Bears Maul Part 3

Copyright 2015 R. P. Wollbaum

This is a work of fiction. Any connection with places, events or people is coincidental

 

 

For lack of a better term, today was graduation day. They had lost one hundred and fifty candidates through failure, or injury, or just not willing to put up with it any more. This afternoon they would have a small ceremony and after, Nicolas had arranged for a party, catered by the young lady who ran the little beer hall. Local farmers and ranchers had been invited and a number of town’s people were also coming. Many of whom were already here to watch the proceedings.

Nicolas had refused to present the honors to the candidates. It was the American colonels dream and idea, it was only right he be the one. So it was, that he and Sandy marched in at the head of the regiment, lining up with the rest of the brigade and saluting the American Colonel. American and Canadian national colors were behind him as he gave his speech, then ordered each company commander to come forward and take boxes to his company. In the boxes were a beret and a patch and each soldier received one and put them on. When they were dismissed, all the troops whooped and hollered, the regiment included and in small groups headed for the large mess hall for the party.

None of them noticing that the ten Native Americans and all of the regiment were missing.

On the parade square the ten were marched out, dressed in new dark blue regiment dress uniforms, complete with knee high cavalry boots. They were met by all four hundred regiment members in their dress uniforms lined up by company, with the regimental colors in front. Once the men were in line facing the regiment, Nicolas called the regiment to attention and had them salute the ten. Then he Sandy and eight other officers approached the ten, removing shiny brass eagles from boxes and affixing the eagle to their right collars. Nicolas pinned his on the corporal who had spoken to him that first day.

“When you go home tomorrow,” Nicolas said. “You give your grandfather’s back to him. You have your own now.”

“Now don’t be frightened brothers, what is going to happen now is we are going to welcome you to our band as full members,” Nicolas said as the regiment formed a circle around the ten and began to sing the traditional welcoming song to them.

In the mess hall an old woman put her hand on her husbands arm. “Am I hearing things?” She said.

The husband cocked his head and smiled. “I have not heard that for so many years,” he said to her in Russian and stood holding her chair for her.

“Come,” she said to her two married children in Russian, “come now and bring the young ones.”

All over the room people were rising, young and old, and headed for the exit. The old woman started humming the song and her husband joined her as they listened to the perfect acapello of music from their home land. They stood about a hundred strong watching the circle, forty women of the four hundred in their dress uniforms, boots to their bare knees, hair braided behind and around their heads, wildflowers woven in the braids, added their voices to the male harmony, in the vocals only Russian voices could make.

The song was finished and before Nicolas could break the circle and shake hands with the men inside, a single female voice outside the circle began to sing a joyful song of welcoming, of old friends come again. She was joined by other female voices and the regiment broke the circle and formed four lines to watch, as the women of the town approached them, arms linked, dancing the traditional dance as they came, their men behind them singing as well.

Nicolas waited until they stopped five yards in front of him and stopped singing, then he nodded and his forty women linked arms and approached the town group singing the response words, followed by forty troopers, the rest of the regiment started to sing as well, slapping their hands to the beat and raising the tempo to that of a fast walking horse. Then they slowly started to raise the tempo and finally some of the troopers could hold themselves back no longer and started to dance the bouncing arm flinging and knee dropping dance the Cossack was famous for. The song went faster and faster reaching that of a galloping horse, the regiments dancers whirling in a blur, the towns people clapping time, some of the older ones, feet moving to remembered moves. The song came to a sudden stop and townspeople and regiment troopers laughed and hugged and cheered each other.

Nicolas walked back to the now confused ten.

“It is seldom we run into other Cossack people,” he said. “When we do, it is cause for great celebration. You have just been adopted by our people and made members of our band. That was what this ceremony was about. It is a great honor and the whole band must agree. Those four hundred wanted it and we sent word back home of your courage, your skill and your humility. The eagles, we can give to any who deserve. The blue uniform is something else and seldom done. In recognition of what your people did for us on our trip here so many years ago and for what you men have accomplished here, our people voted to have you made members of our band.”

