Dandilion

[AdmiralStarNight]

Caitlyn swore outloud as she saw the river. She stopped at it side and Forres looked at her pathedicly. She looked around. She loved water, most of the time she would have enjoyed swimming to the river, but Caitlyn had no way of pursueing Andrew across the river without getting her weapons wet. The soliers were looking at the water like it was going to kill them.

She decided to go up the river far enough away from where Andrew was and found a place with enough stones to get her across. There were problems, likt eh small fact that th rocks were slippery, even with their big surface, the water around them was rough, and she was liekly to break something if she tried.

But she might have issued the challenge, she was starting to have fun, and was a little envoius that Rafael only let men into the Army. She'd love to do this as a job, even if it meant getting shot at on a semi-regular basis.

Caitlyn watched as the soldier mingled about, obviously scared and she snorted and said. "Give." She made a motion at one of their M-16s and the soldier looked at her as if she was insane.

"Ma'am, I know you had some training, but an assult rifle?" he questioned.

"Yeah, I can do it." She answered. In reality she sucked at shooting the M-16 without help but she hoped she didn't need to far away if she needed to fire it. The soldier handed it over and caitlyn stepped onto the muddy bank.

The first leap had landed her on the first stone with minor diffculty, she almost slipped and got her unifrom wet, but she ignored it. The second stone she jumped to was the same, the third however was different.

Caitlyn misjudged the slant on the stone and she slipped, though she was able to stay on the rock, her ankle twisted painfully and it went right to her brain. she didn't scream, but she had to wipe her eyes of tears before she could see exactly what stone she was jumping to next.

SHe jumped to the next two stones, barely able to stay on them due to her twisted ankle, but she got across with only a bit a water and a twisted ankle as an reward. She got up from her hands and knees in mud and brushed off some of the mud, smearing it all over her uniform.

She then proceded to walk through the forest carefully avoidly noisey leaves and twigs, as if she were hunting deer with Ansten, she was limping a little and wincing with each step. She tried to ignore it, but she couldn't ignore it completely.

Finally she had found she way back to where Andrew was resting and felt brave enough with her new weapon to lean down, pick up a rock and throw it. The small rock connected with Andrew and she smiled underneath the shadow of her helmet, clicking the safety off on the rifle and her finger slipped into the tigger. Though she wasn't holding it perfectly, she could fire the weapon with minimal diffculty. Also, Caitlyn wasn't all the far from Andrew, about 4 feet away, if she pulled the trigger, it would hit, unless Andrew had become Superman in the last few minutes, it wouldn't be a pleasant day for him.

When Andrew turned around, he would find a soldier, of an unknown gender, obviously not as well trained but still carrying a deadly weapon, and leaning slightly to the left, favoring the right leg a little. The helemt cast a lond shadow over the face and the uniform looked as though the soldier had just gotten done doing a training course on a rainy day. The soldier didn't speak at first, waiting for a comment from the General.

[Scottish Girl]

Andrew almost cried out when the stone hit him in the back of his neck. Not because it was painful, but because it caught him by surprise. He stood up and swivelled around, searching the Teresa and finally spotted the soldier. He grinned, he could have killed the soldier easily, but he had a gun. With that Andrew turned and ran through he trees, his leg slowin him down dramatically.

The other soldiers had found a crossing that was safe and was now racing after him, unawares. Suddenly Andrew came to a clearing and stopped to breath. There was he sound of footsteps and a soldier came out of he trees on the left of Andrew, then another on he right, and another behind. Each were aiming their guns at him. Andrew had no other choice. He raised his hands above his head in defeat and one of the soldier walked over and tied his hands behind his back,"Tough luck boy," he said with a grin.

[AdmiralStarNight]

Once the other soldiers had found their way across the river she let them pursue the general. She blew her whistle in a combanation that had a slightly damp Forres running through the woods at full speed after the fleeing man.

Caitlyn flinally caught up with the group, still favoring her right leg, and grinned at the comment. She kept the gun pointed in his direction, careful not point it at the solider currently restraining Andrew and she snapped one of her fingers and Forres obendently returned to her side.

