On The Road Again (Open; Rhiannon)

[Bog]

Two days previously, Adam Starling would have considered it impossible that his situation could become worse. After that disastrous meeting first with those two young scamps and later with the dragoon sergeant, Starling had been relieved of any hunting or foraging duties. The decision grated on him, for he was a damned steady hunter and he knew it. How was it his fault that devilish boy had been shot, anyway? Aside from the fact that Starling had been the one to shoot him.

Then, two days ago, he had been given the task of searching carts and wagons as they came over the border from Connecticut. It was a tedious duty and one he learned immediately to dislike. He was convinced it was another form of punishment for his supposed misconduct. Why was it not enough to have restricted him from hunting?

Grumbling to himself, Starling watched a slow-moving wagon approach. He and a thin-faced man from Concord were the only soldiers who'd been given this particular duty. They were also the only two men of the regiment within half a mile. Any trouble that arose would have to be dealt with by them alone. It was another part of this duty that Starling resented.

The big Vermonter stepped into the road, his musket at his shoulder and levelled on the wagon's driver. "Stop!" Starling called gruffly, and put his right hand around the musket's doghead to give the order more authority.

[Rhiannon ☽]

Rhiannon froze in her tracks. There was a man with a musket about to shoot another man walking out of a wagon below him. She hadn't ever really liked all the killing and conflict going on, but Annie learned to just avoid it as much as she could.

She had just been out gathering more ingredients for her medicines when she stumbled across this little skirmish. Annie was making an attempt to be silent, which she was good at. No one would know she was there. She began to take steps to get away in the other direction, but she stepped on a twig, snapping it, and then making a few pebbles kick the man's direction. Swallowing and cursing at herself, Rhiannon stood frozen as the man turned around.

[Bog]

The wagon's driver reined in, showing no hesitation in obeying Starling's order. Either the fellow had gone through this before or he was in no hurry to challenge a presented musket. Not that Starling cared. He nodded at his thin-faced comrade, who moved toward the wagon, carrying his musket at the trail. They had worked out this arrangement as being the most sensible, for Starling was the better shot, even with the smoothbore musket.

"Tie off them reins an' get down," the Vermonter ordered.

This direction was not to be obeyed, for the sound of a twig snapping came from the woods away to the right. A second later, a handful of small pebbles came rustling through the short grass. Somebody was in that stand of trees, watching them. Starling's attention shifted immediately to the source of the noise, the doghead clicking twice as he pulled it back. He knew without looking that his comrade was likewise cocking his musket.

If this was an ambush, it was a damned poor attempt at one! Bloody British. Or Loyalists. Not that it mattered. Both were equally bad. Taking care to keep the wagon driver in his line of sight, Starling called out, "You got two seconds to shift outta there, Lobsterbacks, 'fore I fire into you!"

The threat was a thin one, insofar as there were only two of them there on the road, but any musketry would bring them support from their company. Half a mile away.

[Rhiannon ☽]

Rhiannon gasped softly when he pointed his gun at her, along with the rest of his men. She felt her heart beat pick up and her brown eyes widen as she stepped out slowly, obviously not what the men had expected.

"Don't shoot, I-I mean no harm," she said shakily. Annie hopped she wasn't going to be hurt in any way, these men looked pretty aggressive.

"I-I can be going along now if that's what you'd like..." Annie offered, starting to head back into the trees. She was more comfortable where there were trees to hide behind and things to cover her up.

[Bog]

The fact that a female voice answered his command did nothing to lessen Starling's suspicion. He watched the girl emerge from the woodline without expression. She was claiming not to mean any harm and offering to 'be going', but that was completely out of the question.

"Stop there," Starling told her, judging she had come forward far enough. There was sufficient distance between her and the safety of the trees to allow him to drop her with a shot before she was back in the woodline.

"Where's yer mates at?" There could be no doubt that she had redcoated companions concealed in the trees. A slip of a girl like this would be foolish to be anywhere near here on her own. The hair on the back of Starling's neck stood on end with the certainty that there were enemy muskets aimed at him at that moment. Muskets that he could not see.

[Rhiannon ☽]

She froze in her tracks. God damn this war, ever since it began she couldn't go anywhere without being either a) seen or b) accused of trying to kill so and so's troops. She was sick of it, frankly.

Rhiannon shook her head, trying to remain as calm as possible. She was good at staying calm, so it seemed to help as she spoke in a soft, but even tone to the man with the gun.

"No one is with me sir, I live alone," she said, turning to face him. Hopefully she wouldn't get shot. Maybe it would be better for her to just not go anywhere farther than a mile radius from her home alone anymore because then things like this wouldn't happen to her.

