As The Crow Flies

Chapter 11. Its A Raid

Delilahs POV
I jump awake the next morning to a loud slam from another room in the shack. I shudder and shake John awake beside me "John, there's someone in the house" he groans quietly and stands up quietly pulling on his clothes and grabbing his gun.

A few moments later i hear a thump and a struggle. And someone kicks the bedroom door down and glares at me. "get up and get dressed or you'll regret it" behind him i see another intruder with a gun to Elijahs head "please dont hurt my son" i get up and get dressed as they screams slurs at me. I whimper in fear seeing John on the ground curled up and his face bleeding. " John get Arthur..." i whisper to him quietly and the intruders push Elijah to me, i wrap my arms around him holding him close.

A few hours later i awaken naked and tied up to a tree in an unknown camp, i hear rowdy men jeering in irish accents, i feel a tear prick my eye and look down. I see my legs are bloodstained and a dried up pool of blood below where im standing. I whince in pain as i feel a sharp pain in my stomach and i cry out. A man waltzes out of a tent and up to me. "what?" i glance up seeing he has fiery red hair and green eyes "i-im in pain. My stomach, i think ive lost my baby" i weep quietly. He walks off and comes back with a bucket of steamy water and a wet cloth as well as a towel. "im going to wipe you off is that ok?" i nod sadly "my name is Sean you?" i gulp "d-delilah" he puts a cloth in the warm water and begins to wash the blood from my thighs and legs. Before long im clean "t-thank you Sean" he nods "i didnt want them to kidnap you, its bad enough they abandoned your child at a camp with unknown people let alone killing the child you were pregnant with, im sorry. I want to get you out of here but it will take time" i smile slightly. "thank you, i appreciate it" a voice booms "Sean stop flirting and get back in here" he sighs and walks off and before long a tall dark haired male walks over and unties me pushing me into a different tent. I grunt and he forces me onto my stomach on the bed and forces my legs open before plunging himself into me. I whimper as he picks up his speed. I moan slightly and he grabs a fistful of my hair forcing my head up. I groan and before long he finishes in me and reties me to the tree. I sigh and hear a branch snap behind me "Delilah?" i hear Arthur and my heart skips a beat "Arthur! I missed you, help me please" he cuts my ropes off and i fall into his arms. He puts me down in some bushes and walks off, i hear gunfire and before long Arthur has returned with Sean beside him "Sean?" he looks  at me and smiles "lets get you home" Arthur drapes his coat over me and i mount his horse with him wrapping my arms around his waist.

I fall asleep my face against Arthurs shoulder blade. I awaken at a large house in the bayou with tents surrounding the west section of the house. I yawn and rub my eyes, "Arthur... Where are we?" he looks back "we are at camp. Hosea wants to speak to you" i nod and Arthur walks his horse to the hitching post. Elijah comes running towards me and hugs my legs "MAMA! I MISSED YOU!" i smile "i missed you too my little man". Arthur walks away after clearing his throat. "A arthur can we talk?" he turns around looking back "whats there to talk about? You left camp and ran away with John. And from what Sean told me you lost our 2nd child too. So no i dont want to talk." i feel a tear prick my eye "its not my fault Arthur... I got scared and i heard you talking to Dutch one morning when i woke up. We didnt have to try for another baby so many times, its not my fault i lost our second. I was kidnapped. Stress can be bad for pregnant women." he sighs "just because you apologise and cry doesnt mean it fixes everything between us, just stay out of my way and ill stay out of yours." he walks off as Mary-beth walks up to me "hey delilah i have a dress here for you. I hear 'bout what happened' nd im so sorry." i smile lightly at her "thanks Mary-beth" i take the dress from her hands and follow her to a tent so i can get dressed "theres some boots in there too for you and a hairbrush and a hot bath too. Take your time ill be around nearby if you need me" i enter the tent and set the dress down, i remove Arthurs coat from my thin body and drape it over a chair before i climb into the bath and sit down relaxing in the hot water. I close my eyes and daydream for abit before i  flicker my eyes open to the sound of the tent opening and Arthur appearing in the door "need my coat..." i look down at the bubbles and cover myself "its on the chair" he shuffles over to the chair picking up his coat and clears his throat "you dont need to cover up if i walk in. Ive seen you naked plenty of times..." i look at up him blushing lightly "i just. Im self concious, im the skinniest ive ever been, Im bruised and scarred. I hate myself and seeing my body now i realise why you hate me too" a tear rolls down my face as i look away and hang on head over the side of the metal bathtub. "Delilah. I dont hate you, i never could. You hurt me is all. You're still the beautiful woman i met when i was 17 and you were 15. You have no reason to hate yourself, i still love you and relish in the sight of your body. I remember every second we spent together. I want that again someday" he clears his throat coughing into a cloth and exiting the tent leaving me thinking and scrubbing my body.
I exit the bathtub and dry my body off and get dressed and putting the boots on. I drag a brush through my thick super long dark hair and i leave it down. I leave the tent walking over to Mary-beth who was sat chatting to Tilly, Karen and Abigail with bowls of stew in their hands. Abigail looks up at me and glares before getting up and walking off. Mary-Beth sees me and stands up "follow me. Ill show you to your sleeping quarters" i nod and follow her fast paced walking, we enter a tent on the outskirts of camp with 2 small sleeping cots in it. I smile at her "thank you" she smiles back and leaves as i sit down on my bed with my head in my hands. I sigh and remove my boots and lay down pulling a thin blanket over me and drifting off into a deep sleep.