Cold Reception

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Colleen Thomas
Colleen Thomas
3,910 Followers

"Get dressed, quickly," Annika said.

"I will not wear the rags of these barbarians," the girl said tilting her head up proudly.

"Freeze then," Annika said with a shrug. The girl looked distastefully at the pile of stained clothing, but the wind was beginning to howl and she realized it was a matter of survival.

"Turn your back," she said. Annika snorted derisively, but turned her back on the girl and walked to the edge of the encampment. It was dark now and she realized it would be a minor miracle if she could even find her camp. Already the swirling wind was picking up snow and visibility was down to a few feet. Presently the girl joined her. Annika was hard pressed not to laugh and eventually gave in to the temptation. The girl looked like a child playing dressup and Annika realized she had not laughed in what seemed an eternity.

The girl shot her a look that would have killed, but said nothing. Annika started off into the snow and wind with a smile behind her scarf. The march was draining and before long the girl began to lag behind. Annika slowed her pace, but soon the girl collapsed in the snow and just lay there without moving. Annika trudged back to her and tried to rouse her, but she was unconscious. The Russian woman shrugged and heaved the girl up and onto her shoulder. She had worked on a farm until the war and heavy burdens were nothing new to her. An hour later she lucked into finding the small stream she had bathed in the evening before. It still took forty-five minutes in the nearly impeneatrable dark before she found her camp.

Her camp was in a light copse of woods, where she had found an overturned polish tank. An obvious remnant of the Russian occupation of 1939 it formed a perfect windbreak and with a little work Annika had built a lean-to that was very snug. She placed the girl on top of the small pile of blankets she used as her bed and then covered her with the blankets from her pack. Annika next used some of the limbs she had gathered to light a small fire. Usually she would not risk a fire, but with the wind and snow she felt safer and the girl obviously needed the warmth.

She had planned to sleep, but with the girl occupying her bed and the danger of a fire she decided she would have to remain awake. Annika leaned back against the tank and sank deeper into the coat. The lively little fire was kicked up by the wind and she could almost believe this was a camping trip with her father and brothers. As she reminisced about the life she had lived before the war she fed more fuel into the fire. Annika did not know it, but she was coming to the end of her time as the angel of death. The hate inside of her had nearly burned itself out and the better instincts were trying now to overcome it. Her gesture of mercy had been the first victory of her better nature. The girl was a catalyst for change, but she did not know this yet.

Morning dawned dreary and pale, the snow continued to fall and was heavier now, great wet flakes that soaked into anything they touched. Annika stood and shook off the flakes that had gathered on her coat. She walked to the edge of the trees and looked out, but visibility was so bad she could see nothing. She relieved herself and then returned to the fire. The Russian stoked the little flame and took out the single pot she carried for cooking. Rather than use water from her canteen she gathered snow and melted it until she had plenty of water boiling. She tossed in some heavy flour, one of the tins of German meat, a large sliver of the cheese and a few other odds and ends from her pack.

It cooked down quickly into a thick soup and Annika ate it with relish. Hot food was a luxury she was almost never afforded by her solitary and dangerous life. Even the bread, which was several days old tasted good and she finished of her small feast with a shot of the schnapps. It was strong and fiery and she relished the warmth in her mouth after it had gone down.

"You're not very big for a Cossack,"

Annika's head snapped around at the sound, she had almost forgotten what someone speaking without anger or fear sounded like. The girl was sitting up and staring at her with those deep, soft eyes.

"I'm no Cossack," Annika said.

"I know. I'm trying to decide exactly what you are and why you have brought me here, wherever here is"

"My name is Annika. I brought you here because I couldn't just leave you to freeze,"

"Annika? Very well Annika, my name is Danuta. What do you intend to do with me?"

"I will take you somewhere safe, perhaps Rovno," Annika said as she shrugged.

"Safe?" the girl said and raised an eyebrow, "nowhere is safe in this world turned upside down," and then laughed bitterly. Annika shrugged again.

"You would prefer I return you to the Germans?" The girl's eyes flashed then, showing anger as readily as they had fear.

