The way home

Connor's words should have made me feel hope because they had promised what I currently wished for the most. I wanted to get home. To our daughter, but initially I was confused. I sat up and pulled a bit away from Connor's embrace to give him a questioning look.

"Why are you so sure about it? What makes you think this anyway?"

"I am just guessing but it makes sense and so I am sure", Connor explained and when I cocked my head, even more confused, he continued. "When I met my mother, shortly after I woke up after touching the apple, she talked about Washington. She spoke about how he got his power and mentioned a sceptre which is giving him this power. I did not further think about it, neither I did later. But when she visited us in the cabin and wanted to talk to me, we talked about Benedict Arnold and also spoke about Washington. When she mentioned the sceptre again, I asked her about it. She said she saw it only from the distance and he guards it as the apple of his eye and never gives it away. Yesterday Rodrick told me that they say he is just a king because of the sceptre and they do not mean its symbolism. They say the sceptre has magical powers. That Washington can kill with it without getting closer to his enemies. Rodrick never saw something like this and does not believe it, but my mother was certain that there is something about the sceptre that makes Washington powerful."

"And...you want to steal the sceptre from him?", I asked slowly. He nodded. "Apart from the fact that I think this is a pretentious plan: How is it supposed to help us getting home?"

Now Connor was the one cocking his head but looking at me almost expectantly. "Do you really not know it?", he asked me and I felt terribly stupid all of the sudden. I hated it when people expected me to know something I really didn't. So I simply raised an eyebrow to hide my uneasiness and clicked my tongue. Connor understood and the corners of his mouth twitched upwards for a moment. Obviously he already knew what I was thinking.

"They say Washington had sudden success in the Seven Year's War. And the War of Independence could only be ended because of him, too and shortly afterwards, he was king. We both know that Washington would never have been able to have such success on his own. So he had to have something that changed history so dramatically. Think of it: He obviously possesses an object with great power..." He made a meaningful break which wasn't necessary anymore. I had understood.

"He possesses a Piece of Eden", I uttered and saw Connor nodding.

"I think it is even the same Piece he showed us and which probably brought us here."

"And you think if we get the Apple, it will bring us back?"

A nod again and I could finally understand Connor's optimism. It sounded logical, but still I saw a fundamental problem in this plan.

I pulled away from the trunk and made Connor put down his legs with a gentle pressure on his knees, so that I could straddle his lap and put my hands on his chest. He seemed to be confused at first, especially when he noticed my serious gaze. But I wanted to look at him directly instead of staring upwards from the side. This conversation and my concern were too important.

"Connor, we're still talking about someone who allows his men cruel actions against the people. Furthermore it won't be so easy to get closer to him." I noticed that Connor wanted to contradict against what I was going to say, but I raised a hand. I hadn't finished yet. "I know he's not the first person you have to find and so on. I know what you're able to do and I totally trust your skills. If somebody asked me if there was someone who could take the Apple from Washington, I would not hesitate saying that this person is you. But you are...no god. You're not invulnerable and above all, you are not immortal." My hands left his chest and gently embraced his face instead, while looking deep into his eyes. "I am already afraid to know that you want to confront Arnold alone, but I'm horrified when I think of Washington. We don't know the whole power of the Apple. What if the stories are true? If he can kill with the sceptre? Even the best training wouldn't help in this case."

Connor's frown had become deeper and deeper while I spoke and I didn't know how to interpret this reaction. He didn't seem to be angry, rather thoughtful. But he neither looked like he was going to agree to my words immediately. I didn't expect it, but I hoped I could bring him to his senses at least. I didn't doubt him, but I was afraid he could be seized by pure recklessness and risked his life for it. As much as I wanted to go home, it wasn't worth it. He was my only home in this strange reality and I didn't want to lose him.

"What do you think I should do? I can neither spare Arnold, nor Washington", Connor said and I lowered my hands back to his chest while taking a deep breath. The truth was: I didn't know. What was the right thing to do? What was wrong? I doubted that there was a right or wrong at all.

"I do understand that you can't and don't want to spare either of them", I answered hesitantly. "But maybe you should find help at least."

"You mean the rebellion?"

I nodded. "They want the same thing and I think you could help each other."

