After half-standing in excitement for the last thirty minutes, Rosehip finally let herself fall back into her seat, an ear-splitting grin on her face. "Ahh, that was exciting! The way that Sherman charged... it was so thrilling! I wish I could have been there!"
"It was, wasn't it?!" Nilgiri was equally starry-eyed, but for a slightly different reason. "The Cromwell really came through with flying colours. I remember having to dodge just as much fire when I was commanding it against Kuromorimine, and it's not easy to get it through all that almost unscathed. We all knew Ruhuna-san was good, but this kind of driving is on another level! Orange Pekoe-san was doing a great job too! If they keep it up, I do think we have a decent chance of winning the race."
All around, the other St. Gloriana girls were discussing the just-concluded challenge with as much enthusiasm as Rosehip and Nilgiri. As she listened to their excited chatter, Darjeeling took a long, slow sip of her tea, before turning to Assam.
"Well, Assam? Do you have anything to say? You did seem rather... on edge throughout that whole challenge. Not quite to the point of dear Rosehip, but anxious nonetheless."
Assam let out a small sigh. "I must admit, the Saunders girl and her attitude surprised me. I also hadn't expected Pravda's contestants to be so cooperative. All my data suggested that things would have been the other way around."
"Ah, Assam, place not all your faith in your data. Have you heard this saying? 'Statistics are no substitute for judgement.' Why, just look at Ooarai. After our match with them, I seem to recall you giving them ten to one odds just to win their first match, let alone become champions." Darjeeling glanced at Assam over the rim of her cup, eyes dancing with mischief.
Assam crossed her arms, looking singularly unimpressed. "Hmph. I expected better of you than a cheap shot at my data, Darjeeling. After all, you certainly have no qualms consulting it all the time."
"Ah, but you see, it is my judgement that your data is worth using, and so the saying is proved to be accurate after all." Darjeeling's tone was light and breezy, and Assam was left momentarily flat-footed trying to decide if she was being praised or teased. Suddenly, Darjeeling's gaze snapped towards the bottom of the stands, and she set her teacup back on the saucer with a soft 'click'.
Surprised, Assam turned to where Darjeeling was looking, and her own eyes immediately widened as well.
"Darjeeling, is that..."
"Yes, Assam. That is indeed Kay-san beckoning us over, and Katyusha next to her." With those words, Darjeeling rose gracefully from her seat.
"It would be most rude to keep them waiting, Assam. Come, let us go and see what they want."
"I'll be right there, Darjeeling," Assam said. "Nilgiri! Rukuriri!"
The two girls named snapped to attention. "Yes, Assam-sama?"
"Keep an eye on the rest of the team while Darjeeling and I are gone, would you?"
"Got it, Assam-sama." "Will do, Assam-sama."
Assam got up and followed her commander down the steps of the viewing stand. Time to see just what that particular duo wanted with Darjeeling. Of course, it might just be Kay and Katyusha being friendly, but Assam knew it wouldn't be that simple. It never was.
Much to the relief of the St. Gloriana team, it had been a lot less troublesome getting out of the swamp than it had been getting in. Ruhuna had made sure to avoid any of the tricky spots they had gotten stuck in the first time around, and they were nearly out of the swamp by now, if Pekoe's estimation was accurate. She'd thought it merely her imagination at first, but by now she was sure. The ground was definitely getting firmer, and the Cromwell was picking up speed.
Unfurling the map, Orange Pekoe considered her options with a small frown on her face. If they pushed hard, they might just make it to the final checkpoint before evening. She glanced around at the rest of her crew. Congou was as quiet and calm as ever, but she seemed a bit more relaxed than yesterday, while Kangra was humming to herself as she fiddled with the radio set. Pekoe couldn't see Ruhuna, but from the smooth way the Cromwell was moving, her spirits were probably as good as the rest of the crew. As for herself... well, Pekoe would be lying if she said that she wasn't feeling happier now that they'd left the worst of the mud behind.
Well, that settled it, then. It was time to try and pick up the pace.
"Ruhuna-san?"
"Yes, Orange Pekoe-san?"
"How are our fuel reserves?"
The reply came quickly, and without any hesitation, as if Ruhuna had guessed what Pekoe was thinking. "We've got enough to run flat out till the third checkpoint, Orange Pekoe-san. I topped up the fuel tank at the last checkpoint, and while the supplies we brought from the start are finished, we haven't used our one resupply opportunity yet."