The corporal then began to sing in his own language and the others joined in forming a circle around Nicolas and performing one of their own ritual dances at the end, each man came up to Nicolas and took him by the shoulders saying words in their own language, then lined up before him.

“By that song and dance and by those words, we accept you as our war leader and pledge to fight bravely for you and to die for you,” the corporal said, all the ten saluted.

Nicolas took off his hat and placed it under his left arm and stood tall.

“I Nicolas, son of John, son of Andreas, pledge before God and man, what is done to you and yours is done to me and mine, so say I.”

“So say all of us,” came four hundred voices behind him. Then the party really began.

Nicolas watched his blue uniformed men, mingling with the green and khaki of the rest of the brigade, singing songs and joking, some dancing with local girls, some talking with the towns folk. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the young blond who ran the beer hall directing her staff, which now had a number of the local women helping to serve and clear away dishes and empties. She was tall and lithe, her simple functional dress, covered with an apron hid her figure, but she moved with grace and seamlessly effort. Her long blond hair was pulled back from her face and pulled into a pony tail that reached to just above her hips and the dress modestly down to just below her calf, hinting at the long legs above them.

No time for that, thought Nicolas and he grabbed two beer and stole out the door of the mess hall. He walked until he came to the parade ground and found a barracks step to sit on, looking out across the empty square. Well almost empty. The three lonely flags, two national colors and his regiments colors had been joined by the American colonel who was standing in front of them, drinking a bottle of beer.

“Mind if I join you?” the young woman from the beer hall said. “I needed some fresh air, it’s getting hot in there.” Nicolas stood and made to hand her the spare beer he had brought with him, but she held up one she had brought with her. “Thanks anyway,” she said.

“Can we go look at your flag?” she asked as she saw the Colonel pull out each one of the yellow streamers attached to the standard, one by one and read them.

As they came up, the colonel was extending the flag to have a better look at it.

“The blue yellow and red, represent the band of people we come from,” Nicolas said. “The eagle represents our German heritage and the bear our Russian roots. That first streamer is to commemorate an action the regiment participated in in Afghanistan. In order to seal some pact with the British, the Tsar sent the regiment there to help hold the area for the British until a large infantry contingent could come up from India and put an end to a large religious uprising. My grandfather defeated the extremists in a large battle. My aunt and two others of the regiment were killed there. The Prince of Wales himself, tied the ribbon there and made my grandfather an offer to come to Canada.”

“We added the beaver when we came to Canada, it is their national animal and it depicts our commitment to the country. The second ribbon is from South Africa. My grandfather was in overall command of a district and my uncle in command of the Regiment. We were sent to contain a large group of Boers who were holed up in a fortified canyon and when they tried to break out we defeated them. We lost twenty that day, my uncle was wounded badly and my father took over command. We added the maple leaf after that action signifying that we are Canadians. Two months before he became King, His Majesty gave us that ribbon.”

“In Palestine and Syria in the last war, my father commanded the Regiment and conducted two assaults on German and Turkish positions in one day. The first was over in minutes and the second against much better defended and manned positions cost us twenty dead, that is the third ribbon, and the last, is for an action on the second last day of the war in Cologne Germany where we attacked a division of German fanatics who had pledged to hold the city to the last man. We crossed the river downstream and attacked from the rear causing a lot of mayhem and the Australians attacked from the front, finishing them off. King George tied both those ribbons on. We lost a hundred that day and my father was wounded badly when the surrendering German General shot him with his pistol. My mother killed the German.”

“I read about those actions in the last war,” the colonel said. “I had no idea it was you people. The only mention is of British forces, with the help of a few Australians.”

“Actually, there were few Brits, a few more Aussies and a lot of Canadians,” Nicolas said. “As a country, we are modest people. My people in particular. We don’t glory in war colonel. It is our duty and we do it. Then when we are not needed, we go back to our farms and homes and jobs, train for the next war, but hope it never comes.”

