Junior cavalry

We were due to go into battle any day now for our country and for our people. Who are we; we are the junior cavalry of America. Me and 250 other people are in the 16th battalion and as we oiled our saddles and bridles we were given the chance to write letters home telling our families how we were and when we would be home, but considering my parents knew nothing of me being here at this moment I decided to write to them.

All of the 10,000 of us (who were separated into different battalions) were writing our letters to our family:

Dearest

Family

I hope all are well. You may be wondering where I am. Well I am safe, for now as I am back at the cavalry base where we are preparing for battle and will head off tomorrow. Please let Thomas and Levi know where I am as I want them to. Go to Port Angeles in a month's time as my battalion will be arriving back home. Please tell everyone I love them. I will be home soon if I am not killed. I know Jasper would be proud as when I read his mind he said he would be when I went into my first battle.

Love

Lieutenant Elizabeth Cullen

P.S came you get the horse float from Xavier's school because I have to bring Dutchess home and here are some pictures.

It killed me to imagine my parents when I didn't come home. I gave the letter to my officer and continued the clean my gear.

The next day we loaded our horses onto the boat and got all of our gear and clothes and left to our future and deaths.

It was quiet most of the journey to Afghanistan and I kept thinking that we were going to live and I must admit that this was the first time I felt scared in a long time, so I went to see Dutches (my horse). She let out a nicker when she saw me "how are you doing girl?" I said rubbing her nose, she nudged me and I guessed she could smell the sugar cube in my pocket "alright but you know you aren't supposed to have this" I said and she liked it off my hand and into her mouth.

We had to get into our uniforms and look presentable for the general. On our arrival the general spoke to us "my fellow soldiers you are here to set our country free from this ravaging war that has killed so many already, I am so proud that you are here and I know you will do well in battle. You know that we will not be able to protect all of you so some of you will not come home and if all of you do than that is a miracle. God bless America" and he walked off.

We did training for about one and a half weeks before we were summoned to the battle and I must say that all of us were nervous.

We waited quietly in our Battalions and when we heard the general shout "CHARGE!" we kicked our horses into a fast gallop and on our way to battle we got our guns ready and 'BANG' we started fire on the unsuspecting enemy and when they started to fire back at us we started to scatter and have the best chance of getting them. The horrid and bloody battle went on for seven hours before we started to get results we were winning but when I turned my head I saw the General and his horse get shot down, I raced to get to him and when I did I jumped off and checked his pulse, he was still breathing so I picked him up and boy was he heavy (since I was not using my powers he was heavy) and I lifted him to the back of my horse and just as I was to get on I was shot seven times through the chest, I cried out in pain and it felt as if I were being torn apart, I was a part of mom and for some reason dad seems to believe that if I suffer intense pain that my mother will too but carried on getting up onto my horse and racing back to base.

I got to the hospital tent and tied my horse to the post and got the General inside where the nurses rushed around helping him. When they asked if I was alright I showed them the shot wounds that I had received while rescuing the General and they laid me down on the table and picked out every single bullet out of my chest before stitching up to holes and bandaging my chest.

When the rest of the battalion came back I received the news that we had won the battle and that lieutenant James Whitby was the only one killed in battle and they had also brought his body back with them to send home for a proper burial from his family. We payed our respects to this soldier and were left to load our horses, gear and clothing on board, but when I returned to see the general the nurses said he had died. I cried for about five minutes 'he was the best General' I thought sadly.

The nurses gave me a new jacket and shirt that did not have holes in it so when I arrived at Port Angeles I was presentable. I gladly took the clothing and put them on.

On board the ship I sat with my horse, Jane and her horse since she wanted to sit with it and talk, we became good friends and decided that once we docked we would go out in pairs on our horses and see the waiting crowd to welcome us home.

