Chapter 9-Wild Spirits are never broken
****Warning, a very…um…gory sad chapter****
For two months Jeremy never again tried to make a move on me, which made me even more so confused. But I tried not to think of it, and nobody spoke of it. By now the whole regiment was tired and bored, and for very good reason. We had not shed a single drop of English blood in months, and we were restless. I had not spoken to Wallace since the time when I was wounded. Stories spread that he and the princess Isabella had seen each other on more than one occasion. After the last trap, where Longshanks had pretended to send her to meet Wallace; but William instead burned the king's men, it is rumored that he and the princess made love. I don't ever believe rumors, but the thought made me smile.
A few weeks ago the black plague came to our camp, and we lost about fifty men. None of whom I knew, thankfully, but still we mourned. Finally I had gotten up enough courage to go see Wallace. Hudson whispered that he wasn't busy, so I took this opportunity greatly.
I entered his tent and saw him busily scribbling down something on a parchment of paper, so focused he didn't realize that I had come in. I could shoot Hudson for lying to me, saying he wasn't busy. Oh well, no point in turning back.
I coughed to acknowledge my presence, yet still he gave no signs of having heard me. I was about to go when he finally spoke, though his blue eyes were still on his work. "Hello Maura. It's been awhile."
I stopped walking, and turned around. "Yes it has, William." He chuckled, for it was the initial time that I had called him William to his face instead of 'sir' first. He now looked up at me, eyeing me all over.
"I see you've grown more beautiful and strong by the day. Been practicing, have ye?"
I nodded. "Sorry for intruding on you, but Hudson told me you weren't busy."
"Ay, I'm not." Now that was a lie if I ever heard one. And he knew it too, but I said nothing. "I know you Maura, so spit out whatever you want to say before I decide to BE busy."
My eyes gleemed. "Alright, alright. William, I wanted to ask you something, because if I talked to my friends about it they'd give me some dumb reply and it just wouldn't help me-"
He covered my mouth with his finger and whispered, "Just say it Maura."
I bit my lip. Here goes nothing. "Well, the thing is…how do you know….O god I can't believe I'm asking you this. How do you know when a boy likes you?" Once the words escaped my mouth I wanted to shove them back in. How dare I ask such a personal question to the warrior who has no time for such nonsense.
He started laughing. And wouldn't stop. He went on like a raging lunatic for a couple minutes, and the whole time I didn't know whether I should laugh with him or be embarrassed. I felt very small, and blushed deeply. I saw tears form in his eyes from laughing so long, and finally I was fed up. Warrior or no warrior, he need not scoff at me. I shoved my hands on my hips.
"This is not a laughing matter."
This made him laugh even harder. I rolled my eyes at his immature behavior. "I'm sorry Maura, but that was about the last thing I would expect you to say. And the way you said it…" He grinned at me, and I just raised an eyebrow. "Alright, alright lass, I'll stop playing with ye. Your talking about Jeremy, aren't you?"
"Is it that obvious?" I inquired. He nodded.
"I knew this would happen for some time. Did he say something that made you think he would? Or do you just have a crush on him?"
"I think both. He, tried to kiss me several months ago, but we were interrupted, and he hasn't discussed it since. He sort of avoids me now." William sat there, nodding as if he understood what I was talking about.
"it seems to me lass that he finally opened up to you, but without realizing it. He probably didn't know he even had feelings for you until then, and now he's so shocked that he wants to avoid you just incase you don't feel the same way."
"But that night I basically TOLD him I felt the same way."
He pondered this for a moment, then answered. "Jeremy is a fickle boy. You have to lay it out for him your true feelings. And believe me Maura, I've seen the way he stares at you. There's love there." This made me smile uncontrollably. Love? Jeremy? For me? Maybe a crush, but love?
"Stop staring at me so, child." I got out of my trance and shook his hand.
"Thank you William. You've helped me out…..to an extent you'll never know."
He let go of my hand and gave me a hug. This was so unexpected and so out of place!
He stared at me deeply. "Maura, you want to know something? I've never had children, and God only knows if I ever will. Even though we don't get to talk a lot, I see so much strength in you, and it reminds me of Mullen. You've been, like the daughter I never had. I just, I just want you to know that. You've saved my life, proved yourself worthy over and over again, and at the end of the day you wonder if your good enough for this army. I'll never understand you, lass, but you've brought me so much joy and laughter." This was the highest compliment I could ever receive, and coming from my commander and friend made it more delightful. He had just proclaimed me to be like a daughter to him, and I felt the tears welling up in my eyes. I hate wishy washy moments, so I tried to restrain from crying. It was like an omen though, that he should tell me all of this. At that moment a rider came up to his tent.
"Sir William!" He called. Wallace patted my back and opened up the tent.
A cloth was thrown at his hand, and he caught it. Seeing it, and its meaning, brought tears to his eyes. I knew what it was. It belonged to Mullen. "A pledge from Robert the Bruce. He wants us to unite."
