October 17, 915, St. Ye Katerina Fortress, the Capital of Ante, 1100 hours.


    While Wang Zhong was preparing tounch a major air raid on the Prosen Sixth Army Group’s supply system, Ludm was packing her belongings.


    The butler Mikhail tried to persuade her, "Madam, you gave birth to a child less than three months ago. You should rest and recuperate. Winter ising soon, and it might be as cold asst year, which would not be good for you!"


    Ludm stopped and looked at Mikhail, "Do you know he has already had two close calls with death?"


    Mikhail said, "Didn’t the General have even more close encounters with deathst year?"


    "Last year I was by his side, do you understand?" Ludm’s voice was very serious, "If the Grim Reaper wants to take him, I hope I am there to watch it happen. I want to personally bring his body back."


    Mikhail said, "Madam, I can understand how you feel, but..."


    "Imand you not to stop me." Ludm was about to bow her head and continue packing when she found that Nelly had already taken over the job, skillfully folding the clothes and stuffing them into the suitcase.


    After closing the suitcase and locking it with abination lock, Nelly raised her head, "The luggage is all packed."Ludm looked at Mikhail again, "Nelly needs to return to his side too. Unlike me, she takes care of all his daily needs. If he is not in a good state and makes an error inmand, Mikhail, you would be a sinner of Ante!"


    Mikhail appeared helpless, "I don’t think the Duke would make a wrong decision just because he wasn’t taken care of."


    Ludm said, "Can you guarantee there definitely won’t be any mistakes? Instead of trying to convince me here, consider how to take good care of my son."


    Mikhail said, "You don’t need to worry about that, our nanny has already brought up many young masters."


    "That reassures me. Nelly, do you hear the sound of a car?"


    Nelly nodded, "I hear it. It must be the vehicle from the reserve Front Armying to pick us up."


    Mikhail seemed ready to make onest effort, "I heard that the First Mobile Group Army is mobilizing. If you go with them, not only will you have someone to look out for you on the way, but it will also boost the morale of the soldiers."


    "Mikhail," Ludm smiled faintly, "I am also a soldier. When I informed the Church that I wanted to go to the front line, my transfer orders came. Are you suggesting I lead by viting orders?"


    Mikhail shook his head and finally gave up, "No, that’s not what I meant."


    Just then, the sound of a car braking came from outside, followed by the honking of a horn, causing the cat in the room to stand up abruptly and prick up its ears, alert to its surroundings.


    Mikhail said, "Let me carry your luggage for you."


    "Thank you." Ludm smiled, then put on a boat-shaped hat, draped on the Church-issued cloak, and walked outside.


    Nelly also put on her own boat-shaped hat, carrying arge leather suitcase, and followed behind Ludm.


    Mikhail picked up a bag from the ground and followedst.


    He was thest to leave the room, closing the door behind him.


    The wind blew through the forgotten open window, sweeping over the now-empty dressing table and the baby’s crib, which was devoid of its upant (the baby had been left in the care of the nanny). ??a?????Ё?


    In the room, only the baby’s mobile continued to gently spin, making a creaking sound.


    To get to the military train departure station, one had to pass through the square in front of the Yeburg train station. Before the war, this was one of the busiest squares in Yeburg. Now it was even more crowded.


    The vehicle carrying Ludm had to slow down and weave through the crowd. Ludm took the opportunity to look out the window, observing the people saying their farewells.


    "Look at those girls crying so sadly," she said softly, "even though the boys are only going to the new recruit training camp."


    The trains departing from the civilian station were filled with these new recruits, so although the young men wore uniforms, they had no rank, not even that of a private.


    But that didn’t stop the girls from crying their hearts out.


    Ludm suddenly saw a pair where the roles were reversed; a girl in a military uniform, already with a rank, with a Red Cross for field nurses on her sleeve,forting a young man a head shorter than her, who was crying bitterly.


    The nurse held the young man’s cheeks in her hands, wiped away his tears with her thumbs, and gently said something to him.


    Ludm kept her gaze fixed on this pair.


    Then, someone in the square started singing. It wasn’t the often-sung "Song of the Youth Corps Members" but an old song from the civil war era, a song countless idealistic young people sang as they rushed toward tumultuous destinations.


    The Jeep passed through the square and onto the highway beside it. The highway was full of trucks; the Jeep could only drive through the gaps between the trucks and the shoulder of the road, overtaking one after another.


    All the military vehicles were full of serious-faced Ante warriors, all bearing the medals of theirbat injuries, these old soldiers returning to duty after recovery.


    Everyone had solemn expressions, and the few who were more rxed leaned against the railings of the trucks, looking up at the sky and smoking.


    Some noticed Ludm and whispered to theirpanions, "Look, isn’t that General Rocossov’s wife? She’s going to the front line just after giving birth?"


    Ludm just offered the soldiers a faint smile.


    Finally, the Jeep entered a cargo station converted into a military transit station, passed through the guard post, and drove onto a wide overpass, overlooking the bustling station below.


    Under the overpass, the tforms were lined side by side, some loading tanks, others transporting ammunition and supplies.


