Arminius’s expression turned from excitement to puzzlement, then to fascination again. “A pistol…?” It had the obvious appearance of a hand cannon, but to be a gift of goodwill for a treaty, he did not think it worthy.
Understanding what clouded him, Julien drew the pistol out of the box. “Yes. He saw this as no more than a sign of trust.” The gift he held did not shine like a museum display. “Once the war was over, he’d intended to return it to its rightful keeper, but he never had the chance.” The corporal added to the story of this particular handgun.
Quietly, Julien reached out with the pistol in his open hands and lowered his head. It was clear what his gesture meant. Arminius was startled by his behaviour that seemed awfully well-mannered even by his standards, and he gazed down, his heart unwilling to receive it, but his curious hands had already begun to move without the counsel of his thoughts. Slowly, he let Julien free of the burden and lifted the pistol before his eyes.
It had the allure of a simple handgun, over a hundred years old, as marked by its manufactured date. The initials of its producer and designer were etched in platinum: B-B. For its age, it was still in pristine condition. Even its grip had hardly weathered, and its black silver coating appeared nearly new. The body of the pistol must have undergone extensive rework, or it had never been used before. When Arminius released the catch, its magazine fell into his hands. The magazine was empty, although he half-expected there to be some rounds left. As he plugged the magazine into the pistol again, he noticed the iron cross that was branded on its grip.
He recognised its emblem, the Zhermanner symbol of guardianship, but he did not know who its rightful keeper was. “Whose was this?” Arminius asked, overflowing with questions. “Are you sure…?”
“It’s what I was told, at least.” Julien was unsure of his story as well, but he sounded certain that he meant to give him this gift. “Besides, I never got the chance to give you a present for your birthday.” Turning away, he shyly gave his reason.
Arminius keenly stared at his pistol when, without warning, the door swung open. The brisk air rushed in and broke the spell of the gift that had captivated him. He returned the pistol to its box and closed it, having no holster to keep it, before Julien slid it under the couch as if they were both afraid of being found out.
Their comrades entered one by one in a file, shivering with snow on their coats and hair. They scrubbed the soles of their boots on the doormat and took them off, a rule set by Julien, who had voiced that he did not wish to clean up their mess that they would often leave. But there were only four of his comrades who had returned. There was the Rus, the Italer, the Makeder, and the Serber, but when the giant closed the door behind him, sealing the cold away, Arminius and Julien were sure that two were missing from their usual party.
The lieutenant spun around on his chair. “Just you four?” He searched, but no one seemed to be hiding behind Miklós.
“Colt’s been going on about that expedition to the east ever since the mayor told us.” Lev took off his cap and held his hands by the fire, his cheeks red from the cold. “I don’t blame him though…” The corporal lamented, feeling disappointed in himself for not being able to convince Colt to stay.
“Wha’, aren’t we ‘nough?” Gin punched his chest and held up his chin.
Although he was surprised that Colt had other plans, the blonde-haired corporal was puzzled to find that one other had not come either. “Then, where’s Alexandria?”
Lev raised his hand with a smirk. “Do you even need to ask?” He reminded him as he made certain gestures.
Julien shunned the thought and turned away flushed, his regret evident in his eyes, after his innocence had been ripped away from him. Arber slapped Lev on the head and kicked him in the back of his knee, and he was forced to kneel, holding his leg that had been dealt an irritable pain. Around the fire, Arminius and Julien made space for their comrades, leaving some seats open in case the lancers and the archer decided that they had had enough of the snow and if Colt and Alexandria ever decided to return. But, an unexpected knock came from the door, yet it could not have been those two, because one of them would have simply barged in.
Nearest the door, Miklós opened it to a man whom he stood towering over. The giant glared down at him, his body blocking the currents of the wind, and there beneath his nose, smiling at him, was the mayor. The giant’s figure did not surprise him, nor did it make him flinch.
Placing a palm over his heart, the lord commander greeted them formally. “Haben skœnget dag, jegisk treet Endendæsk. (Good day, my faithful allies.)” Rantzau brought his hands behind his back and enquired. “May I ask, is the lieutenant here?”
They could not ascertain why the mayor had come to their abode. Maybe he wanted to see their faces and find company, but he did not strike them as a man who needed to socialise too often. After all, he had a family. Unclear of his intentions, Arminius slowly stood up and peeked over Lev, who slumped onto a couch. When the mayor revealed himself, he looked at Arminius intently, as if he had something to say that would interest both of them, but he did not seem willing to share it in front of the entire squad.
Arminius moved away from the fire as the warm air turned cool, and the giant stood aside for him to pass before joining his allies at the hearth. He invited the mayor into the Carlstadt’s home, and once Rantzau had entered, he shut the door behind him and bowed. “Jegisk gjælassenget frærer. (My lord.)” The lieutenant-elect bid him welcome from the few words he had learnt.
“Please, no, it embarrasses me.” Rantzau chuckled at his unexpected greeting, but then he let out a slight sigh and returned to the subject that brought him to their doors. “I have come here with a matter, and I was hoping that we could walk together.” He spoke in severe terms, all of a sudden.
Arminius looked over his shoulder at his companions, who were too busy telling each other of their stories from their encounters, duties, and patrols in the days that they had spent guarding the capital. Only Julien took notice of Arminius’s worried expression that seemed afraid of leaving his companions out of the know. But he let out a soft smile and leaned back, urging his friend to decide on what he ought to do. The lieutenant returned to the mayor and accepted his invitation with a firm nod.221Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPmwnPADC1r
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