A Country Divided : Through Blood United

Women's Roles in the War: The Jones Twins

    She shifted back into her usual tough stance and folded her muscular arms. "So you really are a Yank. Why were you following us if you didn't want to re-capture us?"

    "You see-" I said quietly as I slipped my eyepatch back onto my purple eye. "I work as a spy for the Northern army. I'm wondering if you guys have seen any mass of people wearing brown nearby."

    "Actually, when I come to think of it," The leader's probably-brother piped up. "I did see a mass of people moving in the clearing nearby, and they were wearing brown uniforms." He awkwardly paused and rubbed his neck as our gazes suddenly met.

I never got to notice the color of his eyes. His irises were an extremely dark brown color, and you can easily become lost in them. I stood in awe at the brilliant color.

Jade's brother began speaking to me again, removing me from my daydream-like stupor. "I'm Johnathan Jones, and Jade over there is my twin."

    I gasped loudly, my hand covering my mouth in awe. "The-the Jones twins?"

    The leader, now known as Jade, crawled over her twin brother's shoulder and smiled. "I guess we're all famous here."

    "Pretty much," I chuckled in response as Johnathan rose up after being pushed over by his twin sister. "At least our opinions are the same."

    "Anyway," I said again to change the subject. "Are you two able to lead me to where the Southern army is going?"

    "Maybe," Jade replied hesitantly, a twinge of shakiness in her voice. "All I have to do is tell my friends where the next stop is."

    I nodded as Jade whispered to the other men in the group, and a few moments later she walked back to me, her brilliant white smile beaming.

    "Ready to go find those Southern scums?" She asked happily.

    "As long as you don't call me one ever again," I laughed in response.

    Jade, Johnathan and I cautiously made our way through the dense forest. It somehow reminded me of Evan. The forest was his favorite place to be, and he was most familiar with drawing forest scenes. I shoved the thoughts about Evan to the back of my mind as the tree of us approached the now empty clearing.

***

    Once our small group finally arrived at the army-less clearing, I rubbed the ground with my fingers and sniffed them. I then glanced forward and squinted my eyes, which is what I usually do whenever I'm thinking hard.

    I pointed south. "They're going that way. Towards Sharpsburg."

    I guess that I was a bit right, I told myself. We can probably catch them while they're moving South.

    Under Jade's command, she led our small group toward the marching Southern army, the sun's brilliant rays and soft sway of the grass keeping us energetic and alert.

***

    After a few minutes of extremely fast running, we were finally able to see the Southern army. They all moved in what looked like a large, undulating mass, and they were well-organized.

    Jade, Johnathan, and I crept behind a line of thick trees so we could spy on the army. The militia suddenly stopped, and its members slid their backpacks off of their shoulders and began to set up camp.

    "This is perfect," I whispered to the Jones twins. "I can easily get information this way."

    "How?" Johnathan asked curiously.