27th May with the provosts

"With pleasure," the Pioneer rumbled, carefully tucking the paper into his jacket. He nodded at his fellows and the whole group moved off, with two Pioneers helping the wounded Lambert along. If helping was not too strong a word, anyway.

Mister Todd had turned his attentions back to the still-dazed Rifleman, leaving Lieutenant Cobb to favour Captain Vickery with a tight smile.

"An unpleasant business," Cobb observed wryly. "I would be amiss if I did not suggest that this may not be the end of it all, sadly. There are a few men of my company presently with the surgeons. Your fellow will not be unguarded."

Why was he moving? Newbury whined softly in protest, his eyes squeezed resolutely shut. He didn't want to move, dammit all. He'd been doing quite well where he was at.

"Mind his knee, there," somebody snapped and there were suddenly hands underneath his arms. There was an abrupt feeling of weightlessness then.

Where the hell was he going? Newbury opened his eyes briefly and saw that he was being carried. The surgeon was just in front of him too. Ah. That was all right, then...

Pye straightened some as he saw Newbury being carried away. It left them with Cotton and Vickery, the latter wanting to talk with them. He did not feel nervous and would have been willing to defend his actions. Of course if Vickery had been Hakeswill, he would have been very nervous infact. "Sir." He looked away from his little patch of trees.

He wasn't in danger from these men. They would've loathed Jenny - she had injured one of them, and probably Newbury - he was the cause of their punishment. But as for Pye, it was as if he needed testing how far one could go.

Vickery watched as Newbury was carried away to the surgeon's wagon. He was completely limp, which could only be a good thing, considering the state the provosts had left him in.

He turned to the other two Riflemen. "All right, Cotton, Pye. You're not in any sort of trouble, but I do want a word with you both."

Despite his reassurance, Cotton still bit his lip. "I should've said summat when I saw who they was, sir," he said.

"Maybe, but it was still my decision to leave Newbury and Miss Ross to their unwelcome attentions," Vickery said. "Now, what I want to know is, will you be all right if I leave you here, or should I order you to return to the Company with me? Bearing in mind that you took responsibility for allowing Newbury to go wandering off and are back here for a punishment, Cotton. If you return to the Company, you will not get out of that."

Cotton took a breath. Then another. "They went through your stuff 'cause it was me lookin' after it, an' I was with J... Newbury, sir. He ain't, um, he can't look after hisself prop'ly, but I don't want folks goin' through your things jus' 'cause they don't think I can be trusted."

Maybe he should have insisted that he leave Vickery's service, that awful day when he'd been flogged simply for being caught with something that didn't belong to him, even though it had never been proved he'd intended to keep it, or sell it.

"..Sir, Cotton has acted best he could... and. .wot's that word, commend.... uh, he behaved in a proper fashion. It was the provosts who were trying to find a mark on us, an'.. like he said, even in your stuff, sir." Pye spoke out. He glanced at Cotton briefly and then continued. "He's a good man, jus' as Newbury is. But the provosts. Attacked 'im and miss Jenny." He didn't see who threw the first punch, but he'd seen her hurt, and he had seen Newbury injured also. It was enough to convince him to point a finger at the provosts. And if it hadn't been, he just disliked the provosts alltogether, and thus they would be guilty, always, no matter what.

"..It's them we's to concentrate on now, sir. See them pay, t' ..." He did not continue though, for what he was meant to say was not a word that was meant to be spoken infront of an officer, a gentleman.

"Commendably. And yes, he did, in this instance. He's here because of what happened back with the Company the other day, when he let Newbury go off tracking on his own, without back-up. Although he did his best to try to recover the situation." He paused, getting his thoughts in order. "I am not completely convinced that leaving you all here would be in your best interests, even thought those particular men are now under arrest."

"Sir, ...I.." For he did not want to speak in Cotton's name. The man could speak for himself and voice his own decision or want. " think that .. whatever you decide for me, " he did make that clear. "... it would be agreeable.." Which was strange to say. The officers just told their subordinates what to do. They did not give them choices, none in the 33rd did. Not even Hakeswill, who was sergeant, gave them a choice, unless it was one of blackmail.

