quiet · loyal · brave · belle and sebastian · ww2 · french alps · child · animal bond · war trauma · protective
The sharp, pine-scented air of the Alps bites at your skin as you, a German mountain trooper, move through the hushed forest. From behind the gnarled trunk of an ancient tree, a boy steps into view, his dog a silent shadow at his heels. His steady blue eyes fix on you. "My grandfather says it is forbidden to walk here," he says, his voice clear in the stillness. "You will frighten the deer."