One Sunny Day in France [Lisa]

[Dieter "Iceman" Rentz]

Country: Occupied France, early August 1943
Area/Setting: A dirt road snaking between the fields and forests of the French countryside. There are no big towns nearby, only smaller rural villages and a German garrison a good distance away from the local population.
Current Time: 16:30
Weather Conditions: It's a very warm day and only a few harmless white clouds are visible on the sky. A gentle breeze moves the small clouds along slowly and overall the weather is quite enjoyable.


The sun had been warming up the air and the ground for a good week now and only the gentle breeze made the temperature somewhat bearable. The air over the dirt road shimmered slightly, distorting the vision of anyone travelling along the small, narrow road. No rain had been promised for the next few days, either, and the local farmers were quite happy to see their crops ripening in the gentle, warm breeze. Some of the fields in this particular area had a different function this summer, as the Germans had set up their garrison in the countryside and used a few of the open fields for training purposes. It had caused some grumbling among the local populace, but they had little choice but to accept the arrangement for the time being.

Two full platoons had just made their way down the road, heading back to the garrison after a busy day of vigorous training. They had passed through the area a good while ago and the dust had already settled down on the road again. As if late from the others, a grey German military motorcycle sped along the road, stirring up a sizeable cloud of dust as it advanced. Dieter had stayed behind to sort things out for tomorrow and had, admittedly, also tarried behind just out of pure laziness also.

It hadn't been too long ago when he had still been fighting the last desperate battles to maintain the German positions in Africa. The defeat and the narrow escape had left a bitter taste in his mouth. The division had fought furiously with little supplies in a harsh environment and many good soldiers had either lost their lives or ended up being captured by the enemy. Dieter had been lucky enough to escape with both his life and freedom, but for some reason he found little comfort in these facts. The battle had been lost and he had been left wondering if it all had been worth it in the end. On the other hand, his hatred for Hitler had only strengthened and any traces of Nazist thoughts had been effectively erased from his mind.

The 21st Panzer had been re-instated and garrisoned in France and Dieter now found himself in the middle of this beautiful, green countryside instead of the vast desert. It had felt strange at first, but he had quickly learnt to enjoy the easy and peaceful life of just being an occupying force. It wasn't all rest and games, though, he still had his work cut out for him. His days were filled with different duties and with helping the officers with training up new recruits. All of these things still felt quite effortless and enjoyable after all the constant fighting on different fronts and it felt more like a vacation to him.

It was an comfortable way of living and as Dieter had already noticed, far too easy for him. He did not have any important things outside the army and he had already decided that after the war ended, he would continue serving in the Wehrmacht and make a career out of it. It felt strange to even think back to the times when he was reluctant to go to the military school in Dresden. Constricting and strict as life in the military was, it still gave Dieter's life a meaning it had sorely lacked. He was already hoping to get a transfer to somewhere else where he could put himself to some real use. He might have hated Hitler, sure, but he was still adamant to continue fighting for his country.

Despite all of these thoughts, right now he was feeling rather good after an efficient day of training up new recruits. He was also pleased for having this rare moment just for himself, driving in the middle of the peace of the countryside, the sun shining high above his head. He was wearing his green-and-gray uniform along with a field cap. A helmet would have felt far too warm in this weather and he had placed it in the sidecar. A rifle was slinging from his shoulder, but all the heavier personal equipment had been left back at the garrison. The sandy-haired man was singing loudly, although over the roar of the BMW R75's engine he had to resort to shouting. "Wir fürchten nicht Hitze und Wüstensand! Wir trotzen dem Durst und dem Sonnenbrand!" the man bellowed from the top of his lungs, but only because he knew that in the middle of these quiet forests and fields there hardly could have been anyone to hear his horrific singing.

The sights of nearly endless fields changed very suddenly when the road took to the forest. The air seemed much cooler here and Dieter let the speed of the BMW drop. He wanted to just enjoy the cooler air for a while and also to prolong his return back to the garrison. There would be food waiting for him there, of course, but he wasn't feeling very hungry and such a rare occasion for some personal peace and quiet should not definitely be wasted!


Translation:

"Wir fürchten nicht Hitze und Wüstensand! Wir trotzen dem Durst und dem Sonnenbrand!"
"We fear neither heat nor desert sand! We resist the thirst and the blazing sun!"

[lisawieserman1941]

Unaware of a certain French Resistance fighter nearby, once a friend to Dieter who had shot her in the calf three years prior for requisitioning his motorcycle for a simple joy ride, mortified for capping a girl, his main goal that hot lazy day was to mend her wound, learn about the eccentric New Yorker, and give her a reason to go on. The Americans were not in the war yet so they weren't enemies. About the same age and attracted to one another, Lisa found the young soldier's company comforting, as opposed to her usual solitude and estrangement from French people, most likely because she didn't know the language nor cared to learn it, and flirted with the occupying forces.

Her parents had sent her to live with her Uncle in France. While at the time the head strong young woman, always in trouble for running wild with juvenile gangsters, offered her parents no choice as they planned to send her abroad. Lisa demanded to be sent to Essen to be with her grandmother in Germany where she knew the language to a point. Her father suspecting sooner or later the US would follow its allies against Germany, now run by a maniac void of compassion spreading racism, taking countries, and the lot. He had figured Germany would be bombed, so ushered her a plane ticket to France to reside with their relations in the countryside against her will.

Now as America was engaged in the fray, Lisa felt compelled to fight like a soldier of sorts, but not to kill, just to slow the war effort by any means at her disposal; sabotage, espionage, her major duties as of late. She hated hearing of the multitude of slaughters of young men from both sides on the BBC on the radio she had fixed in her Uncle's basement. The thought of all those brave young German men, following the orders of their superiors, as Generals in their well tailored uniforms made war like a game of chess on their precious maps, thinking only of soldiers as pawns in this great test of tactics and strategy against their foes. Losses were expected, as their goals were to win, never passing deliberation to the blinded soldiers who fought to their death for the Fatherland, forfeiting their lives for Herr Hitler who took them out of the depression and made Germany a force to be reckoned with due respect, once again by according the masses with the hope of captivating speeches of a secured Third Reich. Killed Americans made Lisa think of her friends back home who by now were drafted probably facing peril at every given moment.