The corner of Pekoe's lips turned up slightly. "Well then, let's turn up the speed, if you please."
"Roger!" Ruhuna's reply came immediately, and Pekoe could feel the Cromwell surge forward with the sudden increase in speed. Relaxing, she looked around for her teacup. She was sure she'd put it down over there...
"Here you go, Pekoe-san," Kangra said, handing Orange Pekoe her cup. As Pekoe took it from her, Kangra gave her a grin.
"You know, Pekoe-san, you sounded just like Darjeeling-sama just now."
Pekoe flushed tomato red. "Eh?! Come on now, Kangra-san, please don't say things like that."
Congou turned around slightly. "I concur with Kangra-san. She spoke nothing but the truth, Orange Pekoe-san. I see no reason for her not to say it."
Orange Pekoe's cheeks turned even redder, even as she suddenly found the interior of her teacup very fascinating. At least Darjeeling-sama and Assam-sama weren't here to hear this. They'd never let her hear the end of it.
As they pressed on, Pekoe's earlier optimism soon began to dip once more. The weather was beginning to look very threatening, with a blanket of heavy, dark clouds descending over the sun. The wind had picked up as well, and the temperature had dropped past freezing, causing all the girls to hurriedly pull on another layer of clothing and crank up the heater in the tank. The first fat flakes of snow had just started to fall when the tank shuddered to a halt.
"There's a blizzard coming, Orange Pekoe-san." Kangra was pursing her lips, even as she shivered slightly. The two of them were half out of their hatches, gazing up at the sky, even as a light dusting of snow began to cover the turret. "I used to visit family up in northern Hokkaido regularly, and I recognise the signs. If we press on, we might get seriously lost, and visibility will be terrible. I think we really should stop and wait for it to pass."
Pekoe frowned. Yet another delay, when they were so close... but she had to admit that Kangra had a very good point. "In that case, do you have any suggestions on where we should wait it out, Kangra-san? I'll admit that I'm not as familiar with this kind of weather as you seem to be."
"Well, my grandad always said it was the wind that really got you during a blizzard. We should probably find somewhere that blocks the most wind while we wait it to end."
Frowning, Pekoe spread out the map, as Kangra leaned over to look at it as well. "These hills here look promising. We can probably find a cave or an overhang of some kind to shelter in there, and they're right there. We should be able to get there before the storm gets too bad."
Kangra nodded, and the two of them re-entered the Cromwell's turret. As the hatch slammed shut, the tank's interior seemed to grow noticeably warmer, as if they'd shut out the outside world completely. Even then, Pekoe couldn't bring herself to relax. Even as she picked up the intercom to pass on the new instructions to Ruhuna, she was thinking of things that might go wrong. The lump of ice in her stomach was back, and it felt even colder than the howling wind outside the tank.
Thankfully, the hills weren't too far off, and Orange Pekoe found herself relaxing slightly as they finally left the open floodplain and entered the forest that apparently covered the entire range of hills. The snowfall had continued to get heavier, but at least they still had some visibility, though that wouldn't last much longer. Not only was it snowing heavily, dusk was already setting in.
Nevertheless, they were almost at their destination; a small defile in the hills which looked like it would be perfect for blocking the wind almost completely, and as a bonus, came with a stream to refill their water supplies once the storm had passed. She could already see the entrance to the valley up ahead, actually. As they entered the valley, the howling of the wind began to die down, something Pekoe was very grateful for. It was pure nonsense, of course, but she almost fancied she could hear voices in the wind, voices speaking words which she could almost make out but which were maddeningly just beyond her comprehension.
Wait. She could still hear voices. Was she really cracking up? Pekoe felt a twinge of fear run through her. Was this what they called polar madness? They weren't even past the Arctic Circle yet! Surely she wasn't going mad?
Just then, the tank shuddered to a halt. Almost by instinct, Pekoe flipped up the periscope and looked outside to see what was the matter, and nearly collapsed in relief. Up ahead, another tank bearing the red star of Pravda was visible, and around it a group of people, presumably its crew. Their voices had been echoing off the valley walls, which explained why she had heard them before she saw them. She wasn't going mad after all.
