Chapter 4: Basic Training
On the morning of New Year's Eve, early and cold, Torn had taken an outfit of new recruits to training camp located in the forest. Being the hardened solider that he was, the cold and snow did little to affect him, though. He watched as the soldiers-in-training went through the obstacle course that he and Jak had designed to test their skills. Torn shouted tough 'encouragement' to the men while, unnoticed, a silent figure crept up behind him. Silently, she walked through the fresh snow with out a noise and formed her hand into that of a figure of a gun, pressing it to his upper back.
"Bang," Ashelin said suddenly.
Surprised, Torn spun around so fast that he fell backwards into the wet snow. Ashelin laughed and offered him a hand to help him up. In the background a few recruits had stopped to watch their General fall. Brushing himself off, Torn heard their snickers and turned towards them.
"Double time, now!" he yelled at them, then faced Ashelin again.
"Sorry I scared you," the governess giggled.
"You didn't scare me...Just caught me off guard," Torn stated, clearly a little embarrassed. She reached for his hand, but he pulled away quickly.
"Is something wrong?" she asked, thinking he was mad at her for some unknown reason.
"No," he replied frigidly, not looking at her.
Silence followed for a while before Ashelin spoke again, "I have to go," she mumbled, leaving his side and flying off in her red hellcat cruiser.
"I just don't understand it Keira, The tension between us is so thick that you could cut it with a knife," Ashelin said to Keira as they browsed through a bridal shop nonchalantly.
"You two seemed fine on Christmas. Him giving you that necklace for Christmas was pretty special," Keira tried to comfort while holding a gown up to her body, "What about this one?"
"I think," she toyed with the necklace from Torn and looked over the dress, "that we might have to hold Jak back once he sees you in it."
"Good...I'll take it!" she said excitedly to a nearby salesperson, handing the dress to him and turning to Ashelin.
"I thought it meant he really wanted to be with me...but evidently not," The red-haired elf signed sadly.
"I think Torn just has some serious 'relationship' issues. I'll have Jak talk to him..." Keira said in a determined tone.
"Guys just don't talk about that stuff, Keira...And why would he want relationship advice from someone who's five years younger than him?" Jak whined after she told him to talk to Torn.
"Please, Jak," Keira jutted her lip out slightly, wrapping her arms around his waist.
"Do I still have to get a haircut?" the blonde King tried to bargain. His only response was an unyielding look from his emerald eyed fiancée. "Fine...I'll try," Jak said, beaten.
"Thank you," Keira said, kissing his neck.
Thanks to his stealth and cleverness, Jak managed to snag one of the Palace's zoomer bikes, something he had been denied of as King, doomed to be driven and escorted everywhere.
Torn was easy enough to find, as he was always at the training camp lately, seeming to have developed an overzealous work ethic.
Jak landed his zoomer on the ground nearby a large tent where several KG Commanders lounged about.
"Where's Torn?" Jak asked one of the elves.
Seeing their King suddenly addressing them, they rose clumsily and bowed to him. One pointed in the direction of their General and Jak saw his tattooed friend instructing on the use of rifle blaster.
He walked towards Torn and thought to himself how much he hated formalities and the bowing. He had already spoken to all his friends about not treating him different in those ways, and to his relief, they complied.
Jak watched as one of the soldiers, not following Torn's commands, missed all the targets set up. He stopped the recruit that was even younger than himself and borrowed his gun to show him.
"Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast," he said simply as he nailed all of the targets, causing Torn to look around for the mysterious sharpshooter.
I know...borrowed that line from SWAT...or was it Black Hawk Down?
"Jak?" Torn spotted him as Jak gave back the rifle, "What are you doing here?"
"I have to talk to you," Jak signed in discontent.
Torn called a commander towards him and told him to supervise the newbies as he walked with Jak towards the edge of the creek that ran all through the forest.
"So what's going on? You act like we're going to war or something," Torn said.
Jak shook his head slowly, "What's up with you and Ashelin?"
Torn shot him a defensive look, "What? Did she put you up to this?"
"Actually, Ashelin asked Keira who put me up to this," Jak said looking at Torn with a 'just answer the question' look.
"Me and Ashelin...We're fine..." The dreadlocked elf looked away.
"Not the way I hear it...Don't you like her?"
Torn quickly faced the young King again and spoke rapidly, "Of course I like her...A lot...I just...have other things on my mind."
"Well, you'd better show Ashelin a little something...because I don't want Keira worrying about you two on top of everything else she already worries about," Jak said, beginning to turn away, signaling the end of the conversation.
"Hey, Jak?" Torn called after him as the younger elf walked away. Jak stopped and looked at him, "You never knew your parents, right?"
It was an odd and personal question, Jak just shook his head in a silent 'no'.
"Doesn't that...bother you at all sometimes?" Torn asked, a twinge of emotion leaking into his voice.
Jak had never really thought about his parents before, as he didn't remember his father or mother in the slightest bit. "No...I've always had Keira, Samos, or Dax around, they are my family," Jak looked at the ground before glancing back at Torn, who was now walking away speedily.
He shrugged. He had done what Keira asked.
"Other things on his mind?" Ashelin repeated what Keira had told her.
"And Jak said that he asked him if not knowing his parents bugged him," Keira said, trying to help piece together the puzzle that was Torn.
"Oh, no, I'm horrible!" Ashelin suddenly shouted, slapping her hand over her eyes.
"What? What is it?" Keira asked.
"You can't tell anyone I told you this..." Ashelin paused, she sounded like an old, gossiping woman, she thought to herself, "but around this time, ten years ago, Torn was found in an alleyway, knocked out...The Krimzon guard threw him into the army because he couldn't remember anything...not even his own name..." Ashelin whispered.
Keira gasped, "That's horrible..."
"I'm so stupid for thinking we could have something...He's known nothing but the military for all he can remember," Ashelin said, crestfallen.
"No...I think he just needs a little 'training' in the relationship department," Keira comforted.
Ugh... I feel like Ashelin sounded so out of character in this chapter...:(
So yeah this was just a little peek at Torn and Ashelin...More of them to come along with more Jak and Keira.
Soon I'll get to the action parts...its taking me longer than I thought!
So tell me what you thought about this one & leave me some reviews! Thanks all!