As the small engine of a motorcycle was audible, Lisa pressed her mount forward, A giant Belgian and standard mix, mostly taking after the mother, a ton of draft horse sired by a smaller but fast racer. This gave the animal the best both could offer, speed and power. The stallion, Guardian, had been her constant companion since her Uncle bought him for her 20th birthday. He was trained only to carry her and take care of his master. They were inseparable. As the bike came into her sights, the butt of the rifle cushioned against her right shoulder as her left hand cradled the rail, the right finger tickling the trigger, while Lisa brought her dominant right eye to rest on her target, the front tire of the BMW.

Following the motion, a moving target at that rate of speed was a chance void of a scope. She had hoped her target practice honed her ability for a sharp shooter. Pulling back on the trigger a shot rang out as it skimmed the left arm of the soldier. Horrified as the impact made him jerk back, Lisa's whole life flashed before her as did a future before a firing squad such an action would warrant.

[Dieter "Iceman" Rentz]

Everything seemed to be going just fine and dandy for Dieter today, at least until up to the point when he heard something that resembled a gunshot over the rumble of the engine. For some reason it took a while for his mind to register the sound and he blinked, staring ahead for what seemed like good ten seconds but probably wasn't even one. Some strange thing, some vicious, nasty little thing, had bit him on his left arm and finally Dieter could put these two simple things together. Someone had taken a shot at him.

The bike came to a sudden stop, the dust billowing over Dieter and leaving both the man and his vehicle hidden for a small while. The man reached for his weapon, his mind not quite registering any pain yet. It was a somewhat common thing for soldiers; you got hurt but you did not think about it too much, not until the situation had cleared up. After the rush of the adrenaline passed, he would no doubt realize that he was actually hurting, but not now.

The man reached for his rifle, everything seemed to happen very slowly. Dieter was still sitting on his bike as he clicked the safety off and steadied the weapon, trying to find the source of the threat, his mind furiously working on the details of where the sound had come from and at what angle the bullet had hit him. Through the dust he could see a horse some distance away, the rider obviously holding a weapon. Dieter took aim quickly, but the horse had already turned around and was now bolting away from the German and his motorcycle.

Cursing silently, the man snapped the safety back on, slinging the rifle back on his shoulder. The motion made a faint jolt of pain shoot through his arm, but he ignored it. He was furious over the fact that someone had decided to take a shot at him, ruining his perfectly good day. He had not heard any rumors concerning partisans in this particular idea, but maybe it had been only a matter of time before they would arrive to annoy the Germans?

Ignoring the warning bells that were going off inside his head, the man turned the bike around and pulled on the throttle, the motor roaring like an insane beast, reflecting Dieter's inner feelings. Trees flashed by at a dizzying speed and all the other sounds besides the sound of the engine and the frantic beating of his own heart had ceased from existing. As he neared the horse and the rider, he could see that this particular mount was almost colossal, yet surprisingly fast to elude the motorcycle for such a good while. Dieter did not have much experience with horses and quite frankly, he found the huge animals dangerous and even slightly unnerving.

But the situation being somewhat out of the norm, he felt safe on his motorcycle and continued catching up to the huge animal and it's rider. He was still feeling ticked off over being shot at and the adrenaline was making his head feel slightly dizzy, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy. The horse continued running on with huge strides, it's massive hoofs hitting the ground in a steady rhythm. Dieter had not really planned on how he would actually stop the rider, he could hardly level up his rifle at the same time as he drove the motorcycle. He contemplated on getting ahead of the rider, stopping the bike and trying to take a shot at the rider very quickly from there.

He did not have time to come to any decision. The rider was suddenly gone and the horse ran for a while on it's own, veering away from the rumbling motorcycle before coming to a slow, lumbering stop. Dieter's mouth was left open for a while before he realized what had happened and he brought the bike to a skidding stop. The man coughed as the cloud of dust caught up to him and in the middle of his adrenaline-high he reached for his rifle again, clicking the safety off and pointing the weapon at the rider. The perpetrator had fallen of his mount some distance away from Dieter and the man took a few running steps, loading the weapon as he kept it leveled at the rider.

"Versuchen Sie nicht sogar, Ihr Gewehr zu ergreifen, oder ich werde Sie im Kopf schießen! Ich habe schwierigere Ziele von Entfernungen länger getroffen als das. Hände hoch oder ich schieße!" the man's voice was sharp with anger and excitement over the chase. He didn't even consider the fact that the rider, most likely being French, might not understand any of his words but pointing a rifle at people had worked well enough before. The German's blue eyes flared with a cold anger, an emotion that was very rare for the usually relaxed and light-hearted young man.


Translation:

"Versuchen Sie nicht sogar, Ihr Gewehr zu ergreifen, oder ich werde Sie im Kopf schießen! Ich habe schwierigere Ziele von Entfernungen länger getroffen als das. Hände hoch oder ich schieße!"
"Don't even try making a move at your rifle, I'll shoot you in the head! I've hit harder targets from distances greater than this. Hands up or I'll shoot!"

[lisawieserman1941]

Forgetting the most common mistake a rider can meet, were stray branches from the trees as she turned her head to see the soldier chasing her. Lisa's mount stood tall, so she hit the obstacle hard as the collision with the timber caught her in the chest knocking the Resistance fighter off of the horse landing back first on the sod. For a few seconds she was out cold, till the orders from the Wehrmacht soldier stole her back to a challenging reality.

Lisa got up in considerable pain, her beret letting loose of its clips as it gravitated to the ground, liberating her long blonde hair betraying her gender. Her vision was blurred, yet she obeyed his command elevating her hands in a typical surrender-like style.

"Sorry I shot you. The bullet was meant for your tire," she managed to blurt out.

"I hope you speak English as my German is rusty," she said in a strained voice.

"I meant you no harm. I only want to stall the German war effort so less killing on both sides can be avoided in my neck of the woods. Couriers bring vital information to their superiors. I always shoot out tires," Lisa admitted with a wink.

"Yeah I am an American as I'm sure you suspect from my New York accent, but half German on my father's side. I am a Wehrmacht sympathizer. So shoot me if you must. I had a feeling it would come to this," Lisa said as she closed her eyes, ready to feel lead penetrate her body.

Brace yourself Lisa, this is gonna hurt, she murmered to herself as her eyes closed preparing herself to be taken out.