She finally laughed a bit, noticing Andrew's injury, drawing the man's attention. Then she spoke,
"So I guess you do like playing with concertina wire." Her voice was obviously one that belonged to a woman and her pushed her helmet back a little to look at the General.
"What? I can't have a little fun? No, it was too good a challenge to pass up."

[Scottish Girl]

Andrew clenched his jaw,"You broke our deal," he said angrily, taking a step forward. All the soldie rised their guns and Andrew took a step back to his position, his eye son he guns nervously. One of the soldiers walked over an even down, looking at Andrews wound,"Owch, that is quite deep, he will probably need stitches," said the soldier, touching t gently and making Andrew breath in deeply.

He wrapped the bandage back around the wound and nodded to the soldier to take Andrew back. So with their guns still strained on Andrew they walked through the trees, Andrew limping slightly.

The captain turned around to face her,"Are you kidding! You can't keep that kid as a slave, Keke was hard enough for you to train, how do you think you are going to keep him from running away, never mind do any work!" he said, looking her in the eye. He shook his head softly and put his helmet back on,"We only just caught him this time," he said before he followed them through he trees.

[AdmiralStarNight]

"So I did, I can't keep all my promises, General." Caitlyn answered. Though she wondered if he had noticed the fact that she wasn't exaclty in top form anymore either. With a tiwsted ankle she wasn't going to be doing much, let alone if he escaped again. He'd probably be amused by that, or make fun of her becasue of it.

Caitlyn handed the rifle back to it rightful owner and took to walking beside the captain. "I'll agree with you captain," she said softly, "though if I remember what Rafael said to me a few days ago, that he'd be willing to buy Andrew back for twice the price I bought him for show trials. Hinds accepted the offer right away."

"Are you going to accept?" the captain asked, curious about what would happen to the rebelious slave.

"I don't want to." Caitlyn stopped and hissed in pain as her right foot stepped down a little too hard on a branch causing the injured foot to twist even more. "I think we kick the General's Army good enough, I don't like watching show trials." She grinned humorless at the startled expression from the soldier. "Yeah, Jackson's daughter, the iceberg girl of the Army, doesn't like watching the execution of the enemy..." Her voice was practically dripping with sarcasm as she said that last statement. "What a pushover I am."

"So.." the soldier looked back at her confused, "Is it true you have a small kid slave you bought running around your estate?"

"He isn't a 'slave.' He's just a kid. His mother had already been killed and the poor kid was so young. I couldn't leave him there..." She paused and lowered her voice. "And you tell no one this, but I'm thinking about adopting him to make him the offical heir to the Draco estates. I don't even think he'll have any slaves, I haven't taught him that and don't intend too."

Maybe there was a little more to the Von Williams family then one on the outside can see, but one on the inside could see clearly.

[Scottish Girl]

Andrew was led back to the estate, his hands tied behind his back. The soldiers waited for the captain at the estate and kept their guns on Andrew who was clenching his teeth, as to not cry out.

Suddenly Andrew felt a loosening in one of the ropes and with a jerk they came off. He tabbed one of the guns from the unexpectig guards and with that he ran, as fast as he could into the trees, his leg slowing him down dramatically. Andrew was determined boot to go back, whatever it took, even if he had to die in the process

[AdmiralStarNight]

Caitlyn herself knew better than to expect anything easy from Andrew now.

Though when she arrived at the estate, she had been more than little surpised to find a messenger from her leader waiting for her.

SHe listened as a medic fixed her leg and the messenger told her the message.

He'd heard. He had found out about her 'slave's' escape and was less than pleased about it. And since she couldn't keep control over him, he had issued a general 'kill on site' order. Though he would allow soemone to capture him alive and return him to be executed at the show trials.

Not only that, Rafael had sent his 'special' guard to 'watch' over her estate untill the capture of the rouge general. By Now most of the Army troops were normal people who believed in fighting for their country, some didn't like the leader, but they signed up becasue they at least knew it was better than being a plain civilian.

