It's my birthday! This is my present for you, which is sort of backwards, but oh well.

I don't own Percy Jackson or The Highwayman by Alfred Noyes.

The Highwayman

There was a storm coming. Nico could feel it as he sped his horse over the dirt road. The wind was whipping through the trees and the moon was hidden behind clouds. The rain was coming.

"Come on," he whispered to his horse. He was hoping to get to the inn before morning.

Nico had dark hair and darker eyes. His wine-colored velvet coat made him look regal, as if he needed the help. His sword made him look dangerous, sparkling without help from the moon.

It was nearing midnight when his horse's hooves clattered over the cobblestones in the inn-yard. He patter the neck of his horse, hoping not to wake anyone, but it was the witching hour and no one would have come out to check anyway.

He whistled a few short notes, and a few seconds later he heard one of the windows opening. He grinned as a dark haired girl leaned out.

Her name was Thalia. She was the landlord's daughter. And the love of his life.

But someone was out during the witching hour. Luke, the stable boy. He slept with the dogs, as he had no home. But he watched the landlord's daughter during the day, and dreamed of her at night. He knew of the highwayman's visits, he'd watched Nico's horse more than once. He hated the highwayman. But he loved Thalia.

"Off to rob the rich?" Thalia asked, leaning out of her window and smiling.

Nico smiled back. "I'll bring you back something fancy, shall I? A gold necklace would shine against your hair."

"Something more easily hidden, I think. After all, I am but a tavern wench."

Nico laughed and reached his hand up to take hers. "You are anything but, my love."

He swung one foot out of the stirrup and began climbing the ivy to her window. He gave her a soft kiss. "I'll be back by morning."

She kissed him again and smiled. "No you won't." They both knew it was true. He never made it back by morning.

"Midnight tomorrow, then. I swear. Though Hell should bar the way, I swear."

She lay a hand on his cheek. "If you don't go soon, you'll not be back 'till morning tomorrow."

He kissed her once more and whispered, "I love you," before climbing down the ivy and getting back on the horse. "Midnight, my love," he called as he rode away.

She watched him go until she couldn't see him, then she closed the shutters.

In the stable, Luke smiled.

Miss Rachel Elizabeth Dare hated carriages. She hated the way they bumped and swayed. She hated riding with her mother and sisters, the way they chatted on about nothing at all and never put down their needlework. She'd much rather ride a horse with her father and brother.

Especially now, when they were being attacked by a bandit in the dark hours before dawn. He had a black mask that covered the top half of his face but not his eyes. And he was robbing them. Her mother and sisters were screaming and Rachel really wished they would stop because they were giving her a headache. And besides, he wasn't actually hurting them.

He turned to her and pulled out his rapier. "That necklace looks nice."

Rachel looked down. She was wearing a locket made of polished brass. Her mother hated it, and that was really the only reason she kept it.

She reached behind her neck to undo the clasp. "It is not valuable."

The corners of his mouth turned up, but he didn't say anything, just hit her brother on the head and jumped onto his horse. With their gold.

Of course her father cared more about the fact that their gold had been stolen than the fact that his son was unconscious on the ground, two of his daughters were crying, and his wife had fainted. Typical, Rachel thought.

But at least their trip hadn't been boring.

Luke yanked on the reigns to stop the horse. He swung his leg off the horse and opened the door.

"What do you want?" a rough asked.

"You've been looking for that highwayman," Luke said, a little out of breath.

The man stood up and came closer. He was a redcoat, in charge of their little town. No one liked him. But he was important in Luke's plan.

"What do you know of him?"

Luke smiled. "I know where he will be at midnight tonight. And I know someone he'd be very willing to protect. Maybe even die for."

Nico gritted his teeth against the pain as he rode. He'd gotten away with the gold, but one of the men had slashed him with their sword. His pant leg had been slashed open and although the bleeding had stopped and the cut wasn't deep, half a day of riding had caused a dull ache.

Just a few more miles to the nearest town. He'd sell the gold, get something to eat, and be on his way. He'd make it back to Thalia by midnight.

A smile crossed his lips.

