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Author's Chapter Notes:
Sorry, I know that was a cruel place to pause for the night.

Thanks again for the reviews- I still cant believe this story made the Top 10 list for most reviews, you guys are awesome!
William's horse walked right up to the bank and then slid down the muddy bank into the chest deep water. As the two slowly made their way towards the middle of the river, it became obvious that the water level was still rising. When the rain started coming down harder, Elizabeth could barely make out the figures in the water.

Watching carefully, she watched as William tossed the rope out to the first of the soldiers. With the aid of his companions, the young man slid into the water, clinging onto his lifeline while William guided him back towards the shore. When the soldier was able to pull himself up the bank to where Elizabeth stood, he turned and went back for the second.

The second rescue happened much like the first, but by now, the trip was getting more risky for the horse and rider in the water. The water level was now up over William's saddle, and still rising. Within a few minutes, the horse would no longer be able to stand, and their chances of being washed downstream were much greater.

As the third man grabbed a hold of the rope, what was left of the island crumbled into the water, plunging the fourth into the racing current. Before William could call out a warning, he saw Bryant move his horse forward, tossing out the rope as he went. The third soldier successfully pulled himself towards shore, but William stayed in the water, a sharp eye trained on his second in command, who had now reached the last man. Grabbing onto the man's shirt, Bryant dragged him up onto the bank and out of harm's way. He then quickly dismounted to see to the fallen soldier.
When it was clear that Bryant had the situation under control, William turned his horse back into the current to move towards safety. Elizabeth watched warily as the exhausted pair fight their way back towards solid ground. Deciding to see to the half-drowned soldiers who now waited on the embankment, she placed her reigns in one hand so that she could dismount, but stopped quickly when she heard William cry out.

His horse, struggling to make it up the bank, fell to his knees and slid backwards. She looked on in horror as the horse plunged back into the floodwaters, flipping his rider off his back. She spun quickly to call out to Bryant, but realized Bryant was still kneeling next to the prone soldier.

Reacting on instinct, Elizabeth yanked on the reigns to spin her gelding around. Leaning down on the horse's neck, she spurred the animal on, racing to get ahead of the current. A suprised Bryant jumped out of her way as she thundered down the bank, heedless of obstacles in her way. It wasn't until she had passed that he realized William had been swept into the river.

When Elizabeth had gotten a bit ahead of William, she halted the gelding and spun him towards the water. The animal balked hard, his eyes rolling at the sight of the frothy water, but Elizabeth kicked him on. Yielding to his rider, the bay plunged into the river. The water swept up over the front of the saddle as they moved towards the fallen rider, but Elizabeth paid no mind. Leaning forward in the stirrups, she reached out and grabbed onto William's outstretched arm, pulling him towards the back of the saddle. She used every last reserve of strength to keep herself on the horse without losing her hold on William. When he was firmly seated behind her, Elizabeth turned her horse back towards shore.

"Come on baby, you're almost there..." she murmered to the horse, stroking his neck and praying that he had the strength to carry both she and William up the side of the bank. As they neared the edge, Elizabeth hissed in her breath as William tightened his arm around her waist, so tight that she could barely breath. His other hand wrapped around the front of the saddle, anchoring both of them. The horse scrambled up the bank, his hindquarters trembling with the effort. When they reached the top, William abruptly released her and dismounted onto shaky legs. Bryant came riding up to where they stood.

"Christ Almighty, are you all right, sir?" he asked, concern for the man he had come to view as a friend temporarily overcoming proper decorum. William ignored the comment all together though.

"William" Elizabeth said softly, concern written across her delicate features.
"I need to go see to the others before we make our way back towards camp." he said brisquely without even so much as a glance in her direction, and made his way back towards the men.

Elizabeth dismounted to find her own legs wobbly. She loosened the girth on the saddle, and rubbed the horse's neck fondly. Realizing that Bryant still stood behind her, she turned slowly.

"You could have stayed there and watched him down, you didnt have to go after him." Bryant said, confusion lacing his voice. Elizabeth frowned, feeling suddenly defensive.

"I don't know what I have done to make you, any of you" she waved her hands wildly, "think that I am a monster."

"Surely you know at this point though that we can't let you leave the camp" he said warily. Elizaeth bristled at the notion that her actions were merely selfish.

"I'm not going to sit there and watch a stranger die, it just isnt in me to not offer some help." By the end of her comment though, the fire had gone out of her words. Shaking her head, she turned back to her horse, stroking his neck once more.
"You and I both know that there is a big difference between offering some help, and risking your own life to save someone." Bryant said, softly, beginning to realize that he may have misjudged the young woman standing before him.

When she heard the underlying suggestion that maybe her motives were of a more personal nature, Elizabeth went rigid. "Its called compassion. Maybe its just a southern thing."

Bryant snorted, somewhat amused. "If this was a southern thing, or a northern thing either for that matter, we wouldn't be in this war." When the young woman ignored him, he turned and walked back towards the other men. Elizabeth stood, lost in thought. What if...? She started to ask herself, but then cut off. Better not go down that path.


* * *
The walk back to camp was a silent one. In an attempt to spare their spent horses, the riders, themselves exhausted trudged along beside their mounts. The four men walked together in silence, bearing only wet clothes and the occasional bruise as evidence of their near-death encounter.

Elizabeth had been troubled to learn that the group had originally been six men, and that two had not survived long enough to be rescued. Although she was visably upset by the news, no one else was. The young woman had initially thought that Bryant and William's lack of reaction was cold and unfeeling given that these were men with whom they had lived and trained for the last several months. On second thought though, she had seen the toll that this war had taken on the living, and recognized that there would be plenty of time to grieve for the dead when this was all over.

