Chapter 21: The Journey Begins
Anna clutched the horse's reins tighter as she glanced back over her shoulder. Hans was still standing at farm's gate conversing with Heinrich Kranz. His hands were at his waist as he secured his scabbard belt to his long coat. She let out at saddened sigh at the sight. This was a bittersweet moment. It was time to leave the farm.
She took a deep breath to steel herself. The announcement for their departure came two days prior. It was then that she felt most apprehensive about setting off on the road again. Thankfully for her, a well-timed rainstorm delayed their travel, and it earned her an extra day of safety and security—or housewife training—as Hans preferred to call it. She had rolled her eyes upon hearing that.
Housewife training… BAH. I don't recall him learning how to be a decent husband…, she had grumbled to herself at the time.
Of course, the extra night was also wonderful. She knew getting into bed that it could be the last time they would have a comfortable place to sleep for a while. They turned in early last night. There were no conversations or doodling in sketchbooks. The rest was a luxury, but it made for a difficult time getting out of bed this morning. Like most of their other nights spent together, she had woken up in Hans' arms, and until his own grogginess wore off, he was not too keen on releasing her. It was certainly not an ideal position for her to be stuck in, but he was warm. He was always warm. And the bedroom most certainly was not.
Anna sighed again and averted her gaze downwards to her lap. The gloves she purchased in Heidelberg were much warmer than she anticipated. That was definitely a good thing. There was a good breeze blowing through the trees. It only reminded her that eventually, the average temperatures would keep dropping. It was only a matter of time before winter would arrive, but at least now she and Hans were slightly more prepared. Gertrude had gone into town with Hans the other day and acquired a much warmer cloak for her to wear—one that even matched nicely with her still-slightly-misshapen- bonnet. Gertrude was also kind enough to let her keep some of the clothes she had borrowed during her stay. They were far plainer, warmer, and much more practical for traveling than some of the attire she originally packed.
And Hans…
She took another look over her shoulder. The two men were still conversing, though they just shook hands. Whatever they were discussing, it would soon be at an end. Her eyes lingered on her companion. Hans didn't receive as much of a new wardrobe as she did, but he was given a new greatcoat. This one was chocolate brown in color and had the added benefits of being without a bloody hole through one sleeve, and the rather obvious symbols of the Southern Isles decorated across the back. He would blend in with the crowds much easier now.
And though she would never admit it out loud, she had to admit that that coat certainly cut him quite the figure.
Her gaze immediately snapped forward when Hans finally left the farm gate and made his way towards her with a stern expression on his face.
…what on earth did they talk about?
He was soon at her side. He gave her horse's head a quick rub before looking up at her, and his frown softened considerably when his eyes met hers. "Shall we?"
Anna nodded reluctantly. "I'm afraid that if we don't go now, we never will. Especially with you suddenly becoming quite the chatterbox."
Hans rolled his eyes and swiftly mounted his steed. "He was merely giving some last-minute advice."
"Helpful advice, I hope? Something more profound than 'don't get shot'?"
"Of course."
The troubled look on his face did not quite fade away, even after he led both of them down the road. His seriousness did not help her growing anxiety. Anna found herself turning back to look behind her as the farm grew smaller with distance. Heinrich still stood watching from the gate, but Gertrude remained further back on the front porch of the house. She could only just make out the woman waving goodbye with a white handkerchief in her hand.
"Oh…" Anna sighed a bit louder than she intended. There was a curve in the road, and as soon as the farm was no longer visible anymore, she forced herself forward again.
"What's wrong?"
His voice startled her, and she quickly glanced to the side. He was glancing at her rather perplexed.
"I… I miss the farm," she admitted shyly.
Hans blinked, "we've been on the road for maybe five minutes."
"I know…" she huffed, "but the stay was… I dunno… nice."
"Nice?"
"Yes. Nice." Anna cleared her throat. "For a few days, everything just felt normal. There was no danger, no running, no anything. It was just calm and relaxing and—"
"Conjugal?"
She shot him an annoyed glare at the teasing smirk on his face. "Yes, I'm sure I could guess what your favorite parts were of our time spent there. Or should I daresay, the nights spent?"
Hans merely shrugged and faced forward. "I won't lie to you, Anna. I slept very well the last several days."
Yes, and I'm certain I'm the reason why.
"I bet I could guess what you probably miss." He prompted.
"It certainly isn't your grabby embrace…." She muttered under her breath.
If he heard her, he made no effort to show it. "I suspect you're longing to be back in that delightfully smelling kitchen with one of Frau Kranz's white aprons over your dress…" he said, amused, "rolling dough or beating some poor batch of eggs into submission—"
"—you're making fun of me—"
"—Hardly." He replied. "I thought she taught you rather well."
"You were never in that kitchen to see the terrible messes I made."
"And yet the final product was always so wonderful." He said with a fond smile, "I never thought I could ever enjoy breakfast in bed so much."
She tightened her hand on the reins and raised her brow. "You only got a breakfast in bed once."
"Your point? It was delightful."
"Is that what else you long for? Me in the role of domestic servitude?"
Hans shrugged. "I liked the smile on your face at learning something new; the pure joy when I told you that your creation was delicious, or when you showed off your first attempt at darning a sock," he cleared his throat, "It's the little things, the peaceful things, as you said."
His answer gave her some pause. It was a far more tender response than she anticipated. They weren't little things of his doing… they were hers. Did her happiness really have that much of an impact on him? "I'm surprised you didn't mention my beating you up."
He chuckled, "Oh I don't miss that since it's bound to happen again. It's only a matter of time."
"Hmph. But what about everything else?" She asked and slowly steered her horse closer to his. "Do… do you think we'll ever get a small amount of peace again? Like we had on Kranz farm?"
His gaze didn't appear too reassuring. "I don't know. But we've got a long road ahead. I suppose there's always the chance."
"So?" Anna sighed as she dismounted and stretched her arms out after the ride. "Are you ever going to tell me where we're going? Or are all the details of our travel for your eyes and ears only?" One last stretch of her legs and then she took a seat at the trunk of a nearby tree. "It's not good for husbands to keep secrets from their wives, y'know."
