And You Hunt On Hallowed Ground [Open]

[Heidi]

Country: Wales, the United Kingdom
Current Time: Some time after 13:00
Weather Conditions: Dreary, wet, about to rain. There is some slight mist in the air.

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Rhys Bevan.

Her disfigured hands shook. Her black eyes were as hard and round as glass pebbles. There, in front of her, was his final resting place, once-turned dirt now covered in grass and flowers recently left. They had brought her there, introduced her father formally, and the raven had watched it all. The Rhys-angel flew about his graveyard, just another bird to the unknowing observer, his daughter held in a sad gaze.

Her father was dead. When he had been just a name, a face, she had got over it quickly. But now, she sat there on her knees, staring at his grave after so much had happened. The green land, the Eden in her dreams, was as real as her own skin and bone; there had been a family waiting for her, shocked but happy, and the welcome had been warm. Despite all that love, that ever-sought home Adelheid had searched for, it was not enough.

Perhaps it was pity, perhaps it wasn't. Whatever it was, it made Adelheid feel angry and cheated. The Not-Nazis had hurt her, chased her into the grasp of Doctor Strumfelder and the other Nazis, and they had hurt her too. People had called her a liar, said she was insignificant, tore apart her things and penned her up in rooms without explaining what was going on. She would have never had to run from the Nazis, never have to be in an orphanage, if her father knew about her. The other children had pointed, sneered, made fun of her in words she barely understood.

Adelheid was a bastard child. A brief encounter between her father and a woman, induced by a drinking game, had been the point of her making. There had been no love, no intent to have a family, no care of what happened to her. She didn't know why they had not told her, brought her back to the loving green land where she wouldn't have been hurt so bad. His angel leaving her with the Nazis had been bad enough - now, she learned that he had left her to them in the first place!

She didn't know what to do anymore. She had come to that hallowed ground, hunting for more answers among the misty, silent graves. Her Rhys-angel circled, but she refused to acknowledge him; he had done enough. No amount of staring would bring him back from the dead, where she could meet him in person. Talk to him. Ask him about his childhood, about her uncles that had left long ago, and why one of them had barely acknowledged her. Her eyes burned, and not for the first time since arriving, she was ready to cry again.

Adelheid had to go. Where she would go, she didn't know. She didn't want to go back home - the thought of her paternal grandparents' house made her stomach twist. Adelheid could barely understand their language, and she didn't want to be pestered about what was wrong. It was bad enough when people who couldn't speak her language started questioning her; if Mr. Ealing, her father's old friend, was there with Mr. Dalton, the latter would translate. The girl stood, quickly turned on her heel, and ran for the exit of the cemetery. In the skies above, her raven croaked in alarm.

[Stephen Colly]

Wales...first he’d been to London with Henry, and now Wales. He’d never ever been to this part of England. He knew that his dead friend Rhys Bevan had lived here. That was one of the reasons why he was here actually. Henry had decided that being in London was too dangerous and “bloody boring.” He had suggested Wales for a few days, just to stop off and have a quick sight-seeing tour. Stephen had agreed and had then remembered that the grave of Rhys Bevan was in Wales. He had then had the task of tracking down which graveyard on their arrival and had found it – a small one in a small village where Rhys had grown up.

Stephen had found the house where Rhys’ parents were. He’d introduced himself and they had offered him a cup of tea shyly. They spoke of how they had finally been able to lay Rhys’ body to rest a few weeks ago. Stephen saw the pain in their eyes and had offered to take some flowers to the grave; he had also said he’d have liked to visit it and they had told him the exact spot in the churchyard.

They had laid the flowers on the grave a few minutes before, and Henry had watched as Stephen said a few silent words to Rhys before helping him away. They had gone round the other side of the church, away from the road and Henry had pushed Stephen up against the wall, kissing him and murmuring how funny it was that they were sinning in a churchyard. Henry wasn’t the greatest of worshipers...he didn’t like the idea of someone no one knew telling him how to live his life.

Stephen had not noticed anyone coming into the churchyard; he was too busy with Henry. God he loved him...he had thought he hadn’t but when they had spent the first night together he had realized they were perfect for each other. Henry could tell what Stephen was thinking as could Stephen...