“Why there is even no mention of your regiment that I know of,” the colonel said. “Your father and mothers citations say only members of the second Canadian army.”

“We just call ourselves the regiment colonel,” Nicolas said. “We are a throwback to medieval times. Everyone, male and female serves mandatory terms. We are self-equipped and armed. When our government needs us we go, they replace and furnish any supplies we require.”

“How many are you?” he asked.

“We have a battalion in Britain and my Battalion is someplace in Sicily right now. Another battalion is on standby at home for replacements etc,” Nicolas answered. “If called upon, we have ten thousand trained and armed troopers of military age that we could deploy in an emergency.”

The colonel let go of the flag, saluted it and Nicolas with his beer and went back to the mess hall to join his men shaking his head as he walked away.

“Those are nice uniforms,” the girl said.

“As a reward for a job my grandfather did for the Tsar when he was about my age,” Nicolas said. “He was made a member of the Imperial Life Guards, at that time an elite cavalry unit and ordered to field a battalion of troopers, to begin operations the next year. These are their uniforms.”

“That explains the Russian songs,” she said. “But I hear you speaking German to each other all the time.”

“That is another story for another time,” Nicolas said in German.

“There will be another time?” she asked in English accented German.

“Ah a lady of secrets,” Nicolas said smiling. “Always the best kind of lady. Enough of my background, what of yours, shiny green eyes.”

She blinked and lowered her reddening face, to hide her surprise that he had noticed the color of her eyes.

“There is not much to tell, Nicolas,” she said. “I live in Billings, run a modest but good beer hall and don’t have much time for myself.”

“Living the American dream,” Nicolas laughed. “All work and no play. So let’s hear some more, like your name for one. Calling you miss all the time is not very personal. It is miss right?”

Again she blushed, but this time with a hint of defiance underneath.

“Katherine, Miss Katherine Engelmann, I am twenty one and single. You have a problem with that?” she said, sitting tall looking him in the eyes and daring him to have one.

“In deed not, Miss Engelmann. I am Nicolas Bekenbaum, glad to meet you.” Nicolas said. “I am twenty two, single and the only job I know outside of this army stuff, is to dig trenches and fix pipelines. Do you have a problem with that?”

Oh my God she thought shaking her head. I better be careful or I will lose myself in those deep blue eyes.

Nicolas, Sandy and Calvin, were the only members of the brigade left in camp. The others had left on their mandatory two week leave. They told themselves and everyone else that they were going to supervise the shutting down of the camp, by the regular US Army personnel and the loading of their equipment. But Sandy knew Nicolas had stayed because of Katherine and she stayed to keep an eye on him. Nicolas knew she was staying because Calvin was staying. Calvin being the only one who had been ordered to stay.

They spent their days in camp, handling paper and questions by the Army and their evenings in Billings at the Beer hall run by Katherine. Usually sitting as couples and acting as any young couples their age do. Nicolas and Katherine had an easy way about them, never acting inappropriately and usually acting as chaperones to the other couple.

The night before the Canadians were going to ship out, Sandy went back into the kitchen, took Katherine by the arm and dragged her outside.

“If you want him, you better do something about it tonight,” Sandy said. “He’s to Goddamn shy.”

“Oh I don’t know,” Katherine said. “I’m not sure he likes me.”

“Likes you? For God’s sake woman, he can hardly keep his eyes off you,” Sandy said. “Back in camp, its Katherine said this or Katherine said that. Did you see how nice Katherine looked last night? He’s got it bad for you girl. And I know you’ve got it for him too. I can see how you look at him when he’s not looking.”

“I can’t. I’m scared he will reject me,” Katherine said and she started to cry.

“Naj you better do something tonight if you want her or she won’t be here when you get back,” Calvin said.

“Ah come on,” Nicolas said. “She’s just being nice to me is all. Good looking girl like that, probably has all the boys in town chasing her. What have I got to offer? Chances are I’ll get killed or worse. Even if I come back, what have I to offer? Life as a nomad, going from oil field to oil field?”

