Flirting With the Wind

“Carry on boys, I think I’ve proved my point,” I say with a smile. They just stared at me for a while then went back to playing their game trying their hardest to impress me to the point I got incredibly bored. I let out a yawn and stood up from the seat announcing my leave as I started walking off back towards the direction the house was in. The need to go out walking around the woods came over me, and I turned after walking a little ways heading into the heavily wooded area. I liked being away from civilization from time to time and as I walked further into the woods I felt more relaxed in my surroundings. After a little while I sat on a large angled boulder with my knees bent and feet resting on the uneven edges of the boulder.

It was nice out there, just listening to the sounds of nature making my stresses of life seem more distant. With all the things going on with my father I needed to get my mind off things for if I didn’t I’d go insane. Most of the time it was incredibly difficult for me to think of my father dying and it struck me right into my core. My time spent alone like this was the only time I could let those pent up tears fall. I wanted to be strong for my father and keep him happy not bring him down with my sadness. Looking up at the sky that peeked from the trees I gave a soft smile.

Then I heard a low whimpering nearby. Instinctively I got up and headed towards the sounds only to find what looked like a wolf with something in its paw. The wolf looked at me giving a low growl thinking I was going to hurt it.

“Shh, its okay I’m not going to harm you,” I say softly as I slowly made my way over to it with my hands at my sides. The wolf backed away limping on its injured paw and I kneeled down about three feet away from the wolf to let it come to me. I held out my hand to let it catch my scent and learn to trust me.

“I’m going to help you,” I continue in a careful voice. Hesitantly the wolf limped forward sniffing my hand and gradually got closer to me. Very slowly I put out my hand to get a better look at the wolf’s paw. The wolf flinched whimpering a little and I saw the poor thing had a piece of broken glass in the bottom of its paw. I carefully took hold of the piece of glass and swiftly pulled it out of the animal paw.

“All better?” I inquire as the wolf put its paw down looking more relaxed. The wolf nudged its head at my hand that held the piece of glass wanting to get a look at what was in its foot. I dropped the piece of glass and the wolf began licking its blood off my small hands. It sort of tickled and when the wolf finished I gave it a tender touch to the top of its head before it turned and hurried away. Brushing myself off I stood up turning around to see Sergeant Stiglitz staring at me with an amazed look on his symmetrical features.

“That was a wolf,” he states.
“It had a piece of glass in its paw, I was only helping it,” I counter simply.
“It could have ripped your throat out,” he continues.
“A lot of things could rip my throat out, take you for instance you could easily do so but you don’t,” I suggest.
“That’s different, that wolf was a wild animal,” Sergeant Stiglitz states.
“We are all wild animals in some form Sergeant Stiglitz, but kindness is a universal language that even the blind can see,” I respond.
“You shouldn’t be out here alone Frau Shepherd,” he says.
“You’re out here with me, Sergeant Stiglitz don’t you count as company?” I reply with a soft smile.
“We should get back,” Sergeant Stiglitz responds going blank faced. I merely shrugged and headed back in the direction I came from with Sergeant Stiglitz walking alongside of me but his gaze was focused on what was ahead of him whilst my gaze focused on the ground before me trying to avoid tripping over anything.

“So you and my uncle are pretty close huh?” I say filling the awkward silence. I had noticed that the pair got along very well.
“I suppose, he is my superior and a good man,” he answers.
“Its getting worse over here isn’t it,” I comment referring to the war that seemed to be building.
“I’d rather not talk about that with you,” Sergeant Stiglitz states somewhat coldly.
“Fair enough Sergeant Stiglitz,” I respond as we continued to walk along.
“It’s just not my place to speak with you about that,” he says with a sigh.
“That’s okay they all think I don’t pay attention to anything but I do and it’d just be nice to get a straight answer every so often,” I reply.
“What do you think of what’s going on?” Sergeant Stiglitz inquires.
“After the first war this country went into a depression, and everyone seems to have jumped at the first person that promised to solve all their problems, I’m afraid everyone has been too brash and don’t know what horrors will unfold,” I say somewhat sadly.
“It would be smart to keep that to yourself,” he states.
“Oh, I don’t mean to offend, merely observations,” I counter with a small smile.
“I know but it isn’t safe to speak your mind these days, I only say this to help you,” Sergeant Stiglitz says seriously.
“Alright, we can talk about um- actually I don’t know what to talk about so never mind,” I chuckle lightly.
“How about how you learned to hit a baseball like that?” he suggests.
“I have a lot of free time, between that and reading books that’s all there is to do when I’m not taking care of my pop,” I reply honestly.
“It’s just the two of you?” Sergeant Stiglitz asks.
“Yeah pretty much, my brothers all have families to take care of so it’s just me and him at the house,” I say.
“And your mother,” he continues.
“She died a couple years ago,” I answer quickly.
“I’m sorry,” he says quickly. There was another awkward silence and I merely walked on until I saw the house come into view with my father waving as he smoked a cigarette outside. I smiled waving back.

