When Mazel woke up inside a Nissen hut, lying quite comfortably on a straw mattress, she could hear horses snorted in the field tucked behind them. They had arrived in Aldbourne at night and because of the blackout rule, no one saw the village. Being the first to wake up for once, Mazel took that opportunity to see the village.

Getting out of bed, she put on her jacket and boots and left the hut.

Outside, long grass and wildflowers greeted her.

A smile lifted her face.

Turning around, she could spot the horses grazing in the field.

They were large Shire horses, used for pulling carts and ploughing fields.

Stepping away from the hut, she soon found herself standing on a cobbled road. It led down a tiny slope into the village, where Mazel could spot cute thatched-roofed houses, with neat little gardens and colourful flower boxes. She had never seen anything like Aldbourne before but had read in storybooks of places like the village.

The village settled in the county of Wiltshire.

Aldbourne was also fifty miles west of London. Meaning, the men hoped for weekend passes into the city. But even if they didn't get a weekend pass, Mazel could quite happily spend her free time in the village. It was picture perfect.

"You're up early".

Turning away from the cobbled road, she looked behind her.

And smiled;

"so are you".

Roe smiled back at her.

With a content sigh, he soon joined her.

And faced the front;

"this sure is different, huh?"

Mazel nodded;

"sure is, Gene".

She then added softly;

"think I've found the rainbow".

Roe smiled with a tiny huff;

"well…it is pretty colourful here, I'll admit".

Though it might have been September, the air wasn't completely cold.

It was cool and refreshing.

Roe turned to face her.

Mazel was staring up at the sky, while a line of sunlight hit her face.

The sun was almost fully up.

With a tiny smile, Mazel said;

"like heaven, huh?"

Slowly, his hand reached towards the side of her face.

Roe's fingers gently touched the ends of her hair;

"you got curls…your hairs growing".

Softly biting down on her lip, Mazel turned to face him.

His fingers gently left her hair.

With a sigh, she whispered;

"sister would have been twenty-four now".

Roe frowned.

He couldn't believe it had already been one year since Mazel told him about Esther.

Mazel turned to face the horses, who were still happily grazing.

With a tiny huff, she said;

"never used to like 'um…horses, that is. Ain't sure why, think Lily put me off".

"Who's Lily?" Roe asked.

The corner of her mouth twitched;

"my sisters' old horse…Lily, she was a damn moody mare. No one could get near her, not even my mom or Abba".

With a sigh, she said;

"but Esther could. She loved that horse and I think Lily loved her back. Those two were best buddies, they spent every day and half the night together. Abba found Lily abandoned in a field. Her feet were overgrown, she was skinny and frightened. They had to get a vet out to give her some drugs to calm her down so Abba could load her into the trailer".

Roe frowned;

"poor thing".

"Yeah". Mazel agreed quietly, "if it wasn't for Esther, Lily wouldn't have survived that winter. She had this way with horses, you know? Like she could speak with 'um and they knew what she was saying…was like a damn magic trick".

A tiny smile reached his lips;

"sounds amazing".

"It was, Gene". She mumbled softly, "and when Esther started riding Lily, they'd spend hours out in the forest…they were a team, huh? They went off exploring and always had a new story to tell me at night. But mom was always worried 'bout Esther. She had really bad breathing problems and this horrible cough…asthma, they called it".

Roe frowned again.

He could understand now why Mazel's mother was so worried about her.

"When I was ten, mom and Abba decided I'd be safe with Esther that day while they went out of the city to visit my Aunt Kathy for supper. Left in the morning, came home at ten that night. But mom was worried to leave Esther…she was coughing up a storm during the night. Something to do with the hay…was pretty dry that season. And Esther practically lived in that barn with Lily".

Blinking a few times, Mazel rubbing her lips together.

Clearing her throat, she said;

"didn't stop Esther getting on Lily though…you ever been in Lancaster during the winter, Gene?"

Roe shook his head and whispered;

"I ain't".

