Part Twenty

       Now where the heck...of course! In the rear.
       Hideoshi huffed as he turned to seek Sergeant Degmah, only to see the squat figure waddling towards him.
        "Been doin' good here," began Degmah, spluttering snow from his moustache. "Now, we need to halt. Won't do the higher-ups any good if we get lost in this blizzard-nor us."
        Of course he had to add  "us!"  groaned Hideoshi.
       Yet he couldn't help sighing with a weary joy, more conscious of the misery that had just ceased than the pleasure it now experienced. His extremities had stopped shivering and were merely stiff, cold mechanical things. Right there, he wanted to shut his eyes and fade into warmth and slumber. But the men must be halted first.
       Plodding from one group to the next, Hideoshi commanded each to halt, all the men to weary to respond with more than a nod before huddling together in circles in the snow. Noticing his brother Takashi and Nevsky in one of these huddles, he plopped down next to them. Takashi turned, the corners of his eyes and mouth crinkled just a little.
       "Got to be a sergeant for a day, eh?"
       "Yeah, guess so. Ain't all that great."
       "Guess we're gonna wait this one out then."
       "Yeah. War's a lot of waitin' around."
       Nevsky sat up straighter, but did not look at either Hideoshi or Takashi when he spoke.
       "Yeah. But we don't wait around forever."

Part Nineteen

       Sure enough, Sergeant Degmah was wading quickly to the rear of the column, not even glancing back. Hideoshi huffed.
      Of course I'm to lead-as if I knew where that blasted city was! 
       He scanned the column, noting the chattiness of the soldiers as they hurried to stay close to each other. Few looked out to the white plains and dark plateaus beyond.
      They're the new ones alright. Too lively-and not alert.  
      Several clusters were forming, each around a lively and seemingly confident individual.  Hideoshi groaned.
       I'll deal with this...
       He thrust himself through one of these clusters to the center, strode up to the leader, and drew his finger first across his lips, then across his neck, narrowing his eyes as his jaw muscles stiffened. The soldier, seeing the dazed faces of his comrades, became somber.
     "That's right!"  Hideoshi nodded. " It's the real deal-act like it."
       He went to each group, using the same tactic to great effect. The chattering died down, leaving the whistling blizzard and crunching snow as the only sounds.
       Now I've got to ask Sergeant Degmah where in the blazes I-he that is, if he'd only....never mind-where I'm supposed to be leading these men. Wonder if he'd take to me calling myself Sergeant?       

Part Eighteen

       Hideoshi sloughed through the snowdrifts until he was wading beside Sergeant Degmah, tilting his head down to keep the snowflakes from blinding him. Puffing white breath into the snow flurry, Sergeant Degmah coughed.
        "Are the men alright?"
        "They're fine, I suppose."
        The sergeant squinted.
        "Suppose. Alright. Do you suppose you could
lead the main body of Third Company once we attack Kolov?"
        Hideoshi barely shook himself awake.
       "Well, you're gonna. I'll be directing things from the rear."
                 Of course he is!
Shoving his hands deeper under his armpits, Hideoshi huffed as he ploughed on through the snow, the blizzard without melting into a flurry of images within.
               "Degmah, help us catch the sheep!" Cried two boys as they darted across the alpine meadow.
"I'm counting the sheep so that our papas can know how many we can take to market."
       "You just don't wanna help!"
       "Counting sheep is helping, Hideoshi!"...
...Hideoshi spat.
       Of all people, he had to be my sergeant?