Arc of Fire

October 17, 915, St. Ye Katerina Fortress, the Capital of Ante, 1100 hours.

While Wang Zhong was preparing to launch a major air raid on the Prosen Sixth Army Group’s supply system, Ludmila was packing her belongings.

The butler Mikhail tried to persuade her, "Madam, you gave birth to a child less than three months ago. You should rest and recuperate. Winter is coming soon, and it might be as cold as last year, which would not be good for you!"

Ludmila stopped and looked at Mikhail, "Do you know he has already had two close calls with death?"

Mikhail said, "Didn’t the General have even more close encounters with death last year?"

"Last year I was by his side, do you understand?" Ludmila’s voice was very serious, "If the Grim Reaper wants to take him, I hope I am there to watch it happen. I want to personally bring his body back."

Mikhail said, "Madam, I can understand how you feel, but..."

"I command you not to stop me." Ludmila was about to bow her head and continue packing when she found that Nelly had already taken over the job, skillfully folding the clothes and stuffing them into the suitcase.

After closing the suitcase and locking it with a combination lock, Nelly raised her head, "The luggage is all packed."

Ludmila looked at Mikhail again, "Nelly needs to return to his side too. Unlike me, she takes care of all his daily needs. If he is not in a good state and makes an error in command, Mikhail, you would become a sinner of Ante!"

Mikhail appeared helpless, "I don’t think the Duke would make a wrong decision just because he wasn’t taken care of."

Ludmila said, "Can you guarantee there definitely won’t be any mistakes? Instead of trying to convince me here, consider how to take good care of my son."

Mikhail said, "You don’t need to worry about that, our nanny has already brought up many young masters."

"That reassures me. Nelly, do you hear the sound of a car?"

Nelly nodded, "I hear it. It must be the vehicle from the reserve Front Army coming to pick us up."

Mikhail seemed ready to make one last effort, "I heard that the First Mobile Group Army is mobilizing. If you go with them, not only will you have someone to look out for you on the way, but it will also boost the morale of the soldiers."

"Mikhail," Ludmila smiled faintly, "I am also a soldier. When I informed the Church that I wanted to go to the front line, my transfer orders came. Are you suggesting I lead by violating orders?"

Mikhail shook his head and finally gave up, "No, that’s not what I meant."

Just then, the sound of a car braking came from outside, followed by the honking of a horn, causing the cat in the room to stand up abruptly and prick up its ears, alert to its surroundings.

Mikhail said, "Let me carry your luggage for you."

"Thank you." Ludmila smiled, then put on a boat-shaped hat, draped on the Church-issued cloak, and walked outside.

Nelly also put on her own boat-shaped hat, carrying a large leather suitcase, and followed behind Ludmila.

Mikhail picked up a bag from the ground and followed last.

He was the last to leave the room, closing the door behind him.

The wind blew through the forgotten open window, sweeping over the now-empty dressing table and the baby’s crib, which was devoid of its occupant (the baby had been left in the care of the nanny).

In the room, only the baby’s mobile continued to gently spin, making a creaking sound.

To get to the military train departure station, one had to pass through the square in front of the Yeburg train station. Before the war, this was one of the busiest squares in Yeburg. Now it was even more crowded.

The vehicle carrying Ludmila had to slow down and weave through the crowd. Ludmila took the opportunity to look out the window, observing the people saying their farewells.

"Look at those girls crying so sadly," she said softly, "even though the boys are only going to the new recruit training camp."

The trains departing from the civilian station were filled with these new recruits, so although the young men wore uniforms, they had no rank, not even that of a private.

But that didn’t stop the girls from crying their hearts out.

Ludmila suddenly saw a pair where the roles were reversed; a girl in a military uniform, already with a rank, with a Red Cross for field nurses on her sleeve, comforting a young man a head shorter than her, who was crying bitterly.

The nurse held the young man’s cheeks in her hands, wiped away his tears with her thumbs, and gently said something to him.

Ludmila kept her gaze fixed on this pair.

Then, someone in the square started singing. It wasn’t the often-sung "Song of the Youth Corps Members" but an old song from the civil war era, a song countless idealistic young people sang as they rushed toward tumultuous destinations.

The Jeep passed through the square and onto the highway beside it. The highway was full of trucks; the Jeep could only drive through the gaps between the trucks and the shoulder of the road, overtaking one after another.

All the military vehicles were full of serious-faced Ante warriors, all bearing the medals of their combat injuries, these old soldiers returning to duty after recovery.

Everyone had solemn expressions, and the few who were more relaxed leaned against the railings of the trucks, looking up at the sky and smoking.

Some noticed Ludmila and whispered to their companions, "Look, isn’t that General Rocossov’s wife? She’s going to the front line just after giving birth?"

Ludmila just offered the soldiers a faint smile.

Finally, the Jeep entered a cargo station converted into a military transit station, passed through the guard post, and drove onto a wide overpass, overlooking the bustling station below.

Under the overpass, the platforms were lined side by side, some loading tanks, others transporting ammunition and supplies.