Lisa saw too many literally wasted in combat against partisans stemming from bullets and artillery fire. She had dreams where she was in the American army as they drafted women, yet the only women in the army had desk jobs for the most part. Spies did not last long. The women of her homeland took over the mens' jobs as mechanics and factory workers, building planes, parachutes, munitions, and anything pertaining to the war, as factories turned out military weapons instead of toys, clothes, chairs, and the usual commerical comforts.

In her dreams she was shot dead by Waffen SS troops and woke up screaming. Thankfully her Aunt and Uncle always departed early for their store in a cart now pulled by a horse as her Uncle complained to the German officers he painted the 5 mile bicycle ride tired him out and it made for a longer wait. They granted him a strong mare, even building her a barn behind the store so she could rest for the day, be protected from bad weather, and receive plenty of feed for energy on the ride home. He had always complained to his niece to keep her stallion away from his mare. They were kept in separate pens, but to the stallion, nature was calling as he attempted to charge the wire on several occasions. When her Uncle fit it with barbed wire, Guardian knew pain would be the outcome should he try it again.

"May I put my hands down now? My chest hurts like hell." Lisa inquired, kicking her rifle away and lowering her arms, not waiting for an answer from her captor as she cradled her chest expecting a few cracked ribs were making her breathing labored.

"I suppose you will take me to the Gestapo now. Well you might as well shoot me here and put me out of my misery. After they get done with me, or what's left of me, I will be shot anyway for my illegal activites. You may get promoted or earn points for leaves," she rambled on, almost flirting with danger, encouraging him to release the occupants of his rifle.

Her eyesight, still a blur, fixated on the barrel of her enemy's rifle, unafraid as she looked death in the face like a brave soldier.

[Dieter "Iceman" Rentz]

It seemed as if the rider was in something of a daze and didn't quite register the presence of the German soldier right away. Dieter wondered if the rider had lost consciousness and he was about to repeat his order, just to make sure, but then the rider moved awkwardly. The hat that had been covering the rider's head fell down, releasing a mess of long, blonde hair. The rider, whom Dieter could now quite obviously identify as being a female, raised her hands slowly, complying with the German's orders the best she could.

As if the initial surprise hadn't been enough, the young woman spoke and Dieter immediately realized that he could remember hearing that same voice before, albeit a long time ago. The accent, the voice, the blonde hair... all of these things were familiar to Dieter and all he could do was just stand in one place, staring at the girl. The blonde woman was saying how sorry she was for shooting at the German soldier and went into some long explanation that mostly fell on deaf ears. Dieter was too stunned to interrupt the girl, so he just listened and stared, his mind working very slowly, trying to put the pieces together.

Dieter opened and closed his mouth, his blue eyes full of confusion. The young woman kicked her rifle away and braced herself, telling Dieter that he should just shoot her on the spot. The man finally broke out of his stupor and he lowered his aim slowly, looking quite bewildered. "Lisa?" the man asked in an astonished tone. He had spent a good portion of his time in Africa wondering about the girl and if he would ever meet her again. He had daydreamed about how they would see each other again, creating several quite fanciful and a few rather depressing scenarios inside his head to bide the time spent sitting in trenches. None of these scenarios had been anything like this, however.

The man removed his field cap, as if to convince the woman of his identity, or to help her remember. A throbbing pain was starting to make itself known on his left arm and the man glanced at his wound for the first time. Obviously it could have not been very bad, blood was only now starting to show through the ripped canvas of the gray uniform and the wound wasn't bleeding profusely. He had been shot before and he was sure there had been more blood and pain that time, although his memory regarding the incident was very hazy. The man slowly stuffed the field cap under his belt and glanced at Lisa's rifle that was still lying on the ground. The man frowned, as if not understanding why the girl had taken a shot at him.

"Lisa, ich bin's. Dieter, schon wieder vergessen?" the man raised his eyebrows and noticed how his mouth felt very dry suddenly. He realized that he was still pointing a rifle at the girl, so he hastily snapped the safety back on and lowered his aim. "Ich könnte Sie getötet haben!" the man exclaimed, instantly regretting the harsh tone of his voice. He swallowed hard and tried to come up with words that wouldn't sound quite as angry. "Bist du in Ordnung? Verletzten Sie sich? Und ... und ... was tun Sie mit einem Gewehr, nach Deutschen schießend, irgendwie?"

If Dieter had thought about it any further, he most likely would have ended up with a feasible answer for his own question. Either he didn't want to face the truth or just couldn't plain think straight right at this moment, it was hard to say. His thoughts were in too much of a turmoil due to the adrenaline, his wound, the chase and the surprise of meeting Lisa in such an unexpected manner. He didn't even realize that he was still speaking German instead of English, but he could have hardly come up with any English words at the moment. He wanted to move closer, to see if the woman was all right, but for some reason his feet were hopelessly frozen in place.


Translations:

"Lisa, ich bin's. Dieter, schon wieder vergessen?
"Lisa, it's me. Dieter, remember?"

"Ich könnte Sie getötet haben!"
"I could have killed you!"

"Bist du in Ordnung? Verletzten Sie sich? Und ... und ... was tun Sie mit einem Gewehr, nach Deutschen schießend, irgendwie?"
"Are you all right? Did you hurt yourself? And... and... what are you doing with a rifle, shooting at Germans, anyway?"

[lisawieserman1941]

The voice was in German, yet it sounded familiar. Wiping her eyes to clear them from the sting of perspiration and wood flakes, Lisa could see it was her old friend. Her vision traveled to where she shot him, as guilt washed over her for a spell. There she was before a man who had shot her once for stealing his motorcycle, and now he was on the receiving end. The series of questions met with confusion at first till she dug into her memory of the language and caught the translation.

"Dieter?! Is that you?! Es tut mir leid," Lisa apologized while registering her comrade and the good time they shared getting to know one another, however brief.

"Isn't it obvious?" she suggested, peering down to the rifle a few feet away.

"I hinted when the Americans joined the war I would help my fellow countrymen. Shooting out tires slows the war. I don't want anymore killings!" Lisa confessed in a feverish air, contemplating he already knew the answer.

"I missed my mark. I am in great need of a scope for my rifle. The black market has been moving around to give the Germans the slip. I heard the Gestapo almost got them last week. They are in hiding I gather, or captured. Too bad for them if they are. I have not seen anyone who I dealt with before for a month. That is how I got the rifle. My Uncle gave me money and a horse for my 20th birthday. I told him I spent the money at the bar," she exclaimed, void of any hints of a reprisal pertaining to her precious possessions.

