<b><u>The Weight Training Room, Base Camp, Randriz</u>.</b><br/><br/>Things had gotten much better between Fiadh and Sergeant Twayne, since their first encounter.  Twayne was 'no-nonsense' in his official capacity as a Drill Instructor, but during 'down-time', he was quite personable.  Also, if he had any carnal or romantic feelings toward her, then he kept them well-hidden because Fiadh only saw their relationship as one of shared interest in body-building and fighting.  Fiadh, looked at the Sergeant as a new friend and mentor.  Twayne, for his part, found Fiadh magnetic, quick witted, fun and easy to be around.  A widower, only professional considerations and the differences in their ages really stopped him from trying to make more of the relationship.<br/><br/>Twayne, looking quite fit and defined, in regulation shorts and a tank top, was doing his third set of fifteen reps of the bench press, at one hundred kilograms.  Fiadh, also dressed in shorts and tank top, was 'spotting' him, ready to help clear the barbell away from him if his grip or muscles faltered.<br/><br/>Some of those in the weight room, newer to weight lifting and body building, stared at the pair.  They had been doing so for some time.  Yes, the older man looked very fit and had very defined muscles, but the woman's arm and leg muscles looked like intertwined steel cables covered in stretchy and clinging nylon.  It wasn't hard to imagine the muscles beneath the tank top and shorts to be just as impressive.<br/><br/>Twayne was counting out the last of his reps, "thir-teen.., four-teen..., fif-teen!"  Then, together, the pair set the barbell in the cradle above from the bench where Twayne was laying on his back.  He gave out a 'puff' of relaxation and moved to a sitting position.  "Thanks," he said.<br/><br/>She replied with a smile and then said, "I'm going to do some squats."<br/><br/>Fiadh took the barbell from the cradle it had been in and placed it on the floor, parallel and near three feet away from another hundred kilogram barbell.  Bending at her knees, she grasped both weights in the center of the bar and stood up by straightening her legs.  Up and down, one.  Up and down, two.  Up and down, three....  Eventually, she completed the exercise of fifteen repetitions, three times.<br/><br/>When the pair were done for the day, a number of onlookers went over to check out the weights, but did not have the strength to move them.<br/><br/>Later, that afternoon, in the mess hall, the Sergeant gave the Recruit her half of the money that he'd won, betting his fellow D.I.s about the amount of weight his new recruit could lift.  Since the Sergeant had a number of takers, they each cleared an entire month's pay at the Sergeant's pay-grade.<br/><br/>As they ate, Twayne asked her, "So, Fiadh, do you think you might be interested in boxing for the Army against a boxer for the Navy?"<br/><br/>"Maybe," answered the red-haired recruit, between bites.