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// Frozen Solid 
// Story: Tale Of Rebels: Mark Of The Viper 
// by Sherman 
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The freezing cold on this day didn't make my sickness any better and the fact I was on one of the trucks without the canvas top so I was forced to have the snow fall on me. “You ok?” Dontavon says with a bit of concern “If you call one of the nastiest colds ever...yeah I’m fine” I said sarcastically only to break into a volley of coughs, Dontavon sat next to me and gave me one more blanket, I took it and wrapped them around me and shivered still it was annoying. Dontavon tried to put me to sleep but the cold and the sound of the 6 tanks we had with us, we originally had 7 but one was knocked out none of the crew survived. I looked around I saw Phoenix’s easy eight and the rest of the small platoon we were with.
Dontavon sat next to me with his eyes closed thinking or relaxing...I commonly can't tell, I leaned on him for something in the way of warmth and he didn't stop me from doing so. “What's wrong Rosalie?” he said with concern in his voice and he called me Rosalie when things weren't going wrong or when he wasn't being lazy “Ju..ju...just cold...that's all” I studdered. He pulled me closer and if I didn't know why he did it I would have blushed.
I almost fell asleep before I heard the loud sound of a tank cannon did not only scare the living shit out of me but kept me awake. I glanced to see the smoke coming off of Phoenix’s tank gun I saw the flame of a little cat or a panther Phoenix saw him before the cat did. “All clear” Phoenix shouted “Keep moving” and I sighed. I felt Dontavion’s hoof in my mane and it was strange but to my surprise to find out I fell asleep for about 6 hours and when I woke I was in a tent with Dontavon reading something and saw me “ah..you're awake” He said with enthusiasm “yeah..” I said rubbing my head with the sickness still in my voice “damn” Dontavon muttered “We need to get back to the trucks” he said pointing at the exit of the tent. I walked to a truck that was mostly empty and to my relief I got one with a canvas top so I didn't have to deal with the snow.
Once again I was with Dontavon “Hey Rosalie” he said walking up “hey” I replied in a low voice. I was happy to see Jackie and Sarah join us in the truck. “Hey, kid how you doing?” Jackie asked calmly “I’ve been better” I replied with a failed attempt to laugh only for it to become a variety of coughs “ehh...just try to get some sleep,” Sarah said “I’ll try,” I said falling asleep.
Phoenix and everyone else who could see it say a graveyard of steel N.R, Militia, and the small rebellion that protected Black Water. “Damn,” Jackie said lightly “yeah...it's like the war just froze,” Sarah said with some sorrow in her voice “How many do you think survived?” Jackie said with a bit of fear in her voice “don't know..” Sarah said not helping Jackie’s fear at all and they both sat down. “She still out D?” Sarah asks “yeah..” he said looking down at me “I feel bad that she had to get sick on the road back,” Jackie says with concern in her voice.
Several more hours went past and I woke to see everyone else asleep and I sighed quietly. I looked out the back of the truck and reached for my canteen and once again sighed...it was frozen “bugger that..” I muttered quietly. I waited for the trucks to stop for a solid 2 hours and by then the rest stop came quickly after that. “Finally,” Jackie said in relief and she helped me out and guided me to a tent through the dark snowy night.
I spent the night there and made an attempt to write a letter and in my journal  but I was shaking too much to write anything legible so I went to sleep but the thoughts of what I’ve seen just gave me back an old sickness which was homesickness so while trying to sleep I just lie awake and thinking and just preventing me from sleeping and I soon pushed myself to sleep till the next morning. I was coughing a lot and general concern for my health raised I’ve been sick for about 4 days straight “Hey kid” Jackie said in a low comforting voice “Hey Jack..what is it?” I asked “Phoenix said we should be back to base by the end of today if everything goes well,” she said trying to cheer me up “yay..” I lightly let out as I tried to get up but Jackie quickly helped me get back to the trucks and we got moving.
I watched the large KV-1 trudge its way through the snow and this time Jackie was next to me with her big stupid smile on her face. “Were you like this before Alice died?” I asked “Yep,” she said without hesitating. Now she is nice, calm, happy, soft-spoken now I thought to myself I thought it was weird that she went from this cold-blooded killer to a soft and gentle mare it confused the hell out of me. The sound of gunfire put me back to my senses when I looked out Phoenix’s tank has shot several of its 76mm rounds at a few tanks all I saw was the burning chassis of 2 Panthers and 1 tiger.
Jackie’s prediction was right we were back at base all in one day but it was a bit later than I would have expected it to. Dontavon helped me all the way down to my room. I had one of my hind legs almost broken but to my luck, it was only sprained it was hard to walk without help. He got me to my room and helped me onto my bed “Thanks, D.” I said with a lot of sleepiness in my voice “You should get some rest.” He said “Ok..” I responded, “How about I get you something else to eat?” He asked, “It would be nice.” I said lowly. Dontavon got up and walked off and he wouldn't come back for a few minutes. Dontavon came back with a bit of bread and soup I sat up and he handed me the food and I took it. I ate it without even taking a breath “Thank you..” I said lightly “Not a problem. By the next moment, I realized that I was kissing Dontavon I nearly jumped out of my skin, “D..I-I-I’m so..” He interrupted me “What the hell was that Rosalie?” he said walking out of my room. I can't believe I just did that I thought cramming my face between two pillows and at that point, I just wanted to scream.
I didn't hear his footsteps but I heard his voice “Hey there” Rylie says I nearly jumped out of my bed. “Oh..hi Cowboy,” I said slowly trying not to be heard “What you do this time?” He asked “I kissed D,” I said, “so what's with that?” He asked “I said I KISSED D,” I said trying to get him to understand “Oh,” He said, “well don't get yourself in a rut about it...remember he's got Juliet and you have..” “Thomas” I quickly interrupted “yeah..but you don't need to worry ok this will all blow over before you know it..ok,” he said with empathy in his voice. He walked off and turned off the light it was night so I got his memo and went to sleep.
Later that night I was awakened by Monty crashing into my room (he can fly planes but not himself). “Monty..” I said startled “Guess what I saw Aron and Sarah doing,” he said excitedly “No what,” I said drowsily he quickly walked up to me and whispered into my ear. “They really did?” I questioned him “yeah,” He said bolting off back into the night. Five seconds later I hear him crash to the ground.
The next morning I was with Sarah and she was patching me up. “I know it hurts but deals with it,” She said like a mother “It doesn't hurt it just stings like a bitch” I snapped at her. Sarah never showed what she did and all you knew that it hurt or sting. “There,” she said sounding proud of her work as she pinned the last bandages. “I heard about what happened between you and Aron last night,” I said and she stopped and froze “You….know…” she said “yeah...Monty told me” I said plainly “Please don't tell anyone..” she said  “why,” I asked knowing the answer already but asked anyway “Because I don't want anyone knowing that I like him...” she said quietly “Is it because he's a griffin?” I asked “Mostly…” she said I got a quick chuckle out of it. She grunted and walked out.
I was forced to be in the confines of my room for two weeks. One day while I was sitting out in our area with all of our rooms surrounded. Everyone was doing their normal things until Dontavon walks in. “Everyone up” he shouted the seven of us quickly listen to the order and stood up. “We are getting ready for a raid at Slain Field and that will be a strategic turn point and we are all going,” He said and walked up to me. “That means you too Rosalie,” he said “Honestly I’ve been itching to get out,” I said “That's what I like to hear,” he said. “Everyone grabs your guns and get ready to run,” he said with enthusiasm.
The End