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For three days and nights Kalein Keep was left without a moment of sleep as happy festivities attempted to cover up the somber feeling in the air. Recruits were equipped with uniforms and other necessary equipment barring weaponry before organized into regimental sub-units. First broken into 'Squadrons' of fifty men, then down to Sections of ten men. Among them, was Number Four Section of Fifth Squadron, ten men who came from very different backgrounds, brought together by a common cause. The Section was led by Sergeant Jurros Prydin and his subordinate Corporal Alwen Kharis, both members of the most honorable Order of the Evocati, an organization made up of only the most experienced warriors of the realm. These two veterans savored the festivities to the last moment, because they knew they had quite the task ahead of them.

On the morning of the fourth day, every soldier and recruit was dressed in their newly fitted uniforms for the coming parade out of Kalein Keep. following the order to "Mount up!" the regiments slowly funneled out of the Keep's gates in columns of four riding at a slow trot. The Lancers, in their full black plate took the lead with Baron Arocles himself at the head of the column. They received the cheers and praise expected for the Baron and his noble knights. The Thirteenth too received such cheers, but it was interspersed with interruptions of the column as children, wives, and other family members broke out onto the main road to bid farewell to their fathers, husbands, brothers, and sons. Leaving many among the regiment leaving with heavy hearts rather than soaring spirits.

Once out of the town and well onto the road, Baron Arocles leading the Lancers, and Colonel Tanithil Valrona, commander of the Thirteenth bid each other luck in the coming campaign before parting ways with a solemn salute and their regiments at their backs. Baron Arocles and his Lancers were bound for the main army camp at Elisen Castle to the west. Colonel Valrona and the Thirteenth on the other hand were headed for a training encampment to the north.

Number Four Section Roster
Evocatus Sergeant Jurros Prydin
Evocatus Corporal Alwen Kharis
Recruit Harin Leodan
Recruit Jona Leodan
Recruit Quatheon Galanodel @Syraj
Recruit Calindil Egenor @Gerrick
Recruit Lorantean Kelivista @Saerien
Recruit Perren Rolodel @Excalibur
Recruit Temu Kallander @Cinciri
Recruit Morredir aep Finandrel @Doc

At nightfall, The Column was stopped, and the veteran members of the regiment began their first training duties in teaching their recruit comrades how to set up camp. It took a good long while, but eventually Sergeant Prydin and Corporal Kharis managed to get the section through setting up their tent and cooking pot, digging the section latrine, and dealing with the care of the horses, the latter most of those tasks proving the easiest for most of the recruits to accomplish. Their duties at last complete, the section sat around their fire and began to acquaint themselves with one another.

Sergeant Prydin didn't bother much with conversation, choosing instead to eat in relative silence. Corporal Kharis on the other hand a far friendlier person by nature started the conversation by asking the recruits what they did before joining up and why they chose to sign the dotted line.

Seeing as how they'd assigned him as a recruit, the recruiter clearly hadn't taken his claims of experience too seriously. Sergeant looked like a hardarse. Corporal was the young, enthusiastic sort. The rest looked like the usual combination of freshfaced boys and mid-400s men tired after two centuries of the same stupid peasant drudgery. No less original a set of things existed under the sun.
So, Mor thought, since they're treating me like a stupid recruit, might as well act like one, take this stupid training as a paid holiday, and then astonish the lot when the war gets around to starting.
To wit, he'd been utterly ineffectual at the latrines, woefully inept at starting a fire, and managed to even bollocks up setting up the tent. The only thing he'd been sure to do well was keep his horse well-groomed, because it wouldn't do to have it displeased with him.
Set expectations low and then perpetually barely exceed them. If that wasn't the first rule of soldiering, it was certainly in line for second.

Now, though, the Corporal was doing the stupid 'introduce yourselves' thing, trying to be the 'big brother' sort while the Sergeant did the usual 'distant, perpetually disappointed father-figure' act. He'd considered simply staying silent, but you can't do both 'incompetent' and 'unlikable', that's a recipe for nobody being willing to save your bacon. So: participation was a necessity.
Well, can't come out with 'battle-hardened mercenary', he'd be laughed clean out of camp. 'Farmhand' wouldn't work, since even a blind man would realize he was too old and too well-armed for that. 'Hunter', perhaps, but the sergeant might frown on that as a poacher covering his behind. Something uneventful, dull, but plausible for why he was armed.
"Well, er. I used to, er, guard warehouses and the like," a statement which was technically true at various points in his career. "Merchant went, er, went out of business, which is a, er, euphemism in the business for 'got hisself killed by bandits', so I, er,  needed to find new work. Passed through, er, Kalein, while looking, saw the signs, and, er, s'pose I just thought I'd do my part, is all. Better this than, er, standing out on the line, eh?"

Lorantean was one of the few who was actually competent starting a fire, and was fairly competent with a horse.  He'd never set up a tent, however, and needed serious help.  Once they were done, the corporal brought them around the fire.  Lorantean said, "I am a blacksmith by trade, and have lived in Kalein all my life.  I was swept up n the draft, but will do anything to protect Kalein."