He felt a few spots of rain on his head as he broke away from Henry and glanced up at the sky. ”Fuck its raining Henry.” he muttered and grabbed Henry’s hand, pushing him away from him so he could stand properly and not be propped up by the wall of the church. ”Lets go.” he led his friend around the side of the church and froze. A small figure was walking away from the churchyard, towards the gate and away. He recognised her immediately. It was little Adelheid, a girl he had not seen in over a year. Woah. What was she doing here?! Oh...he remembered, she was Rhys child...

Stephen started towards her, Henry following behind, whipping spittle from his mouth and coughing slightly. ”Hey...hang on there.” Stephen called towards the girl as they got closer and closer to her.

[Heidi]

Walking was more like hurrying for Adelheid. Because of the half-melted sludge a warm week had created, she was trying not to stumble and go face-first into the mess. Carefully manoeuvring among puddles and sticky mud, the little girl barely noticed the presence of the two men. It was only when a voice called out, in words she vaguely knew the meaning to, that Adelheid turned her head. Her eyes widened, breath hitching in her chest.

Onkel Stephen?

She expected, at one time, to be happier to see him. He had been a kindly friend, much like the one nun at the orphanage...Adelheid couldn't put a name to her face anymore. In fact, thinking of anything remotely German made her weary, and instead reminded her of Herr Claude. That train of thought made the tears more liable to spilling, and she clenched her hands and sniffed. He probably wouldn't want to talk to her, anyways - he'd been gone so long, and he looked...different. And who was that other man with him?

The girl turned and ran for the exit. For those minutes she had stood still, Stephen might have caught a glimpse of the frostbite scars on her face and neck, or how her equally-scarred hands were missing fingers. However, unless he caught up with Adelheid, she would try to get away from him as fast as she could. She needed some peace, some quiet - time to think and process what would happen next. It had been enough of a shock to learn about her father's affair, becoming more disillusioned about the "goodness" of the Not-Nazis. (Or rather, "very nice soldiers", as her new family had put it.) Her onkel had a lot to answer for, too! He had just got up and left, without a single word or explanation, and never had come back! Why had he found her now? Why hadn't he been there to help her when the Not-Nazis were calling her a spy?

The raven above circled and cawed loudly, almost urgently, flying towards where the little girl was headed. Its head turned to glance down at Stephen, the croaking suddenly directed at him. The sound was almost like a call, like the bird was trying to lead Stephen. Without looking to see if he followed, the raven continued to fly, giving off more long, worried cries that echoed over the half-snowy countryside.

[Stephen Colly]

”Fuck.” Stephen muttered under his breath as the girl paused and then sprinted away from them, through the gate. He had seen the scars on her face and neck, and had noticed a few fingers missing. What had happened to the girl? She had changed so much...it had been a very long time.

”Hey, Stephen, where are you going?!” Henry called after the boy as he started to run, he would not let Adelheid out of his sight. The raven above him was calling him, like it wanted him to get Adelheid. Henry spoke German so he could get him to translate.

”Henry, come on!” Stephen called after him. He saw the figure disappear behind a corner. The rain was beginning to spit a bit harder now. This was ridiculous. He hadn’t meant to leave her all alone when he had been sent away. He had tried to stay in contact and when he had heard she had gone missing, he was heartbroken. The girl was sweet and kind and so innocent. He rounded the corner, Henry alongside him having caught up and he began to make gains on the girl.

”Adelheid. Adelheid please wait.” he shouted after her. He caught up with her, and grabbed her arm lightly, tenderly. Henry nearly ran into Stephen as he stopped abruptly behind. The little lane they had entered was disserted. ”Henry, can you translate? German...” he glanced at his lover, who was standing staring in bewilderment at the girl in front of him.

”Adelheid, don’t be scared. Please.” Stephen said, glancing at Henry who coughed slightly and then nodded, speaking in fluent German the words Stephen had said. He then turned to Stephen and muttered – ”Who is she Stephen? Don’t tell me she’s yours...?”

”For fucks sake Henry, do I look like I’d jump into bed with a girl? No. No, it’s a long story and I’ll explain it later.” Stephen muttered back. Henry rolled his eyes and playfully played with Stephen’s hair.

