Re: 3rd August, Room and Board

[outis]

"Oh." Mittelstaedt glanced down at the old woman, then back at Kaufmann. "I am a bit hungry..."

[sans nom]

Kaufmann did not even have a chance to protest before the woman, sensing the other soldier's wavering, dragged him into what served as a dining room, extolling the virtues of her food.

[outis]

He hadn't the faintest idea what she was saying, but to Mittelstaedt who hadn't eaten since the previous day the food on the table spoke for itself. Turning back the way they'd come, he looked pleadingly at Kaufmann.

[sans nom]

If they had a long march ahead, Kaufmann supposed they might as well set off on a full stomach. With a grunt of disapproval, he came back into the room and sat back down. "Come on then. But sit here so the old woman can't fuss over me."

[outis]

Mittelstaedt's grin returned in an instant and he dropped into the seat Kaufmann had indicated, making an immediate grab for a torn off hunk of bread, the majority of which disappeared into his mouth before anyone could object. "It's good!" he exclaimed, or something to that effect, the words themselves were indiscernible.

[sans nom]

In spite of his lack of table manners, the woman seemed pleased by his favorable reaction. She set a plate in front of him and began serving him from various other dishes while asking him questions about the ingléses.

[outis]

Mittelstaedt practically inhaled the food, smiling and nodding all the while at the woman's incomprehensible chatter. "What's she sayin'?" he asked Kaufmann during a rare pause between mouthfuls.

[sans nom]

Kaufmann shrugged. "Do I speak Spanish? She's probably asking what the army's doing. So what are they doing? Where are they going, and why the rush, and why'd they leave us behind? Did they leave anyone to hold the town?"

[outis]

Mittelstaedt shrugged. "I dunno. Somethin' about some Frogs coming down from the north, I heard. The Spanish have the town. The Regulars, I mean." He shoveled in another mouthful of food and smiled at the old woman. "Gracias." It was the only Spanish he knew. The only polite Spanish, at any rate.

[sans nom]

This made the woman smile and set her off chattering again. Kaufmann ignored her.

"Do they really think the Spanish will hold the town for long? The Frogs'll be back as soon as they hear we've left." He grimaced, and then while the woman's attentions were occupied with Mittelstaedt, he used his good arm to shove a piece of meat into his mouth.

[outis]

Mittestaedt shrugged. "How should I know? Won't our lot just come back here once they chase the Frogs off?"

[sans nom]

Kaufmann smirked at him. "And where will we be by then? On our way to Verdun?"

[outis]

Ver-where? Mittelstaedt, his mouth once more full of food, simply gave Kaufman a blank look.

[sans nom]

"Going to prison in France."

[outis]

"Oh." Mittelstaedt looked confused. "But... wouldn't we just leave with the Spanish? If the French came back."

[sans nom]

Kaufmann snorted derisively. Even Mittelstaedt assumed that the Spanish would flee before the French even entered their town. "And then what? We join the Spanish army? Until you're sufficiently recovered from your illness of course."

[outis]

"What? No. We'd—Sod you," Mittelstaedt's face went crimson at Kaufmann's final comment. "We'd go join up with our lot."

[sans nom]

But in that case, why not go to catch up with their own lot now? But before Kaufmann could voice his opinion, there was a commotion in the street that seemed to cause the old woman some distress. "What's goin' on out there?"

"Los francéses!" she moaned quietly, looking out the window.

"The French? Already?" Kaufmann kicked back his chair to go and see for himself.

[outis]

"The French?" Mittelstaedt demanded, trailing incredulously after Kaufmann. "What does she mean? It can't be them! We'd have heard the fighting—shit," That was presupposing there had been any fighting and that the Spanish hadn't simply surrendered the city. But that couldn't be it. The French must still have been a day's march away at least. Who else had blue uniforms? "What can you see? Can you see anything? What's going on?"

[sans nom]

Sure enough, there were French soldiers ambling along the road, but their progress was too disordered and weary to be called a march. Some of them looked injured, with bandages wrapped around their heads or limbs, and some were limping along with the help of their comrades. Kaufmann was about to tell Mittelstaedt to come and see for himself, but he was forestalled by the entrance of a pretty young girl who rushed to the old woman's side and babbled something about los francéses.

[outis]

Whatever else Mittelstaedt had been about to ask was immediately forgot. "You never said she had a daughter," he said, staring wide-eyed at the new arrival.

[sans nom]

Kaufmann smirked at the younger rifleman. "Is that all you care about? Looks like a bunch of Frogs are heading this way."

[outis]

"What?" Mittelstaedt spun back towards the window, his hand fumbling for his bayonet. "What do you mean? How many? Are they armed?"

[sans nom]

That was a good question actually, though he would not have admitted it to Mittelstaedt. "No, they're not. There's about - " And here he was interrupted by a loud knock at the door. The women started, and he followed them to the door, making himself look as intimidating as he possibly could with two injured arms and no jacket on. "Mittelstaedt, you open the door."

[outis]

"Me?"demanded Mittelstraedt, "But--" But Kaufmann had two bad arms and, well, what else could he do, make the old woman answer the door? Or the girl? Damn it.

Then the thought crossed his mind that this might be a good opportunity to impress the daughter -- or whatever she was -- and his reluctance faded abruptly. Still, he approached the door somewhat hesitantly, his hand gripping the hilt of his bayonet as he swung it open to let in--- a Spaniard? "I thought you said they were French!" he exclaimed, turning in exasperated confusion to Kaufmann.

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