Back in the game for hardly a week and already we're lining up for another cavalry charge. My comrades try to hide their fear as they tack up but I can see it in their eyes. This isn't like the first charge where we galloped in thinking things would be easy, that we'd just ride our horses in and that would be it. We know better than that now, we know that it is very likely very many of us will not return to camp at all, if any of us do. We could be captured if enough of us go down.
I won't go down though, not without a fight! I rub Sparks' neck as I finish tightening his girth. My stomach is full of butterflies as I prepare to mount up. Sure I can say I won't go down without a fight, anyone can say something. I remember people saying the Titanic couldn't sink, and where is my fiance now? At the bottom of the ocean! I remember people saying we had the advantage during our last cavalry charge, where is James now? Dead and buried with a bullet in his chest!
"Prepare to mount, mount!" Jamie calls, cantering past on Topthorn. The big black stallion is looking a lot better now that the weather has warmed up. Jamie has been so happy that his cough has finally gone. It won't mean much if he's shot out from under him today though. I slap myself internally, why am I being so negative? I need to think positively!
It's hard, there really isn't anything positive I can think of about charging into battle. Not after everything the last battle cost us. I pull myself up onto Sparks' back and shorten my rein, my mind racing as I think of something, anything that could make me feel slightly better before this charge. All I can think of is music, more specifically the song James used to play most on his phonograph back in England. It was his favorite, and I grew rather fond of it after a while too, 'Roses of Picardy'.
Hardly thinking about it, I begin humming the tune to myself as I nudge Sparks in the direction of the other horses. Salisbury formation, just like last time. No, think of the song, the song is positive! Jamie doesn't give us a speech like he did before the last charge, I don't think there is anything he could have said that would have boosted our moral anyway no matter how charismatic he sounded about it.
Sparks shifts under me nervously and I stroke him to calm him down. I remember one of my riding instructors from the future telling me that a horse can feel if you're nervous, I need to get these jitters out somehow! Not enough time though, it's go time! The encampment we're attacking is right on open ground, and it feels eerily similar to the last time.
"Draw swords!" Jamie orders, he's far ahead of me this time around as our placements were shifted slightly with the loss of various men. I reach down and pull out my saber, resting it against my shoulder. It feels terribly heavy but I cannot dwell too much on it as Jamie gives the order to walk on. Sparks doesn't even wait for me to ask him forward as he tosses his head and starts walking. I tighten my grip on the reins and keep them tight, almost feeling guilty by how much I'm holding him back. I'm scared, I'm very scared.
The order to canter is given next, and I hesitate for a moment before asking Sparks to canter. Deep breaths, it will all be over in an instant, it will! The ground is muddy and suddenly I fear Sparks might slip. I attempt to slow him down however the battle cry resounds and he practically pulls the reins right out of my hands in his eagerness to gallop. I suppose I've no choice now!
Pointing my sword forward, I lean and encourage Sparks to gallop faster. The sound of hooves pounding the muddy ground and the sound of men shouting rings in my ears as we reach the camp. It's been a few months, let's see if I can do this. I lower my sword down, with a flick of the wrist a German soldier falls to the ground dead. "Sorry!" I say, glancing back only for a moment before finding my next target.
Flick, apologize, flick, apologize, charge through a tent and run someone over, apologize. My mom always told me that apologizing was the best thing to do, so do it I shall! However it doesn't justify my actions anymore than it did the last time. Suddenly my attention is drawn by the painfully familiar death rattle of German machine guns. I look up to see that we've been set up again, just like last time. However this time nobody is going to make it past the line of fire!
Sheathing my saber, I press into Sparks' neck and encourage him to run faster. There's only one direction to run and that's forward! I don't look up, I don't dare, if I look up they'll hit me! I feel Sparks jump over the guns and I breath a sigh of relief, I made it! I sit up and look behind me, there are many horses around me but not one, not a single horse has a rider. Dread and panic well up inside me, am I the only survivor?