A man I barely knew, the Irishman , came up along with Hamish. "William, now don't go do something stupid," Hamish yelled. I saw Wallace fetch a horse and mount it.
"It's a trap, you KNOW it!" Hamish continued to say.
"Robert the Bruce would not betray us again. I saw it on his face in Falkirk." Stephen warned.
"Your mad!" Hamish continued to shout in disbelief. With his sword in place, William took one last look at us.
"I'll be fine." He nodded to us, kicked his horse, and swiftly rode off across the thick mist that was forming. I was so utterly confused, but held my tongue. Hamish kicked the grass, and Stephen sighed deeply.
I'm shaking. It is four days after Wallace left, and the news penetrated the men as a sharp sword would. Wallace is captured, and being held for treason in England. This could not be happening. This is a nightmare that should NOT come true. But it has. Our leader, our fearless, strong willed leader has been arrested by Longshanks. When I heard the news I stood in disbelief. "No, your wrong." I stated, but the truth sank in. I punched the closest thing: a tree, as tears poured out of my eyes. It was only days ago that he had told me what I was to him. As soon as Hamish and Stephen heard the news, they rushed on their horses and rode out, to try and save their comrade. They told us all to stay there, and wait for further instructions. We wait now, to hear from them. But the wait is crucial. I want to DO something, to help him. But orders were orders. Owen and Douglas try to cheer me up, they knew how much I loved and admired that man. Jeremy gives me occasional pats on the shoulder, but mainly continues to stray from me. Now is not the time to tell him how I feel. I want to know that Hamish and Stephen saved Wallace, and that they killed Longshanks while in England. I wanted this war to be over, and settle down, free from the tyranny!
We were so close, we could defeat the army with one final blow. We could win this thing! But our chief is captured, and until he returns we cannot do anything. When a whole week went by with no word, I couldn't take it any longer. In the middle of the night, while my friends were sleeping, I saddled a horse, packing my sword, knife, and other essentials. I mounted the brown mare, and kicked him to move forward, but a boy stopped in front of me. It was Jeremy.
"Maura, we are to stay here. Those are the orders," he said sternly. He crossed his arms.
I had no time for this. "I can't wait any longer. What if something happened to Hamish or Stephen? I have to know, Jeremy. I have to."
He shook his head. "They will be fine. We need to stay here to keep the men in line. They are counting on us Maura."
"Hudson and you will do a fine job of that. You don't need me. Someone has to see what's going on, and it might as well be me." I think my words got to him, for he sighed and got out of my way. I smiled and whispered thank you. He just shook his head, he was mad. But I didn't care. This was something I had to do, and not he or anyone else was going to stop me.
The voyage to England was long and dreary, but I didn't worry about that. I had a mission: to find Wallace, Hamish, and Stephen and bring them ALL home. Home. That was the word I now associated the army with. It was my home, though it wasn't a place. It was my life, my friends, my fighting cause.
Sweat poured from my face as I entered the city I had come to look in. Hundreds of Englishmen and women crowded the streets, bustling around in a rush. I covered my face with a hood, and prayed no one would speak to me, for my Scottish accent was far too great to try and change. Thankfully no one paid me any mind, which made this much easier. Children played in the streets while their parents tried to sell their products of fish, cloth, poultry, vegetables, and whatever else was on the market. This was the first time I had been into an English city where people weren't running for their lives. I encountered an old man in the stocks, crying out a name of a woman, presumably his wife. A little boy ran into a soldier, and once the man's back was turned I saw the boy holding a pouch of the soldier's money. I smiled in spite of myself.
I watched as people kicked the lepers that scurried past. An extremely poor mother with 3 children all dressed in rags stood crying in a corner over a dead man's body, probably the husband and father. Two guards came and carried him away, pushing the family back. I shook my head. England, in some ways, was just like Scotland. The poor outweighed the rich, and the sick were still treated like pesky fleas.
I had no idea where to start looking, and I felt utterly lost in this strange new world, certainly out of place. I was about to ask a nearby woman if she had heard anything about a man charged with treason, but at that very moment someone took hold of me and scurried me to a corner alley. I was too surprised to object. When they let go of me I saw my captures faces.
"Hamish! Stephen!" I exclaimed. They gave me only a look of anger.
"Maura! What in God's name are you doing here? I told you all to wait!" Hamish said with burning eyes. "Are other with you?" He looked around.
I shook my head. "I'm alone."
"I believe we've never been properly introduced. I'm Stephen, at your service," he bowed to me.
"Stephen this is NOT the time!" Hamish barked.
"My friend is right. What ARE you doing here?"
I gulped. "We thought that maybe something happened to you, so I decided to ride out and find out what happened. Well, at least I know you guys are alright. Where's Wallace?"
For this questioned they hushed up, and looked at the ground.
"Well?" I inquired.
"He's up in the North Tower. Heavily guarded. There's no way to reach him."
