Music Inspiration: Immediate- "Glorious Victories"
The Battle for Snowball Hill
24 January 1772
Wintertime had arrived right on schedule and the children were joyful to see the thickness of the white snow that resembled refined sugar bathing the land. In Boston, the streets were cleaned daily to allow residents freedom to walk but Davenport was an entire blanket of white snow. Icicles grew as large as Samuel on certain days but the children were happy for their cozy winter as they snacked on freshly baked bread with cranberry preserves on top. Ratonhnhaké:ton had gone on frequent trips with Caroline, Elizabeth, and Samuel to pick the ripened fruits during October so they had enough of the delicious fruit for the wintertime rather than letting it go to waste. They'd picked what was ready on every trip, leaving a few mounds for the animals to eat, and returned home to put each little round fruit to good use. They enjoyed helping their mother with meals as she taught her girls the valuable skill and even little Samuel learned to make pancake batter since he'd be a bachelor one day.
Ratonhnhaké:ton visited them every two weeks like he'd promised and was mobbed every time by the three youngest children as they loved to talk his ear off. He enjoyed each conversation, being an avid listener, and it reminded him of his early years at the village as the Burnetts had become family. At sixteen winters old, Godfrey gave him fatherly tips about life since he was almost at the age of a man but Ratonhnhaké:ton carried himself more maturely than most. With his taller height, he was often carrying either Samuel or Alice on his back around a room but he'd almost groaned when Caroline requested his time. Thankfully, she meant that she'd wanted help with preparing a pumpkin pie for supper and needed a hand in cutting the ample orange pumpkin into pieces. She'd been ready to throw out the seeds when he informed her to dry and salt them for a nutritious snack or she could crush them with a mortar and pestle to use in adding taste to other meals. Caroline loved cooking alongside him as they learned different recipes from each other and his heart warmed when she admitted that she preferred his help and Amelia's more than anyone else's. If anyone else said the same, he'd take it as a compliment but when Caroline uttered it . . . somehow, it just felt different.
When the weather permitted, Catherine allowed the children half an hour of play but they had to be bundled up cozily with their coats and mittens. She was even stricter with Samuel and Alice since they were her youngest and the two resembled tiny lambs underneath all the wool garments she wrapped around them. Elizabeth had burst into laughter with Martha when Samuel tumbled down a small slope like a bale of rolled hay since he could barely walk under the weight and Alice had become stuck in a hollow pocket of snow. Godfrey removed one of their two coats to make it easier on the children but Catherine had insisted that they could become ill. When they hadn't, she relented but kept a keen motherly eye on them nonetheless.
Today, their parents had decided to visit Lance to check on him as he dealt with a bothersome cold and Catherine had made some hearty soup to take. Whenever somebody was ill, Catherine and Diana weren't far with their steaming stews to knock the illness out of a person. While the Burnetts were away with Elijah (for protection), they had left Diana in charge of the children as they played outside and she'd bundled Ann to join them. Terry had gone to feed the livestock for the afternoon and milk their cow since their Ann was a growing girl.
Alice blew on a dandelion seed head that she'd found on a cleared patch of snow as the lingering grass underneath had greeted and piqued her interest. She enjoyed flowers of all kinds and seeing even the tiniest one during a season where every human and animal burrowed into their homes for refuge was inspiring. It was hard not to feel isolated from the entire world as their tiny community was miles away from real towns and Alice wondered how many little girls had walked the earth under her feet years before- even centuries ago! Who would come after her and share the same scenic views of the dense forest and snowcapped mountains? Whoever it was, she hoped that they loved and cared for the land like she did because life was a precious gift to treasure. The fluffy gray seeds dispersed into the cold air to journey on an adventure of their own and she fared each of them well as she wished, "I want to live here forever and chase bunnies until I'm old."
Martha wasn't as amused when the fluffy residue covered her face as the wind shifted direction towards her and groaned indignantly, "Alice!"
"It wasn't me, the wind did it!" she exclaimed innocently since she had no control over the elements and maybe the little seeds wanted to tell her sister goodbye too. The girls laughed as Amelia helped her sister wipe her face clean from the prickly seeds and Samuel tried to catch a few before the wind carried them off.
Diana didn't want the children going too far from their home since the piles of snow around their homesteads weren't to be walked over without snowshoes. She clapped her hands from her spot on the log bench and beckoned them, "Come along, children. Stay near the house where the snow is thin!"
All six children and little Ann listened obediently since they didn't want to be hurt or disappoint their parents. Elizabeth picked up the small three year-old as her fluffy coat made her resemble a large pile of dyed blue wool and Ann laughed giddily as they all returned back to the center clearing between the houses. The younger children were quick to obey their elders since they laid down the law but Caroline and Amelia held a little more freedom as they informed their aunt they would bring firewood into the cabin. They left Martha in charge of making the children adhere to Diana's rules and the duo walked back inside the house towards the back where their father had cut another door leading into a lean-to. The tiny room was designed to face away from the wind currents and stored wood, kept extra food frozen, and dried washed clothing during the winter months. Whenever their parents left together to enjoy themselves or for errands, the oldest girls took care of any upcoming chores to make it easier and lifting chopped wood was easy.
The noses of the children had turned pink from the cold when they returned from their task as they'd made snow angels. Ann was too small for a shape and her arms had turned her angel into an egg, leading her to whimper to her mother that she'd never be an angel one day. Diana reassured that every good soul would earn their figurative wings and that she had years to grow to make her snow angels better. Elizabeth took away Ann's worry by bringing forth a new game that she wanted to play after not doing so last winter due to the little snowfall and excessive cold storms. She picked up the clean snow between her hands to mold an uneven ball and showed it to them with a wide smile, "Let's have a snow fight. We haven't had one in ages and the weather's perfect!"
"No, mama and papa left us in charge while they visit Mr. O'Donnell" Amelia objected firmly because she didn't want to be blamed if any of her siblings became ill. A single cold could easily become the death of a person and she wouldn't carry that guilt, crossing her arms to show she meant business. Martha agreed wholeheartedly since she'd obey her parents without question and wouldn't disappoint them by playing childish games. Elizabeth, on the other hand, decided she'd had enough of being cooped up like a pig in a pen but Amelia insisted by emphasizing her full name, "Elizabeth Jane Burnett, you put that down right now."
