Blood On Ice {Jannah x Gerra}

[Jannah]

Alexandra had a hard time recalling how long it had been exactly since the Germans laid siege on the city. Was it weeks? Months? It all seemed like just a blur now as she watched her fellow friends and comrades get slaughtered on the battlefield. The Germans fought fiercely and were determined to capture the city. Stalingrad. One of the centres of industrial production. It was obvious why such a location was important to them, but little of that mattered for Alexandra. She had a family to feed.

"Any new prominent casualties today?" Alexandra asked her mother before heading out the door. She was determined to keep up with all the news. Her older brother was still out there fighting afterall. She found it funny how he had been drafted months ago only to end up defending his own hometown. It's almost like Stalin was trying to spite her, but she shrugged it off.

Today's news seemed uneventful. Alexandra just slipped on her jacket and shoe before walking out the door. As usual during these times of war she would be waiting to get her and her family's daily rations. It wasn't a mystery that food supplies were short with the Germans laying siege on the city. It had proven even a challenge for authorities to bring in food supplies from other regions. Alexandra was confident that the defensive was still going strong and that the Germans would surrender soon. Besides, winter was coming. That bone-chilling arctic winter alone would surely do the Germans in?

Alexandra returned home satisfied. She had managed to salvage a bit of extra milk this time. That was a rare luxury these days. "Look Ma, look what I got." she spoke up, setting the food on the table in front of her mother. Both would need a satisfying meal as there would be no way of knowing where their next meal would come from. She hoped that at least her brother was being well-fed. At least her father had been before being blown to bits last year. Things seemed rather uneventful around the house with the men gone, but Alexandra knew they were doing something much more important. In recent days the fighting had been heating up too so all help towards the war effort was needed. Many of the women had been working as nurses and this option was desirable to Alexandra.

((It's a bit short, but hey it's up. I wasn't really sure how to set it up to have your character come in, but I suppose we can work something out. Usually my second post is of higher quality than my first anyway, hehe.))

[Gerra]

Dmitri lay in the tall grass, watching as several Nazi soldiers escorted prisoners to a brick wall for execution. Word was, the Major would be here to oversee the act. That's why Dmitri was here.

He waited, breathing slowly, evenly. The scope showed the men lined up, shackled together. He frowned. They were Russian soldiers. His brothers. It took all he could not to blow his cover and charge in to save them. He scanned the dozen or so Nazis, four dogs, and a pair of trucks. His finger twitched as the Major came into view, smoking a large cigar. Dmitri breathed out, focusing on the Nazi official. His crosshairs swayed over the man's heart, then shoulder, and rested on his head. He took a long breath and held it, watching him stand and salute the other German barbarians. They saluted back, and Dmitri pulled the trigger.

The round surged forward with a crack, and the Russian sniper saw through his scope as the Major's skull was penetrated, and the bullet spit out the other side. He watched him fall, the others reach for their guns, and the dogs go berserk. And he ran. Through the small grove of trees and grass, up the hill, across the street, and into a building. Up he went, three flights of stairs, and across a wooden plank he had used as a bridge. He pulled it back across with him, and slid down the pile of rubble that was the other side of the building. He could hear the dogs in the distance, and that gave him all the motivation he needed. He reached a small neighborhood that was mostly intact, and paused to wrap his rifle in a blanket before strapping it to his back. He could try to sleep in one of the empty buildings for the night. Unfortunately, none were empty. Most contained displaced families. He walked through the town, at one point almost into a German platoon marching in the street. He ducked into a house and closed the door behind him, breathing hard from his close call.

He turned around to find two women looking at him with odd expressions. One was older, and one was younger, and had supplies in her arms.

"O ... privet."

[Jannah]

Alexandra stopped dead in her tracks, startled as the soldier walked in. Judging by his uniform he was unmistakably on their side, but still, his intentions were unclear. Was he looking for a place of refuge? She did know that many of those fighting were hiding out in the abandoned apartments, but this was quite clearly a residential area.

"Privet, but what's going on? Is the fighting moving to this sector?" Alexandra was quick to ask the man questions. She knew this would likely mean evacuation again. All that was needed were the orders, but maybe that is why this man was here? However, he almost looked as if he had just come from battle so still she wasn't sure.

Alexandra awaited an answer while examining this man further. He almost looked to be close to her age. About the age her brother had been when drafted. She suddenly wondered if this man knew him. Maybe they were part of the same squadron? But then she noticed his weapon; It wasn't the standard issue, probably a sniper weapon of some sort. "So is there something serious going on?" Alexandra spoke up again, anxious for a response. She needed to know why a man, she presumed to be a sniper had just walked into her house.

[Gerra]

The woman bombarded him with questions, and he didn't know what to say. He blinked and thought to himself for a moment. "I'm trying to find a place to hide. I didn't realize that people lived here. I'm sorry. I will leave now?" He put a hand on the door knob.

Truth is, he was worried they might tell the Germans where he was. He didn't know anything about these people.

[Jannah]

"No, you don't have to leave. I was just startled, that's all..." Alexandra at least had some explanation now as to why this soldier was in her house. It was comforting to know he wasn't there to evacuate them, but at the same time it brought on new worries. Would the Germans come here and hunt him down? Is that why he was hiding? Alexandra couldn't bear the fact of the Germans coming into yet another chunk of the city.

These fears about the Germans continued to linger in Alexandra's mind. "Are they after you? You know, the Germans? Are they coming here?" She quickly asked, demanding a whole explanation from this man. She knew that if they were there would be no choice but to find refuge somewhere else, but there hadn't been any official orders...yet.

[Gerra]

"Dah. I need to hide. I was hoping to hide here." He looked around. "Would you help me?" He asked, still unsure. He knew the Germans probably wouldn't advance to this point for a couple more days, but he still had orders to carry out.

"The Germans aren't here...yet. I've got my orders to weaken their ranks. I'm a sniper. I've come a long way assassinating Germans, and I plan to keep it up. I would be humbled if you would allow me the use of this house as my base."

[Jannah]

Alexandra knew she didn't have much place to argue with this man if what he said was true. He had a mission he had to carry out and surely it was something that would keep Alexandra and her mother safe. It was true, the Germans weren't far from this sector and seemed to be advancing every day. She didn't want to interfere with anything that would keep them safe.

"You clearly have a job to do and I can't interfere with that. Our lives do depend on you and everybody else out there." Alexandra hesitated for a minute, after giving a nod of approval. Thank you. This man would be kept here as long as he needed, she would ensure this. Their own lives, the lives of the people in the city, and even the entire country were all at stake.

[Gerra]

(I swear I posted on this, but my computer screwed it up.)

He smiled. "Thank you very much. You are very brave to be doing this." He looked around. "Is there a place I can put my things?"

His "things" were his rifle, blanket, canteen, map, extra ammo, cleaning and repair kit for his rifle, and a small amount of provisions and an even smaller amount of medical supplies.

(Sorry. I didn't feel like re-typing the entire thing. Ugh. I'm lazy, I know.)

[Jannah]

(lol don't worry about it. At least you got a response up.)

Now the soldier had been asking for a place to put his things. Alexandra tried to think of a place. It was only a small apartment, but surely there was a space somewhere. "Uh...maybe in the cupboards...under the kitchen sink. It may be well hidden there." She bolted over to the sink and checked for space. Turns out there was just enough for the man's supplies. "Just put it there, it should be secure for when you need it, or there's the bedroom closet." Alexandra felt she would rather not have a rifle hidden in her closet though.