AUDEAMUS
Chapter 33
The eastern gate to Hayes stood wide open. More than fifty men seated their stirring horses, impatiently waiting to ride out into the mist of the morning.
It was mere minutes past sunrise, moments past the start of the new day. They suspected they were only minutes away from their confrontation with Captain Forster and his mercenaries.
Carlisle gripped the reins tightly in his left hand, his right tracing over the handle of his saber. He had two loaded pistols stored safely in his saddlebag, another in a holster slung across his left shoulder. Every rider was armed to the teeth for they were the first defense of Hayes. They were supposed to ride out at any moment and secure positions along the tree line.
Billy Black had taken firm charge of the town and walked down the road leaning on his crutch, making sure all was in order. Along the walls, men hunched over, gripping whatever long-range weapons they had been able to find. Men sported everything from the latest state of the art muskets to pistols and centuries-old guns. Some, for lack of a better choice, even carried crossbows or regular bows. Everything counted in this final confrontation, and no one wished to meet the army without something to swing at them. Another precaution had been made in case the enemy should break through their defenses. Some snipers had been positioned throughout the town on the roofs, strategically placed there by Cullen and Jacob to target the enemy and slow them down.
Left were the men who did not seat the horses or man the walls. They would stand guard by the gates; a total of three hundred dispersed within the city. They were the final line of defense, the infantry which would fight with their swords or their bare fists if the situation called for it.
The ones who could not fight had all been taken to the garrison and would lock themselves in securely. Carlisle had frowned as he saw his wife and daughters turn around in the open doors of the townhouse before he had left with Jasper and Emmett. He gritted his teeth as he remembered the look of fear on his wife's face and Alice's pale skin as she kissed her husband goodbye.
The moment the bells had sounded, Edward rushed to Bella, gave her a quick kiss and then darted back to his room.
Thompson had taken Collins and his lancers to a jail cell in the garrison courtyard.
Jacob Black was currently interrogating Collins as quickly as he could.
The Laughing Goose had momentarily been turned into an infirmary from which Dr. Blake would operate. He didn't want to hide within the garrison if he could help. He felt safe, for he was not only guarded by the stout Lucy Berg, but by many of her faithful patrons and at least another forty men. As a physician, he would not only be invaluable during the conflict, helping to retrieve those who might be dragged back from the walls with severe wounds. He would also be of use later when many more had been wounded and needed immediate care.
Hayes had been transformed from a picturesque idyllic town to one waiting for chaos and destruction to descend.
Carlisle flared his nostrils as some scouts ran about and murmured handed-down orders, making sure all was ready before the cavalry rode out to get into position.
Billy Black came to stand next to Carlisle at the front of the cavalry to be headed by the proud baron and the man in black.
"Are you certain?" Carlisle asked without looking down, his golden eyes trained solely on the eerie mist as it slowly crept through the dew-covered grass. It spilled out from the woods, past the horizon, enveloping the meadows.
"Several of the scouts we sent out have reported movement from the east. Forster is coming from Coldwick," Billy muttered.
The baron glanced at the awaiting meadows, sensing the impatience and fear from the men behind him. The horses stirred, noting the unease of their riders. The flames of the torches danced wildly in the early morning as it became lighter and daylight began to emerge.
Amidst all the fear and awaiting chaos, amidst the unease seizing the men of Hayes, a set of hoofbeats echoed around them. They were impactful, heavy — two drums that slowly increased in rhythm and strength as they moved closer.
The galloping black stallion bore his dark rider proudly to the front as the men watched in silence. Cullen appeared from the darkness like a demon. There were no visible features on his face, only the black mask which covered most of it. Carlisle turned around in the saddle together with the rest and saw him approach.
The man in black pulled on the reins and his horse reared in response. He heard sharp intakes of breath and saw the shadow of a smirk on Carlisle Masen's lips. How, indeed, thought the baron, could this man and his son be one and the same? That seemed impossible. Carlisle was unable to place Edward Masen under that mask, under that charismatic grin, not even when his powerful voice suddenly boomed.
"Everything ready, Mr. Black?" Cullen asked.
"Hayes will endure whatever Forster throws at us," Billy nodded. "The scouts saw some figures but ten minutes ago encroaching on the eastern tree line. You must ride now before they get too close and discover your positions."
Cullen leaned forward in his saddle. "Whatever happens, Mr. Black, the gates are to remain closed," he said somberly. "Is that understood?"
"Aye, sir," Billy nodded with a serious expression slowly emerging on his face.
The man in the mask straightened in the saddle. Despite it all, he seemed relaxed. The discomfort in his freshly bandaged side did not show on his face. "Why so serious, Billy?" He turned to the rest of the men. "It's due time Forster got a taste of his own medicine!"
The men seating the horses behind him roared in agreement. Those manning the wall all shouted "Aye!" back. Cullen had the strange ability to settle them down, to ease their fears—if only for a moment.
He turned to Carlisle, who in this moment, was not his father but his right-hand man who would do battle with him. "We ride, Lord Masen," the dark voice said. It wasn't a question, rather a statement.
Carlisle gripped the reins tighter. "We ride…Cullen," he answered back with wide eyes and a growing smile which he could not suppress.
The gates awaited them, and Cullen set his horse into a gallop, promptly followed by the rest of the men, all riding out into the mist, swallowed by it. Soon, only the sound of their horses' galloping hooves could be heard on the wall. Billy stood watching, waiting. Joe promptly joined him. He had left Mr. Wilson in the careful guard of some trusted friends. He wanted to be on the front as much as anyone.
"Are they in position?" Joe asked as he heard the gates creak in protest as they were closed.
Billy looked past the horizon, to where the cavalry of Hayes had just ridden. He knew little of battles or war. However, he did not like the idea of sending almost fifty men out into the open. Yet, Cullen's arguments had been so justified and so many had agreed with him, that Billy had little choice.
