How You Say?

Chapter Twelve

As the Continental Army entered the battlefield, it became evident that they were outnumbered. (Y/N) gulped and held her musket tightly, looking out over the horizon. In the distance, a sea of red covered the field. They were all lined up perfectly, like a child's toys. Her breaths became quick and shallow, knowing that when this battle was over, there would be a victor, and a loser, alongside hundreds and thousands of casualties. She could very well be one of these casualties. This would also only be one battle of hundreds before this bloody war was over. She knew that for a fact. It was clear as day that the colonies had a very small chance of winning, but they fought with all they had. They were incredibly brave soldiers. However, that only got them so far. The army wasn't very well-trained. Most of the soldiers were ragtag farmers. Only a few real military specialists were scattered in amongst them. All that was moving them forward was their determination and hope. Hope that someday, their children would live in a free country.

(Y/N) took her position behind the higher ranking soldiers. She licked her dry lips and anxiously awaited the command to attack. Her eyes locked on General Washington, who had his hand raised in the air. The atmosphere was stale and still, and all that was heard was the occasional huff of a horse and clanging of muskets.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Washington curled his fingers into a ball, signaling the war had begun. The soldiers in the front lines fell to their knees, loading their muskets. (Y/N) was near the front, so she also got on her knees, taking a pack of gunpowder, ripping it open with her teeth and dumping it into the hollow opening in her weapon. She then took the thin stick and shoved the gunpowder deeper down before dropping in a musket ball. Adrenaline surged within her as she raised it toward the enemy redcoats. She waited, and soon came the shout.

"FIRE!"

(Y/N) pulled the trigger, the backfire taking her by surprise and sending her back a bit. Once she regained her strength, she stood up and stepped back, switching places with the man behind her. She frantically reloaded her musket, men falling dead around her. Her heart thumped against her chest and her hands trembled. She took another pack of gunpowder in her teeth to open it. When her musket was once again loaded, she raised it.

"FIRE!"

(Y/N) gasped when the soldier standing beside her yelped and fell to the dirt. She panicked and fired blindly. This time, she fell backward due to someone nearly falling on top of her. She screamed in horror as blood spattered on her face.

"HELP!!" (Y/N) screamed, but her voice was drowned out in all the musket fire and shouts.

She desperately scrambled to her feet and reloaded her gun once again. She reminded herself why she was here, what those redcoats had done to her. To her family. To her friends. Her heart burned with an aching passion as she raised that gun once more. With such rigor and poise, she fired right on command. Her eyes followed the musket ball, watching it hit one of the Brits. She watched as the soldier fell to the ground, lifeless and unmoving. For a split second, she felt something deep inside her that was telling her she shouldn't have done that. She shouldn't have. She couldn't have... She wouldn't have.

But before she had time to pay any attention to this strange emotion, a piercing scream rang out about the battle. She knew that scream.

Lafayette.

(Y/N) abandoned her position to aid him. When she found him, he was holding his leg, which, upon closer examination, was hit by a dreaded musket ball. She helped him up, putting his right arm over her shoulder and wrapping her own left arm around him. She led him to the safety of the sidelines and swiftly stripped of her coat, using it as a cloth to apply pressure to while a medic was arriving. Lafayette groaned in pain, reciting a French prayer.

Finally, after a few minutes, a doctor came running up, carrying  a medikit. He took out bandages and a pair of what seemed to be large tweezers. The medic glanced up at (Y/N) and spoke calmly, "Will you help hold him down?"

The girl gulped and nodded, gently taking the Frenchman's wrists and pinning them to the ground. The doctor then got to work, splashing alcohol on the wound to clean it.

Lafayette flinched and writhed in pain, "Ça brûle !! Ça brûle !!!"

(Y/N)'s eyes filled with tears, "I know Laf... I'm so sorry it burns..."

The doctor carefully used the tweezer-like tool to grab the musket ball out of Lafayette's leg and quickly bandaged it, "There! He'll be alright, there's no fracture or infection, but he needs to stay here until the battle's over. Will you stay with him?"

(Y/N) nodded and released Lafayette's wrists, "Okay."

The medic nodded in gratitude and rushed off to assist other injured soldiers.

Lafayette turned over on his side and breathed heavily, "Sacré bleu... Ça brûle..."

(Y/N) frowned and gently stroked his shoulder, "I know.. I'm sorry... You'll be okay..."

She kept her eyes on the battle, not letting her guard down once. She gripped her musket, wanting to load it, but she knew that she was much to far away to hit anything. She glanced down at Lafayette, who was also gazing longingly at the loud battlefield.

The two sat together, watching the battle go on and on and on, until....

The redcoats's general, General Cornwallis, gave his soldiers the command to retreat. Washington was calling his army off as well, but kept his eyes sharp.

(Y/N) helped Lafayette limp back down the hill to  join them. Alexander and Laurens gasped when they saw him, "Laf!!

A/N: HAHAHHAHA THE BATTLE OF BRANDY HILLLLLLLLLLLLL

See y'all next chapter (; my sweet wittle hawkwuwvez