Chapter 2
Plans
John woke up to the sound of tapping on the window. He sat up and looked out the window.
"Brooke, what time is it? Why are you tapping on the window? Just use the door."
"Let's see, it's about three in the morning, so that also answers the second question." She said quickly climbing through the window. "Man, you are a hard sleeper. I stood out there for ten minutes."
John just then remembered that his room was on the second floor and stuck his head out the window to look down.
"How did you get up here?"
"I climbed, look at what I found." She pulled out the sword and mail.
John looked at them, then turned an accusing stare towards Brooke, "Found or stole?"
"Found, I'll show you what else I found later but I need to get home before my parents find out I'm gone."
Brooke was out the window and climbing down before John had even said good-bye.
Brooke climbed up onto the roof outside her window. She took off the cloak and hid the bow and quiver. Then climbed through the window, her brother was snoring loudly as usual.
She climbed onto her bed and stared at the ceiling.
Sleep never came when one of the towns' roosters crowed a wake up call. She had stayed up thinking about the tunnel and what she had found, along with the sword and mail she had found square hole in the ceiling, meaning that there was a way out of the tunnel other than the one she had made.
Ten minutes later her mother stuck her head into the room.
"It's time to do your chores."
Brooke scowled. The chores weren't bad but it was who she had to spend the time listening to. She got up and shooed Damon out of the room while she changed. Then climbed down the ladder and grabbed a basket of dirty laundry and picked up a muffin to eat on the way to the river.
Half way there she saw Joshua, a boy who had sandy hair and green twinkling eyes. She smiled at him before going on.
A little ways down the path to the river she met Matthew. He, though handsome and rich, was snobbish and was determined to have Brooke like him.
"Here Brooke, let me carry that." He said taking hold of the basket.
"I am fully capable of carrying it, Matthew." She said glaring at him.
"Ah, cranky this morning," he said putting an arm around her shoulders, "I can fix that." He said leaning in to kiss her on the cheek.
Brooke ducked and pushed him into the bushes. "Do you really think I'm as stupid as the girls in town?" She said looking down at him.
"On the contrary, you are by far smarter and more beautiful than all the girls in the town." He said smiling.
She rolled her eyes and continued down the path. He quickly stood up and followed.
"Don't you have something else to do?"
"No, my family is the richest family in town. So we don't have to do anything." He said smirking.
Brooke set down the basket and pulled out one of her fathers shirts. Matthew stood behind and watched as she took one article of clothing after another out of the basket then walked up behind her and knocked her off balance.
"Hey!" She said turning around.
Matthew quickly pinned her arms to her side and kissed her.
She kicked him in the shin and he let go of her arms. She knocked him into the stream with a great splash. She grabbed the basket of laundry and ran up the path. She spit and wiped her mouth with her sleeve.
On her way back home she saw John who quickly followed after her.
"So when are you going to show me the "other" stuff."
"When I feel like it." She said angrily.
"What's wrong with you?"
"I saw Matthew."
"So."
Her eye twitched. "Why does he always come after me?"
"He did something bad this time didn't he?"
"You could say that, any other girl would say it was a dream come true."
"Oh, got it."
A plan had been formulating in her head, "Here I'll hang the laundry then take you to see what else I found."
They had reached the house by now and John said good morning to Brooke's mother.
"John, would you come help me inside?"
"Yes ma'am."
Once they were inside she grabbed him by the shoulders and began to shake him.
"Are you or are you not going to ask my daughter to marry you?"
"I'll do it soon, before I leave."
"You'd better or I'll paddle your backside so hard you won't be able to sit down for months."
John made a face and left the house. He watched as Brooke finished then followed when she beckoned for him.
Once Brooke had reached the hole she jumped in without fear but John hesitated.
"Are you sure it's safe in there?"
"If I didn't would I have jumped down."
"Well, no but-." John's foot slipped and he fell on top of Brooke."
Their faces were extremely close and John could feel the blush creeping up his cheeks. But he didn't roll off of her.
"Uh, John,"
"Yeah?"
"You're sort of crushing me."
"Oh, right sorry." He stood then helped Brooke up.
"C'mon." She said dusting herself off as they walked.
When they had reached the room Brooke led him directly to the chest and pulled out one of the maps.
"Before I show you anything else you have to show me the route to the army encampment." She said handing him the map.
He looked at her quizzically and then pointed to the river that started in their tiny valley and traced approximately 200 miles up.
"Long distance isn't it?" She said.
"Yeah, I'm going to need a horse and supplies before I leave."
"I can help with that." She said opening the chest and showing off the treasure within.
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