"It's too bad there wasn't any clothing in that house," Kurt mused as he and his siblings walked over a short series of rocky passages. He looked over at Louisa and shrugged. "It's not that cold, though."
His sister smiled at him. "Is the blanket helping?" she asked, her eyes dropping to the thin covering around his legs.
Kurt laughed and readjusted it around him. "I feel like a duke or like Count Dracula," he said, smiling brightly.
"There has to be a village or farm near us," Brigitta said, helping Marta jump down from a small overhang. She glanced behind to their parents. "I wish we could help Father and Mother. They seem so worried."
"Yes, Mother can't even eat, she's so concerned," Louisa said. "It really isn't so bad, this hiking. I would rather hike over the mountains than be home without Father."
The others nodded. "And it'll be a good story to tell people when it's all over," Kurt offered. "Our adventure in the Alps."
"I wish we could go home, though," Brigitta confessed, sighing. "I wish we didn't have to be doing this."
Louisa turned, seeing the majestic mountains of her home behind her. "Mother would say that there's an open window for all this," she thought aloud. "I just wish I knew where it was."
"It's an adventure," Kurt insisted, hugging the blanket closer to him. He rubbed his stomach. "I am hungry though. How long has it been since we've eaten?"
"Lunch was a few hours ago, Kurt," Louisa answered, trying to ignore her own grumbling stomach.
"It wasn't much of a lunch," Kurt added softly. Catching his sisters' chastising glances, he shrugged. "It wasn't! I'm not complaining, but I could do more than another helping of nearly frozen berries."
"I'm sure we'll find something soon," Louisa said, determined not to let their fears overcome them.
"Brigitta?" Marta asked, breaking into the tense mood.
Her older sister looked down at her. "Yes?"
"Would you mind if I walk with Mother and Father?" Marta asked.
The trio turned and looked at the group of five behind them. They had walked considerably ahead of the rest of the family, determined to be the first to see signs of other people. Brigitta smiled and nodded to Marta. "Go ahead," she said, and the little girl dashed off behind them.
Marta ran to the bottom of the small gorge she and her siblings had just passed, waiting for the others to join her.
As the second half of the group approached the little cliff, Friedrich jumped down and stretched his arms out for his father to hand Gretl down to him. Then, Liesl sat at the cliff's edge and gracefully pushed herself off, smiling at Marta as she landed.
Georg raised his eyebrows before turning to Maria. "Will you jump like Friedrich or scoot like Liesl?" he asked, a twinkle in his eyes.
She gave him a feigned look of offense. "You're not going to hand me down like you did for Gretl?" she asked.
"I know better than to hand you over to anyone," he murmured, and she grinned at him.
"Maybe I'll jump," she suggested, surveying the scene.
"Maria," he cautioned, recognizing the determined look in his wife's eyes.
She leaned over and kissed his cheek. "I'm not foolish enough to risk hurting myself at the moment," she said and stepped forward. Following Liesl's example, she sat on the edge and pushed herself off. Not expecting the ground to be so close, she stumbled to regain her footing. She immediately felt a pair of hands on her shoulders, and she looked over to see Friedrich next to her, watching her with concern.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
She smiled and hugged him to her. "Yes, thank you," she whispered. Pulling back, she studied him for a moment. "You're such a wonderful young man, Friedrich."
His cheeks reddened, and he looked up at his father to prevent his discomfort from being readily visible. Maria noticed it anyway and patted his arm.
"Thank you, Friedrich," she said again. "You're not so impossible, you know."
He looked over at her and smiled at the memory before walking over to Marta and taking the girl's hand. Georg joined the group and cocked his head to his daughter.
"Would you like to rest on my back, Marta?" he asked. She didn't need to be asked twice and thrust her arms up in the air. Friedrich helped her onto her father's back, and once they were situated, Georg turned to his son.
"Walk with your Mother," he whispered. "She's tired."
Friedrich straightened and nodded quickly. Silently, the group resumed their path towards what they hoped was a village or farm close by.
"The clearing in the trees is a good sign," Georg commented after a moment. "It's probably a farm."
"That'll be a good place to rest," Liesl said, clutching Gretl's hand in hers.
"I'll be content just to rest in the hay for a while," Maria confessed.
"In the hay?" Gretl repeated, giggling. "Doesn't that itch?"
"Oh, no!" Maria exclaimed, laughing. "I used to sleep in the hay a lot when I was a child. The barn is a very nice place to sleep; all the animals make it very warm."
"Doesn't it get smelly?" Gretl asked, still unsure what to think of sleeping with the animals.
"I'll take smelly if it's warm," Friedrich said, guiding his mother gently as they walked over some uneven terrain. Maria smiled in appreciation and looked up to see Georg turning to watch them. She met his gaze and nodded, her heart breaking for the weariness in his eyes.
Georg smiled tightly and turned to lead their little group. Not too far ahead of them, he could see Louisa, Brigitta, and Kurt walking steadily, guiding them all to the other side of the hill. The clearing in the foliage was encouraging. He knew that staying with people and a chance of some real food would truly boost everyone's spirits.
His heart tightened at how adamantly the children had rallied behind him. They truly had the utmost trust in him, and that meant more to him than he thought it would. His mind wondered back to the beginning to the summer, and how dramatically different his relationship with his children was. He couldn't imagine their current situation if he had still kept his love for them hidden behind his pain and fear.