We docked and got on our horses in full uniform with the horses in full gear and waited to be unloaded. Jane and I were the last to come out and when we did were overwhelmed by the cheering of the crowd, my eyes searched over the crowd to find my parents and I found them at the back of the crowd with huge smiles and it looked as if my mother was crying.

Our families were allowed to see us after we finished unloading and when I got to my parents I was ripped of the horse and into my mother's arms "never leave us like that again" she growled "sorry mom but they needed me" I said then I saw my dad and hugged him tight "I missed you daddy" I said crying and I looked at them both "I thought of everyone every day" and then I clutched my chest in pain and leaned forward to see if that helped, mom and dad were immediately worried "don't worry, just...a...a...heart burn" I said gasping "are you sure?" asked my dad with his hand on me back "yeah just a heart burn, I had to get used to the food out there" I said not wanting them to know about my bullet wounds. My mother turned to Dutchess (my horse) and rubbed her neck "thank you for helping her be safe" "mom did you get the float?" I asked "yes and Emmett was kind enough to let us borrow his car to tow it" said my dad.

We got back to the float and unsaddled my horse. We put her rugs on and put the saddle, saddle blanket, bridle and breast strap on the racks in the float, we had a little trouble loading her on because she did not want to go back on another moving thing but there was some hay in the float so I put that in the hay net for my horse and she immediately walked on and boy did she enjoy it.

I was still in uniform when we started to drive home because I was too tired to care, I feel asleep as we left Port Angeles only to wake as we started to go up our drive way to the house. I got out of the car only to be tackled by Alice "never do that again, I could have lost a valuable shopping partner as well as a sister" "I loved you too Alice" I said as I hugged her back and then I saw Jasper and he was smiling, not only was he smiling he was showing his teeth "you have no idea how proud I am of you" he said "thanks Jasper" I said hugging him and when we pulled back I straightened my uniform "nice uniform" Jasper said looking at me "where are the others?" asked mom "they went hunting apart from Bella and Renesmee, they went to Charlie's" said Alice, we unloaded Dutchess and she walked out calmly. We had a special wooden shed that we use when we have to have a horse with us. Then I went up to my room and got changed but just as I was about to put on I looked at the bandage that was wrapped around my waist, I shook my head and out my shirt on. I walked down stairs where everyone was including Edward, Bella, Renesmee, Emmett and Rosalie "hey guys" I said happily and that was when I was tackled by questions.

I ended up going to brush my mare and my mom came with me "she's still a beautiful creature" she said as she watched me pull off the rugs "yes she is" I said "mom?" I asked "yes" "did you happen to feel any sort of pain in your chest while I was away?" I asked "well yes, it happened while your father and I went hunting, there was this unbearable pain in my waist and torso" she said "mom I..." and then I toppled over in pain and screamed. "OH GOD IT HURTS!" I screamed out as my back arched in agony "oh god no, somebody help me" my mom cried as she sat back to afraid to even touch me "what's wrong with her?" asked my father "I don't know" she cried sinking to her knee's near me "Elizabeth can you tell me what's wrong" he asked, I let go of my tight grasp to the hay and in a split second unzipped the jacket I was wearing and lifted the bottom of my shirt up slightly so I could expose my hurting but the only reason I lifted it up part way was because another wave of pain caused me to grasp the hay with desperation again.

I was inside before I knew what was going on. I was in my dad's study and felt the bandages being taken off me "she was shot!" said my mother rather loudly "there are still some shards in her wounds and it looks like it is starting to get infected, Esme pass me the tweezers I'll need to get the shards out" my father said desperately, I felt my eyes start to roll back into my head 'this is too much for me to handle' I thought "stay awake" my father instructed but my eyes finally won and I was asleep.

I woke up still in dad's study and saw him and mom sitting together at his desk "mom? Dad?" asked looking around "hey baby" mom said stroking my head "I'm sorry" I said quietly "you needed to tell us so we could fix it" said my father sighing and I smiled weakly.

I was needed for another battle in ten years in ten years time leaving behind Levi, my children and my family.