.:The Dawn of a Revolution:. (1x1)

[Cloudsong]

They browsed for a while, always keeping close to each other as they walked the street. Walden wasn't captivated by any of the girls that looked his way, nor was he seemingly interested by the merchandise being sold. Deidre suspected that he had something else on his mind, and that part of the reason why he had asked her to come with him in the first place had nothing to do with her birthday. She suspected that Walden simply did not want to return home, as the past few weeks had been spent in tension between him and his father. While she wasn't exactly sure why, Walden had something against the man, and although he had not said why or what it was, she suspected that soon he would have to give in. A storm was brewing - she could feel it in the air.

"You stay over here for a moment, will you?" he suddenly said, cutting into her thoughts as she looked up from the glass bowl she had been absentmindedly looking at. He was looking over at a group of men, all of them wearing the same pins that he had had on earlier. "I have to talk to someone."

Though it struck her as odd, Deidre nodded. As he left her there, she drifted away from the stand, watching carefully as her brother spoke in undertones to the group. They all seemed to be listening intently to him.

[Captain Kaycee]

A few boys had looked up at the bread stands with hunger in their eyes, yet they hadn't the money to pay. They were in the poorer districts of town; they came from families who simply struggled to get the food. As they continued to look and gradually walk away, the sudden sound of yelling caught their attention. The baker was screaming into the distance, but while he had turned his back Catherina snuck up behind him. She snatched a few loaves of bread, shoving them in her bag before sneaking away and walking up to the little boys that had hidden in the alley in case the baker suspected them.

"Here, take some. I'll watch your back, okay? If you're going to steal, only take as much as you can handle. Too much, and they'll notice," she explained to the boys. They all stared at up at her in shock, until finally digging into their meal. It was the little things that counted for her, and these children obviously were in need.

"I'll see you kids later. Remember what I said about taking the food!" Catherina hissed. One of the boys, however, had lifted his head from the bread he had in his hands.

"What's your name, mister?" the boy asked, his large brown eyes staring up at the disguised woman.

"Enos." It was one of the lies that came off of her tongue like it was natural to her. For nearly two years she had been hiding in plain sight, and luckily nobody had noticed. She ruffled the boy's hair and headed back into the clearing, her eyes on the lookout for any of the redcoats in case they came. All she saw were men with little patches on their jackets, but she took no attention to them. They weren't soldiers; they wouldn't hurt her.

Meanwhile, Nathaniel continued to browse through the shops on the streets. There wasn't much for him to look at; he wasn't one for buying his sister jewelry. She would rarely wear it anyway. Since their mother had passed away, they rarely talked anymore. He was too busy on his travels into the Caribbean to trade goods to even pay attention to her. Catherina was alone in the house most of the time, which was why she picked up the hobby of making her own fun.

The only question Nathaniel had was how long would it last? He had thought that she would be more like a lady as she grew older, but it appeared that she would rather be a sailor on his ship than get married. She was a fickle person; Catherina didn't want to be around the rest of the nobles in Lexington anyway.

His thoughts were suddenly cut off as he nearly bumped into a woman in front of him. He lifted his hands into the air to keep from touching her, taking a few steps back.

"O-Oh! I'm so sorry I didn't mean-" Nathaniel started, until he realized who it was. The woman in front of him was one of the nobles that had lived in the town longer than he and his sister. He rarely talked to the nobles because of his voyages, but this was one of the rare occasions he did. He didn't even know the story behind the Native American noblewoman; he didn't pay much attention to the rumors Catherina brought home.

"Apologies, Miss Deidre," Nathaniel apologized more formally. He lifted his hat off his hat and tipped his head. "I didn't see you there. Terribly my fault."

[Cloudsong]

The feeling of something brushing up behind her brought Deidre back to reality, and she quickly turned away from her brother's direction, to come face-to-face with a nobleman. She knew his face because everyone in the town did: this was Nathaniel Devol, captain of a British Frigate that would dock almost permanently at their shore. His title didn't impress her, however, as Deidre had never been one to be impressed by names. It wasn't surprising either, that he reacted to their contact like a gallant gentleman. While she was used to seeing people talk of her, and hearing the rumors second-hand, nobody had the courage to disrespect her to her face. This was simply normal. Instead of wanting to believe that this was just another one of those men who laughed at her heritage, Deidre offered him a small smile.

