Chapter 2
This is the second chapter. Hope you enjoy it.
Back on the main road, the men began congratulating Steele, some patting him on the back, some shaking his hands, others just saying it in words. He appreciated all this very, grinning with the respect they had for him. Even Dixie and Sylvie came up, though Sylvie didn't say anything, and Dixie said her "Congratulations". Steele replied back with a "Ladies", making Dixies mouth open wide with happiness. As the congratulating died out, he spotted Jenna walking besides the rest if her family. Upon seeing her, Steele ran up to her side, a small smile on his face, and his eyes open wide. "Hi there, Jenna. Enjoy the race?" He asked, extending his right arm out in front of her, stopping her, and holding her back from the rest of her family. "Yeah." She grumbled, knowing what Steele was up to. "Almost as much as you did." Steele said back, even though he had actually been in the race. "Let's go celebrate. I know where the officer's rations are. Better than what your fed, by the way." He continued. "I don't know. I've lost my appetite." Jenna said, as she took a few steps forward towards her family, only to be stopped by Steeles still outward held arm. "Well, maybe your tastes are a little more…. English." Steele coldly. Then Rosy called out, "Jenna, come on sis. We're going back to the quarters." Jenna immediately saw her chance. "Sorry, Steele. My sisters calling me." She said as she ran after her family.
Walking down a quiet alley with Boris by his side, Balto hung down his head in shame. Boris was thinking about wat to say, but just couldn't find the words. He then heard a little girls voice call out "Jenna!" Hearing that made Balto's head look up, and a smile formed on his face. He ran ahead of Boris, jumped over two stacked crates, came upon a wooden fence with the middle parts missing, but came to an abrupt stop when he saw Jenna walking right in front of him, making his face stop just inches away her hers. This event put an awkward smile on both their faces, but Balto's smile turned to a happy one as the shock and embarrassment of this moment faded away. "Jenna, I…" He stuttered before he saw the rest of her family on the other side of the road. The voice of her father calling out "Jenna!" made her turn her head around, and when she turned her head back to face the fence, the spaces where she had seen the soldier was empty. The only traces that he had been there were the footprints in the snow. See leaned forward ad looked around the space behind the fence she could see before her called "Jenna!" again. Hearing her father a second time made Jenna run after her family again. Unknown to her, Balto was hiding behind an empty wagon a few feet from the fence. Watching Jenna run off made the look on his face more ashamed than earlier.
He then walked away from the wagon and got back to Boris, and was walking by his side just as before. "Balto, there are some things I can't help you with." Boris said. "Yeah." Balto replied back, still upset. "I'm just a Russian with no experience with women, not an expert." Boris said, making the alley silent again. The silence was only broken when a voice came from behind them "Didn't make the team… Georgie?" Steele asked, referring to the then British King George V. Baltos face turned from upset of anger as he heard what Steele asked. "Don't listen to him or look back. They won't do it if you ignore." Boris whispered to him. But Balto didn't take the advice. "My names Balto…. Sir." He said, turned around toward Steele. "Why don't they call him "Idiot"? Boris muttered to himself. "I'm sorry, Balto. Balto the half-born Private." Steele said with a murderous smile, while Nikki, Kaltag, and Star came into the alley behind him. They often were never far from him, mostly because he was their CO or company "Commanding Officer", and that he trusted them. Steele then walked up to Boris, still smiling. "Hey Russian, you half-born too? Part Turkish, or Austrian, or German too?" Steele asked, as Austria-Hungary and Ottoman Turkey were Germany's allies. Steele then shoved Boris down on the snowy ground, landing with a grunt. "Good wordplay, Captain." Nikki said with a chuckle. "You are the wittiest, the quickest, cleverest, sharpest, hilarious… Kaltag said, before Star interrupted. "Yu crack me up!" Star said loudly with a laugh, before Kaltag punched him in the face for interrupting, making him fall to the ground. Balto walked in front of Steele who stood over Boris. "Steele, just leave him out of this." Balto said, before Steele walked back to his men. "Oh, Balto, I've got a message for your mother. KING AND COUNTRY!" He shouted the last part, then started chanting it several times, him men joining in too. This made Baltos face more angrier and redder than before, starting to growl like a wolf, as he started to walk over to hem. Boris got back up on his feet and tried to hold balto back, grabbing the back of his tunic, but to no avail. Seeing Balto come viciously towards them, made Niiki, Kaltag, and Star get into defensive stances, ready to punch and kick him if necessary. "Get out of here, English boy. Get back to London." Steele spat, some of his saliva lading on Baltos nose. Boris then came up between the two of them. "Maybe it's the unrelenting fear talking, but I think we're done. May we go now?" Boris asked rhetorically, before pushing Balto, who had now calmed down, away from Steele. As they walked away, Steele and his men began laughing and using their hands or feet to throw snow at them. This made them run down the rest of the alley. "English boy in firing range." Nikki said, humorously. "That was the most dead centre, on target, down the hole…" Kaltag said, before Star interrupted again. "We hit him!" Star, as just before Kaltag could punch him, Star slapped himself in the face. With that Steele led them out of the alley.
