Near the dammed up lake we prepared to cross over the ice and into the capital. It was an artificial lake which was almost a perfect circle nearly eight kilometers in diameter. As opposed to the previously horribly paved and unfortified roads, the roads near and next to the dam were mostly paved, with a few bunkers and dugouts next to the road. Due to the slipperiness of the ice and a general reluctance of everyone involved to walk on ice which may have had a slight possibility of breaking, it was decided that we would follow a railroad that went between the capital and a major, vital city. At the time of the crossing it was a bitingly cold day but the weather was alright and the visibility was good. Before we reached the dam we could get a good look at the first section and see that for every kilometer of the dam there was a little house next to the railway. As we approached the first house we were astonished to see that it had been set on fire. We passed it by and I managed to get a good look at it, and I could see through the ruined windows and cracks in the wall that there was nothing inside of it. Once we were on the way to the next house, it too erupted into flames. We continued in this manner until we reached the middle of the dam, where we had to cross a bridge across the river itself. It may have seemed mysterious but it was of course foreigners who followed our movements across the dam. From the foot of the bridge we could see the other side, which had an island with a couple of houses on it to the right. On this island a considerable amount of foreigners were running back and forth the houses. Before crossing the bridge we received the order to stop marching, so the officers could check up on their soldiers as well as discuss their next courses of action. The officers spent roughly 10 minutes poring over a stack of maps before we started moving again, but we did not take many steps before the air echoed an incredibly loud boom which forced bits of railway, wood and frozen bits of dirt high in the air, which afterwards rained on top of us. Everyone immediately began to search for cover, some would throw themselves on the edge of the dam and curl up, others, including myself, would slide down the snow covered dam and find any kind of minimal cover from the debris. The foreigners had blown up the bridge right in front of our noses. They had probably not taken our break into account, for if we had not organised ourselves before crossing we would have found ourselves right in the middle of the bridge when the explosion happened. We had gotten away with a terrible fright and some superficial bruises and scrapes. The thought seemed to not have hit anyone that such an attack could occur, and with one more experience under our belt we started marching back to where we came from, during the march a couple of soldiers who had stayed on top of the dam would jokingly brag about their bravery, and point and laugh at the ones who had jumped off the dam, a sergeant quickly reminded them that work had not finished for today and that they should keep quiet, but the snickering and giggling was audible even from where I marched. As we reached the end of the dam we quickly realised that we now had to wait for new orders and dig in. In order to assist us in this we decided to occupy the fortifications next to the banks of the dammed up river. The company itself was further away in a small village, and we were sent out in small patrols to keep a lookout from the bunker. Even if we only had to stand outside for half an hour at a time it was a cold affair to stand next to the banks of the river alone. The week i spent next to the river was, however, relatively peaceful. At night I would have plenty of time to speculate on the world I seemed to be an infinitesimally small part of. Especially during the night when the moon would cast a dim light on the frozen river, and scattered clouds would wander across the sky, my thoughts would search for something for some comfort. I thought of my parents at home and if the clouds that were passing over me had gone over their house as well, I had in other words been hit with homesickness. How long would I have to be in danger? How long would the war even last? How many years of my youth would I have to waste at this front? And would I ever be able to return home again. I was so young and full of thoughts and dream regarding my life. I was looking forward to have a real life, one where I could look back and say to myself "I did that". Soldiery is after all an intrinsically parasitical occupation, it requires food, water, bullets, weapons and clothing, but it produces none of these things. The normal life seemed far away, unreal, when I stood near the banks of the river. But the thoughts of back home made me feel like I was not too far away from it.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

The winter was not only creating issues for our company, but the entire army at this point. Only a hundred kilometers away from the foreign capital our supply lines had become long, and the loss of men and materials had become more and more severe. At the same time the foreigners had become more willing to close the distance, and were causing nothing but pain along the entire front.