Mazel sighed;

"well…it's freezing. Roads are sometimes blocked off from the ice. But mom and Abba decided to take a train that day, to keep off the ice. Well, I figured Esther would do the same and stay off Lily but…well, she came rushing down those stairs like her feet were on fire. I wasn't even thinking about the ice, I was thinking 'bout her coughing last night. I tried to convince her to stay but…she's so strong-minded, Gene. I couldn't stop her".

Rubbing the back of her neck, she whispered;

"Esther was only meant to be gone for two hours but…when it got to four, I knew something wasn't right". Sighing, she said, "so, I put on my coat and boots and headed for those woods. When I stepped on the trail it was so damn icy. All the puddles were frozen solid. The terrain was covered in black and slippery ice".

Mazel's eyes looked away from the horses, while she whispered;

"I found Lily first…she must have slipped on the ice. Her front legs were broken and she…she must have been lying there for a while cause the horse wasn't breathing".

Roe felt his heartache.

And he continued to listen in silence.

Slowly, her eyes stared up into Roe's deep and sorrowful stare.

"Then I found Esther". Mazel whispered, "she was…cold and blue. She was dead. They both died".

Her eyebrows twitched together;

"I couldn't…believe it". She said, as if she was in the same state of denial, "but they weren't waking up. I was screaming for Esther to wake up".

Shaking her head, Mazel felt her eyes sting with unleashed tears;

"the whole of Lancaster heard me screaming her name, Gene but Esther didn't".

Mazel swallowed back the lump in her throat.

Rubbing her lips together, she shook her head;

"that's…that's my story".

Staring at her in silence for a few moments, while he processed the pain in her voice and the heartbreak clearly in her eyes, Roe soon took a step towards her. And soon, he took her hand into his. With her hand, he guided it around the back of his neck and did the same with her other hand.

Mazel frowned a little and croaked;

"what're you doing?"

Roe soon wrapped his arms around her waist.

And pulled her in tightly;

"I'm holding you". He whispered.

She felt a flutter in her heart and stomach.

"Oh". Mazel whispered.

Closing her eyes, she pressed her face up against his chest.

And they embraced each other perfectly.

The Regiment was soon kicked back into shape. They were back to training six days a week.

They went on full-pack hikes which lasted twenty-five miles.

Exercise lessons also included street fighting, combat team training and map reading.

They learned how to dig themselves deep and good foxholes. They slept outside in their foxholes and practised using their bayonets. And they made training jumps. Training in Aldbourne was almost like being back in Toccoa. Except, they weren't inside an army base.

They had a bit more freedom in Aldbourne.

After training, the men usually went down to one of the two pubs for a drink.

The Crown was a personal favourite for Easy.

However, no one could get used to the warm beer.

Mazel decided she'd rather drink nothing than warm beer again. She avoided the pubs in the village and saved up for London instead. Guarnere had the same idea but Johnny Martin didn't seem to mind the warm beer, so, he dragged Guarnere to the pub for company.

During her free time, Mazel would take strolls around the village.

For their first Sunday off, she walked further down until she neared a church. It was a Methodist church, a place where Mazel hadn't visited before. But she did spot Winters, who was sitting on his own on a bench. She found it a little strange that he was sitting among graves but the spot he had picked was near enough away from the stones. And it looked pretty peaceful. With a tiny frown, Mazel opened the black metal gate and stepped inside the churchyard.

Making her way up the gravel path, she soon approached her Lieutenant.

He had looked up, once he heard footsteps walking towards him.

And ended up smiling small;

"good morning, Private".

"Morning, sir". Mazel greeted back softly.

"I'm a little surprised to see you here". Winters voice sounded light and amused.

She smirked;

"me too, sir".

Mazel then nodded towards the bench he was sitting on;

"mind if I sit down, sir?"

"Not at all, Gorski". Winters moved over a little, making more space for her.

Sitting herself down on the bench, she looked at the quiet cemetery.

With a tiny nod, Mazel said;

"pretty peaceful here, sir, huh?"

"Yeah". He agreed, "like it that way".

