How They Met

[outlaw trinidy]

Katrina blushed when he glanced back a bit annoyed, though it was unfair and unrealistic to expect a lady to run.

She was helped on the horse when she realized he had called her dollface. In fact, he had said it a few times. "My name is Katrina, not dollface." She huffed with a slight glare. "I dislike riding on my own anyway... though I am quite sure I have no answers for some of your questions..." Katrina said with a soft sigh. She clung to him to prevent herself from falling off the horse when they first galloped away. At the sound of gunshots, Katrina muffled her outcry and hid her head against his back; hands clutching to his shirt. How horrible! She thought, fearing they would be caught again or shot.

She flinched in annoyance when he called her dollface again, but what he did next removed her annoyance from her mind and instead installed surprise. What?! "You are mad!" She gasped while she released her hold on him while he shifted and lifted his leg over her head. She ducked as she closed her eyes, half expecting to hear him fall. Instead he managed to make the switch safely, and was urging the horse to go faster. With his chest against her back, she could feel his heartbeat pulse; she tried to slide her hair to her shoulder; the opposite side from his face while she held to the saddle with her other hand. Truth be told she was trying to not panic being on the horse, with angry French soldiers after them... in a land she had only passed through on carriage.

At Jasper's outburst, Katrina glanced up. "What? What is wrong?" She asked, her soft jet eyes searching his face for clues to his distress.

When they reached the town, Katrina realized the French soldiers were no longer following them. Thank goodness... she thought as she was finally starting to relax. They were greeted by townspeople and Jasper had them slow down and finally stop. Grateful to be off the horse; Katrina nearly lept off on her own; when things went horribly wrong. It all happened in a flash, she was pulled away while Jasper was trying to explain and tackled to the ground. It was then Katrina sad the blood on Jasper's back. "Wait! Wait, no! You do not understand!" She started to say then switched to her native tongue, "Hij verlost mij van de Franse. Hij verlost ik!!! Hij verlost ik!!" She repeated herself while she struggled to be free from their hands. She shouted again and again trying to speak over the others while Jasper was being taken away. It took a while but the people finally paid some attention to her. "Er rettete Sie?" She was asked, confusion at first then they tried again; with mixed English. "He help?" Katrina smiled and relief flooded her face as she nodded; "Hij is niet het Frans. Hij is met mij, uit Nederland. Gelieve, is hij gewond. Help." She pleaded, hoping they would believe her. There was a buzz of chatter as people whispered and talked amongst themselves. She could pick up some of it, some were fearing French spies while others whispered to aid the two.

"Was ist los?" A voice asked, a man came over; pushing through the crowd. He blinked when he saw Katrina and asked, "Wer bist du?" The townspeople explained what had transpired and the man eyed Katrina with a slight frown. Katrina had the feeling this man was their leader of sorts. She took a few deep breaths before she said, "Wilt u ons helpen?" There was a brief silence as he just stared at her. She held his gaze though she was frightfully worried for her new ally Jasper. Just how badly was he hurt? The man before her gave an outcry then a huge grin. "Herzlich Willkommen!" He said then added, "Wir helfen!" At those words, the crowd around them started to scatter as people went to their jobs or homes. The man took Katrina towards the hut Jasper was taken to, the man kept his arm around Katrina's shoulders, his grip was not as relaxed as his easygoing smile. It was quite obvious he did not trust her, but he commanded his people to let the boy go and fetch the doctor. Jasper was released, though they watched him like a hawk as one ran off to get their doctor.

Katrina was instructed to stay at this man's side while she explained to Jasper, "They will help, though I do believe they do not quite trust us they are being kind. Are you alright?" She asked, sounding quite worried.  

[acfaerie]

Jasper's head pounded. He was unsure he'd see Katrina again. She could just leave him there and be on her way. She had a way about her that even though she had to keep up, she was still right there. He wondered what she would do.

His head started to pound even more as the sweat glistened against his forehead. The room started to spin a little as they threw him down and tied him up. A painful groan came from his mouth. He spit to the side and saw a little blood come out. He had no idea how much longer he had.

All of a sudden people came to the entrance of the room and to his relief, he saw Katrina with what seemed to be a rather plump man. He didn't like his grip on her. He felt himself be freed from the ropes they had put him in.