"I know how ya feel 'bout 'em bein' out there," Joe mumbled. Billy's lips thinned. He had refused to let Jacob ride out with the rest of them and noted the irritation in his son's eyes as he had been called to interrogate the captured Major Collins.
Billy turned to the larger man. "I started this whole thing," he suddenly said with clear eyes. "Having those men ride out there feels almost like sacrificing them."
"Aye, ya started this whole thing," Joe nodded. "And now we're all in i' til the end. We, the people of Hayes, have joined ya, Mr. Black. Ya have not forced no one into anythin'."
Billy looked out over the stillness of the early morning. He would not voice the slow terror building inside him despite the hope for freedom that burned within him.
"Just a little longer," he whispered out into the night, "and we will be free of Forster."
Bella watched, dazed, as the gates of the garrison moved into position to be locked and to shut them in. She was surrounded by women from all stations in society, playing children, crying babies, hunched-over old ladies, and muttering old men. They were the ones thought the weakest of Hayes, the ones the rest of the town believed needed protection.
She gritted her teeth, both in frustration and in fear. She wanted to be out there defending her town as much as anyone. Bella cast her eyes to the long line of cells up along the north wall. She watched closely as Jacob Black and some other men questioned Collins. The moment Collins had been dragged out of the Masen townhouse, Jacob had been alerted and rushed to help. Billy Black had denied his son the opportunity to ride with Cullen, but Jacob felt he could still support the effort by questioning and interrogating Collins. He was certain the disgraced major knew something.
A presence next to Bella startled her. She swiftly turned around and found herself face-to-face with Rosalie McCarty. "Worrying for him will do you no good, Isabella."
Bella arched an eyebrow. "Speaking from experience?"
"I have waited up many sleepless nights for him, wondering if this would be the night he would not return," Rosalie whispered.
Both stared at the towering gates yet again. In the distance, Sgt. Thompson was organizing the chaos in the courtyard together with Alice and Renée.
"He will return," Bella murmured in a hollow voice. "All of them."
They started strolling toward the rest of their family. Jessica Stanley sat with her mother, silent tears streaming down her face. Bella slowly walked up to her.
"You mustn't despair, Miss Stanley. I am certain Lord Newton will..."
Jessica angrily dried her tears. "Oh but really, Miss Swan, how could you possibly come to understand the dread a woman in love feels at the prospect of losing her beloved? My Michael is out there," she said frantically. "There with those…those brutes about to attack." She whimpered as Bella couldn't help but arch an eyebrow and cast a confused look Rosalie's way.
"We all have someone we care for out defending the town," Bella said. "But we must not lose faith in their abilities to..."
"I haven't heard of nor seen Mr. Masen with either the infantry or the cavalry. He hasn't even been reported at Lucy's infirmary," Jessica growled. "Speak not of what you do not understand."
Rosalie reacted more strongly than Bella, but she was promptly calmed down by Bella's hand on her shoulder.
"Edward is out there, that is everything you need to know," Bella answered calmly. Then she stepped down to kneel before Jessica. "Sitting here crying will not help the situation, Miss Stanley. I suggest you cease your improper remarks and start acting like the woman I know you to be. My mother, Mrs. Hale, and Sgt. Thompson are doing everything they can to establish some sort of calm in this damned chaos. Rather than complaining, I suggest you help them."
Jessica's lips pressed together firmly, her cheeks slowly getting flustered at such words. Rosalie's eyes were wide while Mrs. Stanley glared at Bella.
"My sweet, do not listen to her—" her mother began.
Suddenly Jessica stepped out of her mother's embrace, taking in the sight of Isabella Swan, standing in her elegant white dress. Now, gathering her senses together, she noticed for the first time the bandaged hands and the faintly smeared blood across the front of her dress, intermingling with the red and blue embroidered flowers that dotted the bodice.
"I…," Jessica began, suddenly ashamed of her words. She realized that Bella must have gone through a much more horrid evening than she, from the looks of it. "Of course, Miss Swan," she finally agreed and started for the offices.
Bella watched as Jessica spoke with Sgt. Thompson and her mother. But her mind was elsewhere. Rosalie saw how she once more turned from the doors of the garrison, slowly stalking toward the edge of the courtyard, not too far from where Collins and his lancers were confined.
Rosalie followed her, a sort of comforting and silent shadow hoping her presence alone would provide support. The young chestnut-haired beauty stood out in the courtyard and people couldn't help but turn their heads as she slowly walked forward. They wondered for whom she seemed so preoccupied, for was it not known that her fiancé was a pretentious fop, perhaps even a coward? He had not been seen with the guests returning frantically from Wilson's estate.
Meanwhile, Jacob Black's tired hand glided over his face as if trying to brush away his fatigue. James Collins ignored him completely, staring emptily to the side.
The moment the bells had sounded, Edward Masen rushed away from his family while Carlisle and his sons-in-law prepared to ride out. The servants of the Masen townhouse, together with the women, were quick to tie up the overpowered lancers and their beaten leader and march them at gunpoint to the garrison. James got his own cell, feeling his humiliation grow and redden his face. He could not look up as the courtyard filled with people casting curious glances his way. But, to his relief, the townspeople steered clear of him, too preoccupied by other matters.
When Jacob heard Collins had been taken and that he would not ride out with Cullen, he had rushed to the garrison in hopes he might interrogate Collins and extract some valuable information from the major.
However, the major was unwilling to share.
"Whatever, I tell you, young Mr. Black, you will not believe me," Collins muttered. His polished facade was a stark contrast to his surroundings. Collins wore his best uniform from the ball. The medals decorating his right chest caught the flick of the torches. He had brushed a few stray strands of his golden locks away. His cravat was tied neatly and snuggly around his throat, his beige breeches free from stains. Collins did not look like he belonged in that cell. He was the very definition of a fine and polished gentleman. Bella closed in, ill at ease as she saw him in his cell, painting an incongruous picture.
