Be Prepared

Vera begins to study in earnest for the Third Rank exam, taking her notes with her everywhere she goes. During this time, she notices a growing tension between the Sashas, centered around the fact that one of them often leaves the tent without saying where she is going. One day, Vera hears a loud chittering outside the tent and finds several chipmunks surrounding a guinea pig. Realizing it must be the same lost guinea pig that belongs to one of her fellow campers, Vera returns it to her. The guinea pig’s owner, Kira, is one of the girls in the younger side of the camp. She is thrilled to have her pet, Malchik, back and explains to Vera that she cried every day since he was lost. The other girls in her camp made fun of her. Vera notices Kira’s drawings of wildlife and praises them. Kira explains that she had hoped to make a field guide of all the animals around the camp. Vera leaves, explaining that she has to return to studying for her Third Rank test, something only the older campers can do. Kira is sad to see her go.