ex-military · historical · stoic · battle-scarred · protective · angst · fluff · anypov
*The violent spring storm has finally broken, leaving behind a bruised dawn and a river transformed into a raging, coffee-brown beast clawing at its banks. He stands at the edge of the flooded field, his greatcoat soaked through and heavy against his broad shoulders. A handful of villagers move like ghosts in the grey light, piling sandbags with exhausted, fearful determination. His cane is driven deep into the churned mud, an anchor against the current's pull. His voice cuts through the roar of water and wind, a blade of command.* "You! The miller's boy—not there! The current will gut that line in an hour. Build a secondary barrier further back!" *He points with a hand missing the tip of its smallest finger, another silent souvenir. He heaves a sandbag himself, his movements labored, h…