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	[color=silver]The clicking that came from the heel of his boots were as sharp as his movements from the call to attention.  Gabriel had practiced the formations more times than he could count having a decent meal, or the amount of friends he knocked out during 'play boxing' behind the local pub.  To him, it came almost as naturally as breathing.  What he [i]wasn't[/i] prepared for however was the heat that beat down on them that morning.  It seemed to hit harder than any other day, strangely enough; perhaps it was just because of the climate he was used to back in Falkran.  The first thought that struck him when he was reminded of home was his little brothers and how they begged him to stay.  Then, it shifted to his mother... his sweet, doting mother.  As proud as she was of him turning his life around, he knew just how much it hurt her to see him go, and how she wished for him to join the Garrison.[/color]

[color=silver]His thought was, of course, interrupted by the sudden yelling of Head Instructor, and how he had been grilling each of the Cadets in a test of their strengths and weaknesses.  At first, Gabriel wondered more on Maurer's service than what was going on, but his thoughts shifted to his father.  Recalling the past was always painful, but it wasn't something he could control, especially when his father used to do the exact same thing; every failed push up, every trip during a march, and every single tear was met with criticism and a demand for improvement.  In a way, this caused the young man to smile.  It was familiar to him, and almost felt like home.  Of course, the smile was quick to dissipate at the calling of his name, along with a few other recruits.[/color]

[color=silver]Gabriel was completely taken off-guard by the sudden punishment that he and a few others would be facing; was this really what they were to be receiving from someone who didn't understand the complexities of basic training?  In a way, this ticked Gabriel off - at least it did, until he realized something.  He wasn't much of a social bird, but it would perhaps give him a good chance to understand the motives of others joining the military; perhaps there were other patriots just like himself that he had yet to meet?  Even with the pompous attitude and rude remarks, there certainly had to be some diamonds in the rough.  After all, his father always told him: [i][b]"Camaraderie is the most important thing for a soldier.  If you don't have someone to watch your back, you'll soon find yourself without one."[/b][/i][/color]