[Bog]

That was just enough of an answer for him to be deceived. If he was an idiot.

"Livin' alone don't mean a thing. You ain't out here by yerself. Phillips. Check the wagon." Starling kept his gaze and his aim on the girl, even though his ears were straining for any hint of an ambush about to be sprung. One could not trust the British, after all.

"I'll ask you agin. Where's yer mates at? Them damned redcoats?"

[Rhiannon ☽]

Annie wanted to just curl up and close her eyes and try to wish this whole thing away. This war was just dreadful to her, and it was something she'd never understand. Rhiannon had been free her entire life, never been under any kind of rule before, so she didn't get that's what these people were fighting for. Even some were fighting against these people's freedom. She was sure there were other causes of this conflict but that was the main one.

"I swear, I'm alone," Annie said, her voice icily calm. She was surprised with herself. She wrinkled her nose, Redcoats? What were those? Rhiannon was so isolated and by herself so often she had no idea of any war terminology.

"I don't know what you're speaking of, sir.."

[Bog]

This girl was either a simpleton or she was playing stupid. Her professions of ignorance were beginning to grate on Starling's nerves. He glanced at Phillips, who shook his head in silent response. There was nothing in the wagon.

In a sudden motion, Starling swung his musket up so the weapon was aiming skyward and pulled the trigger. The sharp crack of exploding powder seemed to echo for a moment after the shot. It was the surest way to raise the alarm and bring the rest of the company up to support them. Or, he thought as he lowered the musket to waist height, to make a proper search of the immediate area.

"There must not be any sorta brain 'tween yer ears," the big Vermonter sneered, after biting open a paper cartridge so he could prime the musket's pan. "Not knowin' what is a redcoat? Never did think any Massachusetts folk was smart, but yer sure stupid!"

[Rhiannon ☽]

Rhiannon shrank and jumped violently as the man fired a shot into the air. Her ears were ringing, not used to the loud noises made by gunshots so close to her. She wanted to make a quick getaway but she knew that'd end with her shot dead before she would get three steps.

Annie may be stupid in the sense of war, she wanted nothing to do with it is why. She was really a smart woman, just in a different way than most. While others were scholastically educated, Annie could survive off of nothing for days on end. Her survival skills were impeccable.

"If I am a stupid woman, who on earth would trust me to lead an ambush here?" Rhiannon pointed out calmly.

[Bog]

At this, Starling offered a smirk. "It don't take brains to wander 'round the woods like a blind cow."

Phillips snorted a laugh before moving forward to take charge of the wagon's driver, who was beginning to look agitated. Their company would be arriving soon in response to the alarm-shot. Their presence would be, unusually, something Starling would be glad for.

"Jes' you sit there an' don't move."

[Rhiannon ☽]

Rhiannon did as she was told and leaned back against a tree. She was slightly worried for her safety now since there appeared to be more men coming.

"It takes brains to survive in the woods," Rhiannon pointed out in her defense, softly.

[Bog]

This girl was deaf as well as stupid. "I said sit," Starling snapped. The wagon driver had already obeyed this direction the first time, however reluctantly, but he looked even more uneasy while he did so.

The first of their company were in view down the road, marching in column at a steady pace. About time, thought Starling.

[Rhiannon ☽]

Rhiannon obeyed instantly, sitting with her back against the tree. She sat there in silence, watching as this man searched the area. She took a calming breath and sighed, Rhiannon probably needed to relocate her area of residence so this kind of thing wouldn't happen.

Her home wasn't far from here, not even half a mile. Rhiannon didn't want anything to happen to her, or the home so she hoped that this man would just let her go.

"I don't want any trouble," she said meekly.

[Bog]

It was a bit late for that, wasn't it? She'd all but guaranteed there'd be trouble by stumbling about so gracelessly in the treeline and letting them all know she was there.

" 'Bout time those bastards got here," Starling muttered, ordering his musket when the captain commanding Third Company approached, looking warily confused.

The skinny runt had no time to ask for a report, however. He had no sooner come to a halt two steps away from Starling when a shot rang out from somewhere behind them. One of the men in the newly arrived company hit the ground with a clatter of equipment. The rest scattered for cover in the nearby treeline.

There were more shots being fired to spur them on and another two men were hit. Starling curled his lip and stood his ground. Why should he be afraid of cowards skulking about in the shadows? Let those buggers come out and face him like men! He turned toward the nearer source of the musketry and levelled his own firelock. An instant later, he too had fired.