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Piety and Infamy	By : MarianTheBlackadder Category: M through R > Patriot, The Views: 2093 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own The Patriot, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 19
- 20
Heather tried hard to sleep, but she woke up constantly in fear of what
might happen tomorrow. She tossed and turned and finally gave up, rising from
her bed and getting cleaned up and dressed for the day. She sat at her window
watching the sunrise and the activity down in the courtyard as the soldiers and
officers were preparing to ride to the battlefield. General Cornwallis and his
other Generals under his command, finally emerged from the building in their
military best, ready to ride to the field. Flags of England were unfurled and
flapping hard in the wind. General O�Hara looked up towards her window to see
her looking down at him. He gave a nod and touched his right breast where his
pocket was to let her know that he had not forgotten his promise.


Heather swallowed the knot in her throat when she watched the gates open
and saw the soldiers ride off with a swirl of dust and dirt. �Please be safe
William.� She whispered against the glass, �Be safe.� She turned away from
the window and went back to her closet changing into a simple dress that was
less fancy then most of the dresses Cornwallis had given her. A simple white
blouse, and a skirt that had few layers unlike the others. The bodice only came
up over her breasts and laced up tight, and she put on riding boots since they
were the easiest to put on. She began to pace in her room, moving back to the
window every now and then to look out hoping to see something. She prayed to God
constantly, one prayer stopped and another one immediately began.


General Cornwallis, General O�Hara and the rest of the officers and
escort got to the camp, O�Hara called his personal aid to him and took out the
letter Heather had given him the night before. �This is to go strait to
Colonel Tavington�s hands. You are not to rest, stop or change your path until
it is in his hands.� The solider nodded and took the letter. �Remember, in
Colonel Tavington�s hands. It is important.� Turning on his heels the man
ran across the way to the Dragoon camp. General O�Hara watched as he walked
quickly to catch up with General Cornwallis. He was already in his tent holding
a meeting with his Infantry Colonels and officers.


Colonel Tavington was holding a meeting as well in the Dragoon camp with
his Captain�s and other officers. �It is the same strategy as always, no one
is to be left standing. Surrendering or not, we do not take prisoners. If his
majesty and General Cornwallis want this conflict to end sometime in the future,
we will take measures to make it so.� The officers didn�t quite agree with
the methods that the Colonel had adopted, but wouldn�t question his orders.
They knew better, and knew that their rank would not save them from his wrath if
it was turned on them.


General O�Hara�s aid walked up beside Colonel Tavington and saluted
waiting to be acknowledged. However, Tavington continued on with his briefing
and instructions for each of his officers. The aid grew worried that the letter
was not being delivered with the haste that the General had intended. �Sir . .
. Please?� He said hoping to grasp the Colonels attention. Tavington grew
impatient with the solider rather quickly, and turned to the annoying man in mid
sentence.

�For months we have been sneered at and looked down upon for doing what
is necessary to advance ourselves through the countryside. Yet those
narrow-minded people that insist on reminding us constantly will not stop us
from doing our duty . . .what IS it Corporal!?!� He growled at the aid,
glaring holes in the man. The aid saluted again nervously holding out the letter
he had been given.


�This was sent to you sir, by General O�Hara and was to be given to
no one but you.� He said hoping to explain his urgent task and not be
reprimanded for interrupting the Colonel�s meeting. Tavington reached out and
snatched it from the nervous soldiers hands and put it in the inside pocket of
his uniform jacket. The Colonel turned back to those he was holding a meeting
with and immediately continued his briefing. The aid starred at the Colonel in
shock that he seemed to place no importance on the message at all, despite the
fact it came directly from a General. �Sir . . . aren�t you going to read
it, it might be important?� He asked forgetting the sort of danger he was in
for a moment.


Tavington�s temper was already on quite a short fuse, his wound was not
fully healed and it was still quite tender. It was one thing when his wife came
to visit him just a few days ago, it was another to dawn his full uniform and
tend to his tasks acting as though there was nothing wrong at all. It was making
him even more irritable then usual. �You have completed your task, and done
what you came to do, now get back to WHERE YOU BELONG!!!!!� The
aid stepped back and saluted and exited the tent just as fast as his feet could
carry him. He agreed with the Colonel whole heartedly that his job was finished.


