The Soldier of Stars [1] - Band of Brothers

27 | the assembly area

" Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it."

- Helen Keller

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The walk continued for a while, into the early hours of morning as the sun slowly rose into the sky. Hazel watched as the sky turned from dark black and blues to oranges, yellows and reds, making the clouds appear and a dark blue turn light, the stars slowly twinkling away. Birds fluttered every so often, crickets continued to chirp next to lakes and swamps and within trees, and the air slowly became warmer. They were quiet moving across the land as Hazel's thoughts wandered. Here they were early on the morning of June 6th, the sun slowly making an appearance on the horizon and the sky like a painting from God saying that they've survived another day. 

Hazel stopped, the hot, sticky air of the early morning hitting her, as she glanced towards the slowly rising sun which painted a golden hue across the entirety of Normandy, and the green trees and bushes and marshes. Hazel slowly held up a hand against the sun, watching as the light moved across it, darkening her hand, like it were a shadow. Hazel then moved her hand to the side and looked towards the yellow sun. She moved her hand back, and the light pushed bright around her hand. She smiled. Hazel dropped her hand in wonder, eyes curious and gentle as she bit her lip. 

Her weary mind went to Catherine and Lizzie first, her worry for both of the strong women, overwhelming. Hazel turned away from the sun and glanced towards the group of men she'd managed to meet up with slowly moving past her. Hazel sighed to herself and turned moving again beside Joe Toye.

" You ok, kid?" Joe asked her as she glanced up at him from under the brim of her helmet. He reached forward to push it up from her eyes and she smiled softly.

" I hope everyone's ok." Hazel said with a nod. Joe watched her and a soft smile spread on his face. 

Joe Toye had always loved the tiny sniper, just like many of the other guys because, for him at least, she brought a level of war that he felt no one else could bring. And that was the emotional human aspect. She kept the feeling alive in a way, so that no one would fall into a dark, deep hole, shut off from everyone. She kept the emotional aspect, which war tended to push away, alive. And she cared about everyone, no matter who they were; many men wished they could be the same way.

" Me too," Joe said, " but it's Toccoa guys and 2 Viragos. I'd say they're in good hands." Hazel smiled wide and nodded. They definitely would be in good hands.

" How was your jump?" Joe asked her, as they moved through the slushy marsh, which seemingly, the Germans had flooded, anticipating some sort of invasion.

" Ok," Hazel said, " after I landed, I was on the run for a bit before I found anyone else."

" Yeah, that was me before I found Malark wandering around." Joe said, " Could hear him a mile away." Hazel snickered and glanced back towards the red-head who walked beside Popeye, the two talking quietly together.