they raised the earth so they could stand atop it and look over the palisade.
Building the field camp and staying there until the third day went by without any issues. No sneak attacks seemed to have been arranged, some recruits even started talking about there not even being anyone sent by the general to watch them. And so the third day arrived and they could leave the field camp and start making their way back towards Elghus.
On the way back they ended up making camp in the middle of the Ducal Forest at the end of the third day. Being that they made camp in a ducal forest, they couldn't cut down any of the trees so they had to make due with more of the recruits at a time having guard duties. This also meant that the entire company had to bunch up, leading to quite a lot of recruits swearing at each other when someone decided to move when trying to sleep.
Other than it being a quite uncomfortable night, the third night passed by without any issues. And so they made finally made their way back to the Elghus Garrison.
As they approached the garrison many of the recruits started talking to each other. Though the corporals quite got them to shut up as the company came to a stop outside the garrison, where they could now spot four rows of target and a stage with the general sitting on top of it.
"Men, form up in platoon firing lines" Major Terkand shouted. The recruits quickly split into their respective platoons and formed up facing the targets. "Ready rifles, corporals hand out ammunition to the recruits… Load rifles… Take aim… Fire!" Major Terkand continued shouting as the recruits took aim and fired a volley at the targets.
A slow clap could be heard as the sound of rifles faded "Bravo, well done, and an excellent volley Major. I knew they could be thought to proper military standards, and I was sure you could do it even if you think that volley firing is not worth anything with these new rifles. I will leave you to address the recruits and send them on their way to their new posts Major" General Reaver said.