Page 15 of Twins for the Secret Prince
“Recruits, I want you to listen to me very carefully. There’s insubordination, and then there’s smart thinking that could save your life and the lives of everyone around you. That’s what Private O’Malley has just demonstrated. This isnota safe place to camp, which you would know if you’d noticed the animal tracks. Let’s keep moving.”
They hiked for two more miles, stopped again, and Eva ordered the recruits to check the site for tracks. When it was deemed safe, she once again described the three types of shelters they could build, which would be their only cover for the next few days. Although the rain was still light as they started to build the shelters, the sky to the east was slate gray, and it was clear that heavy rain was headed their way.
Eva located some of the wooden poles that had been used on previous wilderness training exercises and asked for another pair of hands while she demonstrated how to build a basic A-frame for the leaf hut, the type of shelter that offered the most protection from the elements.
As she demonstrated the steps involved, Billings positioned himself right next to her and then began to unhelpfully add to her demonstration.
“Notice that these ribs are far enough apart to let water or wind in, even when they’re covered by layers of leaves,” he said. “Make sure you put yours closer together, or you’ll get soaked.”
Eva saw red but told herself to count to five before speaking. She didn’t want the recruits to see her arguing with her fellow sergeant. “My advice is to build the frame first, and then once you have a basic foundation, check to see how wind and water-tight it is. It’s always possible that you won’t be able to find enough poles to build your perfect shelter.”
“Although that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t make every effort to do so,” Billings added, self-righteously.
Eva showed the recruits how to add layers of leaves and other green forest matter to make the roof, while Billings continued to add his own level of interpretation and critique. Although she was silently fuming, Eva was relieved at least that Lieutenant Armstrong was staying quiet.
When it was time for the squads to build their shelters, Eva made a concerted effort to stay as far away from Billings as possible. Not only did she not want to talk to him, but she didn’t trust herself to hold her tongue. In fact, she wanted to tell himexactlywhat she’d thought of his interference during her building demonstration.
But, a few minutes into the exercise, he sidled up to her. “At least none of them chose to build a lean-to. Not even your lazy boy over there,” Billings said, gesturing towards where Private Sully stood with his group, letting them do all of the work.
“Private Sully, if you’re just going to stand there and let the rest of your group build the shelter, you can standoutsidetonight when everyone else beds down,” Eva said coolly.
The young man gave her a sullen look before making a show of going to search for some long branches to serve as poles.
Most groups were building leaf huts, but a few were well towards finishing their wiki-ups. Covered in at least a couple of layers of vegetation, the wiki-up would keep out rain and serve as a warm shelter when the winds lashed throughout the night, as they were forecast to do.
Forty-five minutes later, Eva and the other officers were inspecting the completed shelters, offering feedback about thestrengths of the builds and any areas that needed to be fixed to ensure the recruits stayed dry and safe while they slept. The heavy rain had indeed arrived, blowing almost sideways in the strong winds, testing the quality of the shelters that had just been built.
“Good effort,” Eva told the recruits. “You’ll know just how good when you’re trying to sleep tonight. Now, what are the two things we need to do next?”
Although Eva could have sworn she heard someone — Private Sully, no doubt — mutter, “Sit down and have a rest,” she couldn’t be sure where it came from, given the ferocity of the wind.
The squads correctly identified that they needed to find water and build a fire. Eva announced that she would go with the water-sourcing group, which at the very least gave her the chance to get away from Billings and Armstrong for a little while. She knew that the nearest fresh spring was about a mile away, and the group was slowed down considerably by the muddy, treacherous trail and wind that threatened to blow them off their feet.
Although in calmer weather Eva would have encouraged the recruits to listen for the sound of running water, the storm made such teaching points useless. Instead, she walked the group straight to the water source.
Eva had deliberately not brought any equipment for the water to be carried back to camp because she wanted the recruits to work out how they could transport water if there was no available vessel. The group didn’t let her down; they found hollowed-out chunks of logs by the water’s edge, working in pairs to carry the heaviest ones and spilling very little water in the process.
When they got back to camp, they were rewarded with the sight of a roaring fire. Even with Billings standing over it, looking at Eva like he’d justdiscoveredfire, it was a very welcome sight. She was soaked through to the skin and had started feeling the type of chill that was an early sign of risk.
After the water was poured into large pots for boiling, Armstrong approached Eva.
“Are we going to take them hunting tonight or cook tins of beans?” he asked.
Eva had started to shiver, her body’s way of trying to elevate her core temperature. If she was that cold, she knew at least some of the recruits would be too. Hypothermia was the last thing they needed to deal with on the first day in the wilderness. “Tins of beans,” she answered. “I think we need to keep them close to the fire. And feed them quickly.”
“I’m going to have to disagree,” Billings said, interrupting the conversation. “This is exactly the right time to push them, to test their mettle. Cooking over the campfire at this stage is like inviting them to a slumber party. I was under the impression this iswildernesstraining. We need to prepare them for the fact that they might not have any food to warm up over the fire.”
“My main concern is this storm, but you might be right,” Armstrong said.
“I disagree strongly,” Eva said, shooting Billings her most withering look. “Lieutenant Marshall reminded us before we left that the safety of the recruits is paramount. Sending them out hunting with guns in this weather, and when they’re hungry and tired, isn’t safe.”
“These are exactly the kind of conditions they can expect to encounter. Hostile climates, desperate situations,” Billings said. “We can take advantage of these weather conditions and give them the chance to rise to the occasion, or we can let them take the easy way out and slurp down a bowl full of wieners and beans.”
Eva was so angry she wanted to shout at Billings right there and then that what he was suggesting was dangerous and wrong. She couldn’t believe that Armstrong wasn’t shutting him down.
And then Billings went and made it worse. “Recruits, listen up. We are going to give you the option of going out and hunting your dinner tonight, or staying here and eating campfire beans. Those who want to hunt for tonight’s dinner should come with me. I’ll issue weapons and will give you basic instructions on how to use them. Those who don’t want to hunt can stay here with Sergeant Bailey.”
Eva saw red. “Recruits, you are to disregard Sergeant Billings’ orders. As the more experienced wilderness training officer here, I will not allow anyone to be put in danger in this weather.Everyonewill stay here at camp tonight.”