A few hours later, the aid was bring some documents back to General
O�Hara at General Cornwallis�s request and placed them on the table before
him waiting to see if he had any orders to give that he could carry out.
�Thank you that will be all.� The aid turned and started to walk out.
General O�Hara remembered his late meeting with Lady Tavington in the hallway
the night before and stopped writing for a moment. �Did you deliver the letter
that I gave you to Colonel Tavington?�


The aid nodded, �Yes Sir. I saw too it right away.� General O�Hara
nodded to the solider and went back to his documents making sure that his
signature was on each one so that they could be sent to England at the
completion of today�s battle. The entire British Camp was a uproar of soldiers
shining their shoes, cleaning their weapons, and making sure they had plenty of
ammunition.


The call was sounded shortly before the battle was to begin, and the
redcoats flooded from their tents and gathered into their regiments that made up
countless lines of infantry. Heather watched from her window hearing the drums
and music begin to play. She couldn�t see anything very well and climbed up on
the windowsill standing on her tiptoes trying to see something. But all she
could see was the flags and white tents of the British encampment. She climbed
down from her perch and walked to her bed, quickly kneeling beside it and
raising her voice to God in desperate prayer again.


When the battle started, it began like any other battle. The lines
started to march and the music grew even louder then before. They began to close
the ground between the two forces and the heavy artillery on both sides fired
into each others lines again and again. They tried to take out as many troops as
possible before entering into firing range. General Cornwallis was a little
unnerved noticing the change in the Colonials normal format of battle, with
Militia forming at their center. Militia always had been the weakest point on
the Colonial line since they were untrained and felt no real need to stand their
ground and deserted their post in retreat. It seemed to Cornwallis to be an
incredibly foolish move indeed.


Colonel Tavington and his Green Dragoons lay in wait nearly, hidden in
the grove of trees ready to be called into battle. General Cornwallis� words
the day before played out in his mind again and his teeth grinded just a bit. He
only watched the battle for a few moments, but quickly became bored and
irritated with it. This would come to an end much faster if he just charged into
the enemy lines and cut them all down like wheat, but Cornwallis seemed intent
on playing a game of chess.


He suddenly remembered the letter that the aid had brought to him that
morning that was said to be from General O�Hara. Reaching into his jacket
pocket he sought it out, and turned it over in his hands recognizing almost
instantly Heather�s penmanship. It was odd, considering that he had warned her
never to write him whilst the war was still being engaged. But it was in his
hands now so the danger was non-existent. Still, he would have to scold her
later for taking such a risk in the first place. He turned it over and began to
open it, curious as to what it said. However, he was halted when Captain Wilkins
leaned close to him. �Sir . . . .Militia is forming at the Colonials center.
That�s odd isn�t it?�


�What?� Tavington looked up towards the battlefield in the engagement
zone. He folded the letter back leaving it half open and slipped it into his
pocket. Taking out his looking glass, he found that Wilkins was right. Not only
was he correct in his observation that militia was being used at the center of
attack but the one that he had sought these many months was leading them. When
the first shot was fired, the Colonial lines began to break already and several
of them began to retreat as expected. He couldn�t let that man escape or risk
someone else finishing what he had started. His death would mean that he and
Heather�s future would be insured. He could hear him shouting at the others,
�Hold the line, HOLD THE LINE!� as he reloaded his gun.


Enough was enough, this would end today and then it would get Cornwallis
off of his back and help the war to end much sooner. Tavington threw the looking
glass to the ground and drew his saber. �PREPARE TO CHARGE!�


Wilkins couldn�t believe it, knowing that it had been repeated over and
over that they were not to charge today until instructed to do so by General
Cornwallis himself. �But sir . . . we haven�t been given that order yet.�
Tavington shot him a glare, that clearly expressed his opinion in what should
happen to soldiers who insisted on insubordination. It was a look that simply
said, �shut up�.


Raising his saber high in the air he shouted down the line,
�CHARGE!!!� and rode down the hill heading for that one person that he had
sought out more then any other. The other dragoons a little taken by surprise
drew their weapons as well and followed him down the hillside.


Back at Cornwallis� headquarters, Heather sat next to her window once
again listening to the artillery fire and the sound of guns firing. She could
hear war cries, and other sounds that sent chills down her spine and made her
sick to her stomach. Suddenly, one word caught her ear shouted by hundreds of
voices, �CHARGE!� She could hear it clearly standing beside her open window.
The sound of gunfire quieted a little bit, and the clang of metal against metal
followed after it. She closed her eyes tightly praying again. She placed her
hands over her abdomen and whispered, �Please God, we beg you to watch over
him, keep him from harm. I beg you.� Her heart felt as if it was going to push
through her chest from how hard it was beating. Still she prayed, helpless to do
anything else but listen from afar.