“You think it’s any different for me?” Calvin asked. “I’m just a glorified farm hand on my father’s farm. Sandy doesn’t mind.”

Then they changed the subject as the two women walked back into the room.

“I am going home early,” Katherine said. “Mindy will close up for me. Would you mind walking me home Nicolas?”

She was strangely quiet as they walked and Nicolas let her have her silence, just enjoying being with her one last time. He had never been to her home and as they turned down a long street, she reached out her left hand and took his right, sending shivers up his arm and down his spine.

She turned up the walk to a modest but well kept house and stopped in front of the door, letting his hand go, already he felt a loss. She stood looking at the door, then turned and looked into his eyes.

“Would you come in for a minute, I have someone I’d like you to meet,” she said.

She opened the door and walked in, Nicolas removing his beret, followed her. She motioned him to stay in the foyer and walked into the kitchen, where a young child’s voice greeted her. In a few seconds she was back, a happy toddler of about four on her hip.

“This is my son George,” she said looking him defiantly in the eyes.

Nicolas rolled up his beret and stuck it under an epilate.

“Well hello George,” he said, advancing on the two holding his hand out for George to shake. “Your mother never told me how handsome you were. You know I have a nephew your age.”

“Does he like to ride ponies?” George said. “I do. I go to grandpas all the time and have my own pony.”

“Why yes he does,” said Nicolas. “He lives on a farm and has his own pony too.”

“And a dog?” George said. “I bet he has a dog. Mommy won’t let me have a dog, but I get to play with grandpas when I am there.”

“Well the house is a little small for a dog and a big boy like you,” Nicolas said.

Katherine put George down. “You run off and finish your supper, mommy has to say goodbye to Nicolas now.”

“Bye Nicolas,” George said running back into the kitchen.

Katherine escorted Nicolas out the door closing it behind her. She opened her mouth to talk, but Nicolas put a finger to her lips.

“The past is the past,” he said. “You can tell me later if you must.”

He handed her a piece of paper with an address on it.

“If I write to you, will you write me back?” he asked looking down at his boots.

She lifted his head with her hand.

“Yes,” she said and kissed him on the lips.

“You better write me often,” she said when they came up for air.

“Yes mam,” he said quietly.

She kissed him again, then went into the house, stopping in the doorway and blowing him one last kiss before flipping her right hip as she flipped her hair around her head and walking in, closed it behind her.

Damn, Nicolas thought. She’s bloody beautiful.

Katherine’s mother, who had been looking after George came to the living room and put her arm around her daughter as they looked out the front window. Nicolas stood on the sidewalk looking up at the stars then put his beret squarely and firmly on his head, punched his right arm into the air and yelled, “Yah alright!” then almost ran back to the beer hall to collect his companions.

“God please let him come back to me,” Katherine prayed and her mother squeezed her tight.

“Oh you’ve got him alright,” she said in German. “You’ve got him good.”

The special train came from the north, the locomotive stopping at the station and allowed the troops off for a breather while it changed crews and refueled, then added another passenger coach, before backing up to the flat cars and box cars holding the brigades equipment and vehicles. Officers and men saluted the three officers standing on the platform, some calling out in recognition or good natured insults. Nicolas was kept busy signing last minute forms and Sandy spotting Katherine standing alone with George on her hip at the end of the platform, moved down to greet her.

“Is this George then?” Sandy asked. “He’s gorgeous, like his mother.”

Katherine was dressed in a dark blue dress that emphasized her figure and the two women were drawing the eyes of all the young soldiers. All but one.

“I’m still not sure about this,” Katherine said.

Sandy was about to say more when she saw a familiar figure in new khaki, the new shinny eagle on her right collar contrasting with the duller bear on the left.

“Andrea,” Sandy yelled out. “Andrea, over here.”

