06-13-05

Characters involved: Jarril & Taye

Salamandastron: Meeting Room

Sitting at the middle of the large table, the major coughs and looks at the hares in the room at the time and nods his head. "Right, that's a good question. Ya have ta make sure ya keep vigilante, I can't stress this enough." Getting up, Jarril moves about. "Even if nothing is there, it's a very bad world out in the wilderness and quite a lot wouldn't mind slitting ya throats. But apart from keeping yaself alive, ya have ta make sure ya don't miss anything when it comes ta tracking. Why?" The major points to a young buck who coughs and replies back. "Because, ya bally well lose who ya tracking." Nodding his head, the major smiles. "Exactly. So keep an eye on anything. Sounds, what doesn't sound right for the time, a glade of grass in a different direction. Most vermin aren't that well inclined in hiding their tracks but some are..." The major keeps on talking while walking up and down.

Taye is scribbling fiercely on a bit of parchment, his paw all sooty from the bit of charcoal he's using. His ears, dipped back, occasionally perk up and he sits forward at particularly interesting parts in Jarril's lecture. Every now and then he half-raises a paw to ask a question, but thinks better of it and lowers it, again, with a scratch to his ear which only ends up with the ear sooty, as well. He looks quite the sight.

Stopping, Jarril gives a cough. "Ya assignments for this evening." The major placing his paws behind his back. "Revision and training. Those of ya that want ta be part of the patrol in your own special skills should know that I be picking the best of this season ta take the final test and exam." Taking a deep breath, the major releases it slowly. "And yes that will include a session in not spilling any information if ya caught. Now, unfortunately for the time being, there isn't going ta be any tracking exercises, but the rest is still on. I do however may be picking some out for something later on, that's if ya do well in ya work though. Any questions?" The major looks about the room slowly.

Up goes Taye's paw. "'Scuse me, sah? How long do we have 'til the final test and exam? - Er, that is, sah, those that ya pick, sah?" He's asking very timidly, but he wants to know how long he has to prepare, should he be marked to take the exam.

Jarril blinks and looks at Taye for a moment and flicks an ear to catch what he has just said. Coughing, the major points at Taye and then speaks. "Right, Taye, come out ta the front, stand up straight at attention and talk like a long patrol officah should talk and say that again, wot. Come on, don't keep me waiting." The major folds his arms about his chest, giving the others a warning shot on don't dare on making a sound.

Taye turns beet red beneath his fur, but he makes quick about standing up and making his way down the stone steps, with a few veeery soft snickers following him down. He winces inwardly as he reaches the bottom of the steps, and, not sure if he should face the other trainees or if he should face Jarril, he faces... neither, and turns sideways so each see his profile. Standing to attention, he raises a paw to his brow in salute and restates his earlier question, as loud and clear as he can manage. "Majah, sah! For those who will be takin' the exam, sah, when will the final exam be, sah!" Ugh. He's dying, inside. ;)

Jarril nods his head and looks about the whole room. "Now that's how ya supposed ta address a superior officah in the patrol. With confidence. We're the best military based group from afar." Nodding his head, the major lets Taye go back to his seat. "Thank ya Taye for doing that, it takes courage ta fix a problem in front of everyone. The tests will be in a week or so, but I will have who is put down before then so keep checking the dining room or recreational room for any notices. Alright, ya can go now, dismissed." The major watches people begin ta leave as he sits down at his desk once more.

Taye returns to his seat and begins gathering his things. Before packing his parchment, he scrawls, largely, at the bottom of the page, "Don't be a pansy!" He then underlines it, and then stuffs the parchment into his bag. He then turns and heads down the steps, enduring the occasional dig from a fellow recruit as he goes.

Jarril looks up and calls. "Taye, a word." The major says as he waits for the room to clear out, while leaning back in the chair. When everyone had left, the major smiles slightly. "Don't worry about them, ya had more guts ta do what some wouldn't. And I admire those that will stand up and correct themselves even if they're wrong. So anything else ya wanted ta ask, I'd noticed ya putting ya arm up a few times but lowered it."