Jacob leaned over him, leering slightly, not able to help his slight sense of satisfaction. "But you know something about either Wilson or Forster, I can see it in your eyes," he said. "Tell me what it is, and I shall see for myself if what you say is true or not."
Nearby Bella lurked in the shadows that still remained. She didn't know what had drawn her there, but by now she trusted fully in her instincts. It was the same sensation deep in her gut that had drawn her to Lucy's tavern the night Edward had been shot. Aye, she knew she had to listen to this conversation.
Collins glared at Jacob. He knew, of course, that he would win nothing by lying to this man. By now, to his utter dismay, the major realized that Wilson and Forster must be taken down. That the mayor and the captain had an army of mercenaries for occasions such as these spoke much of their characters. Collins had suspected they had plans to trick the townspeople, but never such a wicked thing as this.
"I never knew of these mercenaries of which you tell me, but I cannot say it surprises me," he sighed.
"How many men does Forster have?" Jacob said coldly.
Icy blue eyes glared back. "I told you, I do not know!" Collins said. "You should be speaking to Wilson!"
Jacob knelt before the major. "He will not utter a word." His features darkened. "The lads and I could take you to the dungeons that Forster was so fond of. Perhaps that would make you see reason?"
Bella almost gasped, prepared to spring forth and make her friend see sense when she heard the low voice of the major respond. "You as well as I know that you are incapable of inflicting the same harm that Forster did."
The stark features on Jacob's face softened slightly. He heard truth in those words. "Then what do you know?" Jacob asked.
"Forster has his wits about him," Bella heard the voice say slowly as if Collins was thinking. "I may not know of his exact plans, but I can take a guess at what he might plan to do."
"A guess is no good to me, Collins—"
"It is better than…" Collins cut himself short and looked away in shame. "I will not ignore what I have done," he whispered. "Nor the blindness or stupidity I've possessed." Now he looked at Jacob. "But if there is one thing you can know for certain is that I do not wish for Forster to break through these walls."
Jacob Black's lips were thin, his look fleeting. The wind pushed against them and the two men suddenly found themselves strangely still, hearing only the distant chatter of the women and children in the garrison courtyard. The smell of morning hung in the air, fresh and with a metallic scent to it.
"You do not want her to come to harm," Jacob murmured to himself.
"No," Collins echoed.
Bella Swan gripped her skirt and ignored the pain in her palms. She felt, in a sense, that she was at fault. Had she not urged Collins on and encouraged a courtship he might not find himself in that cell. Her eyebrows knitted together as she rested her head against the wall and squeezed her eyes shut.
"What is your guess?"
"Who told you of Forster's mercenaries?" Collins asked.
"Wilson blurted it out proudly in Lucy's tavern."
"Then both he and Forster wanted you to know," Collins said pensively. "If I heard an undisclosed number of hired mercenaries were headed for Hayes, I would close the gates and man the walls. But I suppose your Cullen has taken a step further than that?" Collins wondered.
A moment passed where Jacob did not answer him, but Collins didn't need an answer.
"Cullen knows the wall might be breached because you are spread thin on it—if Forster has enough mercenaries," James continued.
"He plans to ride out with a group of men and take out some of the rear strategically, easing the burden of the main gate," Jacob murmured.
Bella could almost feel Collins tense on the other side of the flimsy wall. "What if…that is what Forster wants? Because, wouldn't it make sense then, if Mr. Wilson revealed the existence of this hired army, expecting Cullen to ride out?"
Jacob chuckled. "That is very farfetched, major."
"Maybe," Collins sprung forward. "But remember Mr. Wilson and Captain Forster's hatred for Cullen is strong, and they fear him. Taking him out could well be a part of their original plan — remember, they did not know he was alive for a while. They would effectively take out the man who united Hayes against them —"
"You would have me believe that Forster would expect Cullen to ride out?" Jacob sneered.
Bella's pulse rose, the blood rushing faster in her veins. Aye, she could believe such a thing.
"They might do it to lure him out — into a trap — that is what I believe."
"They have already ridden out to get into positions," Jacob answered flatly.
A rising panic slowly consumed her as she heard the undertone of worry in Collins' voice now as well. "Perhaps it is better to relocate them, or have them return to Hayes," Collins started.
"You would have me send out one of my men to fetch Cullen, based on your assumption?" Jacob asked. "I can see some reason in it, Collins, but not enough to sacrifice a poor lad's life for it. If I send him out, he isn't coming back."
"That is faulty reasoning Mr. Black and you know it. You choose to question my intuition because of the ill will you harbor against me," Collins spat back. "Had it been Cullen telling you these things, you would have ridden out in a heartbeat... —"
"Aye, had it been Cullen, I would. The man is honorable, he is no coward," Jacob spat back.
Bella suddenly heard the sound of a struggle that quickly turned into a brawl. She sprung to the other side to see Collins wrestled down by Jacob's men while her friend was nursing a bloodied nose. One of the men holding Collins down was beating him with a closed fist.
"Stop it!" she screamed as she forced the unlocked cell door open, prying the men away from James. "You stop it now! You are no better than Forster if you treat him this way!"
"He punched Jacob!" one of the brutes growled.
Bella turned to her friend. "Are you alright?"
"Nose isn't broken, I don't think so at least," he grimaced, pressing a handkerchief against his nose to stop the blood from flowing.
She took in the sight of the man who had once courted her, then turned to Jacob again. "You must listen to him, I believe his guess holds some truth," Bella said. Her hands waved frantically as she spoke, her eyes wide and fearful.
"Bella, I cannot just send someone inexperienced out there. All who even had a handful of knowledge of fighting and horse-riding rode out with Cullen. If I send someone out, he will not return. He might perish at the hands of Forster's men because of the whims of this traitor," he sneered glaring at Collins.
Bella grabbed Jacob's hand. "Jacob, please, could you not go? We must warn them." There was something in the tone of her voice, how it faltered, how its pitch rose that unnerved Jacob. There was someone out there Bella worried for that she had not revealed to him.
