Thanks everyone for your reviews. They mean a lot and are very encouraging! Jenni-OnThisSide, thanks for pointing out the need to switch those words. It has been fixed and I appreciate you noticing that!
Enjoy!
Chapter Two
After the Captain directed each man to his post, he led Andrew toward where a few other men stood and handed him a musket. "Here, take this." The man instructed. "And give us your best, son."
Hesitantly, Andrew took the gun from the man. He held it very carefully and looked at the captain questioningly. "Um, what exactly did you want me to do with this?"
The Captain just shook his head. "That would usually be funny, but this really is not the time for fun and games. Now just get up there at your post. If we get out of here alive, then we can joke later. Now go on, move!"
Andrew was still confused, but he did as the officer said. He didn't exactly even know where to stand, so he just found an empty spot among the other men, who all held guns as well. They knelt, cocked their muskets, and laid them beside them. Occasionally, one of them would pick it up and sight down its barrel at something across the way. Not wanting to stand out too obviously, Andrew imitated their actions.
Everything was relatively quiet for a while. The entire militia just seemed to stare ahead, and finally Andrew got a good look at what they were staring at. Across from them a ways, was the other army. This one had all of its men dressed in neat red uniforms and they all stood in perfect straight lines. Andrew couldn't help but notice how intimidating they looked with their far superior numbers and obvious discipline.
The angel gulped nervously as he looked down at the gun now in his hands. How long were they going to stand there, staring back at one another? What were they waiting on? Andrew knew well enough that they were planning on killing each other and he also knew that he was expected to do the very same by the Captain.
But he was an angel. He wasn't supposed to kill, and he knew that. It made him feel guilty even holding the musket in his arms and he let out a frustrated sigh. Why hadn't he just stayed where Tess told him? Then he most likely wouldn't even be in the mess he was in.
Angel and both armies continued to wait there, all stone still, for the next couple of minutes. No man on either side wanted to be the one to fire the first shot of the battle. They all just stood there; waiting to see what would happen and who would dare to go first.
Andrew was beginning to get tired of kneeling there and the guilty feeling in his stomach had long ago taken over the hunger that had been there originally. He was pretty sure that Tess was back waiting for him by now and he was almost even surer that when he saw her again, he would be in big trouble for deliberately wandering off. Yet, he couldn't just leave right then. Not when all the other soldiers were at a complete stand-still on both sides.
After having waited so still for so long, Andrew began to get a little restless and irritatingly noticed his right leg itching from his stockings. But he couldn't scratch it, as it would require moving too much amongst the obvious stillness.
Trying to take his mind of his itch, Andrew began to focus on something else. Even in human form, the angel had very good eyesight, so he trained the musket on different things, all the while subconsciously tracing the fingers of his right hand around the firearm. He spotted a tree limb, then a horse, then a flag of some kind.
Suddenly, the weapon in his hands roared as it issued its shot. Andrew jumped up in surprise. The musket ball actually hit a flag pole on the other side of the area. The pole snapped like a twig and swung downward. The startled Color Guard who held it looked up just in time to be knocked senseless by his own standard; the top of the pole, flag and all, struck him squarely in the face. Someone standing nearby turned around when he heard the shot just in time to see one of his men drop like a rock. Thinking that his comrade had been shot, he instantly pulled his musket into position… and then fired at the Patriot side.
The Color Guard groggily sat up just as shots started to ring out from both sides. Soon, the firefight erupted into a full scale battle.
Dazed, Andrew just stood there, unable to move. What had he done? Had he really just fired a gun? He hadn't meant to! Now both sides were shooting one another. But it really wasn't until the man standing beside him fell from a gunshot wound that Andrew realized the depth of what was happening. Stunned, he dropped the musket where he stood and took off running as fast as he could back towards where Tess had originally left him.
