"Doubt"

Captain James Bordon arrived at camp. All the time when he was riding back alone, his thoughts left him no peace. It kept him too busy, the Colonel Tavington thing. This man, who was not only his superior officer, but also his friend. Especially his friend and he knew William too well and also the picture other people had of him. They saw him as an ice-cold murderer. As a butcher who would stop at nothing and nobody. But that was only one side of this man. The other, private side of William Tavington, only very few knew and those who knew them could not imagine a better friend than him.

He rode through between the tents, almost onto a paddock that was a little off camp, and came to a stop. He descended and knocked Crassus on the neck several times. A Private who was already waiting for the return of him and the Colonel picked up the reins and led the horse to a crossbeam and tied it there. He took the saddle and saddle blanket down and brought it into a special tent and put it down there. Then he went back and started cleaning Crassus.

In the meantime Bordon gave him an apple. Greedily he ate it and James looked lovingly at his horse. He gently stroked his head. He wiggled his ears and snorted contentedly. "Thank you Private," James said to the boy and he really was. A boy, a child. Not older than 16 years and despite his youth, he touchingly took care of the Dragoon horses. Bordon was bitterly upset when he saw this boy. A young man is simply robbed of his childhood. His lightheartedness. He did not want children to fight for such a thing and lose their lives. That was not right and contrary to the normal course of things. He saw the boy nod his head and Bordon went into his tent. It was so big that it could accommodate him and three more soldiers. He took off his helmet and entered.

He was received with a loud snoring. A grin appeared on his face and he shook his head slightly. He threw his helmet on the bed, followed by his gloves. As he laid down his saber, he looked at his sleeping comrade. It was Captain John Wilkens lying snoring on his bed. The picture he gave off was a scream. His body, completely twisted. His left leg hung half from the bed. His right leg bent. The arms above or below the pillow. He had no idea what he looked like. Only James who was here could see it. Slowly he walked towards John and tried to wake him up. At the beginning he did not succeed. But James became more energetic in his actions and therefore did not give up. He shook his upper body and John muttered something incomprehensible and woke up. "Hey, Captain. It's time to get up," James said and dragged Wilkens' blanket away. "Waaaa...and it's already noon? Ahhhhh disappear..." He grumbled towards James and rose slightly. He drove his left hand over his face and leaned his right arm on the bed. "Not quite, but if you keep lying there like that, then you will,' he replied. John just twisted his eyes and James grinned. "But you've been on your legs for a long time?" Bordon, who was now sitting on his bed, just nodded his head. "Colonel Tavington and I were at Fort Lexington with General Cornwallis," he said, taking his boots off. Wilkins had also sat up and listened attentively to James. "We have a new assignment." He lay down on his bed for a long time. "Mmmh," John replied. "And you, will be there with us." "Why me then? "Well, because you are reliable." Both officers looked at each other and John rose. He stepped up to James. "Great and what kind of mission is it?" Bordon turned his head and looked up. "We are to escort the General. We're going to a family that's supposed to live nearby." "What are we supposed to do there", John asked a little irritated. "I don't know, but the General wants Tavington to pick a handful of men to accompany him." "And I'm in on it?" "Yes and a few others." "Where is the Colonel anyway? I haven't seen him since last night." "He's on patrol and should be back soon," James lied to him openly. "It could have been possible that he was still lying between the thighs of the dark-haired. To be honest, that wouldn't surprise me. The way the pretty one was hanging on to our Colonel." Bordon now looked at Wilkens and he had a huge grin on his face. "Yes, it was really a hot night." He breathed deeply and then rose.

The silence in their tent was ever interrupted when they heard tumult and loud voices from outside. Quickly they ran to the entrance of the tent and stuck their heads out. There was no reason to get excited. So not directly. Because it was time for the mail and many soldiers ran excitedly back and forth and could hardly wait to finally hold the letters of their loved ones in their hands. Bordon and Wilkens also received mail. They were given their letters and the men were pleased to see them.

A short time later James had made himself comfortable near a maple tree. He had already taken off half of his uniform and he knew that nobody would be upset by this circumstance. Also an advantage if the Colonel is not present. He read his wife's letter with excitement. She waited for him at home in England, together with her 5 children. Captain James Bordon was a family man and William was amused at how James could do it. As soon as there was one child, the next one was already in work. He loved his children above all else and also his wife. Even if it wasn't easy for him to keep his fingers with him. After all, he was married and not like William, who could never keep his hands with him. Nevertheless he became weak and slept with different women. He was just a man looking for relaxation and variety. His eyes flew over the letters and he had to smile again and again when he read the lines of his wife, where she described to him in detail what all her children had done again. Also that they had a Lady Beaufort visit with her son. This lady, as James remembered, he knew all too well. Very often he had seen her then. A beautiful young woman with promising attributes. But he had no interest in her. But there was someone who probably thought a lot of her. He closed his eyes briefly and looked around. Some time had passed and there was still nothing to see of Colonel Tavington.

You fucking idiot, William! Move your back here back to camp before...I shouldn't have let him go. Why didn't I stop him? He will, I'm pretty sure, cause trouble somewhere. That's how I know him and that's how he's always been. He didn't let himself be influenced there either. Also not through me and nevertheless...I should have stopped him! I have failed. Sometimes I ask myself, what is all this still supposed to do here? We should disappear from her and leave the colonials their peace and quiet. Then William too would finally find his peace. Hopefully! I can only hope that O'Hara does not appear here. Then there would be even more unrest. When he learns that Tavington has left the troops without permission...my stomach turns. Damn it, William! You with your stupid ideas. You fool! You fucking bastard! I could kill him for it. Strangle yourself.

He crumpled up his letter in rage. When he noticed it, he got up quickly, stroked his vest briefly and went back into his tent. He put the letter together with the letters for the Colonel in his wooden chest, put on his uniform jacket and hurried from tent to tent, finding the right soldiers for the job. After a while he had found them all and informed them. Now only one was missing, the man who was to lead the troop. James became impatient. But he could cleverly hide it. He still needed the Dragoons to ask for Colonel Tavington's whereabouts. He was a master at telling stories as if they were true. Such a "fairy tale narrator" as he was, they believed him everything and he lied what he thought. He could only pray that one day it wouldn't all come back to him and like a cue, he thought of William and where the hell he's going again. His right hand fiddled with his jacket pocket and pulled out a silver pocket watch. He opened it and looked at the hands, which made it unmistakably clear to him what time it was, and he lifted his head, looked around and pressed his lips together.

"Colonel William Tavington and where in God's name are you?"