"Oh?" Hans hopped down from his saddle and started digging through one of his saddle bags. "I didn't think our martial relations applied out here in the middle of nowhere."
"They don't." She said quickly before he could misconstrue her intent. "Bit you're always eager to play that card when it suits you. Why can't I?"
"You most certainly can. Just be careful what you wish for."
Her eyes immediately narrowed. "What are you implying?"
"Nothing to get your drawers in a bunch. It's no secret that this cover of ours still causes you discomfort." He replied and moved around the horses with his hands buried in his coat pockets. "But… I suppose that might change one day. You never know what the future may bring."
Our eventual future will bring an end to this kingdom conflict so we could finally go our separate ways.
"If you value your immediate future, then you'll get over here and tell me where we're going." She watched as he eventually approached her. He sat down with a rough plop beside her, his shoulder bumping up against hers.
"Well, our future…" he began and dug through his coat to pull out a folded map. When he opened it up, le laid it across her lap. "…will be leading us to Gaslow, right here." He pointed to a spot on the parchment.
Anna's eyes scanned the map beyond where his finger currently lay. It was a more localized detail of the region. Heidelberg was depicted in rather large lettering towards the bottom-right corner and it seemed to give her a decent measure of distance between the two points. "At least that doesn't seem too far." She said with a hint of optimism. "How long do you think it'll take for us to travel that much?"
"I suppose that all depends on us. The more rest stops we take, the longer the journey becomes."
"…obviously."
Hans cleared his throat and took back the map. "We left the farm at noon, so I'd estimate that we would arrive there sometime between late night and mid-morning tomorrow."
"That's a big range." Anna said. "Is that your estimation or Heinrich's?"
"His was the middle of the night based on how long it took a single man to ride with hardly any stops. However, I'm traveling with you, so it's going to take us a bit longer."
His tone didn't sit quite well with her, whether he intended that statement to be accusatory or not. If he were trying to be honest, he could have at least been a little nicer about it. "I guess this will be our first return to woodland campouts and such, huh…" she said with a sigh, "Not that I'm calling myself slow or the reason we take longer—"
"—certainly not."
"…I'm merely agreeing with your rather realistic timetable." She wrinkled her nose. Another breeze came through, and it reminded her of a new problem. "it might be cold tonight. Do you think we'll be alright outside?"
Hans shrugged nonchalantly. "Sure. We'll just build a fire and huddle for warmth."
"…joy." Anna groaned. So much for the hope of getting some distance from him tonight. Just how long would it take before she managed to maintain her personal space at night? "Well, if there's a campfire, that means you get to do all the work." She prompted with a rather pleased look forming on her face. "I think I'll enjoy sitting back and doing nothing."
"And what if I make you hunt and cook our dinner?"
Anna couldn't resist snorting. "I can barely crack an egg. Do you really want to trust me to keep us alive out here?"
"Well, when you put it that way…" he chuckled and got back to his feet. "Perhaps I shouldn't trust you with anything at all."
Anna stood back up and brushed off her skirts. "I wouldn't go that far!" She said as she approached her horse and dug around her bag for the water flask. "We're still a team."
"That we are." He followed after her and hopped back aboard his saddle.
Anna took a decent sip and offered the flask to him. He declined it, so it went back into her bag. She wasn't too eager to set off again so soon. The break lasted maybe five minutes. He wasn't even giving her the opportunity to have a quick snack—not that she was in desperate need of food at the moment, but if all of their future stops were going to be this short, they were going to have a problem. Time might very well be of the essence, but what good was it if they arrived in Gaslow in subpar condition? With a loud sigh, she hoisted herself onto her horse. Hans wasted no time in signaling his steed forward again in the direction of the road.
The ride was quiet but not necessarily uncomfortable. For once, Anna welcomed the silence. She and Hans had a long way to go, and their solitude between stops would give her plenty of moments to put her plans towards him into motion.
Well, first, she had to come up with one.
Every so often, her eyes would travel to her left, to the side of his horse where his satchel was strapped down. Ever since the other evening with her drawing, she had begun to speculate just what might be lurking about in his sketchbook. Random objects, scenic representations of home, childishly crude depictions of his brothers, perhaps? Now that would certainly be something to see.
It's all a bit unfair… she thought to herself, he knows so much about me, as if my life were an open book. What's the real harm in evening the score a bit? I don't want to know all of his secrets. That would probably set me over the edge. But what's wrong with getting to know him just a little bit better? Wouldn't it make this whole escapade that much more bearable? I would think he would want me to see him in a better light. Isn't that everyone's secret goal in life—to be liked by others? I know it's definitely one of mine.
Their ride lasted for several hours before Hans decided they would have to make camp for the night at a dense group of trees. It was the first heavily wooded area they came across since their one brief pause earlier in the day. The south-eastern region of the country was rich in open fields and farmland. Anna lost track of how many individual farmhouses they passed. They all seemed to remind her of Kranz farm, though she made sure not to let her eyes linger for too long—especially when there were people out working the land. The last thing she need was anyone getting a brief glimpse and recognizing her.
Hans got a fire built without much difficulty and she eagerly pulled the horses close and settled comfortably against one of them. The wind died down earlier in the day, but she was correct in predicting the temperature would significantly drop once the sun set. To her dismay, the warmth didn't extend much past the fire and her warmer attire. With the later hour, Hans didn't want to go trapsing through the woods beyond their campsite, so there was no warm meal. Their dinner consisted of the remains of some military rations and some breaking into part of a care package Gertrude prepared for them.
Anna watched Hans kneel by the fire to stoke it. A few more twigs were added to the pile, but he didn't seem to try to move away from it.
Wasn't he the one who said we had to cling to each other to stay warm? What gives?
"…aren't you going to come and sit?" She asked, patting the ground beside her.
"You would rather I didn't." He said quietly.
"But we have to stay warm—"
"—it's plenty warm where I am."