[Heidi]

Translations:

"GEH WEG VON MIR! Ich habe nichts getan! Lass los! Lass los!" - "GET AWAY FROM ME! I didn't do anything! Let go! Let go!"

"B-Bitte...." - "P-please...."

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His grasp was not gentle to her. Being grabbed by the arm, even if softly, brought back memories of angry Not-Nazis and Doctor Strumfelder. Adelheid screamed, whirling around and biting Stephen as hard on the hand or wrist as she could. The raven's next cry was like one of surprise - it immediately dove down, flapping as fast as it could and perching in a tree. Not too far above Adelheid, it cawed vainly in an attempt to get her attention.

Adelheid! Adelheid! Adelheid!

The girl only pulled harder away from Stephen. Now she cried, screaming in German, "GEH WEG VON MIR! Ich habe nichts getan! Lass los! Lass los!" Her side hurt from the movement, still healing from the broken rib courtesy of Doctor Strumfelder. It had been in bad enough shape that it had to be rebroken, reset so that the bone would not pierce her lung. The wound gave her an element of breathlessness, and she felt angry at how tired she sounded. Was it so hard for her to have some private time alone? Did she have to be hounded by the Not-Nazis everywhere?

One small fist pounded at Stephen's arm, flailing about in an attempt to hit anywhere else that she could reach. The raven's croaking grew louder, more forceful - Adelheid's name droned in the back of her mind. She forced the sound out of her head, aiming a kick at Stephen's leg. The girl was writhing like an animal, acting as if Stephen's hand was a painful bear trap. Why wasn't he listening?! Why wouldn't he let her go?! She sobbed, crying, "B-Bitte..." as she pulled back again.

[Stephen Colly]

Stephen held on. He would not let her go. This was a ridiculous...why wasn’t she recognising him?! Allowing him to talk to her? Had she been scarred that badly that she didn’t recognise him? He glanced over at Henry for help, but Henry was standing back, bewildered. Adelheid then bit down hard on his hand and he yelped in pain, withdrawing his hand quickly but grabbing her with his other hand, ”Adelheid, calm down...calm down I just want to talk!” he said breathlessly, he heard Henry translating quickly into German behind him. But she wouldn’t listen. She began to scream and shout at him, wriggling and thrashing about. A raven was up ahead and making a loud squawk as well...what the hell was going on!!?

”W-what did she say?” Stephen asked, still clinging on to her, wrapping his arms around her. Henry shrugged his shoulders, ”She wants you to let go of her and leave her alone.” he came over and knelt down, his brown eyes boring into Adelheid’s. ”Beruhigen Sie sich. Wir werden nicht zu verletzen Sie ... bitte Adelheid. Sie müssen zuhören. Wir wollen nur reden!” he said and then stood up.

”S-she was never like this.” Stephen muttered, ”Umm....Bitte Adelheid....bitte...” he muttered, gritting his teeth and wincing as her weak foot kicked out at his leg and he stumbled slightly. Henry helped try and calm her down, muttering the same thing he had spoken to her before, over and over again.

"Henry, do you still have that chocolate?"

Henry nodded, "Yeah, why? Don't tell me you want me to give it to her?!"

"Yeah. Now." Stephen said and Henry reluctantly took from his pocket, a chocolate bar and stretched out his hand to the girl.
Translations:
Calm down. We are not going to hurt you...please Adelheid. You must listen. We just want to talk!

[Heidi]

Translations:

"W-Was willst d-du von mir?" - W-What do you want f-from me?"
"Ich nicht alles tun, war ich nicht planen, etwas zu tun! Geh weg!" - "I didn't do anything, I wasn't planning on doing anything! Go away!"

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The German tongue was familiar and calming. Her shoulders went slack, and she looked, bewildered, at Henry. Her body quivered with fear, and her breathing was equally shaky as she looked at the chocolate bar. It was her favourite treat, tempting her with sugary goodness inside a delicate wrapper. Her mouth watered at the sight.

Stephen's arms constricted her like snakes. She fought against them, trying to wriggle her way out. Holding her breath, she tried to clamp herself together, slipping under and out of his grip to flee. She'd snatch the chocolate on the way - starvation's wear still was evident on parts of her body - and pull back, trying to put distance between herself and her "onkel". Above her, the raven flapped down another branch, now uneasily quiet. His black eyes were piercing, just as Adelheid's were as she stared at the men.