Now, what should she do? Should they quietly back away and try and avoid notice? They were currently rivals, after all, and it might be best to remain unseen for now. Then again, perhaps she should at least try and make friendly contact first.
As the Cromwell halted within hailing distance, Pekoe emerged from the hatch. Up ahead, she could see a knot of Pravda students gathered around a fire, their stationary tank off to one side. They were speaking in the thickest Tohoku dialect she had ever heard, even thicker than the race official from yesterday, and seemed rather agitated, if Pekoe was any judge of tone.
"Hawawawa... Alina-chan, what'cha think we'uns should be a-doin' now?"
"Ah don' right strictly know , but I do be thinkin' we shouldn't be a-standing around like a buncha cows a-chewin' on cud! We do gotta be figurin' somethin' out, and soon! Katyusha-taichou do be countin' on us to uphold Pravda's honour, after all!"
"Ferget Pravda's honour, what 'bout us? You saw tha' there blizzard building outside! We'll be snowed in fer sure, and If we can't be gettin' the tank started, we'll be trapped here, and with the radio busted, it'll be days afore anyone gets round to findin' us! We ain't short on food, sure, but I ain't a-hankerin' to find out how long we can stretch it!"
Hearing that sealed Pekoe's resolve to offer help. While she felt a momentary twinge of hesitation at helping a rival, it only lasted a short while. Trapped by snow in a deserted valley... she wouldn't wish a fate like that on her worst enemy. What kind of St. Gloriana student would she be to turn away at a time like this?
"Ahh, excuse me?"
The girls from Pravda whirled towards Pekoe, eyes wide. Had they really not heard the Cromwell coming?
"I couldn't help but overhear you all. Are you perhaps in need of assistance?"
"Umm, that depends. Who's asking?" The speaker had reverted back to standard Japanese, Pekoe noted.
"Ahh, I'm Orange Pekoe, from St. Gloriana's. I assume that you're all competitors in the Endurance Challenge as well?"
"That we are, I suppose." The speaker glowered at Pekoe. "So, what exactly do you want with us?"
"Well, you all do look like you're in some distress, and I was thinking that perhaps I could help, if you explained what exactly was the problem."
The Pravda girl, who seemed about Pekoe's height with short, brown hair, intensified her scowl. "How do I know you're not planning to sabotage us?"
"Alina-chan! That do be very rude of ye!" A tiny girl in an ushanka, her hair in two short pigtails, blurted out suddenly.
The newly-named Alina blushed a barely visible red in the firelight, but maintained her challenging stare at Orange Pekoe.
"Well, I'd never do such a thing in the first place, especially as a student of St. Gloriana's. I'm sure you know of our reputation, and that of our commander's. Besides, if I had wanted to sabotage you, I could just have backed away quietly and left you here all by yourselves." Pekoe kept her voice calm, though she was sorely tempted to say something very unladylike.
"...I suppose you have a point," the girl conceded with a huff. "Apologies, we're all a little stressed right now."
"Would you like to come join us around the fire? The blizzard is going to last a while, from the sound of it, and we can fill you in while we wait. Ye do be... I mean, you're welcome to join us in a meal as well. Rations are the one thing we're not short of." The ushanka-clad girl had apparently taken over as spokesperson, and she gave Pekoe a hesitant smile.
"We'd be honoured," Pekoe said with a smile of her own.
"...and then, I did tell her tha' we should all be a-goin' to senshadou practice right quick an' not be late, since we'uns were first-years and all tha', and that I did hear tha' the third-year senshadou captain do be a right terror and best avoided at all costs. Jes' how was I to know tha' she was the third-year senshadou captain?!"
A burst of laughter met the ushanka-clad girl's impassioned plea.
"An' what did happen next, Nina?!" Another girl shouted out, grinning unabashedly.
"Wha' d'ye think happened!?" Nina responded, with the air of someone who was well aware that the other person already knew the answer but wanted to hear it anyway. "Tha' there titchy captain of ours went absolutely barmy, tha's wha'! Next thing I knew, she started a-yellin' about havin' me be a-taken off to Siberia for the next three years!"
"An' how was Siberia?" The same girl as before yelled back.
"Well, all I do be able to say 'bout tha' is that Classroom 3-F really do needs its heater fixed, but I still do much prefer it to where I am now."