Her lips twitched;

"were you looking to be alone, sir?"

Winters smiled a little;

"it's fine, trooper. What brought you here anyway?"

"I went for a walk, sir". She said, "fellas wanted to head for an early drink, but I hate the warm beer, sir".

He chuckled;

"yeah…it's a little different here, huh?"

"You'd bet, sir". Mazel mumbled, "feels like there ain't nothing good to eat here".

Smirking, he looked down at her;

"are you missing milkshakes and ice cream as much as I am, Private?"

Sighing, Mazel nodded;

"yup".

"Heard anything from your Uncle?"

She shook her head;

"no, sir". Mazel replied, "I ain't even sure if he's in England".

Winters shrugged;

"he might be". He mused, "he'll be trying to figure out our next move".

Mazel snorted;

"that's a scary thought, huh? But Uncle George is a pretty smart guy, sir. Whatever they come up with, Uncle George will have a say in it, I'm sure".

Winters huffed softly;

"I still can't believe he's your Uncle sometimes, Private".

She smiled a little.

Winters then added;

"you could have easily trained to be an officer".

Mazel shook her head;

"I wasn't a good student at school, sir". She admitted, "kept on skipping classes and not doing my homework. I got along well with the kids, but the teachers hated me".

Winters chuckled;

"more important things to do?"

"Exactly, sir". She grinned, "I had cows to milk and horses to look after".

He nodded slowly;

"well, your lack of school hasn't stopped you from doing well here, Private".

"Thanks, sir". Mazel smiled, "sure mom and Abba will be happy to hear that".

Winters tilted his head to the side and asked her;

"have you written back to your mother?"

Mazel grimaced;

"once, sir". She admitted, "when we got to Benning. I've only read one letter 'cause I get so damn homesick, sir".

Winters frowned a little.

She sighed;

"didn't 'wanna lose focus, sir".

"I understand, trooper". He said, "I'm terrible at keeping up with my letter writing".

Mazel's eyes suddenly caught sight of an older couple.

They walked towards a grave, which looked new.

And the woman lay fresh flowers by the grave.

Mazel frowned;

"God…wouldn't that be a sin if it was their son, sir". She whispered.

Winters followed her direction and shared her frown;

"yeah…it would, trooper".

The older man caught their stares.

Mazel blinked and looked away.

She missed the man talking to the woman.

Before the couple, both walked towards the two Americans.

"Good morning, Yanks". The man greeted, "fine day. Hope we're not disturbing you".

"Certainly not". Winters assured him quickly.

"Barnes is the name". He said, "Francis Barnes. I'm the village grocer. This is my wife, Louie May. You two must be with those Yanks who just arrived".

"Yes". Winters replied, "I'm Dick Winters…and this is Mazel Gorski. Please, have a seat".

Winters and Mazel watched, while the older couple took the empty bench next to them.

Very quickly, Winters complimented the village;

"it's so quiet and charming here". He said, "you're both lucky to live here, Mr Barnes".

Mr Barnes chuckled;

"yes…indeed". He said, "it's a rather peaceful place, with an excellent sense of community".

Leaning forwards, Mazel said;

"it's almost like the war hasn't touched this place".

"Oh, it has dear". Mrs Barnes whispered. She pointed in the direction of the grave they had visited, "that's our son. He was with the Royal Air Force. We lost him a year ago".

"I'm so sorry". Winters said softly.

Mazel frowned;

"I'm sorry, Mr and Mrs Barnes".

"Would you both care to come and have tea with us?" Mr Barnes asked, "say, four o'clock?"

Mazel looked up at Winters who nodded with a smile;

"thank you. We'd like that".

The older couple left after the offer was accepted.

Mazel watched them go with a tiny smile;

"they're nice, sir".

Winters nodded and smiled too;

"yeah, they are".

Mazel then looked up at Winters, who continued to watch the older couple.

Rubbing her lips together, she said;

"sir?"

"Yeah? What is it?"

"I've 'gotta skip the tea offer".