"W-Was willst d-du von mir?" she asked, taking a moment to sniff as she did. Adelheid held the chocolate protectively against her chest; to the pair, she would act as if afraid they would take it from her again. "Ich nicht alles tun, war ich nicht planen, etwas zu tun! Geh weg!"

What remained of her fingers tore into the chocolate bar with gusto. She downed it, tearing into it like a wild dog, uncaring of how messy it looked. They could give her all of the chocolate in the world, but Adelheid refused to get close to them. For one, she was suspicious of the German-speaking man, and two, her Onkel Stephen had gone and left without a word. No explanation, no nothing - she was just left with Herr and Frau Pierpoint until the Not-Nazis came and got her. It had been hell to try and reach the green land, and even then, she was left with more questions and more people making fun of her. And even that didn't compare to finding out her father and her mother hadn't loved her!

[Stephen Colly]

This was going to be hard. Very hard. He could just leave her, turn around and walk away with Henry. But Stephen didn’t do that; he would not leave her until he had found out what was wrong with her. ”Henry, what did she say?” he asked his lover again. But this time Henry did not say anything to Stephen in English, but turned to Adelheid instead who had slipped out of Stephen’s grasp and had been tearing at the chocolate like an animal.

”Adelheid .... hallo. Mein Name ist Henry, ich bin ein guter Freund von Stephen's hier bin. Ich kann sagen, er ist Sorgen um dich. Wir gehen nicht, Sie zu verletzen, werden wir nicht nichts tun. Wir würden nur gerne wissen, wie Sie sind.”

Stephen just stood there as Henry knelt down again, a little distance away from her. He had no idea what he had just said. He spoke a bit of German, but only the commands from the army, not proper German like how Henry spoke it. Henry had had German lessons when he was younger, unlike Stephen. The boy pondered what to do as he sat down on a fallen down tree by the lane-side. He glanced over at Adelheid, nursing his hand which still had little teeth marks. ”Ask her, what happened to her fingers and those scars.” he glanced at Henry who nodded and spoke quickly in German, still at a good distance away from the girl.

”How do you know her Stevie?”[/i] he asked, turning around and looking at him.

”Ages ago, over a year ago...she is the child of Rhys Bevan.”

”Ah right....why is she German?”[/i]

”I think Rhys had a fling with a woman in Germany when he was out there...I am not too sure in all honesty. I feel bad cause I sort of left her when I was called back to the fighting. This is the first time I’ve seen her since...” he glanced at Adelheid and gave her a small smile.

TRANSLATION:

Adelheid....hello. My name is Henry, I am a good friend of Stephen's here. I can tell he is worried about you. We are not going to hurt you, we are not going to do anything. We would just like to know how you are.

[Heidi]

Translations:

"Sagen Sie ihm, es ist nicht seine Sache." - Tell him it's none of his business.

"Er sollte darüber Biss in die Hand, anstatt sein besorgniserregend. Sollte er nicht gehen und Auswaschen?" - He should be worrying about that bite on his hand instead. Shouldn't he be going and washing it out?

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She just stared at them. The chocolate smeared over her fingers and mouth like mud, and it was gone in seconds, the last remnants being chewed. She rubbed her hands together, not once turning her back, not once taking her eyes off of the two. Stephen had gone over to sit by a tree; he looked upset about the bite mark on his hand. Well good! He shouldn't have tried to catch her anyways!

The German-speaking one was named Henry. He said that the two of them just wanted to know how she was doing. What business was it of theirs to ask how she was?! If Stephen had been so concerned - no, there was no point in stating it again. Not-Nazis were just as conniving and vicious as the Nazis themselves. Adelheid had seen it, she couldn't trust them!

Her black eyes evened out into a cold glare. It was like Henry was locking eyes with a wolf. "Sagen Sie ihm, es ist nicht seine Sache," she replied, in that snobbish and indignant voice typical of a child felt scorned. "Er sollte darüber Biss in die Hand, anstatt sein besorgniserregend. Sollte er nicht gehen und Auswaschen?" Her back went ramrod straight, arms crossed tightly, and her nose turned up.