Even as more laughter echoed around her, Orange Pekoe glanced at the Pravda girl next to her (Yulia, if Pekoe remembered correctly), eyebrow raised in a clear question.
"Ah, Katyusha-taichou has the habit of referring to the minor punishments that she has the authority to give out as things much worse than they actually are," Yulia explained. "In this case, Siberia for three years just means three hours of memorising tank information and helping to file records in an unheated classroom."
Nodding, Pekoe blew carefully on the small tin mug filled with borscht she was holding. She took a small sip, then a larger one once she was certain she wouldn't be burning her mouth. Letting the warmth from the soup slowly seep through her body, Pekoe relaxed a little and looked around at her surroundings. This wasn't the strangest place she'd ever been in during a senshadou match, but it came pretty close.
Even inside the protection of the valley, it had been obvious that the blizzard was getting stronger, with the amount of snow coming down increasing by the minute. As the weather continued to worsen, the Pravda girls had retreated into a small cave set into the valley's walls, quickly followed by the Cromwell's crew. It was snug and reasonably dry inside, and a small fire pit there suggested that this wasn't the first time it had been used for this purpose. Some smouldering branches carried from the previous fire allowed for another one to be quickly lit, and the Pravda girls were soon heating up stew and other foodstuffs they'd brought along over the fire in small pots.
True to their earlier offer, they'd offered a generous share of the food to the St. Gloriana girls, and Pekoe had made sure she reciprocated with their own supplies as well. She'd already brewed two pots of tea in quick succession, and was waiting for the water to boil to brew a third one. The eagerness with which the Pravda girls drained their cups suggested that the tea was very welcome.
Looking around in the firelight, Pekoe noted that the mood amongst the crew of the stranded Pravda tank was drastically improved from when she'd first met them. Honestly, she couldn't blame them. Some discreet questions to Yulia had given her the gist of the situation. Having the misfortune of having both their engine and their radio break down at the same time left the Pravda girls in quite a pickle. They had only just managed to limp into the valley before their KV-1 completely shut down, and the result had been the argument that Pekoe had caught the tail end of.
Now, with access to a working radio once more, the Pravda girls were a lot more relaxed and willing to chat, while Pekoe and the rest of her crew were just as happy to be somewhere safe and warm together with company.
"Ahh! This tea do be tasty, Orange Pekoe-san!" Nina had moved over to a quiet corner to drink her tea in peace, as the rest of her crew were now singing what sounded like a Russian folk song loudly, and attempting to teach Congou and Ruhuna the words. She was happily slurping away at her tin mug, and though Pekoe wouldn't have been caught dead drinking tea that way, she still appreciated the enthusiasm.
Carefully sitting down beside Nina, Pekoe took a sip of tea from her own cup. "I'm glad you're enjoying it, Nina-san. It's the least we could do after you generously shared your rations with us. We're running a little low on ours, since we haven't had the chance to resupply yet."
"Ah, that be no problem at all! We were saving the resupply call till after the third task, just in case, but it do look like we'll be having to call it in now anyway, so there do be plenty of rations to go around." Nina took another long slurp of the tea before continuing. "Besides, if what I heard from Nonna-fukutaichou about the third task do be true, it probably do be best to resupply before it anyway."
"Oh? And why might that be?"
"Ah, it do be because I hear that the third task is going to be really hard on the tank. Apparently this year Katyusha-taichou wanted to see just how we dealt with water crossings, an' so the third task do definitely be involving a water hazard or two." Nina put a finger to her chin thoughtfully. "Well, technically so did the second one, but the third one's sure to be much worse."
Pekoe's eyebrows went up. "I see. Thank you very much for that information, Nina-san."
"Ah, 'tis no big deal! After all, we all do be from the same... school..." Nina trailed off as she realised just who she was actually talking to, then clapped her hands to her mouth in panic.
"Should not ha' said that! I definitely should not ha' said that! Ooh, Katyusha-taichou's going to make me count trees in Siberia for the next forty years!"
"Rest assured, I won't tell anyone else if you don't, Nina-san," Pekoe said, doing her best to maintain her poker face.
