Ben came into the room and saw his son Gabriel. "Gabriel!" he said. He dropped his towel and hurried toward him.

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"Father." Gabriel said, looking to his father. Elizabeth stood by Margaret and she smiled.

After father and son talked, Elizabeth came down the steps after putting the children to sleep. She looked at Ben and Gabriel, and she smiled before walking out and started to tend to the men.

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Miranda stood aside and slipped out of the room to her quarters for a moment. Would her uncle never come? It had already been two weeks....

She heard Elizabeth go to tend to the men, and remembered that she had to do the same. She slipped back out the back door and to the barn.

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Elizabeth sighed and she worked for a few hours before the men were asleep. She leaned against the wall, and then looked up as she thought she heard distant gunshots.

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Miranda had just been lying down to sleep, as most of her charges were the men with minor to moderate wounds, when she heard something strange in the distance. She dismissed it first, but then heard it again. She rose and found Elizabeth. "Miss?" she asked, "Did you hear that?"

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"You heard it as well?" Elizabeth asked.

((man we're straying off the plot...oh well!))

Tavington led his Green Dragoons through the woods, having heard from one of his dispatchers that the injuried men were on a residence not far from the creek.

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[Well get it BACK ON! lol]

Miranda looked up at her and said, "Yes...what was it?" They heard it again. "Gunshots..." she said. After a moment, she asked, "Should I wake the others?"

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((well this isn't supposed to occur until morning...oh well))

Elizabeth looked up and her eyes widened as she spotted the Green Dragoons and their leader, Tavington, also known as the Butcher. "Get Ben, now!"

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[Eh just say it's early morning..lol =P]

Miranda ran to Ben's room and called for him. "Mr. Martin!" she cried. "Mr. Martin!"

He jerked and rose quickly. "What is it, Miranda?"

"Someone's coming, and from what Elizabeth said, it doesn't sound good."

He took his rifle and went to the door with her. Miranda stood beside Elizabeth and asked, "Where's Gabriel?"

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"I don't know..but I don't think he should be here...its the Green Dragoons..."

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Miranda's face froze. She walked over to her bag and took out her revolver, carefully hiding it behind her back.

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Tavington pulled his horse to a stop and looked at the three people on the porch. He saw some of the British soldiers on one side and a few American soldiers.

Elizabeth pulled back some of her black hair behind her ear and looked at Tavington.

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Miranda looked up at the Redcoat with defiant eyes and waited for him to say what he needed to.

"May I help you?" asked Ben.

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"These men are of my regiment...thank you for caring of them." One of the Lituenents said.

Elizabeth grew nervous and she looked at Miranda.

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Miranda exchanged a look with Elizabeth and heard a stirring in the back room. She turned, and it was Gabriel coming out into the hall to see what was happening. Miranda signaled him with a look, then feigned coughing. When Elizabeth asked her what was wrong, she said, "It's too - <i>cough</i> - cold...." she coughed and walked back into the house. "Go!" she whispered to Gabriel when she reached him. "Go! Now!"

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Elizabeth looked at Miranda and then back at the house. She then heard a soldier. "Sir..dispatches." she swore and then backed up toward the house.

Tavington looked at them, and then said, "Who carried this?"

"I did." Gabriel said. Elizabeth looked up at Gabriel as he came out. "I carried those. I was wounded, these people gave me care, they have nothing to do with the dispatches."

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