IMPORTANT AN: For those who do not know, I am a sports journalist now and because of that I've been kept very busy. May was championship season and also a lot of high school seniors signing on to collegiate sports which are always awesome to see. However, because of this, I am kept very busy, some days when I do have free time, I am reluctant to write FF as I've grown weary of sitting behind a computer. I still wish to continue this story though and maybe start a new one but we shall see.

Anywho, here's the next chapter and again little research went into this, no time to be thorough. It's short, I apologize and hope you can understand

We do not condone or condemn any military, policies, groups, or persons mentioned in the chapter.

Frozen Blood- Part I

December 1942

Ash grew up in Alaska, she was used to being cold but never this cold.

Even though she was a bodark and could survive in freezing temperatures, she always sought shelter because no sane person would be outside and risk frostbite. She wasn't sure if that could happen to her but she never wanted to take any chances.

Whether it was in her home where a stove kept the cold out or in a den huddled with five or more other warm bodies, she was a survivor of the winter.

This is why she felt stupid as she sat low in a hole in the ground as the snow slowly built up around her. There were already three feet of the stuff across the land when she and her improvised squadron waded to their positions. It took forever for them to burrow into the frozen ground and now they wait for their enemy to come and attack.

She wasn't sure what was worst; waiting to freeze to death or waiting for the unstoppable Germans to slaughter them.

Every instinct told her to move, run. Waiting to be covered in snow was tortuous, there surely had to be a better place for them to fight. Couldn't they go back to Moscow and warm up for a while or at least wait until they knew for sure when the Nazis would attack?

The scary thing was no one was sure when the invaders would come. They've been advancing so quickly that the Kremlin was unable to keep track of them. There was also the vague hope that the Germans would stop before they reached the capital, bogged down by the snow and mud, but that didn't happen apparently.

Now she and her…friends are sitting in a man-made ditch, clutching their weapons and waiting for the inevitable to come.

Ash blinked hard, trying to keep herself from falling asleep as she put her rifle aside and patted her arms, trying to keep herself awake and warm. She knew if she fell asleep out there, she might not wake up.

She shivered slightly and shifted in her spot in the hole. She looked to Oleg who was sitting beside her and watching his sector of the line. Ever since this war started, she saw nothing but fear and hopelessness in the eyes of everyone she met. But Oleg and Petr had looks of determination and, in Oleg's case, pure hatred. If Petr wasn't so old, he probably would be sitting alongside the younger Russian right now.

Instead, the tall white-haired man was huddled in a corner of the reserve trench a few yards behind Ash and Oleg's position. Able and Anton were with him, the three huddled together in an attempt to ward off the cold. The three were miserable, more so than Ash as they didn't have an inner monster that could keep them warm.

Ash returned to her duty and looked across the plains. It was mostly bare except for a few clumps of trees here and there. There was a cluster of buildings in the no man's land that may have been a farmhouse but she couldn't be certain. The sun was up but with the heavy cloud cover, it looked like dusk. The snow obscured much of the region, making it difficult for Ash to tell how far away something is or even to see a tree, with the snow weighing on it, it could easily blend in and just look like a clump of snow.

All along their line, men and a few women have dug a series of trenches that are partially connected but mostly isolated from one another. Unlike the trenches Ash and the people of Moscow had dug in the summer, these were newly made and were some kilometers away from their original positions.

Where the Germans are currently occupied.

Ash squints a little can just make out the crevices where their fortifications laid. Every so often she would see a helmeted head bob up and down as the Germans moved along the trench system. Sometimes, if they were quiet, they could hear the Germans talking or even playing harmonicas.

She wondered if she could hit them from where she was at. She glanced down at the bolt action rifle in her hand. She had seen rifles before, plenty of people in Nome would hunt, but she never held a gun herself. Her father owned a pistol but she never saw him use it. Why would he need a firearm when he can transform into a giant beast?

The wooden stock smelled a little musty and there was a bit of rust near the tip of the barrel. Tromfin speculated that Ash must have been given one of the first models of the Mosin-Nagant that was made in 1891.

She wouldn't be surprised if it was true. Most of the soldiers were using outdated equipment; they even had a calvary division somewhere with horses prepared to carry their riders into battle. The soldiers themselves could use some improvements as well; most of them were civilians who were forced into service. Their captain was a cadet from the Moscow military academy who wasn't even nineteen yet. That doesn't stop Tromfin from kissing up to him whenever he had the chance.