The girl decided to provoke her sister by flinging the ball over her head and called out jovially, "To arms, sisters and Samuel. We must defeat the evil Amelia and her ghastly jester, Martha."
"Jester?!" Martha shouted indignantly to being deemed that horrible title instead of a more acceptable position like commander. Who wanted to be a jester in their day and age?
"Elizabeth, play nice" Caroline lectured quickly to maintain civility between the three since they never stood against each other as family came first. Unlike Eliza that could roll words off her back, Amelia and Martha were sensitive to criticism and Caroline would have none of it. She'd been lucky to have each sister to call her own (and Samuel) so there would be no competition between them and compromised, "We'll play for five minutes but we have to return inside before our faces get numb. Is that all right, Aunt Diana?"
"Don't mind me, play until you're breathless" the blond woman chuckled since she didn't mind the children being carefree but would be sure they didn't overexert themselves. She'd warned them that when their hands were painfully numb, it was time to head in and no word about it. Ann was so happy that she tried to hop in place and fell down on her butt on the soft cushioned snow, laughing to her landing. Alice picked her up with a humorous laugh as Ann's black leather boots wiggled in the air and cleaned the snow off her backside to keep her tidy.
"We should build walls for forts!" Samuel grinned ecstatically as he grabbed nearby snow to clump together into a protective wall and all the children joined in to make two for protection. Martha and Amelia relented to the compromise since they wouldn't mind a few minutes to keep their siblings content but for only five minutes. Caroline used twigs to add support to the structure since pelting snowballs at each other would knock it down easily and Diana watched them with amusement.
"Remember, having snowballs on hand during battle helps" she suggested since she'd had her fun with the same games during her childhood back in Scotland. The location and time frame could change but a snowball fight was the same in every corner of the world that had snow. She couldn't wait for her Ann to be old enough to play so they could do it together in upcoming winters and maybe, she'd have another child to share it with one day.
"Eliza will have one team and I'll lead another" Caroline grinned enthusiastically for their short game as they divided into teams of three. She allowed her little sister to pick first as she continued making snowballs for enough ammunition to both sides so they could truly take advantage of the minutes. The snow had yet to penetrate the thick wool of her mittens so she'd have a decent while to play before the fabric became wet from melting flakes.
"It should be us lil' young'ins versus you old folks" Elizabeth smirked playfully as she grabbed Alice and Samuel as her comrades while leaving the eldest three girls together. Samuel wasn't so certain since they were quite small and the girls would have a good advantage in reach but Alice merely clapped her hands in agreement. She didn't mind which side she played on as long as she was with her siblings and checked her red mittens to make sure there were no holes for snow to seep through. Ann clung to her pink skirt since she'd never played with snowballs and Elizabeth made a quick note to the group, "But no throwin' at Ann, she's our wee snowball bringer."
Ann liked the sound of that and promised to bring snowballs to both sides so they would all be happy. She'd never felt prouder to join a game at her young age. Martha sighed to Elizabeth's butchered grammar since she didn't pay attention to most of her lessons nowadays and the smaller girl grinned mischievously, "I'm goin' to git ye the most, Martha."
The brunette girl grabbed a snowball from Caroline's small mountain and narrowed her brown eyes to beckon her, "Not before I make you the next snowman of Davenport."
The two girls started the snowball fight without warning and all of the children scattered to their respective sides to commence the battle.
A loud rabble to the north drew the interest of Ratonhnhaké:ton as he had finished finding materials to make arrows from since his walks through the forest could always yield hungry wolf packs. The noise drew his curiosity and he crossed the main bridge that linked the forest to the lumberjacks' households to investigate. The female cries and yells alerted him that danger might be near since he didn't hear their parents and the girls would never yell in that kind of weather. His protective instinct took control to defend the ones he cared for and he hurried to the homestead to make sure nothing harmed his friends. The snow hindered his movements as he hiked up the hill with the utmost haste and saw projectiles of snow being thrown in two directions. Were the children really fighting against a foe? He hopped over the wooden fence with ease after years of jumping into towering trees and drew his bow to pinpoint the danger facing his friends.
Instead, he found a sight he'd never seen- children pelting each other with snow.
One rogue snowball flew through the air and struck him on the left arm holding the center of the bow but he kept his grip steady. Otherwise, he would've run the grave risk of inuring one of the children. He lowered his weapon to sling it over his shoulders and placed the white-feathered arrow back to its leather quiver as he stared at the children with bewilderment. He'd never seen that type of behavior since meeting them and stepped towards the group with confusion written on his face as he asked, "What are you all doing?"
The Burnett children stopped immediately to their guest and a woman's laugh echoed as Diana sat on the bench to chaperone them all. With a friendly wave of the hand, she smiled with reassurance that everything was well and informed him, "No need to worry, Connor, they're just having a snowball fight."
Little Ann picked up a clump of snow to show him that she'd been deemed a snowball maker for the troops and chirped, "I make snowballs!"
Again, he stared with a blank face as the game failed to register in his mind at all! What were they doing by throwing snow at each other? Was there a specific time of year in colonist society where it was perfectly all right to beat your siblings with packed snow? It looked more painful than playful as the children were covered in clumps of it but Elizabeth beamed through her flushing face to exclaim, "Oh! We have to teach him!"
"I'm sure Connor has more important matters to attend to" Caroline stated to make sure he didn't feel obligated to play since he looked more than ready to offer the first lecture of his life to them. He'd told her that his studies with Achilles had shifted to writing for that month and it meant he was locked away in his room like a forlorn princess most of the time. She didn't want to waste his time because despite being the same age (well, she only needed two more months), he carried himself more maturely than she ever could. Being at the age where she was molding her identity and managing her self-confidence, Caroline felt modest at trying to hold onto the last strings of her childhood while he kept walking forward towards adulthood.
Elizabeth decided to be cheeky to get her way since she knew everyone, especially Samuel and Caroline, enjoyed his company. She knew how to ruffle the right trimming on her sister's skirt whenever their neighbor was concerned and smiled to muse aloud, "Fine. Say Connor, can you teach me to hunt a rabbit? I do like their meat in the spring."