"I would," he said, gritting his teeth. "You know I would in a heartbeat. But father has asked me to stay…if he were to lose me, he has nothing left, Bella. He is…alone. I cannot do that to him..."
She understood... she truly did. She could feel the tears burning now in her eyes, desperation mixed with panic. "Please," she begged.
"I can ask a volunteer…"
"By the time you do that, it will be too late," she whispered.
"If Collins is even right," her friend reassured her. "We do not know if —"
The young woman shook her head as she frowned. "I…I understand," she answered in a shaking voice, leaving the cell as quickly as she had entered it.
Jacob watched her cross the courtyard to her mother, his eyes plastered on her form as he kept pressing the handkerchief against his nose.
"I wonder which man rode out that has her worried like that," he mumbled to himself.
"The man who won her from me," Collins whispered. It was mostly to himself. He watched after Bella, knowing she would never come running to him like she had to Edward Masen.
Bella rushed to the open gates. The moment Jacob Black and his men left they would be bolted shut. She had not explained to her mother where she was headed, only that she needed to go. Renée, who loved her daughter dearly, understood not to pry. In a way, without knowing, she had given Bella her blessing to leave.
The people inside the garrison watched in silence as Isabella Swan rushed out and into the danger outside of town.
Joe watched the sun as it rose higher over the horizon. Suddenly he saw Isabella Swan, galloping on her white mare from the center of Hayes.
"Wha' on earth?" he muttered as he tediously walked down from the top of the wall. Billy Black followed his gaze and saw her as well.
"What are ya doin' here, Miss Swan?" Joe asked as she got down from the horse in a quick, jerky movement.
"It's a trap. We need to warn them, get them away from the tree line before they are overrun!"
"Trap?" he asked, dumbfounded.
"Joe, Forster is coming from within Raven's Grove. Collins said so, and I am inclined to believe him —"
At the mere mention of Collins' name, Joe's eyes darkened. "Collins said?" He placed his hands on Bella's shoulders and struggled to calm her. "Listen, Cullen knows what he's doin'—"
"Joe, will you listen to me? I know Collins is telling the truth. I have a feeling about this. It makes sense that Forster should come from the north if we all supposed it not to be so. We cannot take him for granted," she growled, having lost her patience with her friend. "You must send someone out there to warn them!"
"Send someone out there, miss, are ya mad?" Joe asked. "Our scouts 'ave spotted movement on the horizon; Forster's 'bout to arrive. Whoever we send out there will be shut out with the rest of the cavalry. Already fifty men have ridden out, I can't ask yet another volunteer fer a futile matter!"
Bella quickly withdrew from him. "Do…do you not trust me?" Her eyes widened with a look of betrayal.
"I am tasked with the men within these walls, Cullen placed tha' burden on me, on Jacob Black and his father. It isn't that I do not trust ya, but I'll not be sendin' anyone else out there, not with such short notice."
She could ask him to go, but Bella understood. She nodded stiffly, but Joe saw that he had not managed to convince her.
Joe reached out to her. "Miss Swan, I…ya shouldn't worry, all will be well," he tried. Most of her family was within Hayes, safely protected by her walls, so why did she look so worried?
Bella turned back to April and swiftly seated her again.
"Where are ya goin'?" Joe asked.
"To Lucy's!" Bella shouted as she urged her horse into a gallop. Joe breathed out, glad that she hadn't decided to do anything stupid. But then again, he knew Bella better than that. In any other situation, he would most likely have followed her.
April darted past The Laughing Goose on the eerily empty streets. This time of day usually saw Hayes come alive as its people woke up and spilled out into the streets. Now the town lay silent, anticipating the attack. The only sound was the chirping of birds and the galloping hooves of Bella's slender mare. She kept riding toward the northern gate, a look of determination plastered on her face.
The moment she reached the gate Bella pulled her horse to an abrupt stop. "Who goes there?" a puzzled Jonah asked as he peered over the ledge. She saw some muskets aimed at her, then quickly removed when they realized who it was.
"Isabella Swan, I ask you to open the gates for me!" she said, holding her breath and hoping her trick would work.
Jonah grimaced at her and wondered if she had gone crazy. "Open the gates?"
"Aye, I am to deliver news to Cullen, with permission from both Jacob and Billy Black," she lied. She could feel her throat blossom into a fluster that quickly spread to her cheeks. Bella was thankful that it was still too dark to see her blushing features or Jonah would know she was lying.
"But…you?"
"Yes, me, a woman, Isabella Swan," she answered flatly. "April is one of the quickest horses in the area, I know the terrain well and will know where to find Cullen and his men—"
"But Forster is about to attack!" another man said, peering down at her disapprovingly. "How can we let a young lady of your caliber simply ride out into what is certain to be a bloody battle?"
"If I do not get this information to them, gentlemen, Cullen and anyone who is with him will surely perish. They have been set up for an ambush, Forster is coming from within Raven's Grove. The men the scouts have seen are a diversion," she argued. Before they could argue, Bella defiantly spoke out again, lowering her voice and tried to put some authority behind it. "You will open the gates now, gentlemen!"
Such was the force and authority in her voice that the man next to Jonah ordered the guards to pull the gates open without questioning her. Before anyone else could react, Bella spurred April into a full gallop. They watched dumbfounded as the woman in the white dress darted for the tree line and was soon swallowed up by the eerie darkness of the Grove.
Jonah squinted his eyes once he realized what had happened. He turned to a fellow guard. "Send someone to Jacob Black immediately. Something tells me she did not have his approval," he swallowed. If that was the case, Jonah wondered if he would survive the wrath of Jacob Black.
April's hooves tore up the ground as they rushed through the countryside. The dirt kicked up and splattered faintly over Bella's features. But she didn't care. The sun was now spilling over the horizon. Golden rays which slowly broke through the waning fog would illuminate the fight. The brisk air made her skin break out with gooseflesh. She would have been cold, if not for the vast amount of adrenaline rushing through her body.
