Training was the worst.

Wet days

Windy days

Cold days

Hot days

Feet sliding in mud, bodies shuffling through, swords connected to rifles tearing the flesh of dummies hung from wooden stakes.

Right face

Left face

About face

Do as you’re told, never stray from a command. When they say jump don’t ask how high just do it. Yelling, screaming there was no talking. Trees shading the already dark ground making it slightly chillier around the camp and heat was scarce with wet fire wood.

One month…this is what kept going through Spencer’s mind besides hazel eyes that haunted her dreams for a reason that escaped her in all ways. One month of shaking cold, lousy food, mud baths, sore feet, and muscle spasms.

October, a cold month in deed, held a certain appeal though seeing as on October 1st General Davies came out and said that the best man at the end of each day would get a prize. The men yelled and squealed at that fact, murmurs echoed in every tent; in every training simulation all wondering what the winner would receive.

Spencer wanted no part in this game, sure she would like to be called the best but the less attention brought her way the better so when she got in line for an activity she made sure she was close to last than calculated the best before her and did less than that person. The first to win on that fateful day was Hank Jansen; they all watched him walk slowly up into the house disappearing into the warm building.

Blue eyed scanned the windows every day for a month hoping to catch a flash of brown hair or hazel eyes but each day it was the same just a plain clear window leading into a house she’d probably never set foot in. Spencer didn’t understand what was going on with her feelings, any thought consisting of the brunette brought butterflies to her stomach and sweat to her hands.

The next day on October 2nd, Jansen walked out of the building clean as could be, a big change than when he had stepped foot inside the day before. His hair was shaved and his skin seemed to glow as if he’d bathed in heavenly hot water enough to scrub away the lasting dirt on their bodies. Tales began to surface jumping from man to man as everyday a new guy entered the house.