Chapter 2- First Meeting
"There she is!"
"Get her!"
The shadow fled, darting into the woods. Her footsteps were soft and made only small "tmp" noises. She ran for her life, manuevering through the trees, hills, streams, and rock piles she called "roosts". She turned and saw the men were close behind, but not by much. The girl scrambled up a large tree and hid in the dark swaying boughs. The men paused and looked around, shouting orders in German. She was safe. For now.
Ludwig panted for breath and headed for his brother. The albino crossed his arms and sighed.
"West...ve lost her. For now. Ve're going to make a camp near here, about 15 paces north. You vait here in case she comes back zis vay."
Ludwig nodded and stood with his back to the tree. The feral child watched him, and didn't see the albino. Just heard his voice and smelled his musky scent. She waited an hour before climbing down the tree quietly. She managed to avoid the blonde and go deeper into her forest.
Time passed, and she finally climbed up another tree. She had to keep moving no matter what. But as fate would have it, she decided to clamber down her perch and head for the mountains. She would have made her way there...
If Ludwig wasn't in front of her. She gasped and made a run for it. The German gasped and ran after her.
"Vait! I von't hurt you! I promise! Come back!" he shouted, and caught her, pinning the dirty blonde girl to the tree.
"Let me go!" she screeched and snapped at him like a dog, baring her sharpened teeth from her diet of caribou. He grimaced at her bared teeth and took deep breaths.
"Listen to me Mädchen...I don't vant to hurt you." he answered.
She growled and snapped at him again. "Why should I believe you? You are one of them!"
He blinked and sighed. "Can you at least tell me your name? Ve can start over, if you'd like."
The girl stood and stared at him in confusion, but spoke after a moment of silence.
"I'm Robin." Ludwig released her and held out his gloved hand.
"I'm Ludwig. It's a pleasure."
Robin grinned, but then shook her head. "I'm sorry Ludwig...but I don't think we can start over. I'm your prey. After all, you can't ignore your Führer's orders." Ludwig winced. There was that. Somehow, he forgot about the world when he saw the girl.
Her eyes were like blue fires filled with determination and hatred of past sins. It was like his internal fire. But...
He shook his head to clear it. He couldn't do something like this. He turned and saw Robin was still watching him carefully, clearly not fully trusting him. She walked into the moonlight and Ludwig saw what she really looked like. Her body was covered in dirt smudges, and she was clad in a dirtied brown tunic and shorts. Her feet were bare. She had an old scar on her shoulder that was pink with age. Around her neck was a pouch in the shape of a long triangle. There was something heavy in it. Her hair was short, curly, very messy and tangled. She looked exactly like a feral girl should look, but without the dead eyes of a possessed child.
"So what are you going to do Ludwig? Report me? Or kill me right on the spot? I've seen what your people have done to each other." Robin hissed, but Ludwig just pointed to the deeper, and much darker woods.
"Go." he murmured and Robin stared in surprise before smiling.
"Thank you. I promise...I'll see you soon." she ran off into the dark and Ludwig watched her before heading toward the camp. Why was his heart beating so fast? Was he interested in becoming friends with her? Or did his loyalties lie somewhere else?