Anna furrowed her brow. It seemed Hans was once again in one of his moods. The more she stared at him, she could see how intense he was staring at the flames. If something were bothering him, she wanted to know what—especially if she were the cause. She couldn't imagine what she could have done this time to somehow set him off. Today seemed rather amicable between them.
"What's wrong?" She asked. "What have I done now?"
"Nothing."
She immediately frowned. Leave it to Hans to give such a vague answer that didn't resolve either of her questions. "Well… are you upset with me?"
"No." He sighed, "it's not you."
For once…. She let out a sigh of relief. "Then come and sit with me so we can talk about it." When he didn't react, she added in a 'please'.
If this is going to happen every time we travel in silence, we're in big trouble. I don't know what goes on in his head, but it doesn't sound like a good place. Her eyes followed him as he reluctantly stood and moved over to her. Unlike earlier, this time when he sat down, there was a good bit of space between them.
"I've been thinking about Charlotte," He admitted softly.
"Oh…" She whispered. That certainly explained a lot. The queen was a bit of a sore point for him. He had reminded her on several occasions, in their angrier arguments, how it was Charlotte who was meant to undertake this great exodus instead of her. It was a way to make her see reason. She thought it a low blow just to win a fight and would have considered this another of those moments were it not for the faraway look in his eyes or the quiet tone of voice he used. It was only a matter of time before the magnitude of the situation really wore him down.
"You're right though," he said and gently leaned back into the horse's side, "time on the farm was nice. But it was also one giant escape. A dream. It was quiet and relatively comfortable, and I think it gave both of us a false sense of security. Being out on the road again really brought me back to the first days of our flight and all of the dangers and sacrifices that it represented." He frowned and glanced over to her, "I know the farm served more of an overall purpose than a place to recuperate. The Kranzes provided us a means of travel and I can't be more grateful for their help."
Anna raised her brow. She was under the impression he had more to say. "…but…?"
"We lingered there for too long." He sighed, "I know why we had to, but it doesn't change the fact that we still have a long way to go and every day spent stationary means another day that Charlotte and the others remain under Beker's grasp. It just really got me thinking of how our every move has to be prepared for us now, and there's no telling how long we'll have to shelter in place before it's safe to keep traveling. Control of the situation has been taken away from us. What will that mean for Charlotte?"
Anna cringed. While she was only trapped in the castle for a few hours, she could remember two distinct instances of being roughed about. The horrific scene in the ballroom was enough to make her shudder. She could easily understand and relate to Hans' intense worries. So many days had passed by since their escape. A great number of events could have transpired back in Rheland… or even beyond. She and Hans had no way of receiving news about the other kingdoms of the realm.
He is right to fear for her. A-and for once, I'm glad he brought up the subject. I have to remember what's really important here. Despite what it seems, it's not all about me and Hans. Charlotte's fate, and everyone else's relies on us getting to our homelands.
Her gaze shifted slowly to the side. Hans was no longer looking in her direction. He was staring down at his lap and twiddling his thumbs. Despite their differences, she still hurt for him. Any discomfort knowing that she took Charlotte's only chance of escape were undoubtably eclipsed by the guilt he must be carrying about leaving her behind.
"Can I ask you something?" She asked, "Do you regret rescuing me instead of her?" Part of her was almost afraid of his answer. She and Hans clearly didn't see eye to eye about a lot of things, but if their arguments were constantly spawning out of a form of resentment towards her, she felt she had a right to know.
Hans took a long, deep breath before responding. "I don't regret saving you, Anna. Your safety was—is—just as important as Charlotte's. But you're mistaken if you believe I even had a choice in the matter. It was Charlotte's decision to stay behind, not mine. There was nothing I could do at that point."
"If only all three of us could have fled together."
"That would have been nice." He sighed, "but I doubt I would have been able to protect both of you at the same time. That day on the road would have been the end of us. The only reason we both made it through that was because I sent you away and then only had to worry about defending myself for a few minutes. We only had one horse, so if Charlotte were with us, one of you would have had to stay behind with me. No doubt we would have been recaptured or killed.
"Oh—"
"—but when it comes down to it, I think I'd rather have you by my side out here. Charlotte is…" he struggled to find the right words, "…well… she's too much a proper lady—"
"—Excuse me?" Anna shot him a dirty look. Leave it to Hans to turn a compliment into an insult. "What about me?"
His jaw dropped as he suddenly stared at her. It dawned on him what he was implying, and he quickly raised his hands in peace before she could even consider swatting at him. "I just mean you're almost complete opposites. I bet you were the kind of child to climb trees and act as energetic and rambunctious as you could without getting into too much trouble, while she would have been stuck with a fussy governess from dawn until dusk being taught needlepoint and French and whatever else ladies are supposed to know."
"Uh, I learned some of those things, too!" Anna bristled. "What's your point?"
"My point is, while you tend to be feisty and impulsive, she is more… level-headed and diplomatic—"
Anna's eyes narrowed, "—keep it up. You're asking to get slapped."
Hans huffed, "Look, all I'm failing to get at is that you two have vastly different approaches. You'd never find Charlotte swinging a lute into someone's face or being brave enough to keep a dagger strapped to her waist. So, while I'm terrified for her safety, I have to trust that she's pulling whatever strings she can to undermine Beker and his plans."
"But she's a prisoner. What could she possibly do?"
"Who knows. But she's a queen. It has to count for something," Hans replied, "so long as Beker didn't treat all of the imprisoned royalty the same as King Wilhelm." His head shook slowly as he ran a hand through his hair. "It's a lose-lose situation for me, either way. Should we ever get back to Arendelle and the Southern Isles, I'll be lucky to keep my head after what I've done. Frederick won't care whose idea it was for her to remain in that castle. All he'll see is that I made it home without her." His gaze redirected back towards their campfire, "You remember all of your talk about strength and the importance of true love? Well, you may not have found that with me, but Freddy certainly did with Charlotte. Granted, he's still a bit of an ass even on a good day, but Charlotte definitely changed him for the better and he probably doesn't even know it. She is everything to him, Anna. Everything. He's living out that fairy-tale dream of a being the prince who found that perfect princess with beauty, grace, and gentility. I doubt there's another woman in the entire realm that could offer even a glimmer of the light that Charlotte has brought to my family. That's why it's so important that we succeed. We have to save her. She's not just Freddy's wife or my queen. She's the only thing holding the family together. If she's lost… I couldn't tell you how badly Frederick would break."
