18th May - Camp at Avelãs.

"Keep going north and you should fall in with them," he replied, taking a sip from his tea. "Just leave notice so that when we come across your body we shall not be entirely surprised."

"And it isn't that bad," he dutifully added on, as an afterthought to his previous comment. "Not really."

Liar, his conscience immediately sniped back at him.

George hummed thoughtfully. 'Yes, I'll do that. I'll just go have my will witnessed and it's off to the heroics with me. Sanders sure'll be glad not to have to share precious sleeping space.' George put the mug down on the table and rolled his sleeves down, straightening his waistcoat and casting about for his jacket somewhat theatrically, having missed the last remark the General made.

"Oh, sit down, Hunter," Wellesley growled, wearying somewhat of the joke. He was becoming weary more easily now, he had noticed it over the past couple of years and accepted it with a weary resignation.

George did and had the decency to look a little ashamed. 'Sorry, I tend to get carried away.'

"So I have noticed."

'Heh. I once got carried away so much, I ended up hiding in a tree.' George grimaced.

Wellesley grimaced. Why was he always mentioning that blasted tree?

"Well, I am glad to see that you are out of yours now."

George smiled. 'Thank you. I do hope to stay on the ground for a while.'

The jibe had gone wide of the mark it seeemed, but Wellesley grunted in acknowledgement, taking a large gulp of tea.

"See that you do, and leave others to risk breaking their own necks in peace."

Shaking his head, George replied. 'I'll try, but if those others do risk their necks and survive the attempt, I dare say I ought to be gagged or locked up or I'll be very unpleasant to them for making me watch them risking their necks.'

Wordlessly Wellesley extracted a handkerchief from his sleeve and offered it to Hunter.

Just as wordlessly Hunter stretched a hand out to accept it. 'I should warn those who'll be restraining me. I bite. Also, I carry two boot knives.'

"Oh, they should not worry," Wellesley said nonchalently. "Seeing as you have your own gag now all they have to do is ties your wrists and lock you away."

'Don't forget the 'throw away the key' part, sir, or I just might come back to haunt them.'

"If there is any haunting to be done I believe that shall be my prerogative, seeing as I shall be the one that will be breaking my neck."

'Ah, but it will be I who will perish tragically, slowly going insane with guilt in my confinement, not able to say a word of what I feel. Those things are rather important if one wants to become a ghost, I hear.'

"I think a particularly strong will to stay behind would suffice, perhaps," Wellesley said dryly.

And how had they got onto this subject anyway. Once again he started to regret having stopped to talk with Hunter, and took another large swallow of tea. He had nearly finished his cup.

'Would you really want to? Stay behind that is.' Hunter's face was serious now.

"I think it shall rather depend on what will be waiting for me if I do not," he said gruffly, finishing the mug, putting it back down of the table and rising from his seat. "Thank you for the tea, Hunter, and the cheering conversation."

'Ah. And that is the question, is it not? And the answer is so simple...' George picked up the General's mug and added to the pile of dished he had to wash. 'You are welcome, sir, I am here to serve.'

Wellesley frowned at Hunter's reply.

"Any man that believes the ways of Heaven and Earth to be 'simple' is a fool indeed. Good evening, Hunter."

And that saying he left the room, his footsteps heard a moment later ascending the stair treads.

George watched the General leave. His hand found the knife. He stared at it for a few moments, then after some internal struggle dropped it back on the table, picked up the mug and threw it against the wall. Picking up his things from the bench he practically ran out of the back door.

After getting the things arranged for the night Colonel Brandon went down the steps to the ground floor. He would be taking a walk around their quarters before he would turn in for the night. But before that there were still some things that needed seeing to, such as getting dinner and talking about tomorrows tasks with Sir Arthur.

It was there that Sir Arthur met Brandon coming back up the stairs.

"Everyone settled, I trust?" he enquired as he paused to let the colonel pass.

"Yes, Sir. We'll make do." Brandon answered as he halted on the stairs. "I was just about to see where to get our dinner. You did not happen to have any yet, did you?"