Caroline sighed aloud to her rebellious nature as she saw the drawback of having a little sister follow in her footsteps. She couldn't help but feel proud and exasperated at the same time to her knack of biting into the right words to twist the conversation in her favor. So, Caroline decided to take the easy way as she chucked a snowball at her sister's shoulder and gently chided, "Eliza, you are my most . . . adorably exhausting sister."
"I learned from you, once you stopped falling out of trees" she grinned toothily to add one last jab and the eldest girl groaned to having her carefree childhood thrown back at her. You fall out of one tree and suddenly, you're nicknamed Slippery Fingers McGee by all the children. Amelia muffled her laughter behind thinned lips since her oldest sister had done the same back at Scotland and in one instance, enraged a mother bird that chased her all the way home. Elizabeth beckoned their neighbor with a hand as she headed for her demolished snow wall and piped up amicably, "C'mon, Connor, we'll teach you all about it. You form a ball from the snow and try to hit a target on the limbs but not the face."
Samuel showed him how to make a snowball and proceeded to throw it at Martha's butt to show the form of attack and the girl yelped, snapping in outrage for such a strike. Did he have no shame in front of company? Caroline held her back before she decided to chase him back inside the house and Martha huffed in her spot with reddened cheeks. Ratonhnhaké:ton wasn't sure about the strange game as he leaned down to make one alongside the small boy but Samuel smiled with excitement to a new partner, "You can lead one team and I'll be your sidekick!"
"Me too!" Alice chirped since she was always ready to play with Samuel and hopped over to join the two with a giddy laugh. She liked playing with Elizabeth but her older sister was quite spirited when it came to winning and loved her little brother's easygoing view of the world.
"That leaves three to four- it's uneven" Martha pointed out matter-of-factly since it didn't seem fair that Alice and Samuel were the youngest players on the opposite team.
"I'll sit this one out with Aunt Diana and Ann" Amelia offered since she wasn't one for playing too long, especially in the cold, and smiled at the group before joining the two. Ann was happy sitting in her mother's lap, despite she was growing bigger by the years, and her little feet kicked in joy to watching the battle. Amelia sat down with tired legs to breathe into her freezing mittens to bring warmth into her hands as the cold began to bite. Elizabeth might not follow her parents rule but she would and breathed against her mittens again before gently slapping her thigh to free flakes of snow from the fabric. It was best to free the snow from them than letting it melt since it would make one's skin colder with its dampness.
Elizabeth took charge of her new team with an iron fist as she placed Caroline as her lieutenant and named Martha her loyal steed. The brunette snapped indignantly to being demeaned even further down the social chain but Elizabeth insisted that every leader needed a steed. From the opposite side, Ratonhnhaké:ton still had no idea what he'd gotten himself into and listened to Samuel's instructions on how to attack to score points. Apparently, covering a person in snow from head to toe was a clear victory.
"This shall be a day for the history books as the King of Snowball Hill battles the. . . Connor, you need a title!" Elizabeth called over dramatically as she'd placed a fist over her heart to imitate the heroes of old and her sisters sighed. When Elizabeth played a game, she was really dedicated to her fabricated titles.
Ratonhnhaké:ton had absolutely no name in mind since adopting the name Connor was as far as he was going and Samuel replied, "The Lord of Davenport and I'm Sam, his loyal sheep herder."
"Aw, now I want that title" Elizabeth muttered under her breath to her sisters since it was quite nice and catchy but Martha batted her shoulder to get a move on. The copper haired girl hissed to being hurried on the eve of her own battle and looked over the snow wall to declare aloud, "Fine, let the battle of Snowball Hill commence and the winner shall hold the title as King."
Samuel threw the first snowball at Caroline as she failed to pay attention to their dramatics and Elizabeth groaned at having a shoddy lieutenant. What kind of king would have a lazy second-in-command? Then again, she'd beaten her in the previous battle so a king could not complain about his new subjects. She commanded both girls to focus on Alice and Samuel since they were small, which would leave Ratonhnhaké:ton without aid once they were indisposed.
By the third snowball covering her hood, Alice plopped down behind the wall to take a rest since Elizabeth was really fitting into her character as king. Frankly, she was happy to play a chair and would stay in that spot until she regained warmth. Samuel, however, was a brave little tyke as he kept fighting on against Elizabeth's onslaught and yelled he'd never give up Davenport. Ratonhnhaké:ton slowly found himself liking the game as his warm fur mittens kept out the cold and he smiled when one snowball knocked another out of Caroline's hands. She laughed to his accuracy but the man wielded a bow so it had to come as second nature and she ducked behind the wall to make another.
"Goodness, they are really biting at each other" Diana mused with surprise as Elizabeth led her team without pause while Ratonhnhaké:ton protected his little troops by taking the hits meant for them. Samuel's dramatic 'no-o-o-o' stirred laughter from Amelia as he struggled to make more snowballs while Alice braved the cold to throw hers at Elizabeth. Martha decided to be the ammunition maker as she packed the snow tightly between her hands and gave each to the other two so they could keep the onslaught going.
Elizabeth's strategy of taking out Ratonhnhaké:ton's troops, however, failed to stop the young man's stamina as he braved the cold easily. From his respective wall, he told Alice to make the snowballs while telling Samuel to play the decoy to lure the hits but he'd strike down the other girls before they could attack. Soon, Ratonhnhaké:ton dominated the field with his loyal soldiers as he overwhelmed all three girls to the point that neither could unleash a hit. If any tried to attack, he would block and either Samuel or Alice would go on the offense or he would attack with an immense amount of ammo.
"No, he's winning! He's taking my title!" Elizabeth yelled desperately across the snowy field since she'd been the reigning champion without competition for four years straight. She tried to find any weakness in Ratonhnhaké:ton but whenever she tried to get a good look, a snowball was headed in her direction. Caroline had gotten her hood knocked off the top of her head and Martha had been overwhelmed by Samuel and Alice. She'd never have believed it since they were so small but Ratonhnhaké:ton utilized their smallness to strike while he protected them. The three girls didn't protect anyone as Elizabeth ordered them to strike whatever they could so Ratonhnhaké:ton easily caught on that there was no cohesion between them.
