Maria had been laying on her cot for three hours after returning to the prison. She was pretending to be asleep because Colonel Tavington had stayed there to watch her, thinking she was planning something. In all honesty she wasn't planning squat. She just wanted to be left alone.

"Sir," said a voice behind her," I can take over guard for you if there are other things you need to do."

"The next raid is not for another week and I am fully awake," Tavingtons' voice said," I will keep to this post tonight."

"Yes sir," said the first voice," If you change your mind I will be ready to take over."

The footsteps echoed back to Maria until the soldier exited the building. Behind her, Tavington shifted in his chair.

Maria couldn't stand it anymore. She sat up slowly, acting as if she just woke up. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Tavington watching her. Quit staring at me,Maria thought,I'm not doing anything.

"Have a bad dream?" Tavington asked in mock pity.

Maria glared at him," No." She would have loved to tell him that she hadn't been sleeping in the first place. She stood up. There was a trunk at the end of her cot. Maria stared at it. That wasn't there when she came in. Maybe she had been sleeping at some point. In Maria's family they all had a habit of falling asleep and waking up without even realizing they slept at all.

Her face fell. Thinking about her family was painful. Thinking about her house was painful. Tavington noticed the look on her face, but didn't say anything to that.

"I have found something for you to do," he said," since you are too violent to be around others, I have decided, with the permission of the Lord General, that you will work by yourself in the gardens."

Maria turned her head completely towards the wall so she could let her tears fall freely. Gardening was her favorite thing to do back home. Her father had extended their land just so Maria could have a whole space for gardening. Any person could look outside on a fine day, and see Maria working in her garden. The weeds were a bother, but she could always manage them. The last time she ever worked in that garden was with her mother, and that was the same day she lost everything in the raid.

"This upsets you," Tavington said.

How does he know that,Maria asked herself.

"You know," Tavington said," If I was your mother-"

"Don't you dare talk to me about my mother," Maria snapped," Because of you, I have no mother. Because of you, I have no father; I have no siblings;I have nothing."

Tavington stared at her with his mouth slightly open.

"I am not to blame for what happened to your family."

"You were the one leading the raid," Maria said in a dangerously low voice," Don't you know that every bad thing that happens is traced right back to the leader?"

"Don't you dare blame me," Tavington said," I gave orders. I didn't fire any pistols or steal anything from you-"

"Exactly," Maria shouted," You ordered it. You ordered my parents and siblings to be shot; you ordered my things to be taken. I-blame-YOU!"

Tavington jumped out of his chair," And it was a pity that you weren't among those who died."

"I wish I had been," Maria said," I can't stand sitting here even looking at you. I wish I could have been killed. Then I wouldn't be watching this war and all my friends and neighbors ripped apart. I wish I had died."

She sat back down and sobbed. Tavington stared at her. Words were failing him at the moment.

"Well I stand by what I say," he said," It was not my fault."

"Would you just leave me alone," Maria snapped. She would say no more after that.