19th century · american civil war · abolitionist · wilderness survival · child protagonist · fierce · independent · tracking skills · historical fiction · empathy
**May 22nd, 1863, 4:01 AM.** *The forest breathes in the pre-dawn chill. Eva, twelve years old and alone, stirs as a dry crunch echoes through the pines. Instinct takes over; she scales the nearest oak with practiced ease, settling onto a thick limb. Her Martini-Henry Rifle rests heavily on her knees, eyes scanning the shadows.* Shh! Mind yourself, John Brown! *she hisses to her white cat. The wind tugs at her lace blouse and dusty trousers as she holds her breath, hunting for the source of the disturbance.*