    The tform on the far left was clearly designated for personnel, packed with fresh recruits who had justpleted their basic training and old soldiers returning to duty after recovery.


    The Jeep drove off the overpass and stopped in front of arge group of nurses.


    The major who was driving said to Ludm, "ording to your request, we did not arrange a special carriage, you will be going to the front line with these nurses."


    As the major finished speaking, the nurses who had already noticed Ludm collectively asked, "Are you General Rocossov’s wife?"


    Ludm got out of the vehicle and nodded to the nurses, "I am, Captain Prayer Hand Ludm Vasilyevna Rokossova. I am pleased to share the journey with you."


    The girls screamed with excitement, then a nanny with a scarred face shouted, "Stop making noise! Act with dignity! Shouting like that on the battlefield will attract artillery fire!"


    The girls all quieted down, looking timidly at Nanny.


    Nanny approached Ludm, "Captain, please refrain from causing the girls to scream, okay?"


    "Okay, I’ll try my best," Ludm said.


    After giving the girls another stern look, Nanny turned to attend to her own matters, resulting in Ludm being promptly surrounded by the girls.


    "Is it true that you and the General fell in love on the battlefield?" asked a girl full of freckles.


    "Uh, the General and I are childhood friends; we’ve known each other for a long time. If nothing had happened, we would be engaged by now. But back then, he wasn’t as remarkable as he is now..."


    Ludm had intended to give a detailed ount of her rtionship with Rocossov, but the girls got excited and started chattering:


    "It seems this version is the real one!"


    "Miss Ludm must have also caught the attention of the former Crown Prince!"


    "The General and the Crown Prince have beenpeting for the Miss all along!"


    Ludm: "Uh, this..."


    She raised one hand, attempting to interject among the girls who had started discussing on their own, but ultimately she gave up. She just stood aside, watching the young faces.


    ------------


    26 hourster, 110 kilometers from Abawahan.


    Ludm just stood aside, watching the young faces.


    Theyy side by side next to the railway bed, their faces so youthful that it hadn’t even had time to fade.


    The surviving girls huddled together, crying inconsbly.


    Ludm began to perform her clerical duties, reading the eulogy, apanying the brave young souls on theirst journey.


    Not far away, the male soldiers were shouting cadence as they worked hard to push the Stuka-damaged tank cars off the railway.


    Many destroyed carriagesy in deep pits beside the roadbed; obviously, the enemy air raids were too frequent for those repairing the railway to bury them in time.


    Ludm finished thest prayer, making the sign of the Eastern Holy Church on her body.


    She turned around and said to the still crying girls, "Come on, let’s bury them. It’s pitiful to leave them exposed in the wilderness."


    Despite the tear-streaked faces, the girls nodded.


    As they picked up shovels, a shout came from the distance: "They’ve caught a Prosen pilot!"


    Everyone’s anger and hatred were instantly ignited, with many ready to drop their work and rush to see what kind of scoundrel had killed their friends.


    The officers quickly shouted, "Keep working! Continue the work to strike at the Prosens better!"


    "Prioritize the tasks at hand!"


    Unlike the officers who yelled sharply, Ludm gently said to the girls, "Come on, let’s dig."


    At that moment, Nelly returned and said to Ludm, "The train conductor says the line can be cleared by tomorrow morning and our car could be arranged then. He suggests we make a campfire and spend the night here."


    Ludm, surprised, asked, "A campfire? Is that allowed?"


    "Mmm, I heard that the Prosen Air Force never bombs at night. I will make the fire; otherwise, it will be cold at night, and you have just given birth, madam."


    As Nelly turned to be busy, Ludm personally took a shovel and, together with the surviving nurses, began to bury the young faces into the fertile loam of the Valdai Hills Riverbank.


    ------------


    That night, Ludm was suddenly awakened by singing. She sat up, pulled closer her Church cloak, and looked for the source of the song.


    She saw a Corporal by the fire, ying the Blaika, a traditional Ante instrument, while another Sergeant was ying the Bayan (an instrument like an ordion).


    They were performing a sad song:


    "Tanks rumble over the vast fields/soldiers engage in their final battle/they carry the youngmander/a bullet pierces his head.


    "The fierce fire consumes the tank/explosions resound across the ins/the young man longed to live in this world/but he can no longer muster the strength to open his eyes..."


    Ludm stood up, listening to the mournful tune; at that moment, sobs arose, and she turned to see the nurses who had just buried their friends weeping.


    Ludm waited quietly for the song to end.


    Then she intended to sing a song, to alter the mood slightly, after all, she was Rocossov’s wife.


    Unexpectedly, a Major put away pictures of his wife and daughter and started to whistle.@@novelbin@@


    That song. Explore more stories with


    The yers of the Bayan and Blaika exchanged nces and quickly followed the whistle.


    Ludm silently counted the beats, and when the time came, she sang out, "Always on our minds, is a simple wish.


    "May our dear hometown be beautiful, may our mothend stand for ten thousand years.


    "Hear the blizzard roar, see the meteor soar—


    "My heart calls out to me, to the tumultuous faraway."


    ...


    In the gentle melody of the song, the crying gradually ceased, and fighting spirit was reignited in everyone’s heart.