Ash supposed that's where the nervous man was now, probably trying to get on their commanders' good side, doing everything from running messages to making the coffee. She couldn't figure the guy out, he seems determined to live, but he is so indecisive and his loyalty shifts quickly between commanders. He was no soldier that was for sure, maybe he was hoping to get assigned to a safer duty in the rear echelon.

Oleg was the complete opposite. He always looked grim and hardly talked about anything but the war. It was maddening, especially when the last thing Ash wanted to discuss was the latest German victories or the number of dead Soviets is being reported. He'd always volunteer to be on the watch first, wanting to be the first to kill the enemy of the day.

Petr was the only one she found to be pleasant company. Though he does want to exact some vengeance against the Reich, he doesn't commit every waking moment to his cause. He'd find something pleasant to comment about or would have a story to tell about his past life as a farmer. He was a soldier that was drafted into the Red Army during the civil war so that made him the most experience out of the group. That is in terms of the stress and boredom of warfare. Back then, he didn't have to worry about being crushed by giant tanks or strafed by airplanes.

For the past week, their lines have been engaged in brief skirmishes that only lasted a few minutes. The most terrifying thing Ash had felt so far in her life was when she heard the scream of a diver bomber and feeling the earth shake when it dropped its payload a couple of meters away from her position.

The Germans haven't moved since their pincher attack in November. Various rumors are told about what could have possibly stalled their advance, but most people seemed to agree it was the weather. During this time of year, the roads were impossible to move on as they become slippery and sticky, it wasn't too hard to imagine that the German supply line had become bogged down by the conditions and they are waiting to be restocked. She hoped that the Reich doesn't get their supplies anytime soon. Soviet reinforcements from the east should be arriving later in the month, but until then they are on their own.

Even though Ash had been a part of the construction crew during the summer, she was surprised by how fortified Moscow had become. They were told to avoid the roads as they have all been mined, the railroads are blocked so they can't expect reinforcements riding in anytime soon, and whenever they crossed a bridge their stomachs were tight as they knew there were charges planted on the support beams, ready to kill everyone who was crossing.

It was hard to believe that this place was relatively peaceful just half a year ago, back when Ash and her fellow Americans were still students. Now here she was as a soviet soldier and had taken part in a military parade celebrating the Bolshevik revolution no more than a week ago.

She remembers it was utter madness when she and her friends disembarked at the Moscow station after their hasty back and forth journey across the countryside. Snow was just starting to fall and they were handed winter gear. Of all the things, the only thing Ash could compliment the Soviets about was the foresight of providing them with winter clothes.

For the rest of the morning, they were given intense marching drills. Tromfin and Anton kept falling out of step and an enraged sergeant would boot them hard in the rear. At first, Ash was worried they were getting all the training because they were going to be marched into battle, and the thought of them getting blown to bits by tanks as they walked in a uniform file almost made her sick.

Instead, they were told they were going to take part in the military parade. That was…unexpected.

The Americans weren't aware of the parade while their Russian counterparts were more confused on why they were celebrating when the German army was just 25 miles away.

Ash thought it was because their leader was insane, but she knew better than to say it out loud. Petr seemed alright and Oleg didn't seem to care about anything but the Nazis so she was sure if she accidentally let her opinions slip they wouldn't report her to the officers. But Tromfin…she wasn't sure if he was heartless enough to report her to the NKVD, still, she should be cautious with him.

It was midday when the festivities began. She and her squad were among the last to march but they were forced to stand at the ready while the General Secretary gave a speech. For an average person it would have been difficult to hear from the back of an army, but not for Ash with her bodark abilities.

Everyone, soldiers and civilians alike, was completely still and silent. It even stopped snowing as the supposed man of steel spoke. It chilled Ash to the bone, the man's voice was greatly emphasized. His speech was deliberate and his manner cold. His tone never wavered as he ranted against the Nazis and the assurance that the army wouldn't fail.

For once, Ash hoped he was right. If they failed, she didn't know what would happen to her and her friends. They heard nothing but the cruelty of the Germans, the Nazi SS was the worst and according to the rumors they were spearheading the attack on Moscow.

At the blare of horns though, the world became alive again.

Formations of tanks rumbled down the street. Hundreds of calvary horses marched down the road, their footsteps muffled by the snow. Soldiers wearing white camouflage followed behind with machine guns in one hand and skies in the other. Columns of trucks weighed down by rockets rolled by. Finally, the regular forces followed behind at the end.