The raven looked on exasperatedly. Ever since her little "revelation", Adelheid had become more and more stubborn and distant. She looked on her new surroundings with disgust and confusion, torn between running away and trying to fit in. Her grandparents were good to her, thank God, but she looked as if she was going to get worse than Jim with her anger. The raven had seen the little one hurt too many times for her own good; he could only pray that Stephen, if not anyone else, could bring her out of her defences. The two had been awfully close, and if it had hurt Adelheid as much as it did now, couldn't it make for the opposite?

[Stephen Colly]

Henry stared back at her, not fazed by the glare she was giving him with those black eyes of hers. She replied in words which were probably ones which he, Henry himself would have retorted back in a fashion of annoyance. He didn’t blame the little girl, what right did Stephen have anyway wanting to know how she was? Henry got up and walked over to Stephen, sitting down next to him and taking his hand; he looked at the bite marks and gave them a quick kiss before setting Stephen’s hand down.

Stephen just sat and stared at Adelheid. The little girl had grown, she had matured a bit. Rhys’ parents had not said anything about their “grandchild”. Maybe they were ashamed by it? Stephen couldn’t tell with families that weren’t his. They could be ashamed that this child was a “bastard” child of a short fling of Rhys’ and had been dumped on them. Maybe they wanted to cover it all up? What Stephen wanted to know was why she didn’t have all of her fingers? And why she had scars on her face and neck? What had happened to her?

”Tell her, I didn’t mean to abandon her.” he suddenly said to Henry, thinking back to how abruptly and suddenly he’d been sent away from Adelheid by the army. ”Tell her, I didn’t want to leave her but I had to and I am sorry.” Henry frowned but nodded and spoke again in German to the girl, they would try this approach with her and if that failed...well, lets just say Stephen was running out of options.

[Heidi]

Translations:

"Es ist nicht deine Sache, was passiert ist." - "It's none of your business what happened."

"Sie verließen. Ich war nicht etwas für Sie, über Sorgen mehr. Was passiert gegangen ist mein Geschäft, und ich weiß gar nicht, warum ich noch mit dir zu reden!" - "You left. I wasn't something for you to worry about anymore. What's gone on is my business, and I don't even know why I'm still talking to you!"

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So he admitted it. She had called it abandonment, plain and simple, but to hear it out of his mouth made her more angry! What was his problem, running off without a word like that?! Besides, he and Henry seemed to be nice to each other. The little girl scowled; so he had found someone else to be nice to instead of her, hmm?

Henry's words made Adelheid's glare only greater. It was almost like she was boring a pair of holes through the two with her stare. She did not abandon that posture, her dark hair waving over her eyes and giving them a shrouded look. Her hate for Stephen was icily radiant, and given the chance, Adelheid would probably turn and run again. The raven continued to look on with worry.

"Es ist nicht deine Sache, was passiert ist," she said with a snarl. There was not a trace of her old kindness, her old sweetness, in her voice. It was hard and hissing, almost eerily so...similar to the snarl made by a certain doctor. "Sie verließen. Ich war nicht etwas für Sie, über Sorgen mehr. Was passiert gegangen ist mein Geschäft, und ich weiß gar nicht, warum ich noch mit dir zu reden!"

She turned and ran again, common sense dictating that there was no need to stay around. The pair seemed quite content to keep their distance, so it wouldn't be hard to outrun them. She didn't even see fit to thank them for the chocolate, and Stephen's friend had been hesitant to give it up, too! Manners didn't matter anymore, they were wasted on the idiots that seemed to love to walk around. Within minutes, Adelheid would be a disappearing speck ahead of them, moving with that surprising quickness that determined little girls seemed to have.

The raven, looking ready to have a heart attack, immediately jumped off his perch and flapped furiously after the child.

[Stephen Colly]

Her glare made Stephen turn away in slight embarrassment. She shouldn’t be making him feel guilty! He had not been able to stay! He’d been a private and had no say in the matter. ”Tell her, I could not stay – that I’d been ordered away.” he muttered to Henry. Henry did thus and glared at Adelheid as he said it. What the girl had said annoyed him greatly. For whatever Stephen had done, it was no way to talk to an adult in such a rude manner...but he didn’t know the full story.

