Brothers in Arms

Inspired by "Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms".

The damn, infernal mist was swirling about the whole company, making it impossible to see anything three feet away in any direction. Voices were muffled, as was the sound of footsteps over the wet grass at their feet. It was cold, it was miserable and it was uncomfortable. The only advantage to the damn fog was that their opposing force was probably having as much trouble as they were.

Keyword: Probably.

They'd been up in the mountainside now for at least two weeks. Roy was missing his comfortable office and his even more comfortable couch beside the fire in his living room. The military uniform, while heavy and thick seemed to do little to prevent the mists from soaking through to his bones. The chilling wind didn't help matters, stealing his warmth away as fast as he was producing it.

"Mustang!" Shouted one of his party, and instantly, he knew who it was. Anyone but Edward Elric would have referred to him by his proper title. "Come look at this!"

He slid back through the company as quietly as he possibly could, making his way past fires that simply appeared out of the mist, watching the men as they huddled close to flames, their faces illuminated weirdly by both the main light source and the glare being reflected off the mist itself. He saw Edward, an immeasurable distance away, recognisable only by the pink smear his cloak made on the white-grey backdrop. He stood next to the boy, who was standing about a foot away from a cliff face, only recognisable as such by the way the mist grew thicker before it allowed Roy to see through it to the valleys below. Edward held the lantern out, for even though it was day, the light pierced the mist only to make the world white.

Down below in the valley, a company of about 100 men made their way through the rocky crevasses and over the shallow streams. They were wearing the uniform of the Amestris army. "Do you think they'll make it through the pass?" Fullmetal asked Roy, looking down at them hopefully. "Do you think they'll find us in the fog?"

Roy shook his head. "The mist is far too thick for them to see even your lamp, Fullmetal." He said, looking down at the company. "Most likely they will go around the mountain instead of over it, to avoid the mists and cliffs that are up here."

"But the blockade!" Fullmetal said, reminding Roy of that uncomfortable feature of the battle, a line of enemy soldiers camping either side of the mountain to ambush anyone who tried to go around. It was part of the reason that they had gone over instead of the more logical course. "They'll be killed!"

"Most likely." Roy said, moving away from the cliff's edge. "But there's nothing we can do."

The conversation was over, Fullmetal followed him back to the camp, and even he knew that it was hopeless for the men down below.

That didn't stop the guilt, however.

Now the sun's gone to hell,
And the moon's riding high.

Let me bid you farewell,
Every man has to die.

But the sun and the starlight
Every man, every part

We are the fools to make war
On our brothers in arms.