Caroline chucked a snowball that pelted him on the back as he protected the two children and Martha blushed heavily when hers struck him on the butt. Well, that hadn't gone as planned. Alice and Samuel burst into laughter when Ratonhnhaké:ton exclaimed in surprise to the strike, leading Martha to duck under the wall with mortification. Caroline took the blame by waving a hand with a charming smile that somehow managed to disarm him for one moment. She saw the pause in his movements as their gazes met and while she waved, she used her other hand behind her back to signal Elizabeth to strike.
"I don't have any snowballs!" she cried with alarm since they focused on offense alone that neither of them had made more balls and Caroline's shoulders slumped. It seemed her friendly white flag of deception had not worked as planned. The spell broke on Ratonhnhaké:ton since he'd never experienced that strange flutter of warmth in his chest as he stared at her and didn't think twice about it.
With her trump card wasted, Caroline admitted defeat when she saw his hand rise to throw a snowball at her and covered her face to protect herself. Well, she had just left herself vulnerable in the open and it was the rational choice to attack her. Instead, Martha exclaimed to the left as he hurled the snowball with precision to strike a critical weak point in their snow wall and it tumbled down in clumps over her back. He'd spared Caroline to shatter their fortress of protection and despite the cold settling into her body, her cheeks flushed with warmth. Had he meant to do that or was it a sudden change of mind?
"Caroline, help us rebuild or strike him down!" Elizabeth ordered swiftly as she gathered the clumps of snow and twigs in an attempt to build a makeshift mound for defense. She wasn't about to lose her title without a fight but this was one snowball battle worthy in her book as she fought to the bitter end.
This was what winter was all about!
Godfrey and Catherine returned home close together in a huddle against the cold with Elijah on their tail to find the children covered in snow as Ratonhnhaké:ton dominated the battlefield with a confident whoop. His second lieutenant, Samuel, resembled a tiny snowman as he fought on valiantly with half-formed snowballs in his hands while the top of Martha's red hood was covered entirely in snow. All of their cheeks and the tips of their noses were pink as multiple voices called out but Elizabeth's and Ratonhnhaké:ton's were the dominant ones. Godfrey laughed with amusement as the two rallied their troops over their snow barricades and called out, "Well, it seems the winter isn't dulling yer spirits."
"Children, get in the house before you catch death out here!" Catherine chastised as she ushered her youngest children hastily inside to bring the warmth back into their flushed faces. How could they stay out in the cold for so long? Samuel shook free from the snow to resemble the little boy he actually was and left clumps under his feet as he slipped into the warm house. Alice chirped everything they did since she'd never felt such excitement in the cold as she played the role of a soldier- no little girl could say that! Her red mittens moved with the swiftness of a robin but Catherine led the two to the fireplace to remove their heavy coats and asked sharply, "Didn't your Aunt Diana tell you to come inside?"
"Yes, we promised after five minutes but you came just in time after she left!" Alice answered quickly since they hadn't disobeyed either of them and their aunt Diana didn't mind them having a little fun. They wouldn't disobey her since she'd promised to come back immediately if she still saw them outside from her home. Alice didn't even feel sick at all and wanted to participate in another snow battle.
Elizabeth saluted Ratonhnhaké:ton as she bowed like an honorable king since she had lost fair and square. The title had gone a man deemed worthy of it but she could always make another title for herself. She liked the sound of 'Emperor of the Emerald Mountain' since spring would be soon and mud balls would be plentiful with the melting snow. She maintained her character to the end as the cold wind began to trickle in over the mountains and grinned cheekily to bestow the title, "You, sir, are now the king of Snowball Hill. Carry the title proudly for it has been my honor to do so."
With that said, she scurried inside with Martha behind her as the older girl chastised her for staying out too long. The shorter girl didn't hesitate to reply that she hadn't complained about their playtime until their mother arrived and Martha's cheeks flushed indignantly to the fact. Both girls headed inside with Elijah on their tail as his pink tongue licked snow off his lips as his fur held snow in several places from his trek with the Burnetts.
Caroline chuckled to Ratonhnhaké:ton's puzzled expression to her sister's title abdication since colonial games were still fairly new to him. Just as the frontier was new to the settlers, colonial lifestyles carried the same strangeness and she smiled warmly, "You grow accustomed to her way of speaking. If she was much older, I'd say she fancied you."
His nose turned rosier than it already was since female attention had never been a concern but as he grew older, wondered if he would receive it. It wasn't a concern for him but the thought of someone finding him with the potential of being a husband . . . he wasn't ready for that yet. Being young was the major factor but he had a dangerous mission to fulfill and would finish it alone to prevent anyone being caught in the crossfire. He resumed his calm face when Godfrey approached the two as his heavy boots crunched the snow underneath him and Caroline knew it was time to head inside. The young boy didn't want any of the children to be at fault for the lengthy play outside and quickly reasoned, "I heard shouting and assumed the children were in danger . . . but I was caught unaware to their game. I didn't mean to tread over your household rules-"
"Your intentions were kind by entertaining them and you're allowed fun for a few years yet, you know" he forgave easily with a friendly smile since his children loved the young man and Godfrey felt nothing but trust for him. Ratonhnhaké:ton's shoulders relaxed at knowing they wouldn't be in trouble and met Caroline's gaze as she smiled at him for the vote of support. The next second, however, it disappeared when her father admitted playfully, "Why, Caroline here tumbled down hills until she was thirteen-"
"Boban, we mustn't keep him any longer" she interrupted hastily with a nervous chuckle to her giddy carefree childhood and didn't want him thinking she was tomboyish in her ways. She tugged gently on her father's arm to budge him towards the house and hoped he'd take the hint to head inside. When her boban started talking, he could go on for hours.
"My bairns enjoy your company, Connor, so thanks for keeping an eye on them" Godfrey told the young man since he protected the children as well as himself, Terry, and Elijah when they weren't on the property. He couldn't ask for anyone better and appreciated having a good neighbor like him since crowded colonies focused solely on one's family. It was a reason why neither he nor Terry liked the area and longed for open land where neighbors helped each other out and returned the favors.
"Wait, I watch them too" Caroline murmured softly since she was the main caretaker when they were gone and none of her siblings had received a nasty bump on her watch. When she'd worked in Boston and currently with her father, Amelia took on the responsibility and had yet to disappoint. Nowadays, both girls didn't hold a candle to the bow wielding boy that awed their little siblings as he represented freedom and adventure itself.