"The French Resistance you no doubt have conjured up in your mind I have gotten myself into. I can not tell you if I have joined them. Better you don't know either way. If I was not, I would be considered a traitor to my country, and if I had, I would be doing my duty as an American in occupied France. So what I'm a female. I am capable to fight like any man. It's is up to you to decipher," she said in a flat tone, crossing her arms in a defiant mood.

Leaning up against the tree that knocked her off Guardian, Lisa offered Dieter a glint of a smile, yet idling in her conscious trusting a friend, now an enemy soldier, who had been away for years engulfed in warfare sent a signal of warning. She was wondering if he would make her surrender her rifle. Lisa reflected on ways to deter him from his own duty.

She shrugged off his concern of her health having been a human projectile kissing the ground. By now the Corporal may have considered confiscating her illegal weapon having experienced her spirited trait.

[Dieter "Iceman" Rentz]

It took some time for the young woman to focus her eyes on the German corporal, but soon there was a flash of recognition in her eyes. "Dieter?! Is that you?! Es tut mir leid," Lisa apologized quickly when she realized who the soldier was. The man only gave her a short, confused smile and listened patiently as Lisa started answering some of his questions. The woman explained that she had only meant to hit the tires of the motorcycle and also told him what had happened since they had last seen each other. Dieter had not really believed Lisa's words the last time they had been talking. Back then the girl had said that she would join the fight one way or the other, but Dieter had mostly disregarded her words as promises she would never actually fulfill. Lisa hadn't been quite herself that time anyway and Dieter had just told her to keep safe.

Glancing at the rifle now resting on the dirt road, Dieter could see that Lisa had hardly listened to any of his advice. She said that it was better if Dieter didn't know all the details concerning her dealing with the French resistance and in a way, Dieter had to agree. He worried enough already!

"So what I'm a female. I am capable to fight like any man. It's is up to you to decipher," Lisa ended her explanation with a defiant tone to her voice. Dieter just sighed heavily, what could he really say to that? If this had been only about showing the world that women were just as capable of taking part in the war as men, it would have been easier for Dieter to deal with, but there was more to it. It was about standing by your principles, doing something for a cause you believed in and not just observing things from the sidelines. Dieter could understand Lisa and then again... he really could not.

The aching on his arm had settled into random, dull, pangs of pain. The man shook his head quickly and slung the German rifle on his shoulder carefully. He moved in to pick up Lisa's rifle from the dirt and he inspected the rifle thoughtfully, glancing at Lisa. "Lee Enfield?"

He wasn't really that interested in the weapon, but he turned it slightly around in his hands to give himself more time to think. He was at a loss of what to do. Lisa had shot at him and a civilian just owning a rifle would be considered a criminal. He liked Lisa, he didn't want to take her back to the others and have her arrested by the local Gestapo. A partisan might not have much chance of survival in the hands of those patriotic, violent bastards and Dieter knew it. He didn't even for a moment consider the fact that they were supposed to be enemies now, Lisa and him. All Dieter could see was a dear friend, one he genuinely wanted to protect. "You know, if they saw you with this, they would kill you right away," Dieter said in a strangely flat voice, his English still carrying a strong German accent. His blue eyes locked on Lisa for a moment, as if to consider something.

The German soldier started promptly emptying the Lee Enfield of it's ammo, the cartridges softly clinking to the ground until the chamber was perfectly empty. "I understand you want to do something, but this... it's not a good way, Lisa," the man continued, but this time he sounded more distressed than earlier. "Didn't you get to Germany like you wanted? Does your uncle know you are here?"

The birds had started singing again in the trees and a light breeze made the treetops sway gently. The air in the shelter of the forest was cooler and clearer, but the beauty of the day had been lost to Dieter. His heart was now heavy with worry for the young woman and he already knew that no matter what he said, he wouldn't be able to turn Lisa's head around. She was much too stubborn and hot-headed to listen to any advice, no matter how sound it was. Having been to different fronts for several years now, Dieter was familiar with the feelings of worry and fear over losing a good friend in battle, but this felt far more difficult to handle. Lisa could have been perfectly safe just staying with her uncle and away from the crosshairs of German soldiers but instead she willingly chose to put herself into danger.

The sandy-haired man held on to the Lee Enfield, apparently not wanting to return the rifle to the young woman. "You would be safer without this. They will think you are just a civilian. You will be safe. You have your.. that horse. You can go home. Be safe," the man glanced towards the huge animal, the horse was now peacefully grazing on the blades of grass growing at the side of the dirt road. Dieter wanted to say something else, too, but his thoughts were too complicated to put into words and his grasp of the English language seemed very limited suddenly. "The resistance, they are dangerous people. They will just get you killed and... I'm worried. What if you get hurt? What good will it do?"

[lisawieserman1941]

Lisa's jaw opened wide in shock as Dieter took both her rifle and emptied the bullets she paid good money for. With her temper flaring, she tried to tame it by recalling him as a friend, not the enemy, and the fact he was a Wehrmacht Corporal and not of the fanatic Waffen SS, did help to calm her down. She would not, however, sit back and let him abduct her rifle.

"Dieter-Anschlag es! Das ist mein Gewehr!" she demanded as her brazen demeanor took fold.

"What is the matter with you?! It is war and I am an American in occupied France! I have to protect myself and my horse. Suppose a Waffen SS squad tried to take my stallion or have their way with me? I would rather be dead than have any man take me against my will!" Lisa objected by offering a reason for Dieter to return her weapon hoping that would be a sufficient enough cause.

"Ich bin ein Soldat jetzt und es gibt nichts, mich zu stoppen!" she again protested thinking of herself as not a civilian any more, but a soldier for the USA working undercover.

Lisa's command of the German language poured out like a liberated dam as her words flowed fluently. He was hitting her up with so many questions, yet her mind was absorbing them like a sponge. Her eyes were boring into Dieter's own, like one soldier about to engage the other in combat.

"My grandmother's home in Essen was bombed. She lives with her sister in the Black Forest now. There is no room for me. Anyway, it was better I stayed. You never would of found me had I gone to Germany. My Uncle and I are getting along splendidly now. My Aunt and I never had a problem," Lisa answered him as if she was being interrogated.

"And I am not so easy to kill. The Resistance are patriotic not dangerous. They look out for each other and me. They too want no killings since innocent French people would be slain in retribution if one single German was shot and mortally wounded."

