{"sf1_id":241641,"sf2_id":"P1Eogg5m","title":"THE FRONT: PART 10","author":"Pellicius","words":442,"posted_at":"2011-04-17T22:43:00.000Z","tags":["Rain","Trenches","world war one"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/241641-the-front-part-10","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/P1Eogg5m","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/55/c8/55c8fbb7-e84b-4314-acdf-fa83dfdddb7c","description":"","content":"\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; The rain continued, pouring down in a seemingly endless shower. \u0026nbsp;It was cold and even Scott's thick fur wasnt doing much to help keep him warm. \u0026nbsp;He was worried, he didn't want Wynter to die, if he did then he would become a sergeant, and Scott dreaded that form of responsibility. \u0026nbsp;He would probably just get everyone, himself included, killed. \u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \"Sir, Sergeant Wynter is requesting your presence.\" \u0026nbsp;Scott nodded, it was Private Baker, a squirrel who had been in the army since the beginning of the war, yet had mysteriously never risen past the rank of private. \u0026nbsp;Scott nodded and walked up the trench to where he knew Wynter's dugout was. \u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; Wynter was sitting on the steps of a parapet, shivering slightly in the rain and looking miserable. \u0026nbsp;However, he sat up when he saw Scott approaching and banished the discomfort and misery from his expression. \u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \"Good for you to arrive corporal.\" \u0026nbsp;Scott nodded and shifted, unsure of what Wynter wanted from him. \u0026nbsp;There was a silence for a second, then Wynter unpinned his brass Sergeant's stripes from his right shoulder and held them out to Scott.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \"Sir?\" \u0026nbsp;Asked Scott, startled, why was Wynter handing over command, was he already that sure of his own death? \u0026nbsp;Wynter looked unperturbed, and when Scott made no move to take them, he merely pinned them onto Scott's left shoulder.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; Scott didn't move, Wynter outranked him and refusing his offer could count as disobeying an order, something that could end an officer's career instantly. \u0026nbsp;Wynter clapped Scott on the shoulder and stood up, a little sadness showing on his face.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \"It's inevitable, Corporal, nobody survives very long in the trenches.\" \u0026nbsp;Scott didn't know what to say, Wynter had completely accepted that the raid was going to kill him. \u0026nbsp;Scott looked down at his shoulder and looked at Wynter's Sergeant's stripes and felt a little pang of sadness. \u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; For a moment Scott was tempted to chase after Wynter, but then he remembered the promise that he had made himself in the hospital and steeled himself. \u0026nbsp;Then he carefully unpinned his Corporal's stripes and moved the Sergeant's stripes to his right shoulder. \u0026nbsp;Wynter was down the trench, talking to the three anthros he would be taking with him on the raid. \u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; Scott sighed and wondered if he could lead a squad. \u0026nbsp;Looking over the twelve anthros that he would be commanding if Wynter died. \u0026nbsp;He felt a twinge of doubt in his stomach and trudged back up the trench.\n\nTO BE CONTINUED IN PART ELEVEN...\n\n  \n  \n\n","previous":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/241109-the-front-part-9.json","next":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/241954-the-front-part-11.json"}