Cogs Of Fate

Silent Night

The door to the jail opened once more causing them all to glance over. Walking into the room was a young woman of maybe 19. Her auburn hair was pushed messily into her gray bonnet, her matching skirts were torn at the hem, and stained with mud and grass. Her wicker basket hung over her arm as she entered. "Are ye hungry?" she asked, eyes staring at the floorboards at her feet. "They told me to see to yer needs."

Flynn's brows twitched as he stared at her. Lucy smiled, nearing the bars. "Thank you," she said softly. "You're very kind."

Wyatt asked, "Who are you?" He eyed her carefully, feeling uncertain about her presence. "Who sent you?"

Lucy and Rufus turned to face Wyatt. Rufus muttered, "Now you're jumpy about the locals?"

The young girl cleared her throat, lifting her blue eyes to meet Wyatt's. "My name is Charlotte. The guards asked me to bring ye some food." She motioned to the basket. "It's not much but it's good."

"I'm hungry," Rufus told her with a shrug. She neared the cell, extending the basket forward for him to choose from the items inside.

The moment she neared the cell, Wyatt's hand darted out, grasping her wrist and pulling her hard against the cell. She cried out, dropping the basket as she tugged against him. Wyatt covered her mouth with his free hand to keep her from screaming for help.

"What are you doing?" Rufus hissed. He looked down at the floor. "All of it spilled-"

Flynn and Lucy stepped forward but Wyatt shot them a look to stay back. "She's up to something-"

Charlotte whimpered, shaking her head no as her blue eyes widened, silently pleading with Lucy and Flynn for help, a small tear escaping the corners of her eyes.

Wyatt turned back to her. "Who sent you?"

Lucy grabbed his arm. "Wyatt!" He glanced over at her and her voice dropped low. "Let her go."

Wyatt turned his eyes back to the panicked young woman he was holding. He gritted his teeth before sighing. He released her and she bolted from the room. He shook his head, motioning toward the door. "She's up to something!"

"What are you talking about?" Lucy questioned, her expression and tone showing her anger. "You just assaulted a young girl-"

"What is a Scot doing here?" he argued. "Everyone else sounds British-"

Lucy groaned, tossing her arms off to the side as she answered, "The Scots were a part of the first settlers to come here!"

He tilted his head. "Really?"

She nodded, brushing her hair out of her face, muttering something about him needing to crack open a book once in a while. She shook her head, sitting down on the cot with a huff. Rufus picked up the basket, hoping to find something that hadn't fallen onto the dirty floor. He was disappointed to discover nothing stayed within the confines of the basket. He sat next to Lucy, arms crossed as he glared at Wyatt.

Flynn inhaled deeply, looking at Wyatt. "We should take turns on watch," he suggested. "If something is going to happen soon, it would be better for us to be awake when it occurs."

Wyatt nodded in agreement. "I guess I'll take the first watch." He hoped by offering to take the first watch, it would get him back on the others' good side again.

The boring and long minutes dissolved into torturous hours. Despite their best efforts to keep themselves awake, the team had fallen asleep. No one had come into the jail since Charlotte fled.

Flynn's suggestion to sleep in shifts to ensure they were awake should something occur during the night was sound, sans for the terrible fact that their exhaustion finally caught up to them and they had all fallen fast asleep.