Link To The Past

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Gabriel and Thomas were enjoying their breakfast with the family when  briskly walked up to the happy group with a glum look upon his face. He  grabbed an apple and scarfed it down.
"Don't eat too fast you might choke on a seed." Aunt Charlotte told him.
The children giggled at this.
"What's the matter, father?" Nathan asked.
smiled  weakly at his son and waved a dismissive hand. "Nothing, son." He  rested a firm hand on Gabriel's shoulder and whispered in his ear. After  that, he grabbed another apple and left.
Thomas looked over at his older brother. He knew something was wrong.
Gabriel  cleared his throat and stood up from the make-shift table. "No slacking  off, you guys. Make sure you all do your part, alright?" He scuffed  Thomas's hair and walked away.
Kristine nibbled on her oatmeal. "I think he wants you to follow him." She said a little under her breath.
Of  course, Thomas knew this all too well and stood up from the table and  before leaving he gave Kristine a kiss on the top of her head.

Thomas  followed Gabriel who was walking away from the crowd of people, knowing  full well that Gabriel was headed toward their father. "Wait up,  Gabriel," Thomas said.
Gabriel slowed his pace and waited or his  brother to catch up. "Father says that a group of British soldiers have  been spotted fifteen miles from here. Father wants all of us to head out  there and take them by surprise."
"Surely fifteen miles a safe distance away?" He said, not wanting to leave Kristine's side again.
"We don't have a choice, Thomas." Gabriel was right...Thomas knew this all too well.
When they were away from prying eyes and listening ears they spotted their father behind a tree.
"What is it, father?" Thomas asked. "Gabriel just said there are British soldiers fifteen miles out."
nodded  while cleaning one of his guns. "It's important that we leave as soon  as possible. There is no say on how long they will stay."
"Why in such a hurry? Surely living today and fighting tomorrow is best?" Thomas tried to persuade him.
But his father just shook his head. "Travington has been spotted there. We need to kill him...today. Once and for all."
Thomas's  nightmare sparked inside of him as he remembered getting shot by the  British Colonel. "If you say we must go then we will. Gabriel and I will  follow you into any battle." He told his father.
For a second there  he saw his father smile faintly. "I know..." He said quietly. finished  cleaning his gun and turned to look at his two oldest sons. "We leave  now so get your things ready and say goodbye."
The boys nodded to this and did just that.

Meanwhile,  Thomas was in his and Kristine's small tent gathering his things  together and making sure he would not forget anything.
"Leaving again?" Said a voice.
Thomas looked up and saw his wife standing at the doorway. "Oh...Kristine."
Kristine sighed. "It's all right. I know you have to do this. We're in the middle of a war. Sacrifices are made."
Thomas was a bit relieved to hear this. He thought he was going to have to fight Kristine on this topic. "You're not mad?"
Kristine  walked the rest of the way inside. "At you? No. I'm mad at your dad,  mad at the war. But I guess I shouldn't be because these can't be  helped." She paused. "I just can't help but feel the way I do. I hate it  when your father drags you out to fight. Each time you go out there I  never know if I will see you again."
Thomas sighed. "I know, love." He kissed her forehead and hugged her. "I won't die. I promise I'll come back to you."
Kristine held on tightly to her husband. "I know you will."
Someone  cleared their throat and the couple turned to see Gabriel. "Everyone is  waiting." And he left without saying another word.
Thomas and  Kristine walked out of the tent together and saw everyone standing in a  line, getting ready to say goodbye. Thomas kissed Kristine goodbye,  letting his lips linger on hers for a second longer than usual and then  knelt down and kissed her tummy before saying goodbye to the rest of his  family.
Gabriel hugged each and every one of his family members and even gave Kristine a kiss goodbye on the back of her hand.
was  the last to say goodbye to his family and surprisingly gave aunt  Charlotte a kiss, shocking some while others knew it was going to happen  sooner or later. Lastly, he knelt down to Susan's level. Her cheeks  were rosy and her blue-green eyes sparkled. "Goodbye, Susan." said her  father but not a word came out of her mouth. tried again but there was  still no response from his youngest child. Nodded and smiled dumbly to  himself and stood up, trying to hold his emotions together. "The three  of us will be back soon. No later than two days." He said.
Great, thought Kristine. Two horrible days of waiting anxiously.
The  family watched Benjamin, Gabriel, and Thomas get up on their horses and  start to ride off. It was at that moment that Susan stepped forward.  She was feeling guilty for not having said goodbye to her father. There  was so much he wanted to tell him, but her big heart inside her tiny  body felt like breaking and it took everything inside of her to stay  calm.
Soon, she could no longer stand it and she called out, "Papa!"  Benjamin and his sons stopped their horses and turned around to see  little running with all her might towards them. "Papa!" She called out.
was  so overcome with joy hearing the sound of his daughter's voice that he  almost fell to his knees as soon as he got off his horse.
"I'll say anything you want!" Cried, Susan. "Just stay! I'll say anything you want."
wrapped  his giant arms around his daughter and held her close. "I know, I  know." He said. "But I have to go, but I'll be back. I'll be back before  you know it."
As Thomas watched this he couldn't help but wonder  what kind of father he would be. He knew he would have to make difficult  decisions and he hoped that he would never have to be in the same  position as his father was now. That's why he had to fight to win this  war, to ensure that he would never have to leave his family to spend his  days in bloodshed. He wanted to be there for his children as they grew  up.
Thomas came back to his senses as his father got on top of his  horse again. He gave Kristine one last look before tearing his eyes away  from her. He hoped to God he would come back to her.