A/N - Ah! Finally, the makings of some drama! Thank you for sticking with it. Please let me know if I am not faithfully portraying the original characters from the Patriot. Thanks for the reviews! Please, keep them coming, I'll need them!

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The yard was buzzing frantically with activity. Dragoons ran from place to place, packing satchels and grooming mounts. Others sat and cleaned their guns. Cornwallis stood next to Tavington who was currying his horse vigorously. The General's lips were set in a tight, unhappy line, but he held his tongue. Tavington noticed the eyes burning a hole in his back and turned to face him.

"I have your word now?" he asked calmly. "Things are to be done my way, without question?"

"I've said yes and I said it sincerely," the General stated.

"Good," Tavington said. "When this is over, you'll be thanking me." Cornwallis barked a doubtful "Ha!" but said nothing else. Satisfied, Tavington continued to stroke his horse.

---

Outside, Alys watched the bustle in confusion. Everyone was in a hurry and the noise was terrible. Boots were stamping, horse whinnying and the rattle of arms being taken up was deafening. She caught sight of Fields rushing past her and grabbed his sleeve.

"What's happening?" she asked.

"You didn't hear?" Fields said in disbelief. "The General has given your father the order to search out and destroy the "Ghost's" militia. We're leaving in the morning."

"What?" Alys felt her chest tighten, making it difficult to breathe. "Why didn't my father tell me? Why didn't anyone tell me?" Fields took her hand in his sympathetically. "Wait, this Ghost. Is he that man who rode in here today? Was that the Ghost?"

"Yes, that was him."

"No!" Alys backed away angrily. "You can't go after him, it's too dangerous!" Fields would have laughed at this but he saw the fear beneath the anger in her face.

"This is what we do," he said gently. "We go where we are sent, kill who we must kill and die if that is God's plan for us." She shook her head, blinking back tears furiously. Fields drew closer and placed his hands on her shoulders. "I would hate to leave," he said, starting to feel treacherous tears of his own blur his vision. "I would hate to leave without telling you what a remarkable woman I think you are." She looked up a him, surprised. He took this as encouragement and continued. "And I hope that you will think of me often until I return." That was it. He didn't dare go any farther. Already, his cheeks felt hot.

Alys looked down at the ground and said nothing. Then, she broke away again in a panic. "My father!" she cried. "That man is going to kill him!" She turned and ran off. Fields slapped himself in the forehead, feeling like a proper fool. Stupid! Stupid! He sighed and turned around to go back to packing, kicking the dirt as he went. There was the sound of pattering footsteps and strong arms wrapped around him from behind. Alys spun him around and planted a swift hard kiss on his lips. Fields was speechless. She smiled sadly as he gaped at her.

"Bring yourself back safely too," she whispered and was gone.

---

A shadow in the doorway, caused both Colonel Tavington and General Cornwallis to turn. Alys wavered there, tentatively. Tavington turned back to his mount. "I have nothing to say to you," he stated flatly. "Return to the house immediately."

She did not budge. "They say you're going off to fight tomorrow morning." Her voice was trembling. General Cornwallis smiled humorously at her.

"Soldiers fight, my dear," he said as if he were speaking to a child. The girl didn't even glance at him but took another step toward her father. He did not look at her. Another step. Nothing. She snatched the curry comb away from him and hurled it to the ground. The General held his breath and watched anxiously. This was as dramatic as the opera. Tavington mustered every bit of patience he possessed and faced her with forced control. The girl's face softened and she reached for his hand. He jerked it away, without breaking eye contact. He was like a wall; high, stony and impassable.

"Please do not go," she said. The General was astonished to see tears spring to her eyes. She had seemed so strong to him and quite frankly, not very feminine. The water on her face now, however, was all a woman's.

It did not seem to phase the Colonel at all. He curled his lip into a condescending sneer. "What a preposterous suggestion," he said, doing his best to belittle her with every syllable.

She held her ground. "I'm begging you," she said huskily. Tavington stared at her coldly.

