A/N I'm not completely sure whether I should post this, but a friend convinced me too. I guess this idea came from having a few lectures on World War One and getting hooked on BBC's new World War One drama The Crimson Field. Being a first year History undergraduate I have tried to be historically accurate as possible, but I'm not an expert on this subject so I have tried the best I can. I have based this story from a British perspective as I don't have any information for other countries during the war; I hope this doesn't bother anyone. The regiment I have put them in was a real British Regiment until 1994 when it amalgamated with another regiment, this new regiment again amalgamated with two more regiments in 2005. So if you are interested in finding out more just message me and I can try to tell you what you want to know or I can try to point you in the right direction.

September 1915

Aramis was sat on the edge of his dugout just staring at the walls of mud; he was taking deep breaths trying to prepare himself mentally for what was going to happen early the next morning. Tomorrow he and the others in his Battalion would be going over the top, and taking part in what was being called the Battle of Loos. He chuckled without any real humour thinking about what he was like just three months ago. He still remembered the shock he felt when he looked up the series of trenches for the first time. Men he had known back home who had left just six months before him looked drained and the boys the same age as himself looked far older than the tender age of 18. A few of his fellow soldiers he knew were underage but had managed to lie their way into the army to fight for King and Country, the youngest was Jimmy Marshall who was just 16.

He turned his head when he heard footsteps stopping beside him. Looking up he blinked against the sunlight to find he was looking up at his best friend, and more or less his brother, Porthos. Wordlessly he shifted to allow Porthos to squeeze himself into the dugout.

"You holding up alright?" questioned Porthos as he settled his back up against the opposite wall from Aramis.

Aramis shrugged, "Better than those just a bit further up the line"

Porthos nodded his head solemnly in agreement. As a tactic to try and cripple the German defences the British had used the poisonous gas Chlorine for the first time with limited success, the wind had blown some of the gas back towards the British line. This coupled with the inefficiency of their gas masks had led to many of their fellow Tommy's being affected by their own gas.

Porthos cleared his throat gaining Aramis' attention, "Well it could be worse" Aramis raised his eyebrows in disbelief, "We could be engineers who are having to tunnel underground laying mines"

Aramis shuddered, yes that would be worse. He had grown up on a farm used to the wide open spaces and found the trench and its dugouts confining, if he had to go underground he knew he wouldn't be able to function. He shared a small smile with Porthos and looked up at the sky and thought back to how peaceful his life had been before the war had got in the way.

July 1914

Aramis and Porthos came from the village Kemble in Gloucestershire, both their father's families had originally came from France, but they were both fourth generation English. Aramis' family owned a farm they had worked hard to pay for, most families rented farms but the rich landowners were a kind family and over the generations the de la Fère's had allowed the d'Herblay's to eventually buy the farm. The d'Herblay family's farm was the closest to the de la Fère family home. Porthos' father worked as a farm hand and had been invited to live in the quite spacious farmhouse. Porthos was a month older than Aramis and had taken to looking after the boy he considered his little brother. Sadly, Porthos' mother had died when he was five so Aramis' mother had taken to looking after the boy when the men went out to work the fields.

Living so close to the grand house where the de la Fère family lived meant Aramis and Porthos had come into contact with Athos and his younger brother Thomas. While most rich families would have forbidden their children to socialize with working class children, Athos' father believed that his sons should get to know the people who lived on their land. So the four young boys had struck up a sort of friendship despite the range in ages.

The once peaceful air of Kemble had slowly begun to disappear after the assassination of Franz Ferdinand at the end of June, the old men of the village wished they were younger so they could join the army to go and fight for their King and Country. This attitude was shared by a lot of the young men, Porthos included only because he wanted to see other places. But Aramis just wished for a peaceful life on the farm that he lived on.

On a warm Sunday afternoon the four of them were sat up on top of a hill contentedly watching the clouds and birds.

Thomas looked at the three older boys and asked, "Do you really think there is going to be a war?"

Athos looked at the boys who were sat around him and then answered his brother, "It looks like there will be one, whether Britain will join it is yet to be seen. But if we do go to war I know that I'll be joining the army"

Thomas looked over at Aramis and Porthos, "Will you go?"

"Only when we're 18" responded Aramis, "My mother has made us promise to only join the army once we're 18"

Thomas nodded, "Mother has forbidden me from even thinking about joining the army until I am 18"

"That is because you are only 16" chuckled Athos shaking his head,

Porthos smiled and leaning over he ruffled Thomas' hair, Thomas responded by launching himself at Porthos pushing the older boy to the floor.

Aramis shook his head and then turned to Athos, "How does Anne feel about you joining up?"

Athos shrugged, "She says I'm very brave and that she promises to wait for me, and marry me once the war, if it is coming, is over"

Aramis nodded and sighing simultaneously he and Athos reached over and broke up the tickle fight between Porthos and Thomas. Once peace had been restored Aramis leaned back with his hands behind his head and watched the soaring sparrows. Deep down he knew trouble was brewing and just prayed it would be over before the young lads like Thomas had to go.

