Whoop whoop new chapter I've been updating A LOT lately :D
-Shadow-wild
Chapter 10
In which there is a Templar, a battle and another horse.
Smoke and dust floated in the air. Connor and I walked down the road. A small force of about 30 patriots stood in two lines. A man, who seemed to be John Parker, shouted orders to the men as he violently coughed.
"Stand your ground, men! Don't fire unless fired upon!" He rasped. "But if they mean to have a war, let it begin here!"
"Pitcairn." Connor spat. I saw him; Pitcairn sat on horseback commanding dozens of redcoats behind him.
"Disperse, you damned rebels! Lay down your arms and disperse!" He shouted with a think Irish accent. The redcoats all fired with a loud bang. In an instant, half of the patriot forces were dead. I took shelter behind rock as Parker continued to yell insults at the British troops.
"What the deuce are you doing?!" Connor had to pull him away or else who would have continued to stand there. "Hold your positions! Cravens! Traitors!" The remaining soldiers ran to cover.
"They are not coming back. You will have to make do with those who remain." Connor shouted over the chaos.
"Don't you lecture me on how-" A silence hung over the battle field as the redcoats reloaded their muskets. "Return fire! Return fire! You need to get to Concord and warn the others. Show this to whoever leads there. Should be a man by the name of James Barrett. Go on now." He gave a letter to Connor as we ran from the scene. We mounted over horses and rode. The war ravaged the town. Corpses of civilians littered the ground as more redcoats poured from the battle field. Bullets and debris flew past me as we rode as fast as we could. The patriot soldiers ran in panic from the bloody scene. I noticed several innocent families preparing to get murdered by the redcoats. I dismounted and unsheathed my blades.
"What are you doing?!" Connor yelled from his horse.
"Connor, we have to save them!" I lashed out at first redcoat, slitting his throat. I blocked the slash of a bayonet and pushed the man away. As he tumbled into the dust I stabbed the next guard in the neck. Using another redcoat I pulled him in front of me. Bullets pelted his body. I discarded the body and threw a knife at another. Only one redcoat remained. I took my dagger, and in one fluid movement sliced his chest. I turned to the trembling family I had just saved.
"What are you waiting for?! Run!" The family ran from me, screaming about a mass murderer. well that's a nice way to thank someone... I mounted my horse again and we continued to Concord. We eventually saw several men with armed forces.
"Blood's been spilled in Lexington, and there's more to come. The Regulars are on the march." Connor explained to the two men at Concord.
"You don't say?" A middle aged man with greying air and a sarcastic tone stood forth. "Why do you think I've men up here? Go home, before you get yourself killed. I've enough to worry about without some green boy and his girlfriend looking to play at hero."
"I can vouch for him." William Dawes said.
"John Parker as well. Where's Revere?"
"Captured."
"What!?" Connor hissed.
"Fear not. That man's no stranger to sticky situations. He'll be fine, I'm sure of it."
"Ahem! you ladies finished gossiping? Parker seems to believe you're not completely useless. So I suppose there's a thing or two you might be able to help with... When the fighting starts, we'll need to hold those positions there. They're critical to the defense of Concord. Good boys, not used to soldiering. They need someone with experience to direct 'em. That something you can do? You'd best be telling the truth."
"You have my word."
"Then I suppose all that's left to do is wait..." The men dispersed leaving Connor and I standing there. I grabbed a musket.
"Hey, how do you reload this thing?" I asked him. He took the gun from my hand and took out some powder, ammunition and a paper wad.
"Pull the hammer back. First, pour the powder down the barrel, then the paper and then the bullet. Then take the ram rod and push it in." He reloaded the musket for me and handed it back. He also gave me a few cartridges and some bullets.
"Thanks." I took it and sat behind the barricades as Connor spoke to James and William. The other soldiers either stared at me or gave me funny looks. Soon the fighting began. The redcoats chants and stomps could be heard from miles away. As soon as they came into sight a soldier yelled a warning and took shelter.
"Man the barricades!" Connor was about to ride off before James stopped him. "No, ensure my men hold those positions! If the Red Devils break through, we're finished!"
"What would you have me do?"
"Listen carefully. The Redcoats will form firing lines. Order the men to shoot just before the line is ready. Too soon and they'll miss their targets. Too late and the enemy will open fire first."
"Understood."
"And if any of those bastards make it through, engage them. You must keep my men alive!" Connor rode to the barricade I was at, which was on the bridge. The first firing line began to form. He held his arm up, waiting for the right moment.
"Fire!" In an instant the redcoats' line was down. Connor rode to the other barricades and ordered them to fire again. Several men were shot. My fingers fumbled while trying to reload my gun. I tore the small paper bag open with my teeth and poured the black powder in. I tossed the lead ball into the barrel and smushed it with the rod. When I had finished two more firing lines had already reformed. On the other side, more and more redcoats had joined the fight. More soldiers fell. Connor rode to our section again and ordered us to fire. As I was reloading again the soldier beside me was shot. He collapsed, screaming and writhing in pain. I looked around me. Our numbers was running low. As I fired again and bullet caught my arm. I slumped down against the wooden barricade as my arm dripped with blood. Connor rushed towards me once he heard me scream.
"Anna, are you-" He started.
"Connor, go! I got this!" I shifted through a dead soldier's clothes as he rode away reluctantly.I found some bandages. I wrapped it around my wound and tightened it with my teeth. The linen stopped some of the bleeding but it still pained my arm. Connor ordered us to fire again. When I stood up I saw the redcoats' forces diminish. Slowly, the odds were in our favor.
"Fall Back! Fall Back!" Pitcairn's words rung through the air as the redcoats made their escape.
"We did it! They're turning tail!" The patriots celebrated and shook their weapons in the air. After our victory Connor and I met with James.
"Takes a true monster to do something like this..." James looked down at the dead bodies of soldiers. "At least they're gone."
"I should have struck when I had the chance... Do you know where Pitcairn could've gone?"
"Back into the withered bosom of the British no doubt - so that he might regroup and plan his next atrocity."
"I need to find him. Every day I wait, more will suffer."
"Chin up, friend. Many who should've died today now live because of you."
"And what of them?" Connor gestured to the dead men.
"We did the best we can with what we've got"
"It is not enough."
"Hm. It never is." James shook his head sadly.
When we got back to the Homestead, Connor took me immediately to Dr. White. I laid down on the surgery table as Dr. White prepared his tools. He unwrapped the bandages.
"What the hell happened to you?" He gasped.
"It doesn't matter, can you fix it?" Dr. White nodded quickly as his brow knit at the sight of my wound.
"It might take a while..." He prodded at the visible bullet embedded in my flesh. I yelped as he slowly pulled it out. With every movement agonizing pain shot through my arm. My vision went a little blurry as he cleaned up the blood. He then proceeded to stitch up the hole. I shut my eyes as the needle went through my skin. When he was finished I sat up weakly.
"Try not to move around too much, or you might tear the stitches." He stated.
"Thank you" I replied before leaving the clinic.
I sat up in my bed. A numb pain had awoken me. After a while I took out the Apple of Eden and stared at the beautiful golden light. I just realized something; tomorrow would be the 30th day I've been here. The voice in the Apple said after 30 days I must make a choice. But what 'choice' must I make?
So, we're getting to the end here! Just a side note, there will MOST DEFINITELY be a sequel! Please review/favorite/follow! :D
-Shadow-wild