He inspected his wrists. "It was about time you came, doll." he half heartedly chuckled. He stayed put. He could't stand. He saw a few people coming towards him and looked a bit worried then Katrina spoke. He let a sigh of relief out as she spoke.

"Eventually I will be, thanks to you." He half smiled at her and then fell on his face as the doctors inspected his back. They started whispering to themselves in a panic as they rushed to remove the fabric from his body.
The back of the jacket a much darker red than before. They started to clean him up and finally found the puncture wound.

"Wir haben eine Operation durchzuführen und sich die Kugel aus oder er sterbe." one of the doctors said as they looked towards Katrina. A few others had come in and had started setting up a station and started preparing instruments for extraction. They laid him on his face on the cot and started cleaning the wound.

"Geben Sie mir das Werkzeug" Said one to the other and he nodded. He took what looked like surgical plyers and went into the wound. It took him a couple minutes to find it but he finally pulled out the bullet. They proceeded to sanitize the wound and stitched him back up. They applied gauze and bandaged him up.

"Sie haben Glück, wir ihn bekamen jetzt . Wir warten und sehen, ob er jetzt macht ." The doctor took a small spongey towel and dampened it, applied it to Jasper's lips to try to hydrate him.

He was still out cold and looked paler than usual. Only time would tell if he would make it out okay.  

[outlaw trinidy]

Katrina tried to go to Jasper once he was released, but the grip on her shoulder tightened, causing her go stand still. She ignored being called doll this once, but she showed a tiny flicker of annoyance on her face. He looked so pale, and she was not quite sure to believe him when he answered her question. Gasping when he fell, she knew better than trying to run to him; she put her gloved hands to her mouth and glanced up at the chief. He released her shoulder but told her, "Lassen Sie die Ärzte arbeiten." She bit her lip lightly but stayed at a distance as she watched, being told they had to remove the lead or Jasper would die.

The sight of blood made the color drain from her face, someone even brought her a chair to sit in; fearing she would faint. She hid her eyes at times; but she made sure they were not going to kill Jasper. Not that she could do anything to stop them, if they should try such a thing; it made her feel a bit more in control to keep an eye on the doctors. At least they were no longer hovering around her, making sure she was not a threat. When the surgery was over, Katrina tried to stand but the big man; leader of this village came over to talk to her. "Wer bist du wirklich?" Katrina hesitated as she looked up at this big man. He seemed nice, with wrinkles at his eyes showing he smiled a lot. but currently he had a stern look on his face that brought a lump to her throat. "Ik ben Katrina. Ik ben geboren in Nederland, heb ik echt niet weet niets." She said, wanting to gush her whole story. Tears swam in her eyes while she remembered being attacked in the woods, losing her sister and finding herself in a strange world coming upon Jasper. How in the world did we wind up here? She asked herself, but she managed to keep her tongue. By biting it. The man stood tall as he watched her, arms crossed as he scratched his bushy beard.

Katrina glanced at Jasper while he rested, hoping he would be alright. "Ich weiß, dass Sie etwas zu halten, um sich. Aber ich glaube nicht, dass du das uns schaden. Sie sind frei zu bleiben, während er heilt. Ein Wächter wird mit Ihnen sowohl zu allen Zeiten zu bleiben." She heard, which caused her to glance up. Translating German to Dutch was a bit draining, her mind trying to make sense of what she was being told. She understood enough so she nodded. "Je hebt mijn dank. Ik wou dat ik je meer vertellen, maar eerlijk gezegd weet ik niet wat er gebeurde. Het spijt me." She said as she stood and curtsied. She was feeling a bit lightheaded still so she quickly sat back down, blushing at her weakness. She was patted on the head in a fatherly manner making her look up, seeing the big man smiling down at her and replied that he would be back to check on them later.

Katrina pulled her chair over closer while she waited for Jasper to wake. She did not know this stranger, but she felt responsible for him. Even though he had a strange way of talking. She was offered food by a woman, and ate quietly as she finally took the opportunity to process what had happened to her in this short amount of time. A small feeling of dread washed over her when she came to the conclusion, her magic had done this. Somehow her want to be somewhere else during the attack, had caused this. Tears started to fall silently as she hid her face. She did not care there were whispers from the people in the hut. She felt horrible, she was to blame for everything.

