I Will Wait for You

Elizabeth had never worked so hard for anything in her life. While Andrew went to town to see a medic, Albert came by to help Elizabeth tame Percy Blue in the last way she needed. They spent all day and afternoon working on the horse, teaching him and getting him used to use certain objects for agriculture until it was finally time for Elizabeth to ride him so they set Percy Blue with a saddle with a blanket underneath and a bridle.

“I’m scared Albie.” She confessed as she felt her family’s gaze on her back, the pressure weighting on her shoulders as she caressed Blue’s forehead while the sun was setting.

“Don’t be scared Elizabeth. He’s calm around you, he trusts you and you have no reason to be afraid.” Albert replied confidently “You are his only chance of staying.”

“I know.” Elizabeth sighed as she approached Percy Blue, taking his neck softly in an embrace
“Please Percy, this has to work. Please.” She whispered against the horse’s ears as he kept breathing heavily, doing small noises from once in a while.

She took a deep breath as Albert kneeled on one knee to give her enough balance for her to sit on Blue’s back. As she was settled on the horse, she inhaled sharply while preparing her body for anything but Percy Blue was as stiff as a mountain. He didn’t wince or complain. Elizabeth glanced at Albert who smiled and gave her the reins.

“Now, remember what I taught you.” He said as he stepped back to give Elizabeth space.

She got a deep breath and inhaled deeply as she leaned closer to Blue’s ears.

“Good job Blue. Now, let’s ride.” She said with excitement as she grasped the reins tightly and kicked his side softly.

The horse released a whinny as he started galloping at a fast pace but not the fastest he could go, though. Elizabeth released a yell that was mixed with laughter, all the adrenaline hit her at once as she grabbed onto Blue like if she was grabbing for her dear life.

“Elizabeth!” Her father yelled as he ran out of the house to realize that his daughter was in no danger at all as she was able to control the horse and make him simply trot back to the place they were.

“I’m alright, father.” She replied as she hopped off of Percy Blue and petted him, telling him of much of a good boy he was.

“How did you do this?” She heard her father ask towards Albert as her friend stood up for her, saying that it had all been her hard work, her dedication. “Andrew does not want the horse, Elizabeth.”

“Can’t I keep him?” Elizabeth replied immediately as she turned to her father with pleading eyes.

The man sighed “I know you will take care of him but he’ll have to work in the crops until Andrew is healed.”

“Agreed. I shall work with you and Percy Blue there.” Elizabeth said as she shared a long glance with her father and then hugged Percy Blue’s head.

Captain James Nicholls sighed with frustration when he realized that he had gotten confused and lost, again, on the way to the training fields, where he had been assigned to be present to continue the training of his regiment along with other Captains and the Major. The war had started and it was never too soon to take precautions and start debating strategies before they were called to join the British Army. To make matters worse, he was out of water.

“Ellie! Ellie!” He heard a child-like voice call happily as he approached a house and he also heard laughter which made him smile.

He raised an eyebrow as he hopped off his horse and observed the house a few feet away from him. It looked oddly familiar but he couldn’t place it in his memory. He shrugged his shoulders as he walked towards it, holding the reigns of his horse in his hand while observing that even though the building was old, the humble the family had crops, a barn and a backyard.

He cleared his throat as he knocked on the door with the intention of asking for a glass of water, if possible of course. The door was opened by a woman in her 40’s and she widened her eyes a bit as he smiled politely and lifted his cap to greet her.

“Good afternoon madam.” He said as she stared at him “I am terribly sorry to interrupt but would it be possible for you to grant me a glass of water?”

Mrs. Davis processed the image in front of her: a tall, lean but seemingly well-built young man, no more than 25 years old, pale, with blonde short hair and stunning blue eyes that popped up due to the dark green of his vest and to the colors of his uniform.

“Certainly…” She said hesitation about how to treat him.

“Captain.” He replied promptly with a soft smile, he knew that the uniform was intimidating, especially to the locals that had no idea of why, of all places, a selection of the troops would train in their fields so he understood if the woman was a little scared of him “You may threat me as Captain Nicholls, Mrs.?”

“Mrs. Davis.” She replied with a comfortable smile now that the formalities were over.

“Andrew!” She called as a young man appeared from a wing of the house with his arm on a casket.
As soon as he saw James, his eyes widened in admiration. Andrew had never told anyone but his dream was to be in the army and he was already old enough.

“Would you please take Captain Nicholl’s horse into the barn while he has a glass of water?” She commanded as her son nodded his head.

As much as Captain Nicholls insisted that his horse would be fine outside and that he didn’t mean to disturb but the woman pushed the idea and he did not fight her will. She was the owner of the house so he had to respect her commands while being there.

