Jared trekked down the dirt path. It was a hot summer's day and his pa had sent him down to the town to fetch a price for one of the piglets his hog had recently birthed. It was a runt of a thing and they knew it would make poor pork in the end. Jared was to haggle the price of it.

     Before he made his way to sell the thing, he stopped at the little shop on the outskirts of the town. It was the main shop in town and held a variety of items the people couldn't get elsewhere. The shopkeeper's daughter was at the counter, Jared tossed her a penny.

    She caught it without hesitation, "Your usual?" Alana asked, leaning on the counter.

    "You know me." Jared flashed her a smile. He was given a small piece of peppermint candy, a rare treat Jared only got when he came into the town. He popped it into his mouth, savoring the taste.

    Alana suddenly dropped her tone, "You hear about the soldiers?"

    Jared looked up, "What soldiers?"

    "They're camped out on the south side of town, the war is moving farther west." She shook her head. "Took a great deal of our stock from the store, didn't pay a dime for it, claimed it was for official government business. You better warn your pa of them, they'll take any crops you got."

    Jared swallowed harshly, his family's crop was all they had. Without them, they would surely starve in the winter.

    "Thanks Alana." Jared said, heading out of the shop.

    Downtown was busy as Jared attempted to auction off the piglet. He quickly drew a small crowd.

    "I'd pay a dime for him, no more." One man grunted. "He'll only be good for a single strip of bacon." He joked with his friends.

    "I'll take him for a half dollar." Evan, the widow seamstress's son, care forward from the back of the group. He showed the shiny half dollar in his hand.

    "He ain't worth that much, kid." The man scoffed. "He'll probably not get any bigger than he is now."

    "I'll take him for a half dollar." Evan insisted, and Jared obliged. His pa sure would be happy when he sees what he managed to scrape up.

    "Your new piglet." Jared handed over the scrawny thing and Evan cradled it in his arms.

    "I think I'll call him Sam." Evan decided.

    "I wouldn't name it if he's going to be bacon in a couple weeks." Jared said, crossing his arms.

    Evan looked offended just at the sound of that, "He's not going to be bacon! He's going to be my pet." He stroked the piglet, who looked up at him with wide eyes.

    "You don't keep a male pig around, he can't produce piglets!" Jared shook his head. "Whatever, so skin off my back, I still got my half dollar." He slipped the coin into his pocket.

    "Thank you for doing business." Evan grinned. "Let's go, Sam."

    Jared shook his head and headed back home. It was a long walk, after all.

    Two days later Jared was saddling up the family's work horse, Sally, to do some plowing. The old work horse was nearly Jared's age, gray hairs showed on her muzzle and back.

    That was when two soldiers appeared from the East, dawning their freshly pressed uniforms. Jared stroked Sally's muzzle, watching them with caution.

    "Farm boy, fetch me your father." One of the soldiers said harshly.

    "Jared." He said back.

    The soldier looked at him with distain for a second, "Jared, fetch me your father."

    Jared merely pointed towards the fields, where his pa stood between rows of hay. The soldiers glared at him before heading over. Jared watched the soldiers and his pa have a discussion as he continued strapping up Sally. Jared couldn't tell what they were saying but he could tell it was heated. The soldiers returned to Jared a few minutes later.

    "We'll be taking the horse." One soldier reached for the reigns.

    "What?" Jared yanked the reigns out of reached. "You can't do that!" They needed Sally to pull the plow. How else would they plant their crops this year?

    "Captain's order." The other soldier said smugly. Jared couldn't defy the captain and they knew it. Plus, his pa was watching him from across the field.

    So he watched the soldiers disappear with Sally. He clenched his fist tight. It wasn't fair.

    "We'll have to see about getting another horse from town." His pa sighed at the dinner table. "It'll cost us a bit though, I'll have to borrow some money from Mr. Henderson again..."

    "They can't just take what's ours!" Jared slammed his fist onto the table.

    "But they can, dear." His ma said.

    "It's not up to us, son. If the army needs our horse we're best giving it to them." His pa said. "Now go get some rest, I'll be sending you into town again tomorrow."

    Jared did go lay down in his bed, but he didn't rest. His family worked day in and day out for everything they had and the army could just march in and take it. No, Jared couldn't stand for that. When he heard his parents go to bed, Jared snuck out of the house.

    It was hot out, even at night. The July heat caused the cicadas to speak loudly from the trees. The army wouldn't even hear him coming.

    The camp was right where Alana had said it was, the south side of town. The army had set up a series of tents. Near the back was where the horses were kept.

    Jared snuck over to the horses, searching. He spotted her reigned to a post near the back. He went over. Just as he got to her, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

     "What do you think you're doing?"

    Jared was dead. He was going to be flogged by the captain and left for dead, a fair punishment for stealing from the army.

    "Uh- I-" Jared turned to see a rather handsome young man, around Jared's age.

