Chapter 4

The night was long and Awinita and the Red Coats arrived at the British Army camp before dawn. She did not recognize the place. It was perhaps in the middle of nowhere with plenty of trees and a river nearby.

When the two Red Coats that brought her in, some African men came and forced her towards the stream nearby. They tore off her dress, leaving her completely exposed, apart from the undergarments and corset she wore.

One of them threw water in her face and another poured more over her head, wetting her hair. "Away with you!" a woman's voice shouted and the two men left Awinita.

An African woman appeared and she points at Awinita, "English?" the woman asked. Awinita was confused, what the woman mean? Did she speak English or was she an English civilian.

"You speak English?" the woman asked, again.

"Yes," she answers.

The woman hands points to the water in the stream. "Wash off," she demanded. Awinita obeys, except she had to wade into the deepest part of the stream bed. "What are you doing?!" the woman shouts.

"You told me to wash off," she answers, but the woman seemed to be throwing a fit. She orders her to come back to the shore and Awinita obeys. The woman grabs her by the arm and forces her toward a tent.

"Take off everything," the woman demands once they were inside the tent. Awinita was shocked, take off her undergarments? In a camp full of savage Red Coats? What if one of them saw her and take her for pleasure?

"I said take off everything!" the woman shouts, again. Awinita obeys this time. She never felt so exposed before. Once she had her corset and undergarments off, the woman flings some powder at her. It smelled and she coughs.

The woman then gives her a new undergarment and Awinita puts it on. Then, the woman puts on a new corset and tightens it, so much so that Awinita let out a horrified gasp. Then she spotted the woman with a pair of scissors.

"Turn around," she orders. Awinita grabs her long hair and cries out, "No! Don't cut my hair!"

"I said turn around!" the woman demands and summons one of the African men. He restrains her arms in front of her and her long hair flowed behind her. The woman begins to cut her hair, so much of it fell to the ground and Awinita felt the weight coming off her head. This was a sin. Her people would never cut their hair unless there was the death of a close relative. Her hair was her connection to her family.

Once the woman finished cutting, someone threw something at her. It was a dress and the two Africans forced it on her.

"She's ready for work," the man said and he takes her outside. He gives her a pair of shoes. They were awfully uncomfortable, but she didn't dare complain. The man took her to a tent.

"Clean up the colonel's tent, don't mess up his work," the man ordered and leaves her there.

Awinita looks around and notices a mirror on a pole. She looks into it and to her shock, her luscious long hair was now short, almost up to shoulder length. Before, it was down to her buttocks as she never had it cut.

"Don't stand there!" the man shouts, "Get to work!"

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Awinita spent much of the morning straightening the wardrobe and desk that were in the tent. She touched the garments that belonged to the colonel the African man mentioned and then noticed a little locket of some kind. It was hanging from a hook and she takes it.

Just before she opens it, a voice rang out from behind, "You there!"

She spun around, but hid the locket behind her. There was a man in a red coat and a fur hat in his hand. He enters the tent, looking at Awinita and then at the desk and wardrobe.

"Have you been in my tent for many hours?" he asked.

"Yes," she answers and she seemed to recognize him. His eyes were icy blue, almost like the ice on a pond. She could see some malice behind them, but also something else.

"What is that in your hand?" he asked, again.

Awinita slowly brought out her hands from behind her back, revealing the locket. The man walks up to her and takes it from her. That was when she recognized him as the one who ordered the two Red Coats to bring her here.

"I remember you from last night," she said and the man looks into her eyes.

"Ah, now I remember you," he replied and stares at her. "Your hair is much shorter now. How does it feel?"

"Feel? Your servants violated my well being!" she cries out. She then closes her hand into a fist and punches him hard in the jaw. "What have you done to my family?!" she screams, but before she could throw another punch, someone grabs her and pushes her to the ground.

Then, she felt her hair being pulled and the pain intensifies when she was forced to her feet. "Stop!" the man shouts and the pain subsided when she was released. The Red Coat unsheathed his saber and the African backed away from Awinita.

"Not in my tent and never violate a woman in my presence!" he shouts at the African. The servant left the tent and the Red Coat helps her to her feet. Hate sieges through her, but she looks at him with calm.

"I see you are angry with me," the man said and adds, "I apologize for the...kidnapping if I might say, but we have an ugly business dealing with the colonists, and we prefer that innocent civilians are out of harms way."

"So you can slaughter them?" Awinita asks.

"As I said, it's an ugly business," the man said. She seemed to remember something from last night.

"You are...Tavington, right?" she asked and he looks at her in surprise.

"How would you know?" he asked.

"I remember one of those men saying that name last night and I thought they were referring to you," she answers. Her hatred was calming down a bit, but she never felt hate towards a man before.

"Colonel William Tavington of His Majesty's Army," he explains and places his saber into its sheathe. He reaches his hand towards her, but she turns her face away. She thought she was going to be hit, but instead, Tavington took a handful of her hair and his fingers gently caresses it.

"Your hair was much longer, they took so much of it," he said, almost tenderly. "What is your name?" he asks.

At first, she thought of remaining silent, but she didn't want to anger him, she was not ready to face the unknown wrath this man had, if he had any.

"Awinita," she answers. Tavington looks at her in confusion and she repeats it, "Awinita."

"Awinita," he said and right then, she felt a heavy weight lift from her shoulders. She wondered if she could trust this Red Coat.

From the author: Sorry for the late update. Too much drama on my end.

Anyway, it seems that both Awinita and Tavington have made formal introductions, but will they grow to...like each other at least? We'll just have to wait.

See you soon!