The Hessian's horse snorted heavily, his nostrils trimmed red, his glossy black coat shining fiercely in the moonlight that glinted off the snow which collapsed beneath his heavy hoof falls. The murderous rider booted the horse forward desperately, heart pounding, feeling despair fall upon him when he realized that his great steed, however mighty, was being pushed far past his limit; he had been run hard and long, and his iron legs no longer could carry him into fresh, faster gaits. Such spurts of energy were long spent before they had neared the woods that lay menacingly before them, the American soldiers fast on they're heals.
The Hessian bared his teeth, growling, the biting winter air numbing his gloved hands and booted feet. His vision was blurred dangerously as the snow hit his eyes like ice spears intent on blinding him completely.
"Yah!" his harsh voice was even rougher in quality then usual, the wind drying his throat painfully. "Get on!" he pounded his heals into his steed's sides in vain, knowing that it was useless but refusing to surrender. His stallion let out a guttural complaint and leapt forward in a single leap that gained little more then a few extra inches. Shouts behind them sounded as they drew closer, victory ringing in their tones.
The forest drew ever closer, slowly, and yet seemed to rush up to him, extending open arms. He prayed desperately that the trees would prove to be so shelter for him. The brittle branches were brow and white smears in his sight, the spaces between the trunks dark and black. He growled again as his fingers refused to obey his orders to tighten about the reigns, their frozen lengths painfully stiff. He squinted frantically, his depth perception completely thrown, unsure of just how quickly the trees were approaching. Just how close were they…?
The stallion beneath his screamed in agony as its left foreleg gave out from under him over a patch of ice. The Hessian screamed himself as he flew over his stallion's shoulder, his frozen body smacking the ground excruciatingly rigidly. The great creature snorted again and set off in the opposite direction at a tired canter.
"You damned creature!" he gasped, fighting to force his body to lift itself from the snow-coated ground and setting off at a stumbling run.
He could hear the soldiers behind his pulling their mounts to a halt and he thuds of their dismounting. His breath ragged agonizingly in his chest, tearing his throat as though daggers of ice skittered and scraped down its dry passage. He staggered, loosing his footing over a small pile of branches, oddly stacked high in the clearest path his inefficient eyes could trace out. The Hessian's ankle twisted violently, twisting him onto his side; without warning, he found himself tumbling down a hill at sickening speed, sharp pains traveling through different parts of his body. He landed hard, his face striking the snow drifts, promising a bruise the next day…if he lived to see the next day.
Groaning, he pushed himself to a sitting position, his head spinning. A small figure stood before his ineffective eyes, forcing him to focus solely upon they shape before him. A hot rush spread through his veins as he attempted to spotlight his eye sought. The soldiers had caught up to him, he was sure. After a moment, however, he felt no cold spearing of a sword into his heart, and his heart slowed slightly.
His eyes finally cleared somewhat, enough for him to discover that it was not one figure, but two, pink in color. Two young girls, ten at the oldest, both hold a stack of branches. The Hessian's attention was snapped above him as he watched the last of the American soldiers disappear farther into the trees, unaware of his decent into the little gully in which he lay, accompanied by two girls. He snapped his head back to the children; they were identical twins, both beautiful blonds, one's eyes a sharp grey, however, the other's a warmer grey-blue. The flint-eyed one glared at him with a wicked smile upon her lips, the other somewhat frightened in expression, but curious.
"Shhh," he placed his index finger to his cold, blue tinted lips, begging them to remain silent until danger had passed. The grey-eyed child's smile grew wider, dropping her pile of firewood sticks with a quiet thud, muffled by the powdery snow encasing her feet. The Hessian's breath caught as she grasped a single stick and placed it over her knee, pausing for a moment then bringing it snapping down over the bend of her leg. The crack echoed deafeningly through the woods. He heard the distant voices of the soldier's silence, then start up again, drawing nearing once more.
He shot a hated glance at the flint-eyed girl, pure anger seething from him, his sharpened teeth bared. She bared her own teeth in return, then shot off into the forest. His attention shot back to the grey-blue eyed child, expecting her to giggle in pleasure and scurry away like the other. She didn't however. She looked at him with soul searching eyes, then glanced back at the crest of the hill as the voices grew louder. Her gazed was uncertain for a moment, hesitating just long enough for the Hessian to muster his strength and draw himself to his feet. He stumbled at first, desperately trying to regain his balance, his blood pumping viciously in his veins as he felt the defiantly trap of despair descend upon him once again. He would never escape; he would die by the sword as punishment for the men that had died by his own. A gentle tug on his baggy white shirt sleeve drew his attention to the child again.
"This way," her young voice instructed, pulling him forward. Barley able to keep himself standing, the Hessian allowed her to lead him blindly, her path sure. She eventually led him into a small in cove beneath a thick of branches low to the ground, forcing him to bend over drastically. Darkness shrouded him, but the girl led him without falter, finally pressuring him to a stop and pulled him to his knees, to which he fell sharply, painfully. He stifled a grunt, relaxing backwards and striking his head upon a rock wall behind him.
"You'll be safe here," the girl's voice whispered.