"It's a legitimate form of war," Anton agreed. "Confined to a camp, in the rain and the cold--a man's feet can get sick very quickly. Or worse, the trenches." The last was said grimly. The Dead Men, Anton's unit, were primarily special operations; they were usually the vanguard in the trenches. When they weren't spies, at least.

Anton finished the stitch and laid out the sock to compare it to its sibling. Still a bit of added length required. "I've seen men lose whole toes due to lack of care, and the weather. A man cannot fight or move far on feet that cannot hold him. I have a friend in my old unit who's a tailor by trade--he and I would have made good business, if either of us had cared much for business at the time."