August 1914

It had come. The streets in every village, town and city on the 4th had been filled with people shouting out that Britain was at war. Athos had gone to join the Gloucestershire regiment and would be a Lieutenant leading a platoon of men at the young age of 20. The de la Fère family with Aramis and Porthos had gone to the train station to say goodbye to Athos two weeks after the outbreak of the war.

Porthos clapped Athos on the shoulder, "Take care of yourself"

Athos nodded, "I will. I just hope that they are right in that this will all be over by Christmas so you both don't have to come with me"

Aramis smiled, "Let's hope so". However, his smile vanished once Athos was on the train, he watched with growing sadness as the train pulled away in a cloud of steam. He and Porthos turned away and left allowing Athos' family some time alone.

Aramis walked through the village in silence, in the past couple of weeks those who had not yet joined the army were being pressured to do so. Some of his former classmates who had initially been hesitant soon joined up to avoid being called cowards. Fortunately for Aramis and Porthos, the village seemed to understand that the two lads were needed on the farm.

Porthos seemed to sense that there was something bothering him, "What is wrong Aramis?"

Aramis sighed, "When you become 18 in early January. You…er…you won't join up without me will you?" This had been something that had been worrying him; he wouldn't be 18 until the end of February meaning Porthos would have to wait almost two months to join up. Something he was determined to do so.

Porthos stopped and reached out an arm stopping Aramis, "Listen here. I will not go without you alright? I promise. Something as big as going to war, I will not leave before you and then leave you to join up on your own" Porthos knew that Aramis' greatest fear was being left alone and hated that Aramis, his best friend and brother, thought that he would leave him to cope with joining the army and going to war alone.

Aramis sighed in relief and relaxed, he smiled at Porthos before they continued walking through the village. Once they reached the farmhouse Aramis found his mother cooking dinner, she turned around and seeing the boys she gave them a sad smile.

"Did Athos leave alright?" Sophie asked,

"Yeah, he seemed pretty excited to be leaving home for the first time" answered Porthos as he lowered himself into one of the chairs at the kitchen table. Aramis instead walked over to stand beside his mother and squeezed her hand; she turned and hugged him fiercely.

"I'm praying so hard that you will not have to go and fight. I cannot lose my boys" Sophie stifled her sobs by pressing her face into Aramis' shoulder. Aramis tightened his arms around his mother engulfing her in a hug. At one time Aramis had had siblings, an older sister and an older brother, but both had died of illnesses both before reaching the age of ten. And he knew his mother feared losing her last child and Porthos the boy who had become like another son to her.

"I hope so to Mama, I hope so to" murmured Aramis; he was terrified at the thought of having to kill another human being. He didn't think he'd be able to do it and he feared what he might become if he survived, his father had gone to fight in the Second Boar War when he was two years old and returning when he was four. His mother told him that sometimes his father was distracted because he was trapped in the memories from the war he took part in and Aramis feared what might happen to him after he was haunted by a war.

Aramis looked over at Porthos; he could see his best friend was torn. On the one hand Porthos wanted to go and fight, to take a chance to see what lay beyond Kemble village. But on the other hand Porthos did not want to worry the woman who had essentially been his mother since the age of five.

Aramis stooped a little and buried his face into his mother's shoulder, while Porthos strived to explore, Aramis was content to stay on his family's farm. He hoped and prayed that he wouldn't have to go to war, but something told him that his prayers would not be answered.

Aramis was right, on the 1st of March 1915 Aramis and Porthos enlisted in the Gloucestershire Regiment and went to war.

September 1915

"Aramis. Aramis!"

"Huh?" he shook his head and sat up looking across at Porthos who was leaning forward and looking at him worriedly.

"Are you alright? You looked as if you weren't having a pleasant dream"

Aramis smiled at his friend and nodded as he rubbed his eyes not knowing he had fallen asleep. He realized in the eight months that he was in the army that he had changed and from his letters home his mother had realized this to. And Aramis was terrified that he was turning into someone his mother would hate, one good thing that came from being in the army was that he had been able to perfect his already good aim with a gun. Hunting rabbits back home had enabled him to have a good aim with a shotgun, but with an army rifle, Aramis had become unbeatable he had shocked the Sergeant in charge of training them.

Without speaking he and Porthos got to their feet and went out to stand on the trench board and looked out at No Man's Land.

"Be careful, I don't need you two getting shot before we've even gone over the top" said a stern voice from behind them.

Porthos smiled and turned, "We're being careful Sir"

Athos merely raised an eyebrow, "If I recall, your 'being careful' led to many injuries from falling out of trees Porthos"

Aramis snorted, it was his and Porthos' good fortune that when they came to France they were put in Athos' platoon, although Athos may have been one to disagree. The three of them stood together for fifteen minutes when everyone then lined up, ready to climb up the ladders to march to the German line.

Athos stood beside them, "Good luck gentlemen and I hope to see you on the other side"

"You to" answered Porthos, Aramis nodded at Athos and readied himself because he was to be one of the first up the ladder.

Athos nodded at them one more time before he placed his whistle between his lips and hearing the whistle before his, he blew his own and Aramis shuffled towards the ladder and quickly began to climb it with Porthos directly behind him.

The rattle of machine gun fire erupted all around him as he stumbled through the mud into the unknown.

A/N So is this worth continuing? I'd appreciate your thoughts.