In the next two days Pravda managed to widen the gap and hold Colin and Ibrahim at Kaminoyama and push Gustav and the rest of the army group down to Yonezawa.

"Where's the reinforcement?" asked the general.

"They are currently at Mt. Issaikyo. They will be here within two hours." replied August.

"Finally. Once they are here we will force Pravda back to the hills. Then we will march to the ocean and trap them between the two army groups."

"It annoys you that they played it low on us, doesn't it Kommandant?"

"No… Okay, maybe a little bit."

"Don't be ashamed, you are just a human being too. It's natural to feel that way if something like that happens."

"Guess you're right. You know, in mean time I do find their performance admirable. You have to be talented to achieve this when you are outnumbered this much."

"And this is why we and many other people respect you Kommandant. No matter what, you respect your opponents."

"If they deserve it I do. And they deserve it. Nevertheless, I still intend to overcome them."

"We agree on this." nodded August.

"Tell all teams to prepare to launch attack at noon. By that time Count High School will be here too."

"Verstanden!"

Katyusha's POV

"What about Viking?" asked Katyusha.

"They had to switch to some kind of guerilla warfare or else they couldn't resist any longer." said Nonna. "There's not real frontline anymore in the north."

"In that case I assume we have to secure this area as fast as we can to help them. Listen. We will continue to push them following the Mogami while the other part of the team keeps those british and turks away from us and then…"

BOOM!

A shell struck the ground nearby.

"Get in your tanks everyone!"

Marina's POV

The tanks of Count lured close to Pravda and they were hiding behind the bushes.

"How great targets you are." she whispered. "Atac eroii mei!" The Romanian styled team opened fire, surprising Pravda out of nowhere. "Let me show you how strigois fight!"

Pravda fired back but the students of Count used their usual hit and disappear in the darkness tactic. In one minute the shots were coming from one place, then from another place, then from two different places, then from numerous separate places and so on.

"Oh! Not this shit again!" yelled Katyusha. "Smoke them out!"

But in that minute the IMAF assaulted Pravda too.

"Attack Count first! After them into the forest!" ordered Katyusha and they began to chase Marina and her comrades. At least they left behind the European Panzers and other tanks for a bit of time because many of them could go only slowly in the dense woods.

Pravda and Count continued their fight at the Surikamigawa Dam, more precisely around the Mitake Shrine. On a long stretch the dammed Surikami River and the deep valley gave good protection to Count. Another problem for Pravda was that the only nearby bridge was so narrow that the tanks could cross it only in Indian file.

They went westwards to find an ideal crossing point where the river was shallower. However the forest was also more impermeable there.

"Klara! Did you and your scouts find anything?" asked Katyusha.

"Here's a good place Katyusha-sama! The coordinates are…"

BOOM! Acoustic sizzle in the radio…

"Klara? Klara! What happened?!"

"We've been hit… eh, eh… we have to evacuate!"

A hiding Stug III of Count fired at Klara's T-34 and hit the engine block. It must have struck something important, because black, dense smoke started to fill the inside of the tank, making its crew to choke.

"Everyone, get out!" ordered Klara the three other girls. The climbed out and in that moment electroshocking machinegun bullets began to fly in the air toward them. "Go, go, go!" They all run to different directions.

Klara didn't know at all where she was going but she kept running and running as fast as she could.

Gustav's POV

"Can't you reach Count at all?"

"I'm sorry Kommandant. Communication has broken with them." replied August.

"Damn it. We have to inform them about our position and that we have sent out Panzer IIIs for reconnaissance. In the end they will think they are enemies."

"So what are we going to do?"

"I'll go and tell them."

"What?" asked his whole crew in union.

"I'll go on foot to find them."

"I'm sorry Kommandant but: have you gone mad?" asked Emma.

"Somebody has to go and I don't want to send anyone, so I'll go myself."

"It's not necessarily the best idea ever, if you accept my opinion." said Silvia.

"I accept it Silvia dear. But I've already decided it."

"Geez… I know you too well. We can't change your mind, can we?"

"Of course you can't. Stay here and wait for me. Gertrud! Take command for a little bit bitte!"

"Jawohl!"

"Wish me good luck guys." said Gustav and opened the hatch.

"Wait a second Kommandant! This may come in handy." said Fabian and handed Gustav a Luger P08. Its magazine was filled with electrifying bullets like the machineguns of the tanks.

