A Reason to Fight | Schofield

3 | Cherry Blossoms

"You need to bandage that."

The tranquil moment was short-lived. My eyelids felt heavy, but I lifted them open as Blake walked over to me, offering what was left of the water in his canteen along with a rag and some gauze. I cleaned the wound, hissing with pain as I pressed the rag against my skin to soak up the blood. I took the gauze and wrapped it tightly around my leg so as to keep a bit of pressure on it and hold the bleeding. Bright red stained the white fabric. With a quick thank you, I returned to him the remaining supplies.

"Look, I didn't know what I was picking you for," Blake said in a low voice as he returned to Schofield, picking the conversation back up. "I never thought it would be this."

There was no response. Schofield looked back at Blake in silence, his gaze softening. I moved to stand up, being careful not to put too much weight on my leg.

"So, do you want to go back?" Blake then asked, looking at Schofield with concern.

"Just fire the fucking flare."

Blake nodded and loaded the flare gun, pointing it upwards and letting the flare soar into the sky. It lit up the air in a flash before dipping back down toward the horizon. We watched until it was out of sight, and then Blake leaned down to offer Schofield a hand and help him to his feet. I limped towards the pair and joined them at their sides. Blake and Schofield grabbed their guns. Together, we started forward into the new territory.

"So, I have to ask," I started, looking sideways at the two soldiers as we walked. "What are you guys doing out here alone?"

"We're on a mission to get a message to Colonel Mackenzie of the 2nd Devons," Blake explained. "Sixteen hundred men will attack at dawn, but they're walking into an ambush. We have orders to call off the attack."

"Jesus," I breathed, taking it in. "That's a pressured task."

"My brother's in the battalion," Blake added, his voice heavy and laced with worry. "That's why they sent me."

Schofield remained silent in between us as we walked, his brows furrowed in a troubled expression. I now understood his accusatory question, about why he was picked. My heart felt concern for him--he nearly lost his life back there. I thought about asking if he was okay, but before I could get the words out I was interrupted by Blake's voice.

"Look at that," he remarked as he gazed around at our surroundings in wonder. "They destroyed their own guns." Ahead of us laid the shells of broken down and destroyed artillery. The Germans had demolished their equipment upon evacuation, preventing its ability to be potentially used against them.

"They destroyed their own trenches, too," Schofield added, finally speaking up.

"What do you mean?"

"I think they wanted us to go that way," he said, gesturing back towards the trenches. "They wanted to bury us."

His words sent a shiver down my body. So many awful ways to die--I'd been close to experiencing too many in just one day.

A sudden noise. We looked to our right, startled by a flash of movement. Blake raised his gun in its direction, until we realized it was only a rat. It sat atop the body of a dead German soldier, chewing. I grimaced at it and shook my head. Blake sighed and kicked a rock in the rat's direction. The movement startled it and sent it fleeing.

"Bastard rats," Blake muttered as we kept walking. I checked on Schofield, who was still trembling a bit as he continued pushing forward.

We kept moving. Ahead, the edge of a forest crested the horizon. Trees. Green leaves. A beautiful sight I'd been deprived of for two weeks. I quickened my pace, in part wanting to be in the cover of the woods, but also simply wanting to be surrounded by its life and warmth. I bathed myself in the sounds of the trees; the leaves rustling in the wind, birds chirping and squirrels leaping from branch to branch. I distanced myself from Schofield and Blake, falling behind as I became wrapped up in the beauty of the nature around me. It was so peaceful that for moment I was able to forget about the pain in my leg as I limped on, simply enjoying the presence of the life that surrounded us.