Scars Of Time

Somewhere In The World

Back in the settlement, Rufus and Flynn had separated. Rufus kept an eye on Pocahontas and the kids, while Flynn had followed the watching soldier through the settlement.

When Wyatt and Lucy returned they found Rufus first. Lucy looked around. "Where's Flynn?"

"Your 'husband'," Rufus mocked. "Is following who we believe to be a sleeper."

"You let him go by himself?" she asked, almost shocked.

Rufus turned his attention from the playing kids to her. "Someone had to watch the kid." Wyatt and Lucy glanced over their shoulders to watch the English kids playing with Pocahontas. Rufus added sarcastically, "She seems like a real savage to me."

Lucy shook the sarcasm off. "We need to find Flynn."

"What's the hurry?" Rufus asked, looking between the two.

Wyatt explained, "We met with John Smith. Turns out, Rittenhouse has been changing this part of history way longer than we realized."

"What does that even mean?" Rufus began to ask. Lucy started to walk away from them, just as Wyatt began filling him in. They set out to track down Flynn so when the time came to talk with Smith, they'd all be together and could form a solid plan.

When they rounded the corner in the housing rows, Flynn was sitting on the ground, behind some barrels nearest the wall. Lucy rushed forward, bending down to his level. "Flynn? Are you okay? What happened?"

Flynn slowly lifted his head to meet her worried gaze. His right eye was black and cheekbone was bruised with a slight cut, bleeding. He smirked as he admitted, "I got jumped by some of the soldiers."

"What?" Rufus asked, almost in doubt. "Since when does anyone get the upper hand on you?"

Flynn's jaw tightened as he turned his attention back to Rufus. "I followed our friend back here, and he had some friends waiting. With that many muskets pointed at me, I didn't think it was wise to put up much of a fight." Lucy helped him stand up. He added, "Besides, I want them to think that I'm just a stupid settler, not a fighter."

Wyatt had a half-smile on his face. Something about a couple of redcoats beating up on Flynn was almost humorous to him. Flynn noticed the smile but said nothing.

Lucy whispered, "We have a meeting with Smith later. Some of what he told us makes us believe that Rittenhouse has been here for a lot longer than we think."

Flynn studied her face as she filled him in with the exchange down at the shore. He nodded when she finished and said, "So, we wait."

They didn't have to wait long. The moment it got dark outside, and the torches and fires were lit all along the walls of the settlement, as well as the candles within it, John Smith had returned from his work down at the estuary. The team watched as he spoke with some of the soldiers, then some of the kids. He scanned the group of kids, face falling slightly as he moved on from them. Lucy thought it was because Pocahontas wasn't there with the kids. She realized that maybe he loved her more than his story admitted.

He approached the group as they stood nearby one of the houses. He motioned for them to follow and they did. He escorted them into one of the houses, which from the looks of it, was his own private quarters. There were maps rolled up neatly and placed into a bucket. There were weapons and tools strewn along the walls, and a few furs tossed about the bed and chairs.

Smith lit the fireplace logs ablaze and then did the same for the few candles he had. He turned his attention to the group and his eyes stalled on Flynn's face. He motioned to it. "Which soldier did that?"