This one includes a flashback of Valley Forge, With Connor and Kastagir
An old man sat in his small house by the fire, as the snow silently fell outside. He sat there quietly, lessoning to the silence of the snow and the crackle of the fire, rocking in his old, wooden chair, which had surely been handed down. He lived alone, far enough away from everything that he knew he almost certainly would not have to worry much about this war, either way. He was free to live the life of a simple, hermit hunter. Until one day, unexpectedly, a crazy, desperate, lone American soldier came barging in the door with a shotgun pointed at him.
"OK, I need some clothes, NOW!!" I tried not to sound too threatening, really. But I was desperate.
"Oh, ok, I have two extra sets of clothing hanging over there, in the closet."
I went over there and got a set of them. Fortunately, they looked like they might fit me rather well.
"I also need to take this bag," I said, seeing the small, leather sack on the floor in the same closet.
"Also," I said, turning to him, lowering my gun now, "can I have a little meat? Just one days rations?"
He silently nodded his head and got me some. As I started to leave, he spoke.
"Why, sir?"
I turned to him, looking down, regretfully.
"(sigh), well, it's a long story, but know this," I said, looking at him seriously, "I am not a deserter! I am not abandoning my country! I just… have some things to do, and I have to go on with this on my own." As I walked to the door, I turned to him again. "I am sorry about this, sir."
With that, I walked out into the freezing cold night, once again.
Begrudgedly, I trudged through the freezing cold snow, my feet turning numb. This was similar to my horrible trek through the deserts of Northern Africa when I left Greece for the first time, only this was SNOW! Oh, how I Hate the cold! Just before I felt myself collapse again, I pulled out my dirk. A stab to the heart to speed up the process. When I awoke again, it was daylight, and I started out again.
Already, I was starting to miss Sue again. This reminded me of the time we were both with General Washington and his troops at Valley Forge.
DECEMBER, 1777
You see, the British had overtaken Philadelphia, and General Washington needed to find a secure location for us all to spend the winter Valley Forge was actually a Great military location. The backside was bordered by a river, while the two sides where bordered by creeks. To get to the front, one would have to go up a long incline.
I had broken off from Washington and his group to work as a secret agent and spy along with Kentucky Sue, so they were already there when we arrived. I soon saw Connor again, and was introduced to yet another Immortal, an old friend of his.
"Heheheh," came Connor's raspy laugh, "Well, well, look who's finally arrived, Mr. Government Secret Agent."
"At your service," I said, then turning to the large, black man who stood beside him, "Autolycus of Ancient Greece. But for these days, I go back Jack Stiles."
"Sunda Kastagir, just call me Kastagir. And who might this lovely lady be?" he asked, extending a hand to take hers. She reached and grabbed it with her usual surprisingly firm handshake.
"Kentucky Sue. I got the fastest guns in the States, an' don't you boys be forgetting it!" She said with a grin.
"Hohohoh, very good!" Kastagir laughed, taking her hand, "We seem to have ourselves our own little Gathering, here!"
"Yes," said MacLeod, "but it looks like there won't be any place for celebration, half the men look like they are already starving. Though, it looks like Some of us have been eating well, lately, I'd say." He said mainly to Kastagir, aiming it at Sue and me."
"Hey," I said with a grin, "can I help it if we make such a great hunting team?"
"Well," said Kastagir, "Enough with the formalities for now, let's all go see what General Washington will have us do."
NOW, back to 1813
Well, I had been walking for weeks now, sometimes stopping in a town to rest, and sometimes, ducking from, and sometimes taking out a few Brits along my way. I reached a small town, just before dying. As I awoke, I staggered up against a house to rest, but as I sat there, I could hear the people inside talking to each other. It was a couple, probably early 50s it sounded like.
"I am through with it, Marian, I can't live like this anymore! I am going to go right up there now, and tell them off! "
Now was the time, I had to act fast. Then again, what was I going to do? Well, I figured I would sort that out later-usually the way I work. So, I opened the window, and quickly went in with my gun raised.
"Oh, now you've done it, John!"
"Quiet!" I said. "Now, first of all, I want you both to go stand over by that wall where I came in. Now, you sir, my bag of things is out there beneath the window, go get it!" At which point he did.
"I, I'm sorry, I didn't mean those things I said." I leaned the gun in closer to him, glaring in his eyes.
"First of all, I said not to talk! Secondly, Sure you meant them! You're sick of being pushed around by the British in this town, right?"
At this, they both gave me a very confused look.
The man wanted to speak, but hesitated to do so, before finally saying "You're not with the British?"
"Of course not," I had started to whisper, as you could now here footsteps stirring up above.
"Listen, just be discreet for now, I'll be back….with a plan." I then snuck back out, through the window.
1777
General Washington had us build little make-shift shelters. There was hardly anything to them. We didn't have the means to properly seal them, so the wind cut right through. Nearly all the men were sick by now, with colds, if not pneumonia. Several of them were on the verge of starving to death. Meanwhile, those of us who weren't susceptible to such things, tried to keep up with our swordsmanship, while attempting to remain discreet.
One day, I found Connor and Sue sparing in a remote corner of the camp. Kastagir stood nearby, watching.
"Ok, look, when I come around like this, you've got to have your weight shifted down to your back foot," he came around with his sword, acting like he was going to cut into her side. She gasped from surprise and fear.
"Hey, easy Highlander, maybe she's a little rusty but you don't have to go all out on her."
When Connor turned at my voice, she quickly kicked his sword from his hand, kicking him in the side, and stopping him with her sword pointed at her face.
