{Melchior}

Once the sun had risen, we were back on foot, I decided to carry Wendla the whole was to Pripria so we wouldn't risk anymore endangerment to her health.

"Are we almost there?" she said peering over my shoulder before giving me a kiss on my cheek that caused me to smile instantly.

"Almost, maybe less than a mile in a half. I think I have enough money for use to have some breakfast, how does that sound?"

"Wonderful." She said with that soft smile of hers.

Once we reached the small village it seemed very different from the one they grew up in. It had a sense of individuality to it. Soon we stumbled into a tavern for that breakfast I had mention before.

"Melchior? Wendla? Is that you?" A familiar voice asked. The couple had turned around to see their childhood friend Ilse who was a waitress at this taven.

"Ilse!" Wendla said in excitement as she ran over to give her friend a hug. "It has been so long since I've seen you, since you left the village."

"Well it's good to see you and Melchior. Now what are you two doing here far from the village? Did you run away?"

"Yes." I said. "We ran away because Wendla is pregnant and I escaped the reformatory."

"Wow I really did miss a lot." Ilse said. "Don't worry, you can stay in the empty loft that is above the tavern. The former owner signed the place over to me last fall so now I own the tavern."

"That is amazing Ilse, thank you so much!" Wendla said.

"Anything for childhood friends." Ilse replied. "Go upstairs and make yourselves at home, you have to go outside and take the stairs on the left to get inside." She explained

Once they had finished their breakfast Melchior and Wendla ventured up the stairs and into their new home.

"It's perfect!" Wendla said with a big smile. "It has everything we need and two bedrooms, one for us and another a nursery." She said in excitement.

I took a good look around to make sure everything was okay. Once we were settled in Wendla was trying to convince me that I was in need of stitches. Yes I had many wounds that if not properly treated would cause infection, but if there was anything I was scared of more than infections was needles. When I was little I was in the wood with Moritz when my arm got caught on a thorn bush. The cut I had gotten was enough to see bone,Moritz nearly fainted.I remember how upset mama was, she then took me to the doctor to get it stitched up.I remember him slowly taking the needle in and out of my arm, all the pain and screaming that I had to was the day my fear had started.

"Please Melchi?" Wendla said giving me the puppy dog eyes, she knew how much I couldn't resist her when she made that face.

I sighed "Go right ahead Wendla…" Before I could even blink she had the first aid kit out in front of me.

"Alright Melchi let me see how many you need stitched up." She said as she examined my face and body. As she got the got cloth and started treating my wounds I could see how great of a mother she will become, someone who loves to care for others.

"Alright I have to do this so you won't lose any more blood or get an infection" She said, picking up the needle and began to thread it through the twine. She pushed my bangs out of the way counted to five then began to sew up the wound on my forehead. I closed my eyes and began to clench my teeth, I could feel tears streaming my cheeks. I remember now how painful it was, it is more painful this time because it was a more sensitive spot than my arm.

"I'm done with the one on your forehead, now only two more." I continued to try to bear through the pain but ended up yelping multiple time.

"Don't worry I'm done stitching everything up, I'm just going to clean you up now." She said before taking off my shirt, then dunked a cloth in warm water and began to clean the rest of my wounds and dirt from my body.

"Where did you learn how to do all of this?" I asked.

"Well I learned it at school, while you boys learned how to read and write us girls learned first aid and sewing."

"I never knew that, I just thought you girls did the exact same thing we did. Would you like me to teach you how to read and write?" I asked.

She stopped for a second put the cloth in the bowl before looking up at me. "It is not right for a woman to read and write." She replied back to my statement.

"Maybe in our village it wasn't okay, but here you can learn whatever you want." I smiled at her and she returned a smile back.

"Then teach me all you know about writing and books!" She said with a giggle that caused me to laugh as well. As soon as she was done cleaning all of my wounds she took my shirt and began to clean out all the dirt and blood stains from it.

"We'll need new clothes and so will the baby. Do you have enough money for all of us?" She asked.

"I'll find work." I said. "There's so many places that need a handyman around here."

"Handyman? More like handyboy Melchi." Wendla teased.

I rolled my eyes. "Oh haha very funny, I love you too."

"I love you more." She said right before kissing me.

{Wendla}

After a few days we began to settle into our new life. Melchior had began to gain his strength back and began doing odd jobs in the I stayed home and took care of myself and the child that was growing. I started to feel sicker as the days went on, Melchior just tells me that it's the baby way of telling me that it is happy. I think that's a very funny way of expressing happiness. I looked at the clock and notice it was around that time Ilse would come upstairs from the taven and have tea with me. As I was putting the kettle on I could hear the door open.

"Hello Wendla." She said as she hung up her coat on the rack. "I made a couple of sandwiches for us today, that's if you can keep it down."

"Just wait until you have a child one day, then I can make fun of you when you get sick." I said as I set down the tea cups and kettle. "Can I ask you something?"

"What?" Ilse asked as she started to pour her tea into her cup.

"Why did you leave home?

"Wendla it's a long story and I rather not talk about it" She said as she put down the kettle and picked up her picked up her cup.

"You know you can tell me anything."

She sighed "Wendla it was awful, just awful." After another deep breath she finally told me why she left home.

"I didn't scream, but I just knew it was wrong, he told me to play along. I just had to lay there and breath, I just had to be strong till I grew strong enough to break free. Then I packed up and left from here and that's my story."

It took me a few moments to really understand what had happened to her. I sat there in horror silently thinking about if my own father did that to me, a shiver ran throughout my whole body. Just feeling the pain she went through her whole life in a matter of 20 minutes. I soon had changed the subject before Ilse had to go back to work.

When Ilse left I went back to my sewing and soon Melchior came home.

"Hello beautiful" He said as kissed my cheek.

"How was work today?" I asked.

"Oh you know the usual farm work."

"I can smell." I laughed. "I think you need a bath." I said. "Maybe a haircut too."

"What's wrong with my hair?" He said with a raised eyebrow.

"You're kinda looking like a shaggy dog."

He laughed. "Alright,alright maybe I will soon."

"Anything special you want for dinner?" I asked.

"If it's just you and I then I don't need anything special." He smiled. I think I could get use to this life.