Bella had only one sight in mind, only one goal — to get to the man she loved and remove him from harm's way. His fight with Collins had not only drained him, it had once again reopened his wound. She understood why he had to fight but if she could find an excuse to remove him from immediate danger, she would. Bella clenched her teeth together as she dug her heels into April's sides, sending the mare into an even faster gallop. The young woman leaned forward in the saddle and gripped the white mane of her mare.
"Faster April, faster!" she urged desperately.
It was almost as if the horse understood the urgency, for despite her already extraordinary speed, April drove more force into her four legs and galloped so quickly that Bella thought she would almost fall out of the saddle. Her eyes remained on the darkness of the woods, knowing whom it housed. She would get there in time—she had to. Not once had she stopped to think of her own safety, of her own predicament.
Once she crossed into the confinements of the Grove—the thick crowns of the trees still rendering the interior of the woods in shrouded darkness—a sense of ease washed over her. If anything, Raven's Grove was her domain. She knew it inside and out. Bella pulled on the reins, forcing April into an abrupt stop. Golden morning beams faintly filtered through some areas of the woods, spilling down softly, the light bouncing off the dew which covered the moss-covered ground. The green canopy shifted as a breeze pushed its way through. Somewhere an owl hooted within the depths of the Grove. Bella stilled and listened.
She closed her eyes and stilled her heart, letting her mind take over. Think, she told herself. Where would Edward have thought to hide with his men? Where was the most strategic place?
Suddenly, her eyes opened widely as she couldn't help as a smile tugged at her lips. She turned April and promptly galloped further up east along the tree line, knowing where Edward would try to intercept Forster and his men.
Carlisle and his sons-in-law sat silently with their horses, looking out over the meadow as it swayed gently in the early morning light. It was a beauty to behold, despite the danger that awaited them. The rolling green hills of Cadherra, with the open horizon on one end and the Durun Mountains on the other, were a breathtaking backdrop for their battle. The sun had barely been up thirty minutes, the pinkish colors slowly shifting to a golden sheen that was only visible during dawn or dusk.
The scouts had not sent further word of Forster's men and Carlisle noted that his son was starting to tighten his jaw—never a good sign.
He rode up to the masked man, trying—for a split second—to ignore the intimidating figure he cut and instead speak to the man who hid beneath the mask.
"Something is wrong," Carlisle muttered slowly to Edward.
The emerald eyes watched the vast expanse of the open meadow intensely, squinting at the edges, lips pressing together and nostrils flaring.
"Aye," he rumbled back. "Forster and his men should have arrived by now." He turned to look at his father, a fleeting moment passing between the two. Edward's eyes darted about. "I think we must leave," he murmured.
He was about to call the men into action when, deep from the woods, some birds stirred suddenly, rattling the crowns and unsettling the horses. Edward, acting purely on instinct, spun his black stallion around and darted further in, promptly followed by his father. Those who had brought pistols lined up, ready to fire in case they were ambushed from the back.
Suddenly, a white apparition appeared from deep within the trees. The men stared in fear. Should they shoot? Was it only an animal? They cast nervous glances Cullen's way, but he was equally as dumbfounded. The golden droplets of sunlight cascaded over the form, giving it an otherworldly appearance in their eyes as it neared, a creature from another dimension.
She was utterly beautiful when she neared them, her white dress flying about her, her mare almost floating forward in a graceful gallop as she bore her rider to the tree line. She had faint mud stains dotting her cheeks. Her hair was loose, undone from the wild gallop and flying about her like a chestnut crown. Her cheeks were rosy, her eyes alive.
Edward watched the woman he loved in silence as she neared them. Suddenly, he urged his horse forward to meet her before she was within earshot of the others.
What on earth was she doing here?
As Cullen spoke privately with Swan, the rest of the group stared at the pair.
Carlisle even more so. He could not believe the sight he was seeing.
Both were the personifications of two legends of Angloa: Edward Cullen and Isabella Swan. Black and white, framed perfectly in a picturesque painting with Raven's Grove as the backdrop. The green canopy glowed with specks of golden sunlight here and there, one directly cascading over them, rendering the two almost ghostlike.
It was an eerie sight yet extraordinarily beautiful.
Edward and Bella, of course, had no idea of the picture they painted.
"What are you doing here?" her fiancé reprimanded with a growl. The way his voice shook revealed the fear he was feeling. She was out in the open, with an army of mercenaries riding their way. She was outside of the protective walls of Hayes.
"It's a trap, Edward, a trap!" Bella said frantically. "Forster is coming from the north, from within the Grove!"
Edward clenched his jaw — she even noticed it through the black leather mask. He cast a glance behind her.
"The mercenaries the scouts reported on seeing are most likely a diversion," she continued, waving her hands in the air. April stomped under her rider. "They are coming from the north, not from Coldwick!"
She was right—Forster and his men should already have arrived.
But in his eyes, she saw no hint of gratitude, only a searing fire as he redirected them back to her. "And you rode out here to tell me that?" he spat.
"It was Collins' theory; Jacob did not believe it was enough to send a man out to a possible death!"
"Aye but you thought your life wasn't of any importance?" he growled. "It was stupid of you to come here, Bella."
"Stupid?" she growled back. "You may not think it stupid when my action may well save your lives. You may argue with me all you want after we all get away from here. Forster lurks within these trees; he could strike at any moment!"
He hated that she was right. She always tried to outsmart him. With a growl he turned his stallion, hoping she would simply come riding after him. She did, yet he could feel her eyes glaring at him.
The rest of the group watched as they neared. "We must leave now," Cullen commanded. "Forster has tricked us." He looked at his father. "I will take twenty men and leave for the south of Hayes, hopefully that will draw Forster to us. Lord Masen, I ask you to take five men and safeguard Miss Swan in St. Nicholas. You might also find the bell tower beneficial for snipers. Take some of the more seasoned musket-men with you. Mr. McCarty, Mr. Hale, you divide the rest amongst you and ride to the east and west of the town. If we can corner Forster's men between us and the walls, we may have a chance after all," Cullen said through gritted teeth.