Katrina eventually fell asleep in her chair; slouched as she was leaning to one side. If her teachers at finishing school were to see her now, they would strongly scold her.  

[acfaerie]

Jasper woke up to the shots of pain that came from the newly stitched wound. He jostled a little and then stayed down.
What happened? The area didn't look familiar. He was ages away from his newsstand, all that had been common to him had slipped away.
He sighed and closed his eyes a little longer.

He peered to his side and saw Katrina asleep. She looked exhausted. They needed to rest since they had been on the go since they left New York. He still had no idea what to make of this place. What to make of her or of this situation. No one would believe him when he went back home.... if he made it back home... The thought of not going back stung him as bad as the wound had. He was prepared to start a new path that he had built. Was it all going to be taken away now that he was here?

He didn't know but the idea of all his hard work going to waste made him frown and unhappy. A long and deep groan softly shook his stomach as he hoped it hadn't woken Katrina. His hand glided to his side a little closer to where she was and he left it. He didn't want to disturb her. She looked peaceful when she slept.

The lack of food that day caught up to him as his stomach made noises as a plea for help. "Shhh." He softly said to his stomach as if it were going to help. He moved his arm a little and regretted it instantly. "Ahh..." he moaned a little as he had felt some of the stitches tug at his skin.

He looked over at Katrina and decided he should try and wake her.
"Pssst. Lady." He said to her as he tried to get her attention. "Katrina... how...what....what's going on." his voice trailed as he was still a bit weak.  

[outlaw trinidy]

Dieter Bachmeier was at first suspicious of the strangers. The girl did speak Dutch, quite clearly but it was different from what he heard. Plus she knew English rather well. The boy spoke English and did not sound like anyone Dieter heard before. The two were rather strange but Dieter's gut told him they were not bad people. His gut was never wrong, but there was always a first time. So, he was being careful. He sent his wife to bring the girl some food and gave her some space. His unease of the girl at least faded a bit when his wife returned and said the girl had cried. Having five children of his own, seven nieces and five nephews; Dieter was a big family man. If that was one of his daughters or nieces, he would hope that the stranger they came across would help them. But, with his big family being so near; if these two strangers meant them harm; Dieter's family always came first.

He received word the young man woke so he grabbed a bottle of brandy from their cellar, then went for a visit. He would test the strangers. Then decide just how much help they would receive. Dieter entered the hut with a confident stride as he greeted the lad, speaking in broken English.

"Hallo! You feeling good yes? Here, drink. It help."

A jolly smile came to his face as he offered the bottle of brandy, a good pain aid and it eased sour moods. It would also help bring out any secrets.  

[acfaerie]

Jasper tried to adjust himself to sit up. He slid a little and finally was able to manage it. His head was a little bit light. But he was sure the feeling would pass with some food.

He saw the bloodied coat next to the bed and left it there just letting the bandages be his shirt for the time being. He heard footsteps and saw the man from before come in with a very different demeanor. Maybe Katrina had spoken to him and he understood? Surely that's why they saved his life instead of letting him die.

"Feeling a little better, yeah. Thanks." He reached for the glass and took a sniff at the stuff in the cup. His nostrils filled with alcohol as he coughed a little. He was not used to the smell of brandy. He preferred his local ale to this. He looked back at the man who was eager for him to drink the cup.

He took a swig and placed the cup down to his side. "Sir, can I bother you for bread? I don't think my stomach will stop talkin' if I feed it, you see." he said as his nostrils flared a little from the taste that resided from the drink.

He took another sip as he started to get used to the taste on his tongue. "This is different than what we have back home, right sweets?" he said as he looked over to Katrina and gave a wink. He saw that she was still asleep. "Missing out... " he said under his breath as he smiled.

This weird drink gave him a little more spirit and started to take the edge off the pain in his shoulder.

"Thank you for this." He pointed at the drink and at his shoulder. "I know what it looked like but I'm glad Katrina was able to talk to you." he said as he took another drink.  