"You say that as if the Russians are any different, but I know better. You are all intruders here and I have been subjected to the tender mercies of both swine," she said with a voice so filled with hatred and disgust that Annika felt as if she had been struck.

They sat in silence for a long while before Annika stood and walked to the edge of her camp again. The snow was worse and she could not even see the tank or her fire at a distance of less than twenty meters. She returned and sat back down, adding sticks to the fire.

"It is a bad day to hunt," she said out loud. She said it to explain to the girl, or so she told herself, but it sounded more like she was trying to convince herself of the fact. Annika had gone out to fight in weather far worse than this, but somehow she did not want to leave the comfortable little fire or the girl with the flashing eyes. The girl sat in silence for a long time and then hesitantly spoke.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you. I owe you my life and should be grateful to you. I…I'm not used to kindness and have forgotten how to respond to it I'm afraid,"

"Until I found you I thought I had forgotten how to be kind,"

"I did not think you could forget that, ignore it perhaps but not forget,"

"You can forget." Annika assured her, "Kindness becomes weakness and weakness means death. It isn't that hard. All of the conventions of society are unnatural. Kindness, mercy, faith, love they are all unknown in the animal world,"

"Yes, but they are what sets us apart from the animals," she aid softly. This time it was Annika who retorted angrily.

"I would take the four legged animals over those that walk on two,"

Danuta seemed to be at a loss for words. She started to speak several times, but finally clamped her mouth shut and said nothing. Annika took another swallow of the schnapps and then passed the flask over to the girl. She sniffed daintily at the flask then took a sip. Annika burst out laughing when Danuta gagged and spluttered. He pretty eyes were watering and she coughed. Annika took the flask back from her shaking hand and had another sip. She sighed contentedly as the warmth spread though her stomach and into her limbs. The snow was falling slower now and the merry glow of the red fire reflected off the old tank.

"Is there something to eat? I'm hungry," the girl said. Annika immediately passed her the rest of the soup and a chunk of the bread. The girl looked at it doubtfully, but ate. Even here in the wild she ate daintily, with an elegant and refined manner.

"Thank you," she said when she was done.

"I can tell you are used to better. It's all I have," Annika said. She was angered with herself for the apology, unsure of why she had made it.

"Perhaps once I was, but that was in a different world,"

"Tell me about it," Annika said. She was feeling relaxed, content and slightly light headed. The girl's voice was pleasant. Her Russian had a strong polish accent, but it was almost musical to Annika who had not shared a conversation with another human being in many months.

"Well," she said while looking at Annika. When she seemed satisfied that the Russian woman really wanted to hear she continued, "My father and mother were both teachers. I was brought up in a very liberal and enlightened home. I knew I wanted to be a teacher too from a very young age. When I was old enough my parents allowed me to travel for two years before I made up my mind. I saw Vienna, Paris and Berlin before the Nazis took over. I went to galleries, the opera, saw museums and Cathedrals, read the classics. You cannot imagine the beauty that I found in those magical two years. I also discovered the nightlife, the cafes, bistros, clubs and restaurants. I discovered much about the world, and more importantly I discovered much about myself. I found there were clubs and publications for people like me…"

"Poles?" Annika interrupted.

Danuta began to laugh softly. Annika was puzzled, but wanted to hear more. The girl's voice seemed to transport her to those wondrous places and Annika felt a keen desire to see them for herself.

"How old are you Annika?" Danuta asked.

"I do not know, I think twenty, but perhaps I am twenty-one,"

"Not so different from me then, but so many worlds removed,"

"What do you mean?"

Before the girl could answer Annika heard the sound of movement outside the camp. She moved quickly and covered the startled girl's mouth with her hand. With her other hand she placed a finger over her lips. When the girl nodded Annika released her and took up her rifle. She lay in the snow with the fire between herself and the sound and waited. Time moved slowly and the girl began to fidget uncomfortably, but Annika remained as still as if she were carved in stone. She knew there was someone out there, knew it as instinctively as a wild animal could sense danger.