”She said it’s none of your business.” Henry took a breath, ”And that she wasn’t something for you to worry about anymore. What her business is is hers and she doesn’t even know why she is talking to you.”[/i] he muttered sadly rubbing his face with his hand and sighing slightly. ”Whatever you did Stephen, she’s not happy about it.”[/i] he muttered sadly and frowned at his lover. ”What did you do?”

”I helped her for Christ’s sake! I was kind to her!” Stephen muttered, staring at Adelheid, ”I showed her kindness when no-one else had. Tell her that.” Henry nodded and was half way through translating what Stephen had said, when Adelheid turned and ran. She was so rude?!

Stephen stood up abruptly, ”Come on, we can’t let her get away!”

”What’s the point? She obviously doesn’t want to talk to you.”[/i]

Stephen didn’t listen and started sprinting after the girl, this was ridiculous. He would not give up. He had to talk to her, to explain himself. He wanted to know where she had been, he wanted answers to his questions now. ”Adelheid! Bitte!” he shouted over and over again as he ran towards her. The bloody raven was soaring over-heard, crowing and flapping above. What the hell!? Stephen thought as he rushed after her. She was a quick runner but Stephen’s long strides caught her up and he tackled her, not wanting to let her go.
”ADELHEID! FOR GODS SAKE!” he shouted, frustrated, hurt and annoyed by the girl.

[Heidi]

Translations:

"S-Sie waren n-nicht d-da..." - "You weren't there..."

"Sie würden mir nicht glauben...sie ließ mich nicht alles tun...." - "They wouldn't believe me...they didn't let me do anything...."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


So Stephen had acknowledged him. The raven wasn't surprised - Stephen had been a good friend, treating the girl with as much respect and kindness as he did her father. He didn't take his eyes off the pair, the girl running as fast as she could. However, Stephen was older, faster and a trained soldier in better health; overtaking her was no great issue. The raven cawed indignantly at the man's tackle, Adelheid crying out as she stumbled, her entire lower half nearly soaked. Had it not been for Stephen's arms, she would have gone plunging into an icy-cold puddle.

Almost immediately the girl started screaming. She thrashed in her friend's arms, going on and on about "not being in jail again" and that she "wasn't a Nazi". What would have been comprehensible German degraded into bawling and screeching, her face smeared with tears and mucus and dirt. What was he going to do?! Why wouldn't he let go?! It was nobody's business what she was doing! She wasn't a Nazi, she'd never be a Nazi, and her Onkel Stephen was most certainly not her friend!

The girl let out a curse word in German, shocking the poor raven that was circling. The creature settled down on a nearby fencepost, unwavering in its stare towards the scene. Adelheid grew more violent, more desperate, screaming how she hated Stephen and the Not-Nazis. The commotion was loud enough to attract somebody's attention, the girl keeping it up for a solid six minutes before her body went slack. Narrowing his eyes, the raven's head followed the motion of her body as she slid down.

"S-Sie waren n-nicht d-da..." she croaked, voice breaking. "Sie würden mir nicht glauben...sie ließ mich nicht alles tun...." She gave a shaky sob, her entire body shivering. Now that Stephen had a closer look, he could see her formerly-broken nose and the roughly x-shaped, lopsided, faded scar across the bump. Compared to the mottled scars from her frostbite, the old injury looked more methodical, more like a blow. Holding her, he might also realize she unconsciously favoured a leg; one seemed to be held more limply than the other. Had emotions not been running high, and had she not been wearing a layered skirt, he might have also noticed the slight limp to her gait.

[Stephen Colly]

Why was Stephen so keen on wanting to help Adelheid? Probably because Rhys had been a great, great friend of his and had helped him in his first few months in the army. He remembered many a night the two of them and Edward McMillan had sat in the pub and chatted...he also remembered the time when Rhys had first met him and had been shocked he was still alive...and had told him about how Edward had been worried and looking for him, Stephen....so, so long ago that was. So much had changed...I mean, the chances of finding his daughter after his death, in a middle of a French street was amazing. Stephen felt like the two of them had a special connection...

He caught her before she had fallen into a cold puddle. Phew, that was close. He didn’t want to hurt her, just to stop her from running off. And then the shouting began...oh god. It lasted what felt like half an hour but was actually about 6 minutes or so. Henry stood a little away, shouting what Adelheid said in English before realising his lover needed help. The two of them tried to calm her, soothing voices and trying to make her shut-up. Her voice probably carried to the little village a field away.