She invited him in and he stepped inside always making sure to smile and act politely and gracefully. As she motioned towards the table, he was drawn by the sounds coming from the backyard. As Mrs. Davis moved around in the kitchen to get him a glass of water, James stood by the window observing a beautiful young woman controlling a horse while a child sat on it and she directed the horse to walk in a circle slowly as the young boy laugh with contentment. That’s when it hit him: The voices he had heard before getting into the house belonged to the young woman he had asked directions the night he got to their town.

He felt his heart flutter as he heard her laughter and observed her lean figure move around gracefully covered by a delicate pink dress with flowers in the upper part of the fabric while her beautiful long hair moved to the breeze, hypnotizing him. Mrs. Davis took him off his thoughts as she handed him the glass and he thanked her.

“Is that your son’s wife and their son?” He asked with a bit of bitterness, for some reason realizing that she was someone else’s made his stomach twist into knots.

“Her? Oh no.” Mrs. Davis chuckled “That’s my daughter, Elizabeth, and my younger son, Samuel.”

James tried to hide his pleased smile as he listened to the woman ramble about her children and the part that imprinted on his mind was that Elizabeth was very much single and apparently ‘hard to conquer’.

“Would you like to meet them? I can call them inside.” Mrs. Davis said excitedly as Andrew returned inside the house.

“No need Mrs. Davis. They are having a wonderful moment outside, I shall introduce myself at the proper moment.” James replied, knowing that he couldn’t let this opportunity of meeting her escape.

Then James turned to come face to face with Andrew and he smiled.

“What happened to you lad?” He asked as Andrew scratched the back of his neck nervously.

“I tried to ride that.” He pointed towards Percy Blue “It did not go well.”

James couldn’t help but chuckle, the horse seemed perfect amiable to the point that he obeyed a woman while a child sat on it’s back. Clearly, to the horse, his ‘master’ was Elizabeth.

“Some horses cannot be ridden by just anyone.” James started “Sometimes horses create bonds and they last possibly forever. Are you going to try again?”

“Hell no.” Andrew said immediately making James laugh a bit “I’ll let Elizabeth have him all to herself.”

“That’s fair enough.” James said as he glanced at Elizabeth to see her set her brother on the floor while taking her horse towards their barn and he remembered that he was late for the training. He cursed under his breath as he finished his water.

“Thank you for the water, Mrs. Davis, and for the kind greetings. It was a pleasure to meet you and you as well, Andrew.” He said politely “But I must leave you. I have important affairs to attend to.” He added, placing his cap on as Mrs. Davis escorted him towards the back door.

He said goodbye to her again as he walked towards the barn with a fast pace, hearing voices inside. He hesitated a bit as he saw Elizabeth take all the riding equipment from her horse while her brother admired his horse.

“Ellie, why is this horse here?” He questioned as James decided to hear for a bit before jumping into the scene.

“Good question, Sam.” Elizabeth replied with a huff as she petted Percy Blue and then moved towards James’s horse not hesitating to approach him. “Do you think that father bought Andrew another horse?”

“Actually, he belongs to me.” James intervened as he walked inside the barn with a friendly walk, seeing her turn to him their locking instantly as the small boy stepped in front of his sister.

Elizabeth felt her heart hammer in her chest. It was the same man from that night and he looked even more stunning in broad day light.

“Forgive me, sir.” She said politely stepping away from his horse “But what is your horse doing here?”

“I stopped to ask for water and your mother insisted in putting him here.” James replied as he stepped closer and saw Samuel narrowing his eyes at him. He smiled towards the boy, who was only being protective of his sister because there was a stranger talking to them.

“I see.” Elizabeth said “You have a fine animal here, I’m not an expert but-“

“You seem like one.” James cut her off making her blush slightly “For what I observed you are fantastic with your horse, for a woman.”

Elizabeth glared at him as James realized that the last part didn’t fall well with her.

“Forgive me, I did not mean to-“

“To imply that I’m less capable because I’m a female?” Elizabeth replied directly, making James swallow the lump in his throat. He was in a uniform, yet this woman did not show any fear or hesitation now that he had said something that possibly offended her. “I know what you meant very well. My brother has implied it too and I have proved him wrong.”

“Please, I did not mean to say that you are inferior.” James defended going even closer to her, trying to explain himself “What I meant is that not many females take an interest in horses or in riding them and you are impressive. You have a passion for him.”

“I am not like other females. Take I can assure you and prove it to you.” Elizabeth said placing the reigns of James’s horse in his hands coldly. “I cannot prove it right now because Percy Blue is exhausted but maybe someday I’ll give you that privilege. Good day soldier.”

“It’s actually Captain. Captain James Nicholls.”