[outlaw trinidy]

The hut was small, and designed to punish those who broke the laws of the village. Rarely used but still needed. Dieter did not believe violence was the best way to get people to listen, and this was proved every day by the villagers doing their tasks quite happily. All functioning in harmony. It was probably why he was so hesitant to let newcomers in their little village. Dieter chuckled heartly when the young man hesitated at the drink then coughed at the first sip. It packed a punch, that's for sure. He called someone over and muttered for food to be brought then smiled at the strange guest.

"Good good. Yes, food coming."

He finally said while he watched the wounded youth speak in such a foreign way. Very improper to talk to such a lady, did they really know each other? ANd why was the man wearing a French soldier's uniform. There had been rumors of the French starting problems again. Was this an attack? Was this man French and had a change of heart when Katrina was brought there? No, the accent is not there... very strange. Dieter mused then smiled. Once the cup had enough gone, Dieter filled it from the bottle be brought.

"Ja, welcome. She say you help. Where you from? You not from Nederland; ... Dutch."

He asked trying to sound clear enough for the boy to understand. The lad was close to his son's age. If not younger. Old enough to be having a family of his own.

"Name? I Dieter." He said, thumping his fist against his chest proudly.

He waited for replies and the food was brought over. It was not much, but some bread and cheese. Dieter gestured for Jasper to eat, then added more brandy to the glass. If he had to, he would use up the whole bottle to get answers.

"You far from home, yes?"  

[acfaerie]

"Thank you, sorry for the trouble sir." he said as his glass was filled once more. The slight pink tinge started to appear on his cheeks as he relaxed a little more.

"Jag är från Sweeden . Jag möter förtjusande dam i Nederländerna . Tyvärr bruten språk." He managed to squeeze out from what his mother used to speak to him in sweedish. He doubted it would help but he thought it would. He felt like he sounded even more fluent with the new liquid coursing through his veins.

"We are hear finding family." he explained as he started to slur his words. He took another sip and let the liquid sit in his mouth for a little before he swished and swallowed it.

"Nice farmer tried to hide us when we saw the French coming." He tried to simplify his words to make it a little more understandable. Some of the letters ran on with his speech, others had too much annunciation.
His mind trotted back to the farmer.
"I wonder if he's alright. It looked like they were taking crops from him." He frowned as he rubbed the back of his head slightly pensive.
"They did not catch him but caught us." he said as he slowed his story telling down. The room was a little out of focus...oh wait now it was back to being focused so all was good.  

[outlaw trinidy]

Dieter waved the comment aside with a wide grin. He was watching the brandy go right to the young man's head.

Swedish!? Mein Gott! He thought but refrained from blurting, instead he listened carefully. If that was indeed true, they had horrible luck on their journey. "Which family?" He started to ask when he heard news of a farmer who saved them. The only farmer within an hour's travel was his brother. Franz. He held his breath as he listened to the story, asking "Farmer safe?" Then heard Jasper had no idea what happened to Franz. Well that settled everything. If Franz was willing to help then, then by thumping I will do the same. I should have him checked on though. It has been a month since we had a proper visit. "You lose supplies?" he asked, wondering if they lost their belongings to the French. If they were traveling such a far distance, they had to have some belongings. Strange how they seemed to have met and traveled together to see family. Were the related somehow?

"You related?" He asked pointing to the young lady still asleep. She seemed to be dead asleep. It must have been an exhausting day for them both. At the explanation, Dieter resupplied more brandy to Jasper.

"You escape French? How?" Dieter asked, partly excited to hear the exciting tale of a daring escape. He listened intently.

"They close? You show." He asked enthusiast realizing he might be able to strike first. Taking the French by surprise. It might just save his village from a slaughter. "Yes, you help. We make you look French. You go. We stop them. Yes." He decided as he eyed the young man. "You be hero, to fair lady." Dieter said with a knowing smile.


(you not eating, and you did not say your name. XD drunk already Jasper?)  

[acfaerie]

Jasper waved his hand about. "Oh sorry Dieter, I'm Jasper." He said as he took another swig of the cup he had that was refilled. He shrugged his shoulder.

