Winter's Soulmate | Winter Soldier ✔

Chapter Thirteen

She glanced around, "I wonder where we are..."

I heard her voice, but at the same time, the explosives I left planted around the Hydra base exploded. There was a distant bang, and smoke began billowing over the trees we had just walked through.

She jumped back at the noise, but I caught her arm before she fell back into the road, just as a car drove past. A horn sounded, the driver glaring at us through the window with a look of disgust.

I frowned. 

"Which way should we walk? I think we should follow the way the car went, there are more houses, there might be a town and we could find some food somewhere." She babbled slightly, but her face was a wince as she stood. I felt an ache in my own ankle as she adjusted her weight, and a sudden image of us both cramped in the container of a plane, surrounded by luggage burst into my mind.

"Winter," she sounded worried, "are you okay?"

I nodded, and wrapped my arm around her waist, easing her ankle as we began the walk into the town. I was wary of our safety, but she was right that she needed food, and the more public the place, the better source of food there would be. Plus, we had obviously spent time together before today - I must have trusted her before.

I watched as a couple of people wandered past, walking leisurely on the pavement opposite us. They were wearing thick clothes, protecting them from the wind. 

My soulmate, in my arms, shivered again.

The people glanced at us, before turning and staring in the other direction.

We walked until we reached more houses, these ones pushed together with fences dividing the walls into different doorways. There were still flowers, the fences painted in pastel colours. 

A larger vehicle was following us, trundling slowly. The taup pulled across the open back was fastened down, but I could hear it flapping, the edges slapping the sides of the truck.

Slowly, it pulled alongside, then just ahead of us. It stopped, and an older man peered out. His eyes were narrowed, sharp... concerned. "You two alright?"

I tightened my grip on my girl, and sent him a look.

She pushed my arm, her face turning to look at him. "Where are we?"

"Excuse me?" He looked behind us, "You don't know where you are?"

She shook her head. "Tourists," she smiled weakly, "Lost our map." I stared at her, but she just nudged me with her elbow.

"Edge of East Anglia," he waved his hand in the direction we were walking in, "towards East Midlands this way. Anywhere you need to be?"

I was lost.

"Your accent, are you from around here?" She asked softly. I realised she didn't know where we were either, and this was how she was going to find out.

"Hull born and bred ma'am," he tapped his cap, "bit more north of here. Mind you, your accent is further away. Are you not cold? England must be colder than America this time of year."

"England," she tapped my arm. "Do you know where the closest town is? Or library?"

I stared at her. She needed to be quiet. And what did she need a library for?

"Village library is two streets that way-" he pointed down a footpath a few feet from us. "Take a left at the end then cross the road at the turning. You need anything else, want me to ring someone?"

"No thank you," and with that, she grabbed my hand and pulled me to the path.

"We're in hiding." I muttered, "You shouldn't have spoken to him."