Chapter 7 Training Begins

"Good morning initiates! Today we will start with hand to hand combat, but first you need to know the initiation process," I hear Tobias day in his instructor voice, the voice that I never hear when we are by ourselves. Tobias never uses his instructor voice around friends only when well, he's instructing.

Tobias nudges me to start, "The initiation is in three stages, physical, mental, and emotional. Each stage will test you with these three things. You have been seperated from the dauntless but in the end that does not matter because you will all be ranked the same. After each stage based on your performance you will be ranked, the lowest will be cut. In stage three you will be grouped with Dauntless. The top ten Dauntless will be made members. And the cut become faction less. "

I watch the surprise on their faces and the worry on some. They didn't expect this. I didn't either. But I ranked first, so did Tobias so we did well enough.

"Any questions?" I ask them using my best impression of Tobias's instructor voice.

One of the Erudite girls pipe up from the back.

"So if we get cut we become faction less?" she says this timidly, her voice doesn't match her. She is very pretty, tall with blonde hair pulled up in a bun.

I would walk up to her and get in her face only, she is taller than me. And I wouldn't reach her face.

"Do I need to repeat myself? I thought Erudite's were smarter." I try to be harsh, and by the look on the girls face it took effect. I don't allow myself to smile, but I mentally smile.

"Six and I will show you a few punches and you can work on the punching bags in the back of the room. Then this afternoon we will show you fighting strategies. Tomorrow you will fight each other. Is that clear?" Tobias says. The initiates all mumble yeses and agreements.

"Great, shall we get started?" I shout. I begin with the simplest punches using Tobias as an example, I don't actually punch hard, but just to show how to do it. Within 15 minutes I'm done and they initiates are practicing on punching bags. Tobias and I walk around to observe the initiates. I see Rick do very well. He is moving the bag and by the looks of it punching pretty hard.

"Good job," I say and nod my head at him as I walk by, and he nods back. I see the small Amity girl, she is doing the punches exceptionally well, only she doesn't punch hard enough. This girl is getting more and more like me.

"You're smaller, and you don't have much muscle, you need to use your elbows and knees the are the stronger parts of your body," I say to her gesturing to my own elbows and knees.

"I'm capable of doing stuff without your input. But thank you," she smiles at me. She has an attitude, that's for sure. But she at least knows when to be nice. I look across the room and see Tobias helping Matt from Erudite. He is short, maybe 5'6' but he had muscles bulging from his shirt, and by the looks of it Tobias is just giving some tips. Matt defiantly doesn't need help.

Before I know it my stomach is growling and I realize it is 12:30. I can tell most of the initiates are tired. So I release them for lunch.

Lunch goes by as quickly as it started and I'm walking back to the training room. I guess my lunch just went by fast, because only Tobias is in the room. He is standing with his back facing me. Since the door was already open, I sneak in quietly. I come right up behind Tobias.

"BOO!" I shout right behind his ear. He jumps a little, but he just turns around with a sly smile in his face.

"Trying to scare me huh?" He laughs, wraps his arms around me and bends down to kiss me. I wriggle out if his grasp.

"You have to catch me first." I taunt him darting across the room with him right on my tail. I don't turn back, it will just slow me down.

"I'll get you," I hear him say. I see the newly installed rock wall, which I am quite good at climbing. I startup it. I usually use a harness, but have free climbed up it a couple times. I know Tobias is afraid of heights and won't follow me.

"Dammit Tris," he says. I can tell he's right at the bottom. But I decide to look down anyway. I am about fifteen feet off the ground.

I don't remember slipping but I guess I did. Because I'm falling, I hit the floor and everything goes black.