The two cousins embraced, not having seen each other for some time and then only briefly during the short three day layover when they had returned from North Africa to begin the training at the American base.

“Andrea, this is Naj’s girl Katherine and her gorgeous son George, Katherine, this is Nicolas’s sister Andrea,” Sandy made the introductions.

“Oh, I’m not so sure I’m his girl,” Katherine said, both women taking stock of each other after shaking hands. “He just met George last night.”

“Nice to meet you Mr. George,” Andrea said, shaking the now delighted youngsters hand.

“Why would you say that Katherine,” Andrea said. “He wrote mother and said he wasn’t coming home because he wanted to be with his girl.”

“Oh shit,” said Sandy. “I bet Tatiana had a fit.”

“Mother was less than pleased,” Andrea agreed. “Let’s just say this train better leave pretty soon, because momma is going to twist his ear off when she sees him next. So you see Katherine, you’re his girl whether you like it or not.”

“But that was before he knew about George,” Katherine said. “I’m not so sure now. Before, it was only me that got hurt, but now..”

“Are you kidding me?” Andrea said. “He loves kids. Not even an issue.”

“But your parents? Your mother will hardly approve.”

The cousins looked at each other and laughed.

“Tatiana all but tied John down,” said Sandy. “She chased him all the way from Russia. No way she is going to disapprove.”

“You have two problems with mother,” Andrea said. “You’re not Russian and like any mother does, you’re not good enough for her son. Oh ya and you’re good looking too. No daughter in law should be good looking to a mother’s son.”

The three girls were laughing when George mimicked the soldiers around him and stiffened in his mother’s arms and saluted.

“At ease trooper George,” Nicolas said. “What’s so funny you three?”

“Your big floppy ears brother,” Andrea said, giving her brother a hug. “George, would you like to see the locomotive?”

“Oh yes, can I please mommy?” George pleaded.

Katherine nodded and put him down on the ground.

“Now you hold tight to Aunty Andrea’s hand, so you don’t get lost,” Andrea said. “Come on Sandy, let’s give the boys a show shall we?”

Both young women in their tight uniform skirts, exaggerated the swing of their hips as they walked down the platform to the locomotive, George between them.

Nicolas watched the sparkle in Katherine’s eyes as she laughed at the cousins antics, then suddenly cloud over as she looked at Nicolas looking at her.

“My God, but you are beautiful,” Nicolas said. He took in her face and green eyes with long natural eyelashes, her hair unbound, framing her face and streaming down her back.

“Much to beautiful for this skinny wretch,” he continued. Her eyes lit up again at the reference, when they had first met.

“Wow what a dress!” he exclaimed.

“What, this old thing,” Katherine said. “It was just something I had hanging in the closet and threw on.” Liar liar, she said to herself. You and mother were up all night sewing this thing and doing your hair.

“Well it and you look fabulous,” Nicolas said then looked down at his feet.

“Yo Naj,” one of his non coms yelled. “The train is gonna leave with outcha.”

Sure enough, the locomotive bell began to ring. signaling time to leave.

Nicolas looked up at her fear, in his eyes and dug something out of his pocket.

“Would you wear this to remember me by?” he asked, holding it out to her.

Hung suspended on a gold chain, was a golden eagle. An exact replica of the one he had on his collar.

“Oh yes, yes” she said taking it from his hand.

“Help me put it on?” she asked unclasping it and turning around holding the chain up and her hair back so he could fasten it at her neck.

Nicolas hooked it up and drank in the smell of her hair and the fine curve of her neck as he did so.

Fussing with the eagle so it hung just so, she turned around showing how it looked hanging just above and emphasizing her breasts. She gave him just enough time to get a good view and then grabbed him close and they kissed, long and deep.

“Eh comeon Naj,” the same noncom yelled. “We aint got no time for you to get a room. Conductor says we gotta go and they can’t go till you tell them to go.”

He held her at arm’s length to get a last long look, then kissed her again and turned to leave.