There were two of them, indistinct gray shadows in the gloom and they were moving carefully towards the camp. Annika recognized them as Germans from their weapons, Schmeissers. One of them called out in German for Danuta to raise her hands and stand. The frightened girl looked to Annika, who nodded ever so slightly. Danuta stood slowly and held her hands up. The two men advanced warily, while Annika patiently waited for them to move to a point where she could see both. One stopped and leaned against a tree, perhaps twenty feet from where Annika waited as the other advanced. Annika calmly sighted in on him and waited for the second one to clear the edge of the trees. Through the scope she could tell he wore the black uniform of the SS. He also wore a long black coat and Annika shifted her aim from his heart to his head, hoping she could recover the garment for Danuta.

She was watching them both now, but her attention was centered on the one in her sights. She followed the other's progress with her peripheral vision and the moment he was out of the cover of the trees she took up the slack and the rifle bucked against her shoulder. Even as she worked the bolt she yelled for Danuta to get down and the German started firing. The rifle bolt slammed into place and Annika swung to the second man. Visibility was so poor that he had gotten too close to use the scope and she was forced to rely on the iron sights. The gun roared again, its crisp bark eclipsing the staccato hammering of the submachine gun. The Schmeisser fell silent and in that quiet there seemed to be no sound in all of the world. Annika moved quickly to the second man, he was dead, the shot having taken him through the heart. She ran to her original target and ripped the coat off the corpse. She would have liked to search him more thoroughly, but she felt an impending sense of doom. As she raced back to camp she snatched up the sub machine gun as she passed the first German.

She tossed the coat and gun at Danuta's feet and hastily began to slam her few belongings into the haversack. Danuta stood there as if in shock.

"Put it on, hurry," Annika whispered urgently. Out there in the fog voices were calling. Too many voices. Danuta mechanically put the coat on, but refused to touch the weapon.

Annika snatched up the weapon and thrust it into the girl's hands. She shrank from it and Annika lost control in her fear and slapped her hard across the mouth.

"Take it!"

The girl seemed to snap out of whatever trance she had been in. She took the weapon and Annika bent and grabbed her rifle and haversack.

"I do not know what is happening, so do not ask me. We are in danger and we must get away from here. Follow me and do what I do. If I stop then you must stop. If I lie down you must too and if I tell you to run you must run as far and a fast as you can, do you understand me?"

"Yes, but I could never use this," she said holding the MP-40 awkwardly.

"I did not expect you too, but we walk among the enemy, in the clothes you wear you could pass as a small man at a distance in this snow, but if you have no weapon you will be immediately stopped and questioned," she said. The voices from the woods were becoming strident and Annika glanced that way then back to Danuta.

"Our time is up, follow me,"

Danuta leaned forward and kissed Annika full on the lips. Annika was slightly surprised, but not too put off. She was used to people kissing in greeting and on parting. She smiled and then stood up and led off into the white nothingness.

It was a strange, white, almost ethereal realm in which they walked. Progress was slow and Danuta had to stay right on Annika's heels or risk loosing her guide. They moved slowly, Annika trusting her senses to avoid the line of Germans. If they came near enough to hear one they stopped and waited for him to move on. Annika slowly began to get a feel for this enemy. They were strung out in a skirmish line, sweeping slowly forward. The feeling of danger was heightened when she realized it seemed to be a search pattern. It took them well over two hours to traverse the field Annika had passed over in less than fifteen minutes the morning before.

There was nothing to see, no landmarks of any kind and soon Annika was lost in the seemingly featureless whiteness. She continued to avoid moving soldiers and soon she felt they had groped their way out of the trap. Now she began to concentrate on trying to get her bearings, but there was simply no way to do so. She was beginning to feel panic rise in her when a dark shape loomed up out of the snow. She shrank from it at first, but suddenly realized it was the demolished Panther she has used as a wind block. Her confidence returned as she treaded carefully towards the Tiger but it did not appear. When she found the boulder the man had been hiding behind she realized that the tank had been moved.

----

The door to the barn was hanging by a single hinge with over three feet of snow piled against it. Danuta was barely able to stand and Annika could feel the cold sapping the last of her ebbing strength. She could not pull the door open but found she could push the damaged one inward enough to create a crawl space. She almost had to shove her shivering companion through and then crawled through herself. As she did so she pressed against the other door and a large drift of snow was dislodged from the facing, nearly covering her in heavy wet snow. She had to use her hands to drag herself inside and slowly, vehemently cursed in Russian as she shook the snow from her nearly frozen legs.

