A Peculiar Time in 1944 - A Millard Fanfic (Miss Peregrine's Home) #wattys2020

Chapter 54

"We are allies of a sort. Over the years, we Gypsies have even taken in and raised some of your children." {Bekhir Bekhmanatov, pg 136 book 2}

MILLARD P.O.V.

The disguised wights marched through the camp, Millard stood behind a crowd of gypsies hoping they'd disguise his scent from the dogs that were tugging on their leashes obviously picking up on the smell of the others in the cage. What if they were caught? Aurora was in there, cornered and defenseless, he had to find a way to help her and the others. There were still a few exploding eggs left, maybe he could cause another rukus, but he still didn't have the key for the cage, even if he threw an egg the others were still locked up tight and a sudden explosion would only make the wights suspicious of peculiar activity. With the dogs sniffing around he wouldn't be able to even sneak close by without setting one off barking, he might be outside the cage but he was just as trapped as the others. He would never leave Aurora, if they were caught he'd follow waiting for the next best opportunity to free them. Dangerous? Yes. Desperate? That too. But Millard could think of no other way.

"A group of children were seen along the road this morning." One wight said approaching the gypsy leader, "There's a reward for their capture."

"We haven't run across anyone all day sir." the gypsy man lied.

"Don't let their innocent faces fool you. They're traitors to the war effort. Spies for Germany. The penalty for hiding them. . . "

"We aren't hiding anything. See for yourself." He offered gesturing to the camp.

"I'll do that." The wight sneered, "And if we find them here, I'll cut your tongue out and feed it to my dog." The wight threatened and stomped away directing his men to different tents and wagons. The gypsy leader followed moving away from the cage. Why would he lie for them? Millard wondered. They'd just caused a huge hullabaloo and threatened his people, was if perhaps because the wights could cause them more harm then a handful of children could? If so, wouldn't the gypsies be eager to hand them all over? Or because the children had caused them so much trouble did the gypsy leader want to take care of them in his own way? Millard shuddered shaking the horrible picture from his mind.

The wights weren't polite about searching the camp, all around they kicked things over, shoved people, kicked in doors. When one child started crying their father reacted angrily and the nearest wight hit him with his baton. It was difficult for Millard to stand by while other people suffered, then one of the dogs snarled at the cage and his handler shone his flashlight against the tarp.

"Tear this sheet down!" he ordered. The dog sniffed the bottom of the tarp more eagerly and barked again and again. More wights moved toward the cage and Millard prayed that the others had some kind of plan. The wight began to pull off the cover and Millard didn't know how his position wasn't given away by the loud beating of his heart. When the tarp was just shy of exposing the others one of the gypsies spoke up.

"I'd steer away from that cage if I was you." He warned.

"Yeah? And why's that?" the handler asked.

"Old Bloodcoat ain't been fed in a few days. He don't usually care for the taste of humans , but when he's this hungry he ain't so discriminating!" then, as if on cue, they heard the roar of a giant bear and it seemed to be coming from the cage. Millard's heart hammered harder – something he didn't think was possible -at the thought of Aurora being close to a vicious, hungry bear. The wight shouted in surprise and jumped back pulling his dog with him. The other wights laughed at him as he tried to regain his composure.

"Idiot! Only gypsies would keep an animal like that in the middle of their camp!" He said trying to use the gypsies as a scapegoat. The wights continued searching the camp, now staying far from the cage, after a few minutes they returned to their truck and left, but not before warning the gypsies that if they saw any children to turn them in at once. They were getting desperate to find them, Millard thought, and desperation made people even more dangerous.

The gypsy men approached the cage and pulled the tarp the rest of the way off. The leader was first to approach them "Are you all right? I'm sorry if that frightened you."

"We're alive." Emma said, "But where's this bear of yours?"

"You aren't the only ones with unusual talents." Said another gypsy, a young man, he then growled like a bear and yowled like a cat. Throwing his voice from one place to another, not a peculiarity but a parlor trick.

"Apologies if I failed to properly introduce myself." The leader said, "My name is Bekhir Bekhmanatov, why didn't you tell us you were syndrigasti?" he asked using the ancient name for peculiars that Millard had once taught Aurora long ago.

"Where did you hear that word?" Emma asked with caution.

"If you'll accept our hospitality, I promise to explain everything." Bekhir said as he unlocked the cage. Once the others were out Millard ran to Aurora and hugged her tight.

oOo oOo oOo

AURORA P.O.V.

They all sat with the gypsies around one of the campfires, on hand woven carpets eating as much stew as their stomachs could hold. Some of them were even slurping it straight from the bowl they were so hungry, the feast at the menagerie feeling like a lifetime ago. The broth was warm and the meat tender, the fire keeping away the chill of the night, Aurora could almost forget the terrible reality they were facing as she sat beside Millard – still nude – comforted just by simply having him beside her.

Bekhir walked among them making sure they were all comfortable, asking if they'd have enough to eat, apologizing for the misunderstanding countless times, treating them like honored guests.

"When it comes to the safety of my people, I must take every precaution. There are many strangers wandering the roads these days – people who aren't what they appear to be. If you'd only told me you were sydrigasti. . . "

"We were taught never to tell anyone." Emma said.

"Whoever taught you that is very wise." Bekhir agreed.

"How do you know about us? You speak the old tongue." Olive asked.

"Only a few words. But your people and mine have an old understanding, we aren't so different. Outcasts and wanderers all, souls clinging to the margins of the world." As Bekhir and the children talked one gypsy woman came over to tend to a hunk of meat that was roasting over the fire. Distracted by the peculiars, she burnt her hand on the spit and cried out pulling her hand away. Bekhir held out his hand and the woman showed him the injury.

"Jebbiah, should be able to make you a salve for it."

"Oh, please allow me." Aurora offered holding out her hand as well. The woman looked to Bekhir, not in fear but almost like she wasn't sure if she should accept a favor from their guests. He nodded, interested in what Aurora would do and the woman approached and placed her wounded hand in Aurora's palm. Only a second later the harsh red skin began to fade and a second or two more and the burn was gone completely. The woman smiled as she took back her hand and looked it over in the light of the fire, she bowed to Aurora repeatedly as she left and Bekhir nodded and smiled, quite impressed.

The gypsy band began to play again and people started to dance, even Jake and Emma took a turn, which led to Olive encouraging Enoch to dance with her, leaving Miss Peregrine with Bronwyn while they left to join the others moving in circles with the gypsies. Those who didn't dance clapped along to the music and laughed at the silliness of the others. Millard nudged Aurora and asked her if she'd like to dance but she declined saying she much rather preferred sitting peacefully beside him.

"May I ask you something?" Emma said to Bekhir when she and Jake had returned.

"Of course."

"Why did you risk your lives for us? Was it because we're peculiar?"

"Yes." He said simply. Then he looked away at the trees at the edge of the clearing as if deep in thought. After a moment had passed he turned back to them.

"Would you like to meet my son?"