"But we do not know where to find them and Rodrick said, that no one knows anything about them. We cannot waste time chasing phantoms."

I lowered my eyes in the face of the obvious reluctance in Connor's voice. Why was he so stubborn? So narrow-minded?

"But they have to find new members somehow. There must be a place where they...recruit or something like that. Maybe in Boston. Don't you think that it's logical or do you not want to think it at all?" I hadn't been able to stop my voice from sounding far more irritated than intended. Of course, Connor noticed it and the wrinkles on his forehead became deeper as he looked at me. Nobody of us said a word. We just looked at each other, as if we were having a mental conversation, but in the end we wanted to read in the other's eyes how we could find an agreement. I, for my part, just didn't understand why Connor found it so difficult to include the rebellion in his plans. It seemed so terribly obvious to me.

I already started doubting that our silent discourse would ever find an end, when a voice sounded from further down and called for Connor. Silently I climbed off his lap so that he could turn to the platform's edge to look down. Rodrick was standing there, a rifle over his shoulder.

"I thought we could go hunting together. We would be much faster and won't go far away from the camp."

Connor nodded without hesitation. If he could only give a likewise quick response to my questions. "I am coming down."

He turned to me, who had wrapped herself into the fur again with, a grim expression on her face. He moved closer and returned my gaze with serious eyes. "Our first aim is to get to Davenport. When we are there, we can still think of how to go on and I will think about your words until then, I promise. Fine?"

I nodded silently. At least, this promise was better than nothing. Connor put a hand on my cheek, leaned forward and I closed my eyes when his lips touched my forehead. I hated having the feeling that an important issue was being delayed. I wanted a final answer. Now.


After Connor and Rodrick had set off into the forest, I helped Jennifer preparing a breakfast for her children with the few ingredients she had gathered yesterday. It was difficult for me to behave in front of her as if I wouldn't know what had happened to her. Now in daylight, I could finally see what a beautiful woman she was, but the marks of the past were clearly visible. Although she was probably only a few years older than me, she already had some grey strands in her blonde hair. Dark shadows lay under her cornflower, lifeless eyes, her skin was as pale as ashes and marked by wrinkles around the corner's of her eyes and mouth, which made her look even more sad and serious. I didn't saw her smile once, although she obviously tried to behave as relaxed as possible in front of her children.

The children were far jollier than I had expected it. Oddly quiet, but very lively. The seven-year old Glenda, the eldest child with her twin-brother Owen, had ran to me almost thrilled as Jennifer had introduced me and had asked me, if I really was a native. She was a bit disappointed when I told her I wasn't, while inwardly hoping she wouldn't assail Connor as well when she met him. She was a keen girl, helping her mother whenever she could. Her brother was also busy looking after the four-year old Vaughn. I admired the children for their strength. They were young and had already experienced and seen terrible things, but were still radiating an incredible vitality. I only wished this jolliness could infect their mother as well, but it seemed like there was no hope for that. Jennifer was totally concentrated on her own work and especially on Alan.

After the children had had their breakfast - for me it had been out of the question that I forwent it, like Jennifer - I sat in the grass with little Glenda and braided her hair the same way I wore mine. In the meantime, she told me a lot of stories she probably had been told once. Myths, fairytales, legends...all of them obviously not quite complete or in the correct order, but I liked listening to her. Despite her chattiness, she was a very loveable girl who beamed at me after she had checked the finished braid with her hand. We stayed for a while and kept talking until a loud bang sounded and two more shortly afterwards. In an instant, Jennifer told the children to go inside the tent, pushed Alan into Glenda's arms and a rifle into my hands.

"Do you know what to do with it?", she asked me shortly and I hesitated. By now I could handle a pistol, but a rifle? It seemed to be totally different but Jennifer gave me no time to answer. Armed herself, she ran to the thicket around the clearing and looked into the direction of the shots.

"This weren't our men", she said when I stood beside her and we both stared into the forest, hiding behind the thicket and our rifles ready to fire. Unfortunately I couldn't contradict. Rodrick was the only one with a rifle and he hardly could shoot several times within seconds. So there had to be other shooters and they were at least three.

"Do you think they are bluecoats?", I asked and Jennifer pressed her lips together.