I couldn't believe my ears. "So your just giving up? After all Wallace has done, after all we still need him to do, your going to let a few guards stand in the way? I'll ride out now, and we can have the whole Scottish army creating hell here tomorrow!"
Hamish shook his head. "By then it will be too late lass. He's to be executed today."
"To..today?" I stuttered to say. My legs were beginning to grow weak. "Then why didn't you tell us sooner? We could have…we could have…"
"The sentence was just bestowed yesterday night. Even if we dispatched the army, it would have done no good. Plus, to come in charging blindly is just what Longshanks wants! Its what he expects!" Stephen blurted, his eyes clearly indicating he would have done all this if he could have.
I was not about to let this go though. "So your giving up." I knew very well not to make this worse on them, but I couldn't help it.
They said nothing, but I could see that that hurt deeply. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"
Stephen cut me off. "Move it. Soldiers." I looked and saw three soldiers walk by. We started walking the other way.
"When is..when is he getting executed?" I couldn't believe I was saying those words.
They didn't have to answer, for a blast of noise filled the marketplace inside the castle. The trumpets sounded, as people started to gather around a platform. Two dwarfs, obviously the entertainment, came on the wooden stage and started regaling the crowd with their antics. Not this. Not now. This was too much to take in.
The midgets soon finished with their comedy show, and two huge gates opened. I stood on my heels to see who it was, and was dismayed when I saw the state Wallace was in. His eyes were of defeat, and his face a total wreck. It was a piteous sight, and I gulped. Suddenly hundreds of things were being thrown at him from all directions, from apples, to scraps, to even mud; everything found on the ground was thrown at him, and I wanted to smack them all right then and there. Only Hamish and Stephen held me back. They booed and prodded him, mocking him as a worthless son of a bitch. All they knew was that he was a traitor, a scum that had to be dealt with. No one knew of his glorious deeds or his will for freedom, they only saw a vicious man who had invaded England and killed their soldiers. A savage. I stared at his face, looking for some sign that everything would be alright. He looked straight forward, not at any given point, but just stared.
A girl beside me threw a piece of tomato that hit him square on the cheek. It burst and smeared all over his face. I was so furious I immediately punched her right in the back, hard. She cried out in pain, and turned around. I merely stated, "Sorry about that." She turned back around, giving me a horrible look, and rubbed her spine. I smiled. Bitch.
Looking back up at Wallace, I saw that they had finally taken him off that device, and now he was standing on the platform, with what looked to be some form of judge or cardinal. I couldn't tell, for I didn't know the different names, but he seemed to be of some importance. He had on a red robe, with a golden cross across his neck, signifying that he was with the church. His bushy eyebrows and long black and gray hair told me all I needed to know about him: he was a hard, cruel man, one that loved to punish others. He disgusted me. He took Wallace and stared him in the face. "Bow down, kiss the royal emblem, and the death shall be quick." he stated to Wallace, a smile forming across his old crisped lips.
Wallace did nothing of the sort, as I expected him to, and the man rolled his eyes. "Hoist him up." He told the guards. They nodded, and quickly tied William against a board. His arms, feet, and neck were bound tight. I wondered what they would do, and then it hit me.
"Please, God no!" I said. But my words meant nothing in this sea of enemies. I watched in horror as his body was lifted into the air, held on only by the tiny rope that started to stretch all his joints and muscles. The man in the red robe, with a smirk plastered on his face, nodded to a guard, and in turn he urged the mule forward, making the ropes bind tighter on Wallace's arms and legs. His legs were now a deep red, and his arms changing frequently from orange to red to purple. At any moment I thought his shoulders would be pulled from their sockets! I saw William gritting his teeth, the pain obviously too much to bear. Suddenly my eyes shot not to his legs, but to his head, as the guard had decided to strangle that part next. He was now hanging only by the rope around his neck, his feeble legs dangling in thin air.
He was choking! He squirmed, flailing his arms, desperately trying not to suffocate under the tight hold of the cord. He gaggled, straining to catch a few breaths. I silently cursed at that man in red, that persecutor who dares say he is a man of God. Finally they pulled Wallace down, and he hit the floor, striving to breathe again. It took him a few moments to regain total consciousness, and he looked around the courtyard, perceiving everyone in sight. He didn't look our way, though I wish he did. I wanted him to know that we were there, and we were with him.
I looked around at the gazing crowd, as many laughed and pointed at the prisoner. Pigs, all of them. Not a single face did I see actually see look merciful. All were under Longshank's spell, thinking that all Scotsmen were horrific barbarians that deserve to die a thousand deaths. God I hope that man dies soon. The rumors were that our so called king was very ill, and had even lost the power of speech. His son, a weakling, would resume the thrown in a month. I pray everyday that someone would kill his sorry ass. To me, he was no threat. And knowing that Isabella would truly rule this kingdom gave me hope that one day life would be better for us all.