On the battle field in the engagement zone, the British forces where
being pushed back hard thanks to a trick that the Colonials had played. They had
drawn them back over a hill acting like they were on the retreat, however almost
all of the Colonial forces were lying in wait, complete with artillery
appropriately aimed. Every British riffle and weapon had been fired and remained
unloaded as the soldiers of his majesties army chased after the rebels. And ran
into a barrage of Colonial fire. Several Dragoons where caught in the path of
the bullets, despite Colonel Tavington halting his advance and calling out to
the others in his unit.


In the field, Benjamin Martin was making himself stand out quite well,
and anyone could see him from a mile away if need be. It took a very short time
for Tavington to spot him, and at the same time, Benjamin Martin found him as
well. It was something that had been building for a long time, and now it would
come to pass. Both men had come to this battlefield looking for one thing,
revenge.


As the fight began, Benjamin Martin managed to put Tavington on foot by
murdering his horse. The horse literally fell out from underneath him and sent
William flying through the air. He hit the ground hard and it left him a bit
dazed. He quickly got to his feet looking around, disoriented and trying to find
where his enemy had moved. When then Colonel finally found him, Benjamin Martin
was loading his weapon pointing it at him. Tavington had already fired his
shots, and there was nothing he could do but let him get his shot off. No matter
what, he was going to charge and Benjamin Martin would have to be carried off
the field in a sheet. The coward didn�t seem to want to fight him man to man
in proper and gentlemanly hand to hand combat. Tavington half smirked, �So be
it.�


Time seemed to slow and stand still as his mind raced back to Heather,
not wanting to leave her behind and in Cornwallis� care. It had been her
greatest fear and he had promised her countless times he would not let it come
to pass. He could see her standing there just as clearly as he saw Benjamin
Martin threatening his life. All at once, time seemed to return to normal when a
Cannon ball hit the ground directly behind Benjamin Martin. The shards and
debris pushed him forward misguiding his aim as he pulled the trigger.


A indescribable pain shot through Tavington�s shoulder and he turned
and looked to find a hole in his uniform where the path of the bullet had gone,
and it bled profusely. Yet, it was merely a flesh wound that was painful, not
fatal. The bone had not shattered and was untouched. The battle between the two
men went back and forth several times. But Tavington was quicker having more to
fight for then Benjamin Martin ever did. He sliced the rebel over his legs, back
and thighs several times. Martin soon fell to his knees in a slight state of
shock.


Tavington took a moment to catch his breath, seeing his and Heather�s
future in his grasp. One swing of his sword would be all that it took. Blood was
running from the cut in his mouth, but he ignored it. �Kill me before the war
is over will you?� He hissed spitting blood and breathing hard from
exhaustion. �It appears . . . that you are NOT the better man.� Taking a
stance he swung his saber behind him preparing to strike as hard as he could,
expecting to hit his target with deadly accuracy. However, he lost his balance
and became dismayed when his target seemed to disappear from under his blade.


Suddenly, a shooting pain much like the one that he experienced earlier
went through his middle. His eyes grew big and his body became ridged freezing
in place. Martin had been leaning on a riffle to help steady him when his back
was to the Colonel, and waited for Tavington to swing before ducking out of the
way and turning to thrust the bayonet into William. He could barely move, shock
running through his entire body. Slowly, his eyes turned to meet Martins, he
could see Heather in his mind and before his eyes not wishing to leave her
behind. Something that this rebel fool could never understand much less care
about. Martin picked up another Bayonet that had fallen from someone�s riffle,
and held the tip against Tavington�s throat, grinning like a mad man.
�You�re right.� He spat in the Colonels face, whose body was beginning to
shake from the shock and pain. �My sons were better men.� A sadistic and
evil grin swept Benjamin Martin�s face as he thrust the weapon hard into
Tavington�s throat.


Williams eyes went wide, as more blood came from his mouth, and with out
care or concern, Martin pushed him back pulling the weapon from his throat, and
knocked him off his balance causing the Colonel to fall to the ground. The Ghost
turned around just in time to see his flag waving against the breeze and shining
in the sunlight. Soon, General Cornwallis and his escort left the battlefield,
heading back to his headquarters at fort Carolina.