Amelia chuckled from behind as she stood by the closed doorway and swatted at forming icicles that were forming on the roof with the handle of a broom. It was best to remove them before they froze over the wood and lengthened to a dangerous point that could cause bodily harm. She smiled at the two as her hooded face was obscured by the top of the wool fabric and reminded with amusement, "But he can run like the wind and carries a tomahawk to eradicate danger around him. I'm sorry to say, Carrie, but we'd all chose that option."
Caroline frowned since she didn't have that allure to squash danger and mused airily, "Well then, I might just start learning then."
"You can't even handle boban's hunting rifle" Amelia chided playfully about her lack of skills in comparison to their neighbor and Caroline chased her into the house. Their laughter echoed into the wind blowing through Davenport and faded inside the cozy cabin as they helped their mother tend to their siblings by removing their wet clothing to let it dry. The rabble of noise could be heard outside as Elizabeth and Samuel retold their battle to a thin-lipped mother that reminded herself to lecture them about following her rules. She didn't want to lose any of her children to illness during the winter, especially Samuel, after losing two sons years ago.
"I hope they aren't in trouble" Ratonhnhaké:ton apologized one last time since he didn't want to overstep his bounds with the family by going against Catherine's rules. The children tended to pull him into their games with their friendship and he couldn't say no to Samuel or Alice since their round bright eyed faces were too hard to deny. If he did manage to break their spell and listen to logic, Caroline and Elizabeth were the next obstacles to tackle but he didn't win against them either. Godfrey waved a hand in dismissal since he was the easygoing parent of the two and his children were resilient little things so he thought nothing of it.
"We have extra wood if you need any up there because it looks like we'll have more snowfall tonight" Godfrey offered kindly since a home with a hot oven could fend off the tendrils of coldness that seeped through wood. They had plenty in a pile inside the lean-to of their home to make it easier to grab when snowfall piled around their home and he didn't mind sharing with his neighbors. Each looked after one another and it was the best community he could find after multiple searches throughout the colonies. Connor declined politely since he and Achilles only needed a little since they usually retired to their separate rooms after supper but they had enough in stock. Also, the manor's brick structure kept more heat inside the house than wooden cabins so they fared a little better than most. Godfrey nodded so he could let him head home for the evening before the snow began to fall and bid him farewell, "Have a good evening then, Connor."
"And you, Mr. Burnett" Ratonhnhaké:ton replied as he pulled the hood of his coat closer against his face to bring heat to his numb cheeks. The weather might be cold enough to seep into one's bones but his heart was warm with friendship after partaking in a friendly game.
Winning a make believe title was also a great bonus for the day.
25 January 1772
On the following morning, Caroline removed icicles around the house with Amelia and their father as they used long sticks to budge the spikes off the roof. They were stubborn to break away from the wood and the morning sun would not aid them as it lay obscured by heavy white clouds in the horizon. The snowfall would return soon so while her and Amelia worked to remove the icicles, their father hurried to tend to his chores with the livestock by feeding and watering them. Molly received a little extra corn feed since she was eating for two and the children couldn't wait to see her foal in the upcoming spring. They'd never had a foal to call their own so its upcoming delivery kept the children excited and Samuel boasted that he'd be the first to ride it when it was old enough.
For half an hour, only the breaking of ice against the wooden roof could be heard outside while the other children stayed inside their home to help their mother cook. Alice and Samuel, being the youngest, helped to fold the laundry their mother had ironed in the morning while the older girls kneaded dough and stirred the food. From sunrise until sunset, the Burnett family worked hard like any other family to keep a household running and the bustling of feet over the hardwood floor never ceased. Around company, Catherine would tell her children to walk carefully without sound but in private, they could pitter patter all they wanted. One day, they would all leave her house for lives of their own and she'd rather savor a house full of happy well-behaved children rather than morose ones.
Amelia and Caroline sighed in relief when all of the icicles were broken shards upon the white ground so they could rest their arms. Bending over to the ground, Caroline seized one crystalline icicle to lick it after seeing other children in the colonies doing the same. Nothing could beat a free treat! It was a safer habit in the wild where everything was fresh and untainted but Amelia sighed with dismay, "Carrie, you'll get your tongue stuck on that . . . again."
In her young haste to share and mingle with New York children, her tongue had become stuck on one and she hadn't lived it down very well. Thankfully, they moved away a month later to New Hampshire where Alice was born and she forgot all about the icicle incident by tending to her newest little sister. At Lake Champlain, it reared its ugly head again when the friendly children grabbed them after her Uncle Terry had cut icicles off a few cabins in the logging camp and her tongue became glued to one. Her mother had chastised her twice about being careful but Caroline enjoyed the freezing cold on her tongue as it broke out her skin in goosebumps. She waved away Amelia's warning since water was nearby in case she endured another accident and nagged protectively, "When you get your icicle, you do what you want with it."
"You're as stubborn as Eliza sometimes" Amelia scoffed to her hoarding of an icicle since she saw no pleasure in it but smiled to her sister's insistence to be left alone. She grabbed the broom next to the doorway of the cabin to sweep the icicles from the front entrance to maintain the area clear for walking. Caroline licked the clear icicle in rebuttal but did so quickly to avert her tongue from becoming stuck and smirked proudly.
Speaking of the little devil, Elizabeth stepped outside with her brown wool coat since Martha tended to commandeer the kitchen when helping their mother. Elizabeth didn't care about being a good girl but she didn't like her older sister hogging the entire area to leave her with menial tasks. Anybody could watch a block of cheese! She noticed her oldest sister hogging icicles in her blue mittens and exclaimed to her secret stash, "Ah-hah! Carrie's eating icicles again!"
Caroline held out two for the younger girl in a bribe since their mother didn't like them eating anything that wasn't grown from the soil or made with their hands. Elizabeth grabbed the icicles into her hands as she used her sleeves as makeshift mittens and smiled slyly to holler back, "I mean, she's going to heat icicles for water again!"
Amelia merely shook her head to their mischievousness and began to collect snow inside a pail for extra drinking water since they loved drinking stews during the winter. Since they'd made herby sausage balls to freeze from pork after the butchering season, they were delicious inside stew and could be eaten pan fried as well. Just thinking about it made her mouth water and a familiar scent caught her nose, "Sausage balls!"
