Four Comrades

by General_Pankow

Chapter III: Winter exercises.

- Take the right side! - A column of gray infantry moved to the edge of the road, allowing several trucks to pass. The march had been going on since morning, and now it was late afternoon. There were almost no stops and halts, except for breaks for shooting. Hauptman Agrias pulled his scarf over his nose, feeling the wind increase. A strong blizzard promised to begin in the evening . Rare snowflakes fell like white flies to the ground from the gray skies, evaporating from the changelings, heated by the march, as if in a frying pan.

Agrias walked at the head of his platoon. Behind him and in front of him was the roar of a marching column, broken by the loud shouts of unter-officers. Recent military reforms have assigned them the role of direct field leaders, commanding fighters at the forefront. The time of noble officers with gilded protazans, leading slender lines of formidable infantry, has finally gone. Technological progress has finally turned the soldier into an ant, into a miserable screw of a giant military machine, into an expendable material, capable only by the strength of his spirit and military skill to withstand the horror of modern war. This new soldier needed new commanders, and the non-commissioned officers became them: mostly those who came out of ordinary privates, the most experienced and skillful fighters.

As his glorious brother-in-law said, he did not immediately receive a company commander post, although he had Hauptmann ribbons. Officers like him were not much liked, but Agrias understood that this would soon end. He strictly followed the orders of his superiors, got along well with his subordinates. In the company, he was ironically called "Little Hauptmann". However, now everyone was not in mood to joke. Changeling battalion was marching along the road with haste, expending its last strength. All the soldiers were sweating, the growing wind got under their overcoats and caused chills. Large-scale maneuvers have been going on for several days. The Vesalipoli and Vraxian garrisons, consisting of several tens of thousands of soldiers, had been standing in the fields for about a week. Constant marches, shooting, practicing pf tactical techniques. The old army was being forged into something completely new. Commanders were taught to command in new conditions, soldiers were taught to act decisively and proactively, because now only general instructions came from above, and the way to achieve the goal was prescribed to look for according to circumstances.

The battalion was ordered to ensure the passage of the main forces of the regimental group. Major Espher, the chief of Agrias, decided to divide his battalion into several detachments and occupy villages on the way of the column. Agrias' company had a big and close one itself, one could say he was lucky.

The light of the weak Changeling sun began to fade, the wind finally got stronger and howled with a wild howl, white lumps of snow fell from the sky. The tired column picked up its pace, lights in the windows of houses were already clearly visible in the distance.

The snow was falling like a wall, but the battalion managed to reach it without losing anyone. The locals welcomed the soldiers, gave them water and warmed them up, as well as placed them for the night, fortunately there was enough space. Immediately it turned out that several soldiers were ill with a severe cold, and could barely walk further. They were isolated from the others and sent to the battalion hospital. The officers of the second company, in which Agrias served, were quartered in the house of one of the wealthy peasants.

This march took a lot of effort, for several days the units have been constantly maneuvering at the maximum possible speed. Despite the fact that these were just exercises, information often came about seriously ill, frostbitten, who came under friendly fire or suffered from other cases. These were not imaginary, but quite real losses, among which there were fatal cases. Annoying, bitter, comforting only by their rarity.

But now it didn't bother Agrias and the other officers of his company much. They were warmly received by the courteous Bauwers. Their overcoats were hung on the stove to dry. Then a simple changeling hygiene ritual was performed, it was even possible to wash the uniform. Having finished these things, the officers went to the homeowner's table, because they had time to rest due to severe blizzard that had begun.

"They drill you very hard, that's a fact."

The elderly peasant said thoughtfully.

"There was no such things in our time."

"So it was in your time, father."

Xilias, the lieutenant and commander of the second platoon (Agrias was the commander of the first) answered him.

"Now everything is different, the demand from the infantry is different. We have a new commander-in-chief, he decided that running is the straightest way to take the initiative. So he makes us run all the time along."

"And what, has our Mother got into the habit of fighting with someone again?"

"I have no idea, to be honest. Maybe she really got into the habit, maybe not."

Agrias answered thoughtfully, he did not miss the opportunity to warm up with the master's tincture, and now he was in a positively thoughtful mood.

"We'd better not think about it. Clearly this is not for nothing, there has been no order in the world for a long time. Look at Griffonia, for example! There is a civil war in Breitfeld, the Empire is no more for a long time."

"Gryphonia has not meant much for a long time."

The commander of the third platoon replied to Agrias.

"Griffons are greedy and cruel creatures, they are ruthless even to the labors of their ancestors."

"Excuse me!"

The "little Hauptman" objected.

