Freedom Fighters Ch. 1

This story is partially true based on stories I have heard from relatives (some living in Norway, some living here). The rest is my own imagination. If historical inaccuracies occur, sorry. This is, after all, a story.

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The date was June 15, 1940. The war had just ceased it's raging in my country five days ago. The King of Norway had escaped to England along with our country's gold bullion. From there our people would continue to fight.

The war in France was still raging, but the outcome was very certain. Germany would be the new master of the continent. Only England would stand defiant against Hitler.

My name is Aase Langeland. My Parents, Peder and Hanna Langeland lived here in Kristiansand on the southern tip of Norway when the Germans invaded. I have an older brother, Tryggve, but I learned two weeks ago that the Germans killed him. He was a Norwegian soldier, a soldat. I miss my brother, and I miss my mother. She was killed the day after Tryggve died defending our people. From what I have heard, it was a British bomber that had just dropped its bombs over the water after a German gun battery had hit one of it’s engines and was trying to escape when the German anti-aircraft guns scored a direct hit causing it to crash. It crashed in the downtown area where my mother was shopping. She was killed instantly.

My father who is a Lutheran pastor was in Trondheim at the time, and I have not seen him since.

I was at home alone when the Germans came to our home searching for my father. Short fat German soldier knocked on the door.

"I am looking for Herr Langeland. You will tell me where he is." The German said.

His face a menacing sneer as he looked me up and down. His eyes settled on my breasts.

"He is in Trondheim." I replied embarrassed by his lewd gaze.

"Ja? Then you will come with me." He said and grabbed me by the hand.

"Why?" I shrieked. I was getting ready for the new day when he had knocked on our door.

"You will explain to Gestapo. Come now." The German grabbed my hair and pulled me outside.

There was a truck waiting. Its engine was running and two younger soldiers were guarding the back of the truck.

I was slammed into the tailgate, which had been lowered. It stunned me and I fell to the ground. The German kicked some dirt at me and spit on the ground next to me.

"Into the lorry. Now!" He shouted.

One of the younger soldiers picked me up and helped into the truck.

I looked at him; thankful he had placed himself between the evil Sergeant and me.

"Takk." I said quietly to him.

He smiled and sat on the bench in the back of the truck.

"Kreuger! You are a German soldier, a Fallschirmjager. Do not even so much as utter one little word. These are prisoners and we are soldiers doing our duty. Remember that!" The Sergeant shouted.

"Yes Sergeant." The soldier replied.

I sat down and covered my face. My nose was bleeding and my head hurt. I had hit that tailgate harder then I thought.

A hand to my right touched my shoulder. I turned and looked to see who it was.

"Dreng?" I mouthed the words.

He nodded and took my hand. We remained silent. I was glad, in all of this darkness to see the face of the one person I knew well.

It was Dreng Larsson. We had gone to Gymnasium (high school) together. We had often gone to dances together. He was the only male I had truly had contact with, other then the male members of my family. He was also the first boy I had kissed. If my father had ever found out, he would have forbidden me from seeing Dreng. But my father really liked Dreng. Dreng had done many odd jobs for my father around the church. Fixing this and painting that. Dreng was handy with his hands. My father had always thought it was to do good deeds, but Dreng and I knew that his reason was so he could be near me. We were very close.

The truck slowed down and stopped. Dreng let loose of my hand and looked at the floor. I followed his example and remained expressionless.

The Sergeant barked some orders and the two guards dropped the tailgate and jumped out of the truck. Their rifles at the ready.

"Jeurgens! Guard the truck. Klieg! Come with me. Move!" He barked.

"Dreng...what is going on?" I whispered.

"Aase. They are rounding up all of the ministers in the area. They want your father. They will hold you hostage until he surrenders." He explained.

"And you?" I asked.

"I escaped from Grimli. I was held as a prisoner of war. I was captured two weeks ago. Now I go to be shot." He said, accepting his fate.

"Nooo!" The words escaped from my mouth.

"Silence!" The German sentry stuck his head inside and warned us, "If the Sergeant hears either of you it will be all the worse for you."

Dreng fell silent.

Two shots rang out and I jumped in my seat. A woman screamed and pleaded for her man.

The Germans returned, dragging a Lutheran minister. It was Pastor Vorstett. One of my father's colleagues. His face was bleeding and he was in pain.