Night was falling when she heard them. Thalia looked out the door, but she couldn't see anything.

"Redcoats!" a man exclaimed as he burst through the door. "The redcoats are coming!"

A murmur of excitement and fear ran through the inn. What were they doing here, what did they want? The redcoats never came unless they needed something.

There came a hard knock on the door and a man's voice said, "Open up for King George's men!"

Thalia rushed to the door and opened it. The man shoved past her and into the inn. "Everyone out," he roared, and people flooded out the door, leaving behind mugs of ale and bowls half-full of that day's soup (fresh cooked rabbit that probably wasn't fresh at all).

The redcoats came in, ignoring Thalia and her father as the commander, the first man who'd come in, found the flasks of ale and poured each man a mug.

They spent an hour drinking ale, and by the time they paid any attention to Thalia she'd lit all the lanterns as the sun had gone down.

Finally the commander held up his hand and shouted for silence. The redcoats quieted and the commander said, "You know what to do," before sitting back down, putting his muddy boots on the table, and pouring himself another mug. The two men closest to Thalia grabbed her by the arms and began pulling her up the stairs. She heard her father yelling at them to let her go as they took her to her room and tied her to the foot of her bed.

"We got word that you've got a friend who'll be visiting later tonight," one of the redcoats hissed in her face. Thalia gagged. His breathe was foul.

Then his words sank in and her face went white. They were going to kill Nico. She felt like she was going to be sick.

The redcoat who'd spoken to her had tied a musket next to her. It was pointing at her heart. Through the window she could see where he would be riding from. "Keep good watch, sweetheart," the redcoat said, grinning, then fisted her hair in his hand and pulled her into a rough kiss. When he leaned back she spit in his face. The other redcoats laughed, and then the first one hit her across the face. "We'll see how feisty you're feeling when you watch your highwayman die," he snarled.

Thalia tasted the blood in her mouth as she stared at the floor, breathing heavily and holding back tears. She couldn't let Nico die.

When the redcoats had lost interest in her, she began twisting her hands against the ropes.

It was midnight by the time she had loosened the rope enough to touch the trigger, and her wrists were raw and bleeding. But she had the trigger.

Ethan Nakamura was having a bad day. The commander had made a fool of him that morning when he was startled by a flock of birds bursting out of the underbrush and hadn't hit the target he'd been aiming for. Then he'd been late to lunch and had gotten the hardest crust of bread he'd ever eaten. And now he was stuck in a tiny bedroom with a girl who wasn't doing anything, waiting for a man that they wouldn't be able to hit anyway (they hadn't before, they wouldn't now). And even if if the highway man did come Ethan would have to sit and watch while the other soldiers did the fighting.

He glanced at the girl. She was pretty, even with the split lip and bruised cheek that Kennedy had given her. Her eyes were bright blue, almost electric, and her hair was as dark as his own. She hadn't cried, as he'd expected she would. As he looked at her he realized that her wrists were slick with blood and the ropes had loosened. He was about to speak up when he noticed her finger on the trigger of the musket. And he suddenly understood what she was planning.

He could let her kill herself. But if he said anything the idiots he was forced to work with would most likely hurt her. No, he would handle this himself.

He saw her face go white as horse hooves sounded from the road. She took a deep breath and he could see her preparing herself. He shifted his gun and aimed at the road.

Despite his blunder that morning, Ethan Nakamura was an excellent shot. He just hoped he was good enough to hit this target.

Well, miss it, actually.

Nico sighed in relief and slowed his horse when he saw the inn. His leg was aching badly and he needed something to eat. But then he frowned. Her shutters were open. They were never open.

Ethan took a deep breath. He could see the girl's finger about to squeeze the trigger as he fired. His musket shattered the moonlight and he smiled. The bullet had hit somewhere to the left of the horse. The highwayman turned his horse and galloped away.

The girl's body seemed to sag, but her chest heaved and he knew she wasn't dead.

Someone hit him in the head and he stumbled forward. "You fool!" Kennedy hissed.

"I thought I had him," Ethan snapped.

Kennedy and another soldier named Moore took Ethan's arms. "We'll let the commander deal with you," Kennedy said. "Watched the girl," he barked over his shoulder.

