Night time passed quickly and by dawn, the entire area was buzzing.
Recruits were already moving through the clearing, rolling up bedrolls, stamping out dying fires, organizing gear the way people do when they've done the same thing multiple times and know what needs to happen. The air carried that particular energy of imminent departure, conversations happening in quick bursts between tasks, people checking their belongings one final time before the journey back.
The sky was lightening from deep purple to pale blue, the stars fading one by one as the sun prepared to crest the horizon. Birds were waking up, their calls echoing through the forest surrounding the clearing. The temperature was cool but not uncomfortable, the kind of morning that promised a decent day for hiking.