"It's no trouble, Nathaniel," she responded lightly, giving him a nod to show her forgiveness. Her eyes did not stay on him for long however, and she glanced back towards where her brother had been. She couldn't help but sigh upon seeing that he had once again disappeared. Once again she would be walking back to her house alone that night, as Walden probably had found something more interesting to occupy his time. But she wasn't going to blame him, as she knew perfectly well that her brother simply had a lot to do. His lies from earlier did not help her soothe her conscious however, and her content from earlier seemed to subdue slightly.

After a moment she returned her gaze to Nathaniel, this time taking in his appearance with a more detailed eye. Now that she had nothing else to do, she didn't mind the distraction. So this was the man that all the girls her age went wild over? He certainly was courteous, but Deidre knew that a man had to be more than that to ever capture her attention. (Not that she ever even expected to be considered by a man like him.) The fact that he was handsome was not even of importance to her, as she had early on learned that appearance meant nothing - in fact, from her personal experiences, she had drawn the conclusion that such superficialities were incorrect to value at all.

"It's odd for me to be seeing you here," she said after a moment, tilting her head slightly. "I never thought you'd be the type to hang around a scene like this." She motioned around her, to the bustling streets. In all the years they had lived in the same town, she could count the times she had seen him on the fingers of one hand, and they had never been in the town square like this.

-

By the time Walden had finished speaking to the men, he had discovered that his wanderings had separated him from his sister. It didn't worry him however, as he knew that she had often found her way back to the estate on her own. In fact, she would probably better off without him. He told himself this to soothe his conscious.

The man easily caught sight of the group of poor children eating bread, and he was instantly struck by the strange sight. He knew the kids from having seen them a few times around town - orphans, some of them. All dirt-poor. They couldn't afford bread, and upon surveying the situation, he identified the man who had given it to them. Without paying, of course. By the way he leaned in to ruffle the younger boy's head, and spoke to them - probably giving hints on how to steal - he could tell. He approached them slowly, watching as the little kids scattered upon seeing him.

"I should turn you in to the jail for stealing that bread," Walden said slowly, once he was facing the culprit. The man in front of him was not one that he recognized, even if the town was small. It struck him as odd, of course. "Do I know you?" he suddenly asked, suspiciously. He narrowed his eyes slightly, as if he were trying to decipher who this man was.

[Captain Kaycee]

At first Nathaniel wasn't sure what to say to her. He rarely saw the people in the town, and he was leaving within the week for another shipment to New York. It wouldn't be a long trip, but he'd be gone for at least a week. He did it because of his father; he was now an admiral in the Royal Navy. Becoming a captain had been a dream of Nathaniel's for years, and only recently had he felt like he was imprisoned.

It was even worse at the current situation in the colonies. Only a week ago had the word gone around that British soldiers had fired upon civilians in Boston. There were still newspapers and town criers explaining the event, and lately it had been describing almost twenty people wounded, and more than ten people dead. However, there were other reports of only five people killed, so the information was hard to determine which was accurate.

"I'm only here for a few days," Nathaniel muttered, pushing the thought of the events in Boston away. "My sister dragged me out of the house for some fresh air, though I don't know exactly where she went. I'm leaving for another shipment down to New York from Boston... it's been getting even harder to send shipments down with the new taxes, and now after this shooting, it's been getting worse..."

Nathaniel paused for a moment to glance up at Deidre, remembering some of the things his sister had said about her. Catherina had never said them to humiliate her, but rather to criticize how ignorant the rest of the noblewomen were in the town. It was yet another reason why she turned away from that life.

"Umm... how have you been lately?" he suddenly asked. "I haven't heard word of your brother in a few months..."

-

Catherina had thought that she had given herself enough time to leave the area, until her path had crossed with a man that she had heard numerous rumors about. This was Walden, another one of the nobles that the women swooned over. He was attractive, she gave him that. But the last thing she wanted was an encounter with anyone that could realize who she actually was.

Clearing her throat to make it deeper, Catherina began to speak. "We can't just let innocent children starve on the streets..." She grabbed onto her hat to push it further over her eyes, in case he could catch a brief resemblance. "And I'm just a normal street rat named Enos, who actually helps the poor people in this town than any of your rubbish nobles."

