Thank you very much to my kind reviewers, it all helps! This chapter is shorter than the other two so far.

The rain has slowed down enough that I don't really take notice when it leaves completely. The girl in my arms lies still, her pale skin shining with the water, her white dress stained dark with blood. The wisps of her golden hair blow gently in the wind.

This is wrong. She usually wakes up by now, she usually moves. I sit with her for endless hours that run together to become uncountable. She does not open those deep brown eyes. She does not move. Tears blind me. Why is she not back yet?

Laying her down gently on the rocks, I stand up slowly and back away from her to the large jagged rock. Resting my forehead against the cold stone, I breathe in. I can almost forget her presence behind me for several long moments, staring down at my feet. But then I notice the ground is red, the blood soaking into the wet earth, marking it.

The side of my fist hits the rock, clenched tight. Over and over again I pound the thing, cursing at it. My quiet words get louder and louder until I'm yelling at it, kicking it.

I'm interrupted by the sound of a gun being cocked. I turn to my wife. She's still lying there, motionless. It wouldn't have been the first time she'd pulled a gun on me upon waking up. But it isn't her, she's still asleep.

"Step away from the body, young man."

I spin around in confusion and stop when I see the guard. His gun is aimed at my chest, his hat pressed firmly on top of his head. The buttons on his red coat gleam in the faint light escaping through rain clouds.

I stare at him for several moments in despair, until he is joined by three more officers. They cover his flanks with their own guns raised, the long slender pieces of metal jabbing in my direction rudely.

"I said step away from the body." The first guard repeats, gesturing with his gun to the girl lying on the rocks.

I look back over my shoulder to look at her again. Her eyes flutter open, staring straight up at the dark clouds. She coughs, blood escaping from between her red lips. She rolls onto her side to let the blood drain from her lungs. Relief floods through me, allowing me to exhale deeply in a sigh.

The head guard signals, half-stunned, for his men to aid her. The three of them rush to her side and flounder over her, talking quiet and urgent words, fussing around, their hands everywhere. She whimpers quietly.

I turn and take a step in her direction. The first officer's gun pokes at my back warningly.

"Now young man, take a step away from the... girl," he stumbles, clearly about to say body again.

"You're the young man here. And you have no idea what this is about," I say as I turn back around to face him. His face turns red and he grinds his teeth together visibly in anger at my comments.

"Watch your tongue. I highly doubt you are older than I. Without further ado, you are hereby charged with an attempt at the murder of this young woman in a most violent way, and you will remain in custody until a hanging that is sure to come."

"I didn't try to kill her," I choke over the words, shuddering at the thought that they would believe I had done such a thing to her.

"Let's let the governor and commodore decide that. In the meantime, you're coming with me." He makes a move to shackle my wrists and in tired defeat, I let him clasp the cold irons on. Looking once more over my shoulder I see that she is lying back down on her back. Her eyes are closed, but I can see her breathing. The three officers carefully lift her off the ground. The two on the edges let go and let the middle one carry her as they turn and walk down the path that leads from the cliff to the town.

As the guard carrying her turns his back to me, all I can see are her legs draped over one of his arms and her hair cascading over the other. Her golden locks swing with the motion of the guard taking her away.

I watch with happiness that she's alive, but despair that once more she is pulled from my hands. The head guard pokes at me again.

"Move it."

Reluctantly I go, wondering what will happen when they try to hang me. I wonder if it will work. The hope that it will flashes across my mind briefly and I shut it out, letting the sound of the wind blowing through the trees erase my thoughts completely as I'm pushed along by the guard and his gun.

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