My thoughts now came back to the torture that was going on only fifty feet in front of me. The careless monster was now speaking to my hero, saying, "Stand on your knees. Kiss the ring, and the pain shall stop." Wallace continued to catch his breath, lying on the floor. After a minute or two he desperately tried to lift up his chest. He was now on his knees. The red man smiled, he thought he had defeated the great warrior. But no such luck. William now pushed up, and stood facing his tormentor. This gave the red man a bit of shock, and he turned around, embarrassed by such insolence. I actually smiled. 'That's right, ye bastard. We Scots don't bow down to the likes of you, even in agony'. But my smile soon was swept away when he uncovered the next form of torment. A cloth was snatched up, revealing eight vicious weapons of mass suffering. Tools that were used to open people up were lying there, and it sickened me. How could man be so cruel to one another?
Wallace was laid on a bench, in the shape of a cross. Didn't they know that they were now portraying him in the same light of how THEIR savior Jesus Christ had died? No. Because they were ignorant fools. The man whispered something in William's ear that I couldn't hear due to the crowd's whispers between each other. This was not the normal everyday death sentence being carried out. Usually the crowd was used to seeing beheadings, or hangings, but never a torture so great as this. I saw the looks as young people started to say that this was going too far. Girls no more than ten were looking away in fright.
What I saw next will stick in my mind till the end of my days. It haunts me even now to recall it; it was more gruesome than any battle, any kill, any fight I had ever witnessed. I looked to Hamish and Stephen for a split second, seeing the tears and loss in their eyes. They could do nothing, and they were here watching their best friend die a horrible death. My eyes stole back to the platform, and what I saw almost made me throw up. A guard had cut open Wallace's stomach, wrenching his weapon down and around, pouring out the intestines and guts, but making sure his prey was alive to feel every bit of it. William's eyes shot open, and though he could not utter any scrams of anguish, everyone that watched knew that he was inside shouting for the pain to stop. The guard took another tool, and jammed it back inside the body, twisting and turning it with much precision. William's head jerked back and forth, and he expressed silent sounds of terror. My stomach began to ache, and I crossed my arms around it. My eyes couldn't be taken off the sight that was bestowed on me. My mouth stood agape, as realization hit that I could do nothing to save him from this pain. I breathed heavily, and watery tears shot down my cheeks. Inside I was raging, but I could not show that off in front of the crowd. I bit my lip to the point where it started to bleed.
"Please Lord, save him from this. Save him Father." I prayed, whispering it so as only I could hear my words. Silence befell the crowd, as they waited to see what would happen next. The man in robes came up to Wallace yet again, bending forward right next to his face. Still the guard continued to work on William.
"I can make this all go away, William. Just say one word. One word, and the pain will be gone." He looked on to the axe, implementing what he meant. "Mercy. That's all you need to say."
In one voice, the crowd spoke. "Mercy! Mercy! Mercy!" Children younger than five called it out, as well as men whom moments before laughed at Wallace. Everyone now felt obligated to give this man some last bit of hope. It weird how the crowd had changed so quickly, but that is the way of the world. No one, not the killers or thieves, wanted him to suffer more. I found myself uttering those same words, wishing with all my heart that he would end this torture.
Hamish and Stephen did the same. "Mercy William, mercy." I watched as the man who I had grown to love stared into the sky, thinking through this ultimatum. He still gasped for breath, and the man in robes hushed us.
"My friends! The prisoner wishes to say something to you!" Silence. Complete utter silence. Everyone wanted to strain to hear what this man had to say. Mercy William, I said silently. Let this end.
A moment passed as he tried to get in enough breath to speak. I could hear nothing but his gasping. Then, with the same booming voice from which he had spoken when we first met, he screamed, "FREEEEEEEDDDOOOMMM!!!!!!!" With his fate now chosen, I shut my eyes. Even now, he was playing the part of a hero. He wasn't backing down. He could have, but he didn't. His soul had cried out what he truly wanted, what we wanted. And yet I wish he didn't. I hung my head down, too overcome with emotion to stare back up into those eyes of his.
The mob still stood silent. Not one eye was dry, not one heart astounded. I looked back up just in time to see Wallace stare at us. He looked at me for a split second, and I will never forget it. He seemed to be praying for us, that God give us strength. His eyes ventured to someone, I'm not sure, moving through the crowd. He locked his eyes on this person. It was then that the axe came down. A final attempt to kill his spirit. But his spirit was something that could not break. I shut my eyes, and cried into Hamish's chest.
Flashes of scenes shot before me. The time when I first saw Wallace riding by, his head held high, his eyes so full of hope for his people. The Battle. Him shooting through the English, killing them as easy as flies. The arrow. Shooting him in the shoulder/high part of the chest. Me nursing him back. Our last encounter. Him hugging me, telling me he thought of me as a daughter. All gone. He was gone. He was the reason I joined this rebellion, and he was gone forever, killed by the enemy that never showed his coward face.
