Chapter 16
The days before the mission got underway were very busy for all members of the team. Colonel Holms had them running through every drill he could think of at least twice. They did many practice assaults on both open areas and buildings. Topher was taking no chances. He wanted his team to be ready for the unexpected. He even drilled them at night, both for the practice and so the Queen could join. Topher had tried to tell her that she did not need to join in the drills but she had insisted. She said that she needed the practice and gave her a chance to break in the new uniforms.
The new uniforms were an all-black set of shirts and trousers. Black was chosen as it was a neutral color to all three kingdoms. Even the buttons were a matching black. The trousers were made of dyed leather and had a pockets on the front of each leg and a secret pocket behind at the waist for a concealed knife. The shirt was also made of leather that had been dyed black but it had no pockets. The only marking on the outfit was a simple gold mark on each shoulder that indicated the person's rank. Each outfit also came with a leather jacket. The jackets were dyed black on the outside and lined with fur on the inside to keep the soldier warm. Between the leather and fur was a mesh made of metal. Carriland metal workers had recently learned how to pound and shape copper into thin strips that could then be woven into a garment. Although it was heavy it provided better protection in sword combat. Each soldier looked very ominous in the outfit. Sara and Topher debated long and hard about the new armor and General Allison. This was a new kind of armor and they were sure King Childs did not possess it yet or even know about it. In the end they decided the best approach was to give him a jacket. Since the armor was hidden between the leather and the fur, they just would not tell anyone about the new armor. Instead they told them that the extra weight was from extra padding for warmth in the mountains and for protection during battle. Even General Allison seemed to accept this. Sara was afraid the team would find the uniforms too dark but instead they took to them right away. They felt they made them meaner, more menacing. One even said it made him feel like midnight and the name stuck. They started calling themselves the Midnight Squad. They even started referring to each other by "midnight" and a number.
The training had gone very well. General Allison had proved to be a problem. He felt the drills were too much and besides he was a general and above all this training. He was completely ignoring the fact that General Lateaf was participating in every drill. It took a visit from Sara to get him back in the drills. She reminded him that on this mission she was in charge and he was just a soldier. If he had a problem with that then he could just go back to Delland and King Childs. The thought of going back to the King now scared more than a little. The King had given him a mission and to return without fulfilling it would surely mean his death. Reluctantly he rejoined the drills. This angered him and only deepened his hatred for the Queen. The idea of killing her was starting to appeal to him.
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