“Didn’t you forget something Nicolas?” Katherine said.

Nicolas turned back fumbling at his pockets and uniform. Katherine was holding a sealed envelope in her out thrust hand.

“It’s a little hard to write someone a letter when you don’t know her address silly,” she said. “Now go, your holding up the war effort.”

Stopping only to salute George as the girls were bringing him back to Katherine, Nicolas hurried to the lead car and conferred with the conductor. Andrea and Sandy climbed into the car, then the conductor blew his whistle and the train blew its warning whistle.

Nicolas looked back at Katherine as he rose the last step, holding onto the railing with one hand he kissed the letter in his other hand and waved it. Katherine now holding George, lifted the eagle and kissed it so he could see, then he was in the train, gone from view.

“Mommy I got to sit in the locomotive,” George said looking up at his mother. “Mommy, why are you crying?”

“Woo hoo naj, what a looker,” was the nicest of the comments he received from his troopers as he made his way to the compartment in the front reserved for the staff.

“That’s what you guys get for going home for leave,” Nicolas said. “I get the best looking girl all to myself.”

He shut the door to the compartment behind him, shutting off the laughs and grabbed his seat oblivious to everything around him and opened the letter.

‘My dear Nicolas,’ it began, she wrote in clear flowing letters. ‘I have found myself having feelings with you I have never felt before. Even the time before George came along it was not like this. If you want, I will wait for you. If not I will understand. Kat.’

He fell asleep holding the letter over his heart and it fell to the floor when his hand relaxed. Andrea picked it up and read it, then folded it up neatly and put it in his breast pocket. He woke with a start and grabbed her hand, then noticed who it was and let her go. She sat down across from him knowing from his look that he was troubled.

“I have no right,” he said. “She is young and can find someone else. Someone who is not going to get killed.”

“Do you think she cares about that Naj?” Andrea said. “Did grandmother care? Or mother? It is harder for her, she has to stay back home alone, fearing every telephone call or telegram or letter, will be news that you will never be coming back. Mother and grandmother were with their men, she will not be. If you love her, tell her.”

He pulled out a sheet of paper from his files and began to write.

‘Dearest Kat, I am still coming to grips with the fact that a beautiful woman like you would even consider an over grown kid like me, let alone love me. When I am with you, time stands still and I tingle all over my body, sometimes I find it hard to breath. Today I smelled your hair and was lost in the fragrance and I thought God had taken me to heaven when you kissed me. I can tell you are a good mother, George is such a good and polite boy, I look forward to getting to know him better. Please tell him I miss him.

I cannot promise I will return to you, just like you cannot promise you will be there when I return. That is in God’s hands. What I can promise is that after all this is over, if you will still have me. I will come for you.

I love you Kat, with all my heart and all my soul.

Naj’

He folded the letter and searching through his papers found an envelope and stuck the letter in it, forgetting to seal it and leaning back into his seat fell asleep again. His sister picked up the letter and read it and then smiling put it back in and sealed it, writing down the address on the envelope in her note book.

‘Dearest momma,’ she wrote when she reached her seat. ‘As we suspected Naj is deeply in love with this girl. She is very attractive, striking even and does not seem to be aware of it. She is tall and blond and has just enough curves in just the right places. Sandy adores her and you know how catty Sandy can be. Sandy tells me that Katherine wants to love Naj and in fact does, but she is afraid. Afraid that she will be hurt, just as she was hurt before and this time she is really in love. She also has a four year old son that she adores and does not want to have his hopes of a real daddy dashed. She could handle Naj being killed or maimed, but if he left her, she would most likely die.

I only met her briefly momma, at the train stopover, but I was very, very impressed.

Keep us in your hearts and your prayers as I will keep you in mine.

Andy

The next morning the train stopped at an isolated platform, really just a water and fuel station. Outside lining the platform were hundreds of Native Americans, most in ceremonial garb, ten in American Army uniform formed up in in line at attention, their duffle bags beside them. Just off to the side of their formation, an old man in full headdress stood proudly erect, holding an eagle feather.