As Recruit Findandrel gave his introduction, Sergeant Prydin shot him a suspicious look. Corporal Alwen on the other hand didn't seem to notice choosing to instead pay attention to Recruit Lorantean's story.

"What about the rest of you? Don't be shy, we'll all be working together for quite some time."

The twins Harin and Jona Leodan couldn't care less about the main conversation as they played yet another round of checkers at the edge of the group.

"I worked on a farm with my family my whole life," Calindil hesitantly spoke up after looking around at all the older men who made up his Section. He then continued on a little louder as some heads turned toward him, "I tended to ride off on my horse when things got too slow and boring, though. I could tell that I got on my father's nerves more than I was helpful, so I figured it was time to move on. Didn't really know where to go, but luckily the Scout Cavalry was recruiting, so it just sort of worked out." He shrugged then looked around for who'd answer next.

Temu sat slightly farther from the others, noticably in the direction of the horses. He looked up as people were talking. "I've worked a horse ranch me whole life. I joined sp that I can hopefully go back to it, and to show some of these fancy prigs how to really work and respect the horses. Donated a good portion of my personal herd to the cause." He said, quietly. He tugged on his riding boots, and adjusted the clothing he had on. His scars were immediately apparent, and his face was not solemn, but just focused.

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Corporal Kharis nodded approvingly to Temu, "I must thank you and your family for the mounts. Though I'm not particularly educated about horses, Jurros and I were infantrymen until these new commoners cavalry units were put together. Ain't that right Sarge?"

Sergeant Prydin gave Kharis a begrudged look then nodded in agreement. "Aye. Hail to your family for the steeds. The young mare I've been issued is quite sufficient."

Perren put some wood on the fire and sat silently before saying, "My family was the only placed where I truly felt I belonged. I figured that maybe that should change. I joined to try and find a place where my skill set and personality would be welcome, or at least tolerated."

Corporal Kharis smiled. "Well you joined the right crowd then. Hard pressed to find a closer bond than you do in soldiering. Sarge here's been like an older brother to me since my first campaign. He taught me how to march, taught me how to take a punch... Taught me how to celebrate friends lost." Kharis paused for a moment and stared into the fire, "And with a bit of my help he'll do the same with the lot of you."

"Celebrate friends lost?" Calindil asked, somewhat shocked. "We're the Scout Cavalry, though, not the Lancers," he said, trying to hide the growing concern in his voice.

What have I gotten myself into? he thought to himself as he looked to the other recruits for some form of solace.

"Celebrate friends lost?" Calindil asked, somewhat shocked. "We're the Scout Cavalry, though, not the Lancers," he said, trying to hide the growing concern in his voice.

What have I gotten myself into? he thought to himself as he looked to the other recruits for some form of solace.

"Commemorate, not celebrate. 'Drink to your dead and leave some for them', we said in th-er, that is to say I've heard it said by the other guards. Ones who've fought, leastwise." Mor hawked a little, then spat into the fire, rubbing his hands together in thought. "We'd still wind up doing it every so often. You always get some idjit or another trying to knock off a warehouse in the middle of the night. See a friend gutted or an arrow through the neck. If there's a mob, they might even try some of those stupid human bangsticks, now, but those are rubbish if you're trying to sneak about. Couple of good mates wound up dead for that."
Mostly true, although he was generally on the other side, trying to knock over those warehouses. 'Loot and pillage' was generally how mercenaries made some extra money on the side of their contracts. Spices used to sell for a lot more than they did now. Still worth grabbing, of course, but if you could find gems they held value better.
"Any rate, the Corporal's probably just talking about what it was like in the infantry, but scouts can still run into plenty of problems. Er, least so I've heard."

Temu had gotten up and was tending the horses, a selection of mares and geldings (fixed males). He when over and brushed each one. "I do not know much about commemorating or celebraying friends lost. I have mourned only the dead horses on my ranch." He said patting the horses. "I am not so good with....people." he stated with a chuckle.

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After finishing his meal Sergeant Prydin pulled a pipe and tobacco box out from his pocket.  As he went to light his pipe he shot a glance at Mor, "So Findandrel, why lie about your experience?" he let out his first puff of smoke, "A good friend of mine had it on good authority that you were a veteran mercenary before you joined this army."

Corporal Kharis looked over at the sergeant a bit startled and bewildered. "Sarge?"

 

After finishing his meal Sergeant Prydin pulled a pipe and tobacco box out from his pocket.  As he went to light his pipe he shot a glance at Mor, "So Findandrel, why lie about your experience?" he let out his first puff of smoke, "A good friend of mine had it on good authority that you were a veteran mercenary before you joined this army."

Corporal Kharis looked over at the sergeant a bit startled and bewildered. "Sarge?"

Perren looks at Mor bewildered and says, "Wait what? I thought we were all fresh recruits here."