Dimitri was allowed to stay with Feliks and Irina for one more night, to avoid him ending up in the same circumstance they had found him in. They treated him to breakfast, simple though it was, to send him off with a full belly. With the food shortages, there was no telling when the boy would get to eat again. They dug out Lazar's old coat, guessing it would just about fit the boy. The sleeves were a little too long, which was just as well since Dimitri had no gloves. As a final parting gift, Irina wrapped up a heel of bread and gave that to Dimitri.

Then he was on his own once again.

The new day was no less cold than the previous ones had been. Dimitri shrugged the coat collar up closer around his neck and plodded onward through the snowy streets.

Despite his own dire predicament, he could not help but think of her. Where was she now? What had happened to her? Had she and the Dowager Empress managed to get away? Though he had overheard the men still searching for the royals back at the palace, he still feared the pair might have been caught after that. Shaking his head, he forced himself to believe that Anastasia and her grandmother had made a clean escape. It had to be that way; the alternative was unthinkable. His fingers found the gilded box in his coat pocket and he ran them over its smooth surface. Something about having the box close to him made his connection to the girl seem that much more real. He knew he could never part with it, unless it was to give it back to Anastasia.

A horse-drawn sled came down the road toward him and he hastened to get out of the way, remembering his last encounter with horses. That memory brought to mind the kind stranger, Vlad. He wondered what had become of his savior. Vlad had said he was leaving town. Dimitri briefly thought about leaving, too, but quailed at the thought of leaving the only home he had known. Besides, without money that would be quite a challenge to accomplish.

Dimitri stepped back into the lane where the snow was not so deep. He continued to trudge on, kicking up snow in his wake, trying to move as much as possible to stay warm. The coat helped quite a bit in keeping out the chill but it was still there, in his bones. Not even Feliks' fire had managed to banish that completely.

He came across a busy stable yard. Horses, carriages, and sleighs, all moved about the place in a seemingly manic pattern. Horses were being shod, sleighs and carriages being repaired or hitched to the horses. Dimitri stood in the lane watching for some time, stepping out of the way when a conveyance had to leave. In his watching he decided upon the man leading the operation, a beefy man with a large mustache and hulking physical frame.

Swallowing his fears, he approached this man.

At first the man ignored him, so intent was he on his task of shoeing a horse. He had the animal's hoof up between his legs and was nailing on a shoe.

A shot rang out, startling everyone. The horse panicked, yanked its foot free, and reared. The large man barely ducked out of the way in time. Not quite thinking, Dimitri went to head the horse. He caught hold of its lead and pulled the animal down with his good hand, talking soothingly to it.

Out in the lane the offending motor car that had backfired drove away, leaving anxious horses nickering in its wake.

Cursing, the large man turned around and spotted Dimitri, still holding the horse's lead. The animal had quieted though it still trembled with fear. "Good job, boy," he said gruffly. Taking the lead from Dimitri, he turned the horse around in a circle several times to calm it. Once it had settled down he returned to the task of applying the horseshoe.

Dimitri stood by the horse's head awkwardly. He did not want to leave, he wanted to speak to the man, but he did not dare break his concentration.

Finally the man set the horse's hoof down, a fresh shoe on the bottom of it. He stood and stretched his back before noticing that the boy was still there. "On with you now," he said, shooing Dimitri away.

"Please sir, I need a place to stay. I was hoping I could work for you in exchange for shelter and food. I could sleep in the barn," he added quickly.

The farrier pointed at Dimitri's bound arm; the sleeve of his coat had fallen back revealing part of the splint. "And what good would you be with one good arm? Go away."

"I caught that horse for you with one good arm," Dimitri insisted, not backing down.

The man sighed. "Look, I'm a very busy man-"

"I could help you. Let me do the chores in exchange for a place to sleep and eat. That's all I ask."

"That's all? You don't mince words, do you boy? You realize there's a food shortage, right?"

Dimitri nodded. "I had heard as much. I promise to earn my keep."

"There's still the problem of your arm,"

Gritting his teeth, Dimitri pushed his sleeve back. He untied the bindings on his arm, freeing it for use. "There. How about now?"

The man shook his head, chuckling. "You'll not give up, will you lad?"

"I'm probably about as stubborn as you are."

The man barked out a laugh and slapped his thigh. "Alright, you've convinced me!" He threw up his hands. "Put that splint down and pick up a pitchfork. There are stalls to muck out."

And so the pair struck up an uneasy agreement. Dimitri was allowed to sleep in the hay loft where he could burrow in amongst the hay for warmth. With a few blankets added it was as good as it was going to get. Each day Dimitri woke at dawn, as he was already accustomed to do from working in the palace kitchens. He managed to wield the pitchfork effectively despite his injury; indeed, each day his arm pained him less.

He diligently mucked out the stalls, threw fresh hay, refilled water troughs, and led horses to and fro as needed. In short he worked hard to earn his meager living. His reward was a bed of hay and a few crusts of bread. But it was enough, for now.

Anastasia was never far from his mind. In fact, he spent much of his time daydreaming, thinking of the moment when he would find her and return the gilded box. He imagined how grateful she would be. How would she repay his kindness? Dimitri dared not think on that, dared not get his hopes up for some big reward. Seeing her smile again would be reward in itself.