Author's Note: Good morrow, friends! It certainly didn't take long for me to return to the land of Ben and Felicity. They're just so perfectly adorable together that I can't help myself. This one has a much more sombre tone than Death of a Merriman, as barely a chapter gets written without both my Beta and me being reduced to tears. I hope that you enjoy the new story, despite the gloomy circumstances our poor little Lissie is subjected to.

Updates will be every Friday! I will also be updating a new H2O story called Dark Side of the Moon on Mondays.

Chapter I

"Out of the way, boy!"

Ben shifted the flour sack in his hands and wove around the horse and cart, nodding his head in silent apology. The flour wasn't heavy—well, not too heavy—but he was not sure he was going in the right direction which is why he kept stopping, and consequently, getting in everyone's way.

He had only moved to Williamsburg two days ago to work as an apprentice for Mr. Merriman, a prominent shopkeeper of that town. He was supposed to be delivering a sack of flour to a Mrs. Wright, but he could not remember the way to her house.

Mr. Merriman had sent him off early. He said it would take some time before Ben was familiar with the streets, and he need not hurry back. This was fortunate for Ben, for it was nearing lunchtime before he'd completed his delivery, and he wanted to see the sights of the town before returning.

He took a different way back to the shop, intending on learning every route possible; the quickest, and the best. A few minutes walking took him past the tannery. The stench of the tanning vats was nearly intolerable, but Ben braved it for the sake of his explorations.

The tannery shed was a grey, tumble-down building with smashed window panes that gave it the appearance of a grimacing face. The tools of the tanner's trade lay scattered around the deck, along with lumber, leathers, and shingles that had fallen from the roof. A bit beyond that was a small pasture. The fence was in disrepair but stable enough to keep tired old horses within.

Ben saw no horses today. In the middle of the yard stood a wooden post, beneath which a little girl sat playing with a length of rope. Her green eyes watched him walk by without blinking. A bushel of red hair lay matted around her face, unruly and uncovered. She sat in the dirt and there were no shoes or stockings on her feet.

"Hello," Ben smiled. Her eyes narrowed and she drew away, scooting partially behind the post. She could almost hide behind it, she was so desperately thin.

Ben had yet to make any friends in Williamsburg. His mother had urged him to be friendly and not to let his shyness get the best of him with almost as much urgency as his father told him to learn a good trade. There were not many boys his age around Mr. Merriman's shop, and those that were behaved badly, throwing stones at birds and squirrels. Perhaps if he could make one friend today, making more would come easier.

He came to the post and knelt beside the little girl. "I'm Benjamin Davidson, from Yorktown."

"Felicity," she whispered so quietly, he barely heard.

"Felicity, you say?" She nodded, but looked so sad Ben wanted to do something to cheer her up. He noticed that she didn't have a doll. Most girls liked to play with dolls, but she only had a rope to play with. Maybe that's why she was sad.

"Do you want to come and play with me?" he asked.

She nodded, brows furrowed as if uncertain.

"Well, come on then."

She shook her head and shrank away. It was then he realised that she was not playing with the rope, but that it kept her tethered to the post by her wrist. Ben was flustered. He thought it must have been some of the mean boys in town who tied her up for their cruel idea of sport. Ben fished the knife out of his pocket that he kept on hand for whittling. Felicity flinched when he brought it closer, but blinked in surprised gratitude when he used it to cut the rope.

"There, now. That's better."

She did not remove the rope around her wrist, but rubbed her arm since it was probably sore from being strung up for a while.

It took a great deal of coaxing, but finally Felicity followed Ben outside of the dusty circle she'd been sitting in. Try as he might, he could not get her to leave the yard. Clearly, she was still afraid of being caught by those boys. He settled for sitting in a soft patch of grass and showing her the piece of wood from home he was planning on whittling into something. What, he was not quite sure of yet.

While he chattered on about his move to Williamsburg, the sailor friend his piece of wood had come from, and all about his new work at Mr. Merriman's store, Felicity sat silently and listened. Sometimes he would catch her smiling a small, sad smile.

"Do you like bears?" he asked suddenly.

She made no reply.

"Ducks? Do you like ducks?"

Still, she only stared, frowning.

"What about horses?"

To this, her face brightened a moment before she became downcast again and remarked bitterly, "I love horses, but Mr. Nye kills them. He makes me watch, and I tried to make friends with one of the horses, but he killed her, too."

"Who is Mr. Nye?"

She didn't want to continue, so Ben turned to his piece of wood. "Then I shall carve you a horse. This one will be your friend for always."

Ben chuckled at her wary expression. "You don't believe me, do you? Just watch. I'm very good at it," he said, beginning the process under her watchful eyes, "Far better than Jacob, or Samuel."

A vicious shout rang out from the shadows of the shed, making a queer sense of dread fall over Ben.

"Where are ye, little brat!?"

Felicity scrambled to her feet and shooed him with her hands. "Go! You have to go!"

Not understanding, Ben slowly rose to his feet and watched her flee in the direction of her post. An older, angry man grabbed her roughly by the arm and shook her. "Where have ye been, useless wretch?! I told ye not to leave this post! For runnin' there'll be no supper!"

"I'm sorry," she gasped feebly. "I was playing…"

The man slapped her cheek and shouted. "Cry as ye are, and tomorrow's supper will be thrown out, as well!"

"It was my fault, sir!" Ben called, rushing up in the hopes of somehow stopping the wicked man from hurting her.

His devilish sneer turned to Ben. "Who might ye be!?"

"Benjamin Davidson, sir. Please don't strike her. I cut the rope so she could walk in the yard. She wasn't running away. You shouldn't tie her up like that," he raised his voice, becoming angrier by the moment, "It hurts her wrist and she can't play."

"Can't play? Mind yer own business, boy! I'll do as I please with my own property! What's more, if I catch ye sneaking 'round here again, it'll be the worse for both of you."

"Don't shout at him!" Felicity cried. "He's my friend!"

For this, she was given a box to the head."Don't talk back to me, chit! I'll beat ye until some manners are learned!" He marched off, dragging her with him and muttering curses under his breath at a woman who'd left him such a burden.

Ben stood dumbstruck, his knife clenched tightly in hand. He'd wanted to help Felicity and cheer her up with a present, but instead he'd made a terrible mistake. He wished he was big enough to fight the man that hurt her. Then he would punch him before he could strike Felicity and help her run away to Yorktown. She would be safe there. His father was a strict man, but he never struck his daughters.

He turned away at last and sighed. He knew now which route he would take to and from his deliveries He had to pass by the tannery as often as he could. He had to do something to protect his new friend.

"Don't worry, Felicity," he said aloud, "I'll come back for you. No matter what, I'll come back."