Echoes of Honor is a different kind of story. I'm trying more of an epic feel with this one using different points of view. Sophie is technically the "main character" but a few other "mains" are thrown in there too. If it gets confusing please let me know, but little captions at the head of each part should help.
Echoes of Honor
Pt. 4
~ David and Philippe ~
Amused, a young man with a shock of brown hair leaned back on his chair, watching his friend scour the room.
“You kidding me!” Setting down an empty tin he had pulled from a shelf he turned towards the young man leaning back in his chair. “Who ate the last cookie?”
“Philippe...You ate the cookie last night." With a scowl, the boy plunked the tin on the table. “Why didn’t you tell me that! I’ve been looking for fifteen minutes. Your so exasperating David!”
“Don’t use big words Philippe.” David leaned forward, his chair now on all fours.
“I’m hungry. When are Karl and Sophie getting back?” Philippe sat on his bed, pulling his legs up to his chest. “Shouldn’t they have been back by now?”
“They should’ve.” David cast a worried glance at the door at the top of the steps leading up from the basement.
“What were they going to do anyhow?” Philippe asked, fiddling with the edge of his blanket. “Did Karl tell you?”
“No.” David replied a little too angrily then he wanted. “I’m supposed to be his best friend and he doesn’t tell me anything.”
“Ahh come on Dave. It’s not like Karl hides stuff from us. You know how dangerous it is in the resistance to tell anyone what’s going on.”
“I wanted to go with him but he took Sophie. Who takes a girl out on a dangerous mission?”
“She’s his sister. Now stop being so grouchy. You look really bad when you frown.”
David scowled and threw a pillow at Philippe's face missing completely. Philippe threw it back and hit his target. David was about to stand up and challenge Philippe when the door at the top of the stairs opened.
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~Sophie~
“Thank goodness Sophie,” Philippe sang out. “I’m hungry and David is horrible company.”
Coming down the stairs, Sophie sighed. She was in no mood to play Philippe’s games. Pushing strands of dirty hair from her face, she looked up at the boys just as the little baby in her arms gave a small cry.
Philippe jumped away from her, his eyes wide. David stepped closer, pulling the blanket open to reveal the tiny face.
“Goodness!” Philippe whispered. “Is that a baby. A real life baby?”
David jabbed him in the ribs. “Of course it’s a real baby!”
“I knew that...I just well, haven’t seen one in a long time.” Philippe reached out and touched the blanket. “Wow! A real life baby.”
“Philippe stop it! This is very serious.” Sophie jerked away from both of the boys, holding the cooing bundle close.
“What’s wrong Sophie? Where’s Karl and where did that baby come from?” David asked, concern in his voice.
Setting the baby down on Philippe’s bed, Sophie hurried to the next room that served as their kitchen and her bedroom. “Our mission didn’t quite turn out like it was supposed to. The person we went to meet...”
“You went to meet someone?” David scowled and Sophie saw it. Why was he so irritable today?
“The man we went to meet is hurt.” Sophie said, hoping to ease some of David’s anger. “He was shot by the soldiers.”
“Where does this baby come into the story.” Sophie turned around and saw Philippe standing there with the baby in his arms.
“The man,” Sophie said, stoking the fire in the stove. “Had the baby hidden in his coat. She’s the daughter of a Jewish couple that lived in this man’s house. Karl’s carrying him here.” Sophie took down a basket of cloth and shoved it at David. “Tear strips and Philippe go get some water to boil.”
Sophie smiled at herself. She may be too scared to do much else but she could tell people what to do, and everyone listened to her...except Karl.
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~Karl~
Karl winced as his foot slammed into a stone as he entered the back alley leading to their basement hideout. This young man Wilhelm was heavy and he posed a problem. It wouldn’t be several days until he was strong enough to tell anyone who he was and why he had come to meet Karl. Seeds of doubt begin to plant themselves in Karl’s mind. Could this man be trusted? Was he really a resistance fighter or a spy?
Approaching the small door in the farthest, darkest corner of the alley, Karl pushed it open. A woman with grey hair glanced up from where she stood stirring something in a pot. She was Mrs. Grey, the Jewish lady who allowed them to stay in her basement. Mrs. Grey and the resistance band never spoke much. They had a silent contract. They could stay in her basement as long as they brought no trouble to her. Karl feared him carrying a limp, bloody young man through her kitchen might change her mind.
Karl glanced at her and held her gaze for a moment but she said nothing. Quickly, Karl went down a hall and into a bedroom. Opening the closet door, he found the entrance to the basement. As he descended the stairs, he heard the mumbling voices of his friends and sister in their kitchen.
“Sophie!” He called, nearly missing the last step. “David, Philippe help me!”
David came out of the kitchen, Philippe and Sophie right behind him. Karl took one look at his friend’s face and knew he wasn’t too happy.
“We can lay him here, on my bed.” Karl stretched the wounded young man out on his bed.
He heard Philippe gasp. “He doesn’t look too good.”
“Sophie do you have that hot water and strips of cloth?” Sophie turned and headed into the kitchen.
“David he’s in bad shape. Bullet missed his heart by several inches.” Karl begin to unbutton the man’s shirt.
“That could have been your sister Karl. Taking her with you was a stupid idea.”
Karl didn’t reply to David. He knew how much David cared for Sophie and his overprotective zeal often got David and himself into heated arguments.
Sophie came out of the kitchen and the angry look on David’s face relaxed. “Sophie you go take care of that little baby. It’s bound to be hungry. Philippe, go with her and try to be helpful.”
Philippe glanced from the wounded man to David and swallowed hard. He looked like he was about to be sick.
Sophie grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the room. Karl knew she didn’t want to be in here anymore than Philippe did.
“We need to talk.” David said, helping prop the young man up with pillows.
“Wilhelm needs our attention first.” Karl replied curtly. David really did get on his nerves at times. They were both the same age and had strikingly similar personalities.
“Wilhelm? So that’s his name?” Karl saw David glanced down at their patient. “Sophie called him a man. He’s nothing more than a boy.”
“Boy or not he needs our help.” Karl gently eased the shirt fabric off Wilhelm’s wound.
“And how do you know he isn’t a spy for the Germans? His name is German enough.” There was disgust in David’s voice.
Karl sighed. He knew David carried a deep wound inside. A wound that had never healed. His father had died in a tragic accident when he was only six, and thirteen years later he witnessed the deaths of his mother and younger sister by the hands of the Germans. He escaped with only a minor wound and a past that continued to haunt him. He hated the Germans with everything in him. The only Germans Karl knew he trusted were himself and Sophie. Philippe was French and the only thing he did was to annoy David constantly.
“Karl he’s waking up.” David nodded down at their patient.
Karl bent down, gently scooping Wilhelm’s hand in his. “Wilhelm...Can you talk?”
“Where am I?” The voice was laced with pain.
“Your safe Wilhelm.” Karl swallowed hard. Were they safe...From Wilhelm?
“Where’s the baby? It’s my job to...augh!”
“Lie still Wilhelm. The baby is alright. She’s having her supper right now so just lie back. We’re going to take care of you.” Glancing up at David, Karl nodded to the other side of Wilhelm. “Keep him still.”
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Did you like it? What do you all think...Should I keep a couple "main" character's POV or should I just stick with Sophie? Also, be watching for a blog post tomorrow about school, writing, and awards. I was going to do two posts in a day but I decided to spread them out.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Laura :)