But Rafael's Speical guard unit, they were something different all together. They were the fanatics, the ones who would pillage, steal, hurt and kill because they saw it as their duty. They had been issued orders to keep Caitlyn's slaves in lockdown until he lifted the order.

Which meant young Warner would be in the hands of those maniacs. She had tried, unsuccessfully, to convince the Major which led them to let the small boy go. the Major had been unsympathedic and would not release her youngest slave.
And she knew Rafael well enough that if Andrew wasn't captured or killed, he'd have her hanged along with her slaves. That terrified her to no end.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now Caitlyn was back in the forest, wishing with all her heart that Ansten was with her and cursed her luck. She could cover good ground, and she still had her ever present sidearm with her.

But she had, in a fit of what she now knew had been panic, disabled two guards with kicks that had dropped them to the ground in pain instantly when they had tried to touch her. The Major had been more than a little angry and had some of his men chase her.

She still had on the Army uniform, though had lost the helmet on her estates. She could hear soldiers distantly, along with an army vehicle grumbling down a road not far ahead. She continued and darted across the road and dove into a bush as the transport passed. She got back up and continued, though her ankle was still hurting and it felt swollen now that Caitlyn had been running on it for so long.

It took only a few minutes before Caitlyn had sat down with her back against a fallen tree, leaves of growing vines spilling around her, it was a good enough hiding place for now. Her eyes closed and she groaned softly in pain as her pulled her right ankle closer.

Her heart beat was loud in her ears and she wasn't paying attention. She doubted she would be able to hear a bomb go off right in front of her, nor did she hear any movement close to her.

Now Caitlyn's gone and gotten herself in trouble, you wouldn't mind having Andrew accidently find her, would you?

[Scottish Girl]

Andrew was running through the trees, hearing the shouts, barks and rumble of engines. He came running into a clearing and stopped, breathing heavily, when he noticed Caitlin. He made a move to run, then noticed she hadn't made a move to him. He slowly walked over, getting ready to run at any moment, but she didn't move. Andrew clapped his hands together loudly, but there was no response from her.

Andrew bent down and noticed her leg. He by his lip and walked into the trees, picking a couple of plants and mashing them together with some water. He walked back and took the bandage off her leg before putting the paste on, which would numb the pain, and wrapped the bandage around it again. He noticed her gun and reached down and slipped it out of her grip, attaching it to his belt.

Andrew sat opposite her, waiting till she was well enough, because he knew I he left her an animal would get her. Andrew listenened to the sounds passing the clearing, but not even approaching and the sound of them getting further and further away.

[AdmiralStarNight]

Caitlyn hadn't noticed she had fainted. She wasn't trained like Andrew was, she had only what she had forced herself to do, which had been way beyond anything she had done in the past few years.

The first think she noticed when she awoke was the fact that she was outside. She still felt slightly light headed and her brain was trying to catch up with the rest of her body. She noticed that someone had changed her bandage and since her consious brain hadn't yet caught up she mummbled a word of thanks and said a name which Andrew had never heard before, Ansten.

When she said it, her eyes cleared fast after that and she looked around, the disappointment on her face plain.

Then her hazel eyes found Andrew and they quickly found her own sidearm, currently out of reach on the General's belt.

"Well," She said finally her voice a bit dry, "seems only fair. Think we can call it even now, General?" It was only slightly humorous, but it did contain a note of worry.

[Scottish Girl]

Andrew stood up,"Hardly," he said, attaching the gun he had been holding to his belt. He looked at her, keeping a look out in case there was any soldiers nearby. He siged softly, putting his hands in his pockets,"Who's Aneston?" he asked softly, taking out his own gun and taking the safety off before pointin t at her. He was prepared to shoot, he didn't want her to follow him, and once they were done talking he was planning to, even if he didn't want to.

He swallowed,"You know I never wanted to be a soldier, I never liked killing people. But my father was one of the greatest soldiers in the world, and an even better general, all he wanted his son to be was like him, I gave up my whole life not for my country, not for my queen, because of my family. I still have a little sister who thinks I'm on holiday, I don't want to shoot you, but I don't have a choice," he said, loading the gun, closing one eye so as to et a clean shot and aiming.