On the northern side of the community, Ratonhnhaké:ton trudged through the thick snow with a wicker basket strapped to his back. There were heavy rocks inside the basket that Achilles had placed since he wanted him to walk two miles and back with the weight. It would help strengthen his body when it came to stamina and lifting weight, especially dead enemies that needed to be concealed, since the winter was the hardest season of all. The continual snowfall that year covered every green field in thick snow and the cloud cover above foretold of more to come throughout the day. Last year's weather had been extremely cold with moderate snowfall but this year, it was the opposite.
He'd wrapped himself snugly in flannel undergarments (they were agonizingly itchy) and a beaver fur throw helped to seal in warmth over his wool clothing. He was making a fur coat out of a wolf pelt with the help of Caroline since she had the most time to offer and he didn't want to bother her mother. While Amelia loved to study and teach, Caroline enjoyed sewing the most and he valued her help since she never denied him. Now that he was a growing adolescent and out in the world on his own, he needed adequate traveling clothes during harsh months in both the heat and cold.
It feels like I'm carrying a horse, he thought miserably to the heavy weight upon his back and groaned under his breath when the tip of his nose itched. Really? Now, of all times? He had to lower his head to rub his itchy nose against his knuckles since his hands held the leather straps tied to the basket over his shoulders. I hope he doesn't have me diving in icy water to accustom myself to frigid temperatures.
Thankfully, the weather was clear for the moment and blizzards hadn't occurred that year. Otherwise, the pounding onslaught of snow would've blinded him and numbed his limbs to resemble icicles. Somehow, he was sure he'd have to jump into a frigid river sooner or later to become an indestructible assassin. A flicker of stubbornness surfaced in his mind as it wanted to catch a break from training since the old man hadn't lessened the intensity of each lesson. However, his strong will won over because he would follow every order diligently and missions wouldn't allow him breaks. This is what he was destined for and he would see it to the end on an honest path without any shortcuts or immature fussing.
"I just wish it wasn't so heavy" he sighed aloud with a grunt as he tugged on the straps to balance the weight bearing on his back. How many rocks had been placed inside? If he happened to collapse in the snow from an overstretched muscle, he hoped Achilles would come fetch him in his carriage. Glancing around his surroundings, he could see no path in sight since he'd taken a straight path through the snowy hills and doubted anyone would find him quickly on foot if he broke an ankle. That . . . did not comfort him in the slightest.
Thirty minutes into his brisk walk, he passed by the Burnett household in the distance as they threw icicles into the snow to keep their home clear of them. He paused for one moment in longing for his home away from home as he watched dark smoke puff into the air from their fireplace. He couldn't see exactly who was outside from his spot over the hill but hoped the children were enjoying themselves on that cold day. If he could cast aside the basket and run down to drink the sweet cranberry juice Mrs. Burnett made every winter, he'd do so. Unfortunately, his studies came first if he wanted to achieve his destiny so he was stuck carrying the heavy load for another mile and a half.
Alice caught notice of him as she made a smiley face in the snow since her mother allowed her to play outside for a few minutes while Caroline kept watch. Samuel had been out a few minutes prior to make a few snow angels and helped his father bring in a new load of firewood for the fireplace. After yesterday's snowball fight, it took a united front of all the children for their mother to allow the youngest out to frolic for five minutes only. Her light brown eyes squinted since poor Ratonhnhaké:ton resembled a brownish-black blob more than anything to anyone in the distance and she blinked with perplexity. It reminded her of a moving ball of dirt as it contrasted against the pure white snow and she called to Caroline with uncertainty, "Carrie, I think there's a buffalo out there."
Caroline chuckled to her comment and kept collecting snow from the nearby piles that their father had shoveled away since they needed to take baths. All of their work was finished by Saturday evening so they could rest on Sunday as their religion dictated. There was no cooking, cleaning, playing, or doing chores for anyone as the day was devoutly observed and the children were expected to keep quiet. Elizabeth hated it since she enjoyed telling her siblings jokes to make them laugh but her father told them that patience was a virtue and they had to abide by his rules.
Alice pointed to the strange blob in the distance for clarification since her assumptions could be wrong. Caroline smiled warmly to her little sister since her imagination could run wild but loved her innocent view of the world. In her mind, everyone could live together happily and Caroline hoped that she'd never have to leave Davenport for the outside cities where that dream could be crushed. She embraced her dear sister from behind as the wool coat made her as soft as hugging a sheep itself and chuckled gently, "Oh, Alice, there's no buffalo out here. They're all west now in French territories."
"But it's lumpy and brown" she insisted meekly to the mysterious dot in the horizon but glanced away when a snowflake landed on her left eyelash. It tingled with its coldness as it grazed her eyelid and she smiled widely before brushing it off her face. Winter was so pretty with its white blanket that rivaled the great blue sea and it kept her family together under one cozy roof to bond. She liked having her boban home to tell her stories and show him her patchwork squares but her pride came in teaching him words. Just like she had difficulty learning, she wanted to teach her boban because if she could do it, anybody could!
Caroline couldn't see anything in the distance at all and released Alice to grab the pails that she filled. Quickly, she hurried inside to hand the pails to Amelia so they could warm next to the heat emanating from the fireplace. Her younger sister had begun to place the ironed clothing in their respective trunks but had refolded a few items since Samuel thought folding it all into a square would keep everything neat. When Caroline returned outside, the thick cloud cover was a cause for concern and she wadded into the heavy snow to peer into the back of their home where the barn was located.
"Papa, I think it might snow again!" Caroline called out as she noticed light snowfall dropping onto the ground and watched her father raise his arm in acknowledgement. Hurrying back to Alice, she ushered her little sister inside before she grew too cold from the temperature and promised she could play another day when the weather appeared better. Alice didn't mind going back inside and was complacent being beside her family so she'd find joy with the simplest of things. Caroline halted when a brown lump could be seen in the horizon since the sloping hills could hide animals and mumbled under her breath, "Huh, maybe it is a buffalo . . . or a bear that woke early."