Hans…. She reached over to place a comforting hand on his arm. "Are… are things really that fragile back home?" She asked, "It's not exactly a word I would ever think to describe the Westergaard house.
Hans shrugged. "Maybe I'm exaggerating based on personal experiences, but I do remember how Frederick was before Charlotte, him along with the rest of the clan. He was their ringleader, and thanks to him, I was always designated to become the family punching bag. Then Arendelle happened, and for a while, things got even worse. But that's also when my father died, and Frederick met Charlotte. Family priorities changed. They married, she moved to the Isles, and most of my brother suddenly started acting like civilized heathens—"
"What is a 'civilized heathen'?" Anna interrupted, a bit puzzled by his choice of words, "Isn't that a bit contrary?"
"Not if you're a Westergaard." His hand dragged downward across his face to rub at his chin. "I guess I'm just afraid of the worst happening. Even if we succeed in rallying our families and beating Alvania and Beker at their own game… if Charlotte gets lost in the middle, then my life will be over. I'll be personally blamed for getting her killed, Frederick will spiral into despair, and the rest of my brothers will take it out on me while simultaneously avoiding Frederick for who knows how long. I…. I just can't endure that level of abuse all over again."
Anna watched him carefully. This was the first personal conversation that he engaged in without her coercing him to open up first. The last thing she wanted was for one of her comments to be misinterpreted. "I… I doubt it would come to that—"
"—you don't know my brothers. I pray you never have to."
"But we're going to one of them…."
"Ludwig is an exception. There's a reason he's moved away from home."
Anna slid closer to him and leaned her head onto his shoulder. She wished she knew what to say to really comfort him, but the predicament wasn't exactly promising. "I… I know everything seems bleak, but don't lose hope. We're going to make through this. We're going to win this fight and save Charlotte; save everyone."
"You make it sound like such a simple task."
"I don't mean to. I know our road ahead will be full of challenges. But we'll overcome them! You and I, we're a team. We're fighters, even if half the time we're fighting each other. We're just passionate about what we believe in. And I believe we'll get through this, together. If we put our hearts and minds into this, then there's nothing that we can't do." She suddenly shifted against his side when his arm came up to wrap around her shoulder. This time, she didn't protest. He was upset, and if her presence could bring him the smallest of comforts, it was the least she could do.
"I wish I shared your optimism." He replied softly.
"Then let me carry it for the both of us."
"What about Charlotte?"
"The three of us, then." Anna declared, "Call it instinct or a sixth sense, but I think Charlotte is fine, and will continue to be until we can get her out. She's smart. Maybe she's not keen on wielding weapons—maybe she can't—but she's got her position to use to her advantage. She could be formulating some grand plan this entire time! We don't know, but we have to have hope. If you can't, or won't, then just let me."
His arm tightened around her and she glanced up slightly when she felt the weight of his head resting on hers. "I hope you're right," he whispered, "because time is still against us."
"In some ways, but maybe not in others. Arendelle and the Southern Isles might already know what's going on. There's always the chance that our governments already intervene in some way by the time we reach your brother.
"I highly doubt that."
"Never say never, Hans. Luck might actually be on our side for once!" She pulled her cloak tighter around her. "But there's nothing we can really do about it right now. I guess we just have to remain calm and focused. Maybe worry about one thing at a time—something you can actually control. Like us."
He nodded slowly against her. "I'll try."
"Maybe try and get some sleep, too." She offered, "we'll hit our first real stop tomorrow. The rest and a clear mind might help our moods."
"You sleep, though." He sighed, "I'm not tired."
She instantly thought back to the last time that happened- the night of that vicious attack on the road. He stayed up all night long watching over her while she slept. The only difference here was that he was the one with the troubled mind, not her. He was the one that really needed the recharge. There was no way she could stay up all night long, and neither could he.
"Just promise you'll sleep some. Don't pull the same stunt you did before. We won't be napping before reaching Gaslow."
"I will. I promise."
Anna was the first to wake the following morning. True to his word, Hans did doze off sometime after she did. Neither of them had really moved during the night and he was still using her head as his pillow. But her stirring and attempts to get up at least got a rise out of him. He was awake in minutes. After a quick breakfast from their care package, they were on the move again.
He seems better today, Anna thought to herself as she occasionally glanced over at him while they rode. The one time he actually caught her looking, he offered a small, reassuring smile.
Her spirits were kept high with the knowledge—or perhaps hope—that they would be reaching Gaslow very soon. She was eager to meet the first link in the underground network. Ever since Gertrude Kranz introduced the movement, she was immediately intrigued. Just how far did rebel influences reach? How powerful were they—are they—that they could continue to operate right under the government's nose? There were so many questions.
Hans might know… she mused. He and Heinrich were having quite the chat when it was time to leave.
"So…" Anna began and pulled her horse right up alongside his, "how much more do you know about the Underground?"
His brow raised curiously as he looked at her. "Not much. You know just as much as I do."
"But you were told where we're going. Didn't Heinrich share anything useful?"
"Herr Kranz only shared the specific details about the first stop."
"O-okay. Then what's the plan? I don't want to be left in the dark. Where are we going in Gaslow?"
Hans glanced around them to make sure no one was around. It was just the two of them on the empty road, so he leaned over towards her, "our destination is Katz' storefront. It's a toy store."
"Wait, what?" That certainly took her by surprise. All of her imaginings for the resistance movement involved people sneaking about through back-alleys or the outskirts of towns; anyplace without much foot-traffic. It was certainly not a toy shop where there could be who knew how many other customers, children included, around to overhear any conversations. How was that safe in the slightest? "Really?"