Soft laughter caught his ear, and he turned around to see Maria and Friedrich sharing a private moment. Georg smiled at the sight. Friedrich was turning into quite the capable and admirable young man, even in the few short weeks of the summer. Maria was right: all his son needed was someone to show him how to be a man, and he'd follow the lead to his fullest ability.
Maria had been right about a lot of things.
"Father, are you alright?" he heard Marta's quiet voice ask him.
He looked upwards, seeing only his daughter's eyes at the close range. She giggled at the funny sight.
"Yes, my dear, I'm fine," he said and bounced her gently on his shoulders.
"Will we be home soon?" she asked.
Georg tightened his hold on her. "And where do you want home to be, Marta?"
"Switzerland!" she exclaimed.
He laughed and hugged her to him again. "We'll be there soon, my dear," he said.
She leaned her head down to rest against the top of his, and he heard her sigh. He looked over at Liesl guiding Gretl, his eldest saying something that caused the child to giggle. Feeling more and more encouraged by his family's jovial actions, he walked a little faster down the path.
"Will we ever go back to our old home, Father?" Marta asked.
Stiffening for a second, the Captain sighed. "I don't know, Marta," he admitted. "I do hope some day."
"Will Switzerland be as pretty as home?"
"I think it'll be pretty," he said. "It'll look a lot like home. There are mountains and lakes and trees and meadows."
"And pussy-willows?" she asked.
Georg cocked his head at the atypical object his daughter mentioned, but nodded after a moment. "Lots of pussy-willows."
Marta seemed content to know that, and hugged her arms around his head, causing him to laugh. They resumed their walk, and the Captain found his anger and pain at losing Austria become less astute. While he didn't think he'd ever cease mourning the world he had loved with all his being, he knew that his family was more important to him than anything. Their safety was all that mattered to him, and it touched him to have their unfaltering love and devotion to him.
Georg stopped and turned to Liesl and Gretl. He looked down and saw Gretl take a deep breath inward before squinting up at him and smiling. Maria and Friedrich approached the group, and Georg looked over at his wife, who was eyeing him questioningly.
"How are we doing?" His question was general, but he looked pointedly at Maria, whose pallor still didn't sit right with him.
She smiled and nodded. "I feel as if I've walked off every crèpe and mille-feuille I'd eaten in Paris."
They shared a smile before he looked over at Friedrich. The boy nodded mutely, and Georg set his jaw in determination. He was about to suggest they rest for a few more moments when the sight of the other children running towards them caught their attention. Georg squinted in the light and saw a new figure slowly following his children.
"Georg," Maria said lowly, and he could hear the hope intermixed with reservation in her voice.
"Father!" Kurt exclaimed as he ran closer, his blanket flying behind him like a cape. "He has a farm! He'll let us stay!"
Georg reached up and pulled Marta off of his shoulders. Apprehensive, the little girl clung to her father's waist as Louisa and Brigitta soon joined the rest of the group.
"He's Herr Meinhard," Louisa said, breathless. "He wants to speak with you, Father."
The Captain looked up to watch the man approach them. The stranger was an older man, who carried the appearance of an Alpine farmer with a mixture of pride and common sense. Georg extended his hand. "Sir," he said politely and not without a hint of caution.
The other took his hand and shook it heartily. "What is a family with young children doing on the mountains?" he asked, looking at each child in turn. "You all must be famished."
"Forgive me, sir," Georg said, feeling his nerves relax. "I'm afraid we had no choice. We're en route to Switzerland, and traveling by foot was a last resort, but we had to leave immediately. My name is Georg."
The farmer narrowed his eyes and studied Georg. After a moment, he smiled again, only this time, he was filled with comprehension and compassion.
"I regret that I cannot say more than that, sir," Georg said softly.
The older man looked at him carefully. "I understand," he said in a dramatically different tone than just moments before.
"I would never dream of putting you or your family in any sense of danger," Georg continued. "If I may ask for just one meal for my family, then we'd be on our way."
Georg heard Maria exhale slowly, and silently prayed that this stranger would take them into his home if only for a night.
The farmer looked over at the children again, and his gaze stopped on Maria. Seeing the hope on their faces brought out more sympathy for their plight. "You must rest for a few days, Georg," he said, looking back at the Captain. "Your family is tired."
Georg exhaled. "I thank you, sir," he said, shaking the man's hand again. "We won't stay long, nor shall we take advantage of your hospitality. We will assist you in any way we—"
"Please, for now, you will rest," the farmer interrupted. "My name is Daniel. Let me take you to my farm, where my wife, Eva, will spoil you no matter how much you protest."
Georg smiled and looked over at Maria, whose face seemed to regain some of its color with the good news. She smiled brightly at him.
"I'm afraid that we only have room for all of you in our barn," Daniel continued. "But I think you'd like to be together."
Georg nodded, feeling Marta hug his waist tighter. He took her hand in his as Daniel turned and started to lead them to his farm. The Captain turned and saw hope on his children's faces. Looking up to Maria, his smile grew more as their eyes met and she nodded at him.
"Thank the Lord," she whispered, clutching Friedrich's arm tighter.
With renewed vigor, the group walked towards the farm, their relief growing with every step.
To be continued…