Lily of the valley [sufin]

Chapter 2

I woke up to the feeling of my body being flipped to the cold floor. For a few seconds, I wasn't even aware of my existence, until an awful pain hit me. It felt like someone had just hit me. In my head. With a hammer. For a one, dreadful moment I was worried my skull had cracked in half. I lifted my hands to my head, trying to ease the pain. It did not really work. I opened my eyes. Terrible mistake. The light of the oil lamps and candles strike a punch at my face. I grunted and closed my eyes in pain, lifting my hands over my eyes. I'm never going to drink again.

"Herätys pojat! A shouting voice said, giving another painful wave trough my head. I gritted my teeth, swearing quietly. Alongside the loud command could be heard irritated mumbling from other men in the small room. Blinking my eyes rapidly I took a moment to internalize the state of myself and the surroundings. I was on the floor along with my mattress and "blanket" which was my mantel, next to my hard so called bed. My head was pounding, muscles sore and felt like my bones would crack open. Still weird but true; I haven't slept this well since the war began. Perhaps because of the alcohol, without it my mind would have yet again made up broken nightmares. Pictures of people falling in the cold, Lapland snow. The red warm blood soon turning cold, as it painted the snowy ground. Cold, lifeless faces looking up at the sky reaching for Heaven. Men praying and clutching at their crosses hanging from their necks. Pained faces holding for their dear life, gasping for air, their lungs failing them. My once pleasant dreams were now filled with blood and agony, song of the machine guns, aimed and ready to fire at the enemies running.

I stood up from the ground and in front of me was my second lieutenant, "Miksu", Mikael Lehtinen. The leader of our platoon. He was very reticent, hardly talked. He was blank most of the time, if a laugh escaped from him, it was most likely alcohol's fault. He didn't like to boss around, and with giving commands he wasn't so good. Even if he didn't like some of his men, the disapproval was kept well in his mind. Despite his eminence, he treated his men as if he was a regular private or corporal himself. With that he created team spirit in our platoon. I guess that's one of the reasons why we all get along so well, although our platoon was mixed with old Reds and Whites. This was the first time after the Finnish Civil War, when Reds and Whites had the same enemy and were fighting against it together. First time after years of broken Finland and its people fighting and hating each other. I think, if this war ends someday it would bring some good changes too. Fellowship among the Finns. Leaving the old hate against each other in the past and becoming one. Reminding that we are the same and we are in this together, that we have to pull the same rope.

I saluted him, but he just waved his hand, gesturing me to stop with the formalities, and almost cracking a smile. "Don't do that, you know me." He said with his usual rather monotonous voice.

I know he didn't fancy the formalities, but it just always came out naturally. "I can't help it, sir." I said, ignoring the aching pain in my head and grabbing my mantel.

"The order came from the upper hand. Company will leave the base, for the SFK has sent men to fill the troops. The battalion will move. So the first thing what I'm saying, is to pack up only all the necessary things. Not so necessary supplies we will leave here. Clothes, cutlery, snow suits etc. And of course the weapons we take with us. Second thing: mental preparation. Long trip of skiing coming up at almost 40 degrees cold. Third thing: The company leaves within an hour. Pankaahan töpinäks sitten." Lehtinen said with a tired voice, looking around men putting their belts on and packing up. Then left the room to pack his own things.

I groaned internally. I assumed I would be able to get some rest after the long scouting mission. But then again you should never assume anything at war. You will only be disappointed. It's just that for a while we've been in a trench warfare kind of situation for few weeks. The front lines have remained in place almost all the time. We responded the gun fire with gun fire. And we did these scouting missions. We had too few men here. Too few weapons and other supplies. Only one battalion against a whole Soviet division. Some of the battalions in the Lapland region were transferred to the south, where the need was real. As if we wouldn't need men here.