Amante

Chapter 1

It is August 1782, the battle of the Combahee River.

John Laurens rides through the crowd of blue coats to get to the front of the body of people. John loves the rush of wind that goes through his blonde hair and the thrill of the fight. He grabs his sword out of his scabbard and slashes a redcoat leaving a bloody line across his chest. The redcoat falls to the ground. He continues stabbing through chests and cutting bodies leaving a trail of corpses behind him.

As he rides through the dead bodies he feels a burn through his shoulder Laurens screams and he falls off of his horse. He lands on his face, he flips himself over so he lies on his back. Laurens applies pressure to the wound as he sees the blood pouring out at an alarming rate. He groans in pain and thinks this is the end.

He thinks of his best friend Alexander Hamilton, a man with curly russet hair and freckles spread across his face. He thinks of his friend's violet-blue eyes and his pearly white smile. His beautiful full rosy-colored lips, and his small frame. Then he feels himself being picked up at the same time he faints from the pain.

When he wakes up he is in a tent surrounded by wounded soldiers on cots. He sits upon his good arm while groaning. He looks at his left shoulder. It is wrapped in white gauze and it has a small blood spot on it. He lays back down and squeezes his eyes closed. John lets out a breath and opens his eyes back up. General Greene walks into the tent "Are you all right colonel Laurens, you fell pretty hard".

Laurens sits back up on his right arm and grunts "Yes, I am quite well thank you for asking, what happened?"

"You were shot in the shoulder, major William Brereton picked you up and brought you here."

"Is the battle over? Who won?"

"Yes, it ended in a British victory."

Laurens sighs his face disappointed, "Do we have any word from Washington."

"Not yet I am afraid".

"I think I will be heading back to join Washington's encampment."

General Greene shakes his head in understanding "When do you suppose you will head back."

"I will leave a week from now, that will give me time to recover and pack."

"You assume you will be well enough to ride by then."

"I do, but now I require rest. It has been a very long day, although I thank you for your concern general, I assure you I need no attention because I am well."

Greene nods and walks out of the tent leaving him alone with only his thoughts. He thinks about his daughter Frances she would only be five now but John didn't get to see her grow up. He wanted to see her first words, and steps and teach her how to read and write.

He decided that when the war was over he would bring Frances and Martha to America, they would live in New York. This would be convenient so he could be closer to his friend. Frances and Hamilton's son Philip would become great friends. Their wives would become the most dependable companions and they could live happily with their respective families.

Laurens falls asleep while thinking about after the war.

Once he wakes up he grapples while changing his bandages. He throws on his shirt, vest, cravat, coat, and puts his hair up sloppily, not without struggle. Then he walks out of the medical tent. John squints as his eyes hit the light, his usual straight posture is threatened by his hurt shoulder.

He makes his way towards his sleeping tent, he wrote a letter to his wife, he could still write because he was right-handed. In his letter, he explains to Martha his plans for after the war. He leaves out the parts about Alexander he is not exactly sure why he does but he doesn't feel comfortable sharing those details.