So here's my new story like I promised. Hope you enjoy it!
o~O~o
"Just close your eyes,
The sun is going down.
You'll be alright.
No one can hurt you now.
Come morning light,
You and I'll be safe and sound."
Safe and Sound by Taylor Swift
o~O~o
Safe and Sound
Prologue:
"Curse this blasted weather." Haytham murmured under his breath as he readjusted the reins in his hand, cupping them to his mouth and blowing air into them, trying to thaw the numbness from his fingertips.
"I knew I should have brought my gloves... Serves me right for forgetting them in the first place." He said in annoyance as he recalled the last time he was in the frontier during the winter.
"Ziio…" He thought to himself fondly. "Oh how I rue the day that we went our separate ways…"
Haytham's thoughts drifted off but were cut off when he heard a branch snap in the distance and his curious gaze wondered about to the snow covered trees and bushes, his eyes narrowing when he seen a small figure in the distance laying in the snow against a tree.
"What in blazes…" He trailed off as he swung his leg over his horse and jumped onto the floor gracefully without a sound. "Who's there?" He called off as he slowly approached the figure, barley able to make out what the figure said.
"Is there anyone there? If so call out." He said as he cautiously approached the figure.
"Please… help us." The figure croaked out faintly.
Haytham stood up straight when he saw that the small figure laying against the tree was a woman and immediately rushed over, but halted in his step when he saw the woman holding a small bundle close to her, her sad and tired eyes looking up at him with hope.
"Please…my baby." She croaked out again, her breathing shallow as she hugged the bundle close to her.
Without further hesitation Haytham scooped her up into his arms and started walking back towards his horse.
"If I may, I would like to know what you are doing out in such harsh weather as this? With your child no less." Haytham said glancing down at her then looking back up as he reached his horse and set the woman down on a log, grabbing a blanket that lay neatly folded in the satchel that hung on his horse, draping it over the woman's shoulders then proceeded by sitting next to her.
"We... I was running... away from my husband…" She said as she looked up at Haytham with sunken and sorrowful eyes. "He wanted to kill me... kill us. He didn't want a baby. Said it would ruin us and that we couldn't afford one..."
Haytham gave a small nod encouraging the woman to go on, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"I ran away from him… but he found me yesterday. I-I can't go on any further… I just had her two days ago. I didn't get to heal and the storm last night… I can feel myself giving away…" She croaked out as her eyelids began to droop as she slowly slumped onto Haytham for support.
"No. You cannot do this. You have your child, fight on…"He said sternly as he took the woman in his arms and trailed off, not knowing her name.
"Emmaline…" She muttered. "My name is Emmaline" She said as her breathing became shallower. "Please sirs… take care of her for me. I believe that fate has put you here for a reason…"
"And why would fate do that? I don't believe that fate has a role in what we do. We mold our own future and is what I currently am doing… This is exactly why I cannot take your child I am not fit to take care of a child now or anytime soon."
"Ahh…" She coughed and attempted to smile. "You're one of those people… As much as I want to live to see my little girl grow up and teach all she needs to know I fear I cannot.
"No you must. You cannot die."
"And why not?" She muttered quietly looking up at him.
"Well because… Because I said so!" Haytham said stubbornly.
"I-"She cut him off placing a cold slender finger on lips, placing a tender kiss on the head of her child. "Here. Please, take her… Promise me you'll take care of my little Annalise…"She trailed off as she mustered all her strength and held the baby out to the confused Haytham.
"Please…" Her eyes pleaded with him. "Promise me…"
He let out an exasperated sigh as he took the small bundle from her. "I swear that I will see she has a good home."
"No… you take her. Tell her I loved her…" She murmured quietly as her beats became slower and her breathes shorter.
"I-… I promise to tell her so." Haytham said with panic in his eyes as he watched Emmaline mutter 'Thank you.' With a ghost of a smile on her lips as she took her last breath.
"Emmaline? Emmaline, don't do this." Haytham said as he shook her shoulders lightly, a worried expression on his face. "Oh god… Please don't do this."
He looked down at the small bundle in his arms, panicking as he heard a small whimper from the child.
