Finding where I fit

Chapter 18: Sweet dreams

"You ready?"

Izzy looked up sadly at her brother but tried an attempt at a fake a smile for him. He'd been so invested in his training for the last year and the time towards him leaving was forever coming closer. She couldn't help feeling a little left behind, still living with her parents. Max was always there, of course, but he was only nine. Alec and Magnus had just finished their third year of uni, both had jobs and had bought an apartment together, so as soon as Jace left for bootcamp, it would just be her and Max left.

"Yeah. Let's go."

She swung her leg over her bike, as Jace adjusted the straps on his bag. He'd been training by learning to run while carrying weight on his back. She often went out with him, down the cycle track and through the woods behind their house. There were about thirty different routes to take but Simon had come up with the idea of him and Clary marking different directions with flags, for Jace and Izzy to follow until they found them.

Izzy rode ahead and Jace followed behind. She had to make an effort to make sure that she stayed in front of him.

She panted, and her legs ached as she pedalled. She had no idea how Jace did this every day. "Remember to pace yourself. Simon said that this is the longest route yet."

"Yes, but I trust Simon to exaggerate. He'll probably still be putting flags up now and we'll catch up to him."

"That's my boyfriend you're talking about." Izzy pulled over to the side. "Jace- I can't. Keep going and I'll catch up."

Jace raced on ahead. His trainers hit the ground as he set off down the left side of one of the paths. There was a fork in the track, marked by a red flag and he shot past it. There was another in the distance. He let the feel of the cool air run against his face and through his hair. His legs had more resilience than they once had. He thought back to the days when he had started training and he could never walk the day after.

Running with weight was more restrictive but it was necessary for the selection process. For men ages 17 to 21, passing selection meant being able to perform at least 35 push-ups and 47 sit-ups in two minutes, as well as running two miles in no more than 16 minutes and 36 seconds. The numbers were burned into his memory, shouting out to him every time he ran. He would also need to be able to carry two, 20 kilo jerry cans for 150 metres. If he could get his running times down, now, with the added weight, then it would put him at a huge advantage by the time he enlisted.

He ran past the second flag which was leading up a slope and between the trees. He suspected Simon probably held a grudge against him from all the years of teasing him and Izzy, so he had probably chosen one of the most difficult paths for him to follow. Jace been speaking lately with some of the other cadets who had told him that every time he doubted himself, or his feet hurt, or he didn't want to get up, to remind himself of what he was doing this for. While it would be an honour to fight for his country, he didn't use it as his motivation to be better, as the others did, he didn't need it. His motivation came in the form of a beautiful, redheaded girl who was waiting for him to return at the end of it all.

He counted five more flags as he ran past them. Eventually he found his bearings and realised where he was, he just hadn't been this way before. There was a crop of trees at the end of the path, one of which had a well-constructed tree fort. Simon popped his head out, as Jace reached the bottom of the tree.

"Good job but that took you a whole minute longer than yesterday!"

Jace panted. "Yesterday... I wasn't running with 15 kilos on my back, you asshole! Do you want to try it?"

Simon held up his hands in surrender, as Clary and himself scaled down the ladder and back to ground level. Simon watched, silently. Jace's face lit up as Clary rushed over to help him take his bag off his back. "Where's Isabelle?"