"As if that is enough to persuade me." He bent down and picked up the comb.

She flung her arms around him. "Let go of me this instant!" he barked and shoved her away roughly.

"What do you want me to say?!" she cried. "'Daddy don't leave me'? 'I need you, Daddy'? I'll say it now and mean every word of it! I am alone in this country, do you understand that? What will become of me if you die?"

"Am I supposed to feel sorry for you?" he answered with that infuriating smirk.

"No, but God damn you, you're supposed to feel something!" She was shouting now, tears gone, face red. "You're supposed to feel something!"

Tavington lowered his voice dangerously. "You have somehow gotten the infantile notion into your head that you mean something to me. You fool yourself. Now be quiet before you cause another scene like this morning."

She laughed incredulously. "You are too proud!" she said. "Do you want me to apologize? Fine! I apologize! I'm sorry I was so frightened for your life that I embarrassed you!" She sniffed and wiped her eyes. "Why is it so hard for you to care about me? I care about you. And I don't want you to die!"

This was getting a little too passionate for General Cornwallis's taste. Tactfully, he decided to remove himself from the area. They barely noticed him go.

"Do you think that I am grateful for that?" Tavington's disgust was so great he could have spit. "I am not grateful to you. I am not proud of you. And I am not fond of you in any way shape or form. In fact!" he continued. "The only feelings you will ever inspire in me are feelings of joy when you have left my life forever!"

He couldn't have stung her more if he had struck her. She stared at her feet in stony silence, but then looked up and fixed him with a look of pity.

"How easy it is to make me into your cross," she said. "Poor disgraced Colonel Tavington is burdened with yet another scandal. You don't know the half of it." Her eyes hardened and became like sepia fire. "I told you I sold my hair for money. Did anyone tell you what else I had to sell?" She gripped her body tightly and for the first time, she held a look of shame on her face. A loving father would have rushed to her then and taken her in his arms. She needed to be held and forgiven. Tavington only shut his eyes. That explained the bruises. She laughed harshly. "How would that mar your name Sir High and Mighty? How would you suffer if everyone knew your daughter had to live as a whore!" She ran to the doorway and yelled the last sentence loudly enough for the entire state to hear. Tavington grabbed her and pulled her back inside, slamming her up against one of the stalls. She twisted free and stood a few feet away from him, shaking with fury.

"Reputation be damned, I do what I have to!" she spat. "My only wrong is that my father did not make an honest woman of she that loved him." She looked at him with unbearable longing in her eyes. "You think I don't know you," she whispered. "But I know my mother loved you..."

"Your mother is dead." The words tore from Tavington's mouth like ravenous animals. The girl froze as if she had been shot. All blood drained from her face.

"What?"

"There was a letter. She died while you were crossing the sea." He extracted the accursed paper from his pocket, musing at the fact that he had kept it, and flung it at her. She could barely hold it to read it, her hands shook so hard.

"No." Her eyes flew to his, uncomprehending.

"Yes." Her shoulders slumped and she sat heavily on the ground, legs refusing to support her.

"I barely said goodbye to her," she said, voice dead. As much as he was enjoying her anguish, Tavington couldn't help but feel a small pang of loss himself.

"That makes two of us," he said. He waited while she stared blankly at the ground, fingers trailing in the dirt. Then he made a move toward the door.

"Yes, that's good, walk away from me again," her voice followed him reproachfully. "You're so good at it, after all."

Tavington was at her level in a flash, taking hold of her face in a vice-like grip and glaring into her with his soul-piercing blue eyes.

"Your mother is dead," he snarled, giving her a shake. Then he flung her away so that she was thrown to the floor of the stable. He rose and straightened his uniform as she picked herself up. His voice dripped with contempt. "It would have saved me a world of trouble if you were dead as well." And with that, he turned on his heel and walked out on her. As he did, he heard the most wrenching wail of loss and despair any human being could have produced. But damn him if he would look back.