Stay with me

Chapter 1

Leaves crunched under Sheba's boots, cutting through the peacefulness of the mellow summer night. James bumped into her when she froze.

"What are you doing?!" He whispered, nervously looking around. "We have to move!"

"We need to be alert. I don't think you'll be able to move when you're dead from stepping on the wrong twig."

The two teenagers were spying on the British camp; looking for information about any battle plans to report to General George Washington.

Sheba Storm, a black haired, green eyed loner, who was as beautiful as she was cunning, worked in the army with her partner, James Tory, as a spy out in the forest. She had been with Washington for a few months now. As for how she liked it, she was managing.

James put his arm in front of Sheba, signalling her to freeze. A British patrol was passing by. She held her breath, afraid that they could hear her, but all the noise from their heavy boots covered it.

When they were out of sight, Sheba counted to twenty and slowly stood up. She pulled James to a tall cedar tree, climbed up, and sat on a branch with him, watching the full moon and the camp of fifty or so redcoats.

She yawned. The smell of cedar was sleep inducing, which made it hard to stay focused on the tiny little dots around the campfires. A cool breeze lifted her hair off of her neck that was sticky with sweat. Summer nights could stay in the eighties after a baking hot day.

A small spider crawled on James' leg, so he picked it up and played with it. A squirrel chattered at them from a nearby tree, a chipmunk threw a nut at the squirrel, and an owl scared them off. And so it went until the sun began to peak over the horizon.

"We need to go," said James. Sheba nodded and slid down the tree, giggling when James slid down awkwardly.

When they had returned to the base, they went straight to Washington.

"They've camped five miles north," reported James with excitement. "We should be ready in case of attack."

"Well done, Mr Tory." Washington circled the two as if they were redcoats. "But I expect a bit more detail next time."

"Y... yes sir... my apologies..."

"And I expect just as much from you, Miss Storm. I can't put everything on one man."

"Yes sir." Sheba flexed her fingers and bit back her remarks.

"Dismissed," commanded Washington with a flick of the wrist, not even watching them go.

Outside, Sheba pulled James into the tent that they shared. "You were really brave out there," she told him.

"It was nothing," he replied. Sheba longed to embrace him, but that would only lead to trouble.

"So, it seems Larksong is extremely interesting, doesn't it?" Asked Sheba in mock accusation. James looked down at his feet, embarrassed.

"I don't know. I just think she's nice."

"Don't forget about me," she joked, nudging him.

James put his arm around her. "Never."

She laid on his shoulder, just as a soldier walked in. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I wasn't interrupting anything, was I?" he asked.

James and Sheba quickly separated. "No, you're fine," she said, picking up a few clothes scattered throughout the tent.

"I bring news from General Washington," the soldier continued. "He requests your presence at his quarters tomorrow at noon."