    "This your horse?" The boy asked, looked at Sally.

    "Er, well, yes." Jared stuttered.

    The boy took a glance around to see if anyone was looking before shoving the reigns into Jared's hand, "Take her and go, hurry."

    "What?" Jared wasn't comprehending what was happening. Before he could say more, the boy was helping him up onto the horse. "Thank you, er-"

"Connor." The boy smiled up at him. "Now go, you don't want them to see you."

So Jared rode off, grateful he had Sally back but slightly off putted by Connor as well. Why had he done that? He could've been hung for helping steal the horse.

Jared had gotten a whooping from his pa the next day, but didn't care. They got their horse back and didn't have to borrow any more money get a new one.

Jared, however, was still sent into town a week later to purchase some flowers for his ma. As he reached the town, however, he spotted Connor by the shop, leaning on a post.

Jared cautiously approached, "I just wanted to thank you for the other night." He said.

Connor shrugged, lighting up a cigar and taking a puff. "No big deal, I hate the army just as much as you civilians do."

Jared nearly panicked, "No, sir, we don't hate the army-"

"Don't worry, I'm not going to rat you out." Connor blew a puff of smoke at Jared, who coughed and waved the air away.

"Well, I say I owe you one, let me buy you something from the shop." Jared said.

"A drink?" Connor asked, raising a brow.

Jared laughed, "Whatever you want."

"Mornin' Jared." Alana said as he came in. She froze when she saw Connor, who was in uniform. "Sir, we don't have much-"

"I ain't here to steal your stuff." Connor said, shaking his head.

Alana relaxed, "What can I do for you?"

"Some tulip seeds please, and whatever he wants." Jared said, setting a quarter onto the counter. He'd just have to tell his ma the flowers cost a bit more this year.

Connor lifted a bottle of pine cologne and set it on the counter, "This'll be fine." He said, giving Jared a wink. Jared blushed, turning his head away.

"That'll be 17 cents." Alana said cheerfully, taking the quarter and giving Jared back his change.

Connor and Jared stepped outside after, seeming to just linger in each other's presence.

Jared needed to get back home. "Well, uh, I guess this means-"

"Wait-" Connor grabbed Jared's arm, stopping him. "Um, I actually want to show you something."

Jared scrunched up his face, "Show me-"

"Just, meet me here at midnight, alright?" Connor said. He seemed to look around to see if anyone was watching them.

"Alright." Jared agreed.

Jared stood at the closed shop a quarter to midnight, half sure that he was going to be killed. The other half though was what compelled him to show up, to find out what Connor wanted to show him.

Connor arrived exactly at midnight, according to the pocket watch Jared had 'borrowed' from his pa.

"What did you want-" Before Jared could finish his question, Connor pulled him into a deep kiss. It was gentle and sweet and left Jared's lips tingling even after Connor pulled away.

"You could get discharged from the army for that." Was all Jared could find himself to say.

"I could also get a discharge for helping steal a horse." Connor scoffed. "I get even get hung for that."

Jared considered this for a second, then pulled Connor in for another kiss. It was almost as spectacular as the first time.

"What's a good Christian farm boy like you doing kissing a soldier?" Connor chuckled darkly, weaving his hands around Jared's waist.

"Who said I was Christian?" Jared joked.

"If we're talking about discharge and hanging material here, that would be it." Connor laughed with him.

A little while later, the two parted, promising to meet the next Tuesday.

Jared spent the week thinking only of Connor. He got yelled at by his pa a few times for daydreaming while doing his work. Time seemed to pass by slowly as he waited for the next week.

When Tuesday rolled around, Jared arrived by the closed shop at midnight, exactly what they did the last time.

Jared checked the pocket watch.

12:05.

He waited.

12:20.

Where was he?

By the time 12:40 hit, Jared was ready to leave. Just as he was about to turn away he saw Connor bounding through the street towards him.

Connor embraced him with a kiss. It was sweaty and hot as Connor had been running. The boy was out of breath.

"Why were you late?" Jared asked, pulling away.

Connor shook his head, "The army. We're packing up and marching west tomorrow."

Jared felt a lump in his throat, "Tomorrow?" He asked.

"Yeah, there's this big battle at Gettysburg, the men there need back up." Connor said solemnly. "This means that-"

"Run away with me." Jared blurted out. "We can leave tonight and head east, move to another town."

"Jared, you know what happens to deserters." Connor laughed. "Not to mention, what of your parents?"

"They'll be fine, it's just, you can't go." Jared begged, looking up at Connor. "There's just not-"

"I'll be fine, and after I'm honored discharged from the army, I'll be back, I promise." Connor said, leaning in and sealing the promise with a kiss.

"I'll miss you." Jared said quietly.

Connor smiled, "Don't, I won't be gone long." With that, Connor trotted off into the darkness, leaving Jared alone.