Looking down at her, he nodded;

"that's fine, Private". He replied, "do you have a reason?"

Smiling small, she said;

"they're real nice, sir…and if I hadn't come along, you'd have still met them and they'd have invited you over for tea, sir".

Winters looked slightly amused;

"you're not going because of fate, Private?"

She shrugged, with a tiny grin;

"I ain't 'bout to step in the way of fate, sir".

Nodding, he said;

"well, if they invite you back…".

"Then I'll go, sir".

When Mazel reached the Nissen huts, they were practically empty.

The men had decided to either drink at the pub or play ball.

However, she saw that Roe was still around.

The medic was sitting on the edge of his bed, reading his bible. Licking her bottom lip, Mazel approached his bed and soon sat down next to him. Roe was slightly startled by the sudden dip in his bed. Looking to his left, he chuckled;

"I didn't hear you come in".

Mazel shrugged;

"guess I was being sneaky, huh?"

Roe closed his bible;

"where did you run off to this morning?"

"Church".

Pulling a face, he looked at her;

"you're Jewish last I checked".

Mazel smiled;

"I didn't go inside, Gene…I just wanted to walk around, you know?"

"Yeah, I get". Roe tucked his Bible under his mattress, "what are you doing now?"

"Came to ask you the same thing".

He smiled;

"how strange".

Mazel smirked;

"so strange". She agreed, with a hint of sarcasm.

Clearing his throat, Roe said;

"so…I heard there's 'gonna be a dance soon".

She raised her eyebrow;

"where?"

Roe shrugged;

"I ain't sure…someplace nearby. The Red Cross club's hosting this dance. Everyone from the Regiment got invited. Live music, good food and drinks".

Mazel snorted;

"I ain't sure the English got good food, Gene".

Smiling at her, he asked;

"you 'gonna go?"

"Sure, I'll go". Mazel said, "but I ain't dancing with a girl".

Roe chuckled softly;

"well…I was hoping you'd dance with me".

Her eyebrows twitched;

"you?"

Roe nodded.

And he looked slightly nervous;

"uh – yeah…I mean, you don't have-"

"yeah…yeah, that would be cool, Gene". Mazel cut him off quietly.

Nodding, Roe rubbed his hands together;

"yeah…should be good, right?"

"Sure".

Mazel then smiled;

"you can dance, Gene?"

"Uh…sort of".

"I didn't take you for a dancer".

Roe almost blushed;

"well…I ain't the greatest. I mean, I'm probably below average".

Mazel huffed out a tiny laugh;

"good to know".

Licking her bottom lip, her hand slowly reached for his.

"So – uh – I ain't ever danced before".

Roe looked at her again;

"never?"

Mazel shook her head;

"nope, never". She confirmed, "sorry if I stand on your feet".

He smiled;

"I won't mind".

Her fingers bumped against his hand.

Mazel then frowned;

"I ain't wearing a dress".

Roe snorted;

"didn't think you would". He said, "we're going in our Class A's, anyway".

"Thank God".

Sighing softly, Mazel met his stare.

She decided to tell the rest of her story;

"when mom and Abba came home the night Esther died…".

Roe frowned a little.

Licking her bottom lip, she whispered;

"I ain't ever heard a scream like it. My mom, she was screaming so much. Abba couldn't console her. No one could. Doctor said Esther likely had an asthma attack and fell off Lily. Lily probably got a fright and tried to run but slipped".

Shaking his head, Roe whispered;

"I'm so sorry, Mazey".

A thoughtful frown crossed Mazel's features;

"whenever I used to think 'bout it, I blamed myself. But I stopped blaming myself when mom filled the barn up with horses one year later. Esther died doing what she loved the most. And me shouting and screaming at her not to ride, still wouldn't have stopped her. There was nothing I could have done to stop it from happening".

Mazel took Roe's hand into hers;

"took me a year to realise that".

He gave her hand a squeeze;

"I'm glad you did".

Mazel looked down at their hands.

And she decided, they fit together perfectly.