Ash tried to see the Soviet leader but the podium was so high up and she didn't dare turn her head all the way, not knowing if even her enhanced durability would keep her safe from the drill sergeant's fury should she break the marching order.

It felt so bizarre, not only being in a parade but in a parade promoting an army that stood against everything she valued. How did a girl with the bodark gift from Alaska end up here? She didn't want to be a part of any hair-brained propaganda piece to inflate the General Secretary's ego, but then she heard the cheers.

Along the streets, women, elders, and children cheered, waved, and clapped as the soldiers walked by. She knew they weren't clapping for her, but seeing so many smiling faces as well as so many kids with hope in their eyes as they looked up at her in wonder. Despite the chill, the grime on their faces, and the fact that they were probably starving, they had hope that their army would stop the Nazi invaders.

She thought of all the propaganda she heard from Germany. Their so-called justification for starting a war and their radio broadcast about taming the east. But all she can remember are the horror stories told to her by the actual Slavic people, not the radio broadcasts. More than one refugee stumbled through their lines and they all had seen terrible things. Stories about the SS executing Jews, murdering Slavic men and women, and trudging on children who were unlucky enough to be named after Lenin.

The Nazis may present themselves as civilized, but they were acting barbarous against the people of Russia. People whose only crime was being born in the wrong place with the wrong body features. It was one thing for Nazi propaganda to talk about the savagery of the Russian people, but watching a sobbing grandmother carrying a baby missing an arm to the city or seeing two girls struggling to push a wheelbarrow that held their withered grandfather…that was hard to witness.

And she knew that everyone here, the women and children of Moscow, the elders…Ash knew they wouldn't be spared if the Germans broke through.

Now as she sat in the hole in thought, she wondered. If it wasn't for the gun held at her back, would she leave? Could she run and leave these people to their fate?

They weren't her people, she could even argue she wasn't even human and instead belonged with the wolves of her pack. By all means, she shouldn't be here so surely, she would run if she had the chance.

And yet…

The Soviets were evil, their thug of a leader especially, but their people were innocent. Stalin may threaten to take over the world, but right now it was the Nazis who were actually doing it. And massacring hundreds while enslaving thousands more.

She felt her grip on the rifle tighten.

Would she fight for these people?

Yes, she thought. Yes, she would.

Oleg shifted in his spot and he finally spoke after an hour of silence.

"Anything?" He asked.

"Nothing," was Ash's reply as she looked back up and continued watching. Her gaze was moving past the farmhouse again when she saw a flicker.

"Hey," she whispered as she started to rise. "I think I saw-"

"Stay down!" Oleg hissed and violently pulled her to the ground. "If it's a sniper he could get you."

Ash wanted to smack him but refrained from it. Oleg had survived months of combat; she should heed his advice. With little grace, she returned to her crouch position and pick up her rifle before gesturing to the house almost a hundred yards away in the middle of no man's land.

"I saw something move in the house," she told him.

Oleg cast one last look at his section before moving to Ash's side.

"I don't see anything," he said as he squinted at the structure.

"I swear I saw- Wait there!" Ash pointed at a doorway where a person was peering out.

Oleg swore softly to himself as hefted his submachine gun.

"Fritz house huh?" he said out loud. "I'll inform the captain and get an artillery round on it."

He had just started to move when Ash stopped him.

"Wait," she called. "I…I think it's a woman."

"A woman?" Oleg looked over his shoulder.

"Maybe?" Ash said as she stared. "I mean, the face looks like a woman and…" Ash's eyes widen. "There's a kid! Oleg, she has a child!"

She could just make out the woman's face, but she could certainly see a small figure clutching the woman's leg. Too small to be a soldier.

Oleg had returned to Ash's side and they both stared at the people in the house.

"I can barely see them," Oleg said with narrowed eyes.

"It's a woman with her child," Ash confirmed. "I swear it is."

A small ball of anger lit within her. The commissars have been walking along the lines, telling the soldiers that all civilians have been evacuated from the area. Maybe it could have been a mistake, but this wouldn't be the first time the Soviets left people behind.

"How can you even see them from here?" Oleg demanded as he turned a critical eye to her. "I can barely make them out."

Ash froze, suddenly aware of her hasty observation. Because of her bodark sense, she has better eyesight than a normal man. She just revealed a part of her secret.