At that point Catherina suddenly broke into a sprint the other way, dodging her way through the shops and trying to find a place to hide. The town was practically in the middle of the forest, which was why she dashed into the trees and managed to climb up one with the help of the branches.

[Cloudsong]

Deidre's eyes didn't stray from the man in front of her as he spoke. He watched as he frowned slightly upon mentioning the happenings in Boston, saw how he became awkward as he glanced her way once more. What did he see when he looked? She wondered if he was one of those men who would start those awful rumors in the first place. Somehow, she didn't think so. But then, why did he seem so uncomfortable?

When he suddenly asked how she was fairing, Deidre blinked, the surprise visible in her dark eyes. She wasn't entirely sure if he genuinely was concerned for not having seen her brother in a few months, or if he was just forcing conversation to relieve himself of feeling forced. Either way, she knew it would be rude to stare for any time longer, so she just smiled.

"I'm fine," she replied gracefully. After all, why wouldn't she be okay? "I'm doing very well, thank you." She spoke politely, and it was somewhat notable that her reply was not anything more than a polite response. She didn't think that Nathaniel was interested in a real answer when he asked how she was - it was simply common courtesy. "My brother has been rather busy, actually. He's training my father's new recruits." She paused. "And what about you? How has everything been fairing for you and your sister?"

It was all very polite, this conversation. But then again, she didn't really expect anything more from a man like this.

-

Walden made a grab towards her as she suddenly turned and fled, but was too slow. He cursed, but didn't sit around to watch the form disappear from behind the carts. He broke into a run, following her closely behind as she ducked into the forest, disappearing into the trees. It wasn't before long that he lost sight of her, and had to give up, a heavy scowl imprinted upon his features. Who was this person who was capable of getting away from him? Never before had he been so brutally outrun.

"I'll find you eventually," he murmured under his breath after a moment, giving the trees a look of unhappiness before sullenly turning towards the town once more.

( Lol I can't wait to see Walden's reaction when he sees Catherina in girl form. He's going to recognize her XD )

[Captain Kaycee]

Nathaniel was definitely not one for trying to keep a conversation. Unfortunately, he had no idea where his sister had ran off to and was sort of stuck in the situation. He had no way of trying to get out of it; Catherina was gone and he had nowhere to go but back into his room. Even that sounded like it wouldn't be as great as outside; he had finally gotten out of the house.

"It's been pleasant," Nathaniel finally managed to speak. He wasn't sure what else to say, but quickly mustered up his courage. He wasn't going to leave himself standing there awkwardly; it would only turn into an even more strange situation as it was.

"Catherina has been taking care of the house most of the time with our servant, Prudence. I've been gone every other week it seems like... and in a few months I'm supposed to sail down to the Caribbean to get some supplies... it'll be almost a month's trip. Sometimes I wonder if she even wants to have a husband... she's getting close to that age yet she hasn't even spoken of anyone that suits her fancy. Guess she's just picky that way."

-

That said Catherina that Nathaniel spoke about finally jumped out of the tree when she saw Walden turn away from the trees. She began to silently jog back into town, until something had suddenly caught her foot. Some of the roots of a tree had been exposed to the air, and had caused her to fall straight forward.

She had cursed loudly into the air and gripped onto her ankle, noticing that she had twisted it badly from the fall. It wasn't broken, but it certainly was causing her pain. What was even more horrible, however, was the fact that her hat had dipped to the side and revealed a bit more of the blonde strands that hid under her hat.

"Damn it! I can't move this bloody ankle now!" she grumbled, holding onto her leg and feeling a sharp pain down there. Nonetheless, she tried to stand up with difficulty only to be sent crashing back down. She would need to let it heal for at least a day or two and wrap it with bandages; it wasn't going to heal at that moment.

[Cloudsong]

Deidre listened to him in silence, the expression on her face a perfectly formed mask of interest. Her mother had taught her from a young age to be polite, and listening to others had always been a major part of being so. While she suspected that Nathaniel too felt bored by this conversation, she refrained from interrupting him to ask if he really wanted to continue down this path. After all, that simply would not be lady-like. So instead, she watched him carefully as he brought up the topic of his sister, and she saw how worried the man felt about Catherina.

