Chapter Text
Boom!
Another cannonball hurled through the air, barely missing the huddled figure hunched over the matted grass. Edith lay perfectly flat against the ground for a moment, heart pounding, before swiftly ducking behind a cannon.
Her hands twitched over the smooth barrel of her musket as she peered at the enemy. Redcoats and minutemen fueled on the field, swords clashing and guns firing wildly. So far, the British were steadily gaining on the battered American forces. The brave remaining few were fighting it out to the death and she knew every soldier had to give their all, or they would all perish here on this bloody battlefield. There was no time to lose.
Her muscles tensed and like a cat, she sprang out behind the cannon and deftly fired a shot at the Redcoats. Darting back down, she fumbled for her cartridge box. She had to reload her gun fast. Edith was hastily ripping off the end of a cartridge when-
A soldier pounced from behind, taking her by surprise. She scrambled for her weapon, for any weapon, but it was too late. The redcoat has the upper hand, having attacked first, and he quickly pinned her to the ground. The flashing metal of his bayonet gleamed menacingly as it swooped down, down, down, right into-
THUD.
Edith thrashed in the tangled covers, breathless as she fought her way into the cool early morning air. She panted, laying on the ground as her eyes darted around the familiar location. Her room.
It was only a dream..
Grumbling, she hauled the covers back to her bed and flung open the window. Dueling with nightmares was exhausting. What had she done to have been cursed with such bloody dreams? Breathing in the faint smell of gunpowder and the stronger, more comforting smells of horses and salt, she swung her leg over of the windowsill and propped herself on the tree growing in front of their room.
Glaring at the gleaming moon, her thoughts turned to her dreams. She shifted uncomfortably and knocked her head against a nearby branch.
I need to stop imagining fighting in the war. Not only is it impossible, it's bad enough Father went into war and got executed.. I can't have my family grieving over another dead family member and I won't.
Her vivid green eyes grew steely. For months now, the British had been in every corner of Elizabethtown. For months, Edith had been dreaming of fighting to the death alongside the American regiments. But after what happened last year, she knew fulfilling that wish would be impossible without harming her family. And if there was anything she was sure of, it was that they were not going to suffer on her behalf. Not on her watch.
The brave young woman leaned back and mused about the dealings of war and family, looking back on her life so far and thinking what had she done with it. Little did she know a change was creeping on the horizon, making her tango with the war far from over..
But before we see the mysterious changes soon to take place, we have to see her side of the story. Most importantly we need to start from the beginning, about six or seven years ago..
Edith squeezed her eyes shut and slumped back against the tree. Painful memories, blurred like a troubled water's reflection, muddled her mind. Her world had turned upside down so fast..