"Danke Fabian. Off I go." the general said, got out of the Königstiger and entered the woods.

Klara's POV

Klara reached her limit and couldn't sprint any longer, so she stopped, breathing heavily. She looked around.

"Where am I?" she thought. She realized that she got lost. Of course, because she wasn't watching where she was going. "That's just great." she said to herself then decided to go where Pravda possibly was. But as she took one step she felt terrible pain in her right leg. She looked down and noticed that there was a bleeding, deep wound on her thigh. Looks like there was so much adrenalin in her body that she didn't feel it until now. It was probably caused by some broken, flying piece of metal when the tank got hit.

Klara tried to go further but collapsed almost immediately with a painful hiss. Her leg hurt too much to walk.

She was lying on the dead leaves, leaning on her elbow. What should she do now? Shout? But what if someone else will hear her, not her comrades? Or wait until they find her? Or rest for a while and try to go again? Maybe this last option will be the best.

Dragging her leg after her she crawled to a tree and let her back rest against its trunk. She let out a deep sigh and looked up with her sparkling, blue eyes, watching the leaves moving in the breeze. "3aчeм? (Why?)"

Now, as there was no gunfire around her she realized how beautiful this forest was. Wonderful, majestic trees and bushes, giving home to so many creatures. How magical the world can be without the madness of humans…

She couldn't tell how long she sat on the ground like this. For minutes, half an hour or maybe an hour?

She suddenly heard something. It was like the cracking of a twig. Then she heard steps. Someone was closing. But who?

Klara watched and a few seconds later a tall figure emerged from behind the trees. Black Sensha-Do uniform… A german!

"Heмeц…"

Gustav stopped and frowned. Unexpectedly he found a European looking girl in Pravda uniform and with a bleeding leg.

Klara was trying to hide her shaking in vain. She looked at him than at the Luger in his hand. What is he going to do?

Gustav did nothing yet; he just stood puzzled, looking at her at first than at her leg, then at her, then at her leg etc. Finally he decided to take a few steps toward her. When he reached her and knelt down Klara began to squirm nervously and pulled back.

"He, beruhige, ich will dir nicht weh tun. (Hey, calm down, I don't want to hurt you.)" he said and put the pistol in its holster. Then Gustav reached behind his back and took a small package with a red cross on it.

He took out a sac of disinfectant powder and spread in on her wound. Then he grabbed a roll of bandage and wrapped it around her thigh.

Klara watched him as he was doing so. She saw nothing imminent on his face. She saw only honest will to help.

When Gustav finished he gestured "here you are" with his hands. Silence lapsed between them as they were looking at each other with Klara leaning against the tree and Gustav kneeling beside her.

"Cпacибo. (Thank you.)" Klara finally said quietly. There was another long silence.

"Bist du… eine Russin? (Are you… a russian?)" asked Gustav, forgetting because of the confusion that she will probably not understand him.

But Klara nodded. "Du hast Recht."

"Sprichst du Deutsch?" asked Gustav tilting his head to the side.

"Ein bisschen, aber… nicht… so gut."

"Ja, und ich… ya ne govoryu po russki." said Gustav with a faint smile to which Klara replied with a small chuckle.

They went silent again.

"Do you speak english?" asked Klara.

"Yes, I do." nodded Gustav.

"Why did you help me?"

Gustav shrugged. "Because that was the right thing to do. Is it so surprising?"

"N-No… Thank you again."

"Your welcome."

"Hm. I thought you germans are blond like those Vikings."

"Oh, please. Leave these platitudes…" sighed Gustav. He was blond, but dark, brownish blond. "And I thought you russians always carry flamethrowers with you. Is this a more realistic supposition?

"Guess not. Do I look like some crazy person?"

"No. Moreover… you look like someone who's pretty nice."

"Even if I'm russian?" raised Klara an eyebrow.

"Who told you that I have problem with you?"

"Nobody… after all. Just…"

"Just you thought that I have because I'm german?"

"No… just… Maybe. Sorry." said Klara ashamed of herself.

"Never mind. Then let me tell you that I have nothing against you. What demonstrates it well is the fact that I have some Russian friends whom I met through Sensha-Do. I know you have many good people."

"I see. Well, as for me… you are the first german I've ever met."

"And? Is it so terrible what you see?"

"No. Not at all."

