A hand clad in a black leather glove offers the silver flask to Thomas.
Thomas is jumpy, distrusting. But he knows damned well this is our only chance. Rapid clouds of his nervous breath puff from his lips, sending curls of steam drifting up into the dove-gray sky. Carefully, he takes it, and tips it back for a swig.
The flask is passed around, the Germans drinking afterward, and one slowly lays down his arms. Another follows his example. Then my unit cautiously follows suit.
Blowing out a shaking, stale breath of relief, I let my muscles uncoil.
I move my scope to their leader, a short distance away. The brim of a black cap hides his eyes as he looks down, his palm shielding the flame of his lighter from the wind as he fires up a cigarette. With his hands out of the way, I count four silver diamonds on his collar patch. A major.
He's tall and broad-shouldered, but rather slim, dressed in a black field trench coat, black gloves and black boots. Taking a drag, he glances up- and his gaze is sharp enough to pierce through steel.
Might look like the devil, but I'd bet that I could kick his willowy ass with one arm tied behind my back. By appearances he reads as relatively relaxed, though his eyes flicker with that same brittle anxiety that I also feel skittering down my spine. I think he puts about as much faith in this truce as I do.
But we had no choice. It was either a ceasefire, or we all would have died- either by the enemy or elements.
At the beginning of the week, we were subjected to heavy rainfall and the trenches went from being ankle-deep to knee-deep with water in just three days. Ammunition and a good portion of our rations are now not only unappetizingly wet, but running perilously low. To top it off, it's December and fucking freezing at night here in the Hürtgen forest. Two of my men have already died of exposure from being cold and wet.
One more night of thunderstorms would have made the water in the trenches waist or even chest-deep, and then we all would have been forced from cover and into No Man's Land, making us sitting ducks.
I scribbled out a short letter using Thomas' charcoal stick onto a handkerchief. It was barely legible and I could only pray that someone on their side could read English. I stuffed the corner of it into the end of a rifle and raised it as high as possible, and the gunfire fell silent.
"Feuerpause!" Someone hollered from the other side. "Sie wollen eine Feuerpause!"
I had no idea what they were saying, but the fact that they stopped firing was a good sign.
"Nicht schieĆen! Bringt in Erfahrung was sie wollen!"
Thomas then volunteered to crawl out of the trench and navigate the maze of barbed wire and scorched earth known as No Man's Land to pass the letter to what I assume to be their most expendable soldier, who limped towards him to retrieve it.
We waited with bated breath as the message was taken to their leader, who then ordered his men to stand down.
When a few of the Germans hauled themselves up out of the trenches, they were also soaked to the bone.
I ordered Thomas and Terry to build a fire with what dry tinder they could find, and I would take up a vantage point and assess the situation from the high ground, because I am still not certain they won't take advantage of this opportunity to smoke us once we're out in the open.
And I know I'm being paranoid, not to mention rude by looking a gift horse in the mouth, but be too trusting out here, and you'll wind up dead in a heartbeat.
During the Great War, an impromptu truce was made between German and British soldiers.
At the first light of dawn on Christmas Day, some German soldiers emerged from their trenches and approached the Allied lines across No Man's Land, calling out "Merry Christmas" in their enemies' native tongues. At first, the Allied soldiers feared it was a trick, but seeing the Germans unarmed they climbed out of their trenches and shook hands with the enemy soldiers. The men even exchanged presents of cigarettes and plum puddings and sang carols and songs.
But I don't give a damn about plum puddings and carols. I just want to get my men out of here alive, and I'm betting they want the same. Putting my fear aside and hoping lightning will strike twice, I made the first step in a last ditch effort to save my unit.
The major gestures to the beast of a man at his side to join the others in having a drink, and I can see his second in command is as hesitant as I am to let his guard down.
Now this guy, holy shit. The word berserker comes to mind. He's easily six-foot-four and as broad as a barn. I don't doubt it'd take more than five men to bring him down in a brawl. Were it not for their difference in uniforms, I would have assumed he was the one calling the shots.
Dead leaves crunch beneath heavy boots behind me. "I'm pretty sure your plan worked."
"Looks that way. For the moment, anyhow."
"Don't be so uptight, Bard." Terry insists. "It's Christmas!"
The major exhales a cloud of smoke, and then that razor sharp gaze snaps up directly to me.
"It's the eighteenth. And don't be so quick to drop your guard." With a sigh, I reluctantly pull away from my sniper's scope, then push myself up off the ground and brush the wet leaves off of my knees. "We still need to be careful. Nothing is set in stone just yet."
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You can read the rest of this chapter here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/37800781/chapters/94381705