The forbidden female warrior

Chapter 2

I run towards Bernadette and David

"What's going on?" I ask

She sobs so hard I can barely understand her "it's" she wails " they want him" she cries more " The war with the ogres"

And by some miracle I put together what she saying, call it a sister thing if you will

"They want him to fight against the ogres?" I ask

She nods

something inside me tells me I need to have a word with those soldiers, I run in the direction of them.

"Stop!" I shout out

They either can't hear me or they pretend they can't

"Stop you bastards!"

They stop and I reach up to them

" what do you want girl" The one in the middle says to me

" my father has already fought for our king, he lost his arm in the battle, he has paid his due, he does not need to fight this fight."

" how dare you, you are a human, a nothing yet you see yourself fit to insult the king to a group of his mage soldiers. Girl I could kill you with the flick of a wrist, go home and say goodbye to your father tell your children what a hero he was serving a noble cause." The same man talks

"No, he's not fighting in your war and you cannot make him I will not allow it"

He goes to smack me, but the man next to him stops him so instead he grabs hold of the bottom of my chin tilting my head up.

"you listen here, you're safe up on this hill you can laugh and pour pig feed down your body all you like. Make no mistake though your father will be sent to war, he will fight for are marvelous king and he will die, then you and your pretty sister and your w***e sister and your retard sister will be left with nothing. So years from now when we meet again, you and your three sisters will be nothing more than prostitutes. You will fall to my feet begging me and my men to pay you, to have s*x with you and in that moment I'll do just what I'm about to do now." He spits in my face

My blood runs hot and I reach up to pull him off his horse when suddenly I am yanked backwards

A hand is placed over my mouth, the three men laugh to themselves as they ride off

I struggle to get free, but it's with no point i'm not let go until the men are out of sight

I'm released, I spin around to see Mary Margaret and I grab hold of her perfectly kept brown hair ripping a decent amount out I take it with me as I rush towards the house.

"Charlotte" I can hear my sister screaming from behind me, but I ignore her

Once my feet meet the front door I begin hysterically screaming "Father!"

"What's wrong Charlotte" he pokes his head out of the kitchen

" what do you mean what's wrong, those three men just handed you a letter requesting you to come fight for the king who you've already fought for. Yet you asked me what's wrong"

" and what's the problem with that" he says standing strong

" well you obviously can't fight, I mean you're not going to right?" I ask

" I both can and I will" he says

" no I won't let you!" I shout

" you don't let me do anything daughter, this is my home I make the rules, I am the one who let's you do things not the other way around!"

Daniel cries scared at my father's shout

" look what you've done now Charlotte" Mary Margaret says walking into the house

Francis takes Daniel in her arms and calms him down as my father walks towards his bedroom

"I can help you pack if you like father" Mary Margaret says

" splendid pack him a bag for his funeral why don't you, would you also like to give him a cup of poison while you're at it." I say

" it's high time you learn your role in this world is to listen and obey Charlotte" she snaps at me

" really and how well did that work out for you?"

"Stop it the both of you" Bernadette says with tears in her eyes "father is leaving tomorrow can we just not fight for one night." She cries harder

"How's about you save your tears and try to fight this while we can Bernadette or would it be too hard to actually put some effort into some thing for the first time in your life. As for you Mary Margaret, you've already ruined your own life why do you insist upon ruining everyone else's."

" Charlotte!" My father shouts my name walking out of his room "you have fought the entire family, stop acting like a child for once in your life and except your role as a woman!"

My fathers never said such things to me before, he's always made it out like I can be and do whatever I want, for the most part anyways. Now he tells me that I have one roll and that I must play it, but I think I disagree.

"To expect the life you all wish for me would be like to except death, I expect mine and I certainly won't expect yours."

I storm out of the house and begin running down the grass I make my way to the lake

As I lay in the grass by the lake that separates our home from the village, this body of water that surrounds our entire hill and the only way to get to the other side is by one small bridge.

How many times I've dreamed of crossing that bridge and never returning, but now tonight as I stare at the stars i'm trying to think of a way for my father to stay.

A way for my life to remain unchanged

A cool rush races over me and I hear something in the wind

Everything goes white and then black

"It must be you who saves your family"

What in the hell

"But you have to make the decision, no one can force you nor will you be given the idea, for you are the only one who can save them all."

My eyes open and everything is back to normal

"what was that and what does that even mean how can I save them?" I rub my head which feels like someone stabbed a blade through it "I must truly be going crazy now."

I stand up looking at my hair that has been all slicked back from the pig slop which has dried now

"I look just like a scrawny little boy" I sigh "if only I where a scrawny little boy then I could take my fathers place, they need one man from each family and I wish I could be that man."

Only you can save your family, these words echo through my ear, I look down again at my reflection

" what if I were to pretend to be a man, I could do it, i've never had much of a chest so it would be easy to wrap. Yes all I need is to cut my hair steal my father's letter and dressed like a man no one would ever know the difference. My family would never turn me in because if they did I would be killed for it, yes this is how I can save them even if it'll be the last thing I ever do."

I race up the hill as fast as my legs will carry me

{~~~}

Once i'm inside my home I begin my transformation

I take hold of some sheep shears as I cut my hair, it's quite difficult because it's still hardened with dried pig slop, but I manage. I sneak into my room trying my best not to make a sound, I remove my pillow sheet and using the sheep shears I turn it into a chest wrap. I've never been so thankful for small breast, but it still is a bit painful

I creep into my fathers bedroom, each creak of the old wood floor feels like a cannon has gone off, I softly take the letter from his dresser. I gently pull open his drawer removing a pair of men's clothes, luckily I find pants from his younger years, unluckily I'm drowned by his white top.

I've wetted a rag with a bucket of rain water that leaked in from a hole in are kitchen roof, I scrub what's left of my now short curls which is more of a fuzz at this point. I then scrub my arms and my face with the dirty old rain water

I stop to look at myself in the mirror and I look like a thin young boy, I think this plan could work

I've gone from Charlotte into.... wait what shall my new name be ?

Um, I could be James junior after my father, but I'd never remember if that was my name, no if I heard James I'd look for him. Perhaps maybe Charlie, yes I like that it's so simple, it's practically my name already.

"Charlie Stonbroth, it's a pleasure to meet you" I nod at myself in the mirror

Slowly I walk down the creaking stairs, I decide I'd like to leave a note for my family, I should let them know what I've done.

Dearest family

"Oh no, not that" I cross out my words

All my life I've been hard headed, never have I known when to lay down my cards and except the hand life's dealt me. So now is no different, you all can survive without me, but we won't last the night without father. Be as mad at me as you all like I don't blame a single one of you for it, but it had to be me, I had to go. By the time you read this I am long gone to the nearest registration camp, don't worry I have disguised myself as a man and named myself Charlie. Most importantly though I love each and every one of you and if these are my last words to you all I have some important things to say.

I wipe a single tear from my eye and turn the paper over

But I won't let myself because if I keep my thoughts with me then I shall tell you all when I return. Do not worry for I am Charlotte Stonbroth and I will survive!

My confidence is completely and utterly bull shite, but I have to pretend for them

As I leave my house I steal a horse, my father's favorite horse, Violet

I climb onto her slightly pulling at her black mane, I ride her bare back as we don't have a saddle

"Go girl" I say to her as I watch my home disappear behind me

In the window I see a face watching as I leave, I see Bernadette, she places her hand on the window and nods at me. I don't know if she completely knows what I'm, but she certainly has an idea of it, I'd like think the nod was her telling me she understands.