Hans nodded. "Really."
"So, our contact is the one who runs the store? How will he know who we are?"
"There's a specific code that we have to use when we get there. Now… what happens after that is anyone's guess."
"So, we'll find out when we get there…." Anna frowned. "That doesn't sound very reassuring."
"Hey now. What happened to all of that optimism from last night?"
"I think I'll get it back once we're safely out of the town." She gripped the reins a bit tighter, "should I even come with you?"
"Of course. Why wouldn't you?"
Anna bit her lip. "What if my face is plastered everywhere?" Now Hans' brows furrowed a bit, and it did not give her any confidence boost. It probably wasn't something he considered. After what happened in Heidelberg, it was all she could think about. After all, it was her likeness being passed about, not his, and it certainly didn't take too long for someone to recognize her back then.
"I suppose we'll just have to take our chances." He said, "It's not a question of leaving you just outside the town. Anything could happen once we contact the Underground agent. We'll just have to hope for the best that you blend in well enough."
Anna swallowed nervously and nodded. She was never more thankful that Gertrude Kranz offered her the alternative clothes to wear. Her rosemaling dress and cloak did seem out of place in the last two towns she and Hans passed through. Her new attire was far simpler. And the skirt of her new dress had slits for a proper pocket pouch that she now used for her coins and other small items. It at least freed up some space in her satchel. Small victories. She would take as many as she could get.
Her heart thumped a bit harder in her chest once they reached the sign indicating the Gaslow town line. Further up ahead, she could see the dirt road widen slightly as it curved gently to the right. There were no immediate buildings coming into view even as she and Hans continued down the road. If it weren't for the sign, she would never guess that there was civilization up ahead.
"You read that sign, too?" She asked, "I didn't just imagine it?"
"No, I saw it also."
It took several more minutes before a few buildings started to appear. First, some stray houses on one side of the road, then a bit further on, taller structures came into view. On the other side of the street, she could see a large church—one that seemed far too big for the amount of town surrounding it, a schoolhouse, and then finally a selection of storefronts.
"Well…" Hans leaned to whisper to her as they reached an intersection. "If this place were any smaller, we'd probably miss it."
"Yeah…" Anna glanced around. Considering it was mid-morning, everything was fairly quiet. Unlike Heidelberg's bustling environment, there weren't many people out and about. There weren't many vendor carts on street corners either. Merchants here all seemed to have their own enclosed stores. As she and Hans turned down one adjoining street that contained more shops, Anna easily noticed that there were no soldiers in sight, nor were there any pesky fliers attached to every tree or lamp post. That put her a bit more at ease. If only this were the first village they encountered instead of the stressful Heidelberg? She could have had actual time to look around for some supplies, or at least a delightful snack.
"I uh… don't suppose we could peruse?" Anna whispered to him, "I get the feeling I'm not in immediate danger here." When Hans glanced at her with a cocked eyebrow, she sighed in defeat. "…I'll take that to be a no."
"Business before pleasure, my dear," he said to her and politely nodded his head in greeting to a woman passing by.
"Ugh. With you, that means never."
"What did we just talk about last night? Time is against us. We can't afford to frolic about every quaint little town we come across." He sighed heavily. "Besides, what could you possibly need? We were well stocked by the Kranzes before we left!"
"I know…" she bit back, "I just like looking around. It's a nice break from the constant stress. It doesn't mean I want to go on a spending spree!"
Hans shook his head dismissively, "Maybe the next village—"
"—but the next village might not work!" Anna said and lowered her voice to a whisper, "My face could be everywhere else, but so far it isn't here." She reached over to place her hand on his arm as she begged. "Please."
Hans stared at her for what felt like forever before finally rolling his eyes. "Fine. If it matters that much to you." He glanced up and down the street, "just so you know, I'm not stalling the horses, so you won't be getting a lot of time."
Anna batted her lashes and flashed a victorious smile, "I knew you'd see things my way."
Hans snorted quietly and hopped down from his saddle. "Next time, I won't let you win me over with the sad eyes." He held his arms out to help her to the ground, then moved to the front of the steeds and gathered both of their reins. "You have fifteen minutes."
"That's all?!"
"Ten minutes."
"Ugh!" She threw her hands in the air and quickly shuffled away with her head held high. He didn't give her much freedom, but at least he wouldn't be breathing down her neck and rushing her along. Fifteen minutes without Hans? She would enjoy every second.
Her eyes quickly scanned the shop windows. So far, she passed a tannery, a dressmaker, and a bookseller. The last storefront was tempting, but there was no way she could really go through a bookstore in only fifteen minutes—or even come out empty handed. It was a shame. Finding a good book could be just what she'd need to get her mind away from the situation at hand—or a method of entertaining Hans so he wouldn't grate on her nerves on bad days.
With no store truly piquing enough of her interest on this side, she crossed the street towards the end of the block and started up the other side. Apothecaries, grocers, spice shops, even a small farmer's market were skipped until her nose caught a whiff of something deliciously sweet coming from a bakery just up ahead. If there was one thing she could never ignore, it was the delightful smell of chocolate.
Anna glanced down the street briefly. Hans was slowly leading the horses in her direction, but his attention wasn't on her.
Perfect. He won't go chasing me out here.
The little bell on the door chimed once she pushed it open and immediately, her mouth began to water. Baskets of breads, muffins, pastries, and cookies filled the main counter area and a few tables near it. A lot of will power was spent just dragging her away from a selection of small cakes to peruse the far side of the shop. Once she saw what was on display here, she instantly regretted it. She stumbled upon different shelves of different varieties of chocolates and fudge.
"Ooh… I shouldn't have come in here…" She mumbled to herself and took a step closer to the shelf to see what was for sale. Just staring at the prettily wrapped chocolate bars made her sad. So many of the sweets that she had purchased during the festival were left behind at the castle when Hans tore through it. He was only able to raid so much during their packing and some of her favorite delicacies were left behind to be eaten or disposed of by Beker's men.
