When Stars Align || G. Lafayette

Chapter 10

Hoofbeats.

I didn't know how far away they were, I didn't know how long it would be until they reached me, I didn't know anything.

But if nothing else, I knew that they were coming from many.

"Lafayette, wake up," I hissed, shaking the arm of the man beside me as I sat bolt upright. Perhaps it was my imagination, but I could swear they were getting louder as he rolled onto his back, squinting up at me.

"Y/N?" he asked groggily, and I froze.

"I-- wha-- n-- Levi King," I sputtered.

He furrowed his brow. "Why did you sound French for moment there?" I sharply inhaled at his words, realizing my mistake.

"I didn't. You must have been dreaming."

He hummed in agreement before rolling back onto his side, and I scowled. "That doesn't mean go back to sleep. I still need you up."

"What for?" he groaned.

"Just get up," I whispered with a huff, focusing again on the sound, which wasn't easy as Lafayette groaned.

I hadn't noticed him sitting up, at least not until his chin came to rest on my shoulder. "Now why am I being awake?" he murmured.

"Shh." I waited a moment, trying to see if the hoofbeats were getting louder or just passing, and when I couldn't determine it, I turned to him. Only to see his face centimeters from mine.

I sharply inhaled, before swallowing roughly and saying, "Do you hear that?"

"Oui. It is 'orses," he said before going to lay back down.

"Not just horses. Enough horses to be an entire army." At my words, he froze.

"You think we are under attack?" he asked, panic evident is his wide eyes.

"Not yet, but we will be soon."

He sat back up, and just stared straight ahead for a moment, processing the information. After inhaling shakily, he finally spoke. "We need to sound ze alarms."

"Yes, right away." I huffed and stood up as quickly as I could, before marching out of the tent as I pushed my glasses up the bridge of my nose. Lafayette trailed after me, still slightly dazed, as I realized the problem. "We can't sound any alarms. Start waking up soldiers, beginning first with the drummers on the east end of camp, and have them continue waking everyone up with the message that we're under attack."

"Why no alarms?"

"They'll know we know. Now go." I turned to him with an urgent expression, and he nodded.

"But then what?"

"What?"

"Then what?" he reiterated, "I am not part of zis division; I 'ave no marching orders."

I scowled and turned around as I realized he was right, and I didn't know what position to give him. I didn't have a position to give him. "You... report back to me. This is the first battle that I'll have been leading, and I just might need help."

"Ah, oui, everyone knows that I am ze greatest major-general around," he said with a lazy grin, and I chuckled.

"You really are as cheeky as Hamilton and Laurens say. Y'know, I was sure they were exaggerating, but I suppose just this once I actually was wrong." I shook my head in amusement as his face lit up.

"Ah! You know mes amis?"

"Yes, they're... quite the characters." He chuckled lightly, and I couldn't stop the grin I was biting back. "You have your orders, now go. See you on the battlefield, Lafayette."