"..N'.. sir, I did only pull m' rifle on them.. couse they were injurin' our man n' woman." Though he had meant to kill a provost, if one had decided to disobey him.

Vickery raised an eyebrow. "I would like to reiterate, Pye, that if I ask for your opinion, you will not be in trouble for giving it. I would also like you to note that I do not generally condone my men aiming their rifles at other soldiers of this Army. I do appreciate, however, that this was an exceptional occasion."

"I think... I think I'm goin' to ask if I can stay up here, sir. Keep an eye on J... Rifleman Newbury." Heaven knew, he needed someone to keep an eye on him. "I... You are goin' to sort them provosts out, for doin' what they was doin', ain't you?"

Vickery nodded. "I am certainly going to do my best, Cotton, you may rest assured of that."

"..Yes, sir." A smile tugged at the corner of his lips, till he could contain it no longer, and it spread easy across his face. "Certainly sir. As exceptional as theirs." If the men did it again, so would he, if they didn't it was his last time to aim his rifle at one of his own, unless,... but he did not want to think of that.

"...Sir, what will happen with Newbury?" He looked at Cotton briefly. He was just about to consider that Cotton might wish to remain with Maggie and saw it happen. It was all up to him now. On one hand he could remain behind, see that neither Newbury or Cotton got assaulted by the provosts, as best he could. If he stayed, he could realise some of his... ideas, and if he returned to the line, he would see to be appointed to a new pair of men or to a single one, as partner. Perhaps a German. But he did not trust those.

He did not shy away from the fighting, and the latter did neither appear in his pros nor cons.

"Newbury will be confined to the surgeon's wagon until he's fit enough to walk and then he - and you - will rejoin us at the front, where he will remain on light duties until he's fit enough to take his place in the skirmish line again." It was all Vickery could think of that would ensure Newbury recuperated properly. "I hope that Cotton is able to keep up with training you, and I will give you both a note to say that you are allowed to leave the column for training purposes, so long as you don't take your packs with you and you remain in sight."

It was fairly likely that there would be other Provosts just as eager to try getting them in trouble, after all.

"Yes, sir." The lad nodded, glad the decision had been made, and favourable enough for the lot of them. Of course Newbury would not be let out till he could walk, and he would not be let to do any climbing, till his knee was safe enough to trust not to have him tumble down the other side.

He decided that when Cotton would decide it was time for training, he would be eager and attentive and learn at best he was able, but he would not ask for the training himself. Cotton would be the one to choose the time and place, and thus be able to decide when he could spend his time with Maggie... which was odd that Pye even considered. He did not have much experience with married men and what sort of obligations they had, so he just followed common sense.

"Sir,.. may I have permission to visit the 33rd " Which was actually for the sake of his friends: "During.. the time that we are to remain here?"

Visit with the 33rd? Oh, of course; he had friends there. "Certainly you may, Pye. I do not believe I need to remind you to keep your distance from a certain Sergeant, of course."

He looked between the two Riflemen. "Unless there is anything else either of you wish to say, you may be dismissed. Cotton, you may wait behind a moment for the tickets I promised you."

"I'll keep my distance, sir." The lad saluted and grinned. He needn't be told twice to stay away from that man. If he could help it, he'd give him a wide berth. Even if he was no longer under his blanket of 'command' he knew that Hakeswill would do something, and could do it, if he benefited from it.

He turned to Cotton, nodded sharply and as he was dismissed, he turned to go.

"Good lad," Vickery said, pulling out his Day Book. At this rate, he thought inconsequentially, he would need a replacement Day Book soon.

He scribbled a couple of notes and passed them to Cotton. "Keep those safe. And I daresay your wife will be wondering where you are. Dismissed."

"Yes, sir," Cotton said, accepting the notes and saluting before leaving to try to find Maggie.