"We didn't pack appropriately I guess." he said as he looked around to see if she had had a bag but couldn't remember. He slumped a little and felt a pull on the stitches as he fixed himself upright. He grinned as he caressed the cup. "No, we are not family but we are going to see her family. I need to ask. Marriage." he said now sniffing the liquid again. It had taken a sweeter flavor now. An elixer that changes flavors! he must find some and bring it back with him.

"Good!" he said as he pointed to his drink and then put it down and began to eat. He tried to be as polite as he could but he ate with his mouth partially open and stuffed his face with more food as if he had been starved. The taste was different than what he was used to but he was happy to have something in his stomach.

"Friendly farmer hid us in bushhhh." he finished the last item on his plate as he licked his fingers. He sighed and patted his stomach as he was nice and content. He felt the wound again and twitched from the pain.

"Katrina saw something move and gave away our hiding place so we were captured by the guards that were taking food from the farmer." he said as he reached for the cup again and drank a little more. "We had no weapons so we couldn't do anything.... I really hope he's going to be okay." he lost himself in a day dream of thoughts until a noise brought him back to.

"Oh. We got to camp, found a way to escape and grabbed a uniform to try to smuggle us out and we got caught escaping and then fled here on horses and I got shot and that is it." he let his lips smack together as he finished a small sip.

"They have a biggg tteent set up." his speech started to slur a bit. His eye sight not being as cooperative anymore. "Sure but rest please first." He said as he curled himself into a ball, spilling the glass on the floor not sure where it landed. He whimpered a little from the shoulder pain but started to rest while lying down waiting for sleep to take him again.

(( OOC: Yes M'ammmm.... -he blushes and plays with his partially numb face- O.o >.>; ))  

[outlaw trinidy]

Dieter was very amused Jasper was so tipsy. While it was rather foolish to not pack for such a travel, men do foolish things when in love. Dieter realized as he shook his head. "Pack better. Not safe. Care for her yes? Then be man; think!" Dieter said with a fatherly scolding.

A bit of pride came when his drink was complemented and beamed with a smile. He waited for Jasper to eat. trying to not worry about his brother. Franz could take care of himself, but he had a family to care for. If they were threatened, Franz would be defeated. From the sound of things, Franz needed help. Dieter called over a guard and whispered instructions to him, not wanting to notify Jasper just yet of his relation to the "friendly farmer". He hoped Franz was ok as well.

He listened while, Katrina woke up and was watching Jasper speak. The noise from Jasper's loud drunken speech woke her. She kept quiet, glad that he seemed to be alright. She wanted to apologise for getting them caught in the first place, better yet for even getting them trapped in this situation. She gasped softly when Dieter suggested Jasper go back to the French camp. As a spy no less. That is what the French had accused them of being in the first place! She was angry the leader even asked such a thing, and surprised when Jasper agreed to go. "He should not have to go back to that awful place. I would be more than happy to point you in the right direction." She found herself saying, then she flinched realizing she spoke aloud.

Dieter smiled at Katrina's outburst and nodded. "Wir werden ihn sicher zu halten. Keine Sorge." He glanced at Jasper wondering what brought those two together.

"Dan kom ik bij! Gebruik iemand die ze niet kennen. Ze zijn op zoek naar mij. Gebruik dat." Katrina said as she crossed her arms. She saw the surprise on the man's face, and in truth she was surprised herself.

The man laughed suddenly as he stood. If Jasper was still awake Dieter would say, "You have fiery woman!" He would say something either way, before he waved for Katrina to follow him as he left the hut. "Come come, We have extra room. You rest. We decide tomorrow."

Katrina hesitated as she glanced at Jasper then she stood. Soothing her dress and fussing with her hair a moment before she followed the leader. Rest in a bed sounded wonderful right about now.

((Doodles on sleepy drunk face))  

[acfaerie]

Jasper's eye opened a little as he nodded over at Dieter. He saw Katrina wake and get involved. He couldn't keep a smile from creeping upon his face. He understood bits and pieces and was amused she'd try something so foolish.

She might not be too bad. He thought as he let his head fall back down as he twitched a little from the pain. He let a small whimper out and started closing his eyes. "Goodnight, Katrina. Thank you." He mustered before his eyes could fight sleep no more.