Danuta was shivering uncontrollably and her lips were blue. Annika knew she had to do something quickly to warm her up. Above the ground floor of the barn was a hayloft. Annika stared at the ladder with some doubt. She knew they had to get out of sight, but she was not sure her companion could climb. Annika also felt that she was too weak to carry the girl, but she had no option now. She practically dragged Danuta to the ladder, the girl was not totally conscious and making her understand what Annika wanted proved difficult. She finally seemed to grasp what Annika was saying and woodenly began to climb. Annika shouldered all of the gear, including the submachine gun and wearily started up after her.

The climb was sheer agony to her frozen limbs, but Annika somehow made it. Now that they had at least a measure of concealment she knew they had to get warm. Annika hastily stripped off her wet clothes tossing them into a corner. Danuta was past the point of understanding and Annika stopped with her own disrobing and started to open Danuta's coat.

Annika was a practical girl and she knew how to survive in the cold. The trick was to become neither too cold nor too hot, but to stay near the same temperature. She quickly stripped off the coat and the tunics that Danuta was wearing. When she came to the shirt she realized what had happened. The girl had started to sweat and it had formed a thin layer of ice on her skin. Annika tore into her pack and threw two of the blankets down. She laid the other two on top, covered them with the greatcoat and then pulled them back. She practically ripped the girl's shirt off and started on the trousers. For some reason Danuta kept getting her hands in the way, almost like she was trying to stop her. Annika swatted the girl's hands away and shucked both pairs of trousers and then pushed the shivering girl to her back. She ripped the boots off without even bothering to untie them and the tore the socks off. She then dropped her own trousers and tossed her shirt off. She sat and untied her boots noticing as she did so the strange look Danuta was giving her. Once free of the boots Annika peeled off the long underwear she wore and moved to Danuta, she caught the hem of the girl's dirty chemise and whisked it over her head.

The girl's eyes held a dreamy, far-away look as Annika picked her up and carried her to the blankets. She gently sat her down and then lay down next to her and pulled the blankets and coat over them. Annika pressed her body against Danuta's and held her close. By now they were both shivering, but over several minutes their combined body heat began to warm the small space under the blankets. Annika stopped shivering first, but she held tightly to Danuta until the small woman stopped shivering as well.

"Are you all right?" she asked finally.

"Yes," came the hushed reply. Annika started to release her hold and roll over but Danuta grabbed her hands.

"What?"

"Nothing…Please… Just hold me a while," she said. Her voice was strange, small and scared. Annika was confused, but she discovered she didn't really want to let go anyway.

"I will,"

The girl sighed and snuggled back against her. Annika lay there listening to the whisper of falling snow the girl's soft breathing. The sounds were familiar and comfortable. The long walk in the snow with the tension and fear had put her body into an adrenalin overload. As that wore off she expected to be totally exhausted and fall asleep quickly, but she found that she was restless. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness and she became aware of the smells. Fresh hay was the strongest, but she could detect the smell of grains and of good black earth. It reminded her of home.

She began to become cognizant of the girl lying in her arms. Her skin was soft and warm, but exquisitely smooth to the touch. She could feel the soft globes of her rump pressed against her abdomen and the weight of Danuta's breasts resting on her arm. Annika moved her head slightly and gently breathed in the scent of the girl's hair. It was fresh and clean and the soft locks tickled her nose. Danuta sighed almost inaudibly and wiggled back against her. Annika felt an unfamiliar tightening in her stomach and it became harder to breath.

How long had it been? She wondered. When was the last time she shared simple human contact with someone? She had talked with other partisans in the early days, even stayed with a small group while recovering from a wound, but that had been before the NKVD took over. Now she had as much to fear from them as she did from the Germans. That last night at home, in the warm rope bed that she shared with both her brothers? Had that been the last time? Possibly. She found it vaguely unsettling to discover that she didn't know.

Colleen Thomas
Colleen Thomas
3,910 Followers