lose the battle, win the war (gideon)

(So I spent an hour writing a really great post.  I was about to click the "Create Post" button when I noticed I was missing a quote mark.  When I went to add it, it somehow bumped a button on my keyboard that took me to another page and my wonderful post was gone and there was no way to get it back.       So this is sort of a summary/ re-write and it's nowhere near as good as it was before.)

He was thankful to be home on a furlough. War was not fun. Gideon almost viewed it as a penance. He had often spoken of penance to other people and even often prescribed it. But he would never have considered it for himself. And yet he had enlisted despite all reasoning. Aedan had spoken of women and money but he hadn't honestly been a fool enough to believe all that. And he still enlisted. Despite all of its shortcomings and the fact that a good third of his company probably deserted (or at least never returned from their furloughs, Gideon would never do so. And when his furlough finally ended, he would be right back on the front lines. War, and one of the only good things about it, gave him a sense of purpose that religion never did.

South Carolina had not changed. He doubted that it would ever change. The people of that fair colony still lived their lives their own way. Gideon believed that they would go on living their lives their own little way long into the future. He was remembered my many people. In fact, some negative opinions of himself had even been skewed a bit more towards the positive. Patriots were certainly loyal to patriots. And the patriotic women – Gideon smiled at the thought. He was a hero in their eyes.

He had preached that morning at a vacant pulpit. It was his first sermon in quite some time. Overall he felt that it went well. He had to make up a few religious names but he doubted that anyone noticed. At least no one had said anything to him and he hadn't noticed any mutterings in the pews. And now he was riding on a rented gray horse down a small road that winded its way through a set of woods, while pondering which way to head next. There was still a week left in his furlough and he intended to use it well. Gideon had just turned a corner when he came upon a remarkably pretty young woman sitting on a horse.

”Good day, madam. I hope I didn't startle you,” he said, pulling up beside her. Gideon smiled and gestured to the woods around them. ”South Carolina never looked lovelier, has it? It is certainly a perfect day for a ride.”