The old general did not want idle chat to spread amongst the soldiers. He suggested it was their imagination running away with them. He admitted that a large wolf attack on this scale was rare, if not unique, but he also believed that in times of hunger even animals could form large packs and search for food. He hoped the wolf attack was a one-off incident and would pass quickly. One of his nagging thoughts, though, was that the Russians could be preparing to attack and he wanted to be ready should that happen. He had to write a report of the day’s events and unfortunately inform the families of the fallen men. The riders could take this information with them when they set out. Major Richmond was also busy working on his summary of the attack and how he had lost two soldiers. Both commanders kept their personal thoughts about the day’s events to themselves, for now.
The hours passed with no sign of movement anywhere. Darkness fell and the Austrians took the night watch. Captain Egger kept the lookouts to a minimum. The men would huddle in the corners of the fort around small fires burning in iron caskets.
The Austrians were more acclimatised to these conditions, but that did not mean they enjoyed them. There were now just ten men patrolling the walls as they went into the graveyard shift.
Private Clegg and Private Brown were fast asleep in their quarters. Cannons had been loaded and rifles cleaned; Von Bloch was pleased with the soldiers’ response to the situation. Every man was told he should be ready for combat in minutes should they hear the call to arms.
Whilst everyone slept the two riders were dispatched to carry news of their plight in the mountains. Von Bloch saw them off and wished them Godspeed for the journey that lay ahead.
General Von Bloch took time to visit the wounded soldiers and then went onto the bodies of the fallen men, pausing to reflect on the day’s events. General Von Bloch took time to go to the bodies of the fallen men, pausing to reflect on the day’s events. It was late and cold, but he was an old soldier who knew the cost of life. He didn’t notice one of the bodies had gone.
Captain Hayward bumped his head as the Bugler let rip with the call to arms. He grabbed his trousers and socks.
His throat was dry. He was sure he had hardly slept at all and now he was hurriedly dressing himself. Gunshots started to ring out and this only served to make the captain stumble about as he quickened his speed.
He attached his sword and revolver; he also grabbed his thick winter overcoat and helmet. Outside his quarters was the staff sergeant waiting to greet him and update him on what was happening.
The staff sergeant was flustered and clearly out of breath.
“We’re under attack, sir. We think they’re in the fort.”
“Their numbers, Sergeant?”
“Hard to tell, sir. The morning has not fully broken yet.”
Captain Hayward finished buttoning his coat and followed the staff sergeant out of the barracks where he was handed a rifle and an ammunition belt. He took a second and fixed his bayonet.
The scene outside was frantic. Soldiers were moving to the battlements and even civilians were taking pitchforks and weapons in a bid to help.
Major Richmond was taking command of one side of the fort. Von Bloch was taking the other. Captain Hayward sprang up the stone steps to witness the attack for himself.
His eyes fell upon a mass of grey coats flowing from side to side. It was early morning and the sun was just about to break. Thousands of tiny eyes were everywhere, lit up by the burning torches. The wolves made up a sea of movement as far as the eye could see.
There were some larger wolves than before and they seemed to be barking and snarling to control the other wolves. The larger wolves were being hit by bullets, but this did not seem to have much effect on them.
Major Richmond knelt down, firing. Captain Hayward joined him, crouching down by his side.
“Charles, this is not good. We believe some have climbed over. I’ve sent a small detachment to intercept them. We must keep communication lines open with the Austrians on the other side of the fort.”
Captain Hayward nodded his head and suggested that he and the staff sergeant would help attend to the wolves that had breached the fort.
Privates Brown and Clegg were part of the detachment of four searching for the wolves that had broken in. Both soldiers felt adrenaline pumping through their veins.
Rifle shots were coming from all directions and thunderous bangs and muzzle smoke filled the air. They slowly moved along, passing each wooden outbuilding looking for movement. It was decided the barn and livestock were a good place to check. The two other soldiers with them went cautiously into the barn, each step slow and ponderous. The fire-fight going on around them disorientated their senses and made it hard to pinpoint exactly where each sound was coming from.
The barn was a fair size and hay was stacked on both sides, thus making little corridors everywhere. It was dark and musty, with farm ploughs and other large machinery scattered around.
Grain was piled up against a wall, in what looked like close to being a small hill due to the amount needed through the winter.
They pushed on to where the animals were penned. The cows were grouped together, bellowing out calls. Each man had his bayonet attached in anticipation. In the corner where the goats were penned lay a dead carcass – it had been ripped to pieces. The other goats were missing.
The darkness was occasionally lit up by gunfire making each soldier twitch a little. They were ready to shoot at anything that moved. John caught William’s attention and then pointed to the corner of a haystack. A single wolf was feeding on a dead goat. It was preoccupied with its feast and did not see John raise his Martini-Henry rifle and slowly and quietly load the bullet into the chamber.
The roar of the rifle sent vibrations around the barn. It was a clean shot and the wolf slumped to the side of a hay bale before falling in an uncoordinated way. John smiled at William; he was happy with his shot. It wasn’t just the distance, but more the lack of clear light that impressed him.
