They were inside Hill 58.

Specifically, the frontliners of the 15th Atlantic Rifles had made it inside - sappers, shockers, and of course the rifles themselves.  Thanks to the gunner support, their training, and a little luck...they were inside the enemy line and fighting for their lives.  And judging by the look and the sound of things, they'd won.  The hill was infiltrated and their foothold made in the enemy ranks.  Hill 58 was theirs, or would be shortly.  Isaac checked the immediate outside for enemy stragglers - people they might've missed who were trying to get away or sneak around to hit their impromptu gun nest - and looked over at Britta with a nod.  Nobody was there.  She checked his blindspot and returned the nod.  The battlefield was empty enough to move forward.  They were heeading up the hill, themselves.

At no point did either one of them say anything as they emerged.  Even with scarcely anybody left in this area, they needed to be careful and quiet.  There could be anyone out here, or any [i]thing[/i].  Soldiers they missed, soldiers playing dead, soldiers who are almost dead and determined to get off one last shot, [i]unexploded mines[/i]...  That last thought was why Isaac was sticking to heavily-trampled areas of the combat zone.  He hadn't [i]heard[/i] any particular sound he'd pair up with a landmine going up, but that was no reason not to think there might be.  Logically, any mines on the approach would've detonated already, but then logically he shouldn't even [i]be[/i] here.  He should be raising livestock with his family so that Edinburgh can [i]eat[/i].  He should be periodically checking on Rikes and them, making sure they're being good, and raising the new pups...

[i][color=f7941d]God dammit, why now?  This is neither the time, nor the place![/color][/i]

[b][color=ed1c24]"Are you alright?"[/color][/b]

Britta must have seen something, a moment of agitation, and broken the silence.  Silence...  Good god, it had gotten quiet out here, hadn't it?  Distant sounds of fighting were heard now, as it had been when they were just arriving in this area.  It was eerie, getting that feeling again, stepping forth in this battlefield.  The bodies were all bodies, not a live one among them.  Those who hung out long enough from the Imperial side had been shot dead, some by the pair that now walked among them.  Isaac could only imagine what Britta thought of this.  He shook his head in reply.  He wasn't alright.

[color=f7941d]"Thoughts of home."[/color]

He didn't belong here, even if he did alright here.  Yes, even if it was specifically his skills that kept people alive, this was not for him.  This was not for many of them.  The two Gunners began to ascend Hill 58, Isaac starting to double-time it.  Nobody remained in the foxholes.  They hit them and moved on.  Soon, they came to the enemy trench and found...well...the Atlantic Rifles.  Isaac managed to come in right as their short Sapper was speaking.  He answered for them.

[color=f7941d]"You're in shock.  You won't be, later."[/color]

It was about as much as he could do for him, at the moment.  The Sapper had charged a hill and killed people, just now.  He couldn't tell him he'd be alright.  Nobody could.  He could only tell him he'd definitely feel it later, maybe hate himself because of it.  Isaac had made Gunner and Lance-Corporal because of his skill and because he could keep a lid on it.  He was gonna find that recruitment officer, all safe behind the front lines, and shoot him.  That damn bastard...  He and others like him probably put Darcsens like Jean into combat just because they didn't like them.  Jean was...disintegrating.  Something had snapped him like a twig, mentally-speaking.

[color=f7941d][i]Dammit, I'm a Lance too.  I could've led.  We could've switched places a while, him watching my back with me attacking the trenches.  I'm still trained for rifles, at least!  He didn't need this.[/i][/color]

Isaac sighed, the shock wearing off on him, as well.  The adrenaline was gone.  He no longer feared for his life.  He only regretted what this had done to others.  Even still, his job wasn't done yet.  In fact, it'd just stepped up a little.  Jean was...well...he needed a minute.  The Lance-Corporal looked around to the others present now.

[color=f7941d]"Somebody tell me what's going on.  What's our status?"[/color]

While one Lance was down, the other had to take charge.