The five of them had been hiking to Dalaam by foot over the last four days. Ani had been able to keep up for the first few days, but it was becoming more and more difficult for her. She hung her neck down to the ground and broke into crying. Tari, who had been by her side the whole time and usually had encouraging words for her friend, had no response this time. Ani had been sick since the camp in Miao. But at that time there were more pressing matters.
Asril scurried out of the tent and woke up Hex.
“Ani’s getting worse, Hex.”
Tanjung got up and crawled into the tent. He came out with a grim look.
“She can’t get up. I’m going back to the pass to ask for help.”
Tanjung glanced over to Hex. “Don’t try anything while I’m gone.”
Hex rolled his eyes at the self-appointed leader and then went in to look at Ani for himself.
“It could be anything. Blood-poisoning, infection, influenza. I hope they have some assistance back there but I doubt it.” Hex shook his head. “Our leader is probably just getting us into more trouble by giving our location away to the Tigers.”
He detached an earthenware cylinder and handed it to Asril.
“There’s a pond due west of here. Fill this up and come back. Ani will appreciate it.”
“Wh-how do you know it’s there?”
Hex tapped his moist, black nose in response. “Just head west. It’s close, I promise.”
There was no need to ask twice. Asril didn’t want to be around for all this. What was the point? There wasn’t much she could do and she didn’t really know Ani that well anyway.
Asril followed the sound of croaking frogs and soon found herself at the pond. Upon seeing her, a school of swimming ducks scattered and squawked. She dipped her container into the pond. Thoughts of leaving arose. She didn’t really know any of these people; they were only sitting in the woods waiting for either the monsters or the tigers from Preena to come get them.
Then she realized what a big mistake she made over the last few days. This world was every furre for themselves. If she abandoned the group now, she could probably get to Dalaam on her own, without the risk of being caught.
Hmm. But what about after? And what was waiting for her at Dalaam? Asril sighed, lifted the cylinder and covered it. She was a fairly skilled thief, but knew precious little about the world around her. Best to stay for now, but only because of the unknown in Dalaam. Maybe she could ditch the group later. Hex seemed to be the only person who actually knew what he was doing. This group felt less safe with each passing hour.
Leaving the pond, a big golden fish wiggled by her through the clear water. She huffed at it and kept going.
Asril came back and eased the fresh water into Ani’s mouth. Her face was pale and her shivers were a rattle.
“Tanjung will be here soon. He’s getting help for you, Ani.” Tari choked out. She was more panicked than Ani was by now.
“Tanjung is probly gonna get us all killed.” Asril murmured, stepping out of that tent as soon as she could.
The ‘leader’ still wasn’t back, but Hex thankfully hadn’t bolted yet.
“Hey.”
“Hi.”
Asril plopped down next to him.
“So what’s really over there? In Dalaam?” Asril cocked her head up to him.
“Monkeys.”
“Come on.”
“The Monkeys keep to themselves. They live in these mountains so how can they not? A few years ago they were pretty hospitable. I only hope it’s still the same now.”
It was hard to ask, but…
“Hex let’s just get out of here. Before Tanjung gets back. You and I can prolly make it. These three won’t.”
Asril scooted closer to the golden fox. If safety could ever be bought…
Hex flashed his bright eyes and looked at the thief.
“Tanjung’s a good person.”
Asril huffed and slid away. Maybe she couldn’t get what she wanted from Hex so easily…
“Asril…”
“What!”
“Were there fish in that pond?”
“Yeah, big gold ones. Why?”
“I was going to fish for later tonight but no one would be here to look after Ani and Tari.”
Hex pulled out a simple fishing rod from his bag, telescoped it out and handed it to Asril.
“No thanks I’m a cat I can do it myself.”
She huffed again and sauntered off.
By the time she returned, it was at least mid-day and the pond was almost transparent. It wouldn’t take long to catch a fish, but Asril took her time and pounced on two: A red one and a gold one. She tossed them both over her shoulder and made her way back.
This time Tanjung was there. His face was stony, and so was Hex’s.
“Ani didn’t make it.”
Asril had never seen someone die before, but there Ani was, stiff in the tent but finally relieved of the pain she was in. Tari was still there, sobbing in grief.
“I… saw her go…”
“It’s OK Tari, we have to let her rest now.”
Tanjung and Hex carried Ani out and began digging her resting place. Ani was buried in her clothes, and Hex chopped a cross from wood, tied it together and marked Ani’s grave. It was really the best that any of them could do. The remaining four of them gathered in a small half-circle.
“She suffered, but it’s over for her now.”
“Many women in my country have suffered a fate far worse than Ani has.” Hex spoke up.
“I’m sorry, Ani.” Tanjung said. “Sorry I couldn’t do more. We’ll miss you.”
The four of them ate in silence and then left Ani in the camp.
They hiked on mostly in silence now. Days went by, the air got thinner and snow began to sprinkle down on them. But after a long trek the four of them finally came upon the Golden Monkey between the mountains.
The monkeys probably saw the party of four coming from a distance. Still, they stood in front of a big snow-covered gate which blocked the road. Tanjung walked ahead, where two short ‘monkeys’ with short, thick brown fur were waiting for them.
“Hello,” Tanjung said cautiously. “May we come in?”
The two monkeys looked at each other and smiled to the cat, as if they were waiting for them all to show up. Unlike in Preena, the gates to lofty Dalaam opened for them.
Kharkov, 1943
A single Messerschmitt fighter plane whizzed by overhead and cut into the thoughts of Sturmbannfuehrer Jochen Peiper. The thermometer outside read -28°C, but nobody in the SS-Leibstandarte needed to be told that. He stared out of the window as they passed by dreary Isbas and muddy snow. They definitely weren’t in France anymore.
A couple days ago most of his regiment detrained at Kharkov Railway Station, and already Peiper’s regiment had seen its fair share of battle. When Jochen arrived a day later, he saw columns of retreating Germans and Italians marching in the other direction. It must have looked like that in Napoleon’s time, too. The rumor was that Kharkov was to be abandoned. The men of his battalion must have heard the same rumors. He got off the train and pulled up his hood, covering his face from the howling wind.
Just a moment ago Jochen got off the phone with Oberst-Gruppenfuehrer Sepp Dietrich, who gave Jochen the most dangerous mission he’d ever heard of. A stranded Wehrmacht division was trapped 20 kilometers behind the line. Jochen’s battalion was to break through the enemy line at a point of his own choosing, wheel south and east, and cross the Donetz River to make contact with the division in Zmiev.
It didn’t end there. The division in question had about 1,000 wounded men. Jochen and his battalion were to help the wounded, load them onto ambulances, and pull them all back across the Soviet lines and into friendly Ukraine.
“There’s a reason I’ve chosen you for this task, Jochen.”