"If you try to escape. I will shoot you next time. But not until I have shot your children and then had some fun with your wife." The Sergeant taunted Pastor Vorstett.

The Pastor's wife was pushed roughly into the truck after her husband was pushed inside. He lay on the floor. Obviously in much pain.

"Pastor Vorstett!" I whispered. He looked up at me.

"Aase. Is your father safe?" His words barely audible.

I nodded. Pastor Vorstett closed his eyes. He was praying silently to himself.

The truck drove on for another ten minutes, but swerved and braked very hard.

"Out! Out!" Cried the Sergeant, "Find cover!"

The two soldiers in the back dropped the tailgate and rushed out. We all hurried as a plane circled overhead.

Eric looked up.

"British!" He hissed, "Come!" He took my hand and we dove into a ditch. He landed two meters in front of me as the first bullets from the plane slammed into the ground in front of the truck.

There was a huge explosion and something landed on top of me. I don't know what it was, but I could not breathe. My breath was knocked out of me.

I heard several screams and one of the soldiers fired at the plane. Then there was only silence. Fru Vorstett screamed.

"Lars! Lars!" She cried out.

Dreng came over to where I was and the weight was pulled off from me. I was stunned. He knelt down and lifted my face.

"Aase?" He asked softly.

"Ja." I said. I opened my eyes.

"You will live." Dreng said and helped me off of the ground.

"Hans? Sergeant?" One of the soldiers said as Dreng helped me out of the ditch.

Dreng looked around. All of the Germans were dead on the ground. The driver had died in the cab of the lorry. The belligerent Sergeant had his face half-blown away when one of the bullets struck him.

"Soldat! They are gone. I'm sorry." Dreng said to the German. Dreng spoke perfect German. So did I.

The remaining German dropped his rifle on the ground and sat there. Sobs racked his body as he cried.

"Hans! Hans!" He said.

To Dreng he said, "Hans was my brother. We joined up together. We never let anyone know that we were brothers. Half Brothers actually."

"I am sorry, soldat. We all have lost loved ones." Dreng said and patted the German on the shoulder.

The German remained there for a few moments, looking at his brother's body.

"Go! You must go! I will not take you in. I am not a butcher! Not like the Gestapo." To Dreng he added, "Be careful Nordman, you have a price on your head. If any of our men get you...it is kaput for you."

"Takk soldat. Keep safe." Dreng said and took my hand.

Mrs. Vorstett had lost her husband. The Pastor had been killed before he had even gotten free of the truck. The explosion had thrown him into the air and he was dead when he hit the ground. A British bullet had hit him in the chest.

"Fru Vorstett...we must go! Herre Pastor is dead." Dreng said and patted her hand as she pleaded to him.

"Nei. I will bury my husband and go to my parent’s house. They live two kilometers from here. You go. God grant you safety. Will you help me?" She asked the German.

The German nodded.

"Ja. I am a Christian man, Frau. I will bury Herr Pastor." He said and picked up the Pastor's body.

Dreng took my hand and we ran across the field towards the tree line. Once we were hidden under the canopy of trees, I took his face into my hands and kissed his eyes.

"I thought that I had lost you too, Dreng. When Tryggve died, I thought that you had perished also." I said, breathlessly.

"Nei. I was captured. The Germans are not butchers. Not all of them. They did not get us into this war. The British and the French did when they made plans to mine Narvik. We were stuck in the middle. The Germans were the first to react." Eric said.

"My father said that Hitler is evil and he won't be happy until all of Europe is under his control." I said. Not understanding why Dreng would stick up for the Germans.

"Hitler is very evil, Aase. Many bad things are going to happen before he is taken from power. Many young men will die in vain before this is over. German, Norse, Danes, British, French, Pole, and who knows whom else. The German soldat, I saw many of them die to protect their prisoners, our soldiers, as the British strafed our columns. It is all bad. Both sides." He said, then added, "I was sorry to hear about your mother. She was always good to me, Aase."

"Ja. I miss her, and Triggie." I said.

"I tended to your brother when he was wounded. That is how I was captured. German paratroopers. Like those fellows back there." Dreng pointed back in the direction where we had just come from.

"Dreng...what shall we do?" I asked.

