After the Swim; 13th June

Vickery had finished his paperwork for the morning and was standing outside his tent with a mug of tea in his hand, enjoying the small breeze that had sprung up. He wondered if it would put Torrington and the men off if he wandered past during their map-making lesson; it would be interesting to see how Torrington would explain it to them.

And that made him think... where were Pye and Rottlander? They couldn't still be down at the river... or maybe they could. They'd have to get back soon, though, as they were both involved in this scheme of Torrington's.

After he and Rottlander had been shouted at to return to camp, they made quick way towards it. The other boy had to get things ready for Torrington while Pye could not waste a moment longer. He needed to bring the paper slip back, just as Vickery ordered.

He was still soaking wet. They both were. Rottlander's hair was no longer sweet as honey. His own hair looked as if it had gotten a thorough wash itself. Then again, splashing through the water, dumping each other in could lead to no different result.

"Sir." He had come around from the left, quietly though not intentionally so. "Reporting back, as ordered!"

Vickery straightened out of habit, and couldn't help blinking at Pye's appearance. "What the devil happened to you?" he asked. "Don't tell me you fell in!"

"No, sir. Yes, sir. I don't know sir." Pye stammered, while holding a rather soaking wet slip of paper where whatever had been written on it, was pretty much running as much as Pye would like to have done.

He looked up sheepishly. Vickery's reaction was amusing! "The slip, like you've ordered, sir!"

Vickery's eyebrow shot up. "Generally speaking, one takes one's jacket off before going in the water," he said, holding his hand to take the dripping piece of paper.

"Yes, sir. And trousers too, and shoes, and gaiters." He paused and shifted a bit. "..Only.. there was no time. You said we needed to hurry, and our shako went for a ride on the river too!" He bit his lip.

"It's not against regulations to be wet, sir."

"True enough," the officer replied, holding the soaked piece of paper between thumb and forefinger. Only Pye would return a ticket to him so soaked through as to be illegible.

"All right. You're part of the group to report to Captain Torrington to learn about map-making. Roper and Cotton will be responsible for the Riflemen. Do at least try not to give them a headache over it, won't you?"

"I would never, sir." Pye sounded hurt, though he did try to conceal it for the most part. "Is Freddie... er.. is batman Rottlander coming with us too?" He looked hopeful. If anything that lad had become a good friend of his, and while being a good teacher of German, he had also been the source of fun... and provided them both with a chance to get honey!

"That was not a criticism, Pye," Vickery replied, and nodded. "Yes, Rottlander is going to be part of your group." He smiled. "His rank, like yours and Cotton's, is Rifleman. His job is batman - or soldier-servant, as some prefer." He laid the dripping piece of paper aside for a moment. "How is your German coming along, then?"

Pye was certain that it was. A follow up of past events and deserved, but still was! "Gut!" He answered instead. This was his chance to make the captain see that he was in error, without saying it, because common soldiers, even riflemen, could not do that!

"Sehr gut." He paused. "Ich....lerne with .. mit Rottlander!" He smiled." Apfel und Honig und Pferde!"

Vickery smiled, although he was not quite sure how 'honey' had entered the conversation. 'Apple' and 'horses' he could understand, but honey?

"Du lernst sehr schnell, mein Jäger," he said, still smiling.

"Danke!" He paused. "Nein,... Vielen dank!" He thought he understood it very well and was now grinning ear to ear, even with still some bits of water coming down his cheeks.

"Rottlander ist sehr gut..uh..sehr gut." He did not remember the word teacher, but what he said was just as well. "And...um...und er lernt Englisch...auch viel!" He could make adjustments to the form and grammar, perhaps, but that would come in time!

"Rottlander ist ein guter Lehrer, Rottlander is a good teacher," Vickery said, working out what it was that Pye was trying to say. Considering that Pye had not wanted to really associate with the German Riflemen, it was a good sign that the two of them were getting along so well. It was just a shame that they had to drag each other into all sorts of scrapes. Still, they were young, and it was not malicious, at least.

"He is. and a very clean one! We washed him so he's the cleanest Jager in the army!" Pye grinned. "Sir, is there anything else you need me to do? Because you told me I would have to do things like that and be Cotton's batman." He hesitated and then smiled more broadly.

"Oh...and.. and Friedrich will come to our mess, so we can both learn better. When he's not doing batman duties. We promise to be quiet, sir." He was sure that Vickery knew that the two were.. safe to say, a great deal of trouble, but he hoped that would not make him disallow that they could mingle.

He shook his head. "You need to go and dry off a bit and then report to Captain Torrington with Cotton, Roper and Rottlander for two o'clock." He hoped that Pye and Rottlander could keep themselves out of trouble... but somehow thought that was like wishing for the moon. At least they didn't mean to do any harm, he supposed.

He nodded. "Rottlander is welcome to mess with whomever he wishes, as you are. I have no intention of interfering any more than I have to. Messing arrangements are something I leave to the individuals concerned."

"Thank you. Sir. And thank you for not minding ..well, because of us having .. and what happened." He quickly concluded then saluted. "I will report at once!" He grinned and took a step back, then waited a moment unsure whether he was dismissed, or whether he ought to wait for it, and then when Vickery was done he could run to fulfill the order as soon as possible.

Yes, he was trying to show how very serious he was about doing what the captain wanted to prove that he was a lad worth relying on!

Vickery shook his head, grinning. "Dismissed, Pye." He could go and give someone else a headache for a while - he was certainly eager to please. He hoped that Torrington would be able to get him to attend and learn. Having men - boys, really - like Pye and Rottlander under his command was making Vickery feel old before his time, and he wasn't entirely sure he liked the feeling.

"Yes, sir!" He said cheerfully, with the enthusiasm of having just been told he would have all the riches in the world. He walked a few steps, turned on his heel and then ran.

He would not have gone to dry for long. In truth, he wanted to report at Cotton's right away. After that, go to the spot and wait for further orders.