Free The Ninth by Benjamin Schramm Page B

“Isn’t this an exam?”
    “Well, that’s true.  This is an exam, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have fun, does it?”  The instructor’s beard twisted upward as he made a large toothy grin.  “Now, today’s exercise will be a simple one.  Each of you will take a place at the parameter of this forest.  Once in place, your objective will be to get back to this spot without me detecting you.  Now, seeing as this is your first exercise of this nature, I’m going to give you a few advantages.  Should make this more entertaining.”
    The instructor paused to wink at Hiroko.  She blushed under the attention which caused the instructor to laugh with the force of dull thunder.
    “When you are all in position, it will become night, making it easier for you to slink around,” he continued.  “I’ll also remain in my little base here.  If I was out there hunting you, this wouldn’t last more than a minute, and where’s the fun in that?  However, don’t think this will be a walk in the park!  I will be using all my skill to track you down.  If I do manage to detect you, those wristbands will glow a bright orange color.  Now that we are all set, let’s begin!” the instructor bellowed.
    As the instructor finished, twenty beacons of light could be made out in the distance, obviously the starting points for the recruits.
    “I’ll pass this exam in a flash,” Erin said, jogging toward a beacon.  “Don’t worry Hiroko; I won’t gloat too much when I get back before you.”
    Several recruits exchanged glances, then took off after Erin, all of them heading back toward the entrance they had all just come from.  Heading in the opposite direction, Brent took his time and walked at a leisurely pace.
    “What do you think you’re doing?”  Brent recognized Owen’s voice coming up behind him.  “Shouldn’t we be hurrying?”
    “Look around, Owen.  What do you notice about the beacons?” Brent asked, maintaining his pace.
    “I don’t know.  They are pretty bright to be visible at this time of day?”  Owen guessed.
    “That’s not it, Owen,” Hiroko joined in, following a short distance behind Owen.  “I bet it’s that they are equally spaced.”
    “And with so many heading to the same beacon, it will take them a while to sort out.  Isn’t that right, sir?”  Dante added, joining the small group.
    Brent nodded and continued toward the farthest beacon.  All in all, it took about ten minutes to reach the beacon.  Turning, he could make out that five of the far beacons had gone out while the rest remained brightly lit.  As Brent stepped into the beacon, it too went off.  Almost in unison, the eight beacons on his half of the forest went off as the group that followed him all reached their beacons at the same time.  He could almost imagine the last seven recruits feverishly fighting over the last beacons.
    Brent took the time remaining to study the forest.  While thin, the trees would provide enough cover to hide a recruit if they stood with one shoulder facing the tree.  There were ample trees to leap frog from one to another.  However, he remembered the sparse tree cover near the clearing.  Dodging from one tree to another wouldn’t work.  Even at their relaxed pace, he had noticed that they still made a great deal of noise crunching the leaves underfoot.
    Grabbing a dead branch, he threw it at a nearby tree.  It hit with a loud, hollow tone.  Most of the leaves fell to the ground doubling the amount of leaves to be crunched as they passed the tree.  However, he noticed that the falling leaves also covered up the roots of the tree.  There was abundant ground cover; why not turn it into an advantage?
    “Took you all a while, didn’t it?” the instructor’s voice rang out as the last beacon extinguished.  “As promised, I give you night.  When the first stars come out the test will begin, and you will be free to get to me in any manner you wish.  Good luck and happy