****Warning, a very…um…gory sad chapter****
For two months Jeremy never again tried to make a move on me, which made me even more so confused. But I tried not to think of it, and nobody spoke of it. By now the whole regiment was tired and bored, and for very good reason. We had not shed a single drop of English blood in months, and we were restless. I had not spoken to Wallace since the time when I was wounded. Stories spread that he and the princess Isabella had seen each other on more than one occasion. After the last trap, where Longshanks had pretended to send her to meet Wallace; but William instead burned the king's men, it is rumored that he and the princess made love. I don't ever believe rumors, but the thought made me smile.
A few weeks ago the black plague came to our camp, and we lost about fifty men. None of whom I knew, thankfully, but still we mourned. Finally I had gotten up enough courage to go see Wallace. Hudson whispered that he wasn't busy, so I took this opportunity greatly.
I entered his tent and saw him busily scribbling down something on a parchment of paper, so focused he didn't realize that I had come in. I could shoot Hudson for lying to me, saying he wasn't busy. Oh well, no point in turning back.
I coughed to acknowledge my presence, yet still he gave no signs of having heard me. I was about to go when he finally spoke, though his blue eyes were still on his work. "Hello Maura. It's been awhile."
I stopped walking, and turned around. "Yes it has, William." He chuckled, for it was the initial time that I had called him William to his face instead of 'sir' first. He now looked up at me, eyeing me all over.
"I see you've grown more beautiful and strong by the day. Been practicing, have ye?"
I nodded. "Sorry for intruding on you, but Hudson told me you weren't busy."
"Ay, I'm not." Now that was a lie if I ever heard one. And he knew it too, but I said nothing. "I know you Maura, so spit out whatever you want to say before I decide to BE busy."
My eyes gleemed. "Alright, alright. William, I wanted to ask you something, because if I talked to my friends about it they'd give me some dumb reply and it just wouldn't help me-"
He covered my mouth with his finger and whispered, "Just say it Maura."
I bit my lip. Here goes nothing. "Well, the thing is…how do you know….O god I can't believe I'm asking you this. How do you know when a boy likes you?" Once the words escaped my mouth I wanted to shove them back in. How dare I ask such a personal question to the warrior who has no time for such nonsense.
He started laughing. And wouldn't stop. He went on like a raging lunatic for a couple minutes, and the whole time I didn't know whether I should laugh with him or be embarrassed. I felt very small, and blushed deeply. I saw tears form in his eyes from laughing so long, and finally I was fed up. Warrior or no warrior, he need not scoff at me. I shoved my hands on my hips.
"This is not a laughing matter."
This made him laugh even harder. I rolled my eyes at his immature behavior. "I'm sorry Maura, but that was about the last thing I would expect you to say. And the way you said it…" He grinned at me, and I just raised an eyebrow. "Alright, alright lass, I'll stop playing with ye. Your talking about Jeremy, aren't you?"
"Is it that obvious?" I inquired. He nodded.
"I knew this would happen for some time. Did he say something that made you think he would? Or do you just have a crush on him?"
"I think both. He, tried to kiss me several months ago, but we were interrupted, and he hasn't discussed it since. He sort of avoids me now." William sat there, nodding as if he understood what I was talking about.
"it seems to me lass that he finally opened up to you, but without realizing it. He probably didn't know he even had feelings for you until then, and now he's so shocked that he wants to avoid you just incase you don't feel the same way."
"But that night I basically TOLD him I felt the same way."
He pondered this for a moment, then answered. "Jeremy is a fickle boy. You have to lay it out for him your true feelings. And believe me Maura, I've seen the way he stares at you. There's love there." This made me smile uncontrollably. Love? Jeremy? For me? Maybe a crush, but love?
"Stop staring at me so, child." I got out of my trance and shook his hand.
"Thank you William. You've helped me out…..to an extent you'll never know."
He let go of my hand and gave me a hug. This was so unexpected and so out of place!
He stared at me deeply. "Maura, you want to know something? I've never had children, and God only knows if I ever will. Even though we don't get to talk a lot, I see so much strength in you, and it reminds me of Mullen. You've been, like the daughter I never had. I just, I just want you to know that. You've saved my life, proved yourself worthy over and over again, and at the end of the day you wonder if your good enough for this army. I'll never understand you, lass, but you've brought me so much joy and laughter." This was the highest compliment I could ever receive, and coming from my commander and friend made it more delightful. He had just proclaimed me to be like a daughter to him, and I felt the tears welling up in my eyes. I hate wishy washy moments, so I tried to restrain from crying. It was like an omen though, that he should tell me all of this. At that moment a rider came up to his tent.
"Sir William!" He called. Wallace patted my back and opened up the tent.
A cloth was thrown at his hand, and he caught it. Seeing it, and its meaning, brought tears to his eyes. I knew what it was. It belonged to Mullen. "A pledge from Robert the Bruce. He wants us to unite."
