So if you've been reading Brother's Fall, you'll know all about Edward and his recent transfer to America. As a parallel to that story, I've started One Feather which follows Anne's story as she starts a new life in the New World. If you've just stumbled across this story, I'll try to make sure it makes sense on its own but I suggest you read Brother's Fall for background info or just to get a more in-depth read on what is briefly mentioned here. Hope you enjoy!
12th March 1752
It took a while to realise my father was different.
I can still remember that day, the noise of the fayre filling my ears, the laughter of my sister as we ran through the crowd. The noise began to fade, we had run quite a distance.
"Should we go back?" Mary asked, biting her caramel apple as she glanced back to the crowd.
"Not yet, let's play a little longer." I said. I should have gone back. I should have kept close to the crowd, within sight.
Mary had barely enough time to cry out before a man grabbed her around the waist, hauling her up. He snatched my arm, I screamed for help but no one heard me.
Fear gripped my heart. That was it, I would die that day, I knew it.
Then, I slammed to the floor, something had crashed into the man that grabbed us. I held Mary, she was weeping, as I looked up.
My father knelt over the body, a blade on his wrist, dripping with blood.
"Papa?" My voice shook.
He turned to us and pulled us into his arms, hugging us and whispering promises to take care of us. I wad afraid, but I was safe.
I thought he would always be there to protect me, even though I didn't quite know what he was. But he wasn't today. If it wasn't for that boy, I would have died.
"Anne!" Mary called after her sister, as they ran through the forest. The girls had just arrived in Lexington, their new home. As their parents unpacked, they decided to explore the neighbouring forest. Anne was so excited, ever since she woke up in the carriage, she couldn't stop the unbridled happiness that made her heart beat faster and her mind whir with a thousand thoughts a second.
"Hurry up then!" She yelled over her shoulder, skipping through the long grass.
The dense forest, once home to silence and bird song, was invaded by shrill giggles as the girls ran.
"What shall we play?" Anne asked her younger sister breathlessly, stopping in a clearing.
Mary paused, looking around.
"How about explorers? I want to be the adventurous navigator!" She clapped her hands in delight.
"You can't, I'm the eldest, I'm the navigator."
"No fair!"
"It is fair. And what I say goes."
"Fine." She pouted and folded her arms.
"Now, follow me." Anne lead the way, stepping through the unfamiliar ground.
Keeping close behind, Mary followed her older sister through the forest, her hands brushing against the bark of the trees and the long grass.
"Anne-" Mary whined, but was cut off by her sister.
"My name isn't Anne, it's Captain Young." She snapped back.
"Fine, Captain Young, how far is our destination?"
Anne paused, shading her eyes from the light, squinting as she scanned the area.
"There." She pointed to a cave, nearly obscured by vines and shade.
"Aye, aye, Captain!" Mary nodded and the two girls skipped along, ducking into the cave.
"It's dark." Mary whispered as the sunlight drew back from the darkness.
"There could be gold!" The ten year old stepped forward, encouraging her sister to do the same.
They ventured on into the darkness, birdsong fading away and silence remained.
"Did you hear something?" Mary whispered, timidly stepping back.
"Maybe it's a ghost!" Anne grinned, waving her fingers in front of her.
"Hush, Anne, I really did hear something!" Mary insisted.
Anne chuckled but as a low growl echoed around them, she stopped.
"What was that?" She breathed.
Gruff breaths grew, a heavy thud of feet stepped closer and the two girls froze, fearfully.
"Anne..." Mary whimpered.
As the bear roared, the girls screamed, racing for the cave entrance. They bolted out into the sunlight, unaware as they ran in opposite directions.
"Anne!" Mary cried as she glanced over her shoulder, realising that the wild animal was thundering after her sister.
Anne ran, her heart pounding in her chest. She could hear the snarl of the bear right behind her and while terror gripped her tight, she was glad that it wasn't chasing Mary.
With a cry, Anne tripped, tumbling to the ground as the lumbering form of the bear loomed over her.
"Mary, run!" Anne shouted, trying to scramble away from the creature, drool dripping from its snarling jaws.
As Mary fled, the bear stepped closer, recognising its captured prey. It sniffed her, its upper lip drawn back as its dark beady eyes analysed its victim. Anne closed her eyes, tears of fear running down her cheeks.
"Please," she whispered. "Please make it quick."
Suddenly, there was call, breaking the terrifying silence. It wasn't like anything Anne had ever heard before and apparently, the bear hadn't either.
It raised its head, teeth bared as it listened for the call again. As the sound repeated, it turned, stepping away from the young girl to investigate the foreign creature.
Anne opened her eyes, her chest heaving as she watched the bear lose interest in her and lumber away.
"Here! Over here!"
The voice was strange. It was human, but didn't sound like the people she had been around in Oxfordshire, the ship or Lexington. Who was it?
A boy stood in the clearing, waving his arms to attract the bear's attention. As it began to chase its new prey, the boy bolted, scrambling up the nearest tree. Anne sat up, eyes wide as she stared at the boy.
He was unlike anything she'd ever seen. His skin was darker than hers, dressed in an unusual fabric with dark hair, tied back in a small pony tail with a single feather hanging from the side of his head.
In that small moment, their eyes met, curiosity and wonder overwhelming each other before the boy vanished through the trees, leading the beast away from her.
Anne clutched herself, still shaking. As her father, mother and sister burst into view, she burst into tears.
"Anne! Anne!"
Her father dropped to his knees beside Anne, pulling her into his arms, stroking her hair as she cried.
"Oh, thank God..." He breathed, holding her tight as Eleanor stood behind him, whispering the same thing as she clutched her younger daughter.
Through bleary vision, Anne looked past her family and into the trees, wondering if that boy was real or just a strange figment of her imagination.
But whoever he was, he saved her life. And she would never forget that.