When we left the farmhouse, two days later, the snow was thigh deep and up to our waists in other places where it had drifted. We plowed through the deep snow until we reached the road breathless and covered in sweat that was rapidly cooling in the chill wind. Esperanza decided that we should return to the farmhouse to dry off before we ventured any further. I nodded my head in agreement. My chattering teeth would told of how cold I already was.

Tramping back along the path we had made was easier and quicker. We entered the farmhouse and she immediately set to making a fire. I grabbed some blankets out of the bedroom. I threw one of them over her shoulders before wrapping myself in the other and settling to the floor next to her. Esperanza’s skilled hands were shaking from the cold enough so that it took her half a dozen tries before she got the tinder to catch from her flint sparks. Thankfully the tinder blossomed into flames right away and caught the dry kindling.

Soon we were sitting before a good blaze and the heat baked off the worst of our chills. Esperanza suggested that we strip out of our soaked clothes and spread them before the fire to dry. With our clothes stretched out on the floor before the fire, we sat next to each other naked except for the blankets. I had finally stopped shivering and was beginning to feel the pain of my hands and feet thawing completely. Esperanza sat silently watching the flames and the steam rising from our drying clothes.

“Esperanza?” She did not stir at all. Her gaze never wavered from the fire as if she had not even heard me. Esperanza? I called out to her from my mind. She still did not look away from the fire, but I heard her voice in my head.

Yes, Vincent. What is it? If not for her response I would not have believed she even knew I was there.

Are you alright? I mean, you seem like you are somewhere very far away. Is there anything you want to talk about?

Not right now. Mayhap one day I will tell you, but right now it would be wrong. She finally broke her gaze away from the fire and turned to face me. “Vincent, there are so many things that I wish I could tell you right now. Unfortunately, for both of us, these things must wait.” A single tear rolled from her right eye. It traced the edge of her cheek and ran along her jaw until it fell off her chin.

I started to reach one hand out from the blanket wrapped around me but stopped when I saw the forlorn look in her eyes and the despondent smile wavering on her lips. I remembered, painfully so, that she was a strong woman and would not take my gesture for anything other than weakness. I shifted my blanket and tightened it around myself to hide the gesture I had almost made. Esperanza turned back to the fire and we sat there in silence until our clothes were completely dry.

Dressed again we traveled through the trough in the snow that we had achieved earlier. We reached the road with only the discomfort of our boots being wet this time. The road had been engineered so that it was higher than the surrounding land and the wind swept most of the snow off of it. We traveled steadily only having to slog through the occasional drift. By now it was midday and the meager sunlight helped to keep us somewhat warm as we continued west towards Munich.

As the sun dipped into the horizon ahead of us, we heard the bright sound of sleigh bells coming from the road behind us. I turned to Esperanza expecting her to direct us to take cover in the scant woods on the south side of the road. She looked at me and shook her head as though she had read my thoughts.

“We will wait for the sleigh to get closer. It may be only a local and no threat at all. Besides, I don’t know about you, but I don’t look forward to walking any further in this weather and who knows if we’ll find any suitable shelter before we freeze to death.” I nodded my agreement and stood on the side of the road with her waiting.

It seemed like a long time had passed before we could see the snow billowing up from the efforts of the two-horse team. The sleigh was now only a few hundred yards away and with our enhanced sight we could see that it was driven by a lone figure.

As the sleigh drew nearer I could distinguish that it was a man. He was quite round in the belly and had a full beard as white as the snow. A fur-lined cap pulled snugly down atop his head hid his hair but could not restrain the bushy white eyebrows that looked as if they were trying to push the hat back off his head. He wore an ermine coat that glistened in the last rays of sunlight.

When he was near enough that he could see us Esperanza folded her cloak around herself to hide her sword and I did like wise. He pulled on the reigns with his mitten encased hands and shouted for the horses to hold. They slowed to a walk and then halted when the sleigh was abreast of us.

“Hullo there.” he greeted us in a jovial manner. “Where might you be goin’ in weather like this and on foot?”

“We’re headed for Munich.” Esperanza said flatly. The elderly looking man looked at her like she might be mistaken about our destination. He looked us both up and down, frowned a bit and then burst out in a full chuckle.

“That’s more’n fifty leagues beyond Freiburg. You’ll be naught but icicles in a few days if you plan to walk there.”

“We would be willing to pay for a ride if you would be so kind as to take us as far east as you are traveling.” Esperanza stated. Once again the old man studied them closely. After a few moments he nodded to himself and said, “I’ll give you a ride but not for money.”

“And what would you like for compensation then?” Esperanza turned slightly so that her more womanly curves were visible to the man. I shuddered at the thought of him touching her in that way. The man merely laughed again.

“I’m much to old to take favors from a woman anymore, my dear. Although I do appreciate the offer, I would only like the company and conversation that you and you friend can provide. I’m going as far as Freiburg and I’ll take you there. Won’t be no skin off’n my nose to have you along, but I do find the ride a bit more pleasant with some company to share it with. Once we get to the city you can find lodgings and possibly find some sort of transportation for the rest of your journey.”

Esperanza nodded her thanks and made a short curtsy before we climbed aboard the sleigh. I shook his hand and sat down just as he cracked the reins and we were off.