The two girls and their father retreated back inside the house to remain warm since the livestock had been fed for the day and they'd kept the house clear to allow room for more snow. Otherwise, leaving it be would drown their little cabin before they knew it and had to keep watch on the roof to make sure the weight from the snow wasn't too much to bear.
From his spot on the snowy hill, Ratonhnhaké:ton noticed the sparse snowfall but knew it was the beginning of another day full of it. Would there ever be a day without it this month? This was not good news for him since he had ground to cover and his raven locks spilled out of his hood as he hung his head to sigh miserably, "No, not snow- not now!"
He would utter no more complaints to spare himself the torment and imagined a balmy afternoon in the southern colonies. He'd traveled there twice in the Aquila and had never experienced the humid temperature of the south in all of his years. He'd changed into two sets of clothing within a day during his first travel but the food had been delightful- even if he had to fake being a Spaniard for service. The light shower of snow eventually began to bite at his nose and fingers but he kept his mind pictured on the humid temperatures of the south during the summer. The mind was a powerful weapon and he would utilize it to help him out of this bind with the climate. Snowflakes began to fall on his eyelashes but he paid them no mind as he kept his eyes closed shut and continued walking.
Think hot Georgian weather.
Think flaming fireplaces.
Think of hot cider burning one's tongue.
Think long walks under the hot boiling sun.
Positive thinking would lead him to success!
Positive thinking had not been his best friend that day.
By the end of the first mile, he had practically been buried under a feet of snow that had been added to the two already at his knees. The snow had decided to be cruelly unrelenting that day by arriving hours earlier than the clouds predicted with their false sense of security.
By the end of the second mile, his teeth were chattering down to the bare gums and his nose was dripping icicles.
By the middle of the first mile back, he had to slap his own limbs against each other to keep the blood flowing. He was not going to become a human icicle for the scavengers to eat in the following thawing days and had continued onwards with the thought of a scorching fireplace.
By the end all four miles combined, he was crawling onto the manor's doorstep and had newfound respect for turtles (they carried their own house) and horses (they carried him and countless objects). It was a surprise to him as to why he hadn't become frozen after four miles but he could barely feel his toes and fingers anymore. He'd have to use snow to thaw them a bit to make sure he didn't lose any if they had turned deadly pale and would have to sew himself another pair of warm socks to protect his feet during travel.
Achilles, in his cozy attire, had been waiting for him at the door when he crawled onto the stone steps and helped him tear off the basket from his back. The snow fell steadily over the blanketed hills but the wind had calmed somewhat and the old man pulled the exhausted boy inside the manor. Ratonhnhaké:ton's raven hair was covered in crystalline flecks of snow while his clothing was covered in clumps of it that had accumulated during its downfall. He was drained of energy as the cold penetrated every fiber of his being but he would not fall asleep out of fear of never waking again. Despite being an older gentleman past his prime, Achilles managed to support the tall boy without a problem and led him into the large parlor to warm up by the roaring fireplace. Ratonhnhaké:ton fell into a wooden chair to rest his languid limbs and felt the heat emanating from the flames tickling his numb nose.
"You've done well, I didn't expect the snowfall but it helped add last minute strategizing for you" the old man approved of his success to keep walking in the snow rather than turning back in defeat. Ratonhnhaké:ton simply wanted his poor nose to thaw and would have to alter his winter attire if he had to venture out during snowstorms throughout the winter. He'd have to hurry with finishing his fur coat to provide an extra layer of insulation and would begin to collect fabric for new clothing. Between altering his clothes every time he grew and gained muscle, he didn't have much time for crafting new clothes. Frankly, he was still wearing items that he owned from his arrival to Davenport to let out the fabric for altering rather than buying new materials. He could barely hear Achilles over his chattering teeth and thawing limbs as the old man declared, "Tomorrow, you will train inside. I'll go get you some warm tea and some snow to rub on your feet."
This time, he wasn't happy to hear of his accomplishment and decided a warm nap by the fire was a much better option when you resembled a human icicle. More than anything, he wanted to regain feeling in his body and feel the warm tingle of being nicely roasted against the fireplace. In the end, his reward was earning a new compliment from Achilles. . . and a cold that kept him rooted to the bed for the next three days. Well, at least he had delicious stews brought in from the Burnett and Galloway households to savor as he sneezed, coughed, and resembled a cherry wrapped in a blanket cocoon of misery.
A/N: Although my city never has any snow, I've walked in enough of it during camping trips to know it'll chill you to the bone. I remember loving the spring/summer portions of the AC3 game because the winters were the hardest to free run in and was surprised Connor didn't tip over in defeat. Lol. He's steadily growing into the assassin we all know and love but it's only 1 year and 9 months now until the Boston Tea Party incident. Next time, we'll start to see Caroline's growth in skills as she seeks Ratonhnhaké:ton for tutelage in a certain field. On another note, how dare Ubisoft not continue Connor's story into AC4? I really liked his character as he reminded me of kinder and friendlier Altair.
I dance on my tiptoes (figuratively) every time I receive a review and thank each reader for their alerts and fav's!
Polinka123: I'm glad you liked the last chapter and I tried to remove the review but the site only allows it if it's anonymous. Otherwise, you can only report it as abuse but I'd never do that to you. :) If there's any issue with this chapter, PM me so I can contact ffnet since I want all of my readers to read each chapter that I took so much time in writing.
BloodlustAssassin: Yes, I will be adding all of the homestead residents as time passes on and Warren and Prudence will be next after the Boston tea party mission in December 73. I like Norris since meeting him in the game (along with Myriam and the lumberjacks) and since he carries explosives to mine with, Elizabeth will love tagging along to be his helper. As the children grow, they'll each branch out to find a field to work in alongside the residents so they'll all be there from Big Dave to Father Timothy.
NoNeedToAsk: Thanks, I try to update this story weekly since it's usually my shortest but sometimes, life comes up to tell me 'no, not till one more week'.
Sleepingsnowwhite: They are rather sweet and they've yet to actually care for each other romantically so we'll be seeing a flustered Connor one day. I'm not sure how many chapters it is until the captain's robe since the game had him receive everything by 1773 so that's when he'll get all of his assassin goodies. It's not too far away but he'll be surprising the children and Caroline as the latter girl finds the unknown 'stranger' handsome, only to realize it's Connor. Lol.
