"Hey!" A voice interrupted the tense situation which had seemed to unravel from nowhere, and although a gun pressed up against my head, I knew automatically who the voice belonged to, as if I'd known him all my life. And at that point, a feeling of relief flowed through me like waves in the sea over the sand; such a calming sensation. "Hey! Put that god damn gun away Caesar, you don't need more corpses lying at your feet, do you now?"

I saw Friedrich pushing through the crowd in my peripheral vision, his gun hanging loosely on his hip as he strode towards me, clearing not fazed by this event which suggested that it had happened on a too regular a basis. Moving his hand onto my upper arm, he pushed me backwards carefully, his touch warm like a tranquil fire in a fireplace and placed himself between me and the guard. Caesar looked over Friedrich's shoulder down at me, the glare still in his eyes, but just like the fire, Friedrich seemed to have a ferocious burning ability which Caesar seemed to respect enough to not push Friedrich away.

"She should keep her mouth shut." He growled, his words coated in a thick layer of disgust and bitterness as if he were looking at a mess that a dog had made on his shoes.

"Yes she should but that doesn't give you a right to shoot her. You're supposed to be able to keep your cool, so at least show you've have a little training, huh?" Friedrich said back calmly, demonstrating his point that violence wasn't the answer."Don't stick up for her! She doesn't even remember so just give it up." Caesar motioned towards me with his hand whilst keeping his eyes on Friedrich. A softening of Caesar's face changed the whole atmosphere and it became one of sadness, but it wasn't from Caesar's past. Whatever this was it was Friedrich.

"I am here you know? What do you mean I don't remember?" To my surprise Caesar burst out laughing, his gun still clenched in his hands, before turning his curious gaze to me, his mouth going into a straight line as he then flickered his calculating gaze back towards Friedrich. The sympathy that had softened Caesar's face had vanished and a sterner, more serious atmosphere replaced the sadness.

"See?" Caesar commented. I moved to Friedrich's side and watched as his face and body became tense, his gaze remained on the floor as if trying to hide his face from the world. From me.

Then he snapped out of it and his terrifying glare shot back to Caesar. "Just shut it Caesar. We both know who the general will trust more so you speak another word and I swear on my life, you'll end up like this boy."

Caesar bowed his head like a puppy being shoutedat by their owner for disobeying and took a step backwards and allowing his gunto swing back to his side, the barrel facing down. His mouth created a thinline, a hint of anger loitering on his face. Friedrich had just proven hisauthority over him even though he was clearly younger and smaller and this wasnot helping Caesar's reputation. Regardless of that, the built up fear insideme began to explode within me and my legs began to shake beneath me. I closedmy eyes, begging not to collapse in a pile on the ground. I had got this farand just needed to last a little longer. This would pass. But however hard Itried, there was that voice in the back of my head whispering to me; what wereyou doing? If it weren't for Friedrich you would be dead now, which only mademe rethink what I had done and panic more.

"Are you okay?" Snapping my eyes open, I glanced up towards Friedrich before nodding quickly. "Good." He checked Caesar once more, as if making sure that he would stay in that position until he was allowed to move once again just like a puppy and an owner, and then began striding off angling his body to the side slightly as he passed through the crowd of people, giving his apologies as he bumped into a few.

I shot a glance in Caesar's direction and bit my lip nervously, half expecting him to leap out again and kill me quickly before Friedrich could see, but the crowd were still around so surely he wouldn't? Who knew? His hardened face lifted up and his cold blank eyes patrolled the area without really seeing. I decided not to stay in Caesar's sight for too much longer and rushed to catch up with Friedrich.

"Friedrich, what did he mean?" I asked once Ihad caught up to him. He was now standing back in his position against thewall, keeping a watchful gaze on the environment and people around him. Hiseyes shot to a man walking down the side of the wall, maybe getting a bit tooclose and it made me shiver to think that he could end up like that boy if hejust took one wrong step. Friedrich wasn't like Caesar though, was he? Hewouldn't really shoot someone just for getting a little too close. "Friedrich,are you listening to me?" I moved my hand up to touch his arm lightly to gethis attention but quickly retreated as his cold glare came down on me.

"Just leave Kirsten."

I backed away a little but refused to leave, nor to let him scare me. "Notuntil I get some answers. What did he mean?"

"It was nothing. He's just a little delusional, that's all. He thinks you'resomeone you're not." Friedrich turned back away from me, returning his gaze tothe male who was looking towards the wall, his hand touching it to whichFriedrich stiffened slightly, his eyes narrowing. Shaking my head, I pushed myhands into my pockets, shivering lightly from the cold. It was a sunny day butthe cold winds were still about and liked to take you by surprise. Caesardidn't seem like the type of guy to be deluded though. Moving so my back leanedagainst the wall casually, I hugged my arms around myself as I glanced around.

"Why did you take this job? Are you one of those kids who held twigs, pretending to shoot the other boys in your street or whatever?" He turned his gaze over towards me, frowning in confusion and giving me a look as if I had gone delusional myself, before shaking his head and turning away again. "Friedrich!" I groaned, "Please just talk to me?"

"Why? I don't know you, why should I talk to you?" He snapped, a deep anger pulling his face into a grimace and a glare. A small laugh from the man behind him, not sounding very sane, caught Friedrich's attention and he cast his gaze over towards the man, giving him the glare that created the phrase 'if looks could kill'. The man moved from the wall as he glanced towards Friedrich holding his gun a bit too tightly and a thought suddenly crossed my mind.

"Have you...shot anyone, Friedrich?" I saidmeekly, my voice hardly louder than a whisper as I stumbled upon the words thatscared me to death. What happened if he had done? I don't even know what I'ddo; would I walk off because of it? Would I accept it? He was right that Ihardly knew him, but could the man I vaguely knew be capable of that?

He turned his head towards me slowly, the anger on his face disappearing as he saw the fear and worry that lined every corner of my face, his kind eyes studied me for a moment as his brows pulled together, thinking about what to say. Pulling his lips open, he tried to form the words before clenching his mouth shut again and glanced away as he looked at the horizon and my heart almost broke until finally he spoke.

"No, Kirsten. I...I haven't."