Carlisle promptly nodded, agreeing with his son's orders. "Miss Swan, if you would please follow us," he said once the five shooters had joined him. Bella stared at him with a look of resignation, her eyes discreetly fleeting to Edward. Her lips thinned and she approached Carlisle.
She didn't get to say goodbye to her lover. The whole ride to the church, she swallowed her sorrows, gripping the reins tighter, hoping it would all be over soon.
St. Nicholas stood washed in the golden rays of morning and all quickly got off their horses. One of the men took them to the back to hide them. They all rushed inside, bolting the heavy wooden doors behind them. Bella watched together with Carlisle for a moment as the rest of the men secured the doors.
"Lord Masen," he heard the soft female voice say next to him. "I am more than protected here. You should go with him."
Carlisle's eyes quickly jumped to her, to the disheveled woman next to him. "He tasked me with protecting you."
"Do you really believe I need it, sir?" she asked as she raised an eyebrow. "Look around you, I've five men here, we are surrounded by walls, by a bolted door. I will be up in the bell tower with the rest of them. Forster's men will be distracted. You must go to Edw— to Cullen for I know it is what you wish."
Carlisle was torn and knew Edward would never forgive him should anything happen to Bella. "I cannot Miss Swan. However much I am inclined to accept your offer, your safety far outweighs fighting alongside…Cullen. I am staying here."
They quickly climbed up the dark and small space of the stairwell, taking them into the bell tower. Two men were posted as guards, hidden in the darkened shadows of the church. Bella could see the entire meadow stretching out beyond Hayes, bathed now in the rapidly rising sun. She beheld the town nestled off the edge of Raven's Grove.
Within the forest, she heard something.
Bella Swan gripped the pillar she was holding on to, squinting her eyes as she tried to make out the figures within the forest. Then she saw them, spilling out like ants from the woods, attracting attention as they aimed for Hayes. Her eyes widened as she saw the vast number of men following Forster. There was no sight of Edward anywhere.
At the helm of the threatening army was none other than Captain Forster himself.
The pounding and deafening sound of hooves floated through the meadow, accompanied by shots ricocheting from the muskets and pistols. It quickly caused white smoke to engulf the men. The townsmen atop the wall aimed as best as they could, following their orders. Many trembled as they squeezed the triggers, their hands shaking as they reloaded their pistols and muskets. The northern wall was bearing the brunt of the attack, with almost six hundred men shooting up, aiming to rid Hayes of her inexperienced protectors.
"We need to relocate to the north!" Jacob shouted to some of his men. "Or they will get a chance to climb over!"
Bella watched with wide eyes and heard the screams of agony as men fell from the walls. Forster was smart, sending waves of men out of the smoke toward the wall, firing atop horseback and then turning around before the more inexperienced men of Hayes had a chance to take them down. Then he repeated it again, and again.
"There are too many!" she said, flinching as she spotted a man falling from the wall.
Suddenly out of the forest, came a small group of riders charging at the rear.
Edward.
They followed the same tactic, aiming their pistols at Forster's men, taking down a few riders and then circling back. Some followed them, breaking away from the large group. Bella saw another of their riders, coming from the west of the town, using the same strategy. She then realized that, slowly, they were luring away people from the large group, hoping that it would ease the pressure on the wall.
"Can you not fire from here?" she turned around to ask.
"It's too far away." Carlisle was clenching his jaw as he watched with her.
The chaos that reigned down upon Hayes was like a scene out of Dante's Inferno. It was a stark contrast to the beauty of nature that surrounded them. Bella felt useless up in the bell tower, not able to help in any way.
Meanwhile, down in the field, Cullen's riders were following him back into the forest. They would have an easier time attacking Forster's men in the darkness of the trees. The scouts originally placed to warn them of Forster's arrival now instead served to alert them of how many followed the riders into the woods.
Edward turned his stallion around and aimed his pistol, waiting with his finger on the trigger like so many of his men behind him. The moment they caught movement, they fired, quickly dispersing from the chaos they had created.
The mercenaries who had followed Cullen into the forest watched those leading the charge fall. Nevertheless, they kept riding forth, hoping to outnumber them. But once they were further in, they found the forest completely empty.
"Where is he?" one of the ruffians gritted, his voice higher than usual in pitch.
They heard a chuckle from within the trees and turned. "Show yourself, cowards!" one of them cried out with wide eyes and a furrowed brow.
Suddenly, a black stallion rushed to them, but it seated no rider. They stared as a pack of horses without riders came and rode past them.
"Where are they?" they whispered. Quickly, some of them ran from the group thinking that the riders they had followed were not inhabitants from Hayes, but the ghosts of Cullen and his men.
"Come back you cowards!" their leader shouted after them.
A low and reverberating chuckle sounded above him, and he quickly looked up only to be met by a large shadow as it quickly descended upon him. The leader made a loud soul-wrenching scream as a knife plunged into his neck. Out of the corner of his eye he noted more men jumping down from the trees, quickly taking out his followers.
Forster rode together with some of his men, trying his best to control the battle. They needed only one group over the wall who might open the doors for them. Once they got inside the walls, Hayes was theirs. Forster was certain. Of course, he had a trick up his sleeve just in case.
"Sir," a man shouted riding up to meet him.
"What news, Albert?" Forster asked as he watched yet another charge at the wall. They were close now. He was certain many men on the wall had been wounded by their expert shots.
"As you expected, Hayes did send out a group of riders," Albert said. "But they were not hiding where you thought they would be," he continued. "They seem to be…luring some of our men into the woods…I have not seen any of the groups return."
Forster felt a shiver creeping up his spine. "That is what Cullen wants. We cannot play into his game or he will have an advantage."
