Heading Home and Stubborn Colonels
Colonel Burwell was exhausted. It had been nearly three days of no sleep and searching for more men. Half of his soldiers had been captured at Charlestown and now he was surly doomed if he wasn't able to find more men. Not only had he lost his men but also Roxanne, no one had seen nor heard from her or her militia until Jean had appeared today asking for her. They had determined together that she must have been captured. 'What am I going to tell Benjamin let alone Gabriel.' he thought to himself. Gabriel had asked nearly everyday since the battle of Charlestown if his sister had returned or if she made it out ok. He thought back to his discussion with Jean, "She is a strong woman and a fierce soldier I am sure that wherever she is she will make it. We must stay the course and she will return to us." he stated patting Henry on the back.
Henry put his head in his hands, "What am I going to do?" He whimpered. "Sir, are you all right?" Gabriel asked his commander. "Fine Gabriel," Burwell affirmed hiding any trace that something was wrong. "I need you to carry these dispatches when you head south with General Gates." he said handing him the brown bag. "Yes sir!" Gabriel said, "Sir I was curious any word from…" "No, Gabriel but I assure you that she is fine. She is probably bossing someone around as we speak." At this statement Gabriel smiled know that the colonel was probably correct.
"There you go boy." Roxie said bring King a bucket of water to the corral. King nickered thankfully as he bent down to drink the cool water. "You there boy!" She shouted at a brown haired stable boy who was leading a horse into the stable. "Prepare a stall for my horse at once!" she commanded. The boy nodded quickly and ran into the barn dragging the other horse behind him.
"Don't you think that this isn't the place to be the one giving order." Colonel Tavington quipped as he walked over to the fence. King lurched his head up snorting and stomping at him. "Don't you think you are a little to close to a horse that obviously dislikes you." Roxie snapped back looking over at him. She noticed that he had a large brown satchel. "Going somewhere Colonel hopefully far away from me." She said as she ran her hands down Kings legs checking for heat or swelling.
Tavington pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration and annoyance. 'Why in the hell is Cornwallis making me deal with this little bitch! I can be more useful then this and why does she have to be such a pain in the' "Don't think to hard Colonel your head might explode. I know how your pathetic English brains take so long to process information" Roxanne joked walking over to where he was standing.
That was the last straw for him. Before she had time to react he reached over the rail and pulled her to the other side and slammed her against the fence holding her by her hair.. King began to snort and tried to protect his master but could not get pass the fence. "Now you listen here you little bitch. I don't give a shit if you are a woman to me you are no different than any other prisoner here, however the General disagrees. But I will tell you to either fix your attitude or I will fix it for you and I assure you it will be painful. They do not call me the Butcher for no reason. Do I make myself clear?" he asked pulling hard on her hair. Roxanne was PISSED no man had ever laid a hand on her because she had never given them the chance. Tavington stared into her eyes noting how darker and darker they were getting. 'Maybe I actually have her attention' he mused to himself pleased that he had successfully knocked her down a peg. She would be a decent woman if she could learn her place. Perhaps while she is here I can have some fun without paying for a whore. She is certainly attractive and I could put that mouth of hers to a less annoying task.
Suddenly Roxanne smiled at him, "I just have one thing to say, sir." she sweetly said. With catlike reflexes she punched him hard in the nose hearing it snap, and then kneed him in the crouch. Doubled over in pain Tavington swore and hit the ground in the fetal position clutching both his manhood and his nose. Roxanne squatted down in front of the Colonel, "If you EVER put your hands on me like that again I will kick your ass from here all the way back to England. Do I make myself clear?" she stated.
Not waiting for a reply she stood back up and looked to the fallen satchel. Noticing her things in the bag she bent down to pick it up. "Thank you so very much for graciously bringing me back my things. That was so thoughtful of you." She said smiling at the Colonel who was still on the ground. "Don't worry about keeping an eye on me, you look awfully tired I will just settle King in and then head back to my room. Have a good day." and with that she turned to king and lead him to the barn to properly groom and feed him.
Tavington finally stood on his own two feet after several minutes regaining his composer. He trudged back to the house noticing Tarleton on the porch. "She's a little spitfire isn't she Will? What I wouldn't give to see how she is in the bedroom." he said with a lustful look in his eyes. "She probably killed the first man who ever tried to kiss her on the hand." William grunted accepting a glass of brandy from Ban after he had stopped his nose from bleeding. Ban howled with laughter as the two men watched Roxanne as King followed her into the barn. "She may be a hell cat but I have never seen a horse be that loyal." Ban said admirably. William snorted at this, "He is as stubborn as she is," Ban turned his head to his friend. "Yea while your as compliant as Cornwallis's dogs." William glared at him but he secretly agreed though he would never admit it.