He moved the blanket to the side, revealing the small child. "What in blazes am I supposed to do with you? My line of work will not allow to keep you. It's too dangerous." He said examining the whimpering child, seeing her name monogramed onto the soft pink blanket. "Annalise…"
Her eyes flickered up to his as if she knew her name already, squirming around in the blanket as her small hand reached out and gripped his coat.
"I guess my mission will have to wait won't it? I'll make sure you land in a great home with a loving family." He said as he looked down sadly at the body of Emmaline getting the blanket from over her shoulder and covering her body with it, giving a small nod to her before turning to his horse and mounting it with ease, making sure to cover Annalise with her blanket and moving his cape in front of him to make sure the harsh winds didn't hit the small child.
"Thomas can wait... I doubt that he even cares where I am right now." Haytham scoffed. "He's probably drunk in the nearest tavern he can find…" Haytham muttered as he turned the horse around and l tapped its side to make it sprint, hoping that the ride back to the Green Dragon Tavern in Boston wouldn't make the child upset.
"I hope you're happy." He muttered to down to the child. "Now my mission will be pushed back at least two weeks. I had a perfectly executed plan and now it's gone. It will take days before I can figure out a plan B." He sighed as he kicked the side of the horse urging it to go quicker.
"I just hope your mother doesn't put a curse or bad omen on me for breaking my promise and not keeping you. You've already caused enough trouble and if I was to keep you, I would put you in harm's way, which I'm sure your mother doesn't want for her daughter." He said trying to convince himself that he shouldn't keep her.
"I'm sorry..." He said sincerely as he looked down at the child and rode back to Boston.
o~O~o
Arriving at the Green Dragon Tavern in Boston
"Sir? What are you doing here? I thought you were going out to the frontier to meet Thomas?" Charles Lee said as Haytham approached in front of the tavern, making sure t keep the cape over the arm to cover the child he was carrying.
"Are you alright? Did you hurt your arm?" Charles said as he tilted his head to the side in question.
"Yes, yes Charles I'm fine. Come now, is there some place that way may talk in private?" Haytham asked as he cautiously slid off the horse and raised an eyebrow toward Charles expectantly.
"Ah, yes. We can speak in the room I have rented here. Is that fine sir?" Charles said as he opened the door for Haytham and walked in after him.
"That'll do. Come Charles, this is urgent. I haven't got all day to lollygag."
"Yes, yes of course. Follow me. The room is upstairs." Charles said as he led Haytham up the stairs to his room and opened the door for him.
"Where are the others?" Haytham asked as he walked briskly past Charles into the room and turned to him.
"I believe that they are out in town buying new supplies sir." Charles said as he closed the door behind him and raised a curious eyebrow toward Haytham.
"Not to impose sir, but what is there something wrong? You seem to be in a haste…" He Trailed off as he watched Haytham shrug his cape to the side, revealing the small bundle in his arm.
"Sir… Is-is that a baby?" Charles said emphasizing baby as he stared at the bundle in his arms in shock. "D-did you steal the child?"
"What? No. Of course not. Why on earth would I do that?" Haytham said as he placed the child on the bed but immediately picked her back up when she started to whimper and squirm of the bed. "I found her and her mother when I was riding to meet Thomas when I came across her mother."
"Is her mother…?" He trailed off as he looked at Haytham expectantly.
"Yes. She died in my arms… She begged me to take the child and made me, me of all people promise to watch her and care for her."
"And are you going to?" Charles said as he approached Haytham and looked down to the child. "It is not a wise idea to have a child while in this line of work."
"That is exactly what I told her mother, which is why I need your help Charles."
"What is it you need sir? I am no better at child care then you."
"No, no. I need you to find a local orphanage that I might be able to take her and drop her off at so that she may have a proper family. I am no condition able to care for a child. Let alone raise one."
"Ah, I see. Well I'll get right on it then, though it might take the day sir. Is that okay?"
"I don't care Charles just help me get her to a good home so that we may resume our work. Now go." Haytham said as he shooed him off with his free arm, slumping down into one of the chairs in the room as Charles left and closed the door behind him.
"What on earth am I to do with you until then?" Haytham said looking down at the now sleeping child.
Please review and let me know what you think and whether I should continue or not!