So Stephen had acknowledged him. The raven wasn't surprised - Stephen had been a good friend, treating the girl with as much respect and kindness as he did her father. He didn't take his eyes off the pair, the girl running as fast as she could. However, Stephen was older, faster and a trained soldier in better health; overtaking her was no great issue. The raven cawed indignantly at the man's tackle, Adelheid crying out as she stumbled, her entire lower half nearly soaked. Had it not been for Stephen's arms, she would have gone plunging into an icy-cold puddle.

Finally she stopped her screaming – she’d run out of energy. ”She....says....”[/i] Henry said, slightly out-of-breath, ”That you weren’t there, and that they wouldn’t believe her or let her do anything...what ever that means.”[/i]

Stephen looked closer at her; he saw her nose – as if it had been broken....like she’d been hit. The frostbite scars looked worse closer up. He had noticed that she was slightly lame in one leg and it worried him. ”What the...” he muttered, ”Henry, look at this.” he beckoned to him. Henry knelt down and glanced at the injuries. ”Fuck.”[/i] he muttered, ” Wer sind sie Adelheid? Bitte, beruhigen, müssen wir wissen.”[/i] he spoke in calm tones to the girl.

Translations:

Who are they Adelheid? Please, calm down, we need to know.

[Heidi]

She was exhausted. She panted, trying to catch her breath, hiccuping and sobbing breathlessly. In vain, she tried to shove Stephen away one last time; it was almost claustrophobic to be held by him. When Henry asked who "they" were, Adelheid glared at him, lunging at him as if to attack. Her face stopped just a few centimetres before Henry's own.

"W-Was Sie denken?!" she snapped. "W-Wenn S-Sie alle mich a-allein zurückgelassen, war der e-einzige, der ich war k-k-kein Nazi wusste Herr Claude, und ich m-musste ihn wieder hinter sich zu lassen! Du bist alles b-bedeuten und Sie alle nennen mich einen Lügner! Du hast mich laufen! Ich konnte nirgendwo hingehen...."

Her eyes began to water again, and she was shaking even worse. Her hands clenched the fabric of Stephen's shirt tightly, one hand digging its nails into an arm. She bawled for a few moments, then sniffed and coughed, staring at the ground. She felt so drained, wishing Stephen would just drop her and leave already. Why did she have to explain herself all over again? Hadn't Herr Nicholas and Herr Dalton already bothered her enough about that?

"Ich mußte ihn zurücklassen..." came the guilt-ridden whimper. "Es war nicht fair...sie tat ihm weh, so schlecht... Ich war der einzige, der sich um ihn kümmern könnte, oder sie würden ihn verletzen mehr...." She buried her face into Stephen's chest, letting loose another crying spell. His shirt would be stained with the fluids on her face, his heartbeat a steady rhythm in her ears. The girl hugged Stephen tightly, stark in contrast to her frantic efforts before.

"Er ist immer noch in Deutschland...er war mein bester Freund."


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Translations:

"W-Was Sie denken?!" - W-What do you think?!

"W-Wenn S-Sie alle mich a-allein zurückgelassen, war der e-einzige, der ich war k-k-kein Nazi wusste Herr Claude, und ich m-musste ihn wieder hinter sich zu lassen! Du bist alles b-bedeuten und Sie alle nennen mich einen Lügner! Du hast mich laufen! Ich konnte nirgendwo hingehen...." - "W-When you all l-left me behind, the o-only one who knew I w-wasn't a Nazi was Herr Claude, and I h-had to leave him behind again! You're all m-mean and you all call me a liar! You made me run! I couldn't go anywhere...."

"Ich mußte ihn zurücklassen...." - "I had to leave him behind...."

"Es war nicht fair...sie tat ihm weh, so schlecht... Ich war der einzige, der sich um ihn kümmern könnte, oder sie würden ihn verletzen mehr...." - "It wasn't fair...they hurt him so bad...I was the only one who could look after him, or they'd hurt him more...."

"Er ist immer noch in Deutschland...er war mein bester Freund." - "He's still in Germany...he was my best friend."