Be strong. She kept telling herself. Don't give in to pressure. Hans will be so impressed that I could resist the sweetest temptations!
"Oh hello!" An elder woman, presumably the baker, emerged from the back of the shop and wiped her hands on her chocolate-stained apron. "What can I help you with today?"
"Oh! I… um…" Anna turned around to smile sheepishly, "I'm just browsing around while… uh… my husband finishes some business down the street," She said on the fly. "Everything smelled so wonderful that I couldn't resist stopping in."
"Would you care for some free samples while you wait?"
Anna's eyes immediately widened, and she tried her hardest not to make it obvious that she was practically salivating just at the mention of free food. "Did you say samples?"
The woman smiled and opened a cabinet behind the counter. "Today's specialty is chocolate fudge." She said as she set a large decorative tray on the flat surface covered in little cubes of various flavors.
Temptations be damned!
A short time later, Anna emerged from the shop with a neatly wrapped parcel in her hands and a very satisfied smile on her face. At this point, she didn't even care if Hans decided to criticize her for her lack of self-control. It would take any and every simple pleasure she could find to get her through this journey. Their travel was rather strange, though. When she first started on this trek, she imagined the two of them getting on each other's nerves from sunrise to sunset. She expected him to be condescending and rude. Instead, other than a few select times where they didn't see eye to eye, he had behaved cordially. There was almost no sign of the man she came face to face with during the critical point of her sister's frozen summer. It certainly made getting along a lot easier. That was important.
Her smile faded a bit as she glanced up and down the street. There were a few more people out and about now, but the one person she needed was nowhere to be found.
Okay Hans… where did you go?
She decided to go further up the street in case he passed by the shop while she was tasting all of the treats. She weaved through a group of women hogging the sidewalk and turned the corner at the next intersection. This block was much emptier and to her immediate relief, she could see Hans up ahead. He was leaning against a lamp post and watching the horses drink from a trough. It took her getting through half the block before he turned and noticed her approach.
"There you are." He smiled slightly and uncrossed his arms from his chest once he took notice of the box in her hands. "Hey now… you said you weren't going to shop around."
"But I only went into one place!" She smiled innocently." I mean, that's all I had time for."
"Marit…" He sighed, "what's in the box?"
"Close your eyes." She couldn't resist giggling as she carefully untied the ribbon on the box and popped open the lid. "No peeking!" She hissed at him when one of his eyes opened back up. Once she was sure he wasn't going to spoil the surprise again, she balanced the box in one hand and pulled out one small cube. "You have to open your mouth." She said and held the small piece right in front of his lips.
"I don't like the way you're snickering." He muttered before leaving his mouth open just enough for her to pop the confectionary inside. His head jerked back as he chewed thoughtfully. "…you bought fudge." He stated as he opened his eyes and subtly licked a small bit of chocolate from his lips. "That shouldn't have surprised me. You always did have quite the sweet tooth."
Anna smiled sheepishly as she resealed the box. "Did you like it?"
"Very much." He tilted his head slightly to the side as he eyed up the box. "What else do you have hiding away in there?"
"Oh just a few more treats—maybe if you behave like a proper husband then I'll consider sharing with you later."
A delightfully teasing smile started to form across his face, "that doesn't sound too hard."
"No, it never is for you." Anna retorted and glanced around him, "so, where to now? Have you any idea where the toy shop is?" Instead of answering, Hans merely pointed across the street. She slowly turned around and blinked in surprise. The sign for Katz Toys was rather large. She wondered how she completely missed it while coming down the street. "Oh! Well, that's convenient."
"I used my time wisely while you were attacking the sweets." He straightened up and nodded his head towards the shop. "Shall we?"
Anna nodded slowly and then glanced to their horses. "What about them?
"There's a hitching post out front." He said and tugged the reins gently to get the horses moving. He and Anna glanced up and down the street before crossing. She kept close to his side as he wrapped his free arm around the small of her back. Once they were safely across, he let go of her to tie the reins securely to the hitching post.
"You think that will hold?" Anna asked as she watched him tie the second set of reins. There weren't many people about now, but that didn't mean the streets wouldn't get busier. She and Hans didn't exactly have the best experiences in towns, and it wouldn't surprise her if someone tried to raid their packs while they were in the store. There was no telling how long they would be in the shop.
He smirked to her as he gave the ropes one last tug. "That's a sailor's knot, Darling," he lowered his voice to not be overheard by anyone who happened to be passing by, "I doubt any of these simpletons could undo that."
"If you're sure…" she said. There wasn't much time to really dwell on it. He soon offered his arm to her and together they walked through the open doors to the shop. There were a few people browsing around, so they made sure to blend in and do the same. There was a mother and son being helped at the main counter. They would have to wait their turn, anyway.
Katz seemed to specialize in wood-carved toys. There were shelves of finely painted toy soldier sets, a table display of different wooden puppets and carved animals, and in the bay-window was an exquisite rocking horse.
Anna let go of Hans and clutched her box of chocolates closer to her chest. It was easier to maneuver through the store if they weren't latched together. And this way, even though she had no use for toys, she wouldn't touch anything and feel compelled to make a purchase. As she circled one table, she turned to see Hans staring at a toy soldier set. She returned to his side and flashed him a teasing smile, "see something you like?"
"I used to have a set like this." He said with a fond expression on his face as his fingers picked up the small figurine. "I bet it looked just as good as these when they were brand new."
"Oh? Were they handed down to you?"
He let out a chuckle as he placed the soldier back in line with the rest of the display. "Everything I had was a hand-me-down. Especially the toys. My set was supposed to be twelve soldiers. Half were broken. Two of them were actually missing. But… what do you expect? They were probably Frederick's to start and went through most of the pecking order before being dumped at my door." He cleared his throat and then moved towards the rocking horse at the window. "I even had a rocking horse. Another trash donation. It was scratched and chipped in places. But five-year-old me loved it. It was my first friend." His gloved fingers traced gently along the wooden mane, "my brothers all got real horses when they were young. I got a wooden one, instead." His head angled to the side as he recalled his childhood memories, "I named it Sitron, and he and I were the leaders of all of my nursery adventures."
