Freya's hair pricked as she stood on the sun lit beach, staring intently into the shadows.
Axel looked up at her, his eyes narrowing in confusion as his gaze followed hers, resting on the shadows near the group of plants close to the tall, rocky cliffs.
Freya let out a soft gasp as a few more shadows moved, then three figures could be seen in the distance, still in the shadow of the cliff so she couldn't make out any faces.
Axel's eyes widened as he jumped up despite his foot, standing behind Freya.
Freya's P.O.V-
Freya felt a hand rest on her shoulder as her eyes didn't leave the shapes of three men in the distance. Although his hand was on her shoulder, Axel didn't say anything. Freya's heart picked up speed as she turned around, staring up into Axel's green eyes, her face full of panic and fear as she realized that those people wouldn't be hiding in the shadows if they thought Axel was no harm. If they didn't know he was German. Axel looked down at her, his eyes tormented with fear as he stared into her blue orbs, fists clenched at his side.
Freya looked down. It had to have been Roger. Who else could have known?
Out of the corner of her eye she saw Axel's head shoot up and look back toward the figures, so she turned back around, her body tensed up as she watched the figures move into the sunlight.
No.
All three were tall, well built men, with green uniforms and helmets on, each holding an army rifle in their hands as they approached Freya and Axel. Freya thought she recognized one of them, the younger soldier who had came in to speak to the commanding officer who had talked with her grandparents. She stared in fear, Axel behind her, as she waited for them to arrive. There wasn't any other exits on the beach other then the one near them, and Axel's foot wouldn't make it easy to run anyways. They couldn't defend themselves if the soldiers attacked, but maybe they could all talk things out.
"Freya, it's..." She turned around to see Axel staring at the moving soldiers, face pale. He looked down at her and he raised his hand, brushing a piece of hair that had fallen into her eyes behind her ear. Freya blinked, listening as he continued.
"It's okay. I'll be fine. You must leave. I don't..." He paused, his voice cracking and revealing how scared he was. "I don't want you hurt." He finished, lowering his hand as the soldiers footsteps could now be heard. Freya shook her head, her eyes narrowing as she pushed the fear away. Axel nodded firmly, backing up, then moving to the right to step around her.
Freya gasped and blocked his way, looking up at him, eyes wide. "No, you can't turn yourself in! We can talk this out! I won't let them hurt you, it'll be okay! Don't..." His eyes hardened and he placed his hand on her shoulder, holding her firmly in place as he stepped around her, limping forward.
Freya let out a shaky breath, slowly turning, watching Axel approach the soldiers. The soldiers began jogging, making their way over to him and then yelling, Axel throwing his hands up in a surrendering motion as the older soldiers yelled something in German and Axel responded. Freya watched, everything in her cold as she stared in horror at her friend as he painfully was pushed down onto his knees, his broken ankle forcefully shoved down...
Freya felt her emotions kicking into the situation and she shakily shook her head, her eyes blurring. No. She wouldn't let them hurt him. She took a step forward and then broke into a fast pace, making her way. The younger soldier looked up, blue eyes noticing her and stepping around the others to meet her. He approached her, blond hair blowing with the wind and his face full of concern as he walked toward her. She shoved past him, then winced as he reached out, grabbing her arm.
"Ma'am, did this German hurt you? What were you doing associating with him?" He questioned as she turned toward him. She shook her head, unsure how to reply, when she heard a yelp from Axel as one of the soldiers yelled at him. She whipped around, turning her head to see him holding a hand to his mouth, the older soldiers speaking low German and one shaking his hand, as if he had just punched...
"No! Don't hurt him!" She yelled, ripping her arm away from the soldiers grasp as she ran toward Axel. "Please, he's no harm!" The other soldiers and Axel looked up at her in shock, Axel's emerald eyes widening.
Then, she felt someone grab her, arms around her waist as she was pulled away, her eyes widening as the soldier held her firmly so she couldn't get away.
"Let go of me!" She demanded, looking up at the soldier as he held onto her arms. He narrowed his eyes, confusion sparking in them as he looked toward the others.
Freya pulled and pushed against him, but he wouldn't give up his grip. She blinked, tears forming as she struggled, looking around him to see Axel watching her, the soldiers yelling and trying to speak to him. He focused on her though, ignoring the soldiers, his green orbs flickering to the soldier holding her and narrowing. The soldier holding her moved her so she couldn't see him.
