After settling into their bunks and checking out the small house, a stunning young woman peaked in the door. her hair was a beautiful brunette, long and healthy. she was tall and slender, with small, flattering curves. her voice was soft and smooth as she slowly entered the dirty bunk room. "You the knew boys i was just hearing about?" she asked, her hands awkwardly at her side, playing with her long dress like she knew she was a child that had just done something wrong. Berwald was silently reading her body language like an open book.
"Yeah, we are." Tino said, smiling. he was oblivious to all the things Berwald was sensing about her. he held out his hand to shake hers "i'm Tino, and this is Berwald. " Tino said with a friendly tone.
"well, its nice to meet you two, i'm Elizabeta... i'm married to one of the boys here. his name's-" the young woman tried to finish, but her attention was drawn away by the sound of the door to the small cabin flying open, and a shorter man stomping inside.
"Eliza! what are you doing in here? do you listen to even a word i say?" he howled, grabbing her arm and pushing her out the door. "get back to the house where you belong." he snapped before turning to Berwald and Tino. "who do think you are?" he hissed, staring Berwald straight in his cold eyes.
"Um... I'm Tino and this is-" the petite Finnish man spoke
"I ain't talking to you. I'm talking to him." the angry man spoke with persecution, as if Berwald has done something wrong.
Berwald stared him dead in the face. no one, and he means NO ONE, talks down to Tino like that.
"you bett'r w'tch yourself." Berwald said sternly.
"is that sooooo?" the aggravated man hissed, not knowing what he was getting himself into. Berwald wasn't a sensitive man. he could take physical and verbal abuse, but as long as he knew about it, Berwald made sure no one hurt Tino in any way. in Berwalds eyes, Tino was fragile. he couldn't take a beating and he was oblivious to people like the man he faced now. though, he loved tino. he loved him with all his heart.
Berwald didn't see it, and maybe tino was a bit oblivious at times, but he wasn't fragil. oh no, he could take abuse, he could take the pain. he was small, but like a bullet flying out of a gun, he was fast, loud, and could cause damage if he needed to. he liked to be 'optimistic' towards everyone, but his ' glass half full' view on the world ever since Berwald rescued him from suicide, blocks his judgement on people.
Berwald stared the short, aggravated man down, until the stranger was visibly uncomfortable. he shifted about, trying to somehow escape Berwalds penetrating glare.
"dont let me catch you too with Liza like that again. im being generous by giving you new fellas a warning, and not just kicking your ass right now." he said, spitting on the ground in front of tino and quickly pacing out of the bunk house. Berwald turned to tino, losing his mean mug and giving Tino a soft glance.
"what was that about?" Tino sheepishly asked
"I h've no ide'. seems to me th't guy see's Elizab't' as 'n object... 'nd she w's flirting 'round wh're she should n't..."
"you really think its part her fault?" Tino didn't understand why Eliza, a seemingly sweet young woman, would be at any fault.
"i didnt s'y th't, i just think if she shouldn't be getting us into 'ny tr'uble."
"ah, i get it." tino nodded to berwald, suddenly, Hercules walked in.
"that short fella give you two any problems?" Herc asked the two men.
"a bit, whats his deal?" Tino wondered aloud.
"that sir is Arthur kirkland, older brother to the founder of the farm. he has a lot of pent up anger, having to work for his younger brother after his own farm when under in the economy... plus, i think he has a bit of short-man syndrome." Herc chuckled
"Arthur, huh? well, he got really man when Elizabeta came in here to talk..." Tino mumbled
"ohhh yeeaahhh, he got her pregnant, years ago. thats the only logical reason i think she married him. but, unfortunately it was a miscarriage. he is the kinda guy that wouldn't be a good father anyways, he thinks he rules the world, and someday i think he even might try to." again, the man laughed aloud. "anyways, he's very... lets say 'protective' over his prize-of-a-wife. he thinks anyone will just come snatch her away, so he keeps her locked up in the house all day, we dont got any phones here and the towns so far away i think a pretty lady like her wouldn't want to even try. so, shes stuck here with us; whenever she can get out of that wretched old house she comes looking for company... she must be awful lonely..." he finished, everyone in the bunkhouse was silent.