LurkingLady: Don't worry, I don't bite my reviewers but shower them in kind friendliness and virtual cookies. I loved the homestead missions and definitely wanted more time to see Connor grow up since apparently, Ubisoft will be having a new protagonist for AC4 in 2014. Thank you for loving the story and feel free to write a review any time since I love reading them, even if they're just questions about the story.
NinjaxSketcheartx: I'm so glad to inadvertently touch on events in my readers' lives as their situations relate to you guys. I enjoy reading history and the pioneer days were definitely rigged with danger and adventure as Americans moved out west. The snowball fight was definitely meant to sound like a battle as Elizabeth takes her imaginary titles to the maximum and Samuel resembling a tiny living snowman was too adorable not to include in their fight. Connor will probably put his strategizing skills into practice when he really partakes in the battles of the game but for now, he can juggle snowballs as fake ammunition. I'm glad you find yourself loving one of the characters since I tried to give them each their unique set of traits but for some reason, I love little Alice. Lol
Next Time: Survival of the Fittest
As promised, Ratonhnhaké:ton taught her in his spare time by teaching her how to clean and set traps for small animals that reproduced quickly enough to keep the balance in nature. She'd felt guilty during her first catch alongside him but it was necessary for survival and she wouldn't kill for profit because she loved the beauty of the wilderness. There was no need to change any of it, even for settling, and she hoped regulations would be set to control hunters looking for quick money to get rich by slaughtering species into extinction. Ratonhnhaké:ton was glad to instill his teachings into Caroline since colonists tended to go about things their own way because they saw it as 'the right way'. Caroline, however, looked to him to show her right from wrong in the field of hunting and their values were very similar since her family lived off the land.
Caroline beamed proudly when her first traps yielded two hares and had collected her first catches with eager hands to show her mother. Catherine insisted there was no need for her to do a man's job when their father was around to do the hunting but was happy to have hare meat they could salt for smoking in the tall log oven outside. She wanted her Caroline to grow into a proper lady since she was closer to becoming her own woman than the child she had been upon arrival to Davenport. Unfortunately, her child had taken more of a liking to her father's sense of adventure and self-reliance with every year that passed. Privately, she was proud to have a child that was strong enough in her own right to survive but her motherly point of view wouldn't be seen by other colonists if Caroline interacted with them one day.
As for the pelts, she handed them to Ratonhnhaké:ton or her father when they traveled to towns to see what coin they could barter for them. Her heart swelled with a sense of accomplishment when she received real money for the first time from her catches and she'd save every last coin for what her family needed. It wasn't much but she remembered Amelia's hopes to be a teacher and she would need the appropriate books to study to earn her teaching certificate. They might not have had great schooling due to being female but Caroline was certain that her sister had what it took to be a great teacher.
She'd been working on making a fishing rod with Elizabeth down by the river since they enjoyed eating crispy fried fish when the rivers were full of different species. In her spare time, she'd whittled a rod from pine and had found fine twine from her mother's sewing box to tie through the hole she'd carved on one end. Ratonhnhaké:ton was on his way home from an Aquila excursion to the south when he felt the incline to glance down the hill's path he walked over.
He noticed the two girls sitting on boulders next to the shore, shoeless as usual, as they tied a brown string over a wooden rod. Were they trying to fish? He could only wonder if they knew since their mother stated that only men had to know the skill and Elizabeth waved when she spotted him overlooking the river. Caroline raised her head with a friendly smile to welcome her friend back to their community and Elizabeth called out excitedly, "We're going to fish today!"
She enjoyed traveling with her oldest sister as Caroline picked up skills to live off the land and Elizabeth admired it. Ratonhnhaké:ton descended the hill with ease as he balanced his traveling satchel over his right shoulder and heard Caroline correct her sister, "If we finish, Eliza."
"You fish with that?" he asked carefully since they wouldn't yield much for a family with a fishing rod alone between two inexperienced girls. Caroline and the younger children had watched him use the rod and bait technique on their excursions to the river but he only needed fish for himself and Achilles.
Both girls eyed each other with uncertainty before looking to him for clarification and he replied earnestly, "Its best to use a wooden spear or a net for an easier catch when you need to feed larger numbers. You're also new to this so it would be best to use a net or find a small waterfall and make a box trap to catch the falling fishes."
"We're not very good hunters, Carrie" Elizabeth told her sister in a whisper since they were apparently doing it wrong for their first attempt. Ratonhnhaké:ton smiled to their bashful faces since they expected to yield a result on their first try but he had time to spare if they wanted to learn.
"How did my pelts do?" she asked calmly despite she was eagerly anxious on the inside since he'd headed to other colonies for an entire month. She missed him when he went to unknown places on his own and always gave a brief observation of any physical changes to make sure he was healthy. His hair had grown an inch longer since the last time they met, lengthening his face as the roundness it held when they first met was completely gone now. While she kept her slim frame due to continuous work around the house and her father's mill, his body shape resembled a sturdy lumberjack's as the lean boy had built muscles to rival any grown man's.
Ratonhnhaké:ton handed her the money to let her know for herself and she smiled with delight at the amount, small as it was in comparison to pelts like fox or deer. He was happy to help Caroline make a small living for herself and she smiled at both of them to admit, "Wonderful, I can buy Amelia another book for Christmas to add to the one our parents are giving her."
"What about me?" Elizabeth protested humorously with a bat of her brown eyelashes and a pout to resemble a desolate child. Big blue round eyes went a long way in swaying decisions in her favor but this time, she wanted to playfully joke with Caroline. She hugged the fishing rod to appear more small than she really was as her two red braids framed her face and declared with dramatic woe, "I'm your lil' sister, you're 'spossed to take care of me!"
"You're not fifteen and begging isn't becoming of a lady" she chided gently to her humorous faces and batted her braids playfully as Elizabeth kicked her legs proudly. She'd behave like a good lady when she was fifteen but at eleven years old now, she had plenty of time until that happened.
Thank you for reading my newest chapter and I'll be back with another as Caroline tangles with the deadliness of nature for the first time. Also, my profile now has the images of how the late teen-adult versions of the children will appear under the 'Color the Sky' title- except Ann, since she's quite young but she's there too as a little girl. :D