a little party in the barn, you know?” Mut grinned and at this moment flames got through the wooden box and met it`s content. Barn exploded.

“Oh, and Danny`s fine, too. We came upon one Kraut, but we took him out.” Jon grinned, too. He had few fresh scars and light scratches.

“Great work.” 

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

Reinhardt, Wolfgang and Wilhelm stood near Manfred’s body. Wolfgang was nearly vrying. The one he had been talking with yesterday was dead now. He admired and liked him. Reinhardt sighed. It was another casaulty, but he whispered: ”They will pay for this…”

Wilhelm didn’t say anything. Manfred’s bullet had been fired. He looked at Wolfgang, like he was saying: ‘You see… the one you love is one from the Manfred’s killers.’

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

“What now, sarge?”

“What do you think, Kinley?”

“Will they send reinforcements?” White asked.

“Indeed… White, we are behind enemy lines and sending additional troops will draw Krauts` attention! But…” he stopped, “I guess we need to send message to them.”

“And how we are supposed to do this since our only radio is in the village?”

Napper’s eyes slid down on Mut. Jon noticed it and said. “Sergeant, you are needed here. Let me go.”

“Okay, Jon… but don’t die. That’s direct order. Got it?”

Jon yelped and jumped in Napper. “McShaw?”

“Sir?”

“It seems your dog wants to go instead of Mut.”

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

Germans took position in the village. Hartmann knew Americans were digged in the old trenches. But he also knew they were cut off.

‘They will surrender soon, their situation is critical and they know it’ he thought. He ordered his snipers to watch the trench.

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

Napper read the whole message again. It was short, but there was everything essential. Then he took his pen again and added:

Send the dog back with answer as soon as possible.

He rolled the paper and put it in tin pipe on Jon’s collar.

“I hope Jon knows what’s going on… if he fails, we will die…” Napper said.

Renna and Danny were worried. But Mut nodded and gave basic instrucions to Jon.

Jon just nodded and was about to run. But Napper held him back.

“Use smoke grenades. We don’t need Krauts shoot him right now.”

Few smoke grenades did good work. Smoke was thick enough to cover Jon.

“See you later!” he yelled and ran.

“Watch carefully,” Mut said, “this is maybe the last time we see him.”

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

“Herr Leutnant! Look! Smoke!”

“Hmm… I don’t think they are going to attack us… maybe they are trying to send a message to their comrades.”

“What now, Herr Leutnant?”

“Don’t shoot… since they can’t afford to miss any man, they will send a dog. And they will wait for reply. But it won’t come. We will kill that dog on its way back… be ready…”

Wilhelm watched his master frowning. Then he looked at Wolfgang and whispered: “Come with me, I have a message for you…”

“From her?” Wolfgang twitched his ears. Wilhelm nodded and being followed by Wolfgang headed out from the village.

“What did she say?” Wolfgang was eager to hear.

“So… she will see you at 8 pm today …hmm… at the place of your last meeting… this means you have three hours.”

“Great!” Wolfgang yelped.

“Indeed… meeting with one of Manfred’s killers is great, isn’t it?”

Wolfgang scowled, but then his look slipped down from Wilhelm. “I know….”

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

Three hours passed. For Wolfgang, it was like eternity like for Napper and his men. They didn’t expect Jon will return so quickly, but they wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. Renna sneaked from her position, making sure she wasn’t seen by anybody. Mainly by Mut and Danny.

Yes, it was dangerous, but she needed to talk to him. Finally. Just fe steps and… He waited for her. “Renna…” he sighed in relief. She came. She really came.

 “Wolf…” whispered she and ran towards him. He caught her and hugged her. “I am sorry I didn’t help you… but Wilhelm ordered me to stand back…” he whispered in her ear.

“No… it’s all right. I am glad you are safe…” If Mut heard her, he would rage like the- no… nothing could describe his rage, then! She was glad her enemy was alive! But Wolfgang was no longer her enemy. He nuzzled her softly.

“Renna… I know it will sound silly, but I love you.”

Renna expected something like this. And she had thought she would be able to reply. But she wasn’t.

“Wolfgang, I… I like you, but we are enemies… we can’t.”

“Why do you think so? Just because it’s war? My close friend told me it’s just about us. If you think it’s wrong, then tell me right now. But I don’t find anything bad about it…”

Renna was silent.

“And the friend of mine is now dead. Your humans killed him. I could hate you for that, I could avenge him, but I just said I love you. Because this is the way he would like.” Wolfgang looked in her eyes.