Taye looks up as his name is called, and his ears simultaneously droop in teenagery despair. Not an "after class talk", no, not that! ;p He shoulders his pack, and jogs over to Jarril's desk as the rest of the trainees file out. He stops before the desk, and salutes smartly, "Yes, sah?" He then hears what Jarril has to say, and he relaxes considerably, and even manages the smallest quirks of a smile. "Thank ya, sah. And, well..." He trails off, and, realizing he's being a "pansy" again, he stands back up to attention, and salutes ever more sharply. "Yes, sah. I was wonderin', sah, if 'n' when the trackin' exercises'd start again. Rathah partial t' those, sah." He pauses, and lowers his head ever so briefly while he rummages for his parchment, where he'd jotted another question. "Also, sah, ya mentioned a certain plant that was good for coverin' scent? Was that a four-pronged leaf, 'r three, sah?"

Jarril nods. "At ease, ya get tired standing like that all the time." He smiles. "As for the tests, there's something that has cropped up that has put those tracking sessions on hold. I can't say more than that at present. I will however ask a colonel about that and see when I can arrange it. As for ya question, either will work but the three leaf is more pognant than the fourth. Ya no doubt get ta learn more on that anyways from Colonel Zoe's class. Speaking of which, just how ya getting on with the other classes?"

Taye relaxes, lowering his saluting-paw to his side. "Thank ya, sah." At mention of Colonel Zoe's class, though, he averts his eyes. "I'm doin' a'right, sah. 'Tis nice t' be able to help da out in the infirmary durin' our trainin' sessions." He just doesn't so much like it when the hares actually come in bleeding or broken, what with the whole "almost fainting at the sight of blood" problem he has. XD However, at the thought of the combat and arms classes, he out and out grins. "I'm gettin' better at archery, sah. I'm hittin' somewhere in the first three rings o' the target just about three outta five, now. Not from very far of a distance, 'course, but I'm gettin' bettah."

Jarril nods slowly. "Good, keep at it." The major muses for a moment and speaks up. "And what of ya close combat training, how is that going?" Giving a look at a parchment and signing it before looking back up at Taye again.

... Well, look at the kid. He's a runt. How do you think the close combat training is going? Heh. ;p The young buck adjusts the pack on his shoulder and looks past Jarril, over his shoulder in embarrassment. "Well, sah... I'm quick enough 'n' all, but I just..." can be thrown around like a sack of flour by the rest of the bucks who're nearly twice my size? "Jus' don't have the knack fer it, I guess." Yes, that works.

Jarril nods. "Yes, I read the report from the major teaching that class." Looking through another parchment. "Which is at the moment holding ya back on becoming a full officah anyways." The major pauses and then adds to what he has said. "Not that it's a bad thing but if ya do get selected, I doubt you be on many missions, there is a lot ta learn in the mountain still while ya growing but it would put ya on some outside missions." Leaning back. "That's if ya picked, I can only send up the reports ta be discussed. But I do admit that ya do have a good chance, that's if ya keep ya work up ta standards, that is." Rubbing his chin, the major ponders. "Have ya been assigned ta be a helper yet for one of the higher ranks? Ya know, pass messages, write reports, do certain jobs, etc?"

Taye's fists clench at his sides, as he tries to hide his disappointment. He'd known that it would hold him back, but this is the first time it has actually been voiced to his face. However much he tries to hide it, though, it's obvious that Jarril's words hit hard. But as Jarril continues, the major's words do give the buck some hope of being picked for the exams - there's just passing them to worry about, yet. At the question, he blinks. Trying to clear the thoughts that had started to crowd in. "Ah - no, sah. I haven't. I've just been helpin' where I can." Of course, he ends up in the infirmary more often than not, much to his chagrin.

Jarril nods. "Well, I've been keeping an eye on ya and if ya do get ta become an officah, I be requesting ya join my patrol. The major nods his head. "Therefore, starting first thing in the morning, ya will start as my apprentice, it's required ta get into the final exam. It be only for a week but ya do need the experience and knowledge." Looking at Taye, the major smiles. "Before ya go out and celebrate, I'd remind ya that I'd expect ya up bright and early for when I give ya the days duties. Ya not going ta have that much free time from now on. Ya dismissed. Ya have revising ta do and we don't want ta get behind that, right?"

Taye's jaw drops as he listens, but slowly he breaks out into a wide grin. As Jarril concludes, he nods, rather over-emphatically. "Yes, sah. I mean - no sah, don't want t' get behind. Thank ya, sah! That is, ah... g'day, sah!" Hehehe. He takes a step backwards, salutes, and with a final shine to his grin, he turns and jogs for the door. Got to get to that revision, after all.