9 June; Roving

"Certainly. You may do what you need to do, without having to ask me," Vickery replied. It would be much easier for all concerned if Hartmann was allowed to simply get on with things.

He looked around at the other escapees. "Doubtless you all have people you wish to see. Is there anything else you think I need to be aware of before I dismiss you?"

He saluted sharply before he headed off to try and find wood and kindling...hardly an easy task with an army camping in the area.

"next time you need to hide better Gerold your pipe drew too much attention I think." he would talk quietly to him self once out of ear shot.

Pye waited quietly. He hoped that Vickery had forgotten all about him, and would forget that he had ever seen him in an attire different to that of a rifleman. Perhaps if he was quiet enough, and so insignificant that he could pass for invisible, he would be able to get on to see whomever at camp, without getting any further notice. It would have been a grand thing. Far less than what his fellow camerades threatened him with. Especially the Palmers, though Gabe at the very least, gave him the unpleasant look before.

"Sir, will we surrender this one to the provosts?" He indicated the young rifleman. McCoy, as any other of he riflemen and redcoats, detested those creatures, but equally he did, the deserters.

"No," Vickery replied. "I think it has been a long day for everyone, and I will deal with Pye myself."

If he needed to involve anyone else, he would, but not until he was absolutely sure that he needed to involve people from outside the Company.

While McCoy nodded and was ready to leave the moment he was dismissed, Pye wished he could have made himself any smaller. He visibly shrunk and stared at the floor.

"Do you need any of us sir to stay here?" If now, he would look for young miss McCoy and then, rest.

"No, thank you. You can go," the officer replied, looking around. It seemed as though everyone was more than willing to get away back to their friends... or wives, in Cotton's case.

"Thank you, sir." McCoy saluted. He looked more than glad that he could now leave. Straightening up a bit he turned on his heel and left the group. He walked at an even pace at first, but quickened it once he deemed it permitted.

Pye watched him go, as he expected to see others do, while he was still 'nailed' to the spot. He thought the permission extended only to the others, such as McCoy. Atleast he was not being sent to the provosts yet, he thought with relief. Captain Vickery would sort it out himself, somehow.

Vickery turned to Pye. "Don't imagine that you've got off scot-free," he remarked. "If there is a case to answer, I cannot protect you. I will want to know what happened, and why you did what you did. But that is for later. Right now, you have had a long day - a long few days, in fact. If there is anything you need to tell me now, you have permission to speak freely. Otherwise, you maybe dismissed."

"I do not imagine, sir." The other riflemen had made that clear through the whole march back. They did not listen, but they did certainly make themselves heard.

He looked startled when Vickery however gave him a different conclusion for the day than he expected. "Sir...you are letting me go freely to ..camp?" He know how the 33rd would have done it. He knew how dreadful it would have been if Hakeswill had been the one to see what happened. Vickery however promised him a trial if he was guilty, but at the same time let him go. An man guilty, would have used this opportunity. He did not want to, since he did not feel himself guilty anyway. There was a catch though. Other riflemen. If they were told, was it really so safe to sleep among them? This thought happened to come to mind just a moment ago.

Vickery would be making his own enquiries as to what had happened, of course, but there was no need to tell Pye that and possibly get the lad needlessly worked up.

"I am, just as long as I can find you when I need you," he replied. "If I cannot have your assurance that you will come when I send for you, then I will require you to be accompanied at all times. I hope that is clear?"

The captain was willing to trust him not to disappear the moment he was able. Pye stared at Vickery, his mouth agape in wonderment and also gratefulness. It was not the sort of trust he deserved, if his actions were seen through the eyes of his fellow riflemen, yet to see this officer think different.. It had image of the man become ever more sacred.

His loyalty was set in stone. "I will come when you call for me sir. And I will remain where I can be easily found. " He felt his voice crack, feeling choked with emotion. "I.. .promise." he felt a wet sensation at the corners of his eyes and rubbed a sleeve across them to hide this.

Pye's voice hadn't sounded quite steady, and he was scrubbing at his eyes as though he had something in them.

Vickery was quite willing to bet that most other officers would be disinclined to trust a man in Pye's current position. He was not most officers, however, and knew that if Pye was of a mind to go back to the French, he would find himself in a sticky situation there. And as Vickery had pointed out, Pye had not remained with the French when perhaps he could have done so, so his presence here was already in his favour.

"Have you anything else you wish to tell me right now?" he asked, after a pause to allow the lad to regain his composure.

Pye shook his head, then after a few moments nodded slowly. ".. I wanted t' bring t' women back too but...I couldn't. We was to be caught for sure if we tried that." And he swore he did not want to hear about another woman again.Wife here, wife there, want to save the women, he saw how these creatures were a terrible liability. Because of them men did stupid things. Like Zeb Palmer who had wanted to go right back, even if that was against his duty and against common sense itself, just because there was one woman among those. How did he even know his wife had been caught and was not safely resting at camp in their own army?

He shook his head. "They would'a been too slow sir. An'...it wasn't possible. If it were.... they would'a come with us too."