“Fall the troops out Sandy,” Nicolas said standing and making his uniform as presentable as possible. “You too Andy. Stay by my right side.”

Noncoms took up Sandy’s yell of fall out fall out and troopers, EBB’s and Highlanders fell out lining up in parade formation beside the platform.

Nicolas flanked by Andrea on his right and Sandy on his left came up to the ten and returned their smart salutes.

“Corporal Snarling Bear and party of nine reporting for duty sir!” the corporal barked out.

“At ease corporal,” Nicolas replied.

“Sir, I would like to present my grandfather, Red Cloud, leader of my band.” The corporal said indicating the old man.

Nicolas, along with Sandy and Andrea marched up to the old chief and all three saluted. The chief waved his eagles wing at them and smiled.

“It has been long since the eagle of the Bekenbaum has been in this land,” he said.

“My grandfather and grandmother spoke often of Red Cloud and his people and how much they owed to him for helping them across this land,” Nicolas said.

“More like how he stole all my horses from me after I stole two of his,” Red Cloud said laughing.

“Please sir,” Nicolas said. “Would you inspect my troops? They are all descendants of those who trekked across your land so long ago.”

“It is a great honor grandfather,” the corporal said when he looked over at him.

The old chief drew himself up to his impressive six foot six, then flanked by Nicolas and trailed by Sandy and Andrea, walked to where the regiment was formed up.

“Regiment prepare for inspection!” the RSM of the regiment barked. “REGIMENT ATTENTION!”

The old chief looked behind him and handed the eagle wing to Andrea, then he pulled his brass eagle from under his shirt hanging from its chain. Holding it in his right hand he looked each trooper in the eye and touched the eagle on their collar. Noting that the Highlanders had no eagles, he let his dangle and retrieved his eagle wing, touching each Highlander on the shoulder with it.

When he was done the inspection, Nicolas escorted him back to the platform and the at ease formation of his grandson and his detachment.

“Tenhut,” Nicolas said to the ten soldiers. “About face.” The ten men performed the maneuver flawlessly.

“RSM, the regiment is to pass in review,” Nicolas said walking to the front of the small native line, placing the old chief in the center out in front, then took three steps back, leaving no doubt who was going to do the review.

“Regiment, columns of eight to pass in review!” the RSM barked out. “Regiment by the left, MARCH!”

Lead by the Highlanders, the regiment expertly passed in review of the chief, all in perfect step, each head snapping to the right as their line crossed his path. When the regiment had reformed in their lines, the chief turned to Nicolas.

“Their grandfathers and grandmothers did that for me on horseback many years ago,” he said. “Like them, you honor me and my people. As great warriors have always done to one another.”

The locomotive bell gave a quick ring signaling they were ready to go.

“Your grandson and his band will make you proud,” Nicolas said waving his hand in a circle over his head. As the RSM started loading the troops back into the train the old chief laughed.

“The last time a Bekenbaum made that gesture, he stole all my horses. Now you are just stealing my grandsons,” he said. “Much better, good horses are hard to come by.”

He walked up to the ten men and began to chant in his language. All ten of the men stood to attention and soon the ground beside the platform was full of chanting and dancing Natives. The old chief touched each soldier on the forehead and the heart with his eagle wing. When he had finished the last man, his grandson, he hugged him close.

“Go now,” he said. “Go before you see an old man cry.”

Nicolas joined the ten as they entered the last coach and the train began to leave.

“Thank you sir,” said the corporal. “You did a great honor for Red Cloud. Our people were chanting for you, not for us. To honor you for all you have done for us.”

Nicolas made sure each staff sergeant and the RSM heard that as he passed down the line of coaches headed for his own and told them to pass it on to the men. The great honor, the great man and his people had done for them.

Two more passenger coaches were added as the train went further east, picking up more brigade personnel as they went.

“Right, you can tell the boys now, we are going for parachute training,” Nicolas told his officers.

