Chapter 3- The Second Encounter
Crackle...pop.
The fire blossomed and danced in it's wooden stage, centered in between the men in uniforms, and tents basking in the small light they had. The soldiers all talked to one another, laughing and whispering. Ludwig however, was being a wallfower and was sharpening his combat knife. he was lost in the memory of seeing that creature. Why was he thinking about Robin anyway? He was just concerned about her safety. It didn't seem that right to kill her because of what she was from. Not everyone who was a gypsy was bad...
"Ey! West! Vhat's on your mind?" Gilbert shouted, and the blonde was snapped out of his daze. He looked up.
"Nothing Bruder. Just vondering if the girl is even in these woods..." he muttered and some of the men laughed, including Gilbert.
"Pah! She's here West! Ve saw her, remember? Ve almost got her too. If she crosses our path again..." he suddenly shot at a tree nearby with his pistol, making the dogs yelp and the campground to go quiet.
"I don't think she'll come back." Ludwig announced, and Gilbert crossed his arms.
"Trust me West. She'll come back. All dogs, including ones that are really humanlike...come to the one holding the meat." The albino chuckled and Ludwig got to his feet, putting the knife away. He stepped out and laid by the camp entrance, curling up in the guard's sleeping bag. His dog, Berlitz, walked over and laid beside him, whimpering.
"I'm alright Berlitz. Guden nacht."
He fell asleep, falling into a dream world of forests, wolves, birds, rivers, owls, and deer.
Robin crept into the camp on near silent feet, looking around the sleeping men. She swerved around heads, arms, and feet poking out of bags and blankets. The fire had been reduced to sparking coals and wood scraps. The girl stooped down and gently grabbed the guard's pistol, and slipped it into her tunic belt. She turned on her heels and headed out of camp. She failed to see Ludwig had left his post and was waiting to see if she would appear.
The feral pelted into the woods, and stopped when she saw Ludwig.
"And just vhat are you going to use that gun for?" he asked, tilting his head. Robin blinked, and saw that his cap was missing from his head. Whats more, he had his blonde bangs in his eyes. Lost in her thoughts, she was awoken only by Ludwig tapping her nose. She blinked and flinched in shock.
"I'm sorry. But I guess I should tell you just who I am. Where I'm from. Why I'm here." she led him to a clearing with a red paint mark on the center tree. She took out her dagger (at her belt) and carved a single line above the red, right next to the others.
"This is kind of a special place for me. It's where I first saw my family here." Robin murmured and sat down, and Ludwig sat across from her. She spoke lowly, even though they were far from the campsite.
"I have lived in these woods my whole life, but not as a feral until I was 13. Before 13, I was a girl living with my older brother, Link. We were orphans, but lived in Ordon village. We lived together, sang together, laughed together, and cried together. But when I turned 12, he went out on a quest to save our kingdom. He never came back. But people called him the Hero of Time. I fled the village and got lost in the forest. Right here. Right here, I found my new family. A pack of wolves. I am 19 now...I spent 6 years as a daughter of the forest!" she finished and Ludwig looked at her, blown away at her story. There was more to her than a girl lost in the forest's grasp. She had won over Nature, and survived for 6 years partially on her own.
"Why must you die? You look like a part of the Master Race...but just beacuse you follow a wolf pack doesn't make you trash!" Ludwig exclaimed and pushed his hair back in frustration.
"Because she's a nuisance to Fatherland."
The two turned in alarm, and Robin yelled in shock. Ludwig turned back to her, only to see Gilbert holding her in a headlock. She clawed at him, snarling just like a wolf. It was intimidating.
"Vell vell West! Looks like you found her! I'll give you the honor of vatching her die." Gilbert laughed and suddenly yelped in pain. Robin had bit his hand, hard. She had even drewn blood. Furious, the albino slapped her. There was the pained cry, and then Robin lay on the ground, her face red, tears streaking it.
"No!" Ludwig shouted, and crouched in front of her.
"West...I would say you have feelings for the dummkorf! Is that true?" Gilbert asked, cocking his gun.
Ludwig looked back and forth at them, but stopped and murmured "nien."
"You..." Robin hissed, and looked up, her eyes glowing with rage.
"You're the one who killed my family! The wolves blood stained your hands!" she screeched and the albino laughed, and turned to Ludwig.
"I did. They were in the way of glory for the Fatherland. Right, Germany?"
Robin stared in shock at Ludwig. The German man she had befriended...was the reason why she had to die. Why her pack was gone. Why those innocent were being destroyed!
She hid her face in her hands and Ludwig spoke up.
"Let me kill her Bruder. I'll make sure it'll be painful."
Gilbert nodded and spat at Robin, who didn't even flinch. As he left, Robin shouted
"You murdurer! I'll make sure I'm the one to bring justice on your head! May your blood stain my hands!"
Ludwig pulled her to her feet and took her away, staying silent as she wept in grief, frustartion, and new understanding.
All this was for him. And he hated it.