Before I can even attempt to circle around and search for my comrades I'm surrounded, men grabbing Sparks' reins to stop him. Someone grabs me and yanks me out of the saddle, throwing me to the ground. I look around, there must be somebody! Suddenly I see a familiar black stallion gallop past with his rider still astride, it's Jamie and Topthorn! Jamie hardly acknowledges me as the Germans attempt to capture him as well, he turns Topthorn around and gallops in the opposite direction. It's too late though, I know for certain he will be captured right alongside me.
I'm forced to my feet and they immediately check me for any weapons I might be carrying. Finding none, they lead me away from Sparks and to a small group of soldiers, throwing me in the mud beside them. Is this who is left? There can't be more than twenty men here! "You alright?" a familiar voice asks, I turn to see Charlie and a wave of relief washes over me. He made it! It doesn't last long though as I see the blood dripping down his face from a head wound.
"Are you?" I ask and he offers a painful smile "Just grazed me" he says, "guess my cap wasn't so lucky after all". I sigh "Maybe it was, you're alive" I reply softly and he nods in agreement. We sit in silence with the rest of our comrades, simply cherishing each breath we take as we watch the Germans rein in all our horses. It isn't long before Jamie joins us, and we're forced to sit together and await our fate.
Nobody speaks, nobody dares to speak. In Jamie's case, I don't think he can speak. Whatever the Germans said or did to him before they brought him over to our group must have been earth shattering. He has never looked worse for wear than he does right now. The Germans are all talking about us, I wish I knew what they were saying but I don't speak their language. The only hint that they're talking about us is they keep looking at us.
Finally we're all forced up and lead away to the back of a wagon. Jamie's eyes widen as he catches sight of the two horses pulling it, it's Joey and Topthorn! I look around, where is Sparks? He must be around here somewhere? I don't get a chance to really look as I'm shoved into the back of the cart. I take a seat next to Charlie. When we start moving he looks back, unable to take his eyes away from the field we're retreating from. "They shot him right out from under me" he finally says, his voice shaky.
I swallow "What?" I ask softly, Charlie looks down at his cap and fingers the red silk lining "Blenheim". My heart breaks, Charlie loved that big grey stallion and frankly so did I. He tries to stay strong, but I can see the tears trickling down his cheeks "We'll get out of this" I say, keeping my voice as strong as I can. I don't know if those words are very true, but I'd like to keep faith. This isn't the end, it can't be the end! We've come so far in this war, and there's still so much war left to fight.
It isn't long before the wagon stops and we're once again forced out. It looks like we're in some sort of demolished little french town. They lead us into one of the buildings and force us up some very unstable looking stairs. Charlie is stopped downstairs, I want to stop and wait for him to make sure they don't hurt him, but the soldier leading me harshly shoves me forward and I'm forced to keep going. They lead us into a dimly lit, dirty, and rather drafty room. They don't say anything to us as they close the door behind them, a click lets us know the door has been locked behind us. We're trapped here alone.
Silence, we all stand in silence. What is there to say when we've been locked up here to die? I finally trudge myself over to the corner and sit, staring at the floor, thinking of a plan of escape. I'm no Indiana Jones or anything, but I think if I can get to Sparks, I can ride out of this camp and back to the group of soldiers we left behind. Then I could bring the reinforcements to save my friends. It sounds as good a plan as any doesn't it?
I'm broken from my thoughts as the door opens and Charlie is shoved in with a bandage around his head and his cap clutched tightly in his hands. The door slams closed behind him and once again a click lets us know we've been locked in here. Immediately Charlie comes and sits beside me, giving me a feeble smile "Well they're a bit nicer than I expected" he says. I can't help but smile a little at that, that's the optimistic Charlie I've come to know and love!
My eyes begin scanning the room and Charlie nudges me after a moment, lowering his voice "So have you thought of a plan?" he asks. I raise an eyebrow "What makes you think I've come up with a plan?" I ask him and he shrugs "You said we would get out of here, I took it you had a plan" he replies. Jamie looks up from where he is standing "You'll not be getting out of here. The door's locked and heavily guarded. Even if we could all break down the door, leaving this room would mean suicide".