Heather stood at her window her back ridged and her heart still beating
hard. Her eyes narrowed with worry when she saw that the General who had left
early this morning, was riding back already, when it seemed that the battle was
not even at an end. It was not a good sign, and meant that things were not going
well for their forces. The officers of the field were following after as well as
some soldiers. They were in retreat. When the gates flew open to let them in,
Heather ran from her room and flew down the stairs and through the main doors
into the courtyard that was full of horses and dust. �WHERE IS COLONEL
TAVINGTON!?!� She cried to the officers that passed her by not seeing her
Colonel anywhere in the crowd. She followed after an officer, and asked again,
�have you seen Colonel Tavington?� Each officer shook their heads as they
rode past not paying very much attention to her at all.


�No.� She said in a breathless voice as the last of the officers rode
in, Captain Wilkins returning alone. When the Captain dismounted she ran over to
him, �Captain, Where is Colonel Tavington? Why have you returned without him?
He didn�t say anything and actually tried to turn away from her. Heather�s
fears where driving her more then anything right now and she grabbed his jacket
jerking him back around towards her, �WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!?!?!� She screamed
at him. His lack of words and the expression on his face told her exactly what
it was she did not want to hear. She couldn�t breathe at the thought, and she
whispered, � . . . no . . .�


The Captain could see her heartbreaking before his eyes and reached out
to her attempting to comfort her, �My lady . . .� However, it was Heather
who was ignoring him this time, and began to shake her head in denial, taking
deep breaths one after another. She smacked his arm away as her chest heaved in
fear and panic. �NO!� She cried out, reaching for the reigns of his horse
and pulling them away from the Captain. She pushed him away and began to mount
it, but he grabbed her and pulled her down from the saddle. She had never been
rational where Colonel Tavington was concerned, and the battle had gone sour
making the danger to them even worse then before.


She used her weight to knock him away from her and grabbed his gun from
his side, finding that it was still loaded and got on the horse. Captain Wilkins
was still trying to get her off the horse and on to the ground, but she kicked
him hard when he made one last tight for her.


Heather turned the horse toward the gate and dug her heels into the
horses sides. General Cornwallis looked over just in time to see her right out
of the fort heading straight for the battlefield they had just retreated from.
Wilkins got to his feet to run after her, but it was in vein. She was gone and
he would never catch her on foot. �Damn that woman,� the General hissed
under his breath as he turned to O�Hara, �BRING HER BACK HERE! NOW!� He
roared.


Heather rode hard and fast, and prayed again and again even louder then
she had been praying before. Maybe Captain Wilkins was mistaken, and he didn�t
see what he thought he saw. It was just another officer that looked someone like
Colonel Tavington. After all, William was not a coward and never backed down
from a fight, perhaps he was still on the battle field fighting for the crown.


Heather came to the top of the hill just above the battlefield and came
to an abrupt stop. Her stomach turned and she had to close her eyes for a moment
before looking at the grizzly scene before her again. There were countless
bodies scattered all over the landscape, bloody body parts strung about, and
badly wounded men hoping for help and reaching up crying in pain for anyone that
might help them. A sense of pure and utter horror washed over her at the sight,
and the sickening smell of death filled the air and seemed to surround her.
However, she couldn�t let that keep her from finding her love that was
somewhere among this sea of humanity.


She dug her heels hard into the horses side and rode down into the field
looking about hoping to see William�s horse or William himself. The looters
were already ravaging the bodies for whatever valuables they could find,
stripping some of the clothing that wasn�t damaged off a few of them. They
usually went after the officers first, and as much as it pained her, she looked
quickly to the vultures that swept down to take their fill as soon as the battle
was finished.


Not to far in the distance, she saw a man trying to tug the boots off of
an officer and she could feel inside of her who it was. She grew angry that
anyone would touch her husbands body in such a disrespectful manner and used the
leather reign to smack the horses behind to speed to the man. She jumped from
the horse, feeling her heart fall as she recognized William when she drew near,
and without saying a word or asking any questions, she drew the pistol she had
taken from the Captain and fired it killing the man instantly. Tossing the gun
away she fell to her needs beside William, seeing how much blood covered him and
what bad shape he was in. But despite the severity of his wounds, he was still
alive. Tears began to well up in her eyes as she bit her lip, knowing in her
heart that his time was very short.