He ran as fast as his legs could carry him, all the while feeling bullets whiz past his long blonde hair. He was angel and he could not die, he knew that. But just the same, the sounds of bullets and shouts of battle made him run faster. He reached the grove of trees, but he didn't slow down. He still tried to hold out a slight sliver of hope that Tess would have not yet returned.
He ran into the tree grove and as he looked back behind him to make sure no one was following him, he could feel thorns and sticks tearing at his clothes and skin. He was nearing the end of the grove and could see the light on the other side, when his foot landed in a mud puddle and he slipped and fell hard, landing hard on his stomach.
It knocked the breath out of him, but he quickly spit the dirt out of his mouth and got up and continued to run back to where Tess was sure to be waiting. He ran out of the trees and began running up a grassy hill, gasping for breath. He knew that it was unlikely that anybody was following him, but just the same he turned around anyway just once more to look behind him. Just as he turned his head, he ran so hard into something that the impact threw him off balance and he landed hard on his backside with his legs and arms sprawled out.
With no idea of what he hit, Andrew was almost afraid to find out. Slowly he opened his eyes and looked up in front of him. There standing before him was a very angry looking Tess, her arms crossed in front of her. He winced because he knew that he was in for it.
"Tess..." He stammered slowly, not having any idea where to begin.
"What did you think you were doing?" Tess snapped, staring down at the sorry-looking angel on the ground at her feet.
"I was just going to see what was happening on the other side of those trees." Andrew tried to explain as he began to scramble to his feet.
"Sit down." Tess demanded firmly, pointing to the ground and Andrew let himself drop back down onto the ground immediately. "I told you to stay right here while I left for a few minutes. I specifically instructed you not to leave and you did anyway. Do you have a good explanation for that, Angel Boy?"
Andrew shook his head in shame. "No. I'm sorry, Tess. I know I should not have left."
"You're right you shouldn't have." She chastised him. "Do you realize what you have just done?"
Andrew shook his head silently.
"You just fired the opening shot of a Revolutionary War." Tess informed him firmly. "You should never have been holding that gun in your hands."
"The man asked if I was Andrew." Andrew pointed out. "I am. I thought maybe he was my assignment seeing how he knew my name."
"He was not asking for you specifically," Tess sighed exasperated. "He meant a different Andrew. A human. He just happened to come upon a completely naive angel who disobeys his supervisor instead."
"I really am very sorry, Tess." Andrew apologized softly, barely making eye contact with his unhappy supervisor. "I should not have wandered off in the first place; I really did think he was my assignment when he knew my name."
"He did not know your name. He guessed." Tess reminded her trainee. "And as for your assignment, you are apparently not set on making a good first impression, are you?"
"Good first impression?" Andrew asked, obviously confused.
Tess sighed and rolled her brown eyes. "Stand up." She instructed him.
Andrew scrambled quickly to his feet and stood before his supervisor while she studied him briefly. She shook her head in dismay. "Look at yourself, Andrew. You're a mess, if I have ever seen one."
Andrew's looked down at himself and he knew she was right. His earlier soft blonde hair was now lying flat against his head, full of twigs, dried leaves, and the ends dripped with mud. The clean shirt he wore before now had dirt streaked across the sleeves. His breeches had an obvious wet streak up the side of one leg from when he slipped in the mud and one of his stockings had a small hole in them right below his knee.
Andrew sighed, for he knew his appearance was now less than appealing – no matter who his assignment may be. "Tess," He tried hopefully. "Can't God just clean me up really quick?"
"Andrew," She told him, her voice a little gentler than before. "If God cleaned up after every mess or mistake His children and angels made, then how would they ever learn? You have to accept the consequences of your actions, baby, even if that means showing up as an apprentice in a dirt streaked shirt. Now step over here."
Andrew obeyed and stepped up closer to Tess like she asked.
"Turn around. Slowly." She added.