While finally stating the truth, Lisa then bit her lip as she caught herself admitting to working with the Resistance, but let on she didn't care he knew as a passive smile swept over her lips.

"Don't you think I worry about you? If you got off that blasted motorcycle and was in a Tiger tank instead, I would of felt more easy expecting the thick armor of that tank would save you from the enemy. It is very dangerous to be a courier. What would I do if you were killed?" Lisa asserted, showing she did care for Dieter as he did her.


But now was time for action. Taking in a deep breath and pushing off against the tree, Lisa jumped at Dieter, the momentum taking them both down with her on top grabbing for her rifle.

"Release my property!" She angrily yelled as they wrestled for it like two soldiers on opposing sides, one trying to take out the another.

:Translations:

Dieter-Anschlag es! Das ist mein Gewehr!"
"Dieter stop it! That is my rifle!"

"Ich bin ein Soldat jetzt und es gibt nichts, mich zu stoppen!"
"I am a soldier like you now and there is nothing to stop me!"

[Dieter "Iceman" Rentz]

Dieter held on to the rifle tighter and brought it closer to his chest when Lisa demanded to have it back. The girl was, quite understandably, upset over losing this prized possession, but Dieter knew that if the young woman was found with the rifle on her, she could be shot, no questions asked. It might have not been the most courteous thing for Dieter to do, but he was sure that the end justified the means.

"I have to protect myself and my horse. Suppose a Waffen SS squad tried to take my stallion or have their way with me? I would rather be dead than have any man take me against my will!" Lisa exclaimed in a somewhat angry tone and Dieter frowned at her words. He found the mere idea of German soldiers abusing the young blonde girl abhorring and for a moment he was almost ready to agree with her sentiments. But a rifle wouldn't save Lisa in a situation like that, not really. He would have to make Lisa understand how much more dangerous it was to own the rifle than to discard it.

"What are you going to do then? Shoot them all with your rifle? You will be killed before you have a chance to do anything, Lisa!" the man argued, his voice finding a new, harsher emphasis. Even if it pained Dieter to argue with the woman, he would rather have her hating him than to see her dead. Dieter's words did nothing to stop the girl from continuing and the man shifted his weight from foot to another, feeling restless. Here they were standing, after so many years of living in complete haze of not knowing what fate might have fallen upon the other and all they could do was yell at each other.

"The Resistance are patriotic not dangerous. They look out for each other and me..." Lisa remarked and Dieter arched his eyebrows in pure disbelief. So the girl was indeed involved with the resistance, now that was just peachy.
"Lisa! Are you insane? You'll be shot before you have time to do anything useful!" the man exclaimed, feeling distressed over the new information. "That's just all the more reason for me not to give you this rifle back."

"Don't you think I worry about you? If you got off that blasted motorcycle and was in a Tiger tank instead, I would of felt more easy expecting the thick armor of that tank would save you from the enemy. It is very dangerous to be a courier. What would I do if you were killed?" the woman asked now and Dieter sighed, his shoulders slumping. He didn't know how to answer that. Still, he felt a strange jolt of exhilaration shoot through him when he realized that Lisa had, indeed, been worrying about him in the same way he had worried for her. Then again, Lisa had a choice which Dieter did not have and it would have not been really necessary for him to worry over the woman's safety.

"But Lisa, I'm a soldier. Being in danger is what I do, I have no choice. You have. I'll keep the rifle and you'll head back to your uncle. You know it's for the be- eeaaagh!" the sandy-haired man didn't have time to end his sentence, because the lithe young woman had suddenly attacked him in an effort to recover her rifle. The force and suddenness of the attack caused for the German soldier to stumble with his feet and down he went, his body impacting down on the dirt road with a loud thump. Dieter felt a sharp jolt of pain jabbing through his lower back as he dropped on the ground. Luckily the rifle that had been slung on his back, had moved slightly to the side before the impact and Dieter had not landed on top of his own Mauser Karbine.

Lisa was adamant on getting her rifle back and in all his confusion, Dieter just kept holding on to it, his teeth gritted together from pain. Lisa was pulling the rifle the other way and Dieter just worked to maintain his hold, which he soon realized, caused the wound in his arm to bleed more profusely. The only thing he could do was to grip the rifle determinedly, refusing to give it back to the woman. He hardly wanted to hurt the girl, so he kept his stance passive, just making sure that the rifle would not budge from his hands. Dieter soon noticed that Lisa had quite significant strength for a girl and he had to put some serious effort into keeping his hold.

In any other circumstances, Dieter might have found it quite exhilarating being pounced upon by a pretty young female. Right now other less stirring thoughts were first and foremost in his mind. First of all, the pain in his arm had come alive again, making it feel as if his left arm was suddenly in flames. Secondly, he had landed on something uncomfortably hard and sharp and the object was now painfully boring into his lower back with the weight of the girl added on top of it. The man tried to shift his position to make the pain go away, but it was to no avail.

"Lisa, bitte! Mein Arm! Sie töten mich! Es gibt.... einen riesigen Stein... unter... meinem Rücken!" Dieter managed to grunt between gritted teeth, the pain was growing excruciating. He realized that the easiest thing to do was just to let go of the rifle instead of trying to stubbornly keep it from Lisa. The man gingerly let go of the weapon and immediately after he had done so, he reached his healthy hand under his back to fish out the offending rock and throw it away. "Mein Gott!" the man sighed heavily, already visualizing the colourful bruise that would no doubt grace his skin later on. "Are you always this violent?" the man asked in a somewhat amused tone, his breathing uneven after the brief struggle. The previously tidy German corporal now sported tousled and dusty hair and the dirt from the road was clinging both to his uniform and to the sweat on his skin. It seemed almost as if the man had been through some greater battle, when in fact, he had just lost a game of tug o' war to a girl.


Translations:

"Lisa, bitte! Mein Arm! Sie töten mich! Es gibt.... einen riesigen Stein... unter... meinem Rücken!"
"Lisa, please! My arm! You're killing me! There's... a huge rock... under... my back!"

[lisawieserman1941]

Standing up and back from him, Dieter looked more like a friend without his field cap. Lisa's eyes went wide as the reality of what she had done took hold of her which could have ended in a death sentence for her if word got back to command she had attacked a German soldier, not only once with a weapon, but twice as she tangled with the Wehrmacht Corporal.