He coughed gasping for air spitting up blood, and bleeding profusely from
his wounds. His eyes opened and he looked up seeing her leaning over him, and
recognized her even though he was quite weak. Heather didn�t know what to do
and she quickly reached under her dress and tore several pieces of cloth. She
began to dress his wounds hoping to stop the bleeding knowing he had lost so
much already, and quickly packed the would on his throat. Her eyes moved down to
see the riffle with the bayonet sticking through his middle, and could see that
the weight of the weapon was causing him pain. She moved up and used her fingers
to unlatch the riffle and removed it as carefully as she could and threw it away
from them. Looking at his face she could see that it relieved his pain a little
bit.


Tears streamed down her face as she tore more pieces of cloth desperately
trying to pack all of his wounds and bandage them tightly. She wrapped her hand
tightly around his trying to muffle her cries, feeling a knot rise in her throat
at the realization of being helpless. Tavington looked up into her beautiful
blue eyes, seeing the way the sunlight fell on her making her white skin and
golden locks glow brightly showing her beauty. To him, she looked like and
angel, and perhaps in a sense she was. Now he wouldn�t die alone and got to
see his love, his wife, one last time.


�William, . . . William your going to be alright.� She said through
her tears, and aching heart. �I love you William, we�ll get someone to help
you. A doctor, a surgeon anyone. You�ll be fine my darling . . .� She
whispered to him, feeling sick and powerless to do anything for him. He tried to
speak to her but it only caused his breath to give and he began to choke and
cough up blood once more. Reaching up she quickly wiped the blood from his mouth
and chin, and moved to sit him up. She used all of her strength and quickly
slipped her knee behind his back, so he could try and breathe easier and not
choke anymore. She held her hand to his throat, trying with everything in her to
stop the bleeding but it was in vain. Looking around seeing a few still on the
battlefield she screamed, �HELP ME!! PLEASE SOMEONE HELP!�


She felt a cold hand touch her cheek and turned to see William had
reached up to feel her warm soft skin. His hand was covered in blood and smeared
it on her face a bit. She placed her other hand over his holding it tight. He
reached up and wiped her tears away from her eyes, silently telling her not to
cry. �William.� She whispered, looking down into his eyes. She turned her
face into the palm of his hand and buried it there, feeling herself weeping
harder before she looked down at him again.


�William.� She said softly, �Did . . . you get my letter? Did
General O�Hara deliver it to you as he promised me he would?� She held him
close still holding him up on her knee even though his weight was incredibly
heavy. His closed his eyes, growing weaker still, and let his hand drop against
his chest over his pocket. She reached inside his jacket and pulled out the
letter, finding it only half opened. Heather looked into Williams eyes in a
panic, realizing he hadn�t received the joyous news. She dropped the letter to
the ground, and held his hand once again. �William, . . . I�m with child.�
She whispered, not being able to speak any louder. His eyes became clear for a
moment as he looked up at her, she nodded. �I�m going to have your baby my
love. He�s due in the Spring.�


William tried to lift his head as he looked up at her, a small smile
gracing his lips and a look of excitement in his eyes. She held her hand against
his face and tried to breathe, �He�ll be as handsome as his father, and
I�ll raise him to know you, for who you truly are. Their rumors will not reach
his ears, I promise you.� She smiled still stroking his face with her fingers.
However, the brief moment of shared joy and excitement came to a stop when the
little color that was left flooded from his face, his body turned white, went
limp and fell against her, and the blue of his eyes turned to gray.


She felt her heart beat faster as she wrapped her arms around him,
�William . . .William no . . .� She said in a soft and whispered voice. She
held him tighter to her body and started to rock, tears streamed from her eyes
and mixed with his blood soaking her dress and his uniform jacket. �William .
. .please don�t go . . . don�t leave me . . . we�re to live happily ever
after, just like in the fairy tales . . . . William . . .WILLIAM!� She
screamed knowing that he couldn�t hear her. Heather rested her cheek against
his still rocking as she held him cradling his head in her arms.


Her hand still clutched tight to his hand with her fingers enlaced with
hers. But she soon released it and wrapped both arms around him. She wept
holding her love�s broken body, rocking him in her arms feeling a sorrow that
shattered her heart and seemed to tear her soul in pieces.
To Be Continued .
. .
- 19
- 20
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Piety and Infamy