Meeting the Green

"If you need to fall out of the march for any reason, you just ask the captain for a ticket. He don't need to know if you'm jus' goin' for a piss. And I reckon the buttons is 'cause we don't have all the lace the redcoats do. And if you lose one of the ones you need to fasten it up, or keep your shoulder-straps fastened, you got plenty o' spares, ain't you?" That last question made him grin. Excited and over-eager, this lad was, though he could listen to instructions and put them into practice, which was good news.

Pye smiled. "Um.. do we take t' rifles with us.. if we'um goin' sumplace at night, .. like t' visit 'nother camp, or.. 's there sumplace we have ter leave em." As he spoke, he placed his mug down, and lifted his own rifle on his knees, giving it a gentle pat. he still found himself grinning each time he thought of how he could choose her, and how now she was with him, no matter what. "N' at night, we'um sleep by'er?"

"Your rifle goes where you go," Roper said, speaking up for the first time since Pye had started asking his questions. "If we're bivouacking, and the enemy's nearby, we're the ones who're closest. You don't want anything to happen and find that you ain't ready, after all, do you?"

"No." He turned his gaze to Roper. He'd been startled by his voice, but settled again after a moment. "Always ready." He nodded somberly. And in his mind he had only repeated - everywhere I go, she'll go. Always, unless told different -.

"What's um. .t' order of things.. once we get t' camp. such as.. when wee'um treatin' them. Or's up to us, as long as they're as clean as a whistle?" He'd settled to one or two questions per answer, just so was better too.

Cotton shrugged. "It's easiest to look after your rifle first, while it's light an' you can see what you'm doin', but so long as it's up to the captain's standards, he don't mind when you clean it. Just don't lose any screws or anything when you have the lock off."

He cocked his head to the side a little, thinking. "When we get to camp, usu'lly some folks go for water and some look for wood, so's we can get a fire goin' and boil a kettle for tea. Once you've got that, it's a good time to look at your rifle, though less'n it's been fired, you won't need to clean it, just give it a rub-down and see if the lock needs a bit of oil, that sort of thing."

That should be easy. And as for the wood and the water, the men'd probably tell who goes for what, so he wouldn't need to wonder who's turn is it when.

"s' t' pairs ye team with always t' same like? How' d' ye get paired up at all, n' what with if it ain't a right number t' pair one n' one?" Well, might've sounded like an odd question, but again for someone with no knowledge of the Rifles, even that had to be asked.

"Aye, it's allus the same. Even Captain Vickery can't break up a pair without the say-so of the men involved. It's 'cause you learn to trust your partner for your life, y'see. I fight along of Roper here, and I have to know that he ain't goin' to step in front of me when I've just pulled the trigger, same's he has to trust me to reload and everythin'. Gen'rally you pick your own pairs, though if there's an odd number, then it'll be a three or summat, like I think it'll be with you while you'm learnin'."

" N' with a three, while I train, ye know who' I might be paired up with, maybe?" He didn't want to be any trouble to any of the men, even less to be in the way. He didn't expect that he could do as good as them, and he certainly wouldn't expect them to trust him when he was but a young'un what rifles were concerned. Wouldn't have trusted himself, if he was honest.

"That's for the Captain to say, but I reckon you'll likely be with me an' Tom." It was the most likely place to put the new lad, Cotton thought. The Captain knew his capabilities and Roper's, and knew they could both be trusted to look after the lad and teach him what he needed to know. Though quite where he was going to be put after that, Cotton couldn't say. Best to cross that bridge when they got there.

Pye let out a breath he hadn't even known he was holding. Cotton he knew and so far had learned to feel most at ease about. Of course it was Captain Vickery's say and nothing was yet set in stone, still even a thought could bring his mind at ease and his spirits soaring.

He'd just started to say something when his belly had rumbled, reminding the boy that food was an essential part of the day. He looked down quickly, and shuffled a bit where he sat. "..Um'...wot's fer supper?" He asked.

"Beef, I think." He glanced at Roper, who grinned back.

"The Palmers managed to get some rabbit as well, so you'll be well-fed for your first night with us, lad," the blond-haired Rifleman said. "It'll be boiled though. And we might be able to find summat else to have with it. You'll be fair 'mazed, you will, lad."

(OOC - and that's my lot for today, I think! Night...)

He sure was amazed already. The talk of food made his mouth water and himself feel only hungrier.

"How long till we'um eating?"

Wasn't no better time like now, he thought.
Tea with sugar, a supper fit for a king, he had to reach to his arm again just to pinch himself and see that it wasn't just a dream.

(ooc - Good night! Sleep tight !)

Cotton looked up at Roper, who crossed to the fire. "Nearly done, give it a little longer."

Cotton grinned and finished his tea. "Anythin' else you want to know, then?"

