Daughter of the Revolution
Chapter VII
Fall was rapidly approaching and the garden was nearly ready for harvest and soon they'd need a cool place to store some of their vegetables. One option was to dig a root cellar, but Abby didn't like the idea. She decided they'd take their harvest to one of their cache caves, specifically one that was small but deep which kept the temperature quite cool even in the summer.
Also, Alec needed to explore the area a bit and discover the locations of their many caches. They were running shy of other staples at the cabin so Abby mentioned making a supply run to the others.
"We hit the redcoats pretty hard the other day, maybe we should let things cool off a bit out there. How about we take a few days and go check on all our caches and load up on staples while we're at it."
The other three were happy to go, especially the girls. They'd been stuck almost exclusively at the cabin for months, other than their few short days the week before.
"What'll we do with the cows?" June asked shrewdly.
"I've had to keep her calf away from her because he'll still nurse her. I think she'll be fine for a few days," Alec volunteered. "I'll throw up a small corral while you ladies harvest. Does that sound ok?"
They agreed with him, and the next day the companions rolled up their sleeves and got busy. Carrots, turnips, onions, squash and potatoes were dug up and placed in burlap sacks while Alec labored building an enclosure for the cattle. It took a few days until they were ready, then they packed up and set off. They had to make two trips to their cave which now became a root cellar. It wasn't far from the cabin and they easily got it transferred in a day. It was surprising how prolific their harvest had been and they were quite pleased.
Now they carried out the second part of Abby's plan of making a circular route to inspect their other caches. Abby broke out the map her father had drawn for her and showed it to the companions. Rose and June were quite excited to leave and Alec enjoyed watching them as they bustled about, chattering happily.
The afternoon before they departed, Abby pulled Alec aside.
"Do you have any chores that might take a couple hours to do? We ladies need a bit of privacy."
He knew then they were cooking up a surprise and he was happy to oblige.
"You bet, Angel. There's always lots to do around here. Just holler when you want me."
"Oh, I always want you, big man," she giggled, and pulled him down to taste his lips.
He decided to buck up some firewood. Winter was coming and one could never have too much. Taking his horse, he went in the forest and found a good sized dead pine tree, then chopped it down and dragged it back to the cabin.
He had it nearly sawn into fireplace sized chunks when Abby beckoned him in. The aroma of a wonderful dinner met his nostrils and three gorgeous women welcomed him inside. They had all groomed themselves and wore dresses from Abby's clothing stash. He was flabbergasted at their beauty. They were always good looking but tonight they seemed to have a glow about them. Their bodices were laced tightly and the swell of their breasts above them were tempting to the eyes.
He was ordered to stand in a small washtub and three pairs of eager hands cleansed him of the sweat from his labors. Abby loved soaping his lightly furred chest and drew whorls in his hair, giggling as she traced her initials over his heart. They dressed him in a white shirt and a pair of trousers they'd modified for him, making sure to leave plenty of buttons undone so they could see hints of his thick pectorals for their eager eyes to enjoy.
June's precise eye had ensured that his trousers fit nearly skintight, and she took great pleasure tucking his cock in to lay down his thigh with an almost obscene bulge.
Abby produced a bottle of nice wine she'd been hoarding and together they enjoyed a delicious dinner. Dressing up and dining formally gave them a sense of normality in their topsy turvy world, and they felt a bit of healing come to their shattered lives.
After dinner, Abby packed a pipe for Alec and they all enjoyed each other's company as they chatted about their plans for the following day.
Rose volunteered to entertain them and retrieved a book of Aesop's fables. She ushered her three companions into bed and while they reclined on pillows, read them a fable. By the time she was finished, they'd snuggled together and fallen asleep. She smiled to herself with satisfaction, then turned down the lamp and cuddled up next to June to join her friends in peaceful slumber.
Abby awoke to Alec's strong arms sliding under her body. Instinctively, she clung to him and he carried her outside in the cool dawn while wrapping her in a warm blanket. He sat down on the porch swing and cradled her on his lap, then offered her a cup of steaming coffee. After a few grateful sips she buried her face in his neck and inhaled his man smell. She snuggled in and hummed in pleasure as she stole his warmth.
"I love you, my little Angel," he whispered in her ear.
"I love you too, Heavy," she giggled, in reference to the name she'd chosen for him on the day of his rescue when she'd struggled mightily to roll him onto a plank and lash his unconscious body to it.
She worked his shirt open then slid her blanket aside to press her bare breasts to his chest. She sighed in pleasure and rubbed her nipples gently over him, enjoying how his light fur tickled her while giving her goosebumps that spread across her chest and fled down her arms. She shivered and hugged him tightly.
"I could stay here all day. I don't wanna get up and leave our cabin. I'd rather be here alone with you," she pouted, and pulled a long face.
"I agree, but we must carry on. We need supplies and I need to learn the lay of the land around here. God forbid something ever happen to you, I'd be lost, literally," he said, and hugged her closely.
"Don't worry about me, I'm bulletproof!" she teased.
"That reminds me, I've been wanting to ask if you'd consider giving me some lessons in sword fighting. It's quite obvious I could use some serious training and you seem like the perfect teacher. Would you do that for me, lover?"
She looked at him, surprised that a soldier would ask her, a petite little female civilian for lessons in combat. He noticed her look and smiled a little shyly.
"I try not to be a proud man and I could certainly use the help. You made that British officer look like an amateur and I'm highly impressed with your skills, in case I haven't told you lately," he said a bit self consciously.
She was taken aback but felt a glow of pride in herself, glad that all her training with her father had paid off in spades.
"Of course I will, sweetheart," she said happily, and kissed him on the cheek.
After breakfast, they lashed their panniers to Abby's horse, then saddled up. Abby rode behind Alec and the group set off with Abby directing their route.
They rode for a couple hours until they reached the first cache. George and Abby had stored a variety of items in small quantities at each location, not chancing a massive loss of a single item such as flour or corn meal by less than desirable people or animals. Abby had decided to check on all the caches first, then load up what they needed and take the supplies back to the cabin.
All was well at their first stop and as they were hungry, they broke for lunch.
While everyone was eating, Abby stole into the small cave and checked for a message from her father. They'd developed a way to communicate if they ever became separated. In each cache they'd identified a flat rock and marked one side. If either one left a message under the rock, hopefully the other would find it in the future. She checked under it, digging down in the dirt for a letter or some sort of sign but there was nothing. She was crestfallen but not unnerved. She hoped beyond hope that George was alive, but she knew in reality that the chances were slim. The chances of him being alive after the way he and Abby had laid waste to the redcoats were probably nonexistent.
When she returned to the group, Alec immediately knew her mood had shifted but didn't say anything at the moment. He suspected something had transpired in the cave and chose to ask her about it later.
Abby took out her maps and showed the companions where they were and where they were going next. Alec paid rapt attention as the knowledge could come in valuable in the future. So much in fact that when they departed, he insisted on carrying the map and tried to do the navigation himself.
Abby was highly impressed because he seemed to have a natural instinct for finding his way and knowing what direction on the compass he was heading. She gently corrected him a few times but she knew he would have found their next cache without her help. It simply would have taken him awhile longer to locate it.
When they'd almost arrived, the group jumped a yearling whitetail buck and Rose promptly put a bullet behind his shoulder, surprising herself almost more than the buck.
"I got him!" she laughed happily and her friends slapped her back in congratulations.
"Fantastic shooting!" Alec marveled, more than impressed with her marksmanship. These girls were constantly surprising him with their survival skills, he thought to himself. He took it on himself to dress it out and tied it to the pack horse in no time at all, then they continued to the cache.
