The Romanov Diary

Chapter thirty six

July 24, 1918

Another four days have passed unnoticed. The group starts their days with some quick breakfast consisting of raw eggs, bread, water and fruits. Then they walk for a couple of hours until it's time for lunch with raw eggs, bread, water and fruits. Theo and Milo take turns carrying Alexei while the girls help each other reading the map and carry their blankets, coats and bags. After another five hours or so of walking, it's time for dinner. And that consists of - guess what - raw eggs, bread, water and fruits!

They go to sleep as the sun sets and wakes up as she rises. The days all look the same, and they've not taken any notice in that it has now been a week since the Romanov family were massacred in Yekaterinburg. But in the deep and quiet woods, nothing ever changes.

"I'm so sick and tired of walking all day and eating the same things." Ophelia complaints.

"Me too." Alexei whispers from Milo's back, almost sleeping against his shoulder. "I want to go home..."

"Do you need to shift, Milo?" Ophelia asks and nods towards the little, but heavy, boy on his back.

Milo grunts. "Yes please. Thank you!"

Alexei jumps over to Ophelia's back and Milo does a well-deserved stretch. His spine cracks as he bends over to the ground. He shakes off the tensity in his muscles and follows up with his friends. Ella keeps a close eye on their compass while walking between the close and thick trees. Their skin has gone from pale and almost grey to tanned and brown from walking for so many hours in the sun everyday. The lack of vitamin in their food and limited time outside, as well as the covered windows prevented the sun from shining upon their skin, but now they look ever darker than before they came to Siberia. The last time Anastasia and Alexei were this pale, they were in Romania to meet Prince Carol. It was a lovely trip, and Anastasia smiles to herself as she stomps over roots and mud.

Suddenly, Ella let's go of a silent scream and falls to the ground. She was so focused on the compass and heading west, that she didn't notice the massive root by her feet and she tumbled over. Her face landed on the ground among small but sharp rocks, carving wounds into her skin.

"Ella!" Theo turns around and helps her on her feet.

Anastasia and Milo are quickly by her side too. Her eyes were luckily not hit, but her right cheek, forehead and chin are both dirty and bloody.

"You're the clumsiest person I know." Milo sighs and takes out the water bottle from one of their bags.

"Give me the water, I can fix this." Anastasia says to Milo.

Anastasia and Maria were too young to be offered the nursing job at the hospitals during the war, but they saw their sisters and mother at work and took great pleasure in spending time with the wounded. She may not have a degree or experience, but small wounds like this are very much in her power to take care of. Milo hands her the bottle with a smile. Anastasia rips off a part of her blouse that's still clean and dips it into the water before cleaning Ella's wounds.

"Ouch, it stings!" Ella complains and closes her eyes.

"I know, I'm sorry I would need something else to kill the bacteria with and to cover your wounds from dirt, but this is all I can do for now." She smiles.

"Maybe we can find patches or band-Aids when we reach a society?" Theo suggests.

"Hopefully. I can't do more right now."

Ella's wounds aren't life-threatening, but they hurt and need to be cleaned properly to prevent bacteria from making it infected.

"We should continue walking, don't let me slow us down." Ella laughs and gets on her feet.