My Shadow

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Six

Lizzy found the note in the library crumpled up. She took it and flattened it out. She didn’t read it though, she was too polite and knew it contained something private. She held it in her hands and went to her room where she knew Eddy would be.

Softly she knocked on the door. When there was no reply she opened the door and entered the room anyway. She found Eddy lying on his front with his face buried in the pillows. He had been crying or was still.

“Eddy,” Lizzy said. Eddy didn’t move. She placed the letter on the small table along with the other one and went over to the bed. She sat down and stroked Eddy’s back.

“I do not wish for you to see me cry. It makes me look weak.” Eddy said.

“Crying does not make you weak. But giving up after you have does. If you cry and then wipe your tears away and then get along with your life, that makes you strong. If you keep crying about it, it makes you weak.”

“But he is gone. He will not come back.”

“I know, Eddy, I know. But, he will not want you crying around all the time. He must have told you what he wishes you to do in his letter and you must do as he wants you to do. Not the complete opposite.” She stood up and kissed the back of his head before leaving him in peace.

~*~

“You will be safe, you will come home.” Lizzy said, making sure Eddy’s uniform was smart. Anne was talking to Thomas and Louis stood with the rest of the troops that were going.

“I will try my very best.” Eddy said.

“No, you will come home, you hear me?”

“I will come home.” Eddy said. They embraced. “I will see you shortly. Look after everyone and yourself.”

“I will miss you.” Lizzy murmured.

“I will miss you, too.” Eddy replied and they kissed. Thomas and Eddy joined the troops and Lizzy said farewell to Louis and wished that he returned home also. Anne and Lizzy watched them ride away from the palace on their horses. Both wished for their safe return.

~*~

“Can we wait here for a couple of minutes?” Louis asked Eddy.

“Why?”

“Because we are waiting for someone to join us.”

“And who will that be?” Eddy asked.

“That would be me.” a female voice said. Eddy found Ivy cantering up to them on a pure white horse.

“Ivy, what are you doing here?”

“I am here to join you in battle. I thought you could do with the help.”

“Girls should not fight in a battle.” Thomas said.

“I am not really a girl.”

“You may join us.” Eddy said. “Now we must depart here and carry on our journey.” They set off again. Ivy stayed pace with the ones in front.

“My horse can travel a lot faster than normal horses.” She said.

“How is that?” Thomas asked.

“My horse is not a normal horse.” Ivy replied in her wishy-washy simplicity.

“Then what is it?”

“A secret.” Ivy replied.

~*~

After a week of travelling non-stop, only stopping when they really needed to, they arrived at the battle field. It was strangely quiet. They reached the camp and dismounted. Stephen, the man in charge of the troops already here, came to meet them.

“Glad you could make it, men. We need your help desperately. Is Francis sending some?”

“I do not know. I have not heard anything other than to send us all here.”

“We begin fighting again in the morning. We called for a break to sort everyone out. If you find a place to rest you can stay there. You will be woken early tomorrow.” Stephen said. Eddy nodded and they split up to find somewhere to rest.

~*~

They were in the middle of a battle. Swords were clashing, metal grating against metal. Ivy was treating casualties at the back. There were plenty of them and plenty of blood. Eddy didn’t want to think about that at all.

He had tried not to kill people, only wound them badly enough so they were probably out for the rest of the war. That was what he had hoped. He had only been here a few weeks and already he was wishing he was back home. He wondered whether everyone was all right.

~*~

It was now about nine months from when Eddy left. Lizzy knew that she was about to have her baby. She really wanted to know when but there was no way of knowing.

Pain sparked in her stomach and she dropped the cup she was holding and gasped. she curled her hands around her stomach. “Anne!” she cried. Anne came hurrying to her.

“What is it?”

“The baby! The baby is coming!”  Lizzy exclaimed.

“Is it?”

“Yes! Help me Anne, help me, please!”

“All right, let us get you to your room.” Anne said and they slowly made their way to Lizzy’s room. It had been so lonely without Eddy being there. Her bed felt cold and she had had to hug her pillow instead of him.

Anne got her on the bed and Lizzy cried out. The pain was excrutiating.

~*~

A few hours later, Lizzy held a small bundle in her arms.

“It is a little girl!” Anne exclaimed. “Do you know what you are going to call her?”

“Sarah-Jane; that is what I shall call her.”

“That is a good name for her.”

“We could call her Sarah for short, I suppose.”

“Yes. She will grow up to be just like you, I think.”

“You really think so?”

“If she does, then she will be an amazing girl.”

“I am glad you think so.”

“Maybe we should write to Eddy.”

“He will be home soon. We shall surprise him then.” Lizzy said.

“And a wonderful surprise it will be too!”