Why was he worrying about his sister's relationship status? It bemused her slightly, as Walden had never showed any interest in the matter of her own marital conquests - but then again, he never really showed interest in very much. The fact that Nathaniel was genuinely worried about Catherina not being with a man honestly amused her. She smiled slightly, resisting the urge to affectionately hit him on the arm.

"I'm sure your sister won't hold back when she finds the man that she thinks is right for her," she assured him, her voice light as she laughed slightly, her hand reaching up to push a strand of her inky hair out of her face. "But she won't have any trouble finding a man that will like her. I know that Catherina is beautiful and kind. Any man would be fortunate to be her husband." A mischievous smile formed on her face suddenly, and she raised an eyebrow. "Rather than being troubled about your sister's love life, shouldn't you be worrying about yourself instead?" She paused, glancing over at the group of young ladies a few yards away that were stealing glances over at them - at Nathaniel, to be more specific.

-

The sound of a colorful curse being loudly spouted behind him caused Walden to whip around. Instantly a smirk appeared on his face, and before even seeing the speaker, he knew who it was. The man who had stolen earlier - he had gotten away only by a second's time. But now, their location was so clearly given out. Walden found himself wondering if this man was mentally handicapped to have given his chaser such an easy pin-point.

He stepped softly against the ground, doing a turn-around to go towards where the voice had spoken. It was a while before he spotted the man, crumpled over on the ground and clutching at their ankle. Walden frowned slightly, seeing that blonde hair was peaking out from under the hat. Why was this person so familiar to him? Taking advantage of his aspect of surprise, Walden crept forward, reaching out and pulling the hat off the man's head.

As the long blonde hair tumbled out, cascading down her back, Walden couldn't help but gasp slightly. He recoiled, now putting two and two together as he took in the entire appearance. Though she was dressed as a boy, it was quite clear who this was. Catherina Devol - noblewoman. They had met a few times before, usually during parties. But why was she dressed like this? Instantly he regained his composure, and scowled noticeably.

"What are you doing dressed as a man?" he hissed, no sign of compassion in his voice as he tossed the hat back over to her, as if disgusted by this realization. "And what were you doing, stealing from commoners? Have you and your family suddenly become destitute?" Walden crossed his arms across his chest, giving her a pointed look, as if waiting for a reply. It was clear that in the state she was in, she would not be able to run away this time.

[Captain Kaycee]

"Yeah but I don't think she actually wants a husban-" Nathaniel began, but was suddenly cut off as his eyes caught sight of the women that were all staring at him. Great. Another day in which he had to be followed around everywhere by a little club of girls. He was a captain of a ship; he didn't need a fan-club.

He let out an irritated sigh and turned away from them, pressing a hand up to his forehead. "I'd rather not have to explain my love life. Hasn't really been one, and I'd like to keep it that way. Besides, what's the point of having a relationship when I'm out at sea most of the time? Maybe when I settle down, but love is the least of my worries."

Nathaniel began to walk down the lines of shops once more, unsure of whether or not to let her come with or leave her there. After a moment, however, he walked up to her. "The least I can do is walk you home. That is, if your brother isn't already doing that for you," he offered, holding out his arm in case she was going to comply.

-

Almost all of Catherina's life had crashed around her. The fact taht he had pulled her hat away was enough to make her feel like she was going to have a heart attack. He knew. He was the only one other than her brother who knew her little secret. And for what point? He could completely ridicule her; he could accuse her of wanting to be a part of the poor and filth.

"Tell me one thing, Walden Barnes," she grumbled, yet it came out more of a painful groan at the end. "If women wanted to be like a man, would they still have to wear corsets? Yes, because that is what we must wear to appeal to scum like you. I hate corsets... I refuse to wear them. And are you so heartless as to not steal bread from people who have a plethora of it and give it to starving children? I yearn for a life where I'm not confined. This way I can help people and live my own adventure, instead of being a boring noblewoman."

Catherina paused for a moment then, gripping onto her ankle as the pain continued throughout it. She needed something to lessen how much it hurt, but she didn't have anything near her to help it. She wasn't a doctor either; he brother was more skilled in medicine and healing than she was.

"Are you going to boast around the town and show off my fake identity?" Catherina asked, no longer looking up at him. "Are you going to tell the rest of the nobles that I'm too low to be in your kind of hierarchy?"