"Ma'am, please stop." The soldier asked, holding her firmly but releasing the tightness of his grip slightly. "We aren't going to harm him, but he is the enemy. How are you here?" He asked, looking down at her. "Is he not the German soldier? He admitted that he was." He added, looking back at Axel. Freya felt her throat tighten and anger bubbling up inside her.
"He...He..." She tried to speak but she felt like crying. "Please...don't..hurt him.." A few tears fell as she stared desperately into the soldiers eyes, his eyes softening as he shook his head.
"Ma'am, I don't know why you were associating with him, but that's against the law. He is simply a POW, we won't kill him. We have it from here, how about I take you to your family?" He said calmly, slowly releasing his grip.
The moment he let go, Freya suddenly and quickly shot her knee upward, hitting the soldier between his legs in his special area and he dropped down, grunting in pain. Freya darted around him, running and shoving herself between Axel and the other soldiers. The other two weren't as young as the one that had been holding her, they were older and higher ranked as they stared down at her with shock and disapproval.
"Please, I promise you he is no threat! He...He is here by mistake, he means no harm.He's injured, you can't take him." She pleaded, blocking Axel from them. She had heard Axel's sharp gasp when she had put herself between him and the soldiers.
The soldiers looked down at her. "Ma'am," One said, "he isn't the only one that's going to come with us up to the camp. So are you. By British law, associating with the enemy will not go unpunished. We are going to arrest you as well." One stated coldly, reaching his hand out and grabbing her arm roughly, pulling her as she tried to pull away.
"Don't. Touch. Her." Axel stated slowly, standing back up with a wince. Freya turned, looking up at him and his gaze flickered to hers before looking back at the soldiers. The soldier holding her nodded to the other one, and Freya gasped.
The soldier pulled out his rifle, turning it around and then hitting Axel in the head with the butt of it. Axel grunted, falling down and hitting the sand, eyes closed as Freya watched he uninjured side of his head take on a red mark. Freya gasped, yanking herself toward Axel, but the soldier held her back with ease as the younger one approached, taking her again without a word and holding her as she protested.
Freya watched as one picked up Axel's shirtless body, tossing him over his shoulder as they began moving back toward the cliffs, toward the exit. Freya walked with them, looking back at the picnic basket that had been left there. Freya went along, stopped her resisting, staring at Axel, whose eyes were closed and head slowly turning a deep shade of purple-ish red. The soldier didn't release his grip of her arm as they all walked up the slope that lead back toward her house. Three horses were tied to a tree at the top, eating the grass and nickering when they arrived.
Freya sighed, letting more tears stream down her face as she looked at Axel. His black hair flopped up and down as the soldier carried him up the slope, then laid him across the horse and tied his hands behind his back. Freya was told to sit on a horse and she climbed up it, fear inside her chest as she sat in front of the soldier who made sure she wouldn't cause any more trouble. A soldier hopped onto the horse behind Axel and then they all three set off into a trot, Freya staring at the ground.
They reached town soon enough, and Freya looked up, meeting the shocked gazes of some people she knew. She then gasped quietly as she saw Roger outside the bar, talking to a girl. He heard the horses and looked up, his hazel eyes widening in complete shock as he saw Axel and Freya and the soldiers riding across the town. He opened his mouth, then closed it, then walked away from the girl who had been talking to him, leaving her staring after him in confusion. Freya stared at Roger, shaking her head, her eyes pained as she watching him walk over to his horse, climbing onto it. But he didn't follow, or say anything. Freya looked down her hands on the saddle as the soldier guided the horse around and out of the town, onto a road that Freya had never been down before.
Roger stared after them as they rode away, confusion and shock swimming over him. He ran a hand through his brown hair, hazel eyes widened in disbelief. He had no idea how the soldiers had found them, had someone seen and told? But his heart ached as he guessed that Freya had assumed he had told on them and he decided that he wouldn't leave them to defend themselves. He rode away, in the opposite direction, to go back to his house and get some things. He would help them. He would help Freya, above all, and prove to her he wasn't who she thought he was.
Axel could barely see straight and his consciousness returned slowly, he heard the steps of the horses and his hands were tied behind his back. Above all, he felt his head pounding painfully. He grunted softly, trying to gain focus. He turned his head, seeing Freya on the horse behind him, tears running down her soft face as she stared at the ground. Axel closed his green eyes and turned his head back down, blood rushing into it because of the position he was in. He made a vow that no matter what would happen next, he wouldn't let Freya get hurt. He would protect her.