“I am sorry he is dead…” Renna whispered, “He was right… there’s nothing bad about it. I like you Wolfgang, but I can’t tell you what I feel right now…”

“I understand. I love you, no matter what.” He kissed her lightly and smiled.

Renna blushed. “I need to go back… If they notice I am missing it will be very unpleasant. What about same place and same time, tomorrow?”

Wolfgang nodded. She didn’t reject him!

------------------------ 

Night passed, but it was sleepless one. Napper’s men waited for response and were afraid of German attack. Hartmann and his men had completely different problems. They had casaulties, too and injured ones. Hartman decided Richter would drive their only car and take the most injured back to position of their army. Reinhardt went with Richter, so only two dogs remained. Wolfgang and Wilhelm.

 

“Sir! Sir!”

It was early in the morning when Kinley spotted something he was sure was Jon. Napper grabbed binoculars, watched and then he said with smile on his lips: “I think Jon deserves at least double rations…”

But he knew the worst part would come. Jon had to run around the village. Through the no man’s land. And without any chance for cover. There was just one crater the mortar made the other day.

“Now… our lives are in his paws…” Napper sighed.

 

‘Okay, Okay… I will make it… it’s just few steps…’ Jon though.

And then something buzzing flew over his head.

‘Shit!’

 

“Shit! They saw him!” Napper shouted. “Covering fire!” Men started firing from all guns while Renna and Mut crouched down. Noone could fight a bullet.

 

Jon kept running. If he had stop it would be his death. Just few more steps…

 

“Shoot it!” Hartman ordered and aimed on Jon’s head. He wasn’t good marksman, but he was almost sure he would kill that dog.

 

“Keep firing! He will be here soon! Look, he is near the crater and-“

 

Jon jerked. Something threw him aside. Something hot and painful. His blood spurted and he fell down to the crater. Renna yelped when she saw this. And taking no care about bullets she ran to the crater. Her thoughts were with Jon.

‘It will be good… I will bring him back… he will be all right. And then we will go home…’

She jumped into the crater.

“Jon!” she shouted.

His eyes were opened but cold and dead.

“No… no… It’s not supposed to be this way…” Renna whispered and started crying.

“Jon, why did you do this to me? To us?”

Her tears fell down on Jon’s fur.

Something seemed so futile and ironic to her now.She wanted to curl down and cry forever, or run away somewhere far away.

She nuzzled Jon’s dead body and then her nose met something cold.

Of course! The message!

She didn’t wait for any longer, ripped metal case from Jon’s collar and she jumped back to the trench.

Her eyes were full of tears and terror. Mut knew it. He was scared and terrified too, when he saw killed friend for the first time. But Renna made the best she could. She brought back the message. Napper snatched the case anxiously and read the message like it would have been the most important thing in the whole world.

Renna hugged Mut crying.

“Mut… Mut… Jon’s dead…” she sobbed and hid her nose in Mut’s fur.

Danny watched them speechlessly. But after a while he curled down, put his paws on his eyes and shouted: “WHY?!” Mut looked at him. “Danny… This is a war and Jon did something brave and heroic. He laid down his life for us. And we can cry for him later, now we must make sure his sacrifice wasn’t futile.” He laid paw on Danny’s shoulder. “Jon is a hero and we will tell his story to others, but first… we must get out of here…”

 

Napper was reading the note then he threw it away and looked on his watch.

“… seven… six … five… four… three…”

 

Hartmann glanced back. He was sure he hit the dog, but about that message… He sighed when five Sherman tanks and about fifty men appeared and headed towards the village.

“Böhm… have we got something like white flag here?”

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

And the nightmare was over. When Napper spotted the white flag and unarmed Germans heading to them, he sighed with relief.

“Okay, don’t shoot… McShaw, did you hear me?” McShaw didn’t respond, but kept holding his rifle. “I am sorry for Jon, but now we can’t shoot them. They are surrending now…”

Napper stepped out from the trench and followed by Kinley and White. Other men were ready to shoot if necessary, but it wasn’t. Hartmann came closer and spoke to Napper.

“Lieutenant Hartmann, 87th reconnaissance unit, Wehrmacht. I want to save lives of my men, so I offer our surrender.” His English was quite bad, but Napper understood.

“I accept.”

Hartmann sighed. “I am sorry for all your casaulties… we are mere soldiers like you are-”

And they talked and talked. Renna, Mut and Danny were

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