A man I barely knew, the Irishman , came up along with Hamish. "William, now don't go do something stupid," Hamish yelled. I saw Wallace fetch a horse and mount it.
"It's a trap, you KNOW it!" Hamish continued to say.
"Robert the Bruce would not betray us again. I saw it on his face in Falkirk." Stephen warned.
"Your mad!" Hamish continued to shout in disbelief. With his sword in place, William took one last look at us.
"I'll be fine." He nodded to us, kicked his horse, and swiftly rode off across the thick mist that was forming. I was so utterly confused, but held my tongue. Hamish kicked the grass, and Stephen sighed deeply.
I'm shaking. It is four days after Wallace left, and the news penetrated the men as a sharp sword would. Wallace is captured, and being held for treason in England. This could not be happening. This is a nightmare that should NOT come true. But it has. Our leader, our fearless, strong willed leader has been arrested by Longshanks. When I heard the news I stood in disbelief. "No, your wrong." I stated, but the truth sank in. I punched the closest thing: a tree, as tears poured out of my eyes. It was only days ago that he had told me what I was to him. As soon as Hamish and Stephen heard the news, they rushed on their horses and rode out, to try and save their comrade. They told us all to stay there, and wait for further instructions. We wait now, to hear from them. But the wait is crucial. I want to DO something, to help him. But orders were orders. Owen and Douglas try to cheer me up, they knew how much I loved and admired that man. Jeremy gives me occasional pats on the shoulder, but mainly continues to stray from me. Now is not the time to tell him how I feel. I want to know that Hamish and Stephen saved Wallace, and that they killed Longshanks while in England. I wanted this war to be over, and settle down, free from the tyranny!
We were so close, we could defeat the army with one final blow. We could win this thing! But our chief is captured, and until he returns we cannot do anything. When a whole week went by with no word, I couldn't take it any longer. In the middle of the night, while my friends were sleeping, I saddled a horse, packing my sword, knife, and other essentials. I mounted the brown mare, and kicked him to move forward, but a boy stopped in front of me. It was Jeremy.
"Maura, we are to stay here. Those are the orders," he said sternly. He crossed his arms.
I had no time for this. "I can't wait any longer. What if something happened to Hamish or Stephen? I have to know, Jeremy. I have to."
He shook his head. "They will be fine. We need to stay here to keep the men in line. They are counting on us Maura."
"Hudson and you will do a fine job of that. You don't need me. Someone has to see what's going on, and it might as well be me." I think my words got to him, for he sighed and got out of my way. I smiled and whispered thank you. He just shook his head, he was mad. But I didn't care. This was something I had to do, and not he or anyone else was going to stop me.
The voyage to England was long and dreary, but I didn't worry about that. I had a mission: to find Wallace, Hamish, and Stephen and bring them ALL home. Home. That was the word I now associated the army with. It was my home, though it wasn't a place. It was my life, my friends, my fighting cause.
Sweat poured from my face as I entered the city I had come to look in. Hundreds of Englishmen and women crowded the streets, bustling around in a rush. I covered my face with a hood, and prayed no one would speak to me, for my Scottish accent was far too great to try and change. Thankfully no one paid me any mind, which made this much easier. Children played in the streets while their parents tried to sell their products of fish, cloth, poultry, vegetables, and whatever else was on the market. This was the first time I had been into an English city where people weren't running for their lives. I encountered an old man in the stocks, crying out a name of a woman, presumably his wife. A little boy ran into a soldier, and once the man's back was turned I saw the boy holding a pouch of the soldier's money. I smiled in spite of myself.
I watched as people kicked the lepers that scurried past. An extremely poor mother with 3 children all dressed in rags stood crying in a corner over a dead man's body, probably the husband and father. Two guards came and carried him away, pushing the family back. I shook my head. England, in some ways, was just like Scotland. The poor outweighed the rich, and the sick were still treated like pesky fleas.
I had no idea where to start looking, and I felt utterly lost in this strange new world, certainly out of place. I was about to ask a nearby woman if she had heard anything about a man charged with treason, but at that very moment someone took hold of me and scurried me to a corner alley. I was too surprised to object. When they let go of me I saw my captures faces.
"Hamish! Stephen!" I exclaimed. They gave me only a look of anger.
"Maura! What in God's name are you doing here? I told you all to wait!" Hamish said with burning eyes. "Are other with you?" He looked around.
I shook my head. "I'm alone."
"I believe we've never been properly introduced. I'm Stephen, at your service," he bowed to me.
"Stephen this is NOT the time!" Hamish barked.
"My friend is right. What ARE you doing here?"
I gulped. "We thought that maybe something happened to you, so I decided to ride out and find out what happened. Well, at least I know you guys are alright. Where's Wallace?"
For this questioned they hushed up, and looked at the ground.
"Well?" I inquired.
"He's up in the North Tower. Heavily guarded. There's no way to reach him."
