Drawing on two war novels, the chapter explores the role of interpreters as ordinary citizens who have been directly confronted with and embedded in the conflict events, as well as the various problems that arise relating to different cultures clashing, issues of trust and mistrust, and (im)possibilities of post-war protection. The interpreters' previous experiences have shaped their understanding of war and led them to develop a certain ideology that constitutes a basis for the perception and interpretation of reality. Their complex positionality has an impact on how they are viewed by the military personnel and the insurgents. Empathy between the military personnel and the interpreters emerges in the narratives as a relevant consequence of the respect that the military personnel have for the local cultures.