Sailors with shackles

Coming from here.


If this boy was lucky, the captain would send for him by the end of the watch. If not, he would be called up when it was time to face the grating. A bored-looking Marine stood by as the Master-at-Arms secured the sailor's ankles in the cold shackles.

"Mind your manners now, willya?"

"..Yes sir. I will." The answer was expected although said more quietly.

He looked withdrawn now. The shackles were something he usually saw on the ankles of other men. Lobsters or Tars, it was the other men. He began to tug nervously at his sleeve. It did not bode well that he was here. He could hope for leniency on the side of Captain Bolitho, but failed to see why the man would want to offer it.

"Good." The Master-at-Arms nodded amiably at the Marine standing behind De Guarde, then moved off to resume his interrupted duties.

Albert Ware waited until the sailor was gone before offering a quiet, "The hell you been up to, boy?"

"..I've refused summat." The boy answered with a soft sigh. He looked wearily at Ware, but then decided he could trust the man enough to engage in conversation with him. He had little choice not to. Silence, or talk and he could still do the first if he felt in ill company.

"Don' ye know wot's they doing up 'ere?"

"I'd reckon so, if you're down here." Ware shook his head. "Ain't been topside. Business of blackin' shoes needed takin' care of, like. Best to do that belowdecks."

"Oh. ..'s a terror up there. You're.. not missin' much." He poked his forefinger against the shackles and curled his toes on both of his feet. He was still cold, the water chilled him literally to the bone. "They's tortur.... makin' ship boys go off with their clothes n' be bathed.. all'a.. infront o' everyone. " He further explained.

Ware lifted an eyebrow. "They really? 'Bout time, I'd think. Usually do that soon's we're 'way from port, sure." He shrugged. "Wonder why it took 'em so long."

"Could'a skipped havin' so much of a' witnesses ...tho'. You know. We's could all do it nice n' private." He rested his chin on his knees. His hand came along his leg to rub it warm a bit, and then curled over his other as he nestled himself, near resembling a ball with his curled up shape. "Ain' an event that needs be made near so."

"Heh. Private bathin's how lads skiv outta it," Ware told him. "I 'xpect there'll be the Tars for it next. Then ourselves."

"I wouldn't. If I was let to." He squeezed his shoulders and rubbed them again. "Could'ah.... borrow yer coat till I get warm, or ye got summat better near, I could..." He hesitated. "Is.. please?"

He considered a moment. "Can't give you mine," Ware replied. "But I can filch 'un off one of the lads." He glanced away forrard "Hoi! Everett!"

The other Marine paused, one foot on the forrard ladder. "What?"

"Fetch up your drill jacket. Got a ice cube masqueradin' for a Tar here."

He had reason to feel very grateful all of a sudden. If he could borrow a coat he would not, as Ware put it, resemble an ice cube. "Much obliged t' ye. "He said softly. "Thanks." He added in a warmer tone.

"You gotta make sure..it's a Terpsy you're guardin' after all. " He even smiled blowing some warm breath onto the back of his hands.

There was a questioning expression on Everett's face, but he nodded all the same and disappeared down the ladder. He returned within a minute, coming up this time from the aft ladder with the grey jacket in hand.

"Oh," was all he said upon seeing who the jacket was for.

De Guarde looked at the new arrival, uneasy whether he was glad to share his jacket with him or whether he would, upon seeing for whom it was meant, refuse to hand it over to the trembling boy. He held his hands out no less, hoping not to be denied. The shirt at the back was wet now, from his hair having left a trail of wet, where the long strands rested.

"I'll ...I'll return it t' way it was." He assured with an uneasy, and quieter tone. He did not know what was going above, but reckoned the bathing still lasted as noone came to inspect the situation below. He hoped the captain and his officers would forever be too occupied to come. It was better to grow a gray beard, than to be sent to the grating, which he feared dearly right now.

" 'Bliged, Ev," Ware said, catching on to his mate's reticence immediately. "Cut 'long now, 'fore an officer comes 'round."

"Better." De Guarde was quick to slip into the coat and close it up at the front. He held it tight to his chest even if the coat itself was much larger than his size. The sleeves were long, which proved to be a good thing as more of his arms were covered up, barely the tips of his fingers peeking from under the fabric. Even those only peeked so, because he rested his hands in such a manner that the fabric was pulled back slightly.

"Better, thanks." It would take a little while till he was as warm as before he got dragged under the water hose, but the improvement was already felt now. "Why ain't you up there.. . wash'n?"

The jacket was much too big for the boy. It was practically a blanket.

Ware shrugged. "Had kit needin' tendin'," he answered. "Seen plenny of boys get their washin' 'fore now, anyways."

The jacket was arranged over his knees and his feet, so that as with hands only the tips of his toes peeked out. And even then, with a few adjustments De Guarde looked like one big jacket with a head popping out at the top. He was warming up all thanks to the big mound of fabric.

"Didn' mean to watch. ..but don't you get a bath yeself laters?" He made a face and reached behind him, ruffling up his hair a bit. It would dry faster that way.

"By turns, sorta," Ware told him. "Can't have the whole 'tachment up washin' at once, see. Take too long."

Even though taking it by turns meant some lads were able to duck out of it. Couldn't really be helped, though.

"You'll go though. Won't you?" He asked, relaxing. He was much warmer now, much more comfortable. "When it's your turn ter go have a....fre.... a bath, you'll go up there?" He grunted, his hand still tugging on the sleeve of the other.

Ware shrugged. "Aye. Ain't so bad. 'Course... I had a daft bat fer a mum, like. Her fav'rite thing was dunkin' me in an ol' horse trough. Every two months on the day. 'Til I got too big for it!"

"I ain't 'fraid o' a bath.. .you know. I's been a gennleman, so ye know." He looked up then shifted his position as much as the shackles allowed him. It wasn't much.

A grin came onto Ware's face. "A gennelman, you say?"

"..Aye. A gennelman." He looked at Ware, bemused as to why that brought a grin to the man's face. It was not something amusing that he had said, nor was being one a thing to grin about. "Why's.. that look?

The Marine shook his head. "Still thinkin' like you got some stannin', are you? Hate to tell you, but you ain't a young gennelman no more, fella. Foremast Jack's what you are an' that's it."