“Ah just what we needed, more shit to have to sew on our uniforms,” Nicolas overheard one of the troopers say referring to the parachute wings they would receive when they finished parachute school.

None of the regiment had been given permission to sew on the red arrow head of the special services brigade. They were all entitled to wear them, but did not question or wonder at the reason why. All that mattered to them was the Canada patch, the EBB patch and the eagles on their collars. Only Nicolas knew the reason why and he would tell them when the time was right.

‘Kat my love,’ Nicolas wrote. ‘We have finally finished learning how to hurl ourselves out of perfectly functioning airplanes. The first few seconds are horrifying, until the parachute opens and then it is a peaceful decent. Well it would have been peaceful but for Sandy and Andrea whooping their war cries, that got the rest of our troop whooping as well. Me included.

My days are so full of reports and meetings, I barley have time to think. My nights are lonely and I think of you until I fall asleep.

Tomorrow the regiment boards ship for Europe, scuttlebutt is we are headed for Italy as that is where all the action is and we are needed urgently. If it is one thing I have learned about the army, is that it is always, hurry up and wait and that things are never what you expect them to be.

It would be just our luck to be sent back to Montana to train some more recruits, by way of Suez and Seattle. That would be alright with me, because I could hook up with a cute girl I met in Billings the last time I was there. That’s not going to happen though, they need us over there and badly.

I love you more and more each day.

Naj’

Nicolas knocked on the barracks room door, his head uncovered and top button undone on his shirt, receiving the muted instruction to come in, he opened the door and walked in. The commander of the first special services brigade was just standing to greet him. He looked a little haggard, as all the staff officers were, planning for a move that they knew they were doing but not where. Nicolas held up two bottles of vodka, plunking one on the small desk in the room and spinning the top off the other one. The Lieutenant Colonel produced two glasses and Nicolas poured a generous portion in each, they saluted each other with a toast, then refilled the glasses and sat down.

“So, all squared away, ready to go?” the American asked.

“Yes,” Nicolas answered. “The vehicles and equipment have been loaded and the troopers will begin loading at first light. I believe I am the first to congratulate you?”

“For what?” the American asked. “Surviving the last three months in this hell hole?”

“You will be promoted to full bird colonel tomorrow,” Nicolas said. “Long past due if I may say so. You have done well organizing this thing.”

“You always amaze me with your ability to ferret out information,” the colonel said. “Anything else you have found out?”

“The Brigade will be sent to Italy, as we assumed,” Nicolas replied. “It has indeed been an honor and a privilege for me to serve with you sir. As you know, I came up through the ranks and being allowed to observe and learn from you has been an exceptional experience for me.”

“You learn from me?” the colonel said. “That’s a new one. Without you and your ability to get things done and your vast knowledge on the type of tactics we will be employing, we’d still be in Montana shoveling snow or disbanded by now.”

“Even so sir,” Nicolas said. “I knew nothing on how to run a battalion and you have been very helpful. I will miss harassing you. It was a lot of fun you know. You take things so seriously all the time.”

“Oh I’m sure you’ll make up for it once we get in the field in Italy,” the colonel said with a smile.

“I am sure we will link up again sometime in the future,” Nicolas said. “The powers to be however have other plans for the regiment I am afraid.”

“What, they can’t take the Canadians away from us, that’s more than half of the force.”

“The Highlanders will still be with you, sir it’s only the regiment that is being reassigned and we are only four hundred,” Nicolas said.

“Now I see why you have not put your patches on,” the colonel said. “How long have you known?”

“Officially, this afternoon and the troopers still don’t know,” Nicolas said. “Unofficially, graduation day.”

“How do you get all this information all of the time?”

“I could tell you colonel, but then I’d have to kill you,” Nicolas said with a laugh.

The next day, the ships containing the special services brigade turned right to go to the Mediterranean and the regiments turned left to join a convoy in Halifax. The regiment was going to Britain.