Breaking the Creed {Assassin's Creed 3 Fanfiction}

Chapter 24 ~ The British Are Coming Part 4

     "Sir!" One of the militia men called, alerting Barrett and myself to the oncoming assault. From the treeline over the bride and up on the hills, the British marched in large units. The sight made my body stiffen before I hurried over to one of the horses designated to me by Barrett, taking hold of the reigns. 

     Barrett hurried over to where I was setting myself, shouting aloud to his men, "Man the barricades!" Just as I was about to ride forward, I was abruptly stopped, Barrett's voice colored with raw concern. "No. Ensure my men hold those positions! If the Red Devils break through, we're finished." 

     My eyes darted from the sight ahead of me then back to him with true wonder at what he believed of my capabilities. "What would you have me do?" 

     Barrett shook his head and came closer to the horse as the shouts of men getting into their given positions filled the air. "Listen carefully. The Redcoats will form firing lines. Order the men to shoot just before the line is ready." His eyes darted away and out to the bride in which they would plan to cross. "Too soon and they'll miss their targets. Too late and the Redcoats will open fire first." 

     My heart raced, my hands tight and aching from my own concern. Could I truly lead these men for Barrett? 

     "Understood." My voice responded, stronger and more sure than I felt. 

     "And if any of those bastards make it through, engage them. You must keep my men alive!" At the end of his sentence I rode ahead and towards the bridge, seeing the brief sight of muskets off in the distance making their way forward - it was the first wave. 

     As the men were ready to shoot on sight, I shouted ahead. "Wait for my signal!" 

     The men gave no dispute over who it was that gave orders as they first did upon my arrival. They were quick to load their guns and as the first wave of Redcoats made their way across the bridge, the men looked to me with my hand raised into the air. 

     "Ready!" I shouted as the first line stopped. The second they reached for their guns I called out next, "Fire now!" 

     My arm fell in time with the two lines of the six British soldiers after two rounds of our own shot from the men designated to hold the bridge. 

     "What now ma'am?" One of the men looked back to me as he and the men reloaded their muskets. My eyes wandered quickly to spot the next area of soldiers that came from the right hand side of the bride. 

     "Arm yourselves and wait for my orders." 

     "Yes ma'am, you heard her!" He called out as the men scrambled to refill empty muskets around them. At this, I rode to the right hand position at the far end of the right side of the bridge, seeing a smaller unit of Redcoats approaching. 

     "Prepare yourselves." I ordered, making sure the men got into formation behind the large log we'd set up to catch stray bullets when taking cover. "Go!" Came the order and down they fell, one by one. But at the sight of the other two positions waiting for my order with closely approaching Redcoats, I turned my horse around faster than I needed to and pushed him fast with my voice louder than I believed it possible. "All positions fire!" 

     Three oncoming units on each side went down and I let out a breath of relief. But it was short lived as more lines came up to the bridge and shot down the men. Those remaining I commanded to fire and that finished off that hoard of Redcoats. 

     My breath was shallow as I rode to all positions to hold back the oncoming men. We had only close to a hundred men to seemingly a couple hundred if not more. The lines opposite from us were becoming denser and we were truly outnumbered. 

     Yet after repeated trips back and forth between positions, the call came from the Regulars that shocked all of Barrett's men and myself. 

     "Fall back!" I saw a commander waving his arm to his men before turning his horse. "Fall back!" It was Pitcairn and my eyes widened - images of the ball suddenly filling my head.  

     The shots quieted out and a call came from one of the men to my side. "We did it! They're turning tail!" 

     I was shaken from my trance and all realization came quickly into my understanding, a smile upon my face as some of the militia charged across the bridge. I leaned forward to stroke the neck of my horse before dismounting him, breathing heavily as I tried to calm my nerves. In the distance down the path the British retreated. 

I could see Barrett and decided to hurry over to where it was he stood. My eyes along the way observed those killed on the American side being pulled off and the wounded aided on the spot. Crossing the bridge, a shiver ran through my body as the firing had stopped but echoed inside my head. Approaching Barrett, I wondered if Connor would have had no issue dealing with this like I had. 

     Slowly, I walked up beside Barrett and looked to the discarded bodies of some of the Redcoats, taking a deep breath as his deep voice spoke almost sadly... disappointed. "Takes a true monster to do something like this..." Our eyes met and in Barrett's I saw defeat although for now Lexington had been defended. Had it been the loss of his men in such great numbers? "At least they're gone..." 

     The shake of his head as his hands went behind his back while observing the bodies made me wonder about many things, but none of which could surpass my true anger. 

     "I should have truck while I had the chance..." My frustration was evident and as hooves approaching. My body was sensitive to the noise and before I looked up to see it was Connor my hand had been on my tomahawk. My heart fell even more as he looked about the mess. That's when I turned to Barrett fully now, listening to Connor dismount his horse. "Do you know where Pitcairn could've gone?" 

     "Back into the withered bosom of the British no doubt - so that he might regroup and plan his next atrocity." His eyes looked away from me for a moment and came back with a distant gaze. 

     "I need to find him..." I began, but was suddenly interrupted my Connor as he approached us, earning a curious look from Barrett as he then observed the two of us. 

     "Everyday we wait," Connor began, "more will suffer..." 

     Barrett looked to Connor now. "Chin up, friend. Many who should've died today now live," Barrett once again looked to me and I could feel the tears that rimmed my eyes. "because of you." 

     "And what of them?" I motioned out to the bodies of those yet to be retrieved as my voice cracked. 

     "We do the best we can with what we've got." 

     Connor spoke up as he took my arm. "It is not enough." 

     An almost amused look came over Barrett's face. "Hm." He seemed to almost consider it before he came closer and pulled me into a hug, away from Connor's grasp I was gently pulled. "It never is." After Barrett's words, his voice lowered, merely for my own ears as he gently held me there with my head against his chest as a single tear fell. Almost as if he knew I did not want Connor to see me like this. "Not all men will live, you'll come to find Canada. This is the reality of the world and it is our duty to try and put an end to that. But it's an endless fight." 

     Pulling back gently, Barrett looked down to me with small, fatherly smile almost it seemed. 

     "You did well, and it is because of you some of the men who came out today to defend Lexington have another night to breathe." I took my own chance to breathe as Barrett looked from me, letting me out of his arms as we both them looked to where Connor stood, understandingly so as he knew my state of mind was easily swayed at the moment.