(Col. Tavington's Point of View)

"Sir, Captain Bordon is waiting for you," Capt. Wilkins addressed me in my tent; it was our second night of patrol and Bordon had caught a spy near the Dragoon encampment.

"And?"

"He's a piece of work; would only give us his first name."

"Well, that's a start; what is it?"

"David, Sir."

"Very well."

I followed Wilkins toward a nearby grove of trees, to where a young man was being restrained by two guards, his mouth gaged; blood oozed down from a cut on the right side of his forehead, matting his dark hair and dripping into one grey eye; owls looked down on the scene from the tree-boughs, hooting their melancholy cries as an icy ghost of fog began to swarm about.

"David, are you?" I asked, standing feet from him.

The man stared wildly at me, struggling with his captors. One of them, a man by the name of Aric Grigsby, gave David a rough shove and forced him to his knees onto the dewy grass.

"Dispatches?"

"He carried none, Sir," Bordon replied, approaching from a nearby trail, his voice muffled from the haze.

"Hmmm…Well, why was he here then?"

"A personal issue, perhaps?"

"That would be foolish, Captain," I replied patronizingly. "A single man approach His Majesty's Green Dragoons for a personal issue?"

"Well the Ghost certainly had one, and he took it out on twenty of His Majesty's soldiers." Bordon spoke edgily.

"Do I need to be reminded of that?" I snapped.

"I thought I would bring it to light in these circumstances," the captain answered firmly.

"I see."

Unsheathing my saber, I held the flat of the blade out under David's chin.

"You won't bite when they untie you?"

David didn't answer.

I pressed the blade further, nicking him enough to draw blood.

"I will say it again: you won't bite when they untie you?"

The man remained silent and I pressed the blade further, sinking the barest sliver of its tip into his skin. David screamed behind the gag.

"Colonel!" Bordon stepped forward. "He's not going to fight."

"Unbind him."

Grigsby roughly loosened the gag, hitting the man over his head.

"Hey!" David shouted angrily.

"Stand down," I ordered.

"Filthy wraith! I will not stand down!"

I did not need to react; Bordon stepped forward before I could move and clapped him hard with the butt of his pistol.

"You will certainly stand down to the commanding officer!"

"The commanding officer? He's naught but a meat-maker!"

"You didn't come here on orders, correct?" I asked.

"I wasn't carrying dispatches if that is what you mean."

"No dispatches; then what were you here for?" Bordon inquired.

"Nothing that would harm you Lobster-backs."

"Then perhaps we can get it for you," I replied with a calm stare.

"And I'm sure you'd take my hide just as soon as you gave it to me, you leering dog!"

Bordon moved to put David in his place, but I stopped him.

"Not yet, Captain," I said before turning my attention back to the young man. "What is your request?"

"I want my sister returned to me. She belongs at home; not with you heathens!"

"Your sister?" I asked, momentarily confused.

"Yes, my sister."

"Oh, you must mean Mary," I sneered, remembering that the woman had mentioned a brother who had been left behind. "Lovely girl; shame I only had one night with her."

David yelled and lunged for me, but I sidestepped and hit him hard with the flat of my blade, knocking him off balance.

"You dare put a bastard in her belly?!"

"Now now, let us not jump to rash conclusions," I drew out the line tension. "I have done no such thing-"

David sagged with relief.

"Someone else got to her first. Lucky for Mary, the brigadier general had it in him to marry her."

"And if the child is a girl, she'll just be shamed once more!" David shouted.

"We'll see. I think it fortunate that he decided to see to her well-being. If it were I, I wouldn't let such folly and rabble into my path."

"No, you would see her suffer!"

"She's merely a product of this war, no means to the end."

"She is my sister!"

"And you want her back? With a bastard in her belly? And what if that bastard is a girl? She could not begin to be claimed."

"I'd rather have her home than with some snake of an officer," David snapped.

"Can you provide for her?"

"Can her husband provide for her?"

I sighed in irritation and rolled my eyes.

"He can, more than enough, I believe. But, more importantly, it is not in our interest to have her returned to you."

"But it is not in hers to stay!"

"Mary is being provided for here."

"By a man who could nearly pose for her father! You red devils!"

Unconsciously, the left corner of my mouth turned slightly upward and I positioned myself in a relaxed stance, sheathing my saber and crossing my arms.

"Well he does do well enough for her during their intimate times, I must say. Yes, I remember her pleasured cries coming from down the hall. And to be frank, she is a wonderful participant. Needs some stoking, but then…" I finished with a taunt, flicking my tongue over my upper lip. "Delicious…just divine."

David had hit his last nerve; breaking free from his captors, he jumped at me, knocking the both of us to the ground. Stunned momentarily, I winced as he punched and landed a blow to my stomach, trying to pin me further to the ground, but he couldn't wrestle my arms.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Bordon draw his pistol and take aim, but this was my quarrel. Pushing David's face away from me with one hand, I managed to roll him over so that I was on top, and quickly pinned him. Still, he would not cease to fight and spat in my face.

"Wretch!" He growled while I reeled from the spittle.

Quickly recovering, I dealt a stunning blow to his chest and grabbed his jaw, shaking him, ready to give two sharp jerks had Bordon not stepped forward to pull me off.

"Not now, Colonel!"

"Get off of me!" I yelled, lunging at Bordon.

"Sir!"

Grigsby stepped in to restrain me and Wilkins pulled David out of the fray, binding his wrists.

Still struggling, I got loose from Grigsby and grabbed Bordon roughly by his collar.

"You do not challenge me when I make decisions!" I shouted in his face.

"It's not worth it!" Bordon yelled back, trying to pry me off. "It's against officers' conduct!"

"And why is that now a problem?!"

"You do not want to be tangling with your superior's brother-in-law," Bordon warned.

"He's rebel scum!"

"He could be used… Don't do away with him just yet!"

Scowling, I stood up, wiping spit from my face and slapped it on the ground.

"Captain, search him." I ordered Bordon.

"Yes Sir."

Bordon and the two guards descended on David like condors.

"Just some sovereigns….oh, English tea, and sugar."

I snorted.

"Dandy boy… divide the tea and sugar amongst yourselves; I'll have the sovereigns. He comes with us."

"Colonel," Bordon addressed me, "What of the lady?"

"Why is it your concern, Captain?"

"She is his sister…"

"She'll find out in due time; though I don't see her able to play much a part in whatever happens to him…"

"I think she has a right to know."

"On my terms, Captain. And don't think for a moment that you can sweetly sneak your way into acting otherwise."

"Yes Sir…But if she suspects something and asks?" he pressed.

"Nothing from you!"