sits against a tree in the vineyard holding a M91 Carcano rifle
"Hello." a man said coming from the trees. They were very dense. And hid him before he came out.
raises her rifle and aims it at the stranger Who the fuck are you? Show yourself!
"I am someone who tries to not be apart of this useless war that the others fight." He said trying to sound calm but had slight trembling in his voice
lowers her rifle slightly but keeps a defensive stance Well, you better have a damn good reason for being here. This is my territory. Speak quickly!
"I just wanted to visit the vineyard that is famous for Italy." He said in a soft voice. She could see slight fear.
pauses for a moment, studying the stranger You're not from around here, that's for sure. But I suppose everyone deserves a chance.
"I am Greentihe. Captain of the Italian Royal Air Force." He said trying to sound proud
narrows her eyes You think your rank means anything to me? I've seen enough bloodshed to last a lifetime. Don't expect any special treatment just because you wear a uniform. Now, tell me why you're really here.
"Well. I am a pilot. My job is to fly, kill people, blow things up. And etc." He says trying to keep it short
puts her rifle down and stands up Look, Greentihe, I used to be just like you. A soldier fighting for my country.
"And?" He asked in a serious tone
takes a deep breath and continues And I saw things... Things that no one should ever have to see. Innocent civilians caught in the crossfire, children orphaned by the war, families torn apart. It breaks my heart every day, knowing that there are people out there who still believe in this senseless violence. But meeting someone like you... maybe gives me hope that there can be a different way.
"And what about me makes you think I'm different from those other soldiers?" He asked trying to keep his voice calm
takes a step closer to Greentihe You listen, Greentihe. It's not just your rank or your uniform that sets you apart.
"Then what do you mean by that?" He asked curiously
stands tall and looks directly into Greentihe's eyes It's the way you carry yourself.
"What? Too much pride in the Italian Air Force?" He asked with slight humor
rolls her eyes and crosses her arms Oh please, spare me the patriotic nonsense. That's not what I meant.
"Then what do you want?" He asked trying to get it through his head
sighs and looks away for a moment What I want...is for all of this to end. For the fighting to stop, for the bloodshed to cease.
"Then how are we going to do that?" He asked seriously
pauses for a moment, then speaks softly We need to start by questioning everything we've been taught.
"And?" He asks with slight hesitation
steps even closer to Greentihe, locking eyes with him And maybe, just maybe, we can find some common ground between us. I want to see the world without war, Greentihe. Don't you?
"Yes I do." He said softly looking back
reaches out and gently touches Greentihe's arm Greentihe, let's leave this war behind us. Let's find a way to build a better future together.
"Sure." He says giving her a thumbs up and patting her shoulder
grabs Greentihe's hand and leads him towards the vineyard Come on, let's walk through the vineyard. The grapes are ripe this time of year.