Andrew did as she asked and as he slowly turned in place, she began to brush off what dirt she could from his dirty clothes. When she finished, he turned to face her once again, and she began to pull out twigs and leaves from his hair. She removed what she could and she could only hope that by the time they reached their destination that it would be dried and somewhat more presentable.
Next she pulled a handkerchief from her dress pocket and dabbed it against her tongue, damping the cloth. Using it, she began to wipe off his dirt streaked face.
When the cloth touched his face, Andrew wrinkled his nose and wrenched his face from her touch. "Aw, come on Tess!"
"You stop that right now, Angel Boy." She scolded him. She took his chin in her hand and held it firmly as she continued to wipe the grime from his angelic features. "You may have to show up on your first assignment dirty, but I will not have you showing up looking like a vagrant. Now stand still."
With a defeated sigh, Andrew did as she told him. Once Tess had removed the smeared dirt from his face, she stood back and nodded with halfway approval.
"That's about as good we're going to get." She decided. "Now you come along with me right now, Andrew. We're going to be late for your assignment."
Andrew followed Tess as they continued their trip. "Tess?" He asked after a few minutes of silence. "What is my assignment? What am I supposed to do?"
"Your main assignment is yet to be determined, baby." Tess told him and he was relieved to hear patience returning to her tone. "You are going to be working as a shopkeeper's apprentice for Mr. John Chandler in his general store."
"But Tess, I don't know anything about shop keeping." Andrew reasoned. "What am I supposed to do?"
"That is why you are an apprentice, Andrew." She told him. "You will be learning the trade. And all the while, you need to teach Mr. Chandler's family a thing or two as well."
"Me?" Andrew asked, surprised. "But I don't even know what the problem is. How can I help?"
"You observe." Tess informed him. "You just watch at first. When the time is right, you'll know what your job is and you'll know what to say. You're an angel, baby. A heavenly being. Not a bumbling half-wit without any direction. Ask God, and He will show you what to do." She stopped and laid her hands on his shoulders, looking into his unsure green eyes. "You are going to make mistakes, but God is not going to leave or condemn you for them. He loves you and wants the very best for all of His children. That includes you too, baby. The Father has special plans for you. Trust Him. You know He won't let you down."
Andrew nodded, nearly unable to say anything. "Are you still angry with me, Tess?" He asked quietly, still feeling great remorse for his earlier actions.
"No," Tess shook her head. "I'm not. I think you have learned your lesson. You know, I love you too, baby. That is why when I told you to stay put, I meant it. I didn't want you to get mixed up in anything you shouldn't... like a battle of war."
Andrew blushed, though was relieved to hear the gentleness return to Tess' voice and face.
"Now you won't be alone." Tess continued. "I have already been working in the Chandler home for the last few weeks as a housekeeper. They are expecting me to bring you to the store this morning, so we need to get going. They have some room in the barn, where you are going to be allowed to sleep, free of charge and they will also feed you. If you need me, I will be at the house. But I do think that you will be just fine."
With those words, she reached over and pulled Andrew into her embrace. He rested his head onto her shoulder and hugged her back, grateful for the other angel's love and direction, even if it was tough at times. But he was suddenly startled by a thought. He pulled away quickly and looked at Tess, worry evident on his face.
"Tess, you are not leaving me now, are you?" He asked, afraid to be on his own so suddenly without even knowing what he was doing.
The older angel shook her head and wore a small smile on her face. "No, baby. But I will be very soon. We're going to reach the shop in only about five minutes. Once I get you to Mr. Chandler, then I am going to be returning to their home. You'll have to stay at the shop for the rest of the day. When you close up for the day, then you both will return to the Chandler's home and I'll see you then. Now don't worry. Everything will be fine. Just do as you're told and use wise judgment. And one more thing." She added. "Do not tell anybody that you're an angel. Do you understand?"
The blonde angel nodded in understanding, though he was obviously not too keen on the idea of Tess leaving him alone with his assignment.
"Now come on." Tess announced, as they began walking once again. "They're expecting you."