Thalia took her finger off the trigger and would have collapsed if she hadn't been tied up. Her wrists stung and her cheek ached.

The commander burst into the room, barking orders at the redcoats. They got up and began to leave the room. One of them cut the ropes holding Thalia to the bed and she tumbled forward onto the floor.

She lay there for a moment while the redcoats left until she heard her father's boots on the wooden floor. She lifted her head and pulled herself up to go sit on her bed.

"They told me they were looking for that highwayman," her father said. "Why might they be looking for him here?"

"I do not know, Father," she said quietly, looking at her hands.

"Do not lie to me, Thalia, they told me he'd been," his voice took on a tone of disgust. "courting you."

"Yes."

Her father turned purple with rage. "He is a common thief! You have a future. You will have a good husband who will provide for you."

"He can do that, Father!"

"With stolen money. I will not have my daughter courted by a thief. A murderer too, no doubt."

"Father…" Her face was throbbing and she wanted to be left alone, to see Nico, but she couldn't let this go.

"That is enough, Thalia." He held up his hand. "You will go to sleep, and tomorrow we will find you a suitable husband. You will not see that highwayman again and we will never speak of this. No one living under my roof will be courted by a thief."

Thalia stared at him for a moment, then walked around the bed and towards the door.

"Where are you going?"

She stopped and turned to him. "If that is the case, then I'll not live under your roof." She turned and left, down the stairs and out the door, ignoring her father's shouting.

When she'd left the inn-yard, she began to run.

It was morning when Nico reached the town. He swung himself off his horse, landing hard on his bad leg. He bit back a cry of pain.

The small tavern was dark and nearly empty, but it had good food. He was sitting down to eat when he heard the two men talking.

"It was at that inn a few miles from here. The King's Eagle, I think it's called."

Nico froze. That was Thalia's inn.

"The redcoats, you said?"

"Aye, they were lookin' for that highwayman who's been roamin' 'round these parts."

"And she died?"

Nico stood up abruptly, nearly tipping over his chair. "What are you talking about?" he asked the two men.

They looked at him, surprised. "The redcoats turned up at that inn a few miles east," the first man said.

"The King's Eagle, I heard. Who died?"

"The landlord's daughter. They say the redcoats shot 'er."

"I heard she was in love with that highwayman." the second man added. "That's why they took 'er."

Nico's face turned gray. "Who told you this?" he asked, his voice dangerously low.

The two men swallowed. "Heard it 'round town," the first man muttered.

Nico turned and strode out the door, dropping a few coins onto the table as he passed. He swung himself onto his horse and galloped away. They had killed her. Now he would kill them.

He'd gone two miles when they found him.

He heard the shouting first. Then the galloping hooves behind him, and finally the gunshots. He leaned low over his horse and pulled out one of his pistols. He pointed it behind him and managed to his one of them before he was hit himself.

Nico tumbled off his horse and hit the ground. When they came over to him he tried his best to stare blankly at the sky and hoped they wouldn't realize that they'd only hit his shoulder. He wanted revenge, but he wasn't stupid. He knew if he moved he would be dead. There were too many of them.

One of the redcoats flipped him over onto his back. Nico held his breath. "He's dead!" the redcoat shouted, and they cheered.

"Should we bring 'im back?" another asked.

"Leave 'im for the crows. The king wanted 'im dead. Well, 'e's dead now, an' I'll not be the one to drag 'is ass back," a third, probably in charge, said.

The redcoats turned and got back on their horse, laughing and patting each other on the back as they went. Nico waited until he'd heard them all leave (with his horse, the bastards) before he rolled over and sat up. His shoulder was sticky with blood where he'd been shot and his leg wound had reopened when he'd fallen. His adrenalin was gone, and he felt like crying.

Thalia was gone.

They wanted him dead, too. She was gone, so he had nothing to live for. He had another pistol, he had the means to do it. He could die here, now, on this dirt road.

He stood up, ignoring the pain from his leg. He wouldn't kill himself on a blank stretch of highway. If he was going to die, he would do it on the moor.