Would it ever end? Elizabeth thought dismally. On cue, the sun began to peak from behind the now distant storm clouds, making everything around them sparkle with blinding light. All around them were the signs of the massive storm. Leaves had been stripped from trees, branches lay haphazardly on the ground. Her dress was still plastered to her body, and now mud caked her boots and ankles. Her long blonde hair, which had come loose in their blind flight to find the river, was now drying into loose ringlets. Too tired to care, Elizabeth had to squint her eyes now at the brightness of everything.

"Ironic, isnt it?" came Bryant's voice from beside her. "The brightest afternoons always come after the worst of storms."

"Is that how it goes?" Elizabeth said, sarcastically. The other man though seemed to ignore her tone, and continued on.

"Where I grew up, in New Hampshire, we would get these terrible blizzards where it would snow for days and days. It would seem like the sun had completely disappeared from the sky. When it all ended though, you would walk outside for the first time and be blinded by how bright and white everything is."

Elizabeth couldn't help but accept the peace offering being laid before her.

"I don't know what I would do if it snowed for days straight. I dont think we'd had a storm last that long in Richmond in a long time, not since I can remember at least." Since she had done something that completely disproved all of his prior opinions of her, Bryant was attempting to be friendly, and Elizabeth accepted the olive branch. They continued their conversation casually, until Bryant was called over to speak with William and Elizabeth was once again left to walk by herself.

Elizabeth let out a sigh of relief when she was finally able to see the tents from the camp up ahead. Had her exhaustion not been so great, she would have chastised herself for the momentary happiness she felt at the sight of the tents. Since when has a prisoner ever been happy to see their jail cell? Before she had a chance to roll her eyes at the absurdity of the situation, William took hold of her horse's reigns from her hands and passed them off to one of the soldiers.

"Please see that the animals are fed and groomed. I want them checked for hear and swelling also." he said sharply to one of the men.

"Yes sir" the young soldier said, taking Elizabeth's horse and following the others, who were led by Bryant.

The few times she had turned to look at William on the way back, he had been glaring at her, his blue eyes icy with seething anger. Taken aback, Elizabeth had averted her eyes and avoided going anywhere near him. It appeared that would no longer be possible.

With narrowed eyes, she stopped to face her captor, who had not said a word to her since the log-jumping incident. She opened her mouth to say soemthing rude, but quickly shut it when William's hand clamped on her arm, and led her off of the path, out of sight of the others. He shoved her towards a tree and released her, and began pacing back and forth in front of her.
This continued until Elizabeth could no longer contain herself.

"Clearly something has you upset. I cannot think of anything I have done, purposeful or not, to earn your anger, and so I conclude that whatever ails you, it has nothing to do with me. If you have nothing to say to me, then I shall leave. If you do have something to say, then I suggest you address it." She said, her words brittle with frustration. Something must have worked, she thought, when William stopped in his tracks and spun to face her, his eyes still cold.

"Well?" She said, trying to keep the fear out of her words. She stared back at him defiantly.

She didnt even have time to react when William lunged towards her, took her face roughly in his hands, and kissed her. His mouth was harsh, his kiss almost violent. His lips closed tightly, unyielding as they pressed against hers. His hands, which gripped her face almost painfully, slid down to her back where he grasped her with the same intensity. Elizabeth stood rail straight, a thousand emotions warring in her mind. It felt like eternity until William's lips left hers. He pressed his forehead against hers, his breath coming raspily.
Elizabeth's eyes opened in surprise, to find his still tightly shut.

"When you jumped that fence, all that I could picture was you getting hurt, and it infuriated me. When you came into the water after me though...I can't even say what..." He said, his voice low.
"Hell, woman. Why can't you ever do as you're told?" He said, his tone softening the words. He remained silent, his eyes still shut, and clenched his jaw. When she felt his hands beginning to softly stroke her back, Elizabeth was startled at the contradiction. Moments before he had seemed angry enough to kill. Now though, he was caressing her as gently as one would a frightened child. Not sure what to make of the situation, she spoke.

"If I had listened, you might not be standing here chastising me." When William opened his startlingly blue eyes and looked at her, Elizabeth wiped all emotion from her face.

"You don't owe me anything" William said with a low growl, backing up.

"You say that like I don't already know it," she argued, her voice rising slightly.

Before she could begin a tirade though, they were interrupted by one of the men.

"Major? The General has asked to see you," the young man said awkwardly, realizing that he had interrupted something.

"I will be right there. Thank you." William said to the young man, but his eyes remained locked on Elizabeth's, who wanted to shrink under his intense gaze. After the other soldier had disappeared, some of her anger resurfaced.

"That was convenient. This conversation had just ended anyway," she snapped, turning to leave.

"No."

William's voice, not loud but not soft either, gave her pause. She turned on him, hands on her hips.

"What exactly do you mean by 'no'?" she asked, her voice wary.

"I mean precisely what I said. This conversation has not ended. We will talk later." William stated, calmly. Elizabeth was furious though.

"No we certainly will not." It was bad enough she had been trapped alone with him this time, but she scared to let it happen again. Better to hate him from a distance than have to deal with this, whatever it was. "I refuse to" she said petulantly.

William did not even flinch though. Instead, he drew himself up to his full height and stared her down. Elizabeth blinked at the transformation. Despite the fact that his uniform was torn and dirty, despite the smudge of dirt on his cheek, even despite the fact that he had, only moments ago, been kissing her like his life depended upon it, an officer of the Union Army now stared back at her.

"Need I remind you that, as a prisoner of war, as MY prisoner of war, you have no say in the matter. I will see you later this evening." he said, striding off with his head held high.

"Ugh!" Elizabeth shouted through clenched teeth, stamping her foot in frustration. "We'll see about that!" she muttered, still fuming.





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