"I'd be much obliged to you for that, Orange Pekoe-san," Nina said with a sigh of relief. "We do indeed be very grateful to you for your help, an' I don't begrudge you a tip or two, but I don't think our titchy tyrant of a captain would see it that way. She do be our captain, an' all of us would follow her anywhere she leads, but 'tain't no one denying that she do be rather impulsive."
"Noted, Nina-san. Rest assured, Katyusha-san won't be hearing of this from me," Pekoe said. It looked like she had some serious discussion ahead of her with Ruhuna and the rest of her crew. Luckily, the one thing they all had plenty of at the moment was time, since the blizzard didn't look like it was going to let up any time soon.
"So, Darjeeling! How have you enjoyed Pravda's hospitality thus far? Is it not unmatched in its sophistication?" Katyusha was being her usual smug self, Assam noted sourly to herself.
"Oh, it has indeed been most enjoyable," Darjeeling answered, a smile on her face. "I must commend the culinary staff. The pirozhki and blini served last night were exquisite, especially when you consider the logistical difficulties inherent to being in such an isolated location."
Katyusha drew herself up a little more at the praise. "But of course! Pravda does not let such small things as distance and isolation stand in our way! They are simply another challenge to overcome!" Behind the diminutive commander, Assam could see Kay good-naturedly rolling her eyes.
Nonna let out a small cough, causing Katyusha to freeze for a few seconds, then continue in a slightly less bombastic manner than before. "While it is only right that Pravda receives the praise which is her rightful due, it is true that it is now time to turn our attention to the matter at hand. Darjeeling, allow me to ask you another question. What do you think so far of the race, and of the performance of your Orange Pekoe? After all, is she not currently quite far back in the standings?"
Darjeeling simply stared calmly at Katyusha. "Pekoe appears to be doing excellently so far, especially for someone unfamiliar with the terrain. I have full confidence in her." Assam nodded as well. Before the blizzard had blown in and severed all communication, she'd plotted Pekoe's route and time taken so far against that of several past winners, and while she wasn't going to be breaking any records, she wasn't exactly doing too badly either.
Katyusha frowned at that answer, but didn't press further. Instead, she turned to where Kay was standing, a smile on her face and hands in her pockets. "And what about you, Kay? Saunders' tank commander seems to be rather tense, from what I saw. Is there any problem? Or is there going to be any problem?"
Kay's smile never wavered. "I admit Karen's been a little on edge recently, but I can vouch for her reliability."
"Hmph! See that she doesn't cause any trouble! I don't want to see the race spoiled just because one of you Saunders girls decided that the rules didn't apply to her."
Kay gave Katyusha a playful salute, and then turned to Darjeeling, ignoring the indignant shout of "Hey! Katyusha wasn't done yet!".
"Hey, Darjeeling! I've heard a thing or two about what you're planning for Orange Pekoe, and I think it sounds like great fun. Mind if we have a chat about that?"
Darjeeling's face broke into a smile. "Is that so, Kay-san? I assume it was Anchovy-san who happened to mention the small favour she did for me?"
"You betcha! Now, come on! I'm practically bursting with ideas!"
"Hey, don't ignore Katyusha!"
Darjeeling turned around. "My sincerest apologies, Katyusha, but I am afraid I will have to catch up with you another time. I do promise to make it up to you, though."
"Hmph! Fine, but you owe me at least two more cartons of the blackberry preserve, regardless of the race's outcome! Nonna, let's go." Borne on the strong shoulders of her second-in-command, Katyusha headed back to Pravda's portion of the stands.
As the other two blondes walked off, already deep in conversation, Assam followed them with trepidation. Darjeeling alone had been bad enough, but now with Kay actively brainstorming with her... it didn't bear thinking about. Assam gave a shudder that had nothing to do with the cold, and everything to do with what ridiculous ideas Darjeeling and Kay might come up with together. Sometimes, she really wished she'd persuaded Darjeeling to join the tennis team back in first year.
The blizzard had blown itself out during the night, as Orange Pekoe discovered when she emerged from the cave early the next morning to a world of white. The entire valley was blanketed in a thick layer of snow, transforming it completely. Pekoe would have found the sight magical, if it wasn't for the fact that the snow had also buried the Cromwell to the point where it resembled a part of the landscape.