"But sir, we cannot simply let our men continue this!"
"No, we cannot. Tell the men to stop following them. Cullen will not charge the entire army. We are almost six hundred strong, at least twice that of the able-bodied men of that town. They do not have enough riders to take us on. Have the men all focus on the wall and have Westley take charge of the other two platoons."
"Aye, sir!" Albert nodded and then quickly rode back.
"Albert!" Forster shouted.
"Sir?"
"If they see a man in a black mask, have them spare his life. That man is mine!"
"Aye…"
They kept pushing on the wall, sending men again and again in waves. Meanwhile, another group of Forster's men dug trenches in the near vicinity. Wilson had spared no expense for their protection and had even acquired a cannon. If they, by some chance, could not get the men over the wall they would blast a hole in it.
Jacob ran along the northern expanse of the structure, ducking every so often when a bullet flew by. Thanks to their preparation, they were ready. Some men had already been rushed to Lucy's tavern. Those who had sustained minor injuries pushed through the pain and kept fighting. The men knew what would happen if the wall was breached.
Bella and Carlisle could do nothing but watch with the others in the bell tower as the morning progressed. She sat down next to her soon-to-be father-in-law.
Carlisle took in the countryside of Cadherra, trying for a moment to ignore the conflict there. "Did he…tell you?" he asked after a while, fiddling with his hands.
Bella looked behind them. The other men were close, but not close enough to hear them. Their silhouettes were outlined as they faced east toward the sun. She figured telling Carlisle now might at least take his mind off of worrying about Edward. It might do the same for her.
Bella pushed her chestnut curls away from her face. "No," she admitted. "I think he feared my reaction as much as he feared yours."
"Then…how did you find out?"
He saw a smile creep onto her lips as a memory swept through her mind. Her eyes darted up, watching the ridges of the mountain and staring at the white castle of Adelton Hall in the distance.
"I suspected that Lucas Ridge had not killed himself and I pursued that belief. Eventually, it brought us together." She frowned. "At first, I did not know it was him. In fact, I wouldn't even imagine placing the two together. But, eventually, as I spent time with him as both himself and…you know…his other self, I started noticing things. There were moments—when he would take me on promenades in the forest by the stream—where his walls would come down and I could see him." She blushed as she looked at Carlisle.
He recognized that look in her eyes very well. His heart warmed at knowing how loved his son truly was.
"The night he was shot I was the one who found him," she whispered as her eyes flickered. The wind swept past them, making the trees lightly rustle. The chirping morning birds together with the sigh of the woods served to block out the sound of battle, even if only for a moment. Something overcame Bella Swan, something akin to regret at having remembered such an instance. She was caught up in her own memory. "I found him there in a pool of his own blood, holding his side. I thought I would lose him that night."
Carlisle knew Edward had been shot, he had realized it later. But never did he believe that Edward's life was in danger. The notion that he could have lost his son sent such a painful jolt through the father's chest that he groaned.
"I stayed with him in Lucy's tavern the entire night when he realized I had unveiled his secret. It was hard to leave his side, so I didn't. I sat with him until the first rays of morning broke through the window. I helped him to his coach."
She glanced at Carlisle.
"Both Edward and I lied about the night at The Laughing Goose, Lord Masen. But it was not for the reason you believed it to be."
The tall and handsome baron took her hands in his. Like his father before him, Carlisle was not one to show many emotions. But, even now, he needed to express the gratitude he felt for Isabella Swan's presence in his son's life. "Thank you for…being there for him, Isabella," he smiled. "When I could not…when I made it more difficult for him."
Bella squeezed his hands in a show of solidarity. "I think he knows how proud you are of him…of everything he has done. He understands that what he did put a strain on your relationship."
They talked some more, mainly about Edward but also of other things. Carlisle tried to distract her from the cries of battle, the clash of swords and shots ringing down in the valley. Slowly, he noticed how her eyes fleeted to look behind him and widen at what she saw.
"Miss Swan?" he asked, now having foregone the familiarity that had been present before.
"They have a cannon!" she whispered with a look of dread emerging on her face.
Carlisle turned around, noting that most of the other men had their eyes glued to the battle. No one, however, had kept watch on the edge of the forest. But, there, he saw it too. A cannon had been stashed at the edge of the woods, close to the church.
They alerted the men and all now watched as they realized what Forster was planning. "They could blow a hole in the wall with that thing!" one of the men cried.
"It won't matter how many of their men we take out if they use it," Bella agreed. She glanced at Carlisle. "We need to alert them — it needs to be destroyed!"
"I cannot leave you here."
Bella Swan shook her head violently. "You must go, Carlisle!" she pleaded. "Please, or they will enter Hayes!"
There, standing at what seemed to be the roof of Cadherra, they looked over their beloved valley with the golden sun ever higher, the screams of battle in the distance and the smoke of gunfire drifting by below like a mist of war. Carlisle growled as he took a few men with him and quickly descended the tower. Bella was left with one guard, both watching as the group quickly mounted their horses and headed for the town's foothills.
Her eyes darted to the fields of emerald, trying in vain to see a man in black seated upon a black stallion. She saw nothing but smoke and figures moving within. The wind had picked up speed. Slowly its force tore at her clothes and tresses.
"Miss, we should get down lest the wind continues in such a fashion," her keeper urged, gripping the iron of the musket in his left hand and reaching for Isabella with his right.
Her eyes regarded his outstretched hand, his friendly gesture. "I must see the battle," she murmured. "I must know what happens."
"Miss," the man said again. Aye, he realized that the wind had picked up speed, aye it might be dangerous to stay in the bell tower. But the pain and worry in her eyes would do her more harm than some currents of air ever could. The man, not many years older than Bella, had a wife and he knew she had to be going through the same feelings as the young woman before him. "The church will offer protection enough," he encouraged with a warm smile. "And when it is over, they will come and get us."
He did not explain who they were, he didn't have to.
