Thread: You think the weathers cold, Wait till you meet her (me/Hat)

Vladimir was NOT stuffing his face. He was eating. Sure, he ate a lot at, but in his own words, Getting shot at is tiring. and it wasn't like the food they got was the best, either. If the Germans didn't kill them, the rations surely would! Blech! He sighed as he finished his black coffee, his half-lidded blue eyes under shaggy blonde hair. He wore his hair longer than usual, because it kept the back of his neck warm. And many woman loved it. At barely 23, he'd fallen in and out of love with many women, and in and out of many beds. It was a pride to him that he had pleased every woman he had ever slept with, in and out of bed, before and after the act. He was known around the base as a ladies man. Many of them grumbled about his assignment to Senka, but he didn't care. To him, she was more than a woman. She was his real comrade. A true compatriot, competent and beautiful like a warrior angel. His mother hadn't liked that her little Vlad was running off to fight. She'd tried, oh, she tried to keep him close and tied to her, but he wouldn't have any of that. Vladimir saw himself as free, undiluted, doing as he pleased how he pleased when he pleased. So when he wanted to fight, he joined, rather than waiting to be picked up. He was an only child. Even so, he was brothewrs to all the boys in town. They had grown together, they had joined together, they fought together. But... Technically, Vlad wasn't part of her unit at all. His original unit had been... brave. Running low on munitions, they'd pulled out bayonets, knives, anything, and rushed forth to beat the Germans to death like the beasts they were. And one by one, without even reaching the enemy, they fell. Yeah, they were brave alright. Brave and stupid. He had ran. Ran and ran and ran, though snow and woods and cities torn apart, until he had met her. Senka. A beautiful woman, a real daughter of the Bear. He had grown to like her, even love her. But she was engaged, so... he sighed heavily. The postmaster had arrived. He looked up, of course there were no letter for him or from him, so he passed by. Then he saw it. The manila envelope. A chill ran down his spine. He saw the name of a law firm on it, and knew instantly what it was. A will. Somebody... a father, a mother, someone close to someone in the unit had died, and rather than pulling them out to attend the reading of the will, or the funeral, the will was sent out a week later. The postmaster was a big, jolly fellow. He didn't get much exercise, and was usually in oddly high spirits. So to see him carrying that envelope... it was chilling and sobering. Vlad rose and followed him, morbidly curious as the large man stepped outside. Don't tell me... Vlad murmured as the big man approached the woman sitting outside. Boris sat dwn beside her and sighed, running his fingers through his hair. No... the big man bowed his head, handing her the envelope. He could hear the words, laced with regret, on the wind. It would have been a lovely wedding, Senka. I... I am truly sorry for your loss. He died a brave man's death. Here... and a soft jingle as the dog tags fell in her lap. The wind died down instantly and everything was still as ice. Vlad took a few steps out into the snow, but didn't know what to say. Senka had hid the fact from most everyone. Boris and he himself knew, but that was it. Unconsciously, he gripped the tags that hung around his neck, the bent tags of his brothers. The pain wasn't the same, but he was feeling it again all the same. She'd never see him again. Hear his voice. Hold his hand. Feel his warm embrace. If you desert now, I doubt anyone would shoot you. Boris said as he rose and adjusted his cap.