Step Back (AU)

II

I spent the next year mostly inside our small house. Only leaving when it was night to go help hunt for food. We decided if I wanted to stay unmarried and not pregnant that it was best that the town didn't know of my existence.

Ruby would come in with food and tell me all about the tales of King Harlan Emerson. How the twenty-four-year-old was winning against Italy. When everyone was home for dinner, they would fill me in on the excitement of actually living within history. I had busied myself with sewing clothes for us all with fabric that Luke would bring home every now and then. Winter got cold and they needed to get warmer clothes. More layers. Their cloaks had layers sown on trying to make the things warmer.

Then there was something so exciting when a King came home from a victory that summer. The feeling that everyone was feeling was enticing and magical. Everybody singing and dancing. A lot of drinking with homemade alcohol drinks. Luke learned more German during those weeks of celebration.

When fall was in full swing an accident had happened.

A friend of Ruby's came over during dinner time and she saw me. The town found out and men came knocking.  We didn't know what to do other than leave in the middle of the night. So we packed up our things and started walking.

We left with high spirits and decided to move closer to Italy. With such high energy on the trails and a bow on my back. Within the year we had decided that I had the best aim. So I was often snuck out of the village to help hunt to bring meat home.

When we heard the hooves rushing down the path that we were on. We all quickly scrambled to a tree and quickly climbed up trying to get out of sight. It wasn't hard to climb them and to stay out of sight. We remember stories of what happen on some paths. Where people were killed just for being in the way. Families missing members because of being at the wrong place at the wrong time.

I look around and enjoy the snow on the trees. The green enticing and magical. The smell reminded me of Christmas that was soon to come. I was thankful that the sun was coming up and warmth was coming in. Seeping through my cloak and into my bones.

We sat and waited listening as the hooves go louder. There were people talking and I couldn't understand to what they were saying. Ruby gasped when a splash of snow slipped down her back and jumped towards Greg which put me off balance. With a small yelp I slip from my branch and went hurtling towards the ground. I squeeze my eyes shut ready for the painful death.

A loud grunt is sounded, and I felt my world tilt even more. In the distance, or it seemed like it, a horse neighed. Something wrapped tightly around my waist and it was warm. All the sudden I stopped moving and my landing for some odd reason had a softer landing. It felt like I was in gym class and we were learning all those gymnastic moves.

"Hoopla," a deep voice says. My eyes open and I was greeted with a man who was more beautiful than the ones that I've ever dreamed of. His eyes a bright green and his hair was dark as night.  "Geht es dir gut?"

Now I was panicking, "I'm sorry, I don't speak-" My heart was beating in my ears. He was strong and I could feel it with my small body pressed to his well-built one.

Greg interrupted me, "Sie spricht kein deutsch." I nodded my head and made a move to get off of him, but he only held me closer. I stopped panicking and felt his breathing and heart under my body. For some odd reason I felt safe in his arms, but it was awkward. I've always been a generally awkward person though.

The man only chuckled and tucked a strand of hair that fell out of my braid behind my ear, "I'm sorry. Did I earn to learn as to why an English woman is doing in the German trees?"

I hear thuds of my friends landing on the ground dropping down from the tree. The cold had my face thankfully already pretty blushed, "We are moving to another town. Oh! Well, uh, my brother fell in love with a German wife. We have been looking for some of her family." He nods then helps me stand up. He was a giant. I was always a decent height, but this man was really tall.

His smile was hypnotizing. His green eyes were hard not to look at. "Well my friends and I just came from the next village you are heading to. It isn't safe for you to go. Especially when you don't speak any German and only wield bows and arrows." He reaches over my shoulder to touch my handmade arrows. He smiles and his fingertips run down the length of my arm.

Greg steps up and puts his hand on my shoulder, "What are you doing riding around in the night?"

The god of a man's eyes lingered on my face for a few seconds a faint smile on his lips before he looked over at Greg, "We are just traveling home. That is all. My name is Harry. These are my friends Leif and Elias." Leif was wearing a black cloak with a dark green tunic under it. I could tell from here that his eyes were brown. Elias's cloak was black, and his tunic was purple. He had kind gentle hazel eyes.

Greg steps to stand beside me, "My name is Greg. That is my wife, Ruby, my younger brother, Luke, and this is Alina. We are the Steins."

Harry looks at me with a half-smile, "Alina, that is a German name. With no husband to love her?" Good thing it was cold otherwise I'd blush, but my cheeks were already rosy red from the cold.

Greg nods, "Our father was a German man. Alina only wants to marry for love. We honor her request."

Harry makes a tsk-tsk noise, "Poor Alina knows none of the language of her father?" His eyes shift back to me, "I hope your brothers spare you the time to teach you."

One of Harry's friends says something to him. Harry looks back at him with a beautiful smile and then shakes his head at him. He grabs my hand and kisses the back of it, "I must go. Shall we meet again in the woods?" He didn't let go of my hand and kept it in his huge warm one. I could feel the calluses on his skin.

I tilt my head to the side and raise an eyebrow, "What?" I couldn't help but smile back at him.

He laughs and I just about melted. His hand squeezed the one that he kissed, "My friends and I travel a lot. Perhaps we will cross paths again."

"Yes, perhaps," I say nodding my head a little.

He gives me another heartbreaking smile then let's go of my hand only to walk over to his equally strong beautiful black horse and to swing back onto it. "Until then, Alina."

Holding my hand up to wave, "Until then." Then with a rosy-warm face I watch him ride off.

I look back at Ruby who was fighting a smile. Luke was doing the same but was really bad at it. Greg was shaking his head. "You're falling in love a few hundred years too early, Alina." His tone gentle, but he meant business.

I laugh and throw my head back, "Ah, yes brother." I put an emphasis on the last word. "We both know how this will end. I will go home the same as I came." I look at him in the eyes. "Alone."

He smiles and nods his head, "Let's get going." I nod as Ruby loops her arm through mine. She smiles at me and nudges me with her hip. We giggle and keep going.

She teases me and yanks at my braid a little, "Oh quiet you."

Ruby's grey eyes look back at Greg, "Can you feel the love tonight?" she lousily sings to him. We all can't help but laugh and continue our walk towards the next town.

When we got there, we didn't understand what Harry was saying.

Not until winter came.