Noah lay in the grass, fingers interlocked behind his head, staring up at a sky so filled with stars it looked like someone had spilled diamonds across black velvet. The clearing was quiet except for the small sounds of nocturnal life, insects chirping, leaves rustling in the gentle breeze that carried the scent of pine and earth.
Three miles separated him from the camp where two hundred recruits slept, far enough that even a dragon landing wouldn't immediately alert anyone. The instructors were back there too, probably maintaining watch rotations, but they weren't omniscient. They couldn't monitor every recruit's location all night, and Noah had moved quietly enough that his absence would go unnoticed until morning if anyone even bothered to check.