Pulling myself to my feet, I approach the lone window in the room. It's small, and covered in a thick layer of dirt and grim. I wipe it away with my sleeve and peer out. There's much activity down below, troops still returning from the battlefield. I spot Joey and Topthorn hooked to the same wagon, being lead out with a large group of soldiers and a few of our horses. Something inside me tells me once those horses return to the field, they won't be coming back here.
Other horses however are being kept tied up at the edge of the demolished town, I spot Sparks among them. Scanning the rest of the town, or what I can see of it, it doesn't seem like there are too many German soldiers here. It seems to just be a hospital type of base, with a small regiment of soldiers to guard it in case of attack.
I turn back to Jamie, explaining my plan to him in a whisper. He seems to think it over before shaking his head "You won't get out of this building, even if you could get to Sparks you'd be shot dead before you could get anywhere" he tells me. I tap on the glass pane of the window "I could crawl out this window in the night. I'm small enough and no one would see me" I reply, my voice rising slightly in excitement. He hushes me "How will you get down, we're on the second story" he reminds me.
What do they always do in movies when someone needs to get down from a high place? They tie clothes together to make a rope of some kind. We're all still wearing our jackets, and while there are not many of us left here I'm sure there are enough to get me to the ground. It's only two stories! As I begin explaining this concept the few soldiers in the room, including Charlie, stand and come over. By the time I'm done we've formed a small circle of sorts.
My comrades nod in understanding "I think it's a good plan" Charlie says, nodding with the rest. Jamie bows his head and heaves a heavy sigh "Alright" he finally concedes "Tonight at midnight, we'll try it". I can see the worry written all over his face and I reach out and take his hand, forcing him to meet my gaze "I'll be alright" I assure him.
He swallows uneasily, I can see his resolve breaking down. I don't see the a cold-hearted cavalry major anymore, I see a little boy afraid of losing more than he's already lost. James is gone, most of his men have just been killed in an attack that he lead, Topthorn has been lead away to who knows where, and now another of his friends is about to risk everything. I might not come back, as confident as I am in my plan I know that it might not work. I might not come back, and that could devastate a lot of people in this time and in the future.
I wonder what would happen in the future, if I died here. Would my existence simply vanish altogether, would everyone forget about me or would they wonder what happened to me when I dove into the ocean and never resurfaced? I suppose that's why most people don't believe time travel can be a real thing, too many contradictions.
Outside the window I see it is growing dark. I encourage the men to start taking their jackets and tying them together. I don't really know how I'm supposed to do it, so I just tie the sleeves together as that seems to be how they do it in most movies I've ever seen. Once the rope is tied we test the window to see if it will open. Indeed it does, but just barely wide enough for me to squeeze out. I reach into my pocket and pull out Mr. Andrews' pocket watch, it's almost time for me to get out.
Snapping the pocket watch shut, I run my thumb over it before shoving it back into my pocket. Charlie approaches me "Are you ready?" he asks, I nod although I'm suddenly feeling very scared. Jamie approaches "It seems most of the camp is asleep. If you're quiet, you should be able to get away undetected" he tells me. I walk up to the window, the air outside is chilly and I shiver, however I think I shake more in fear than from the cold.
Finally I turn to the two men "Let's do this" I whisper. They both nod and wordlessly go to the far side of the room to retrieve the rope. We carefully begin feeding it out the window, waiting until we've reached the end of the rope. My stomach is full of butterflies for the second time today as I begin hauling myself out the window. Jamie and Charlie hold the rope, and I offer a final smile to them before beginning to descend.
It has been a long time since I climbed ropes in gym class at school but even so I still haven't forgotten the technique. They come in handy now as I lower myself down the rope, going down was always easier than going up. Suddenly though my feet no longer have any rope, and I'm hanging. Looking down, I see that it isn't that far down if I lower myself to the bottom of the rope with my hands. I'm not really known for my upper body strength though!