"We head northeast. A few kilometers from here my family has a cabin that we use for vacation and to ski during the winter holiday. We will be safe there. My parents have food and clothing there. We will stay for a few days. Until I can figure out something else." He said.

We did not arrive at the cabin that night. As we made our way to the east, we almost ran into several Germans. They were either out on patrol, or on several occasions, we discovered where they were building anti-aircraft gun emplacements to protect the docks in the city.

As dark began to fall, Dreng found a hollow in the side of a hill. I was very cold and hungry.

When I had been arrested I was wearing only a light sweater, a light wool shirt and summer shoes. My shoes had long since been torn to shreds by the sharp granite we had been forced to climb as we made our way northeastward.

My feet were bleeding and I could go no further. Dreng returned to where I was.

"Aase I have found a good spot for the night. We can build a small fire." He said.

"I cannot walk. My feet." I explained.

Dreng bent down and looked at them.

"Why did you not tell me?" He asked.

"I did not want to complain." I replied.

"Aase you must speak up. What if we are pursued, how would you run?" He said. But his words were tender. He knew that this had been a trying day for me.

"I am sorry..."I began.

"Come. I will carry you. It is not far." He said.

The spot he had chosen was well hidden. There was plenty of brush that hid our spot. He built a small fire with some twigs and a box of matches.

"I am sorry we have nothing to eat. Tomorrow we shall dine on dried fish and flatbread. I think there is also some smoked herring and some canned fruit. Now we must sleep." He said and covered me with his long army jacket.

I fell immediately asleep on his arm as he held me close to him. We slept spoon style to keep warm. His front against my back.

"Aase. Wake up. There is a German patrol. Gebirgs I think." Dreng had covered my mouth as he spoke to me.

"What are Gebirgs?" I asked.

"Mountain troops. Mostly Austrian. They are very good soldiers. We must be quiet and move quickly. Can you walk?" He asked.

I stood and nodded. My feet throbbed but I could forget about the pain.

"Ja?" He asked and took my hand.

"Don't let loose. If you need to stop, tell me. We will find cover. But for now we must move. They are only a few meters from us." He cautioned.

We walked east, quietly. I saw a soldier as he stopped and looked behind him at the column of his comrades approaching, he was ten meters from us. But we escaped.

We made it to the cabin just before noon. Dreng had me hide behind a woodpile as he went up checked the cabin out.

"Come." He spoke softly and waved to me.

I limped to him, but he rushed to me and picked me up and carried me to the cabin.

"Aase. Your feet are very raw. I must clean them and bandage them. Wait here." He said.

He had laid me on the feather bed in the middle of the small cabin.

Returning with a basin of water, some soap, and an aid kit he smiled.

"It will be well now." He reassured me, "After I am done here, we will get into some warmer clothes. My mother has a pair of hiking boots that should fit you."

I nodded as he gently washed my stinging feet, then bandaged them. Then he cleaned my face of the dried blood.

"Now we find some food." He said clapping his hands together. He acted as though this was a great adventure.

"Dreng. What shall we do if the Germans come here?" I asked him.

We had eaten. My belly was full but we both knew that there wouldn't be enough food to last us much longer.

"I think the best thing to do would be for us to either work our way inland to Telemark or west to Stavanger. But this is something we must think about. The way will be rough. Neither one of us have papers. We must think hard." He said.

"Ja. But now I think I would like to lay my head on your lap. It has been a long time since you have held me." I said in my most feminine voice.

I crawled over on the bed to him and lay next to him. He positioned himself so that his back was against the wall and lay my head gently on his thighs.

Stroking my hair he spoke softly, "Aase, I am very glad that we found each other. I still remember the day that you came to see me when I was ordered to my unit."

"I was very sad. I thought that I might never see you again, Dreng. You are my very best friend. You have been a big part of my life." I said.

"Ja. I have been very blessed to have the Pastor's daughter as my girl friend." He said.

"I would be more if you wanted." I told him softly.

"Ja?" He was surprised, then asked, "My wife?"

"Ja. If you wanted. My family is gone. I have no one else to protect me." I said.

"Don't you worry. No one will harm you as long as I live." He reassured me.

"I know that I am safe with you Dreng. I will always be safe with you." I reached up and touched his cheek. He took my hand and kissed it gently.

