Chapter 1. No good deed goes unpunished

  1916 The Somme, France

  The cold squalling rain had finally stopped. With the heavy

  cloud cover, dawn appeared to be hours late breaking over

  the battlefield.

  A red cross dog walked over a tangle of bodies and sniffed

  at a soldier lying still and caked in mud. It pawed at his shoulder

  and nuzzled his neck. When it picked up the soldier's helmet to

  return to the lines for help, Ithaniel rolled over, wiped mud from

  his face and smiled. "Hello there."

  The saddle bags the dog carried contained medical supplies and

  water, and had a name written on it.

  "Achilles, is that your name?"

  Achilles wagged his tail and dropped the helmet.

  "Others will need your help more than me."

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  Flares lit the gloom overhead. "I'm just waiting to see a friend."

  Ithaniel patted Achilles as an artillery barrage shook the ground.

  "Although I will admit I'm rather enjoying the show."

  Achilles licked his face and moved on.

  Ithaniel watched the red cross dog criss-cross the shell cratered

  ground looking for wounded Allied soldiers until it was out of sight.

  There was the sudden crack of a gunshot and the unmistakable

  sound of a dog whelping - then a second and a third shot.

  Ithaniel scowled.

  He stood up and his body began to glow like molten metal.

  A bullet hit him in the jaw and made his head twist to the side.

  He burst into flame as he walked towards where he thought

  Achilles had fallen.

  *

  Achilles lay on his side next to the soldier he'd tried to help.

  The flames that surrounded Ithaniel changed to a golden

  aura as he knelt down beside him.

  The side of Achilles face was torn open.

  Ithaniel gently stroked his muzzle. "It looks like you could

  use some help yourself my friend."

  Achilles panted weakly.

  In the glow of Ithaniel's outstretched hand, the bleeding stopped

  and connective tissue started to form on the bare bones of the

  open wound. Ligaments and tendons followed, then clusters

  of nerves and small blood vessels. Flesh, skin and hair knitted

  together until the wound was healed.

  Achilles lifted his head and licked Ithaniel's hand.

  "Lie still." he said gently.

  Ithaniel traced Achilles spine until he felt where another

  bullet had struck and broken the pelvis. The bones reshaped and

  realigned themselves. Tendons, cartilage and muscles re-attached.

  Achilles slowly sat up and wagged his tail, then he nosed the hand

  of the fatally wounded soldier beside him.

  Ithaniel shook his head. "Not him, just you."

  Achilles jumped into his arms and licked his face. Sitting back, Ithaniel

  smiled and patted him. "Go on, off you go."

  Achilles returned to the Allied lines.

  There was the crack of a gun shot, and a bullet ricocheted

  off Ithaniel's back.

  The soft aura that surrounded him instantly raged into flames.

  He turned and looked for the heat signature of the bullet's path

  in the cold morning air. Seeing it, Ithaniel followed it back to the

  German sniper's position.

  The body warmth of the hidden soldier was obvious to him.

  "You're dog meat." he snarled.

  *