"Hey, Auto, I can take care of myself!"
Kastagir grinned, "hahah, I think she's right."
"Listen,", I said to Sue, "General Washington has chosen Major John Clark Junior to go towards Philadelphia as a spy. Major Clark has chosen 28…er, men, soldiers to assist him. You and I are in. We leave in an hour. Pack light, and brace yourself," I said, looking up at the thickening clouds, "it looks like the weather is about to go south, or north, as it were…"
1813
Ok, Autolycus, THINK! I could maybe lure them each away from the town and kill them off one by one, but then they might get suspicious. Of course, I thought, these people ARE probably never going to see me again. No, no, don't want another incident like in Greece. Besides, times were a lot different now, instead of hailing me as a god, they'd probably burn me for witchcraft. Besides, if they caught on to me, they'd probably end up killing all the villagers. I then snapped my fingers.
I walked into the local bar, still all tattered and unshaven as I was from weeks out in the wilderness. I sat down and got some ale. My beard was growing long now, and I probably looked like a burly hunter hermit walking in there, which is what I wanted. The few Soldiers that were in there started in on my right away.
"Well, look what we have here, gentlemen, a wandering badger!" then they all broke into laughter.
"What are you doing here, old man?"
"Just stopped to ease my mind on my way far away from here as I can. Unless, some bold soldiers like yourself would be willing to help me…help us Alll out!"
"You're crazy old man? You don't wanna know what we do to crazy people here."
"Oh, would you?" I pleaded, grabbing him by the collar, "Would you please, please be quick and merciful! Better than what….THEEEEY would do"
"Let Go Of ME! What are you talking about!"
"Listen, brave warriors, I SAW IT! Saw it with me own EYES!! Now these eyes, these eyes have seen many a strange thing, hunting out there in them woods up there. Wolves and Bears and even Mooses, MEESE, whatever! But none like this! I was with my friend Marcus when…. When I hear him cry out. I runs to him, and there, there I saw them! Looking half like wolveses, and half like….like somethin else! They had fur on their backs and scales on their bellies! I tries to help him, but i', i' too late! They already gots him! Ya Here ME!! Then.. Then, I saw it!! He starts turnin' in to one of them! I ran as fast as I could! I didn't think I was going to get away! But then, he went for his own HORSE! Starts devouring it! That be the only way I got away! Ya gotta Do somethin' Soldiers, ya gotta help!-"ENOUGH!" with that they grabbed me and started dragging me out of the bar. As we went, I continued "No, it's true, you gotta believe me! But watch out, men, I think they are attracted to that RED! Marcus was wearin' a Bright red jacket, and the horse had a red blanket!! That's the only reason I got away!"
"ON with you now! And don't let us catch you around here again, or we'll blow your crazy brains out!"
With that, I left and went back into the woods. I knew I would have to wait until dark before I came back.
1777
It had been a few hours since we left Valley Forge, and the weather was Really starting to turn sour! We all were traveling close together to try to stay warm. John cried out over the wind. It looks like it's snowing too hard to continue, we'll make camp here for the night. And so we did, we all slept huddled tightly together. The next morning, he broke us all up into ones and twos. As usual, Sue and I were together. Having spent so much time as a thief, and even having trained with the ninjas for a time, I can easily sneak around towns and populated places like a wisp of smoke. Sue, having spent so much time with the American Indians, and having lived out in the wild so much, was just as good in the wilderness. Together, we made an unstoppable team.
For weeks, we would sneak between British camps and forts, reporting back to Clark every few days. In late January, however, we all had to retreat back to Valley Forge because of the weather. We returned to find most of the men in a much dire state than ever before.
1813
A few days later, I returned to the small town I'd been in, wearing yet another disguise. This time, I was a scared old widow. I wore a heap of a cloak over my back, with a hood to hide my face. This time, I approached not the British officers themselves, but some of the villagers.
"I seen it, I seen it myself! Oh, oh, oh! My poor, poor Wesly! We were there at our home, over there!" I said, indicating the direction I had pointed just two days before when talking to the British soldiers in the bar. "I was just tending the garden, when these, these WOLF things came up and started tearing up my vegetables! Only, they weren't Wolves! They were all scaly and slimy! My poor, poor Wesly! He stayed back behind to fight, while he told me to run away! He said to make sure to warn all the towns this way!"
"Oh mam, here you look cold," said one of the young ladies "come, let us get you some hot tea and you can rest for awhile." "Oh, thank you my dear," I said, forgetting myself for a moment to this gorgeous young lady. Then, regaining myself, I jerk away from her hand. "I mean, No!, No!" Oh, I am sorry, my dear, but I must go on to war the other people. I promised him." And then Ieft the town, sobbing.
After a couple more days of playing different rolls, I had the entire town in an uproar about these 'wolf-like' creatures. Then, one night, around midnight, I went out far into the woods. I started by making a loud cry like an animal. Then I fired off a couple of shots and fired a few choice words as if I was struggling with the thing. Then, moving as quickly as I could, I went over to another area many yards from there, and let out a horrible cry as close to a woman as I could manage. Then, when many of the soldiers came out, I took them out. (there were only about 50 of them total in the whole town.) Still, I had wanted to solve this less violently. The rest of the soldiers fled from that town.
I didn't even bother going back into the town. I didn't want anyone saying I was a hero, and as I walked on through the cold, dark night, I worried that those who had fled might simply return to bring down Britain's fury on those people even harder than before.
Nothing could have prepared me for what I would encounter a few weeks later in Newark.