Carefully, hand under hand, I begin lowering my upper half down the remaining portion of the rope until I reach the bottom. Taking a deep breath, I let myself fall the rest of the way, landing and falling over. Quickly I scramble to my feet and hide as Charlie and Jamie pull the rope back up into the building. Now what can I do? I begin slipping down the side of the building, keeping my body pressed up against it. I try to imagine the layout of the base from the window. Where were those horses?
Suddenly I hear Germans talking and I immediately begin scrambling for a hiding place. Seeing a pile of rubble, I race over and hide under it, using my small size to my advantage and wedging myself out of sight. I listen as footsteps get closer and closer, their words growing louder and louder in my ears. It takes all my mental strength to control my breathing and not to shake. As soon as the Germans approach, their footsteps are retreating into the night. Letting out a small sigh of relief, I crawl out of my hiding place and continue on my way stealthily. I'm not out of the woods yet, literally!
Rounding a corner, I spot the group of horses tied to some trees. Sparks is the only white one amongst them, which makes him easy to pick out. He's been unsaddled, but that's alright. I can go bareback. Quickly I begin untying his rope, my hands tremble from my fear and it feels as though I'm merely fumbling with the knotted rope instead of untying it. Suddenly I hear a voice and look up, I've been spotted! My heart stops as a shot is fired in my direction.
I finish untying the rope in a second and haphazardly pull myself onto Sparks' back, kicking him forward. He springs into a gallop as another shot is fired behind us. I cling to his mane tightly as he thunders on, the reins also locked tightly in my grasp. However I don't pull on his mouth, not even the slightest bit. I want him to go faster, and faster, as fast as he can run and faster than that! I feel myself growing panicked as I continue to kick and urge him on, tears of fear blind me. I've never been so terrified in my entire life!
Trees and other objects blur past us as we charge through the woods, I try to guide him back towards the battlefield, however it is difficult to remember the way when I hardly got a passing glance at it from the back of the wagon. I press myself low to his back and continue coaxing him to go faster, kissing, kicking, whatever will do it! In my panic I drop a rein, and all I can do it
Sparks slips suddenly on a patch of mud and I shriek as he pitches forward, almost causing me to fall off. He catches himself and continues running as I scramble to get myself back on. Shots fired from somewhere behind us alerts me that we're still in danger, that they decided to give chase. They're still after us, they're going to shoot me! I'm going to end up like James!
I struggle to get hold of my lost rein, groping Spark's neck and clinging to him tightly. I grasp it, only to give more rein to Sparks so he can have his head and continue galloping faster. We soar over the occasional fallen tree we come across, each jump causing me to grip Sparks' mane even tighter in fear of falling. Finally a familiar sight comes into view, the line of German machine guns that took out most of my regiment. I press on, encouraging Sparks for more and more speed. More shots resound, motivating us to get going faster!
With a great leap we clear the machine guns, and we're once again out in the open field. Horses and men alike still lie dead on the ground, the Germans having not picked up everything from earlier. I don't look down, only press myself into Sparks. Suddenly a machine gun is shooting, and I let out a cry of fear. I want to go home! I want my mommy! I don't want to be in World War One anymore! The thunder of Sparks' hooves and the death rattle of the machine gun are deafening and my heart races. Please let me live!
Hey guys, sorry updates are a bit slow. I've got a lot on my plate right now with musical rehearsals, school, and my sister's birthday that's coming up on Friday. However I'm on vacation so I'd like to get another chapter up before Monday.
Thank you everyone so much for the reviews, favorites, and adding this to your alerts. Just a note, I'm sure I've mentioned this in previous chapters, but if you're getting a little lost on stuff like why she has a pocket watch that belongs to 'Mr. Andrews', all the references to her fiance, the future, and to Titanic, go read 'The grand misadventures of Thomas Andrews'. It is the prequel to this story, and will explain in greater detail all the little things she mentions. This story is actually the middle story of a 3-part series. I didn't mean for it to end up that way, it just sorta happened.
Anyway, please continue to leave reviews. I'm always open to ideas as well if you guys have any. Thank you all once again for the support. Hope to get the next chapter out really soon!