---------------------Two days later -----------------------------------------

He had managed to sleep away two days only to get up to do his business and eat and go back to sleep. He felt a little more refreshed and his shoulder no longer bothered him as much as it had at first.

He stretched gently as he looked around at his surroundings. He saw lots of used bandages from when they had changed his wounds before. He looked at his current bandage. It looked like they had just recently changed it and he hadn't even felt it. He went around the tent and looked around at the different things in there.

One of the nurses that had attended to him came in and were startled that he was up.
"Hej. Har du extra tröja?" he asked as he tried to make sure his pronunciation was correct. She looked at him as if he had 3 heads trying to decipher what he had said. He pointed to his chest and tried to make a motion to a shirt.

She clapped her hands and nodded. She ran off and disappeared for a few minutes. He sighed and ruffled his hair a little. He found a water basin and washed up his face and splashed a bit in his hair and shook it out. She came back in and had pulled out a button up shirt that looked a little fancy.

"I guess there is a first time to dress up." he chuckled under his breath.
"Danke." He said and nodded. He had heard it around the camp a few times while he drifted in and out of sleep and it seemed to be the right context so he saw she responded properly to it.

He put on the shirt and tucked it in. I wonder what Katrina is doing... he thought as he went to the entrance. A guard was at the entrance. I guess that's preventative. He thought.  

[~Da llama queen~]

Katrina was taken to Dieter's home and was greeted by the woman who gave her food, Ida, as well as three children. One was young, only about eight; Hanna. While the second was about Lillith's age Flora. Her name and age brought a swarm of memories to Katrina's mind. The oldest was fourteen, Detlef. He bragged about that, saying he was able to get married soon; like his older siblings. Detlef then flirted with Katrina with a big smile though his father told him of Jasper; Katrina's supposed fiance. Detlef ignored that and gushed over Katrina all through dinner. He even offered to let her use his bed, but she was saved by Ida and was shown to the girl's room which had a spare bed.

Before Katrina knew it, she was asleep.

---------------------Two days later -----------------------------------------

Katrina was helping with the morning chores. She was given an old dress belonging to the older daughter who was now married and about to have a baby, the Bachmeier's all insisted Katrina did not mess up her pretty dress while she was there. For the past two days, Katrina had insisted she helped out for the bed and meals. The only conflict she found was when she was asked about her fiance. Katrina switched topics rather quickly. Thankfully Ida had assumed Katrina was simply worried and did not want to talk about it. Still, Katrina played her part and visited Jasper a few times a day. Partly because she wanted to keep up the act, and partly because she felt guilty he had been hurt. Flora and Hanna found out about the assumed marriage and were gushing about babies and being a bride. Katrina found the whole topic unsettling, but she smiled as she talked, pretending everything was alright.

It was later in the morning when Katrina went to check on Jasper, glad to be away from the chaos. She was used to being alone; not with a big family. She wondered if Jasper had any family, in fact she realized she did not know anything about him. She also had to apologise for everything.

Katrina spotted Jasper and smiled seeing he was up and about. "I see you are feeling better. I am glad." She said walking over to him eying him for any signs the wound still bothered him. She paused a moment before she bit her lip while looking at her shoes. "You got hurt because of me... I am so sorry.." She looked around and saw they really were not alone, which caused her to blush. "Can we talk alone please? Um, privacy?" She asked, to both Jasper and the guard. She went further into the hut before she waited for the privacy she asked for. The guard hesitated but he left, waiting on the outside of the door. Katrina sighed as she tried to search for the place to start. "I really don't think you should try to sneak back into the French camp." She instead said; fearing hatred for her magical mistake.  

[acfaerie]

Jasper placed his hand on her shoulder. "It wasn't your fault we got caught in the crossfire." He smiled and nodded at her confidently. She was a sight for sore eyes. He look a quick look at her and saw she was wearing something different. "I like the new look, Doll." he smirked a little as his face then twitched in pain from his movement.

He followed her further into the hut and tried to read her face. Did they hurt her? Did they touch her? What had happened? Is she okay? His thoughts got cut off by her voice. He never thought he'd long to hear her voice. With all the Germans around he really missed being able to fully understand the language.

"I don't think so either." He said as he agreed. He nodded his head and searched her face for clues. "Wait.... why are you trying to convince me out of it when we haven't been asked to do it?" He said as he gave her a puzzling look.