I couldn't believe my ears. "So your just giving up? After all Wallace has done, after all we still need him to do, your going to let a few guards stand in the way? I'll ride out now, and we can have the whole Scottish army creating hell here tomorrow!"
Hamish shook his head. "By then it will be too late lass. He's to be executed today."
"To..today?" I stuttered to say. My legs were beginning to grow weak. "Then why didn't you tell us sooner? We could have…we could have…"
"The sentence was just bestowed yesterday night. Even if we dispatched the army, it would have done no good. Plus, to come in charging blindly is just what Longshanks wants! Its what he expects!" Stephen blurted, his eyes clearly indicating he would have done all this if he could have.
I was not about to let this go though. "So your giving up." I knew very well not to make this worse on them, but I couldn't help it.
They said nothing, but I could see that that hurt deeply. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"
Stephen cut me off. "Move it. Soldiers." I looked and saw three soldiers walk by. We started walking the other way.
"When is..when is he getting executed?" I couldn't believe I was saying those words.
They didn't have to answer, for a blast of noise filled the marketplace inside the castle. The trumpets sounded, as people started to gather around a platform. Two dwarfs, obviously the entertainment, came on the wooden stage and started regaling the crowd with their antics. Not this. Not now. This was too much to take in.
The midgets soon finished with their comedy show, and two huge gates opened. I stood on my heels to see who it was, and was dismayed when I saw the state Wallace was in. His eyes were of defeat, and his face a total wreck. It was a piteous sight, and I gulped. Suddenly hundreds of things were being thrown at him from all directions, from apples, to scraps, to even mud; everything found on the ground was thrown at him, and I wanted to smack them all right then and there. Only Hamish and Stephen held me back. They booed and prodded him, mocking him as a worthless son of a bitch. All they knew was that he was a traitor, a scum that had to be dealt with. No one knew of his glorious deeds or his will for freedom, they only saw a vicious man who had invaded England and killed their soldiers. A savage. I stared at his face, looking for some sign that everything would be alright. He looked straight forward, not at any given point, but just stared.
A girl beside me threw a piece of tomato that hit him square on the cheek. It burst and smeared all over his face. I was so furious I immediately punched her right in the back, hard. She cried out in pain, and turned around. I merely stated, "Sorry about that." She turned back around, giving me a horrible look, and rubbed her spine. I smiled. Bitch.
Looking back up at Wallace, I saw that they had finally taken him off that device, and now he was standing on the platform, with what looked to be some form of judge or cardinal. I couldn't tell, for I didn't know the different names, but he seemed to be of some importance. He had on a red robe, with a golden cross across his neck, signifying that he was with the church. His bushy eyebrows and long black and gray hair told me all I needed to know about him: he was a hard, cruel man, one that loved to punish others. He disgusted me. He took Wallace and stared him in the face. "Bow down, kiss the royal emblem, and the death shall be quick." he stated to Wallace, a smile forming across his old crisped lips.
Wallace did nothing of the sort, as I expected him to, and the man rolled his eyes. "Hoist him up." He told the guards. They nodded, and quickly tied William against a board. His arms, feet, and neck were bound tight. I wondered what they would do, and then it hit me.
"Please, God no!" I said. But my words meant nothing in this sea of enemies. I watched in horror as his body was lifted into the air, held on only by the tiny rope that started to stretch all his joints and muscles. The man in the red robe, with a smirk plastered on his face, nodded to a guard, and in turn he urged the mule forward, making the ropes bind tighter on Wallace's arms and legs. His legs were now a deep red, and his arms changing frequently from orange to red to purple. At any moment I thought his shoulders would be pulled from their sockets! I saw William gritting his teeth, the pain obviously too much to bear. Suddenly my eyes shot not to his legs, but to his head, as the guard had decided to strangle that part next. He was now hanging only by the rope around his neck, his feeble legs dangling in thin air.
He was choking! He squirmed, flailing his arms, desperately trying not to suffocate under the tight hold of the cord. He gaggled, straining to catch a few breaths. I silently cursed at that man in red, that persecutor who dares say he is a man of God. Finally they pulled Wallace down, and he hit the floor, striving to breathe again. It took him a few moments to regain total consciousness, and he looked around the courtyard, perceiving everyone in sight. He didn't look our way, though I wish he did. I wanted him to know that we were there, and we were with him.
I looked around at the gazing crowd, as many laughed and pointed at the prisoner. Pigs, all of them. Not a single face did I see actually see look merciful. All were under Longshank's spell, thinking that all Scotsmen were horrific barbarians that deserve to die a thousand deaths. God I hope that man dies soon. The rumors were that our so called king was very ill, and had even lost the power of speech. His son, a weakling, would resume the thrown in a month. I pray everyday that someone would kill his sorry ass. To me, he was no threat. And knowing that Isabella would truly rule this kingdom gave me hope that one day life would be better for us all.
