Kurt was just tightening the knot in his tie as his father came over to straighten his son's suit. After giving the final inspection, Georg placed a hand on either of his sons' shoulders.
"Boys, you look very distinguished and I'm very proud of you. Today is a big day for all of us."
"We know, father," Freidrich and Kurt chorused.
"Now, how do I look? Hhmm? Presentable?" Georg stepped back and did a mock twirl in his naval uniform. As he spun back around, the sheath of his sword knocked into the wall and made the boys laugh out loud at his blunder.
"You look very distinguished as well, sir." Friedrich stood straighter and went over, pretending to dust off his father's shoulder boards.
"Yes, extremely regal. You're sure to stop all the ladies in their tracks." Following his brother's lead, Kurt went over and pretended to shine his father's buttons with the sleeve of his suit coat. Georg laughed and drew his boys close to him for a hug.
"Actually, you two, there's just one lady in particular who I'm focused on today." The trio smiled and exited the room, eagerly anticipating when they'd be a real family again.
Kurt snapped awake at the thought of his dream. He was panting a little, the dream felt so real and he half expected to be back in his villa in Austria with his father and brother getting ready for the wedding. However, he wasn't in Austria. Instead he was in some small, cramped hostel somewhere in Switzerland. He and Maria weren't quite sure of the name of the small village they were currently in - Thun was it? Something like that? All they knew was the board for a room was dirt cheap, meals were included, and they could come and go as they pleased.
Still, Kurt was always on the lookout. Ever since the near-fatal drowning of his mother back outside of Interlaken, Kurt vowed to be vigilant at all times. Why it was only an hour after he had fallen asleep that he was now wide awake. Maria was sound asleep at his side, holding onto his hand as she slumbered. Kurt decided to sit up and keep watch. He had an uneasy feeling about the hostel where they were. The people there were too quiet and very unfriendly. He was nervous someone would try to break into their room and rob them. He hadn't been getting very much sleep as of late.
He had climbed back down the falls the day he saved his mother from drowning and they had made camp for almost an entire week. Luckily, they had discovered delicious berry bushes nearby and Kurt managed to trap a few rabbits they roasted over the fire for dinners. During the days they took walks along the bank of the river, being careful not to wander too far away. But after six days, Maria told her son they needed to keep moving. They could continue camping out as long as they made progress along the way; they needed to cover some ground.
So they lived off the land and slept under the stars with nothing but a few sets of clothes each and their the packs which were used as pillows come night fall. Kurt had taken a deck of playing cards from the inn before they left and Maria was teaching him how to play high-low jack, and he was becoming very good at it. Kurt had also been given a hunting knife upon departure. When Maria was saying goodbye to Anita, Klaus had approached Kurt and said he needed some sort of protection if they were to go out into the world unarmed. Thankfully, there had been no need to use it just yet. He considered breaking it out to try it with the rabbits, but the meat was so tender after being cooked it wasn't even necessary.
Maria and Kurt worked very well together. They collected firewood, started the fire, and hunted for their dinners together. Once again they had fallen into a rhythm together and they both liked it. For nearly an entire month they camped out in the sunny hills of Switzerland. The map Maria fought so dearly to save was still intact, but the colors had bled a great deal and reading it proved to be a daily challenge. So they were navigating using the sun and making sure they were always keeping the Alps on their right as they headed westward.
It was difficult being isolated away from society and both were somewhat relieved when they came upon a worn dirt road one warm afternoon. Having no other option but to follow it, the duo stayed on the road until they saw an old truck driving their way. When it stopped by them the driver was gracious enough to let them ride in the bed as he headed towards the nearest town which happened to be called Thun. Ironically, Thun was at the west edge of the river Maria and Kurt had been following.
The driver let them off at the edge of town and Maria and Kurt surveyed their new temporary living quarters. Thun reminded Maria a bit of Davos, but on a much smaller scale. Within an eye's reach, she could make out a small market, church, and pub all within a block's walk. Kurt saw the town for what it truly was to him and his mother: a resting place on their long journey ahead.
It was the end of May when they made Thun their new place of residence, and it was now beginning to feel like autumn again. The leaves had begun to change color and fall and it was hard to imagine that it was October again. The past week, Maria had grown terribly depressed having celebrated her one year wedding anniversary without her husband. And not having a real place to call home, it was hard to get the space she so desperately wanted without being around Kurt. She knew she couldn't be around him on the day she was supposed to be with Georg. When Kurt woke up he found a note from his mother saying she was taking the day by herself and going up to the hills for some peace and prayer. Maria loved her son dearly, but she needed a day to center her thoughts on her husband alone.
Of course Kurt didn't take it to heart. He had other ways of occupying his time. From the skills he had learned from Klaus, he had gotten the status of town handyman. Whenever something needed to be fixed or moved people came to get Kurt. And with his thirteenth birthday approaching in a month's time, Kurt felt like more of an adult every day. Last year there was no celebration due to obvious reason, and he wasn't expecting anything this year, but he would be a teenager this year. And that meant a lot to him.
Even with all that was happening it was hard to grasp that an entire year was about to pass from the night Kurt and Maria lost everything. Somewhere inside both of them they had each hoped by this time they would be back with their family.
Maria took only a jug of water with her to the hills that day. She sat and cried for the better part of the morning. She felt she needed to weep for her husband, she longed for him so badly. After she dried her tears she allowed herself to lie down in the tall grass on the mountains and rest for a while. When she awoke, she went for a walk then headed back down towards Thun. It was not even close to how she had pictured celebrating her anniversary, but taking a long glance at her wedding band showed that she still had a husband somewhere, and she knew at that very moment he was thinking of her and loving her as she did him.
* Keep those reviews coming - on a roll now as the next few chapters come. Let me know what you think! *