[Cloudsong]

Deidre watched curiously as Nathaniel's gaze drifted over to the group of girls, and she was somewhat surprised to see him sigh in irritation. It wasn't as if she had expected him to be happy to see the mindless noblewomen - she was used to seeing Walden's reaction towards them. But while Walden replied with genuine boredom and indifference, it was almost refreshing to see Nathaniel's real emotions as he took on the situation. Being so used to spending time with her brother, a man that displayed only the littlest slivers of sentiments rarely, Deidre almost felt intrigued by this new concept. She enjoyed seeing his irritation, more because it was an emotion in itself. In a way, it was as if she was craving emotional contact. That thought was shot down the moment it conjured in her mind, as Deidre knew that this man was not one that she wanted to have an emotional connection with. He was distant, mysterious, and most importantly, simply uninterested in her very being.

He spoke about his life as if he thought the same about himself - as though he could never expect a woman to put up with his travels, or with himself, even. They obviously did share in common a few things, as she realized after a moment. Rather than coming up with a suggestion to mend his supposed problem, she stayed silent, knowing that he probably wouldn't appreciate her prying. It really wouldn't be appropriate for a woman like her - a woman who scarcely knew Nathaniel - to be trying to influence his opinion on love. After all, who was she to have an opinion, either? It was something she had no experience with whatsoever.

When he suddenly asked her if he could walk her home, she couldn't shield all of the surprise from her features. He seemed so awkward as he spoke, as if he had never asked a girl this. Rather than that being amusing however, Deidre felt slightly touched that he would want to spend a little more time with her. That was, until she reminded herself once more that he was probably just being polite. "My brother seems to have vanished once more, even if today's-" She cut herself off before she could say it, as mentioning that it was her birthday might make Nathaniel think her immature. Why was she even considering that in the first place, though? The thought momentarily stumped her, and she quickly covered up her slip by smiling slightly. "I mean, I can't say I'm surprised; Walden usually has a lot to do... He probably just forgot that we came here together." She sounded confident as she said this, and after a moment she simply accepted his offer, gently reaching out to put her arm on his, ignoring how her heartrate seemed to speed up upon the contact. Not because she distinctly liked this boy, but more because of the contact in itself - Deidre had never really touched any boy in this way other than her brother, and perhaps a few men at dances. But never before had anyone gone out of their way to try to spend time with her. For a moment, the woman allowed herself to hope that perhaps that was what this was - that perhaps Nathaniel was being more than polite. Her dream was cut short rather abruptly however, when she turned her head to look in the direction of the girls. They were glaring at her with such a fiery hatred, that Deidre hesitated slightly, seeming to retreat into an uncomfortable silence. Hopefully Nathaniel wouldn't notice.

As they silently made their way down the street, it was becoming increasingly difficult for Deidre to contain her excitement. She frequently found herself glancing over his way, and for the first time in years, the smile on her face didn't seem so forced. It was clear that she was glad to have found someone to share a conversation with - someone, even if that someone was Nathaniel, a man she barely knew.

-

Walden found himself watching her very carefully, finding himself very consciously noticing the way she bent over, the way she cast glares in his direction. She seemed so vulnerable, but it was quite clear that there was still a fight in her yet. He knew how to pick his battles, having grown up the son of such a successful soldier of the King. Perhaps any other man in this position would see this woman and think that this was an easy conquest, but in a certain sense, Walden felt as though this might be the hardest conversation - or situation he had ever found himself in. He had no experience with women, and hardly any experience with people in general. Everyone he knew was used to listening to his orders, to look up to him because of who he was and what he believed in.

When she posed the question, asking if he planned to out her secret, Walden was indeed tempted. But what exactly would he gain by ruining a noblewoman's life - creating her into a woman that no respectable man would ever want to wed? He thought himself higher up than that, and honestly did agree slightly with what she thought. While he wasn't about to admit it to her, he too had been hiding a secret for years now. A secret that only a handful of the town knew.

