A/N: Almost done! I only have to write the protocols and prepare a presentation, but I think I will have more time to write again from now on. There will be a short break over Christmas though but most of you will probably have better things to do than read this story anyway ;) I hope I can resume my usually update schedule now, but don't worry if there is another delay. I have still a lot to do after all.
It was cold, so damn cold. The wind was blowing unrelentingly, biting in every inch of unprotected skin it could find, blowing the snow into our faces, under the hoods of our coats, and taking away every bit of warmth from our body. At least the wind prevented the snow from covering the ground so walking was fairly easy, aside from the lack of feeling in my feet which made walking a rather unpleasant experience.
It was not that bad really, winter in these regions could be pretty hard so we were all more or less used to the cold, and this time we were at least dry, a factor that increased my comfort immensely. After we had checked that Berwald was safely tugged under his blanket and not too cold, Tino even began to play in the snow and after a bit of coaxing Emil joined in, Puffin flying over them as they threw snowballs at each other, giggling like two boys who saw snow for the first time in their life.
It was heartwarming.
And it was yet again proof that no matter how dark the times, how seemingly impossible the situation, there was always hope to be found, and while I was watching the two frolicking through the snow I felt a deep reaching contentment, as I reminded myself of how lucky we were to still be alive.
After all many others had lost their lives, either in Ludwig's attack on our small town or in the bigger raid on the city that had been burned to the ground. And even we had been in the middle of it we had come out comparably well, not completely unharmed but at least in once piece. And that was really something I was thankful for. And hopefully it would stay that way.
Before this all happened I had never been aware of how precious and fragile life was, sure I had seen my mother die, her life slowly wasting away but that had been the result of too much work and exhaustion, it had seemed inevitable. But after experiencing so many life threatening situations for myself, I had come to realize that life was nothing we could take for granted, it could be snatched away all too easily. It warmed my heart to see that Emil and Tino were able to enjoy life even after all that had happened.
I wished I could let go so easily.
But aside from my initial reservation against open displays of emotion I really didn't feel up to the challenge of playing in the snow. My cough plagued lungs certainly wouldn't thank me if I were to fool around in the cold like that.
After a while though both of them became exhausted so they went back to walking behind Mathias and me, still a bit excited from their recent session of snowy fun.
A grunt alerted me to the two persons beside me, Mathias had walked mostly in silence, apart from the occasional groan, but now I noticed that his face and whole posture was strained from the exertion of carrying someone as heavy as Berwald. With all that merriment going on, I had completely missed that Mathias was about to overexert himself and as stubborn as he of course hadn't said anything.
I called out to Arthur and Francis in front of us and in no time Berwald was life from Mathias back and placed on Arthurs. Mathias objected at first to a switch but he seemed relieved nonetheless as the weight was released from his shoulders and he was able to stretch his strained muscles. Arthur on the other hand grimaced as Berwald was heaved upon his back and his legs almost gave in under the added weight, but with gritted teeth and a lot of swearing he managed to take a step forward and then another one.
I could only compliment his tenacity.
We then started walking again, but as much as he tried Arthur couldn't keep up the same pace Mathias had he needed to take a break every few steps or so. It would have been easier if we could have dragged Berwald between two of us, but that would most likely open up his wound further and we couldn't afford that. The only comfort was that Berwalds skin tone had almost returned to normal and he looked more like he was sleeping than on the verge of dying.
Maybe he would even wake up soon so that he could walk on his own. But that was unlikely, only because the bread seemed to work it didn't mean it would work that fast, although it would make things a lot easier.
We needed to find a city soon, or at least a village, neither Mathias nor Arthur would be able to go on like this without proper food in their bellies and aside from a few pieces of dry bread there was nothing left. And we had to keep that in case Berwalds bandage needed a redo. It wouldn't hurt either to get a doctor to look at his wounds and I wanted one to check on my cough. I wouldn't even mind if we stayed there overnight, a good rest in a warm bed would certainly do wonders to cure me, even though I had to admit that the prospect of staying in another dead trap was not too promising.
After being chased out of two settlements by marauding soldiers or bandits I had a few trust issues with gatherings of more than one house. I even felt safer outside, despite the fact that we technically were out in the open and had no chance of hiding whatsoever. But a warm and comfy bed surely would convince me of giving cities another chance.
"Maybe I should start carrying you around instead of Berwald babe, I'm sure you're way more fun than he is." Mathias' voice pulled me out of my thoughts and I blinked at him in confusion. Sometimes I found it hard to follow his train of thoughts. "And why exactly would you want to carry me around?" I was not sure if I wanted to hear the answer, but I guessed it couldn't hurt to ask.
"Because I want to." Mathias exclaimed and grinned at me, before he slung his arms around me, lifted me up and spun me around one time, all the while kissing me, or rather trying to place a kiss on my lips and failing miserably and instead slobber over the rest of my face. I hoped this was not what he considered romantic.
