[align=center][div style="width: 470px; text-align: justify; font-family: new times roman; font-size: 7pt; letter-spacing: 2.5px; word-spacing: 1px; line-height: 14px;"]Truth be told, there had also been a time once in Eddie's life where he too had that same niggling thought at the back of his mind: what the hell was he doing here? Boston looked like a lifetime away now, skyscrapers dominating the skies, peering down and applauding any brave soul who still had the tenacity to battle it out for territories and goods in a world which had otherwise abandoned them. Despite the destruction down below, those high-rises lingered in a recumbent commiseration, marked as sorrowful reminders of just how far mankind had come before the sudden regression back into the dark ages.
Back then, the Stirling family was in their prime and Eddie grew up in a world where he was given every opportunity to thrive. Some would even say that the teenaged boy was taking a very sinister path in becoming a vicious man. Perhaps little had changed in that light - same man, different circumstance. His world had been tilted off of its axis the day his family was torn apart by their arch enemies. The Stirling empire had finally fallen in Boston and now the only proof of their power was his father's reputation that so often preceded him. Up this very mountain Eddie trekked alongside his father and step-mother, two young children in tow, as the base of Flintlock Lodge had always been decided upon as the family's safe house if situations in Boston were to ever go awry. Once things would turn in their favour once more, then they would swiftly return to Boston to take a firm hold on what was theirs once more... At least, that had been the plan.
Half a decade on and most of the Stirling family had reconvened in one way or another. His father was buried deep in the ground where he belonged, and Eddie had since taken on his position as the head of the family. Some of his brothers had found their ways back to this new place that they called home. Alfie had died in this lodge as a noble man. Nik did not have the good fortune of doing so. Thomas had kept his loyalty to his brother unwavering for years, but there had come a time where he had chosen that it was finally time to reunite with the woman that he loved for the sake of their son and their happiness. Eddie missed his older brother's firm means of providing advice, but no man could step in the way of love. It'd be foolish to do so. As for Franklin, he had finally come to his senses upon realising that running away from the duties of a Stirling was futile.
Frank was the only brother that Eddie had left, and sometimes it left a bitter taste in his mouth.
Despite the tension that had once been apparent between the brothers, Frank had to admit that Eddie was right all along. It was a win in Eddie's books, and so he'd offer to give his brother another chance. He had to count his blessings; some people would kill to have a second chance with a loved one.
And so together they'd wander on an evening patrol together, making sure all Flintlockers were safe and sound in the comfort of the lodge before nightfall. The nights out here were a death wish, and Eddie wasn't sure he could bear the thought of one of the younger members stumbling across a hypothermic body one day. The brothers wandered in silence, Eddie's brows bunched together firmly as he trudged through the slowly melting snow. ❝ Ed. ❞ Frank alerted with a mutter, pointed finger landing on a small silhoutette pressed up against a tree in the distance.
Upon closer inspection, it appeared to be a woman, an unrecognisable one at that. ❝ Are you hurt? ❞ Eddie enquired upon approaching, instinctively feeling for the strap that kept his rifle close to his person just in case this were a set-up. One could never be too sure nowadays, especially after the trouble that Flintlock had faced formerly. Those wicked events that had sealed Alfie's fate in the first place. Eddie wasn't prepared to lose his only remaining brother, even if the woman did appear to be unassuming.
Frank was less concerned of any perceived risks, sighing before crouching down nearby and shimmying his thick coat off to reveal a thinner layer beneath. He offered the thick coat to the woman without question, the cold sending a shudder coursing through his body at the sudden new chill he felt in the air. ❝ The lodge is not too far away. Just hidden behind those trees over there. ❞ He nodded towards the grove of trees in the distance before looking up towards Ed for instruction. With a sigh, Eddie reached for his walkie talkie, ❝ Injured newcomer just east of the village. We're gonna need a sled. ❞
And, with that, Ed looked back towards the woman, his usual deadpan expression perhaps somewhat intimidating, before he stated, ❝ Lets get you seen to first. Once you've warmed up and someone has checked your ankle, I'll need to know what brought you all the way here. ❞ Especially with her lack of warm coat, Edmund observed warily. She could have been chased this way. If so, where was the danger? Would it risk Flintlock? Was she the danger? A damsel in distress, only to turn around and strike once Flintlock got too comfortable? Was she a member from one of the many groups that wanted to see Flintlock crumble? Perhaps many would brush Ed off as too suspicious, but his suspicious nature was what kept people safe.
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I'M OUT OF MY MIND, REPLAYING THE SCENE
[sup]AS THESE THOUGHTS START TO ASPHYXIATE ME —
NOTES.
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