"No," he said simply, his voice monotonic as he took a step forward, abruptly sitting down in front of her, taking care to keep a few feet in between them. It wasn't unlike him to act so abruptly, as Walden was known for being an awkward man. "No, I'm not going to tell anyone about your... cross-dressing antics," he muttered, as if the concept was one that made him uncomfortable. "But I can't really see why you would be interested in pretending to be a man, even if you think your reasons are valid. If you wanted to help out those children, you could have done so as a woman. Paying for the bread rather than stealing." He paused for a moment, leaning back on his palms. It was very aware for him to see that she was in obvious pain, but he seemed perfectly happy to just sit a few feet back, watching as she was powerless to escape his lecture. It was almost a good situation to be in.

There was a long silence after that, where he simply stared at her openly. In a way, he seemed to be considering what to do with the girl. But rather trying to hide it, Walden saw no reason to pretend that he was not interested in the girl's reaction. Why bother pretending, and trying to hide the fact that he wanted to look? In his mind, this was a correct defense, even if she might see it as a violation to her privacy. Finally, as if in awe, he suddenly declared; "I've honestly never seen anything like you before, Catherina Devol." After a moment, he laughed unexpectedly, even if the situation had no humor. But to him, it did.

[Captain Kaycee]

Nathaniel didn't say much as he was walking her back to her estate. He knew where it was; almost everyone knew where each other lived within the small town of Lexington. He listened to her speak, but didn't say much back. There wasn't anything that he felt he could say to her. He wasn't much for talking to women anyway.

His footsteps had halted abruptly, however, as he saw a man running up to him. He was out of breath, his eyes wide with something that looked similar to shock.

"Marty? What are you doing here?" Nathaniel asked, his arm still linked with Deidre's.

The man named Marty didn't even bother saying anything to him. He was still trying to catch his breath, his hands on his knees. After a few seconds though, he stood back up and reached into his inner coat pocket. In his hand was an envelope with a red seal on the back. Nathaniel let go of Deidre's arm then and took the letter into both of his hands. He knew that crest; it was his family's. It meant that his father had written to him.

"When did this arrive?" Nathaniel asked, his voice changing to a much more serious tone.

"A day ago in Boston. I went to get the rest of the trading parcels and that was with them. It's addressed to you, captain."

Nathaniel took a deep breath and opened up the letter, his eyes scanning over the writing of his father's. With each word that he read, his eyes only narrowed further and further. There was something written on the page that made him look almost concerned. After a few minutes of reading, however, he placed it into his coat pocket and turned back to Marty.

"Tell the rest of the crew that we leave tomorrow from Boston. We must sail to New York immediately," he commanded. Marty's face suddenly turned completely surprised, with his hands shaking.

"B-But... Captain Devol we weren't supposed to leave until-"

"Tomorrow, Marty. Make sure that there is enough ammunition and supplies on the ship as well. I'll arrive in Boston in the morning, and we leave at noon." Nathaniel gave him a solid glare, which immediately made the man nod his head several times and run in the opposite direction.

Once Marty had disappeared, Nathaniel let out a sigh of frustration. He took his tricorn hat off and ran a hand through his hair, grumbling something under his breath.

"After all these years..." he whispered to himself. But his eyes directed back to Deidre, and he held his arm out once more. "Allow me to finish taking you home despite that sudden distraction. I apologize."

-

Catherina folded her arms across her chest when she suddenly noticed that he was laughing at her. Why in the world would he be laughing when she was both in pain and didn't think that it was such a hilarious topic!? She found it rather offensive of him. Who was he to judge her by how she decided to live her life!?

"What, do you believe me to be a fool?" she snarled at him. Though she couldn't stand up, Catherina gave him a bit of a glare from where she was on the ground. "Noblewomen are all the same... they gossip about the most boring topics, wait for a man to marry them, and when they do they're enslaved to him for the rest of their lives to have kids and clean up after them. It's a dull, dull life."

She paused for a moment in her argument, staring at him with her blue eyes. Then, however, she started up once more. "It's just another reason why I choose to dress this way. Men like you can have their adventures, their freedom, their own rules. Women are confined. What would you rather do: clean and care for a child all day long? Or would you rather be able to go on hunting trips for elf, sail into the vast ocean on adventures, and actually be able to speak up for yourself?"

Catherina suddenly lifted herself up from the tree trunk next to her, biting her lip as the pain from her ankle drifted throughout her entire body. Despite the pain, she still stood up with one hand grasping on the tree to keep her steady.

"Men like you take it for granted, when some women have no authority to do such things. I can't pass as a nobleman, so this is the next best thing."