The other two soldiers came over to Privates Brown and Clegg. They patted John on the back but all of them kept quiet as they suspected this was not the only wolf in the barn. They split up into two groups.
Captain Hayward and the staff sergeant entered the barn after hearing the gunshot. The fighting on the outside had died down and there were no more reports of breaches to the fort defences.
The captain drew out his Adams revolver and put his rifle over his shoulder. He was an army Engineer, but he had a good hand on him and would practise shooting with the revolver whenever he could.
The staff sergeant followed behind him with his bayonet attached.
One of the two soldiers had found an alley created by supply boxes. They had been stacked in a way which created a tunnel. He knelt down, wondering if he should look inside. His companion was not too sure; it was dark and dusty. The soldiers could see their breath as they waited on a decision. They hurriedly scanned the area with their eyes to see if Private Clegg or Brown were in close proximity, but unfortunately they were alone.
With that, the first soldier bent down and started to crawl inside the tunnel. The darkness made it hard to see the sides. Halfway in, something felt wet under his hands. It felt as if the ground was moving. Something wriggled. He looked down to see a half-eaten goat. It was still alive and moving around and there was sheer panic in the animal’s eyes.
It now felt like a bad idea to be enclosed in a small space. As he turned he caught something moving in the alley off the tunnel. He could not raise his rifle in time as the thing turned and moved towards him, its teeth gleaming as they came at him. This was not a normal-sized creature; it was bigger than a lion and when it got close it was able to bite at his body, almost breaking him in half.
He had tried to move, but the beast was fast and direct. It pushed him into the boxes, causing him to scream out as the teeth pierced his body. The other soldier started to enter the alleyway and was unsighted when he felt a sharp pain in his calf
muscles. He turned in horror to see three wolves clamping down on him. “Help me!” he screamed.
Private Brown took aim, and the roar from the Martini-Henry rifle filled the area. One of the wolves was blown into the hay bales. Its nearest companion looked up, snarled and then made a beeline for Private Brown.
He fumbled for a second as he attempted to load his rifle under pressure. It was time for the basic training to take over.
Just as the wolf was upon Private Brown, Private Clegg stuck out his bayonet and skewed the charging animal. It thrashed around and tried to nip and bite the rifle. He quickly withdrew the blade and then lunged forward again with it. He almost enjoyed exacting revenge for the men who had already perished in this animal’s attack.
He finished it off with the butt of his rifle then, helping John to his feet, they made their way to the other soldier, who was being bitten and pulled around.
Captain Haywood and the staff sergeant had arrived at the chaotic scene and promptly opened fire on the attacking wolves. It needed a steady hand and mind to ensure the wounded soldier was not shot instead.
They came over to the man and checked over his injuries. The staff sergeant ordered Privates Clegg and Brown to take the man to the infirmary.
The captain then looked down the tunnel to see if anyone was moving. The gunfire had ceased outside.
The air in the barn had turned from a musty animal smell to a gunpowder-like aroma. The captain looked around and thought about getting reinforcements. With that, he loaded his Adams revolver and whispered to the staff sergeant that it would be best if they sought help. They had been warned there was something lurking in the alley and that four dead wolves were now laid scattered in the barn.
The two men slowly got up and moved backwards away from the bales and animal pens. They would have turned around fully if it wasn’t for the throaty, hissing snort that caught their ears. There on top of the bales was a huge wolf looking down on them. It had at its feet a half-dismembered body.
It looked each man up and down and then leapt forward. Captain Haywood fired the Adams revolver directly at the large wolf but to no avail; the bullets pierced the fur but had no effect on the animal. It was quickly on top of the captain, forcing him to fall backwards under its powerful body weight. It lowered its nose to his forehead before opening its mouth to reveal sharp, pointed teeth.
As it went to strike, the staff sergeant who had been knocked back in the initial attack took aim with his rifle and hit the wolf directly in the head. Its eyes rolled for a second and then it began to fall. The animal’s paws slipped onto his shoulders and its body slumped directly on top of the captain.
The weight was crushing and he was grateful for help as it was slowly pulled off him.
“Captain, what is this?”
“I don’t know. The bullets had no effect – it was only the head shot that killed it.”
Both of them took a short moment to examine the animal. Its size was surely not normal even if it did turn out to be an alpha male.
The captain asked for the animal to be covered and for the staff sergeant to get several more soldiers to check through the barn and make sure there were no more hidden wolves.
He wished to go to the other officers and report this but was anxious to find out what was happening outside the fort. He knew the guns had fallen silent and wanted to be kept informed of the situation.
The soldiers were scanning the landscape for movement. Their spirits had been lifted by the number of dead animals lying around and they now felt that, due to the fort’s firepower, the situation would return to normal control.
Captain Hayward joined Major Harry Richmond on the battlements. He debriefed him on the situation about the wolves that had broken in. The message had also been sent to the Austrian side of the fort. It was important to keep communication alive at all times.