Anna shifted her box into one hand so she could place a free hand on his arm. "I bet you had quite the imagination."
He nodded and flashed her a smile. "It's what kept me occupied while I was left on my own… and probably the only thing to keep me sane as I grew older." His arm then came around her back to guide her away from the front of the store.
The shopkeeper was still busy with the same customer, so she led Hans to a different area of the floor. The far corner had a selection dolls in various attires—girls in frilly dresses and bonnets, gentlemen in long tails and top hats. She had to do a double take at a doll positioned at the back end of the table, almost hidden by the other options available. This one wore an emerald and black uniform that she came to know all too well.
"Well… that's an interesting choice for children." Hans said softly, clearly setting eyes on the same questionable doll that she too was looking at.
Does anyone actually buy dolls of the soldiers? Or is it just to keep peace between the people and the real men in charge?
She gently picked up a girl doll in a puffy satin-green dress and admired all of the little details. It reminded her of a doll she had back home. All that was missing were tiny red plaints and a little gold crown. The shop was clearly giving the both of them a surprising sense of nostalgia. She rather liked it, especially the tiny little glimpses into his childhood. Reminiscing of simpler times gave her a sense of calm. "Mama made me little dolls of me and Elsa when I was little. They were my companions once Elsa and I were separated. I took them everywhere with me," she said and held the doll up for Hans to see. "This one kind of looks like my mini-me. My doll's dress was this color. Elsa's was blue."
When he gave her a slight nod, she set the doll back in its proper place and got a closer look at the others. It suddenly dawned on her that none of the characters were dressed as royal figures. She supposed it made sense considering the county's history of doing away with their noble class.
But I don't see anything wrong with imagining a world with majestic castles and fairytale prince and princesses. But I guess these people don't want their children getting revolutionary ideas.
Anna made a quick glance back to the counter. The mother and son had finally left, but now the other shop patrons had lined up for service. No one else had entered the store, but in case someone did, she took Hans' hand and steered him around the display tables to get in line. It seemed the lady also being serviced had a complicated issue going on, and Anna began to grow impatient. She shuffled from one foot to the other and even resorted to leaning into Hans' side. He was far calmer and patient in comparison, and merely draped his arm around her shoulders and kept his gaze primarily forward. The comforting gesture didn't do much to quell her anxiety, and she wasn't even the one that had to do the talking. She envied his poise. Just once, it would be nice if he seemed as cautious and unsure as she did.
"Good day," The shopkeeper greeted them when it was finally their turn at the counter. "May I be of assistance?"
"Yes." Hans said with a polite nod and angled his body towards the horse in the window. "We were admiring your horse. It's such exquisite craftsmanship—"
"-Thank you, Herr-?"
"—Wagner," Hans clarified, "I was curious. Have you considered carving a mighty Pegasus?"
Anna blinked and tried her hardest not to look as confused as she felt. Was that the special code? It sounded so… I dunno… not like a code.
The shopkeeper eyed them curiously for a moment, long enough to give Anna a real sense of dread. What if this man wasn't their contact? They probably seemed like some crazy couple spewing nonsense—or worse, Hans unknowingly just commissioned the man to carve them some expensive wooden horse for a child that they clearly didn't have. But then the man's gaze softened considerably, and a small smile began to form. She let out a subtly sigh of relief. Maybe this would go smoothly after all.
"Ah… of course. My friends, you must be here for Hebe. She's been waiting for quite some time." The man disappeared into the back of the store and reemerged a few minutes later with a rather large box in his hands.
Anna glanced briefly to Hans to gauge his reaction. He seemed just as puzzled as she was. Finally! That made her feet a bit better.
"It warms my heart that she will be going to a good home," The man said as he gazed fondly at the box and pushed it gently across the counter to Hans. "The Hebe doll is certainly one of a kind. She will bring much warmth to your child's heart."
Wait, that's it? Anna became even more lost. When Hans uttered a puzzled 'thank you', she looked from him to the box. The entire exchange was incredibly underwhelming. What happened to the Underground agents, the spies, and informants? She was anticipating being whisked away to some undisclosed location where they would have to speak in hushed tones? She hoped meeting the first agent would tell them more about what was going on throughout the country. Instead… there was a box. She evidently had too vivid of an imagination.
Hans, while a bit perplexed, seemed much calmer about the turn of events than she. There was even a strange look of recognition on his face. Clearly, she was still in the dark about something. "Thank you, good sir." Hans replied with a polite nod as he gently took the box. "Is there any charge?"
"Oh no." The toymaker smiled and nodded a greeting to new customers entering the store. "This was already paid for in full upon ordering."
"Then… that's it?" Anna couldn't resist asking out loud.
"Unless there is something else you wish to purchase today—"
"Oh. No, this will be all." Hans answered before she could. Tucking the box awkwardly under one arm, he wrapped the other arm around her back and led her to the store's exit.
"What was that all about?" Anna asked once they returned to their horses. "What happened to our—"
"Shh." He silenced her by pressing a finger to her lips. "Not here."
With a huff, she shoved her chocolates into her larger saddle bag and once Hans freed her horse, she quickly mounted the saddle. The doll box was too large to fit in any of their bags, so he had to resort to carrying it. It was briefly passed to Anna so he could get onto his saddle. Now Anna was eager to leave. Odd as the encounter was, their business was complete. The sooner they were alone again, the sooner he could explain everything. Again. How many times would she have to ask for details before he finally leveled completely with her? They passed through the same town line as earlier, and once Hans felt they were safely in the middle of nowhere, he steered them off the road for the privacy that the woods provided. They were moving far too slow for her liking, and she was itching for answers. Once he gave the signal to stop, she immediately dismounted and threw her hands onto her hips.
"Okay, what else weren't you telling me?!" She snapped at him. "Why was I the only one completely lost back there? I probably looked like a fool to that man!"