It took him an hour to make it to the moor, and he kept walking on until he couldn't see the road anymore. Then he collapsed to his knees. His chest heaved and his sobs rang out across the grass.

"Nico?" he head a soft voice say, and he looked up to see Thalia. Her cheek was bruised, her lip was swollen, her dress was tattered, her wrists were red, and her hands were bloody.

"Thalia?" he whispered, not sure if he should believe it. He stumbled to his feet.

She ran to him and almost knocked him over. He hissed in pain when she touched his shoulder.

"Oh," she gasped, pulling back. He shook his head and wrapped his arms around her waist and pulling her close to him,ignoring the burning pain in his shoulder. He buried his face in her hair. She was real.

"They told me you were dead," he said in her ear. His voice sounded broken.

"My father told them that. He told me not to see you again, but I left."

Nico didn't answer, just held her tighter until he couldn't stand the pain in his shoulder anymore and gave a small moan.

"You're shot," Thalia said as she pulled away and went to look at his shoulder.

He took her chin in one hand and turned her face so he could see the bruise on her cheek. "Who did this?"

"Nico…"

"Who?"
She looked him into his eyes and sighed. "They tied me to the bed and one kissed me." His eyes went darker. "I spat in his face so he hit me."

Nico looked murderous. "Your hands," he said, gently taking her wrists and turning them to see her bloody and torn hands.

"I got caught in some briars," she answered. "Please, Nico, I'm fine. You're shot."

He stared at her for a moment. "We need a horse," he said finally.

"Why?"

"I've a house a day's ride from here." He pulled her close and rested his chin on top of her head. "We can start a new life. Get married. I'll stop robbing people."

Thalia took a deep breath and held his shirt tightly in her fists. "But you love it."

"It nearly got you killed," he said, pulling back and stroking her cheek. "I will not put you in danger."

She nodded. "We'll find a horse," she said and started to turn around.

"Wait." He took her arm and pulled her against him. Sliding around her neck he leaned down and gave her a soft kiss. He pulled back and hovered a few inches from her face. "When did you last sleep?" he whispered.

"You have been without sleep for longer," she answered.

"Sleep. We'll ride tomorrow."

"Here?"

"Can you walk?"

She frowned. "I am not the one with a wounded leg."

He laughed. "There is a cave half a mile from here. I stay there when I have no time to ride home."

"You need a bandage."

"I have bandages there. And food and water."

Thalia nodded and they began walking, their fingers intertwined.

After they had gotten to the cave, Nico's shoulder had been bandaged, and they had eaten and drank some water, they lay down on a pile of blankets that Nico called a bed.

They were almost asleep when Nico opened his eyes and put his hand in his pocket. "I nearly forgot," he said, pulling out the locket he'd taken from the girl in the carriage. "For you."

Thalia took it and smiled. "I love it. Thank you." She leaned up and kissed him.

Nico smiled and wrapped his arms around her. She tucked her face into his chest and closed her eyes. Before she fell asleep she heard Nico whisper in her ear.

"Sleep well, my love."

I tried to have the dialogue in an older style of English, I'm not sure I got it right. This is my favorite poem ever, it's three pages long and I've memorized the whole thing. I changed the ending, but if you read the story and then the poem you'll see that the story every one else heard would match the poem. Thalia shot herself and Nico was killed by the redcoats.

I'm sorry to anyone who has been reading The Sadness of Mistakes, I really am planning to upload, but I work from nine to six four days a week, and of course my mom keeps a running list of all the chores I missed during the days I was working so I have to finish them all in the three days that I have off.

As mentioned above, it's my birthday! I'm fifteen! Or I will be at 10:37 tonight. I get to eat pizza and ice cream cake (I don't like regular cake, it's too dry) in a gazebo with my family and my three best friends. I'm very excited.

I have a new story on my FictionPress account that you should absolutely read. It has angst and slightly creepy romance (the guy is ten years older than the girl) - the perfect package! My name on FictionPress is the same as on here, RavenTempestShadowhunter. The story is called Promise.

As a birthday present for me you should all review. And go read my story on FictionPress.