Bella could feel the frantic beats of her heart, like those of a frightened bird trapped in a cage. She reached out and took the young man's hand.
"Let us leave," she agreed solemnly, casting a final glance at the ensuing battle down below. She hoped Edward was there, knowing of her worry for him. The battle had started so quickly; she hadn't even gotten to wish him luck or say her goodbyes…or to tell him she…loved him. She had wished to tell him those words for quite some time, wondering at his reaction as she professed her love to him. She remembered the way his eyes would crease at the edges, the slight twitch in his lips as he fought hard not to smirk. His chuckle rumbled within the depths of her memory and soothed her moment of hesitation.
For almost two hours Cullen and his cavalry had been trying to lure Forster's men into the northeastern part of the forest. There it would be easier to overcome them. However, it seemed Forster had caught wind of their approach and a different strategy was now needed. He regrouped his men. They had only lost one man so far — he had been wounded in his arm. He had ridden to the church where he now would be safe and in the care of Isabella Swan.
Jasper and Emmett soon regrouped with Cullen within the trees. Hiding from Forster's searching soldiers, they tried to figure out another way to take Forster and his army down. They were far outmanned and the men atop the wall wouldn't hold much longer. They were getting tired and there would come a time soon when Forster's men would breach the wall and open the gates from inside.
"We have barely begun," Emmett McCarty hissed under his breath. His group had lost one soul who had taken a bullet to the head. He was in his late forties and would be missed by a wife and a daughter. He had fallen dead instantly. Meanwhile, no one in Jasper's group had gotten as much as a scratch.
"We need another strategy," Cullen agreed as he peered past the tree line, watching the ensuing battle. "They know what we are doing."
"They are too many," another man claimed frantically.
Cullen sighed, the tip of his drawn sword embedding itself into the moss-covered ground. He bit back a grunt of discomfort. The wound in his side bothered him. He needed a moment to recover, but he knew he did not have one. "Do you wish to give up?" he asked without looking at the man.
"No, but…"
"We cannot afford to even consider defeat." Shrouded eyes darted up to look at the ensemble of men. "We keep pushing and we keep fighting them. We are the first line of offense, the only men fighting on the battlefield because we are the most capable," he continued, stirring something deep in their souls. Their fighting spirit slowly returned; he could see it in the way their eyes glittered. Despite the soot and muck covering their faces, the men now had a glow about them, forgetting the discomfort, the smell of blood, of fear and death.
"What do you suggest?" a younger man asked.
Edward's lips thinned as he cast a quick glance at Emmett and Jasper. Truth be told, he wasn't certain what could be done. Forster had commanded his troops well, dividing them into different platoons, attacking in waves to tire out the men atop the walls. The people of Hayes were not lucky in reducing Forster's numbers; they had barely made a dent. It wasn't that they weren't good shots, the smoke from the gunpowder had prevented them from seeing clearly.
Suddenly, they all stilled as they heard movement within the forest. While they were at one of the rendezvous points Cullen had identified, Forster's men would occasionally pass by in attempts to find a stray rider.
They all kept quiet as they listened. They heard the careful gait of some horses and a whistle that was familiar to Edward. He straightened up and saw his father and rode to him. Carlisle Masen had a jittery aura about him.
"Miss Swan is in complete safety, I did not leave her alone," Carlisle assured his son under his breath. "They have a cannon," he continued. "That is why I am here."
"A cannon?" Jasper exclaimed. "Why haven't they used it yet?"
The murmur rose as the men processed the new information. "They could blast a hole. The wall won't hold — not with a cannon!" someone muttered to his friends.
Frantically, many realized Hayes was done for. Forster was tiring the men atop the walls so that his troops might get close enough with the cannon and blast a hole in the façade. Forster would most likely target the walls on the northwestern side where his forces had attacked the hardest.
Edward didn't show it, but he too felt icy tendrils of fear claim his heart as he imagined what the mercenaries might do to his family.
He stilled his breath and tried to think his way through it. Acting emotionally would solve nothing. Yet, the image of Alice, Rosalie, and his mother kept popping into his mind, as well as the faces of others in town.
Just then, when he thought he would not be able to come up with a solution, it flickered into his mind as if it had been the most obvious strategy all along. His eyes flashed when the realization hit him, and his body tensed only to relax.
He had the answer.
"We need to set the trap now," he said in his low and growling voice. Yet, the men kept babbling among themselves, paying him little heed.
Cullen stood up fully, watching his men in silent contemplation until they stilled and once more turned to him.
"We must make Forster think he has taken down the defense and managed to open the gates."
"You want him to enter Hayes?" someone asked, completely offended at the idea.
"If we can get back into Hayes and prepare the town for the breach, we might be able to ensnare them. The streets are narrow and there are too many men to keep their group together. We can separate them within the town."
How had he not thought of this before?
"What of our families?" Jasper asked, thinking of his wife, of the danger in which they might be placing her and everyone else in Hayes.
Cullen's dark eyes rested on him, no longer those belonging to his brother-in-law. "They are safe within the walls of the garrison. Listen, we tried to take them on the field as well as we could. If we can get them inside Hayes on our terms, we might stand a chance against them," Cullen continued. "This would afford us a much better chance than if Forster were to blast a hole in the wall. With the portcullis we might still shut some of them out."
"How would we even get inside? Forster is attacking all the four main entrances."
A sudden smirk appeared on Cullen's lips. Aye, but he knew of one person who kept sneaking in and out of Hayes to ride into Raven's Grove undetected. She must be using ways other than the main entrances.
"I think I know someone," Cullen's eyes flashed.
N/A: Thank you for the reviews of the previous chapters! Also, I thank you for your patience, we are nearing the end so you won't have to deal with my cliffhangers for too much (at least for this story ;))
Special thanks to my beta Moonwinks again for making this chapter readable. She has really taken a bunch of workload off my shoulders!
I hope you liked this chapter! (It's extra long :D)
Cheers,
Isabelle