She'd known this would be the case, of course, but it was still hard, tiring work to get the snow off their tank, and that had been the easiest part. Getting the tank restarted after a night out in a blizzard proved to be nearly impossible for the St. Gloriana girls, unversed as they were in cold-weather operations. Luckily, the KV-1's crew were more than willing to help out, but it wasn't till mid-morning that the Cromwell's engine finally roared to life again.
"I think we're back up and running, Orange Pekoe-san!" Ruhuna stuck her head out of the driver's hatch, a smile finally on her face. She had spent the last three-quarters of an hour looking highly concerned as various members of the KV-1's crew poked and prodded at the Cromwell, and she had all but breathed a sigh of relief when Yulia finally clambered out of the driver's compartment with a "That about takes care of it, Ruhuna-san. Try starting the tank now."
"That's wonderful, Ruhuna-san. Has everyone else finished packing?" At Ruhuna's nod, Pekoe glanced around, looking for the rest of her crew. Congou was just storing the final pieces of their kit back in the tank's stowage area, while Kangra appeared to be saying her goodbyes to the Pravda students.
Confident that everyone was more or less ready to set out, Pekoe spared herself a moment to think on what lay ahead of them. Last night's discussion on how to proceed had been a long and impassioned one. Kangra had argued passionately for resupplying immediately, so that they would have the best possible chance to complete the third task, especially now that they knew a water crossing was likely to be involved, but Congou and Ruhuna insisted that the risk of completely breaking down after the third task was too great.
Finally, Orange Pekoe had come down in favour of waiting, reasoning that the chances of having to drop out if they resupplied early were too great. After that, Kangra had finally conceded, and they reached a consensus: St. Gloriana's would not use their one chance of resupply before the third task. To give Kangra credit, she hadn't taken any umbrage at being on the losing side of the argument. While Pekoe would like to think that all of St. Gloriana's girls were above any such behaviour, she knew that even the senshadou team was not free of petty people, let alone the rest of the school.
Anyway, that was enough wool-gathering for now. The morning was wearing on, and they had best get a move on. Pekoe headed over to where Kangra appeared to be exchanging contact details with Nina and the other Pravda girls.
"Umm... everyone from Pravda, we can't thank you enough for your hospitality and help,' Pekoe said, dropping into a small bow. "I wish you all the best with the rest of the race, and if you ever feel like visiting, you'll always be welcome in St. Gloriana's."
"Ah, I think we do be square, Orange Pekoe-san. After all, without that there radio of yours, we'uns would probably be stuck here for the next week, or at least till they sent out search parties." Alina gave Pekoe a grin as she waved off the thanks. The girl had warmed considerably towards the Cromwell's crew after that first awkward conversation, probably due to the generous amount of St. Gloriana's tea she had managed to put away over the course of the night. "Once the race do be over, we'uns will show you some proper Pravda hospitality, with none o' this huddling in caves nonsense!"
"I very much look forward to that, Alina-san," Pekoe said with a smile of her own. "Kangra-san, are you ready? We need to head off now." Hastily shoving her phone back into her jacket's pocket, Kangra followed Pekoe back to the Cromwell, where Ruhuna was already running the engine to keep it warm.
Finally, the Cromwell turned around, and slowly began heading out of the valley, Pekoe waving goodbye to the Pravda students from the turret. As they bulldozed their way through the snowdrifts blocking their way, occasionally pausing to use an HE shell or two to blast apart particularly large ones, the thwock thwock thwock of helicopter rotors could be heard overhead. Pekoe looked up to see a large Mi-26, followed by an Mi-24, both with Pravda markings, heading towards the valley they had just left. That must be the resupply team heading to assist the stranded KV-1.
Finally, they left the hills behind and reached the plains again, and Pekoe breathed a small sigh of relief. The snow had made for slow going, but Ruhuna's skills ensured that they hadn't been too delayed. Now, the terrain was flat and clear all the way to the third and final checkpoint. For once in her life, Orange Pekoe asked herself, 'What would Rosehip do?', and then proceeded to do just that.
"Ruhuna-san, head north-north-west, at full speed. This is probably the best tank country we're going to get out here, and it'd be a waste not to use that to the fullest."
"Understood, Pekoe-san!" Ruhuna gunned the engines, and the Cromwell surged forward. It was time to make up as much ground as they could.
A/N: Happy birthday, Orange Pekoe!
