No trace: Part Two of The Accidental Trilogy

Chapter Twenty Three

I followed this group, careful not to make that much noise. I knew that any plan I made, I would have to somehow ensure that the army wouldn't retaliate and come after us.

But if they were distracted by actual German soldiers... I peeled off to the coast. They shouldn't have gone too far.

They hadn't. I took off the command, thankful that I had kept it simple, so I could replace it with another.

Follow me.

This time, I made no effort to be stealthy. Let them think I was bringing the cavalry.

Of course, there was every chance that both sides would be fired upon.

I changed the command, I didn't want any more death to follow me. 

It didn't take too long; I alone was making enough noise, let alone the soldiers behind me.

Before we got too close, I made a sudden turn to the left, which was the moment when the soldiers behind me had their control back and were able to choose what to do next. They could very easily hear the Americans giving orders to each other and could just as easily decide to fight or flee. 

My focus though, was on Alaric. And Tristan.

As expected, they'd left their prisoners tied to a tree, along with the horses. The guns were taken, obviously, but for now, I am not too worried. The men are silent as I approach, which I am thankful for, but I still notice disquieting details.

Alaric has recently been treated like a punching bag, I'm guessing because he stood in front of Tristan who made a smart comment.

They both remove their horses' ties after I have untied theirs, and we all quietly walk our horses away to a safe distance before mounting and setting off in earnest.

'What did you say to them, Tristan?' I ask after a while of too much silence.

'How do you know it wasn't Alaric?' He asks too quickly.

'Your tone.'

'I was provoked, we were both were, almost constantly. I don't mind being mixed in with German nationals, but when I am accused of being a Nazi, and all that entails. I don't think I took it too well.'

I glance again at Alaric now healing face. 'Clearly.'

We stay within hearing distance of the battle. The skirmish over in moments, the Americans sustain some casualties, but it's superficial and they take prisoners.

'I think we successfully proved that you two aren't German soldiers.'

'You did Amy,' Alaric says. 'Nice planning.'

'Thanks.' I allow a small smile to myself. Always nice to be appreciated after all.

x

We were a lot more careful after that. Tristan especially took it upon himself to act as a scout, but since the capture and subsequent rescue, I noticed that he seemed to take more delight in his existence that I had seen of it thus far.

'He does seem happier,' Alaric, admits one evening. 'But then, so do you.'

'You've known me for a few months, almost a century ago. I don't even want to know how long you and Tristan have known each other.'

'Far too long,' Tristan voice is audible even at this distance. 'You two need to learn the meaning of a private conversation.'

'I thought you meant to be the lookout?' Alaric asks.

'Shut up.'

He smiles, despite what I just said. 'You're English, I might have guessed, by the way you cooked the game Tristan caught.'

'I was following your explicit instructions!' I reply, grinning. 'Not my fault it burnt.'

'Obviously, you didn't follow them closely enough!' Tristan is slowly returning to the camp. 'Maybe you can do the dishes instead.'

'Maybe you haven't heard the saying. Once a scullery maid, never again a scullery maid.'

'Alright then,' Alaric still has a joking tone. 'Amy, you can provide the evening's entertainment.'

'Agreed,' Tristan says, a small beginning of a grin. 'I don't like burnt meat.'

Occasionally we are close to soldiers, both sides of the war, but we remain calm and silent and ghost past. Or I should say, Alaric and Tristan ghost past, I follow later with the horses.

The respect we found almost a century ago in America flourishes and grows this tentative friendship even more deeply.

And the friendship between Alaric and I, strange as it is, means that every time we travel separately for safety and stealth reasons, I feel a lot more tense about the situation. Logically I am fully aware that both of us are capable of taking care of ourselves and have done for some time.

But seeing him again, the weight is off my shoulders and playing my flute, the tune is usually slightly more cheerful than my usual melancholy tones.

We enter the town on horseback, having already established a few days before that the Germans have left and the town is slowly starting to rebuild itself.

We take rooms at the inn. Three, I have no wish to force something which I do not even understand.

We stay for a few months, I busk and the men find small jobs to do for some coins for that night's rent.