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Глава 3. After a long night of tossing and turning, I give up on the notion of sleep and find myself walking down the familiar rocky path that leads to the bottom of






After a long night of tossing and turning, I give up on the notion of sleep and find myself walking down the familiar rocky path that leads to the bottom of the chasm. I sit down on the rocks and fix my eyes on a jagged peak splitting the river's current in half. Water washes over the riverbed and slips away like sand. I hug my knees to my chest and close my eyes. The roar of the water fills my ears and wipes away wasted thoughts. I've been waiting for this silence all night long.

x x x

At precisely 7: 00am, I walk into the training room to find the initiates already standing in a neat line.

" The first thing you will learn today is how to shoot a gun. The second thing is how to win a fight." I say, while making my way down the row of initiates, pressing a gun into each of their hands. " Thankfully, if you are here, you already know how to get on and off a moving train, so I don't need to teach you that."

I glance up and down the line and note that their eyes are still heavy from sleep.

" Initiation is divided into three stages." I continue. " We will measure your progress and rank you according to your performance in each stage. The stages are not weighed equally in determining your final rank, so it is possible, though difficult, to drastically improve your rank over time."

I pause to let the information sink in.

" We believe that preparation eradicates cowardice, which we define as the failure to act in the midst of fear, " I say. " Therefore each stage of initiation is intended to prepare you in a different way. The first stage is primarily physical; the second, primarily emotional; the third, primarily mental."

" But what..." Peter says while yawning. " What does firing a gun have to do with...bravery? "

I flip the gun in my hand, press the barrel to his head, and click the bullet into place. He stops dead in the middle of a yawn.

" Wake. Up, " I snap at him. " You are holding a loaded gun, you idiot. Act like it."

I lower the gun from his head. His green eyes harden once he realize the threat is gone. No effort of retaliation came from his mouth. It's good that he's learning to keep his mouth shut, especially after speaking his mind his whole life in Candor.

I turn my back to Peter and start pacing down the row.

" And to answer your question...you are far less likely to soil your pants and cry for your mother if you're prepared to defend yourself." I stop and turn on my heel once I reach the end of the line. " This is also information you may need later in stage one. So, watch me."

I turn to the targets lining the opposite wall and ready myself. Clutching the gun in both hands, I raise my arms, part my feet, and fire.

The bullet hit the target dead and center, like usual.

I motion for the initiates to begin practicing and make my way over to the side of the room. I lean against the wall, arms crossed, and start making watchful observations once the first shot has been fired.

My eyes sweep up and down the row a couple of times before resting on Tris. She 's so much smaller than the rest of the initiates. The gun seems to be a burden for her arms. She squeezes the trigger and the force of the shot catches her off guard as she presses a hand against the wall to steady herself. I have no idea where her bullet went, and I doubt she has a clue either. Judging by her unharmed target, I can deduce the bullet didn't land there. Tris fires again, and again, and again. Still, none of the bullets hit home. She vaguely reminds me of my own experiences as an initiate. I certainly did not stumble the first time I fired a gun, nor did I miss as many times as she did, but I experienced the same hesitation and unease that she probably felt when the weapon was placed in her hands.

I continue to observe the rest of the initiates. After everyone overcomes the edginess of the first shot, hitting the target doesn't prove to be impossible. Bullet holes begin appearing in everyone targets, even Tris's. Eventually, a bullet plants itself in the middle of her target and I watch her eyes widens as her mouth curves into a smile.

x x x

After a brief lunch break, I lead the group to a bigger room where they will learn to fight. Faded black punching bags hang at three-foot intervals. The initiates each find their place behind a punching bag while I remain standing in the middle of the room, where they can see me.

" As I said this morning, " I start, " next you will learn how to fight. The purpose of this is to prepare you to act; to prepare your body to respond to threats and challenges - which you will need, if you intend to survive life as a Dauntless."

I pause and think about what I just said. Truthfully, Dauntless isn't a survival of the fittest. We are a faction that values bravery and pride above all. To survive life as a Dauntless, one simply has to embody these values. However, the leaders now have different stances on how to exemplify the qualities of a Dauntless, and they believe physical violence is one way.

" We will go over technique today, " I continue, " and tomorrow you will start to fight each other, so I recommend that you pay attention. Those who don't learn fast will get hurt."

I name and demonstrate a few different punches, both against the air and the punching bag.

The sound of skin hitting tough fabric fills the room as every initiate tries to imitate my actions. It takes a few tries for everyone to get acquainted with the motions, just like it did the guns.

I pace slowly around the room, making careful observations of everyone's strengths and weaknesses. Edward, I notice, seems the most comfortable. While everyone else is still familiarizing themselves with the basic movements, he has already garnered a couple of proper punches and kicks.

I come to a stop in front of Tris and examine her from head to toe.

" You don't have much muscle, " I tell her, " which means you're better off using your knees and elbows. You can put more power behind them."

I press a hand to her stomach.

" Never forget to keep tension here, " I advise her quietly. I remove my hand and continue my pacing.

The group continue practicing until I released them for dinner. The room clears out fairly quickly. When the last initiate has stepped out of the room, I shut off the lights, and start making my way down to the dining hall.

I'm about to push open the doors when Eric finds me.

" Four! " he calls while running down the stairs. I turn around and watch him make his way towards me. He skips the last few steps and lands before me. " I'm going to sit in on the paired fighting tomorrow."

" Do as you wish." I reply blankly.

" And don't worry about the pairings. I'll take care of that tonight."

" Sure thing."

" Alright, I will see you bright and early tomorrow morning."

With that, he claps me on the shoulder and leaves. As I push open the doors to the dining hall, a feeling of dread washes over me. I'm used to Eric's presence in my life, but I can't place a finger as to why his involvement in tomorrow's one on one fighting leaves me feeling so anxious. I shake my head and let the noise from the dining hall carry my thoughts away to the unknown.

There's no use in fretting over the future.

 


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