Vickery nodded. "I am sure that we will be able to come to some sort of arrangement with the French as regards the women; the French likely will not want the bother of having to feed them and look after them and will gladly send them back."

As for the redcoats who were still prisoners, that was a whole different kettle of fish.

"Sir. Does this mean that the women might be returned without a fight?" The news made the lad smile with relief. " Sir.. if ..or when yer make t' arrangements fer this, could the men be informed? Is jus'.. it'd be t' sort of news that'd make them real happy." Especially that Palmer.

"An..." He began and shuffled his feet. "..mebbe....mebbe if them rifles " he did not expect to be permitted to come along. "Could somehow...get behin' t' lines an' save our redcoats? Or... or could you negotiate t' exchange o' those too?"

"Maybe, Pye. I cannot guarantee anything." The lad's trust was touching, but he could not encourage it, not in this instance. "I can certainly mention the possibility to my superiors, but the final decision will rest with them, not with me."

A Captain was beginning to be useful as an officer; being no longer a subaltern, he was expected to know his trade. but he was still a Captain and in the scheme of things, it was still a junior commissioned rank.

"Yes, sir. I understand. But.. if t' superiors decide ter have it happen, sir. .." He did not finish and only looked a bit more hopeful. He knew he should have worried about his own future, yet instead he wanted the men to look forward to the next day and to see that not all was yet lost.

"Whatever they decide will be up to them, Pye," Vickery said. "I cannot influence their decision." It would be good for everyone concerned if they could negotiate the men's release, and whatever the French decided to do with the women and children, Vickery was confident it would be a chivalrous decision in the end.

"I see, sir. Thank you sir." Pye nodded softly. "I will be in camp at all times, should you want me sir. I promise." He would not betray Vickery's trust. Just as he did not betray their army, by becoming a Frog, for real, so he would not do it to Vickery.

"Sir...um... may I eat with t' men?" Of course being put under question made Pye worry that untill it was completely resolved, he might end up without food altogether.

Vickery couldn't help twitching an eyebrow at the question. "Of course you may," he replied. "You are not under arrest."

He couldn't prevent himself from mentally adding Yet to that sentence, and regretted his uncharity. Part of the reason that Pye wasn't under arrest was that Vickery wanted to establish the truth of what had happened, as much as he could. He didn't even know that there was any reason to place Pye under arrest at all, even.

He had determined to trust the lad until and unless it was proved that he couldn't. Even thinking that Pye might yet be placed under arrest was to deny that he could trust him.

"Was there anything else?" he asked again, the second or third time in this conversation that the question had been asked.

"No sir, I don't think so, sir." He could not ask or add anything else at the moment. He was lucky he was even allowed to live semi freely. That trust he would not break and he knew it was best that he kept somewhere, where nobody could do him in either. Though he tried to trust the fellow escapees some he just could not. Not at that moment at least.

He still had a chance for the right and the truth to be proven. But if somebody would be able to overrule John Vickery, the captain, he needed to know that some things were taken care of. But, would he suggest this now, or when he knew what the verdict was? Perhaps a later date would be better. His chick would be safe, whether he perished or lived.

"Thank you sir." He spoke quietly.

Vickery nodded. "Just make sure that you can be found when I need you again," he said. It would be a couple of days, easily, before he got to the bottom of what had happened - or as near as he could get to establishing the truth, anywhere.

Vickery wasn't entirely sure why Pye was thanking him, but nodded. "All right, Pye. If there is nothing else, you may be dismissed, although you do not have permission to leave our bivouac. Is that clear?"

"I understand sir. I will be in easy reach at yer leis...les...as is easiest fer you." It would make being helpful harder, as he did not think he would be permitted to head off and to bring water for the camp. Going anywhere outside of camp would be disobeying the order. This he did not intend to do at all. Not untill Vickery would tell him different and allow his range to be greater.

"Though, sir. I think t' others will keep an eye on me, so's.. it will be easy." It sounded more true, less a failed joke. He knew that there would be eyes on him, distrustful looks and that his move might be followed by those who knew or those who might have been given atleast half a story by the Palmers. He did not think that Cotton would be to blame, though the look of betrayal on that man's face still rather haunted him.

"Leisure." Vickery nodded. "Good. Oh, and get that coat off - wearing it around here will not help your cause. I suggest you wear your greatcoat if you have nothing else; it is likely to be cold again tonight." It would also make it a little easier for Pye to blend in.

As for the others keeping an eye on him, Vickery knew they would be watching the lad closely. There was no helping that, of course.

"All right, Pye. Dismissed - go and get your head down, you look as though you need it."

"Leisure. Aye, sir. Leisure." What an odd word that was. Officers had the strangest too. He straightened and have a quick smart salute to the officer.

"Sir." He said and nodded, then turned about walking away from the man, but in the process loosing his coat, which he debated on either selling as scraps of fabric or...well he would see, but he would not wear it again. His greatcoat would have to do to keep him nice, warm and fairly out of notice. In truth all he wanted to do just then was lie down somewhere and sleep. Not even food seemed as alluring to him as it might have been before. He did not dare ask for it, did not feel like having an encounter that might provoke the wrong people.