"What have I done?! I have attacked my friend!" Lisa delivered in a shocked pitch while she reached down to give Dieter a hand getting up.

"Dieter, are you aware I have only weeks ago sabotaged a munitions depot? I was alone in the undertaking. The French Resistance generously gave me the dynamite, wiring, and detonator box to succeed. I was shot at with automatic weapons by so many soldiers I had to get to the woods for cover. My beret has a hole in the top when a bullet hit it. My hair broke loose and flowed as I galloped my mount away from the line of fire. I still have that same beret hidden in the cottage. They know a woman who owns a horse with blonde hair was responsible. They call me the Nacht Fahrer. Luckily I was ten miles from my Uncle's home, so I doubt they will find me. I suspect you know for my own defense I must have my rifle back. I am hunted," she trailed off, her eyes welling up in tears as Lisa admitted her highly illegal shady part in the war.

Lisa then sat down as her head was spinning. She wished it was 1940 again when they just met. America was not at war with her innocence safely secured from the horrors of combat. But she had done her duty, seen comrades shot dead as well as enemy soldiers. The whole killing spree left her heart scorched from the flames of the fray. She was an Amie caught in the crossfire of mens' damnation.

"I have no choice either, Dieter. I must fight for the French Resistance, my country's allies," she said with honor lacing her words. "But I believe the Wehrmacht, for the most part, are good young men like you following orders. Maybe some have fallen under Hitler's spell. I believe in you, Dieter. It keeps me alive."

Translation:

Nacht Fahrer
Night Rider

[Dieter "Iceman" Rentz]

Thankfully, the girl cut the fight short after Dieter gave up the struggle and she looked at her friend, obviously quite surprised and horrified by her own attack. Maybe this resistance-stuff had made her more ready for such aggressions, Dieter couldn't say. He frowned, feeling like had been just run over by a group of Kübelwagens. She extended a hand at Dieter to help the man up and the German hesitated for a moment. He blinked and grabbed the girl's hand eventually, stumbling up to his feet with considerable effort.

The man grasped at his arm, his sky-blue eyes squinted with slight pain and discomfort. He was feeling light-headed and curiously unreal, so many things were happening at once and he had a hard time just trying to concentrate on one of them. As if things had not been messy enough, Lisa suddenly went into a long explanation of just what she had been up to lately. This involved being supplied with dynamite, blowing up a munitions depot and getting shot at with automatic weapons. Dieter listened to her explanation, his mouth agape. They had even come up with a code name for Lisa, calling her the Night Rider.

It was just too much for Dieter to hear and he only managed to stand frozen his place, looking quite half-witted and untidy with his dusty clothes, messy hair and bleeding arm. As Lisa ended her explanation, there were tears in her eyes and Dieter couldn't quite understand why. Was she scared? If she was scared, why would she get involved with all these things in the first place? As if telling all this had taken it's toll on the girl, Lisa sat down. "I have no choice either, Dieter. I must fight for the French Resistance, my country's allies."

Dieter's shoulders slumped and he sighed. He couldn't ever understand Lisa's decision, yet he could do nothing to change her mind, either. Maybe he would just have to live with it. He should have to understand her decision and try to see the woman more as a soldier than just as innocent, albeit a bit daring, civilian. Dieter knew that if he had been a true patriot, he would have captured the young woman now and taken her back, telling the Gestapo everything she had just told him. But that was not something he could have really done, he already cared too much.

The man shook his head and sat down next to the girl, making sure he wasn't uncomfortably close. He felt very tired suddenly, not because of the busy day filled with work, but because of the knowledge that had just been forced upon him. "But I believe the Wehrmacht, for the most part, are good young men like you following orders. Maybe some have fallen under Hitler's spell. I believe in you, Dieter. It keeps me alive," Lisa said and Dieter glanced down at his hands quickly, not sure of what to say.

He could have told Lisa how dangerously she was living, but he figured that the woman already realized that. Dieter could have taken Lisa's rifle and told her to go home, but it would have been for nothing. She was much too proud and stubborn for that, so why waste energy trying in the first place?

He handed the rifle carefully back to the girl. "Maybe this will keep you alive better. I guess I can't take it from you. I just wish... I don't know. That the war was over? I would ask you out," the man flashed Lisa a bigger grin this time. For a moment the man looked more like his usual, relaxed self, his eyes squinted when he smiled, faint crow's feet appearing in the corners of his eyes. The war had taken it's toll on the young man, no matter how stubbornly he had tried to prevent himself from changing, but sometimes he managed to look like the Dieter he had been so many years ago.

The young lance corporal assumed a more serious expression again. "I asked for a... um... transfer?" the man seemed unsure if he had used the right word. "To the front. I guess I will leave again soon. Let's hope not Russia, eh?" he asked, a faint smirk playing on his lips again. Surreal thoughts were playing around inside his head. He could take leave, settle in one of the small towns around the area, meet Lisa there and talk to her in peace, forget the war just for the briefest moment, but... she was most likely busy blowing up munition depots and putting her life in danger for the resistance, anyway.

"Just don't... don't take too many risks, Lisa. Enough people die every day," Dieter managed to say after realizing that he had been left staring at the blonde woman for a moment. "I know you are smart. But being smart does not stop bullets. And... well, I will still be worrying about you. Do you think... after the war. If things go well, I might find you again around Vichy?" No matter how foolish and hopeful the thought was, if it kept you going, it was worth hanging on to.

[lisawieserman1941]

Dieter tossed so many things at Lisa, it presented itself as a proverbial grenade, serving to blow her mind. First he asked her out, but only 'after' the war, yet the notion of having a German soldier for a boyfriend spelled disaster to both her soul and sanity. If he got killed or badly wounded, how could she of been told of the tragedy. A POW could face an uncertain future as well. If he were to be sent to the Russian Front, the odds would be against him. Russia was so vast, and with the severe winters, accompanied by Kamikazi-like Russians only served to climb the ladder of despair. In fact the partisan could not wait for the war to end, she wanted all hostilities to cease at that given moment when he bestowed his affections. The fact he would only be this Knight in shining armor till the world war was sucked into an abysmal cessation, leaving the scarred earth and remnants of tattered soldiers, even homeless civilians would only force her to participate in twice as many exploits, doing her part to shave the torture and madness battles afflicted destroying dreams in its merciless wake. As if in a rebellion of her chosen path, the woman threw the rifle down as disdain mounted the honor to serve.