"I can tell you more. My great-great-grandfather spent six years in Russia as a prisoner of war during WW1."

"Really?"

"Yes. But he was among the luckier ones. He was assigned to a wealthy family on the countryside and worked for them in the house as a butler and sometimes on the fields of the farm. My grandfather is always telling me that when he came home he could say only good things about the ordinary, civilian russian people. He said they are honest, warm hearted and hospitable."

"That was sure kind of him."

"Speaking of my grandfather. He was a radioman on the eastern front for a short period of time in the next war."

"I see your family got enough fighting. Then what happened to him?"

"His unit was sent to France and he fought the rest of the war in the west. He surrendered to the Americans when the whole Wehrmacht capitulated. He says his blindness still torments him."

"I also have a story like this." said Klara. "My great-grandfather has fallen at Rzhev."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Yeah… Thanks."

"…"

"And now?"

"Can you stand up?"

"I can try it."

Gustav stood up and offered his hand. Klara took it after a moment and he pulled her up.

"Are you able to walk?"

"Let's see…" Klara took a step but she would have fallen if Gustav wouldn't have caught her. "Here's the answer."

"Do you know where your friends might be found?"

"Somewhere there." pointed in a direction.

"Alright." said Gustav, then reached under her legs and lifted her up.

"Ч-Чto… What…?" she asked surprised. A moment ago she was standing on one leg and now she was lying against his chest.

"I'll bring you there. You said that way?"

"Y-Yes." Tough it was surprising for Klara she just felt deep in her soul that she can trust him.

He carried her through the woods until they reached a hilltop. Down there they noticed the tanks of Pravda so Gustav knelt down behind a big bush and put her down.

"Here we are. Can you limp there from here?"

"Sure. Thank you again very much. One day I will repay this to you somehow." said Klara thankfully.

"Just take care of yourself, okay?"

Klara nodded with a smile. "Dasvidaniya."

"Auf Wiedersehen." smiled back Gustav, then he stood up and left.

Klara watched him disappearing then stood up as well hardly.

"Kомандир!" her crew shouted when they saw her and they rushed to the aid of their commander/gunner.

"Klara! Thank for the gods! Where were you?" said Katyusha relieved.

"I'm sorry I scared you Katyusha-sama. I got lost after our tank got hit and something has hurt my leg, that's why I was away for so long."

"And where did you get the bandage?"

Klara took a quick glance at the hill. "It… It was a german."

"How's that?"

"I don't know why he was there alone. He found me and treated my wound.

"And?"

"Uhm… he left me there and went away without a word."

"Of course, I didn't expect anything else from someone like him." said Katyusha scornfully. "I'm glad you're back and alright. Now go and rest a bit. Nonna!"

"Hai." said the black haired girl and helped Klara to a tank and laid her down on a sleeping bag. She gave her a flask of water too.

"Thanks Nonna. Fuh. God…"

"Klara."

"Hm?"

"That german lad. He didn't leave you alone, am I right?"

Her friend remained mum.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."

"He didn't." replied Klara. "He brought me all the way here."

"What was he like?"

"He was… very kind. And helpful. Why?"

"I'm just asking. I wonder who he was."

"He…" then Klara realized something. She didn't ask his name. How can she find him then? Wait. Why does she want to find him again so much? "I don't know."

"Hm. I see. Rest now." patted Nonna Klara's shoulder and left.

Klara was left alone with her thoughts. Really. Who could he be? She didn't know but for some reason she wanted to meet him one more time, no matter what. She looked again at the hill. "See you again." she whispered.

Gustav's POV

Gustav arrived back to his army group late in the afternoon. He managed to find Marina and tell her where they and the Panzer III scouts were.

"Good to see you General." greeted him Gertrud. "We were about to start worrying."

"No need to worry about me Gertrud. But it feels good."

"Was everything alright while I was away?"

"Absolutely. What about you?"

"Mission accomplished."

"Did anything special happen out there? Could you perhaps learn something about the enemy?"

"… No. Nothing."

"Ah. Pity. Anyway, can I give the order to move?"

"Yes please." nodded Gustav and climbed back into his Königstiger. He didn't see that his crew changed a "he looks different than a few hours ago" look.

I'd like to wish a happy Easter to all my Christian and non-Christian readers!

Hope you enjoyed the chapter. I don't know why but I was looking forward to make it very much for a long time.

Have a nice day folks!