(small post is small x.x; let me know if you want me to add)  

[~Da llama queen~]

((Jasper can say or do pretty much anything in the part where she was not paying attention. ^-^ let me know if you want more to work with))

Katrina tried to not show her guilt when he said it was not her fault. Oh, but it is... she thought with a soft sigh. She bristled at yet again being called doll, and she said as such. "I am not a doll.." But she cut the rest of her statement when he flinched in pain. More guilt stamped on her mind. "My apologies... I thank you for the compliment." she said. Her month in the forest had allowed her to forget many of the etiquette lessons forced upon her.

She led them further into the hut, close to the cot when she blurted the wrong thing. Bringing up sneaking into the French camp. She had not realized it still bothered her until now, when she saw the blood stains on the floor. She was surprised as Jasper sounded confused. She wondered if he had been in too much pain before, and forgot agreeing with helping Dieter. Well this is good news! Sneaking into the french camp was a horrible idea. They all had guns and were talking about war.

While Katrina had been helping out with Ida and the kids, Dieter had been busy preparing for a fight, along with some of the men of the village. Katrina wanted no part of it, though she wondered if she should tell them the French had been talking about planning an attack of their own. But then she would have to admit she knew French. She feared they would not trust her anymore.

"You must not remember. Never mind then." She said then sat on the cot and looked around. She wondered if he had eaten yet. The place seemed so empty now that the doctors were gone, and the nurses only checked on Jasper twice a day now. "I really am glad to see you awake. You slept for so long. I was rather worried." She added with a warm smile. She heard some noise outside which distracted her for a moment then she glanced at Jasper once more. Maybe she was so hesitant to tell him, because it was so bizarre to believe. Magical pixies? Time travel... well, that was believable seeing how they were both pulled into what she was told, the year 1789. Over ninety years before she was even born. Blinking she realized she had not heard most of what Jasper said. "Oh, I am well. I have been keeping busy. Did you know Dieter is related to that farmer that saved us? He is living in the barn right now. His home had been raided by the French... I just feel so awful he suffered. He seems to be fine though. Oh! They have an adorable baby. Their daughter was visiting with her husband when it happened. They live two villages away..." She said trying to make small talk, nervous to tell Jasper the truth.

Maybe she could offer some of the bread she had helped Ida make. Then explain things. Hopefully he would forgive her.

________________________________________________________________

Just outside there was a commotion, one of the guards had caught a French soldier close to the village. The soldier seemed to know very little English and was screaming and swearing in French, spitting at the Germans as he insulted them all. Dieter stormed over feeling a moment of deja vu seeing the crowd gathering in an uproar. "Was ist passiert?" He asked as he saw the French soldier tied up. Dieter frowned. Was the attack starting? They were not ready... "Fand ihn in den Wald. Er beobachtete uns." Dieter was told by the guard. Dieter frowned and stroked his beard. So a scout. Which meant they had to act today. "Was planen Sie Franzose?" He muttered to himself then glanced at the hut Jasper was in. With this soldier here, they now had two uniforms they could use. Which upped their odds. "Glauben Sie, dass die anderen ihn? Haben sie ihm zu bringen?" One of the townspeople asked in worry. Dieter shook his head, quickly dismissing that thought. He had come to know Katrina, and knew in his gut she was no spy for the French. She was hiding something, but she was not bad. He did not know yet about Jasper, but she vouched for him. "Nein, aber sie können etwas wissen." He said, his people would always come first. Hopefully he could get some answers. "Ich werde mit ihnen sprechen." He added then walked to the hut seeing the guard on the outside of the doorway. He frowned slightly but entered, overhearing Katrina say in English,

"We should be leaving as soon as you are able. I fear things will become dangerous soon."

He greeted them with a smile, interrupting whatever they were talking about then said, "We have problem. French here. You nice, I like. But, you hiding something. Speak. Others no trust."

Katrina swallowed a lump in her throat as she turned to Jasper. She was glad she was sitting. She had just gotten used to some normalcy. "I ... don't know what to tell you..."She started to say.

(Just had the brief hope Era never sees this. XD he would be correcting our German)