Chapter 1.
This is the first proper chapter of this story. Hope you enjoy it. Forgot to say; In the previous chapter, I used Luneburg as a basis for Balto's home town, and because it was undamaged by the Second World War. For the German translations, I got them from the internet. Hope you understand my descriptions. I don't know much about fashions and looks in the 1910s, but I'll do my best about that.
France, behind German lines, early February, 1917….
The French countryside was covered in white snow. What few trees remained after three years of war all had their branches covered as well. Yet despite, it being a war zone, the rea was in complete silence. The only sound was the cold winter wind blowing. Moments later, the silence was broken by the sound of horses whinnying, their hooves brushing the snow as they ran, 12 in total, in two teams of 6, a wooden wagon behind them. In each wagon were 6 men, each wearing Imperial German Army grey tunics and trousers, grey overcoats to keep them warm, puttees above their boots, and all wearing grey Stahlhelm or "Steel Helmet" helmets. On both wagons, the man who tugging the reins to make the horses go faster both looked at each other with looks of murder. The man on the wagon on the right was the most murderous looking: "Hauptmann" or Captain Steele. Deep black hair and ice blue eyes, muscular body, all made him look like a capable soldier. However, that didn't mean he was nice. He was the opposite. He looked over at the driver of the over wagon, who had brown hair, and a bit move fatter than Steele. The drivers made their wagons thunder along. ", Steele, we're not gonna make it!" One of Steeles crew said, a skinny blue eyed and light grey haired "Privat" or Private everyone named "Sterne" or Star. Despite being an officer, few people actually called Steele "Captain", and called him by his name. Steele complete ignored Star's request and kept staring ahead, spotting a rock just on the left of the rival wagon. He then turned his horses to the left, the wagon coming so close that the rival wagon had no other choice but to move further left, for fear off hitting it. Then suddenly, the entire crew watching their opponents, the left wagon's horses crashed into the rock and pulled their reins out of the drivers' hands, before stopping a few yards away, its wooden wheels cracking and its crew all falling off and landing in the snow. Seeing this made Steele grin with victory in sight. As they passed a sentry 3 miles from their destination, the sentry shot a flare into the sky, signalling that they were on their way.
The town of Nome….
The town of Nome. A dozen or so wooden and brick buildings, very little signs of the war except for the Imperial German Black, white and red flag, and German regiment that was resting there. After finishing their 8-day shift in the trenches, they were now having a 4-day rest in the Nome. The wagon races were held to help lift the men's spirits up. The sight of the flare meant the race was almost of over and every soldier not on duty came out to watch the finish. One of them was currently watching the flare from a roof, a young man with light brown short hair and eyes, a 6-foot 2 tall muscular body. He saw the flare go off and knew what this meant. "Privat" or Private Balto, as he was called began to move. "It's the three-mile marker. Let's go, Boris and catch the end of the race." He said (in his slightly English accent) to a man who had just started to climb up to him, via the pile of crates besides the building: or "Tragetrager" Stretcher bearer Boris. The closest thing Balto had to family. When Balto's parents died when he was at a young age, Boris took him in and raised him. He was a bit more chubby and older than Balto, and less physical, hence his job. He had 5 foot 1 and brown hair and black eyes, with a white patch with the international red cross on his right arm. His parents were from Russia, but he'd lived in Germany for most of his life, and was seen as just as German as the rest of the men. He was just about to reach for the gutter when Balto came up to him and started climbing very quickly down the crate pile. "Oh, no, no, no. I'm a delicate countryman. I hate being in town." He said grumpily, in his Russian accent, as he began climbing down slowly. "Ah, come on. What's the worst that could happen?" Balto, who was almost at the bottom already, asked. "Every time there's a race on, you run around as if you in it." Boris, said as he got down, before tripping into a meat wagon wheel. "Maybe one day, I will be." Balto said back, still heading to the main road, as Boris got back up and ran after him. "Hey, boy! Boris Goosinoff is no athlete. Slow down!" Boris cried back as he panted from the running.
In the town field hospital….