"The empire was destroyed not by griffons, but by false ideas and foreign influence! Of course, a lot of griffons have shown meanness and weakness, trampled on their greatness for the sake of hedonism and notorious temptations. But there are still many patriots who have preserved the spirit and glory of the old Reich. They are capable of revenge."

"We'll see... The Queen needs an alliance with the Empire for something, so everything is not lost for them there."

"Herren."

Hauptman Gabris, who had entered the room, suddenly broke into the conversation.

"It's enough politics for now, we have other responsibilities. The blizzard should be over by morning, we'll have to dig a lot."

"And listen to the soldiers' grumbling..."

"Nevermind, a blizzard outside the window and a heating stove help for a good rest. Am I right, father?"

"True, Herr Hauptmann. "

The peasant smiled.

"We have enough houses in the village, soldiers won't have to sleep in barns. And in the morning you will also clear the snow for us, it will be very good!"

The conversation lasted a few more minutes, and then the officers went to bed. The owners gave them their rooms.

---

Morning came. The red streak of dawn stretched across the east. The sky had a clear, blue color. The night storm passed, leaving behind mountains of snow. By this time, work was already in full swing in the village: the soldiers got up at the crack of dawn, and took up shovels, the main forces of the battalion went further down the road. The locals found enough of them, and they were not against helping the military. By 7 am, the snow was cleared, including on the main highway. Having finished with this, they began to build fortifications. They did not dig trenches, limited themselves to a few earthen caponiers for machine-gun points. According to the rules, this village had to be turned into a full-fledged "strongpoint". That meant that interfering houses had to be burned, machine guns had to be placed in the most durable buildings, and the rest of the buildings had to be strenghthen by covering the floor with earth and proofing the walls with embankments.

Agrias strolled along the freshly cleaned path, watching his soldiers build a caponier. He went up to it, examined it, estimated by eye the sector of defeat that could provide fortification.

"Well, welll. Now call the machine gunner!"

"He commanded. A short, skinny guy appeared in front of him, looking more like a student than a soldier. In the Vesalipoli army garrison there was such a tradition that a machine gun was awarded to a soldier who had a higher education. However, this one, despite his frailty, was quite a strong and hardy fighter.

"Put your typewriter on this caponier."

"Roger!"

Changeling rested the bipod of the machine gun on the earthen embankment, moved it from side to side.

"Good place, Herr Hauptmann! Only spottable a lot, as it seems to me. Disguise is required."

"We will provide it now... Well, they quickly poured more snow on him! Disguise it as a snowdrift!"

The officer shouted at the already relaxed subordinates. In the distance, it was already possible to distinguish an approaching column. A sudden snowstorm for a short time hampered any maneuvers. Changelings were certainly northern residents, but they did not differ in contempt for the weather, preferring to wait out snowstorms even while in a "maneuver war".
The Changelings had barely made their final preparations when the column approached the village. It was headed by several armored vehicles, including one headquarters. Wheeled vehicles hardly overcame the piled snowdrifts, but then they drove into a cleared section of road and everything became much better. The armored vehicles were followed on one side by infantry, on the other by several light tankettes. The armored vehicles stopped at the positions of the Agrias platoon, blocking the entrance to the village from one side.

"Who commands the checkpoint?

A changeling in a dark gray general's greatcoat without shoulder straps and buttonholes leaned out of the turret of a brand-new armored car. His cold, sullen gaze glittered metallic under the visor of his scarf-wrapped cap.

"Hauptmann Gabris, commander of the second company of the second battalion of the 91st Vesalipoli regiment!"

Agrias replied, ready for such a question.

"It's obviously not you."

The senior officer suddenly grinned, his expression changed from sullen to ironically cheerful.

"Old Gabris doesn't like formalities much, has he set up his headquarters further down the road?"

"That's right!"

"Cppy. So you are not a conditional opponent."

Meanwhile, the column has already moved, the step of thousands of feet rattled, the tracks of tankettes grumbled and clanked. Soldiers from the checkpoint looked at these cars with a significant degree of surprise, someone still could not get used to the sight of these steel cars. These were the first tanks of the Changeling army. Largely unfinished, with light weapons and armor, not having a powerful engine, but at the same time fast enough and mobile. It was hard to call it a trump card, but it was just the beginning...

"Herr Hauptmann, I see your shoulder straps, but you only command a platoon."

This general spoke up again.

"The rank of Hauptmann was given to me by General Larynx as a reward for service to the Fatherland on the internal fronts."

Agrias replied.

"I know the old general... Now I understand everything. What is your name?"

"Agrias zu Gardis!"

The general nodded silently, saluted and drove on. Agrias was relieved, it was Field Marshal Trimmel himself.