November 21, 1779 - Continued
Returning home, Lillian took a shortcut and cut through another way until she came out to a field that belonged to one of the older farmers who hadn't gone off to war. She could barely hear the cannons firing off in the distance anymore, but heard the fluttering of wings and looked up, seeing a dark-feathered bird circling overheard before swooping down to perch on a fencepost. It was her faithful raven, Simara. The loyal blackbird cawed and ruffled her wings, greeting her mistress in her usual way.
"Don't stare at a raven for too long", said a male voice.
Lillian looked to her left and saw it was Albert who spoke. He was holding a basket of potatoes he helped picked from the field. "You stare at that bird for too long, he might carry your soul off to the land of the damned."
"Albert, what are you doing here?" Lillian asked him.
"Doing some fieldwork for Mr. Von Trotter", said Albert, setting the basket down. "He injured his back yesterday and hired me to help him finish digging up the rest of the field before the snow comes." Albert took out a rag from his pocket and used it to wipe away the sweat from his face. "Forgive me if I look a mess."
"No, that's quite all right", said Lillian. "Would you like me to help you work the field?"
"No, that's all right, I'm nearly finished."
"Would you like me to accompany you back home, then?"
"If you wish. Would you mind carrying this for me?"
"No, I'd love to."
Lillian bent over and lifted the basket, carrying it over to a cart filled with several other baskets, each one filled to the brim with potatoes and carrots and turnips.
"I never realized how much work a man had to do out in the field", said Albert. "To tell you the truth, I've never worked a day in my life. I'm quite proud of what I've accomplished here today."
"Why is that?" Lillian wondered.
"After my father came into some money, he said we would never have to work a day in our lives ever again. I told him I didn't want to live off of his money. I wanted to make a living of my own and make my own profits."
"What was his trade?" Lillian asked him.
"It doesn't matter. The point is, he didn't think I needed a job. I came back here to prove him wrong, among other things."
"Like what?"
Albert looked to her with a soft, gentle smile. "I thought for sure you would have figured that one out by now", he answered.
Lillian returned his smile, her bright blue eyes lighting up like stars.
Once they returned to Mr. Von Trotter's farm and offloaded the crops into a storage underneath the house, Lillian walked back to town with Albert.
"I'm sure Cassandra and Mr. Mortner are going to ask where I've been all morning", Lillian mentioned.
"I don't know what you mean", said Albert.
"There was a little mishap in the tavern this morning. I helped rescue a mouse and took it out to the Western Woods."
Albert looked at her and asked, "You still wander off into those woods by yourself?"
Lillian stopped walking and turned to him. "Not all the time."
"What were you doing there before?"
"Nothing. Whatever I do in the forest is my business."
"Do you still see visions of ghosts and evil spirits?"
"Albert, what a thing to say!" Lillian exclaimed.
"Relax, Lillian, I was only joking", said Albert, giving her a playful smile.
"Well, I don't think it's very funny of you to mock me the way you did just now", Lillian scolded.
Albert's smile vanished and he looked guilty for saying what he did. "You're right", he said. "I'm sorry for saying that. Shall I beg you for your forgiveness?"
"That won't be necessary. I will forgive you if you promise never to say that to me ever again. Will you promise me that?"
Albert nodded. "I promise", he vowed.
Lillian started walking again and Albert followed, staying close to her as they headed back home. While walking back to town, Albert kept looking at his female friend, seeing a melancholic look in her sad blue eyes.
"Mrs. Van Dien said you came looking for me yesterday", Albert mentioned. "She said you wanted to talk to me, but then that messenger came by to give Mr. and Mrs. Calvin the news about their son."
"You heard about that?"
"Everybody heard about it. Mr. Van Dien said you looked pretty upset when he went over to their house to announce it. I don't remember much about Timothy, but I know he was a good man. Very respectful."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be. What happened to Timothy Calvin wasn't your fault."
Lillian felt as though a knife had stabbed through her heart. Hiding her pain of the knowledge that she already knew Timothy Calvin would die, she instead nodded and said, "You're right."
"Would did you want to talk to me about?" Albert asked.
"I don't remember", said Lillian honestly. "Maybe I just wanted to talk to you because I thought you could help me take my mind off of my troubles."
"What seems to be troubling you?"
"Well, the war, for one thing. Secondly, I've been having some very disturbing dreams lately. I know I should probably tell Mr. Mortner about them, but I fear he wouldn't understand me."
"I don't see why he wouldn't", said Albert. "After all, he's been like a father to you for most of your life."
"But, Albert, that's just what troubles me. Some of the dreams have been about my father. He came to me to tell me a warning about something evil. I didn't understand him, but I wish I did. And then..."
Lillian trailed off, not sure she should go on. She felt like spilling out everything to Albert about her visions and her encounters with the Hessian, but feared he would ridicule her and think she had gone mad.
"Lillian, whatever it is you need to tell me, just say it", said Albert. "I promise I won't laugh."
"Do you believe in the gift of foresight?" Lillian asked.
"I have heard of it", Albert answered.
"Well, you see, my dreams are more like visions. Sometimes they show me things that have not yet come to pass, but then some of those visions and dream already have. You say that Timothy's death was not my fault, and that may be so, but if that is true, then why do I feel so guilty about not telling anyone? You know what the people of this town think if I told them what I have just told you. They would say I was a witch and try to hang me."
"But you're not. I know what you are. You're a prophet, not a witch."
Lillian was shocked to hear that. "You knew? How did you know about it?"
"I've always known, Lillian", said Albert. "Sometimes when we played in the Western Woods, you would claim you saw things that hadn't happened or weren't there yet. You'd say something about a soldier with no head."
"Did I really say those things?"
"Yes. The last thing you predicted was a woman sitting in a chair of some kind. Her legs no longer worked and she had to live in a home for cripples. You said she would be well-cared for by a kind-hearted doctor."
Lillian stared at him, amazed that Albert remembered something that she did not, something that she herself had predicted, but had no memory of ever foretelling.
"You don't remember?" Albert asked her.
"No, I don't", said Lillian.
Albert was puzzled, but cleared his throat and said, "Well, whoever the woman is, I pray she lives a good, long life."
Just as he started walking again, Lillian clutched Albert's arm and asked him, "If you knew about my powers all these years, how come you never told anybody? Why didn't you ever say anything?"
"Because your mother told me not to", Albert answered.
Lillian's eyes widened. "My mother asked you not to?"
"I told her you started seeing things that would happen to people and she asked me to keep it a secret. I never understood why she was so afraid of them when I was a boy, but now that I'm older, I finally do."
"Are you afraid of them?" Lillian wondered.
"Well, I certainly hope not, unless you see me growing fat and losing my hair in the future", Albert jested.
"Oh, you are horrid!" Lillian exclaimed. Giving him a playful shove, she told him, "Honestly, Albert, I think I liked you better when you were seven."
Albert just laughed. It felt good for him to know that even in dark times, he could still have fun with Lillian. She preferred his company over Richard Vallingby's, but still intended on seeing the Hessian again.