“Make any boys cry?” my father inquires as we got closer.
“Not to my knowledge but there is always later when they get to the comfort of their home to let those tears loose,” I respond with a smile.
“My dear girl you look like you have been rolling in the dirt,” my father chuckles.
“Shh, Aunt Catherine has sonic hearing, she’ll scold me for hours if she sees me all mussed up,” I say jokingly.
“Oh she will scold you alright,” he replies with a smile.
“I’m going to wash my hands,” I announce as I walked past my father and headed into the kitchen of the house. As I washed my hands in the kitchen sink I heard voices calling my name from the formal dining room area.

“Mirabel come in here,” I heard my uncle call. Just thinking it was my uncle and possibly my aunt I headed into the next room after drying my hands on a dish towel. Once I entered the room I realized I was terribly wrong. They were having coffee and strudels with some man with salt and pepper hair in a uniform. Wilhelm was in there shaking hands with the man briefly then my Aunt Catherine’s eyes widened upon seeing me.

“Mira were you playing baseball?” she demands looking at my appearance.
“She only batted once to show how it was done, Mira probably got dirty when she went walking in the woods,” Will says for me. I stood there awkwardly waiting for the scolding to begin whilst I kept my hand behind my back acting formal. Someone was going to have to teach that kid how to keep quiet about things.

“Alone?” my uncle counters looking at me disapprovingly.
“I like taking my walks, besides Sergeant Stiglitz came to get me, so no harm done,” I reassure with a soft smile.
“You’ve got blood on your shirt,” my aunt says shocked.
“It’s not my blood, I wasn’t aware I looked so disheveled I’m sorry to worry you,” I say feeling a little nervous as I shifted uncomfortably under their scrutinizing gazes.
“Whose blood is it may I ask?” the man at the table inquires intrigued with it all. His skin was smooth except a scar that graced his chin.
“An animal, it had a piece of glass in it paw, I merely took it out,” I answer.
“Oh how kind of you, what sort of animal,” he continues as his smile grew.
“A wolf,” I say rather quickly, biting my bottom lip knowing I was going to get scolded even more.
“Yeah right,” Will says disbelievingly.
“Wolves aren’t ones to let humans come up to them,” the man states appearing to be in deep thought.
“Stiglitz did you see her with a wolf?” my uncle inquires.
“Yes sir,” I heard Sergeant Stiglitz say behind me.
“And you didn’t shoot it?” Uncle Frederick retorts a bit angry.
“Nein,” Sergeant Stiglitz answers.
“Uncle Frederick it meant no harm, it was simply hurt, never once had it lunged at me, Sergeant Stiglitz only came as the wolf was leaving,” I say trying to cover for both the wolf and Sergeant Stiglitz.
“Very brave of you to help a wolf,” the man I had yet to learn his name states as his eyes twinkled with admiration.
“Thank you- I’m sorry I don’t quite know who you are just yet, I’m Mirabel Shepherd,” I reply as I stuck my hand out to shake his.
“Colonel Hans Landa, it is a pleasure to meet you Mirabel,” he responds taking my hand and kissing the top of it. There was something off about the man but I could not for the life of me pinpoint it. He was just too cordial like he was hiding who he truly was; something I could not bring myself to trust.
“Likewise Colonel, but if you excuse me I’m going to get cleaned up,” I say getting my hand back as I gave a smile gesturing to my dirty clothes.
“Of course,” Colonel Landa smiles back. I made my way out of the room and once out of sight I rushed upstairs feeling unsettled with that man’s presence.