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Colder than the Snow ((me and Houdini))

Senka looked up at him when he spoke. She smiled slightly and said "That would be nice" she said softly. She stood up and put on her coat and said "Lets go". She looked at him and thought for a moment. She was over the initial reaction of hate for him now. She had come to realize the thinking behind his actions. It had been the human reaction, as her human reaction would have been to kill him.
 
He bundled up himself, and led the way towards the door, tip-toeing quietly down the steps so that their cover of his 'wife' being sick did not get blown. Once they got outside, he took a deep breath of the cold, invigorating air, a few snowflakes making their way into his nostrils and lungs as well. "The town square is this way", he pointed, starting off in that direction, watching a few children play on the ground in the snow, launching snowballs at each other.
 
She moved out with him, also being careful to not make any noise. Once they made it outside she took a breath of fresh air her self. She looked about the town and she nodded and followed after him as they walked through. Once they were in the town square she smiled slightly at the sight of the children playing. However she froze when she felt something very cold hit her back. The sounds of small light footsteps followed. "Were really sorry miss, I didn't mean to hit you" came the voice of a child. Senka turned and looked at the small boy. Disheveled in appearance, a worried look upon his face. He reminded her of her small brother before he had been killed. She said nothing as her accent would give them away, but she smiled and mussled his hair which caused him to smile and run off, resuming his game.
 
He walked side by side with her down the street, turning and laughing a bit at the incident that happened to Senka. As they approached the town square, he took note that it was nearly empty. It looked beautiful as the large snowflakes completely covered the trees, statues, and cobblestone pavement. He stopped for a moment, turned, looked at Senka, and playfully brushed an accumulation of snow off her shoulders, before placing his gloved hands on her shoulders. The white flakes speckled in with her red hair was lovely.

"I'm so glad I'm here with you instead of in that awful army camp," he confessed.
 
Senka felt him brush the snow of her back before he placed his hands on her shoulders and spoke. She turned back to look at him. She didn't speak, but she looked into his eyes for a moment before she looked down. He still wanted to be around her even though the darker evil in her would rather watch the color leave his face as the blood flowed out from his body. She did not succumb the the said evil side. She knew he was not that bad, but that small boy she had just seen...she could not understand how her could have stranded to watch a child be killed in cold blood. She remembered as she was ripped away from her fiancee's embrace after one last kiss, and her younger brother was wrenched out of her hands by the Germans. She took a breath and continued to walk through the town.
 
He walked through with her, the snow now almost ankle-deep. He could tell that her thoughts were preoccupied, and even though he had intended for this to be a mental escape, beautiful though the surroundings were, he knew she was not in peace. After all, she hadn't even acknowledged his confession to be glad to be with her.

He slowly walked in silence with her down the quiet main streets, only interrupted by an occasional child dragging a sled around. "I know just walking in the snow isn't going to make you forget your fiancee and family. I just thought it might help you a little," he said as they neared the place they were staying again.
 
Senka looked at him as they continued to walk. She sighed a little as the headed back tot he shoemakers. When he spoke to her she looked a him and said "I know..I thank you for that...I;m sorry I didn't say anything earlier...I didn't want to give us away" she said softly. She looked at him and said "That boy...he reminded me of my own brother, he was always goofing off like that"
 
He felt for her when he heard about the memories dredged up by the boy with the snowballs. "I'm so sorry about that. I didn't realize that was why you were so quiet. You must miss your brother just as you do your fiancee", he remarked, guilt welling up in his heart again. He rubbed his hand around her back again over her tattered winter coat. "I guess we should get inside. It's late in the afternoon, and the shoemaker will be returning home soon."
 
Senka looked at him and said "It's not your fualt...." she said softly as he put his hand on her back, She looked at him and nodded when he said that she must miss them. She looked at him and nodded and said "Alright, lets get back inside" she said pushing the door opened and walking up stair to their small room.
 
He followed her up the steps to their small, quiet room. There wasn't much to do until night fell inside there. He pulled a folded paper out of his pocket and laid it out on the bed. "I picked up a map of the area when I was out earlier this morning," he told her. "It looks like there is another town big enough to hide in 20 miles from here, still heading towards Switzerland." He hoped to keep her informed of what he had in mind, so she would know she could continue to trust him. "We could head that way tomorrow morning, although I know the heat won't be off yet. Do you like the idea of hiding in towns on the way, or do you prefer staying outside? I have to say, I don't mind staying where it's warm myself."
 