The towns church, used as a field hospital, was relatively empty, despite the war. There were only a few wounded that the more experienced doctors took care of, so most of the rest of the staff went out to get some air. One of them was a teenage nurse called Jenna. She had Amber eyes, light coloured skin, short dark brown hair, and wore an orange bandanna around her neck, a white apron which she hanged up on a coater holder before going out, a light blue dress, and white cap, which she hung by her apron. As she went out the double doors after putting on a red coat, she was barged in by her little child sister "Rosig" Rosy. She had the same hair colour as Jenna, green eyes, and wore a short white dress with short skirt with a black coat over it, and had a small hat on her head. "Come on, Jenna. Let's watch the race!" Rosy said excitedly as she led her to the main road. They then came between Jenna's friends, Dixie and Sylvie. They were distantly related to the regiments "Oberst" or Colonel, thus they were there. Dixie had black eyes and long blonde hair and a gold necklace and ornament around her neck. Sylvie had long light brown hair and had also had black eyes. They both were the same dress type as Rosy. "Good morning, Jenna. Think it'll be a close race? Maybe… neck and neck." Dixie said, a little too enthusiastically. "Say something about her necklace before she passes out from excitement". Sylvie whispered into Jenna's ear. "Um, Dixie, what a lovely necklace. Is it new?" Jenna asked, looking at it. "What? This old thing? Yeah, think Captain Steele will notice?" She asked the two of them. Both of them rolled their eyes. "The only way Captain Steele will notice anyone is if their wearing a mirror, I'm afraid." Jenna said, as they continued walking to the main road.
As the wagon approached town, Balto came up right by the edge of the main road, getting a perfect watch of the event, looking down the road, staring right. All the way down the road, on both sides, soldiers were looking the same direction, patience running thin from the excitement. Balto then turned his to the left, and a bit down the road, he could see something he'd never forget: A teenage girl in nurse uniform, Amber eyes, brown hair, red coat. A small smile formed on his face, his eyes a bit wider than before. Then suddenly, he saw that a gust of cold wind blew the little girl standing besides her hat blow off and land on the main road. Looking to his right again, he could hear and just about saw the horses in the distance coming into town. His mouth and eyes wide with panic, looking left and right again, seeing they were heading straight for the hat. As the horses closed in on the area where he was standing, he made the decision and ran quickly out onto the road and ran besides the wagon towards the hat. The snow helped him run so fast, as it covered the towns cobbled streets, and there were few things to trip him, like sticks. As he ran very fast, coming besides the horses, the soldiers watching began to notice him. But the words they were saying weren't exactly encouraging. "It's that English boy!" "He'll ruin the race!" But that didn't stop Balto. He then looked at Steele, who once again had a murderous look in his eyes. "Hey, out of my way, Private. "He snarled as Balto kept running, not seeming to tire, as they closed in on the hat. Using whatever energy, he had, Balto actually managed to just besides the lead horses head, before sprinting forward, grabbing the hat, and as quick as a lightning bolt leapt out of the horse's way, mere seconds before coming up to him. Steeles wagon continued on, and then raced across the line marked in the snow as the finish line. The watching men cheered this victory.
The wagon stopped as it crossed the line and its crew jumped off: Steele, Star, next a dark blonde hair with brown eyes named Kaltag, and lastly, a large headed, very think brown hair with brown eyes Private named Nikki. "Congratulations, boss. The view was monotonous of Course" Nikki said as they gathered around Steele. "Pleasure riding with you." Kaltag said. "You were most amazing, exulted, pre-eminent…. Uh, you won!" Star said, earning annoyed looks from Nikki. Meanwhile, walked up to Rosy ad gave back her hat. "What a crazy thing to do. Thanks." She said as she took the hat from him. Then their father came up to them. He was a doctor, technically a surgeon, had a brown beard all around his mouth, short brown hair and wore grey army clothes with white international red cross patches on his arms. "Rosy, stay away from him!" He said as she moved her away from him. "Dad!" She said, as he then started to lead his daughters away from him. "He might hurt you. He's part English. The enemy!" He said to Rosy, as Balto started to walk away, a small look of sadness on his face. "Dad, now you've hurt his feelings." Rosy said as they walked away.
Balto was indeed half- English. His father was a German who fell in love with an English woman. However, it meant that he was looked down by everyone except Boris, for being a "Tommy", a "Englisch" or English. However, being able to speak the English language (German was his birth language) meant he was able to help to translate for prisoners, to which the Colonel felt he had some usefulness, but was never really grateful. Balto always looked down upon this unusually thing about him, as it always got him disrespected.
And that's the first chapter. Hope you understand it and enjoyed it. This story may be a bit harder for me to write than my previous stories, but ill do must best. I hope you enjoyed it. The next chapter will come out as soon as I have to write and upload it, but it'll be soon.