My thoughts now came back to the torture that was going on only fifty feet in front of me. The careless monster was now speaking to my hero, saying, "Stand on your knees. Kiss the ring, and the pain shall stop." Wallace continued to catch his breath, lying on the floor. After a minute or two he desperately tried to lift up his chest. He was now on his knees. The red man smiled, he thought he had defeated the great warrior. But no such luck. William now pushed up, and stood facing his tormentor. This gave the red man a bit of shock, and he turned around, embarrassed by such insolence. I actually smiled. 'That's right, ye bastard. We Scots don't bow down to the likes of you, even in agony'. But my smile soon was swept away when he uncovered the next form of torment. A cloth was snatched up, revealing eight vicious weapons of mass suffering. Tools that were used to open people up were lying there, and it sickened me. How could man be so cruel to one another?
Wallace was laid on a bench, in the shape of a cross. Didn't they know that they were now portraying him in the same light of how THEIR savior Jesus Christ had died? No. Because they were ignorant fools. The man whispered something in William's ear that I couldn't hear due to the crowd's whispers between each other. This was not the normal everyday death sentence being carried out. Usually the crowd was used to seeing beheadings, or hangings, but never a torture so great as this. I saw the looks as young people started to say that this was going too far. Girls no more than ten were looking away in fright.
What I saw next will stick in my mind till the end of my days. It haunts me even now to recall it; it was more gruesome than any battle, any kill, any fight I had ever witnessed. I looked to Hamish and Stephen for a split second, seeing the tears and loss in their eyes. They could do nothing, and they were here watching their best friend die a horrible death. My eyes stole back to the platform, and what I saw almost made me throw up. A guard had cut open Wallace's stomach, wrenching his weapon down and around, pouring out the intestines and guts, but making sure his prey was alive to feel every bit of it. William's eyes shot open, and though he could not utter any scrams of anguish, everyone that watched knew that he was inside shouting for the pain to stop. The guard took another tool, and jammed it back inside the body, twisting and turning it with much precision. William's head jerked back and forth, and he expressed silent sounds of terror. My stomach began to ache, and I crossed my arms around it. My eyes couldn't be taken off the sight that was bestowed on me. My mouth stood agape, as realization hit that I could do nothing to save him from this pain. I breathed heavily, and watery tears shot down my cheeks. Inside I was raging, but I could not show that off in front of the crowd. I bit my lip to the point where it started to bleed.
"Please Lord, save him from this. Save him Father." I prayed, whispering it so as only I could hear my words. Silence befell the crowd, as they waited to see what would happen next. The man in robes came up to Wallace yet again, bending forward right next to his face. Still the guard continued to work on William.
"I can make this all go away, William. Just say one word. One word, and the pain will be gone." He looked on to the axe, implementing what he meant. "Mercy. That's all you need to say."
In one voice, the crowd spoke. "Mercy! Mercy! Mercy!" Children younger than five called it out, as well as men whom moments before laughed at Wallace. Everyone now felt obligated to give this man some last bit of hope. It weird how the crowd had changed so quickly, but that is the way of the world. No one, not the killers or thieves, wanted him to suffer more. I found myself uttering those same words, wishing with all my heart that he would end this torture.
Hamish and Stephen did the same. "Mercy William, mercy." I watched as the man who I had grown to love stared into the sky, thinking through this ultimatum. He still gasped for breath, and the man in robes hushed us.
"My friends! The prisoner wishes to say something to you!" Silence. Complete utter silence. Everyone wanted to strain to hear what this man had to say. Mercy William, I said silently. Let this end.
A moment passed as he tried to get in enough breath to speak. I could hear nothing but his gasping. Then, with the same booming voice from which he had spoken when we first met, he screamed, "FREEEEEEEDDDOOOMMM!!!!!!!" With his fate now chosen, I shut my eyes. Even now, he was playing the part of a hero. He wasn't backing down. He could have, but he didn't. His soul had cried out what he truly wanted, what we wanted. And yet I wish he didn't. I hung my head down, too overcome with emotion to stare back up into those eyes of his.
The mob still stood silent. Not one eye was dry, not one heart astounded. I looked back up just in time to see Wallace stare at us. He looked at me for a split second, and I will never forget it. He seemed to be praying for us, that God give us strength. His eyes ventured to someone, I'm not sure, moving through the crowd. He locked his eyes on this person. It was then that the axe came down. A final attempt to kill his spirit. But his spirit was something that could not break. I shut my eyes, and cried into Hamish's chest.
Flashes of scenes shot before me. The time when I first saw Wallace riding by, his head held high, his eyes so full of hope for his people. The Battle. Him shooting through the English, killing them as easy as flies. The arrow. Shooting him in the shoulder/high part of the chest. Me nursing him back. Our last encounter. Him hugging me, telling me he thought of me as a daughter. All gone. He was gone. He was the reason I joined this rebellion, and he was gone forever, killed by the enemy that never showed his coward face.