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It was a quiet night in the compound. I sent emails to family and friends, and texted Chance. Before we left Idaho, he explained in detail how he ran his hunts so that I'd know he wasn't ignoring me. We agreed that if I needed to talk to him urgently, I should send a text with 911. I was committed to the idea that I could get through this week without using the code.
"Mornin' Everly. It's going to get a lot busier around here today," Leif said as I walked into the kitchen for breakfast.
"Why’s that?"
"Starting today, the rest of your teammates will arrive."
"Teammates?"
"Today is the start of one of my survival courses. The weapons training you and I did was something Chance wanted, but today you'll be part of the class. I think some of the drills we do will help with the issues you talked about in helping others who get into trouble in the wilderness."
"Why do your students want to learn about survival?"
"Some work in wilderness jobs, so they have a business need. Others are avid hikers or hunters that want to be safer. Some come to prepare for entering the military. This group is varied."
I finished eating and went back to my room for my day pack which I'd loaded with the items on the list Leif gave me. I made my way outside where Leif was talking to another man wearing a Viking Survival t-shirt like Leif’s. Four men and one woman got out of a van in the driveway.
"OK, everyone. Line up beside the van," Leif said. "You too, Everly."
By the end of the day, I was tired. I wasn't exhausted like I'd often been back in Wilkins' Gap. My muscles were tired, but I was awake and alert. I'm guessing it was the lack of any emotional upheaval that made this more tolerable. We ran an obstacle course, did some shooting, and went for a five-mile hike.
After dinner, the others were getting into the van for their drive back to their hotel. "Why aren't you coming?" Faraday asked.
"I'm staying here at the compound," I said.
"Figures," she said, giving me a look that any female would be able to interpret. Rather than try to convince her of my relationship with Leif, I kept my mouth shut and smiled. I just waved as the van pulled out of the driveway.
I made myself a mug of tea and spent some time working on plans for the museum. I wanted to have a list of questions to discuss with Chance before I headed back to Wilkins' Gap. We needed to talk about the layout for the museum, what artifacts we would display, really the only thing we had decided was to open the museum and house it on Main Street.
XXX
After starting the morning with a two-mile run, we headed to the shooting range. I was the only one not using a rifle as my go-to weapon. I was OK with that and didn't miss the weapon-envy I saw in some of my teammates as they eyed Glenda.
After lunch we hiked into the woods. Spending time in the woods with Leif and the others was a lot like the times Chance had taken me out to learn specific skills. After hiking for a couple of hours, we stopped in a wooded area. "We're going to talk about building shelters. Everly, I understand you've had a little experience with that."
I explained that I hadn't really built a shelter as much as just set up a campsite. The rest of the day was spent learning about the types of shelters you could build from material available in different areas. Since I was most familiar with the pine forests of Idaho, I chose to build a shelter from pine boughs and sticks. When I finished, I took a pic and sent it to Chance.
I was surprised that this level of physical activity wasn't kicking my butt more than it was. My muscles were tired at the end of the day, but it wasn't as bad as I expected. Six months ago, I would have needed to be carried out on a stretcher.