"You weren't the only one," Hans said as he carefully got back on the ground. "I didn't know what we were going to walk into. But he said that this was a Hebe doll—"
"-So what?" she interrupted, "It's just a name—"
"Not just any name. Hebe is the name of our contact!"
"Wait…what?" Anna froze in place. "This doesn't make any sense! Are you telling me that the Underground agent we were looking for is a doll?"
"I'm just as surprised as you, Anna." Hans set the box down gently on the ground and removed the cord keeping it sealed shut. Anna approached and kneeled across from him, eager to see what was inside. Once the box was opened, she let out a gasp, and her fits of anger and confusion towards him were instantly replaced with awe. Inside was the most beautiful doll that she had ever seen, and it looked like it could have come out of one of the classical paintings hanging in Rheland's gallery. It was a girl in a loose white dress draped at the shoulders and tied at the waist with a little golden cord. The painted hair was sculpted into a curled updo, and in one of her hands was a chalice of sorts.
"May I see?" Anna asked softly. When Hans nudged the box closer to her, she carefully reached in to gently remove her from the packaging. It felt strange, the weight being a bit off balance and top heavy. She turned it about in her hands. There were gold sandals upon her feet and inscribed on the bottom of one said "Hebe" along with what she presumed to be the toymaker's initials. "What beautiful artistry," she mused and traced her fingers along the side of the doll's face.
Hans cleared his throat to get her attention when she seemed too mesmerized by the doll. "There's something about her that's supposed to help us."
"I don't see how." Anna said and continued to admire the doll. "It's just a children's toy—though I can't see how I would want to give her to any child to play with. She's beautiful! There's so much more detail and care in this compared to the ones we saw in his shop. I'd rather keep this on display for fear of ruining it!"
"He did say it was one of a kind." Hans replied and held out his hands so he too could get a better look. She almost didn't want to hand it over. Once he had it, he started giving the doll a more scrutinizing inspection. "Something about her is supposed to tell us where to go next."
"Do you think it's hidden in her clothes? O-or the box she came in?"
Hans glanced briefly to the discarded packaging. "No, other than the decoration on the edges, the box is relatively plain." He flipped the doll over in his hands and started poking about her garment. "That means whatever we need is on her somewhere."
Anna made a face and glanced back at Hebe. "It's an interesting design choice. She looks like a goddess."
"She should," Hans said, "in Greek mythology, Hebe is the goddess of youth. It was no coincidence that we were supposed to rendezvous with her in a toy store, a place for children. The movement uses the ancient Greek mythos as inspiration for their codes. I just didn't expect our intel to be coming from a toy. I was thinking the toymaker to be the one we were genuinely looking for."
"I'm just glad I wasn't the only confused one." Anna muttered and frowned when Hans completely removed the doll's garment. Hebe may be just a doll, but she was still a girl. The move just seemed wrong. "Uh, was that really necessary?"
"I'm just being thorough." He sighed and set the bare doll on the ground. "I don't see anything. there must be something we're missing."
Anna reached over and took the doll back. There were no hidden markings under the clothes. "What if this was a mistake? Are you sure there wasn't something else in the shop?"
He shook his head. "No. If this doll is Hebe, then this is all we need."
"But—" she paused and tilted the doll downward in her lap. There was a small selection of scratches in the paint at the back of the doll's neck just below the head. There was a seam there, and it seemed out of place. The rest of the body was crafted from a single wooden block, so seeing that the head was attached separately could be a clue. "What about this?" She asked and pointed out the spot to him as she passed it back. "Does this look suspicious?"
Hans ran his fingers along the neck, and when his fingers hit the seam, he tried digging them in and pulling at the head. It was no use, whatever the toymaker used to attach the two pieces was too strong for him to break with mere strength alone. "I can't get a good grip on it," he muttered more to himself than to her.
"It could just be nothing." She offered but he wasn't listening to her. He was completely fixated on that one detail. She shifted to sit properly on the ground while she watched him continue to struggle. Finally, he gave up the fight. He lightly rotated the doll about in his hands and furrowed his brows before tossing it into the dirt. Anna was about to reach back for the doll, but he waved her off. Hans stood and retrieved her little dagger and belt that she had stashed in her bag while they were in the village. She watched him return, confused. "Um, what do you plan on—" her eyes widened in shock as he kneeled on the ground and slammed the hilt down onto the nape of Hebe's neck. "HANS!" She hissed in horror as he struck the doll once more. This time, the wood cracked from the impact. "What are you doing?!"
"Getting answers." He took one final breath and landed one more hard strike, this time onto Hebe's back. The wood finally broke apart, he picked up the broken doll to get a closer look. "Aha!" he said with a victorious smirk across his face.
"What?"
"It's hollow on the inside."
"It is?" She asked. That explained why the weight felt off to her. Her mouth was left hanging open as she watched him chisel away at the rest of the back until it broke apart enough for him to reach inside. There was a tightly rolled bundle of parchment stuck in the wood. It was a challenge to pull it out without the jagged wood pieces ripping them.
"Very clever of them…" he whispered softly as he tugged off the ribbon securing the papers. "…hiding information away like that."
Anna sadly glanced down to the broken remains of the wooden figure. "It's a shame you had to murder Hebe to get to them. She was so pretty."
Hans shrugged nonchalantly, "it's not as if we could have hauled her along with us. She was too big for all of our bags."
"It still seems like such a waste," she gently reached for the discarded clothing and twisted the fabric about in her hands. "So much work and care went into this, just to be ruined."
"Something tells me that the toymaker knew this would happen the moment he sealed this inside." Hans said and slightly raised the pages in his hand.
"O-okay, so… what is that?"
Hans unrolled the parchment and took his time scanning the first page. His brows were furrowed slightly as he read, and then he switched to the second page which turned out to be a new map of the region. His eyes immediately lit up as he switched his gaze back and forth from one page to the next. "A safe route to Corona." He said with a good and rare bit of optimism in his voice, "things just got a lot easier."