A storm was brewing inside Lisa as it was made aware to her Dieter had asked for a transfer. The allies would almost certainly wage an amphibious assault boosted by fighter planes and paratroopers to secure the enemy's perimeter where they would seep into areas not well fortified. An unmeasured death toll on both sides would render its initiation as America would eventually set foot on the coast of France greeting their enemy with a volley of fire power. An obscured vista of shattered bodies breached her senses as Lisa saw a blue/gray uniform lying face down in a pit shot by her own countrymen. Dieter's pale face served as a reminder of what could conclude his life and her future lover.

"Just don't... don't take too many risks, Lisa. Enough people die every day," he ushered, cementing her premonitions into a callous reality. He then added intelligence bends to bullets. But there were so many more dangers; artillery rounds, anti-personnel devices, mortar fire, the shrapnel ejected from exploded steel beaten into a vulnerable body, biological warfare, the target of a tank shell that could literally dispose of a person into a crimson mist. Yes, men played war well and had their instruments to conduct an orchestrated oblivion.

Lisa suddenly turned to face Dieter, her emotions cracking as she held him close to her chest in a trusting embrace so the beating of their hearts marched to the same note. Pulling away, there were no smiles to donate, where only regret and dismay settled on Lisa's features. All the time she was a silent shell of herself coping with the Corporal's optimism as best as she could, whereas pessimism lined the closet of her possessions. A fake smile was delivered only to reassure the German she would be there for him, always.

"Why wait for the end of the war, Dieter? Can I be your girl now?" Her eyes seemed to ask of him trapped in what they ultimately shared, an unrestrained rain of worry.

[Dieter "Iceman" Rentz]

Dieter had been the kind of guy who would chase after girls right after he had grown up to that certain age when you suddenly just realized something about the other gender. Boys started thinking of girls as less icky and more like beautiful, enthralling creatures worth doing different embarrassing things over. He had still never quite realized what went inside the female head and he found himself stumped once again. Dieter had given the rifle back to Lisa after their small scuffle and now Lisa threw the weapon down on the ground. If she had wanted the rifle back so much, why would she throw it away? Dieter just couldn't understand any of this!

The man stared at the blonde girl, appearing more than just a little stupefied. Lisa seemed to be going through some inner turmoil and she was silent for a good moment, staring blankly ahead, a serious expression plastered on her face. Suddenly she turned around and embraced Dieter fiercely, a gesture Dieter had not certainly expected. He frowned and hugged the girl carefully back, wondering what had overcome Lisa so suddenly. Was she sad or afraid? And what could Dieter do to make her calm down? Her emotions seemed to be going from one extreme to another and Dieter had a hard time keeping up. Still, he stroked the girl's blonde hair gently to calm her down, feeling strangely comforted just by the fact that he had someone to hold, even if it was just for a brief moment.

Then, just as fast as she had suddenly hugged him, Lisa moved away and Dieter just stared at her in confused silence. "Why wait for the end of the war, Dieter? Can I be your girl now?" Lisa asked and a small, careful smile found it's way on her lips, but there was something about that smile... it wasn't a real one and Dieter knew that. The young woman's question made his heart race, both with excitement and concern. Did she really mean it? If she did, why did she look like that when asking about it?

Dieter brought his other knee up slightly, resting his arm on it and frowning. How could they even consider laying any claim on each other in a time such as this? They were on different sides and the war would take Dieter far away into a world where death and uncertainty ruled. In the meanwhile, Lisa would be working with the Resistance here in France and her life would be as chaotic as Dieter's. And if something happened to the other, they would never know. They would have no means of reaching each other and every day would be spent desperately worrying, waiting. Suddenly Dieter realized how foolish he had been, talking about times after the war and meeting Lisa then, when things would be better. Those days might just as well never come and even thinking about such a possibility was like reaching for the stars.

Lisa had understood this before Dieter had and the light-haired man glanced down, his fingers wrapping around random blades of grass. The man yanked them off the dry ground and twirled them around between his fingers, looking thoughtful. "I guess it would be..." he tried to find the right words in English, but his mind was dreadfully empty suddenly. "Yes, you could, if you want to. I would like that," he smiled suddenly at Lisa, although there was a cold, clenching feeling inside his chest. Was he only thinking about himself when he said it? If they grew to care about each other too much, wouldn't it only make things worse when you'd lay awake each night, wondering if the one you really cared about was still alive or not? But wasn't that just war for you, really...

"Listen, I might be able to take some leave. Before I go to the front. So... next week. On Saturday. Let's say I will be around that cabin, you know the one that I mean. In midday. And.. I'll wait there for a few hours. If you want to come, I'll be there. But if you don't want to come, I guess.. I'll find something else to do around Vichy for the weekend," Dieter said with a small, crooked smile. He realized that what he said was utterly foolish and childishly hopeful, but he felt he had very little to lose. This might just as well be his only chance to ask, anyway.

[lisawieserman1941]

"Oh I won't make you wait," Lisa quickly answered him with a wink, but then that four letter word was shed from Dieter's mouth yet again she had always dreaded, traveling into her consciousness, as the deadly gravity of the situation hit a nerve at a more realistic junction, the front, stabbed her mind into such a jolt she almost fell back into a fainting spell.

"Dieter...you might be sent to the French coast line!" she cried out as tears of regret that suddenly drowned her skin, combined with waves of premonitions littering her mind in a defeatist mode.

The once civilian American then sat back against a tree and slid to the ground in shock, finally taking it all in. Her face revealed a bleak vista at the thought of Dieter opposing her friends back home in battle, or any of the Americans sure to liberate France in time. She knew her friends did not understand German as her mind ripped apart the illusion she was lost in with Dieter shouting "Nicht Schiessen", forgetting his English in the confusion of fire, being shot down where he stood. Her head fell behind her crossed arms leaning on her knees while the picture unfolded before her eyes of avenging Americans and British seeking out any German soldier to execute, even in retreat.

"If you will attract danger like that, then I must too. I will double my efforts against the Waffen SS to try and stall their approach! My friends could be in the invasion! Dieter I could lose you and never know what became of you!"

Lisa then sobbed uncontrollably as a a fresh stench of worry etched its ugly dominance , storming her daydreams, but this time with the force of a tropical hurricane. Pulling up her head she managed to say...

