Nikolai Barakohv looked out the window of the carriage as he hurtled along the snowy road. He sat next to his mother and across from his father. All of them were wrapped up in thick winter coats but still their breath plumed up in front of them. What little of Nikolai that could be seen amidst the mass of furs showed an honest yet strong face, with soft grey eyes set against the dark black of his hair, the same colours as the frame of his glasses. He sported a short moustache as was the style of gentlemen at the time but other than that was clean shaven.

Nikolai looked at his father who was staring out of the window. 'Anything of note Father?' inquired Nikolai rather bored of the journey. He'd much prefer to be back at the university, but his parents had insisted. His father had used his full name in the letter, he'd known better than to argue.

'No nothing, Niki' he replied 'Just snow drift after snow drift, hovel after hovel'.

Nikolai took his eyes from his father, and he turned to his mother. 'So who even is this woman?' he asked her.

She looked back at him smiling 'Anastasiya Bolshova' she began 'A beautiful young lady, very bright by all accounts, she'd be an excellent wife'.

'Do me and her get a say in the matter?' he retorted 'I'm certain nobody asked her opinion on all this, and personally I'd rather be back at the university, I was on the verge of'.

'I don't care' growled his father, 'Unless you were on the verge of a way to wipe out these damned Socialists I couldn't care less what you were doing. Besides you're here now'.

Nikolai just sighed in response, his father was right he was here now, might as well settle in for the rest of the journey.

***

Nikolai laughed as his father finished his joke, all the present company laughed. There were five of them in all, Nikolai, his mother and father, and then Lord and Lady Bolshova.

'Very good, Leo very good' remarked Lord Bolshova offering Nikolai's father a glass of Vodka. Nikolai sat quietly and began looking about him, the room looked just like the many aristocratic halls he'd spent time in. Wooden panelling, paintings, a vast stone fireplace nothing of real note.

He fished in his pocket digging out his notebook and his fountain pen. He began to write in the notebook, his untidy scrawl joining that of previous sessions. 'Always working are you?' asked Lady Bolshova who sat next to his mother. 

'I try, it's best to keep the mind busy, hard at work that way it doesn't get sloppy' he replied looking up from the notebook, before returning to its pages.

'Sloppy is just the word I'd use to describe my daughters mind right now' said Lord Bolshova.

'She's probably just nervous' replied Lady Bolshova 'I know I was when I was meeting you for the first time'.

Nikolai put his notebook and pen away and took out his silver pocket watch, he flicked the time piece open and noted that Anastasiya was 10 minutes late. 'Why don't I go see if I can find her?' he offered politely.

'No no, you just wait here, I'm sure she'll be here soon' replied Lady Bolshova.

'It'd be no trouble' responded Nikolai 'It would be a good opportunity to acquaint myself with more of your house at the same time'. With that he got to his feet and walked out, leaving his parents talking with the Bolshova's.

He walked down a long corridor, more panelling and paintings met his gaze. That was when he saw a lady dressed in dark riding gear walk into a room at the other end. He didn't call out to her instead he walked up to the door and stopped. He looked himself over, ensuring that his coat, waistcoat and shirt collar were all straight and uncreased.

He opened the door, walking into the room he saw the walls lined with weapons. There was easily enough weapons in this room to arm 20 men, swords, rifles, knives the lot. He smiled as he saw several weapons manufactured by his fathers company. He remembered firing those weapons back at the academy in Moscow, remembered the clash of sabres in the cold winter air.

'Ahem' he said to the woman he assumed to be Anastasiya who was polishing several pistols laid out on a long table.