How The Hell?!

Snowbody Knows

What was he doing out here? Especially in the middle of a snow storm. His left arm was curled up around his stomach, the fur-lined coat doing little to keep him warm. The white fluffy cold was up to his knees by now, and after getting separated from the rest of the group he was in, he was doing his best to find a form of shelter to hide away until either the snow stopped or he was found. Quickly ducking into a wooden cabin, he sighed in relief as the chill from the wind vanished when the door was closed. The small shelter had two rooms, looking abandoned by its owner. Checking to make sure that the fireplace was useable, he grinned at his luck. He learned how to start a fire when he was younger, the knowledge staying with him for times like these.

After he had gotten the fire started, he stripped off his soaked and cold clothes, sighing in relief at the new-found warmth from the fireplace. Finding some older but thick clothes, he slipped on the fabric before hanging up his previous clothes by the door to dry. Taking a peek into the other room, he found a small bathroom, old but still useable. Tugging at the shirt, he tried to pull it down over his stomach further, the underside being open to the air. Deciding it would be better to explore the cabin before he lost his chance, he moved over to the kitchenette where he found bottles of water and some imperishable foods, overjoyed that he'd be able to last for at least a little while until help arrived. Pacing against the wooden floor, he found a small ladder up to a second floor. His only guess was it being a bedroom of sorts, but he really wanted to know how it held up so he could use it.

Getting a lantern lit, he climbed up to the second floor slowly, the weight in his gut shifting and gaining more forceful weight with the gravity. The steps of the ladder were sturdy, only one bowing slightly at his weight. Getting to the landing, he was glad that the roof looked like it would last. Putting the lantern onto a small table, he moved closer to the bed, checking the sheets for mold or mildew. But that wasn't what he found. Under the thick blankets, he found a skeleton, most likely belonging to the previous owner of the small cabin. He gave a small smile, able to tell that the person had died from old age by how weak the bones were in some spots. Placing all the bones onto a spare sheet, he made sure to keep the bones in their proper spots. He would ask for one of his soldiers to bury the skeleton when he was found.

“Kid you need to calm down in there. Mor needs sleep and your dad isn't here to play with you right now.” Huffing as he climbed under the covers on the bed, he laid on his side with both arms cradling his middle. The small child was kicking and putting up a fuss, obviously not wanting him to go to sleep. But he was the adult here, giving a few light jabs to his little monster to calm down, he fell asleep.

~~~~~

It wasn't anything new that he was a light sleeper, being pregnant enhancing that fact to his own distress. He already didn't get enough sleep as is, and this kid waking him up at odd hours was no help at all. So as he sat up in the bed at sharp kicking, it was obvious that he would be in for a long day. Cupping against his belly, he sighed before he stood from the sheets, being careful as he climbed down the ladder to check if the fire was still going. There were small embers still going, so he built it back up before grabbing one of the cans from the cabinets. Finding a clean knife, he used that to open the metal vessel before using the fire to cook the vegetables. It was decent, not what he would have preferred but what could he do. He could feel his little one shifting under his skin as he ate and cleaned up, it becoming uncomfortable for him to sit. He could only guess that his baby had dropped between the time he fell asleep and the time he woke up, the small body part pressing against his pelvis.

“So. You couldn't wait till we got back to base to engage. You take after your father don't you, always trying to annoy me to no end.” Pausing in his pacing after he had taken care of the empty can, he glanced down to his middle before the door. “How about we go look to see if there's anyone near? Bet you would like to hear your dad's voice again.” Feeling a little foot press against his skin, he smiled before going to get his now dry clothes from where they hung. Finding a thicker coat and a better pair of fitting shoes, he slipped them on before leaving the cabin. He was much warmer in these clothes, walking along his footpath from the day before. It was slightly covered from the wind, but there was a noticeable dip from where he had stomped the white fluff down. The snow reached his knees yesterday, whereas it hit the bottom of his coat today which sat at about his upper to mid thigh. He paused at a set of crossroads in the snow, a footpath having been made that had continued straight instead of turning. He was tempted to follow, hoping with everything that whoever made the tracks wouldn't be far, but that was not happening. For a moment he thought the wet spot in his pants was from the snow before he realized that the fluid was much warmer than anything in the vicinity besides the fireplace.