The British North American Revolution [3/6]
anonymous
August 24 2009, 03:21:47 UTC
Arthur accused both Matthew and Nessa of being completely childish, even if he didn’t once look at the girl.
“You ignored what I wanted in parliament and don’t even recognise Nessa,” Matthew replied, looking at his father bitterly. “If you won’t listen to us, we’ll make you listen.” He spoke softly, but his expression was hard. He wasn’t about to give in. “This is a war.” Arthur seemed surprised. His smallest, most timid colony was acting out? And had gotten the help of a fishing outpost? It was almost laughable.
----
The British soldiers underestimated the ferocity of disgruntled fishermen who were forced into debt by wealthy men across an ocean. No military ship landed in Newfoundland the whole summer, and when they tried fishers would go out in their small boats and swarm the larger ship, staying just out of reach. Nessa even boarded one ship with a gun in her hand, shouting that if they did not turn over their gunpowder she would bring the hundreds of other revolutionaries circling the ship up as well.
It was a single moment, but it worked. By the end of the summer nearly all the military men in Newfoundland were gone or had renounced their position. Winter kept any worries of an attack at bay. Not even the finest military in the world would challenge General Winter at sea with any significant number of ships.
----
Come springtime Matthew learned the price of the supposed victory at Newfoundland. Ships that hadn’t landed at Newfoundland and hadn’t gone back to Britain went up the Saint Lawrence River, laying waste to Montreal and Quebec City’s rebellions. Many of the rebels and more than a few innocents had been killed. Upper Canada was completely lost to the British. Matthew had cried only a few minutes after learning the news in April. Then the something hard and determined in him solidified. Nessa could see something almost lupine in him in that moment his resolve hardened, and for less than a second it frightened her.
Then the wolf in Matthew vanished and he was a boy again. “Nessa,” he said in his soft, hard voice, “where should we start?”
“We need have to start with Ross,” she replied, crossing her arms.
----
Matthew met with the embodiment of Nova Scotia with something close to hesitance. During the American Revolution he’d treated his Scottish brother with a vague suspicion. He had, after, been very sympathetic to the American cause, and was very Yankee himself. But, he did not have a large Loyalist population as New Brunswick and Cape Breton did, and seemed to be the best choice of allies.
“You want me to keep British ships from getting into the Saint Lawrence?” the redhead asked, almost incredulously. “What’s in it for me to protect you?”
“I thought you were itching to fight off the British,” Matthew replied.
“I did, but it’s not in my best interests to fight, now is it?” Ross laughed and called for another ale. The tavern was a favourite hideout of revolutionaries and Yankees, and Ross would’ve never stepped foot into it with Matthew unless he was considering rebellion as well. The revolution bug had bitten almost all of British North America, and hard.
“If we were self-governing, it would be in our best interests. Even if we didn’t get full independence, Arthur’d probably listen to us more,” Matthew replied. Ross snorted.
“Us? You don’t think we should all be unified? One country under a great Northern banner?”
“My brother tried to invade me and make me the fourteenth colony. You, on the other hand, had a choice. If you want unification later on, I’d say yes, but I’m not going to force anyone into anything.” Matthew looked at Ross. He looked tired, as if he wasn’t sure he wanted this anymore. But there was no turning back at this point.
Ross laughed at Matthew. “Keep frowning like that and you’ll look even older than Arthur!” His happy expression softened to something serious. “And I’ll think about it. You and Nessa keep fighting, I’ll come in if I think I should.” He downed his ale and left money on the counter. Matthew let his head hit the rough wooden surface. Ross was just exhausting.
“You ignored what I wanted in parliament and don’t even recognise Nessa,” Matthew replied, looking at his father bitterly. “If you won’t listen to us, we’ll make you listen.” He spoke softly, but his expression was hard. He wasn’t about to give in. “This is a war.” Arthur seemed surprised. His smallest, most timid colony was acting out? And had gotten the help of a fishing outpost? It was almost laughable.
----
The British soldiers underestimated the ferocity of disgruntled fishermen who were forced into debt by wealthy men across an ocean. No military ship landed in Newfoundland the whole summer, and when they tried fishers would go out in their small boats and swarm the larger ship, staying just out of reach. Nessa even boarded one ship with a gun in her hand, shouting that if they did not turn over their gunpowder she would bring the hundreds of other revolutionaries circling the ship up as well.
It was a single moment, but it worked. By the end of the summer nearly all the military men in Newfoundland were gone or had renounced their position. Winter kept any worries of an attack at bay. Not even the finest military in the world would challenge General Winter at sea with any significant number of ships.
----
Come springtime Matthew learned the price of the supposed victory at Newfoundland. Ships that hadn’t landed at Newfoundland and hadn’t gone back to Britain went up the Saint Lawrence River, laying waste to Montreal and Quebec City’s rebellions. Many of the rebels and more than a few innocents had been killed. Upper Canada was completely lost to the British. Matthew had cried only a few minutes after learning the news in April. Then the something hard and determined in him solidified. Nessa could see something almost lupine in him in that moment his resolve hardened, and for less than a second it frightened her.
Then the wolf in Matthew vanished and he was a boy again. “Nessa,” he said in his soft, hard voice, “where should we start?”
“We need have to start with Ross,” she replied, crossing her arms.
----
Matthew met with the embodiment of Nova Scotia with something close to hesitance. During the American Revolution he’d treated his Scottish brother with a vague suspicion. He had, after, been very sympathetic to the American cause, and was very Yankee himself. But, he did not have a large Loyalist population as New Brunswick and Cape Breton did, and seemed to be the best choice of allies.
“You want me to keep British ships from getting into the Saint Lawrence?” the redhead asked, almost incredulously. “What’s in it for me to protect you?”
“I thought you were itching to fight off the British,” Matthew replied.
“I did, but it’s not in my best interests to fight, now is it?” Ross laughed and called for another ale. The tavern was a favourite hideout of revolutionaries and Yankees, and Ross would’ve never stepped foot into it with Matthew unless he was considering rebellion as well. The revolution bug had bitten almost all of British North America, and hard.
“If we were self-governing, it would be in our best interests. Even if we didn’t get full independence, Arthur’d probably listen to us more,” Matthew replied. Ross snorted.
“Us? You don’t think we should all be unified? One country under a great Northern banner?”
“My brother tried to invade me and make me the fourteenth colony. You, on the other hand, had a choice. If you want unification later on, I’d say yes, but I’m not going to force anyone into anything.” Matthew looked at Ross. He looked tired, as if he wasn’t sure he wanted this anymore. But there was no turning back at this point.
Ross laughed at Matthew. “Keep frowning like that and you’ll look even older than Arthur!” His happy expression softened to something serious. “And I’ll think about it. You and Nessa keep fighting, I’ll come in if I think I should.” He downed his ale and left money on the counter. Matthew let his head hit the rough wooden surface. Ross was just exhausting.
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