"Maybe. If you see one of those bastards, shot him. We can hardly defend ourselves if they attack, but we can at least try to take some of them with us."

I gulped with these words, which had been spoken out so coldly and full of hatred. But when there was snoring of horses and cracking in the thicket, we raised our weapons and aimed at the source of the noises. It wasn't quite easy for me. My hands were shaking, also when I pulled the lever to finally ready the rifle. I tried to fully concentrate on aiming. To protect Jennifer's children as good as possible. But my mind kept wandering to Connor and Rodrick. Had the shots been for them? Or had they heard them, too and were going to join us soon? I hoped for the latter. The horses' noises and their slow approach became louder and when the first became visible, Jennifer and I raised our weapons a little higher. But I lowered mine again.

"Don't shoot", I uttered. "It's them!"

Really. Connor was the first to find his way through the forest to us, Rodrick close behind him. Both had a horse with them, but my full concentration lay on the men themselves. On the first sight, they seemed to be unharmed and also when they finally reached us, I could see no sign of injuries. But still Connor's clothes were covered in blood stains.

"We heard shots. What happened?", I asked when he stood in front of me and tied the horse's reins on a bush.

"We met one of Arnold's small patrols", Rodrick answered instead and tied the other horse, too. "They wanted to use some ridiculous hunting ban to arrest us. We defended ourselves and...well..."

So they fought the soldiers. That explained a lot. "Are you unhurt?", I asked and grabbed Connor's hands. His knuckles were scratched and bleeding. Obviously he had not only used his tomahawk to fight.

"It is nothing", he said calmly and was right. He could have had worse injuries but that wasn't so important to me for now.

"We have to clean and treat them anyway", I said and pulled him to the fire, where a pot of water was still boiling. Rodrick had already sat down there, too and Jennifer was checking a laceration over the hunter's right eyebrow.

"Obviously you were lucky", she said after she had given me a clean cloth which I dipped into the hot water to carefully clean Connor's knuckles. Rodrick chuckled.

"It wasn't luck. You should have seen our young friend here. There were five of them and they just wanted to arrest us, when he already killed one of them. These assholes couldn't react before another was already lying down." He chuckled again, but when I shortly raised my eyes and looked at Connor, he had pressed his lips into a thin line. Certainly not because of my care.

"They wanted to shoot us, but I shot one of them before he could aim at me. Afterwards, the rest of them weren't a problem anymore. I have to say, I've never seen somebody fighting so recklessly but precisely before. I'm starting to believe what people are saying about you." Rodrick reached out a hand to pat Connor's shoulder, which made him wince before he vigorously shook his head.

"I just reacted quickly enough. The third died through your shot, the fourth through his comrade's and the last through my hand. They were surprised and not organized. That was their downfall and it had nothing to do with me."

"Don't hide your light under a bushel, my friend. You saved my life. If I had been alone, they would have arrested me." Rodrick patted Connor's shoulder again and again, this gesture caused sheer tension. Connor took a deep breath and I was sure that he wanted to contradict again, but I gently squeezed his hands and lightly shook my head as he looked at me. I knew that he didn't like to be so highly praised, but it was Rodrick's way to express his gratitude. The whole situation could have ended differently, if Connor wasn't able to fight.

To defuse this conversation for Connor, I nodded towards the horses and asked: "They left them as a gift?"

Rodrick followed my hint with his eyes and nodded. "We thought they could be an advantage for us all. The children and Jennifer can rest on horseback when they are too tired from walking and you will certainly reach your destination sooner, wherever it is."

It sounded reasonable and secretly I took a breath of relief. A horse could be an obstacle in certain situations but I was glad that it spared us another long hike. Furthermore: The quicker we got forward, the sooner we reached our aim to return home. And the saddle bags were filled with supplies, ammunition and other useful things. I saw it when Connor and I went to the horse he had chosen. A strong grey mare who looked at me with attentive and smart eyes when I tickled her soft nose. My eyes moved to the tent where Rodrick and Jennifer had just disappeared in, before I looked at Connor, who was taking the saddle off the horse's back.

"You helped Rodrick and his family. You can be proud of yourself. At least for once."

