It's the height of the American Revolution. You're a widowed colonist, trying your best to raise your toddler son, keep your home out of enemy hands, and stay out of this wretched war. One day, you happen upon a wounded soldier, in need of help a...
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"The turnips should get us through the next month, but it's difficult to tell with the potatoes," you sighed as you knelt in the weathered field. The sky held that steely grey hue, like the sun covered himself in a blanket of clouds, not wishing to show any glow until the return of a verdant spring. Yet, it seemed like countless dawns before that spring would come. And evenmore, it felt like countless nights since Thomas left.
Your heart ached as you stared at your soiled hands, hands that mended him, fed him, even held him. But what good are they now, empty and tattered from labor that garnered no reward but meager carrots and the last of the cabbage.
Sadie frowned, plucking away at the withered leaves that tried to strangle your only source of nourishment. Her grunt echoed the doubt in your heart: another winter with nothing but roots to eat.
Your eyes wandered over to your son, so bright and boisterous as he hopped joyfully through the rows of vegetables. It wasn't lost on you that his britches had become loose. You turned back to the harvest at hand, worry filling your heart.
"We'll have to rely on the provisions of the river. Surely the oysters will be plentiful this season?"
Sadie sat up, wiping her hands on her lap as she looked at you.
"We'll need to hunt," she signed.
"Hunt? Yes, I suppose we could put Samuel's gun to use," you murmured. That beast of a fowler had been collecting dust since he died.
She tilted her head and cocked a knowing grin at you.
"Who needs a gun?" she signed, patting her boot that held her father's knife. For as long as you could remember, Sadie kept that knife on her - for safe keeping, for protection, for whatever may come her way. It was plain and old, but oh, it was sharp.
You smiled good naturedly.
"I'm not certain that knife can take down a fawn, let alone a grown buck."
Sadie scoffed stubbornly then hurled her precious knife into the trunk of a looming oak.
You raised your eyebrows with a nod of resignation.
"Very well," you said, glancing through the trees as the last of the day turned to dusk.
"We'll hunt at first light."
The next morning was a frigid reminder of what's to come. You warmed yourself in several bundles of layers, as well as porridge from what was once your hog's oats. Sadie sharpened her knife by the fire, her feet propped on the stack of logs.
"I remember the first time you used that," you spoke, gesturing to her knife. Sadie tilted her hat up to look at you questioningly.
"You used it to cut off some of George's hair while he was sleeping" you smiled, remembering the look of horror on your brother's face when he awoke. He was still a lad, with the first signs of scruff on his face. Fuming in distress, he barged in on the two of you, a fistful of hair in tow. Sadie merely yawned at him in response.
"Maybe you'll think twice before calling me a mongrel again" she said politely, complete with a satisfied curl at the corner of her mouth.
Sadie erupted in laughter at the memory. It was a sound you hadn't heard in some time, and you welcomed it. There wasn't much cause for it these days.
"Finish up, Samuel," you said, clearing the table of your and Sadie's bowls, "we have a long day ahead of us."
The three of you trekked deep into the western woods. The game was far more substantial there. Samuel played with his stick along the way, pretending to shoot things and humming to alleviate the boredom. Sadie scolded him a few times, warning him to keep quiet else their prey would hear them approach.
Finally, after hours of only two quail and a muskrat, Sadie had a white-tailed deer in her sights. You crouched down next to her, signaling Samuel to be quiet with a finger pressed against your lips. He nodded, doing the same. As silently as possible, you slowly raised the rifle to eye level. Sadie turned to you, placing a hand on the gun. She shook her head as she forcefully lowered it with a doubtful glance. You scoffed quietly at her utter lack of faith in your gun skills. Certainly, it was her knife that scored the two quail and muskrat; however, the creature before you would surely require more than a blade.
Sadie's eyes swiftly moved back to the deer, calculating the distance between them, the speed needed to take him down. She moved soundlessly, bringing her arm above her head as she held her breath, then -
BANG!
A shot echoed amongst the trees, spooking the animal to race off into the thick. Voices followed, cursing as they grew closer.
"Blast," you whispered when you saw the familiar array of red join the trees of green.
"You're rather far out, are you not?" one of the Colonel's men called to you. You stood slowly, careful to keep your quarry out of sight, lest they steal that too.
"I've been told the game here was plenty," you replied. "It appears the snakes are too."
Sadie looked at you wide-eyed, shocked by your daring, but the grip on her knife only grew tighter.
The soldier's own eyes narrowed at you, threateningly.
"I will disregard your impertinence only because of the Colonel's fondness of you," he approached you as he spoke, a slight sneer betraying his thoughts on the matter. "But just this once. Do not think he is ignorant of even your very breath."
On the contrary. How could you think that when his men kept a constant vigil of your home? Never intruding, but they were always there, making it known that no matter how unshackled you may feel, you were very much a captive.
The walk was long back to your home, your worry growing with every step. If future hunts are to be this paltry, what will you do? The Colonel's lecherous eyes will always be watching. His men will continue to gorge on whatever bounty the land offered. His King will continue to claim any ounce of autonomy you clung to. And you had no choice but to push on with no end in sight.
Suddenly, Sadie slapped your arm to get your attention. You broke away from your thoughts, catching her gaze across the field to your home. Another Redcoat stood by your steps, pacing with an urgency you found perplexing.
"Will this nuisance never cease?" you groaned to Sadie, who shook her head with resentment.
But there was something odd that struck you about this patrolman's pacing.