Senka looked at him and nodded when he said he had picked up a map. "Thats smart" she said. She listened and said "I think it's a good idea. Once they stop looking in towns they will probably scour the outside lands for us" she said looking at him. "Lets head to the next town" she said in agreement.
 
Josef nodded in agreement, when a knock came on the door. He went to check on it, and found the shoemaker standing in the hallway. He stepped outside to talk with him, not wanting him to see their map, lest he become suspicious. "Are you and your wife well enough to come down and eat with us?" Josef shook his head, but thanked the man, "It's quite kind of you and your wife. My wife is recovering well, in fact, we'll be leaving in the morning, but she wants to rest to be sure."

Josef followed the shoemaker downstairs, where he insisted that he take two plates of chicken and potatoes back up to their room. Josef pulled him to the side and gave him some money, saying "This is for your troubles. We will leave very early tomorrow morning."

He then headed upstairs to the bedroom, handing Senka one of the plates as he entered.
 
Senka kept out of sight for the moment when the shoemaker came up to the room. She watched as Josef walked out of the room. When he came back she saw the plates of food. She took the one he handed to her and said "These are kind people" she said softly and picked up the fork and began to eat slowly. She looked at Josef for a moment before she continued to eat.

She sighed a little and said "What will you do once we make it to Switzerland?" she asked him.
 
"They are kind," he agreed. "You see, not all of us Germans are 'dogs', as you say," he said to her, a half of a smile on his face. He picked up some chicken and cut it with the side of his fork, before eating a piece.

"I think that when I get to Switzerland, I will assume a new identity, but I'll stay in the German speaking part. At least that way, I'll keep my culture intact, as much as I can. It will be nice to live in a country that never gets involved in these horrible wars. Maybe one day, I'll marry and have children. I will raise them never to get involved in these horrible things we have seen."
 
Senka continued to eat slowly. She closed her eyes and began to eat slowly. She looked at him as he spoke. She looked down for a moment and said "I see". She closed her eyes and continued to eat slowly. She sighed and said "I don't know what I'll to" she said sighing.
 
He stood up off the floor, where he was sitting and eating, rubbing the top of her head as he stood up. "You're a soldier through and through. I'm sure you'll end up fighting for something, somewhere." As she finished eating, he took her empty plate and put it on top of his own, heading towards the door to take it back in to their host. "I guess there isn't really much to do in here tonight except get ready for tomorrow and go to sleep. Unless maybe you play cards. I've never met a woman who did, though. I'll be right back," he said as he left the room.
 
Senka looked at him as he spoke. She head him ask if she played cards. "You'd be surprised, we don't just learn out way around a gun" she said watching as he left the room. She waited for him to come back and sighed to her self and sat on the bed comfortably.
 
He grinned at no one in particular on the way out after hearing her joke. He was glad to see Senka in decent spirits. After returning the plates to their place, he returned the room. "So did I hear you say you do play cards? It would be nice to have something to do. I'm not used to going to sleep at 7:00," he said to her.
 
Senka looked at him when he returned and said "Yes, I do" she said with a smile. "I've also been told I'm pretty good" she said.
 
He grinned back at her. "Well, I suppose I wouldn't be surprised. You do many other things better than most men. When I used to play with the other officers, we used to gamble. But you and I can play just for fun. After all, I don't want to take advantage of you," he replied with a wide grin.
 
"Don't be so confident, you might eat your words" she said with a smirk as he grinned at her. She looked at him and said "Come one, lets play" she said.
 
He took out his worn deck of cards he had packed in his knapsack. As they started their game, he didn't really care too much about winning, but found that it was quite as escape from their up and down day.
 
Senka smiled lightly as they played. She ended up winning and she said "Hah, thats one to me" with a grin on her face.
 
"That's OK. I talk tough, but I'm a gracious loser," he said. "I'm glad you know how to play." He started another game, and won the second time. "Well, I guess we're even now," Josef said "I can't believe a couple hours have passed already. I'm glad we could take our minds off things. I guess we should turn in now, we have a difficult day ahead of us tomorrow."
 
She nodded and said "All right, good night" she said. She then got up and said "Did you want to sleep in the bed tonight?" she asked him softly.
 
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