Pye lifted his rifle for a brief inspection and added: "There's plen'ny more." He lowered the weapon, resting it again on his knees. "But sum's wot' I be learnin' from you later. Like t' way o' fightin'. N' t' Bugle calls n' all that.

He looked at Roper, seeing as he had learnt the reasons for joining from both Cotton and the young lad Cavender, but not for him, unless he'd been missing something.

"Why did ye'um join ?" He asked. He sure did have more questions, but on an empty stomach it wasn't as easy to get to them, really.

"Me?" Roper asked, turning to look at the lad. "Got caught with a brace of Squire's rabbits once too often. Was either 'list or hang. No choice at all, that wasn't."

It was a common sort of story anyway, and if the Palmer brothers couldn't get dinner in, Roper could.

"If atleast the rabbits were good." He grinned. "Where' did you list as, if'm is alright t' ask?"

Cotton was right. Wasn't the riflemen that were biting. A pleasant bunch so far, and much easier meeting one at a time or two all together. He wondered if there was something he might have not yet known but should. But they'd teach him anyhow, so didn't need to worry about that.

"If yer want t' ask anything too,..ye can. " He added with a smile.

"Cambridgeshire," Roper returned. "Sounds like you've got more questions to ask us than we've got to ask you. At least, it does right now." He gave the pot a stir. "You got any more questions about the Rifles, and how we do things, that we can answer in here?"

" Is'm....Is'm.. there anythin' I need t' be special careful 'bout if we'um bein' at n' inspection? I know t' rifle must be spotless n' prime n' ready as new." He nodded quickly on that. But there were other things that needed to be as spotless in the 33rd, and though this wasn't no regiment of Foot, he didn't want to miss out on a detail that might displease the good captain.

"Rifle and sword. Your bayonet - we call 'em swords in the Rifles, 'cause that's what they are, pretty much. You need to make sure you don't get dirt down where it locks to the rifle, elsewise you won't be able to fix it when you need to. An' try to keep everythin' else as well as you can, which ain't so easy as it sounds. Captain won't say anythin' about missin' buttons and the like if'n he can see you' generally smart as you c'n be," Cotton said, pleased by the question. It seemed the lad was going to do his best, and that, more than anything, would mean he'd fit in real quick.

Rifle, sword and as good as the uniform could get. He looked down at his own, and grinned for it still looked quite fine, but with some speck of dirt from lying down earlier. Might've made him stand out like a sore thumb, with all the other men in slightly faded, patched coats.

If that was the only thing, it would be a success though.

"Think that's all fer now." He nodded. Couldn't remember what else he could ask. But the riflemen weren't bound to go anywhere even if a question did arise later. "Thankee!"

Cotton shook his head, smiling. "When you think up some more questions, we'll try an' answer 'em for you, al right?"

Pye did look new in his new uniform, but with a bit of dirt on it from where he'd been lying down to fire earlier, it wasn't quite so new-looking. And it would lose that look soon enough anyway, what with them going to be bivouacking out again tomorrow night. Cotton had forgotten quite how bright the 60th's red facings were on a new jacket, too, but they would fade a bit with time.

"I will. I sure will!" It felt nice to know that if he was out in the blue about something, there'd be a fine helping hand shoving him in the right direction. He touched a hand to his side where the sword was, not quite used to carrying something of the size with him. A standard bayonet was smaller. Had to remember to keep a hold on it if running!

"'s there anythin' I can help with, righ' now?" He asked.

"No, I think dinner's pretty much done," Roper said, taking a sip of the stew to taste it.

"Grab y'r plate an' spoon, an' let's see what Roper's cookin' tastes like," Cotton said.

"There's enough for the Captain if he wants some, Gabe," the cook said, grinning. "I know what you're like, mate."

"He won't want any till I'm done eatin' - he'd better not, anyways. Else my tummy's goin' to put him off his food." Cotton had got his plate and a spoon ready.

"Pye first, bein' new an' all," said Roper, taking a ladleful from the pot.

Pye flushed again and wondered if he was coming down with a fever, with how often he was feeling his cheeks hot. Wasn't right, but he couldn't really help it either. He propped his rifle nice and safe against the wall to where he was sitting, and then after a moment, which took to get his plate and move his mug out of the way, so he wouldn't be toppling it over, he walked up closer holding his plate.

He licked his lips and resembled a starving pup who's had food waved right infront of his nose. Wasn't anything that he said or could say, but his eyes sure shone merrily.

Roper gave him a generous portion of the stew. "Get yourself on the outside of that, then. If we don't get too many folks wanderin' past, you might even get seconds."

Cotton grinned and held out his own plate. "An' that'd be a fine thing," he said, sitting at the table. "Jus' mind you leave enough for the Captain, else he's goin' to come in here wonderin' why he's turnin' into a skellington!"

(OOC - back soon. Coffee time...!)