A detachment of twelve men searched the rest of the barn but no more wolves were reported. As rapidly as the wolves had attacked they had disappeared into the forests again. General Von Bloch joined the officers on the British side. He was stroking his moustache and sighing, offering his sympathy for the fallen British soldiers, his face blank with concern and puzzlement.
They all agreed that this was a freak occurrence and the predators would have learnt that this meal would come at too a high price. This huge pack would move off into the mountains in search for other food. No one wanted to think past this being the end of it all.
Chapter 2
Three weeks passed. Patrols of fifty men were sent out at a time, but the area was clear. The dead carcasses had been burnt and the fallen soldiers were being kept in the barn. Each soldier was being temporarily stored in a box filled with ice; it was still cold enough for them not to decompose. When the weather improved they would be given a military burial.
No news had arrived from the nearby garrison and the civilians in the fort were anxious to know of their loved ones.
General Von Bloch had faced up to the fact it may be time to think about leaving the fort as soon as the good weather arrived. It was coming up to mid-March and if they were lucky it might only be a few weeks before they could set off.
The order was given for the evacuation. Every able man, woman and child would take with them enough food and water to make the trip to the nearest town. Von Bloch was wary because if war broke out, they could be cut off from the main Austrian army.
The Royal Engineers helped with all the preparations. They were good at logistics and made use of their skills in packing food and materials needed. Some livestock would be set free to the wild as they could not herd every animal with them down through the mountains.
Private Brown had used his spare time to speak to Heidi and they had even agreed to go a on a picnic together once the drama had died down. They had looked into each other’s eyes on occasion and John was sure he was falling for her. He hoped she had the same feelings he had.
As the snow melted away the dead soldiers were given a full military burial outside the fort. It was still hard digging in the ground as the cold had made it rock solid, but the comrades of these men knew no difference and would have wanted the same for themselves if they had perished in the mountains as well.
Captain Hayward and the staff sergeant listened to the short address by the major and the general. They both focused on the hard work the men had put in, and their services to their countries and the Army Engineers. A sombre mood descended over the barracks and fort.
Whilst the focus was on survival, no one had much time to dwell on anything else. The general decided in the evening that a party would be held in memory of the fallen men. It was the best they could do to raise spirits before the march down through the mountains.
Letters to the soldiers’ families, both Austrian and British, would travel down with the convoy from the fort as no more messengers’ lives would be risked.
As night began to fall the head cook slaughtered some pigs and began a feast of roast pork and vegetables. Ale was brought in from the cellars and the soldiers were allowed to enjoy themselves.
The party had gone on into the early morning. The few soldiers who remained on guard were promised extra leave to compensate them for missing the festivities.
It was another three weeks until the snow had totally gone. The old general had wanted to give everything enough time to ensure the safety of everyone in his command, including his foreign guests.
Heidi and Private Brown took the opportunity to go to a secluded spot which Heidi had spoken about. They had a large picnic with them. The weather was mild for April, and only the wind carried a slight chill to it.
The odd bud had started to peak through, but mostly it was still a clear landscape. The forests were vast and covered a lot of the terrain. The spot they chose for their rug overlooked the valley. They had not travelled too far from the fort, but far enough to feel detached from it.
Sitting in the spring sun, they felt relaxed and a little giddy from the excit
ement. It was nice to be away from the hustle and bustle of the fort. They had some bread and cheese with some fruit from the barrack stores. John had saved some money and had acquired some wine.
They ate their feast and gazed into each other’s eyes. It wasn’t long before they were kissing and making love on the rug. John had not intended for it to go this fast, but recent events allowed them to release tensions in each other. Time passed with ease and as the day moved on they fell asleep in each other’s arms.
A sharp horn sound brought the tranquillity to an abrupt end. It filled the forests and valleys and the mountains came alive with the piercing noise. John awoke semi-naked next to Heidi, grabbed his tunic and stood up. It wasn’t the usual bugle call to arms, so he looked around for where the sound could be coming from.
Heidi started to quickly dress herself. John stroked the back of her hair and she looked up and smiled at him.
The next noise to fill the spring air was howling. It was so loud it almost made the ground shake. Heidi’s eyes searched for contact with John’s. He ran over to a ridge which overlooked a deep valley. Heidi could feel his fear before she joined him and stood by his side.
The valley was moving. It was like watching an army of ants swarming. Unfortunately these were no ants; this was an army of wolves. John grabbed Heidi’s arm and started to run and she was pulled along with his motion. He didn’t stop to pick up the rug or other the items they had with them.
His heart was thumping and mind racing about what was going to happen. Heidi had no shoes on and was having to sprint barefooted. She looked over her shoulder and let out a yelp as her ankle gave way underneath her. It brought both of them to the ground. John looked around. The howling had stopped and the ground was shaking. He put his left hand under her buttocks and his right under her arms. “Sorry, Heidi, I need to pick you up.” As he turned he saw a terrifying sight: wolves were streaming from everywhere. The forests were bursting with them.
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