I awoke from my slumber in a groggy depression. The sweet callings of sleep did not rest my soul, only made it more agitated. No rest was found while sleeping; Only thing I found was more questions. I sat up from my cot shivering. The fire had died out.
Our tent was vacant, no one was there. I slowly got changed into my field uniform, trying to warm up. Packed on the layers of dirt and blood stained wool. Put on my cap and walked outside. The camp was not as active as I remembered it, but not as dead as I saw it yesterday. There were still people rushing around, carrying crates and other such things.
The batteries far away continued their constant barrage. The battle was far from over, but my battle was. My job was complete, we had taken the trench, even if we did not get the second line, that would now be someone else's problem. It was the reserve's job to hold the trench that we fought tooth and nail for. It was up to them if our work would be in vain.
The reason the camp looked so empty was because it was. Almost all reserves were in the trenches, manning our trenches and trying to hold the trench we captured, and probing the second trench line. Everyone else was either dead or wounded. There was a skeleton garrison force in camp, but mostly just logistics and supply officers and such. I waddled my way over to the canteen.
Wrapping my own arms around my body trying to retain some body heat. My shoulders up and tight for the same purpose. I had realized how cold it was as the adrenaline had worn off. No thrill of the battle to keep myself warm. Once I walked the forty or so meters to the canteen I could see the remaining members of our squad.
Hunched over a table eating their hot slop. I quickly went to the worker and got my very own plate of slop. After I got my plate I moved over to them. I sat down and hunched over with them. They all spared a glance, a nod from Felix, but no words. No words were needed.
We sat there for some time, eating our hot stew of old meat and vegetables, yet that stew was the best thing I had ever eaten. The warm liquid seemed to spread warmth throughout my body. Every mouthful I would savor and let it continue to warm my body. We finished our bowls dry, some finishing before but they simply waited for the rest and got some water to drink.
We were battle fatigued, we needed rest, yet little rest comes in with being in the army. A young cook came up to us after we finished eating, while we were sitting around just resting. "You guys part of the attack?" He asks as he comes around with some water to give us.
I nod along with the rest of the guys. "How was it? Heard it was hell out there." He says as he inquisitively looks at me, the closest person to the edge of the table where he was. "You heard just about right" I say with a solemn smile. "Looks like it, at least you all can take solace in the fact you're all famous now". "What" Adrian speaks up looking at the young cook.
The cook looks at us puzzled. "Uh… well the first got completely repelled, the ninth were the only ones to actually capture the trench" Felix looked at the rest of us with a small grin growing on his face "that would mean that the ninth alone was first unit who successfully attacked a trench on the front" I looked back at him, turning my attention from the boy. "We made history" I say as I cheers Felix with my water glass.
There was no excitement in my voice. I thought it cool , yes but not so cool to get worked up about. I had more worries and celebrating the victory was not one of them, hell the victory was far from over, until we stabilized the trench we captured, and captured the next two trench lines..
But it was a monumental shift in the state of the war. In the first year, it was all stalemates, after the initial mobile war ended. No major attack worked on either side, hence an attack almost nine months after the war started was the first successful major trench assault.
The generals had still been trying to figure out what worked and what didn't. Though in reality, nothing would be learnt from this victory. One of the main reasons we even won was due to the poor visibility, hiding the majority of our movements. But that did not mean that the attack was not a great one. Any successful attack is a great one, no matter the cost, and the cost was high.
After that day we went back to our everyday activities, as if nothing had happened. I do not know what I expected to happen; maybe the emperor ending the war, saying that's all folks, we had a good war, but Luca successfully took one of your trenches, so we can all go home now. I wish he had said that.
Even if the ninth got famous back home from the attack, we never got any of the praise on the line. We were just as useful cannon fodder as the seventy-eighth auxiliary, it didn't matter if our name had a little recognition back home. We got back to the grog of everyday activities. First we had to repair and clean our shredded uniforms.
Cold stream water and a personal sewing kit would do the trick. I had never sewn before, leaving that to my mother back home, yet I learned on the line, as everyone had to do if they wanted to survive. We did get a little rest, a couple of days to recover, but after those days we were put back to work.
Doing PT drills, company stretches, runs, workouts. When we were not doing that we were helping around the camp, whatever task we were assigned. Cleaning drums, helping out around the camp, setting tents, anything the officers could do to keep us busy, and before long, we were back in the line, our little vacation only lasting a week.