Order Only: Settlement 4's Zulu Company
Jul. 10th, 2014 08:04 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alt_terryI'm an official member of Settlement 4's Zulu Company now. There was an opening, so I asked to be considered. It was quite a process. Once I had permission from my company Captain, Daralis MacHeath, there was a group interview with all of Settlement 4's captains (three of them). They asked all sorts of stuff, like what would I do if I was trying to lead a family of refugees to safety and ran into a work detail from their camp. Or a squad of MLE, or a picnicking family of purebloods? When would I use my wand, and what spells would I use? When would I try to hide, what muggle fighting techniques would I use, and under what conditions; how would I round up my charges if they panicked and scattered? Or if they refused to follow my orders? How could I find my way back to camp if I became lost, or were blocked by Enforcers? Reckon some of the CCF stuff you lot have learned would have helped me answer, but I did the best I could.
After those interviews, I guess they talked over all the candidates with Settlement 4's Major, Brett Ward. Dunno who else they consulted with, maybe even the Lieutenant-Colonels at Central, but I waited several days, wondering.
Finally, Reece Sunderland, one of Settlement 4's Zulu Lieutenants, stole in at dawn into the shelter were I've been staying with Dudley and Finn. Scared me half to death when he woke me up--he's a big man, but he can be as quiet as Kingsley--and he told me to grab my kit and come with him. That's how I learned I was in.
This week I've been listening to one-on-one lessons and doing other training. Tracking, Defence, Orienteering. Those sessions we had at Moddey Dhoo have been really helpful. My trainers are trying to hide their reactions, I guess, but I have the feeling I've pleased them, because I overheard one of them talking to one of the Zulus from Settlement 3 about how I was doing. He sounded pretty proud that I was the only animagus among all the Zulus, and he said it was going to come in dead useful.
So far the only excursions I've taken away from the Settlement were with a couple of other Zulus, a man and a woman, to fetch back milk from a neighbouring farm that's friendly with the Band, in the dead of night. But I've heard they've had a button contact say that there are a few people who are going to try to escape from a work detail that will be in the area next week, and my Lieutenant has promised he'll allow me to go along for that.
I'm pleased about this change. It feels as though I'm finally getting to use my skills for a reason.
After those interviews, I guess they talked over all the candidates with Settlement 4's Major, Brett Ward. Dunno who else they consulted with, maybe even the Lieutenant-Colonels at Central, but I waited several days, wondering.
Finally, Reece Sunderland, one of Settlement 4's Zulu Lieutenants, stole in at dawn into the shelter were I've been staying with Dudley and Finn. Scared me half to death when he woke me up--he's a big man, but he can be as quiet as Kingsley--and he told me to grab my kit and come with him. That's how I learned I was in.
This week I've been listening to one-on-one lessons and doing other training. Tracking, Defence, Orienteering. Those sessions we had at Moddey Dhoo have been really helpful. My trainers are trying to hide their reactions, I guess, but I have the feeling I've pleased them, because I overheard one of them talking to one of the Zulus from Settlement 3 about how I was doing. He sounded pretty proud that I was the only animagus among all the Zulus, and he said it was going to come in dead useful.
So far the only excursions I've taken away from the Settlement were with a couple of other Zulus, a man and a woman, to fetch back milk from a neighbouring farm that's friendly with the Band, in the dead of night. But I've heard they've had a button contact say that there are a few people who are going to try to escape from a work detail that will be in the area next week, and my Lieutenant has promised he'll allow me to go along for that.
I'm pleased about this change. It feels as though I'm finally getting to use my skills for a reason.
(no subject)
Date: 2014-07-11 06:06 am (UTC)you think you'll be able to come to dinner on sunday? we can celebrate properly.
(no subject)
Date: 2014-07-11 12:31 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2014-07-11 06:12 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2014-07-11 12:33 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2014-07-11 12:34 pm (UTC)Wish I'd been in CCF, if only if so I could tell you give you some of the materials they handed out. But maybe Ron or Justin might have some.
(no subject)
Date: 2014-07-11 12:35 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2014-07-11 12:36 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2014-07-11 12:37 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2014-07-11 02:11 pm (UTC)I say, well done, old man! I saw Neville's comment; CCF weren't all too focused on providing manuals for outdoorsmanship, what, but Ron and I will jot down some of our notes and we do have a slim volume on tracking you might find useful. Though I daresay you can likely out-track anyone simply by changing to a dog!
In CCF they were all certain we had a thorough enough grounding in astronomy to be able to navigate by night. Ron might have found an additional resource on Orienteering and cartography. We'll look and see what we've got.
-Justin