"I...I...think I love you," she admitted through red shot eyes.

"But...the nightmares are becoming surreal. I scream myself awake at being tortured by the Gestapo. I think I will be captured soon Dieter. I don't know if I can take torture. My mother said my premonitions often came true."

Her future was then haunted by an almost certain demise. Lowering her eyes from Dieter's, she assumed her former position calculating the odds against them.

[Dieter "Iceman" Rentz]

The news of Dieter returning to the front didn't seem to sit too well with Lisa. She stared at the German corporal, her face adopting a horrified expression and tears forming at the corners of her eyes. Dieter stared at her, looking perplexed and stunned, he wasn't expecting such a strong reaction from the girl. "Dieter...you might be sent to the French coast line!" Lisa exclaimed and Dieter just shrugged at her, not really knowing what to say. He didn't think too much about where he might be deployed, although he hoped he wouldn't find himself at the Eastern Front. "Yes, but... I'm a soldier, Lisa. It's what I do," he tried smiling carefully to assure the young woman that everything would be fine. Well... as fine as people could be in the middle of a war, anyway.

Dieter had realized a long time ago that defending his country and being a soldier were the only things he knew how to do. He didn't have a proper education or a trade, although he had sometimes wondered if he might make a living fixing vehicles if needed. Such thoughts felt very pointless now, though, the war seemed endless and nobody knew when all of this would be finally over. Maybe all of it would be over sooner than he thought, perhaps due to a fatal bullet or an artillery shell hitting the ground right next to him. Life was uncertain, but there was no point in fretting over it. He had learned to accept the fact that he might die before the war was over and in some strange way, felt at peace with the knowledge.

"If you will attract danger like that, then I must too. I will double my efforts against the Waffen SS to try and stall their approach! My friends could be in the invasion! Dieter I could lose you and never know what became of you!" Lisa said, new vigor and determination in her voice. Dieter raised an eyebrow at her and moved his hand to carefully touch the girl's shoulder in an effort to calm her down. "Do not say that. It doesn't mean that you have to..." the sandy-haired man shook his head, he had trouble explaining his thoughts in English. "Ich bin ein Soldat, ich tue, was ich zu für Deutschland habe. Natürlich bin ich in Gefahr die ganze Zeit, aber es ist Krieg für Sie. Es bedeutet nicht, dass Sie etwas Gefährliches auch tun müssen. Und wenn es eine Invasion geben wird, dann werden wir uns damit befassen," he added, a small, playful smirk playing on his lips although there was hardly anything amusing about the subject.

His words had little effect on Lisa, who was crying, all the worry, fear and anxiety suddenly weighing heavily on her shoulders. Dieter sighed, feeling horrible as he watched the girl cry and his hand clenched the girls shoulder, as if trying to transfer some of his own strength to the girl to help her cope better. Lisa sobbed for a moment, finally raising her head and staring at Dieter, her eyes now red from crying. "I...I...think I love you," the girl said quietly and Dieter stared at her, blinking, unable to find any words. He had never been good with talking about his feelings and the suddenness of the situation made him feel like he had just been hit in the head with a big rock. He managed to open and close his mouth, looking stunned and quite unintelligent for a good while. "Lisa.. I.. I..." Dieter really wanted to tell Lisa how much he cared for her, but he couldn't force the words out of his mouth. "I care about you too and that's why you should be careful," he said, feeling still very dazed. The day was suddenly far too warm, his Wehrmacht uniform felt constricting and the pain on his arm was coming in more rapid pulses, feeling almost in sync with his heartbeats. He hoped that his inability to speak of his feelings wouldn't make Lisa angry. He was only a simple man, not very good with words, not one to speak of his feelings openly. He smiled nervously, apologetically, staring at Lisa with his pale blue eyes, hoping she would understand.

"I think I will be captured soon Dieter. I don't know if I can take torture. My mother said my premonitions often came true," the girl admitted after a small moment of silence and Dieter shook his head, even allowing himself a small chuckle. "Sagen Sie das nicht. Träume sind gerade ... Träume. Natürlich werden Sie sicher sein. Ich glaube an Vorahnungen nicht, Sie sorgen sich zu viel. Und doch, Sie müssen sorgfältig sein, Sie wollen nicht Schicksal versuchen." Dieter's fingers brushed the girl's cheek gently, carefully and for a moment it seemed if the German corporal wanted to say something else, but he changed his mind in the last minute, stumbling up from the ground and brushing dust off his uniform. "Wenn ich hier länger bleibe, werden sie jemanden senden, um nach mir zu suchen, und sie werden Sie finden. Sie müssen gehen, ich will nicht, dass sie Sie fangen. Sie können nicht hier bleiben, sie werden sich offensichtlich belaufen ich bin geschossen worden, und ich werde ihnen etwas erzählen müssen," the German words poured fast out of Dieter's mouth, he was feeling anxious and torn between staying with Lisa for a moment longer and making sure that she would be safe. Still, this was about Lisa's safety and survival and he couldn't start feeling selfish now.

The corporal extended a hand to Lisa to help her up and after she was standing on her feet in front of him, Dieter brushed a stray strand of blonde hair almost instinctively behind the girl's ear. "What I said about the cabin, I still mean to do it. I'll be there and... if you show up, then we can talk more. But you must take your horse and rifle and leave, now. You shouldn't stay around this area, they might try and come looking for you," the man spoke in a decisive tone, trying hard to get rid of his earlier confusion. Dieter picked up Lisa's rifle from the ground and held it out for her, smiling carefully.


Translations:

"Ich bin ein Soldat, ich tue, was ich zu für Deutschland habe..."
"I'm a soldier, I'm doing what I have to, for Germany. Of course I'm in danger all the time, but that's war for you. It doesn't mean that you have to do something dangerous, too. And if there will be an invasion, then we will deal with it."

"Sagen Sie das nicht..."
"Don't say that. Dreams are just... dreams. Of course you'll be safe. I don't believe in premonitions, you worry too much. Still, you must be careful, you don't want to tempt fate."

"Wenn ich hier länger bleibe, werden sie jemanden senden, um nach mir zu suchen, und sie werden Sie finden..."
"If I stay here longer, they will send someone to look for me and they will find you. You must go, I don't want them to catch you. You can't stay here, they will obviously figure out I've been shot and I'll have to tell them something."