The platform on the far left was clearly designated for personnel, packed with fresh recruits who had just completed their basic training and old soldiers returning to duty after recovery.

The Jeep drove off the overpass and stopped in front of a large group of nurses.

The major who was driving said to Ludmila, "According to your request, we did not arrange a special carriage, you will be going to the front line with these nurses."

As the major finished speaking, the nurses who had already noticed Ludmila collectively asked, "Are you General Rocossov’s wife?"

Ludmila got out of the vehicle and nodded to the nurses, "I am, Captain Prayer Hand Ludmila Vasilyevna Rokossova. I am pleased to share the journey with you."

The girls screamed with excitement, then a nanny with a scarred face shouted, "Stop making noise! Act with dignity! Shouting like that on the battlefield will attract artillery fire!"

The girls all quieted down, looking timidly at Nanny.

Nanny approached Ludmila, "Captain, please refrain from causing the girls to scream, okay?"

"Okay, I’ll try my best," Ludmila said.

After giving the girls another stern look, Nanny turned to attend to her own matters, resulting in Ludmila being promptly surrounded by the girls.

"Is it true that you and the General fell in love on the battlefield?" asked a girl full of freckles.

"Uh, the General and I are childhood friends; we’ve known each other for a long time. If nothing had happened, we would be engaged by now. But back then, he wasn’t as remarkable as he is now..."

Ludmila had intended to give a detailed account of her relationship with Rocossov, but the girls got excited and started chattering:

"It seems this version is the real one!"

"Miss Ludmila must have also caught the attention of the former Crown Prince!"

"The General and the Crown Prince have been competing for the Miss all along!"

Ludmila: "Uh, this..."

She raised one hand, attempting to interject among the girls who had started discussing on their own, but ultimately she gave up. She just stood aside, watching the young faces.

------------

26 hours later, 110 kilometers from Abawahan.

Ludmila just stood aside, watching the young faces.

They lay side by side next to the railway bed, their faces so youthful that it hadn’t even had time to fade.

The surviving girls huddled together, crying inconsolably.

Ludmila began to perform her clerical duties, reading the eulogy, accompanying the brave young souls on their last journey.

Not far away, the male soldiers were shouting cadence as they worked hard to push the Stuka-damaged tank cars off the railway.

Many destroyed carriages lay in deep pits beside the roadbed; obviously, the enemy air raids were too frequent for those repairing the railway to bury them in time.

Ludmila finished the last prayer, making the sign of the Eastern Holy Church on her body.

She turned around and said to the still crying girls, "Come on, let’s bury them. It’s pitiful to leave them exposed in the wilderness."

Despite the tear-streaked faces, the girls nodded.

As they picked up shovels, a shout came from the distance: "They’ve caught a Prosen pilot!"

Everyone’s anger and hatred were instantly ignited, with many ready to drop their work and rush to see what kind of scoundrel had killed their friends.

The officers quickly shouted, "Keep working! Continue the work to strike at the Prosens better!"

"Prioritize the tasks at hand!"

Unlike the officers who yelled sharply, Ludmila gently said to the girls, "Come on, let’s dig."

At that moment, Nelly returned and said to Ludmila, "The train conductor says the line can be cleared by tomorrow morning and our car could be arranged then. He suggests we make a campfire and spend the night here."

Ludmila, surprised, asked, "A campfire? Is that allowed?"

"Mmm, I heard that the Prosen Air Force never bombs at night. I will make the fire; otherwise, it will be cold at night, and you have just given birth, madam."

As Nelly turned to be busy, Ludmila personally took a shovel and, together with the surviving nurses, began to bury the young faces into the fertile loam of the Valdai Hills Riverbank.

------------

That night, Ludmila was suddenly awakened by singing. She sat up, pulled closer her Church cloak, and looked for the source of the song.

She saw a Corporal by the fire, playing the Balalaika, a traditional Ante instrument, while another Sergeant was playing the Bayan (an instrument like an accordion).

They were performing a sad song:

"Tanks rumble over the vast fields/soldiers engage in their final battle/they carry the young commander/a bullet pierces his head.

"The fierce fire consumes the tank/explosions resound across the plains/the young man longed to live in this world/but he can no longer muster the strength to open his eyes..."

Ludmila stood up, listening to the mournful tune; at that moment, sobs arose, and she turned to see the nurses who had just buried their friends weeping.

Ludmila waited quietly for the song to end.

Then she intended to sing a song, to alter the mood slightly, after all, she was Rocossov’s wife.

Unexpectedly, a Major put away pictures of his wife and daughter and started to whistle.

That song. Explore more stories with

The players of the Bayan and Balalaika exchanged glances and quickly followed the whistle.

Ludmila silently counted the beats, and when the time came, she sang out, "Always on our minds, is a simple wish.

"May our dear hometown be beautiful, may our motherland stand for ten thousand years.

"Hear the blizzard roar, see the meteor soar—

"My heart calls out to me, to the tumultuous faraway."

...

In the gentle melody of the song, the crying gradually ceased, and fighting spirit was reignited in everyone’s heart.

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