Connor screwed up his face without raising his eyes from his working hands. "But he said it as if it was some sort of heroic action. I did what I thought was right. As I did in the village. I do not like that people see more in it. I already did not like it during the war. Everyone with my training would have done the same."

"But it doesn't make it less special for the people you helped."

"Maybe." Connor put the saddle on a branch and ran his hand over the mare's grey fur to smooth it. "But today you said that I am no god. My abilities have limits. They should not pretend it would be different." His hand rested on the horse's back and I saw a thoughtful expression on his face. But it disappeared quickly when he turned to me. "We will go to Davenport, I will check how much equipment I can take with me and then we will ride to Valley Forge. I will have to try killing Arnold alone, but then we will search for the rebellion. You were right. Their help can be good for us and above all, I think it will make it easier for me to ensure your safety. I do not have to fight this battle for myself after all."

A wave of relief seized me when I heard these words. They took something from the burden that rested on my shoulders. Although I didn't like the part about Arnold, I had to be satisfied with it. A smile curled my lips when I grabbed Connor's hands and stood on my tiptoes for a moment to kiss him.

"Thank you", I whispered. "Thank you for taking my words to heart."

"Sooner or later, you would have repeated them anyway", Connor simply replied, but I laughed when I saw the devilish sparkle in his eyes.


Connor and I didn't stay with the hunter's family for long. Connor helped Rodrick disjointing their game and dividing it so that both parties got their fair share. Then he prepared our share, so that we could eat from it during the day. In the meantime, I had packed our few belongings and had tied the bundle of furs to the saddle bags of the mare, who Connor had named Ori:te'. Dove. I found it was a suiting name for her and hoped that she turned out to be a charm, referring to the symbolism of a dove. Peace was precious, but unfortunately rare in times like these.

When the sun had reached its zenith, we bid farewell to Rodrick and his family. It was hard for me, because I had learned to like them in this short amount of time and I wished them all the best in the world. Rodrick wanted to bring them as deep into the north as possible, out of Washington's reach before winter came. I hoped they were going to make it and that they were going to come to rest. Maybe Jennifer could find her joy in life again.

Rodrick gave us good wished on our way, too, after Connor had pulled me into the saddle in front of him and I heard the cheerful shouts of farewell of little Glenda, when Connor steered Ori:te' through the trees towards the road. Then it became silent and we were alone in the forest.

"Do you think they will make it?", I eventually asked and interrupted the silence between us.

"I do not know", Connor answered. "It will not be easy for them, but Rodrick is determined. He will do what he can for his family."

"I think so, too", I murmured and prayed for it in silence. If there was someone who needed support and strength, then it was this family.

We were silent again, while Connor concentrated on steering Ori:te' safely over the rough terrain. The road was only about ten feet away from us and was used as an orientation, because Connor didn't want to risk using it. Between the trees, we were reasonably safe from getting detected and meeting the bluecoats would be unfortunate. Not only because the mare's saddle was visibly military and we couldn't claim that she was our horse. As far as I knew these men, they would kill us instantly when they learned how Ori:te' had got into our possession.

Hours passed like this in which we had several breaks and I tried not to sink into dark thoughts and concentrated on smaller things instead. The colours of the autumn trees, the glow of the last flowers of summer on the roadside or just the noises I heard. Gentle rustling, the muffled trot of the horse...the longer I concentrated on it, the calmer I got and with this calmness came tiredness. Suppressing a yawn, I let my back sink against Connor's chest and leaned my head against his shoulder. I actually didn't plan to fall asleep, but when Connor loosened a hand from the reins and wrapped his arm around me supportively, I closed my eyes and let Ori:te's gentle movement rock me to sleep. It was surprisingly deep and long while Connor didn't think of having a break. He kept riding, even let the mare fall into a slow gallop so that we reached our destination sooner. It was already after nightfall when Connor's quiet voice woke me up. "Lillian, we are there."

Lazily I opened my eyes and needed a moment until I was fully awake. Blinking I looked around. Connor had stopped on the road and when I turned my head a bit, to look at him, he was staring straight forward. Tension lay in his eyes and when I finally looked into the same direction, I understood why. There wasn't much to see in the darkness, but I knew this road and I knew the salty scent in the air. We had arrived in Davenport and we both didn't know what was awaiting us.