As sunset came, Balto and Boris walked to their tent just outside of town. Being who they were, the rest of the regiment preferred it if they camped at a distance from the main camp. Balto still looked depressed. He then tuned his head to the left and saw in the snow at a distance, was a British soldier. He lifted up his rifle in Balto's direction, aimed it at him very quickly, expecting Balto to do the same. However, a moment later, he noticed Balto had no weapon, was standing very still, had shame on his face instead of fear or willingness to kill, and then lowered his rifle a slightly bit, before turning around, and walked back to where whoever his name was came from. Breathing the slightest sign of relief, Balto kept walking, Boris, who had watched what had just happened from a distance, and out of sight of the enemy soldier, behind him. "Not German, not English. All he knows is what he is not. If only he could see what he is." Boris muttered to himself, as they approached their small canvas tent, and went inside. Baltos infantry canvas for, worn when in action, Boris's personal bag of medical instruments, sat next to each other in the centre, and a few drawings Balto grew as a kid. Some ration packs consisting of tinned beef and biscuits were piled on the other side. Their sleeping mats and blankets were on parallel side of the long sides of the tent. By Baltos mat, and next to the canvas wall sat Baltos Gewehr 98 rifle. He laid on his mat, his face still showing clear signs of shame and depression. Boris offered him some biscuits, but didn't do or do anything. Boris then brought out Baltos old wooden carving of a cat (which he made when he was a kid), one of his few personal belongings. Still Balto didn't show any change of expression. Then Boris gave up, lied down on his mat, facing Balto, and then both let out a sigh. Boris then picked up his much older, brown paper aged drawing of his home village in Russia. A small smile then formed on Balto's face, finally. "Homesick, Boris? Ever think about going back after the war?" Balto asked. Boris shook his head. "You know there's a revolution going on there. Besides, I'm staying with you until I'm sure you can stand on both feet." Boris said back. "You've taken care of me since I was a boy." Balto said. "Don't thank me." Boris said back, putting the old piece of paper away and getting back onto his legs. "Hey, I hear horse." Balto said, as he too got back on his legs. "Hmph, probably the wagon horses going for a rest." Boris said. Balto's smile got even more bigger as a thought came to him. "Say, must be Muk and Luk." He said, wondering what would happen next. "Oh, good news(!)." Boris said, not having fully processed what Balto said. He must have done so a moment later, because his face, immediately showed worry, his eyes wide open, and with a mutter of "Oh, no!" Then a voice sounding remarkably like a kid came from outside the tent. "Uncle Boris!" "How sweet, "uncle" Boris." Balto said with a grin.
Running through the tent entrance for came a small for a 16-year-old teenager with thin blonde hair wearing the same uniform as Boris, but with no Headgear named Muk. He Ran toward Boris but stopped just a foot or two away from Boris, who got into a defensive stance, his hands in a fist ready to punch. Seeing Muk stop made Boris breath a sign of relief, only moments later to be nearly chocked by two chubby arms. Behind Boris, was Luk, same blond, only slightly longer hair, slight bigger and more chubbier than Muk, and much more silent (nearly all his talking was whispering to Muk, his brother). They were orphans who had been conscripted into the "Deutsches Heer" or "German Army". However, because of their tremendous stupidity, there were pretty much useless except being stretcher bearers alongside Boris, who had taken them under his wing. They quickly became attached to him, even calling him "Uncle". Luk let go of Boris, who was only able to take a step away from Luk as Muk came very close to him. "We love you, Uncle Boris." Muk said, as Boris walked away from them, going in between the two boys. Luk leaned in close, and whispered something to Muk. "What are you talking about? Of course, he's glad to see us." Muk said. Boris, however, didn't really show it on his face, as he came besides Balto, who was still smiling. Boris could see what Balto was playing at, so he gave in. "OH. Ok. Hey, boys, uh, lets play a game." He said to the boys. "A game? Yes, please, uncle Boris." Muk said, both boys staring at Boris. "Race you to town. One, two, three, go." Boris said, as the boys started running out of the tent. Boris however stayed behind. "They win." He muttered. Suddenly, they heard sounds of screams. Could the enemy be attacking Muk and Luk? Grabbing his rifle, Balto and Boris both rushed out of the tent, stopping just a few feet later, seeing Muk and Luk frantically waving their arms and legs around in a small puddle. "Help, help! We can't swim! We're drowning!" Muk screamed. Balto laughed at the sight of this while Boris's face showed annoyance. He walked over and stepped into the puddle and then tried to stop the two from messing about. "You are not drowning. Cause, if you bother to take a look you will that… it's a puddle!" He said grumpily to the two. Hearing this made the two complete stopped. "They stood still for a moment before getting back to their feet. "Oh, the shame of not being able to swim. No wonder we are laughed at by our fellow solder- uh soldiers." Muk said, looking ashamed as they all walked back to the tent.
And that's the second chapter. Took me quite a bit of time to write. Hope you enjoyed it. It's the longest chapter in this story so far. The Gewehr rifle was the main German infantry rifle in the First World War. If you want to know more about German rations in WW1, look on the Internet. I don't think they knew about Autism in those days, but I think any modern doctor would say Muk and Luk are autistic.