We lay there satisfied to be reunited. The boy that I had known for so long was now a man. He had guided us though the German lines safely. Now I would willingly remain at his side for as long as we both lived.

"Dreng...if you wish we could go toRyukan. It is near Telemark. I have an aunt who lives there. We could be safe for awhile." I suggested.

He thought about it for awhile.

"We could go there. But we can't remain. Before I was captured, our Brigade commander had word passed that we should carry on the fight anyway we could. There has to be others who are willing to stop Hitler. We will find them and join them. I you choose not to fight, then I will see you safely to your aunt's. But I swore an oath to my country and my king. I will not surrender." Dreng said.

"I wish to be with you. I would be your wife if you would have me, Dreng." I said.

He looked surprised at my statement.

"You would be my wife?" He asked, amazed.

"Ja. I could do no better." I replied.

"I will have you. I would be proud to have you as my wife." He replied. He lowered his head and kissed. I wrapped my arms around his head and held him tight to me.

I slid my hands under his heavy sweater and rubbed his chest.

"Dreng. We don't have to wait to be married. The country is in chaos. We might never find a pastor. What if we made our vows before God that we are married?" I suggested.

He never answered my question. Gently we unclothed each other. As we lay naked on the feather bed and under a large down blanket, Dreng gently entered me for the first time. I was not sure if he would fit into me. But gently he rubbed my female area with his hand and when I was ready, he got on top of me and slowly entered into me.

At first there was pain. I was virgin. But once the pain subsided, the pleasure I felt was not to be found in the words of any language that I knew.

"Dreng! Ahh...Jaaa!" I cried out as the first wave of pleasure shook my whole being. My body was on fire!

Dreng's breathing became faster. I felt his abdomen tense and finally he held me tightly as the warmth of his loins filled me.

We lay still, not moving. Not wishing to break the intense feeling of wonder at what we had just experienced. I felt Dreng's seed slowly seeping from me. It was a feeling I could never forget. To be loved and protected by this man was all I wanted from life.

"Aase. I would protect you with my life." He vowed to me.

"Dreng. I will love you everyday of my life." I returned.

I awoke to the smell of kippers and biscuits. Dreng was already awake and had prepared our breakfast.

"Aase. Eat. It is hot. You rest. While you eat breakfast I must make sure that all is well." He said as he dished up my food.

As I kissed him good morning from the bed, he broke away abruptly and putting on his army jacket headed out the door.

'Yesterday I was a scared child. Today I am a woman.' I told myself. Now I could understand why my mother was always so cheerful and happy the next morning after I heard her and father making love. Even though my feet still ached, my whole body was alive. I was alive!

I had finished eating. I got out of bed to go tend to my personal needs. I hobbled across the floor and went outside to where the out shed was located. As I passed urine, my private area stung. I wiped myself. There was blood on the paper. I was afraid for a moment, then remembered what my mother had told me about the difference between men and women. This was the first time I had ever known a man and this was the proof of my purity.

I finished up quickly and went inside. I needed to wash myself, and found the water pitcher and a wash cloth.

Cleaning myself with the water and wiping myself dry, I felt much better. But then the realization of everything occurred to me.

'Aase, you must be careful! Dreng does not need a child to care for also!' I warned myself as I tossed the water from the basin outside.

Dreng returned in twenty minutes. He was whistling to himself when he walked in. I had finished my food and was cleaning up the remains of our breakfast.

"Aase. You need to stay off of your feet. I will take care of those." He scolded me gently and led me to a wooden chair.

"Sit." He ordered me. I sat down and he pulled out a footstool from under the bed and placed my feet on it.

"Dreng. Where are your parents?" I asked him.

"I don't know. I went to the house and they were not home. That is where the Germans recaptured me. Herre Larstad is a Quisling. I had no idea he would notify the Germans. He has been at odds with my father for many years. I will repay him someday for his deeds." He said.

I gasped. Larstad was in my father's congregation. I had always thought of him as a grouchy old man, but never as a Quisling followed. Quisling was a traitor to the Norwegian people. He was a devout Nazi who had caused much chaos when the Germans invaded. Now Quisling was in charge of the puppet government.

"Ja Aase. I am sure that it was Larstad. He has everything to gain if my parents are denounced. He has wanted our land for many years but my father would hear none of it. Now they are gone and I may never see them again." Dreng said. I could tell he was sad.