I was so stunned that I let it happen and only after he had set me down again, did I gather my wits back, and despite my earlier resolve of being nicer to him, I couldn't resist the urge to smack him. Mathias winced a bit, not because I had hit him but because his arms still were strained from carrying Berwald and it was not the smartest idea to lift another heavy person so shortly after that. "Annoying idiot." I grumbled, but with the wide grin on his face I couldn't stay mad at Mathias, so I leaned in to affectionately peck a kiss on his cheek.
"Since you still have so much energy left, why don't you take Berwald back?" Arthur grunted and shifted the heavy load on his back a bit to get a better grip on Berwalds legs. Mathias grin turned almost sheepish and he rubbed his shoulders to emphasize that he still needed to recover. Arthur rolled his eyes, but I could see that a soft smile was tugging at his lips and his eyes gleamed with fondness as he watched Mathias and me exchanging affection.
Francis used the opportunity and mimicked my action by placing a tender kiss on Arthur's cheek. Arthur, whose hands where occupied otherwise could only blush and curse at Francis, but in truth he didn't mind the gesture at all.
After that, we walked mostly in silence, it was too cold to put much effort into anything and so everyone huddled into their coat and tried to stay warm as best as possible.
And then after seemingly an eternity, finally the form of a house peeled out of the snow that was billowing through the air. And after the first came another and another and soon we were at the outskirts of a small settlement that had formed at the junction where the small dirt path connected with the main road. It couldn't really be considered a village; it was only an inn and a few buildings that surrounded the inn, stables a barn, an orchard and a few cottages for the servants.
I doubted that we would find a doctor here, but at least we could get some rest and restock our food supplies. But before we could enter the yard that surrounded the bulky looking inn a man stepped through the door, armed with a mean looking pitch fork, followed by another man, or rather a boy this time who carried one of those hammers a blacksmith would use, and through one of the windows peeked the tip of a crossbow.
We came to a stumbled halt as the man with the fork yelled at us: "Stop right there or we'll poke you full of holes. Who are you and what is your business here?" I eyed the crossbow suspiciously, I had my share of dangerous weapons pointed at me, I was not too keen on yet another one. And those men looked as if they were serious about the whole deal with the holes.
Mathias stepped forward, arms raised up in the air to show that he was unarmed and meant no harm. "We just look for a warm place to stay and rest, we have money and we'll pay for the food." Mathias' voice didn't betray if he was afraid or not, but he sounded weary and I was sure that the rest of us looked just as ragged and no one could seriously believe that we posed a threat.
It was not easy to see in the snow but the man who seemed to be the leader, the one with the fork, almost looked us over before he turned to his companion and said something that was drowned by the rustling wind. The men came to a decision then and waved us closer, and carefully we made our way through the yard, keeping our eyes on the weapons that still were raised threateningly.
The man who had done all the talking until now looked us over one final time before he stepped aside, the warmth from inside greeted us like a long lost lover and we hurried to get in. Arthur almost bumped Berwalds head on the doorframe but with a bit of help we managed to get both of them in without major injuries.
"What's with your friend?" The younger man with the hammer asked, while his companion who looked a bit like his father disappeared into another room mumbling something about getting the food ready. "He's wounded and needs some rest." Francis said who helped Arthur to lift Berwald from his back. "Do you have a room with a bed that you can spare? Don't worry we'll pay."
"Of course, I'll show you." The young man leaned his hammer against the wall next to the door and then led Arthur and Francis with Berwald between them to another door, followed by Tino who watched Berwalds head in case another doorframe would prove to be tricky.
Since there was no use in all of us crowding Berwalds sickroom we instead followed the other man through the door and entered what seemed to be the main room with tables and benches and a long bar at one side with a giant beer keg behind it. Only a few men sat in one corner of the room around a table, watching us with dark eyes but returned to their drinks once they deemed us harmless. Mathias whistled through his teeth as he saw the keg and he slapped a hand on my shoulder. "Tonight I'll show you the perfection that is beer." He announced, before he walked over to the bar where the man with the fork, no without the fork, was standing and talking to a gruff looking woman who I identified as the crossbow wielder, now without crossbow.
So apparently that meant that we would stay the night. Emil sat down at one of the table and put Mr. Puffin down before him, the bird had taken the cold pretty well, but with all those feathers and downs that was no wonder. Mathias was discussing the conditions of our stay with the owner and the woman disappeared through a door behind the bar to prepare food for us.
I sat next to my brother, after walking for so long it was pure bliss to be able to sit down in a room warmed by a cozy little fireplace. My feet were aching now that the feeling returned to them and I rubbed my hands together to quicken the process. The prickling sensation was not pleasant at all but by now it had become almost routine to have my limbs frozen off and then revived again. Still I was glad since the sting meant that my fingers and toes were not dead yet.