"Uh," Ash hesitated, unsure of what to say. "I just have good eyesight I guess-"

Suddenly the snow in front of them exploded and hot winds threw them to the floor. There might have been an explosion, but Ash had suddenly got deaf. Her eyes watered and her body ached from the sudden throw. She quickly sat up but gasp and groan as she felt bruises taking their effects on her body.

She didn't have time to focus on the pain though. The ground shook an unrelenting fury as more explosions happened all around her. She sat there, dumbstruck at what is going on as the force of the blasts pushed her to and fro. She knew she needed to move, she needed to run, but where?

Suddenly a hand grabbed her shoulder and pulled her down.

"Cover-up!" Oleg screamed directly into Ash's ear. "Cover-up!"

Heeding his words, Ash curled into a ball and covered her face with her arms. She has no idea if this position would be effective. It didn't feel like it, but what else could they do.

The heat kept sweeping over her, causing her shivering body to suddenly begin sweating, both from the high temperature and the fear. She was trying to control her breathing, but with each boom and shake her composure would crumble and she is unable to keep control of herself.

It was like being stuck inside a storm cloud. You never knew when the next strike was coming, only feeling it with each rumble and blast wave. She wasn't sure if she was screaming or if it was Oleg. Her body was becoming numb as she lost the concept of time and feeling.

The booms were starting to fade away, they were still blasting but we're definitely moving away. With trembling hands, Ash moved her hands from her eyes. She couldn't believe what had just happened. Everything was calm just that morning and…

"Get up!" Oleg yelled as he tried pulling her to her feet. "They're coming! They're coming!"

She wanted to ask who, but instead, she allowed herself to be moved. She couldn't feel her body yet, numbed by shock and terror. She didn't feel the rifle being pushed into her hands or the shove that forced her to where she was kneeling earlier. It wasn't until she saw the moving bodies did some semblance of action returned to her.

Streaming across the snowcapped land were vehicles. Mostly armored half-tracks, some tanks and trailing behind them were scores of soldiers. Some wore white uniforms but most were wearing a mismatch of clothing that barely hid their grey uniform underneath.

She was still frozen. Unsure of what was supposed to happen.

"Aim and fire!" Oleg yelled at her as he started firing his submachine gun. "Look! Shoot! Shoot! Shoot!"

"Shoot," Ash found herself whispering as she lifted the rifle and looked down at the sight. She was trembling and she knew it wasn't the cold. She stared at the mass of soldiers as they made their way to her. They were two hundred yards away. And they were coming closer. Closer.

"Fire!" Oleg demanded.

With that, she pulled the trigger and the rifle released a bang.

She tried to shoot again, but the gun wouldn't fire.

"Reload!"

Reload. Right. Her mind finally begins to clear and she remembers what she was supposed to do. Grab the bolt. Pull it back, insert another round. Aim. Fire.

This time she got it as she fired four more shots, one after the other before grabbing a clip from the pouch around her hip and reloaded. By now she realized they weren't the only ones shooting. All across the trenches, she could hear bangs, booms, and chatter as both armies fired at one another. The Germans were less than a hundred yards away now, their war machines not stopping despite the explosions surrounding their metal hides. Only the infantry following after them were faltering. Ash had no idea if she was hitting her targets, she just kept pointing her rifle at the mass of bodies and firing.

Suddenly the air was filled with hisses as snow popped up and down around her.

Something hot and sharp seared her shoulder, the only warning she had that she was being shot at. She dropped to the ground again along with Oleg who hastily gestured for her to follow. As she crawled after him, she could hear the screams and cries of men coming from all around. She had no idea what was happening but knew she had to stick with Oleg. He had some idea of what was going on.

AN: Once again I apologize for splitting this chapter into two, I don't have time to write as much as I would like in the allotted time I was given so I hope you can understand and forgive me for that. Can't make promises when the next chapter will come out

Secondly: Exciting news from work; one of my coworkers made a photo essay about the virus and its effects on the Navajo Nation, "The COVID-19 Outbreak in the Navajo Nation" by Donovan Quintero. I encourage you to check it out as it documents what I seen and endured while on the reservation and the cool thing is the freaking Smithsonian reached out to my work and said they're going to preserve some of Quintero's pictures in their future archive covering the COVID pandemic. These are great pictures that I encourage you to see, it brought a tear to my eye but maybe that's just me, they are pictures of my community so it hit me hard