"Do you have by any chance a doctor here?" Mathias asked the innkeeper, who had began to fill tankards with beer out of the keg and placed them on a tray on the bar. "M'afraid not." He grunted as he heaved the tray up and carried it over to our table. "Maybe one o' the other guests is a doctor but I doubt it. They're rare these times."
The door opened as he put the tray down on our table to distribute the beer, and Arthur and Francis entered the room. Francis was beaming and even Arthur was smiling. "Berwald has woken up and he's feeling better already, the bread has worked." Francis' happiness was infectious and I felt as if a heavy burden was just lifted from my heart. I had monitored Berwalds condition and he had seemed better but to hear the confirmation from Francis felt even better.
"That is a reason to celebrate!" Mathias exclaimed and jumped up from the seat he had just taken. "Tino is staying with him." Arthur said, paying Mathias no mind and examining the beer in the tankards while he sat down. "Food is finished soon." The owner grumbled but I stopped him before he could leave. "Can I have a cup with hot water please?" I asked, since there was no doctor I'd better take care of my cough on my own and since the willow bark tea had helped the last time I figured I could use the rest of it. I was rewarded with an affirmative grunt and a look that seemed to question my sanity and then the man retreated back behind his bar.
"What do you want with hot water?" Mathias wondered as he pushed one of the tankards in my hands, eager to get me to drink his favorite beverage. "I need to take care of that nasty cough, so better start now." I explained and put my hand on the handle like I had seen Mathias do it.
The other had taken up their respective tankard and waited for me to follow their example, but not without a bit of complaint. "I'd prefer wine." Francis pointed out but since the occasion was so special he would make an exception, but just this once.
"Shouldn't we wait for Tino?" Emil asked, eying his drink with not so much enthusiasm. Our father had drunken beer from time to time, but we had been too young to try it but I remembered that he always was loud and a bit annoying when he came home from drinking with his buddies. He would always start to sing, completely off key unfortunately, and talk in a really loud voice; mother had always complained that he was unreasonable when he was drunk. And since Mathias already was loud and annoying when he was sober I didn't want to see him drunk, and I especially didn't want to see myself drunk.
But one beer couldn't hurt, and according to Mathias it was really worth it.
"Tino won't leave Berwalds side; I have ordered something to eat for him too and a broth for Berwald." Mathias waved his hand dismissively. "He'll be fine." "Okay then." To my surprise Arthur seemed excited, and so we all took our drinks and raised our tankards. "To us, who have overcome every obstacle so far."Mathias cheered, accompanied by the tankards clonking together. "To Berwald, who manages to recover from everything." Francis added and we brought our beer mugs together again.
"To weird circumstances that cause us to stumble through the snow in one moment and let us drink in reckless abandon in the next, as if nothing happened." I said, and was greeted promptly with silence. But I felt that it had to be said, after all we constantly alternated between dangerous situations in which our lives were at stakes and situations like these, where everything seemed to be just fine.
I just wished it would stay like that this time. No more danger, no more drama, no more running for our lives and no more threats to our lives. I would even empty that damned beer keg if it would help us to finally achieve peace. Since no one really knew how to react to my words, they just stared at me in silence until Emil raised his jug and said: "To a happy end for all of us."
And with that we all took a hearty swig from our beer, or rather Arthur and Mathias did, the rest of us merely took a sip to taste the strange liquid. It was a bit bitter but else not so bad, but it didn't reall match my taste, besides I shouldn't overdo it, I was still sick and sick people weren't supposed to drink too much alcohol. As on cue the owner came out of the kitchen with trays full of food, the woman behind him carrying another tray and a mug with steaming hot water.
I literally felt as if I could eat a bear.
Mathias had emptied his tankard in one go and quickly ordered a refill, his eyes were sparkling and he was in an exceptional good mood. "How d'you like it?" He wanted to know, while the innkeeper put the food on the table. I shrugged and took my hot water, the others started with the food but I wanted to prepare my tea before I ate. "It's okay I guess." I rummaged through my bag that I had placed under the bench and pulled out the few pieces of bark I had left and put them in the water. Then I set the mug aside to let the water soak through the bark and took a plate.
"I knew you'd like it." Mathias grinned and took another plate after he placed a quick kiss on my lips. The owner came with two new tankards to replace the ones that Arthur and Mathias had emptied and even though I somehow dreaded what was surely to come after another few rounds of beer, I couldn't help but smile as I saw them all so happy and carefree, and when Tino came to join us, after Berwald had fallen asleep again, new bandage wrapped and all, the evening was perfect, because at least for this night we all could forget what lied behind us and what might still lie ahead of us.
I even enjoyed the beer.
And I even enjoyed the antics of a drunken Mathias.
I wouldn't mind if my life from now on would belike this. Happy and without a worry.
...