OPORTO, 22nd May - Naval Landing Parties

"Don't even joke 'bout that!" He made a face at the thought of swimming. Eugh, that was something he'd not want to try doing, not if he had a choice.

He wondered if he better get up and give the two boys some space. It was their little family reunion after all. Couldn't right impose. He sat down however, not feeling so well, but stayed quiet about it. He began to scrub at his sides again and at his belly.

"All right, I won't." He found a space near the wall where the two of them could sit down. "Y'know, Mum was awful upset you'd gone, jus' like that, without even a word of warnin'. Wouldn't understand you couldn't tell her first. An' Dad was in such a temper I daren't go near him for a week. Ran away the week after to join the Marines. Liked the uniform -you know I allus did like them - and I thought it'd give me a chance to mebbe try to find you."

"Oh, you didn't!" Sam said in disbelief. "Poor mum. You up and left her so soon right after? Aww."

"It was that or eat standin' up for the rest of me life. Dad went mad with his belt after you went, an' not for any reason I could see. Told Rosie next door to tell Mum where I'd gone, anyway."

Sam laughed ruefully. "All I did was go down to the pub. But is Terpsichore your first ship? Not many lads would join the navy to get away from a beating. Not on Defiance at any rate, or they'd soon regret it."

"Second ship, though me first was a frigate too. Terpsy's much better though. Atalanta had a hard horse of a First Luff. Mean sod. What's Defiance like, then? She don't sound so good."

Mathew looked at his clothes and felt as clean as he could ever be, with the amount of water given. He glanced at the two brothers and shook his head. Leaning back a little, he closed his eyes. That bottle still rested heavily on his mind. If it weren't for that midshipman, he might have suggested to leave the two men at peace.

Now he just felt like a coward, but atleast a safe one. "...'s as far as it will go."

Sam looked at the boy whom he was still calling Privy in his mind. "Far as what will go?" He looked back at his brother with a grimace and lowered his voice yet again. "Defiance might not be so bad if we was to have more action, like this. But blockade, it's slow and dull and gives the officers time to fuss. And I only been on her as long as the blockade. They fair like to use the cat, for any reason the can find. All we do is polish brass. Hey, Privy, your head's bleeding still."

"Don't like the cat," Oxley said. "Never did." He bit his lip and looked at his brother. "Have you...?" he began, and couldn't finish the question.

"Yours s' gonna start if ye keep callin' me that." The boy answered and reached slowly to his head to see if the lad was telling the truth.

"...um.. bleedin'?" He didn't think it was his not till he'd washed it and it still persisted to come anew. "..cat'.. " He thought of what the two boys said, and was quiet. Of the three, he was the only one who'd seen to it that men were flogged, even on Terpsy. And worse.

"More than once," Sam answered darkly before turning his attention to the other fellow. "Aye, bleedin' on the back of the head. Right there," he said, poking at the wound.

"He's got a bit of a punch on him, Sam," Oxley said, grinning. "I think you could take him, though. He'd make you work for it, I know that much."

He looked at his adored big brother, a mix of emotions showing on his face. "More than once? What on earth for, Sam? You's as good as any of them others. Better'n most, I know you are."

"Do yer mind?!" The boy jumped with a sharp 'Owww !!!' and the words of protest, which only had him slump back down, clothing at his temples and gritting his teeth for the pain to ease up.

"It hurts, ain't no need fer yer fingers t' have a ball in it!"

For the moment, Sam ignored the stranger in his pain. "Not many on Defiance who ain't had a taste of the cat at least once. You name it - untidy hammock, spilling a mess kid, brass not bright enough, being the last man down from the yards..."

For a moment, Oxley was a young boy again, wanting to make things better for his older brother. "'M sorry," he muttered awkwardly, pulling his knees up to his chest. "Hope... It'd be real good if you could shift your stuff to Terpsy. She's a real nice ship. An', well, I'm there. An' daresay the cap'n wouldn't turn down gettin' another good topman. Though your cap'n mightn't like losin' you, o' course."

Sam snorted. "I don't think he'd care. Probably glad enough to have me gone. I'm too untidy to be on an admiral's ship anyway. But what about your other officers? Do they go lookin' to catch you in trouble all the time?"

"No. There's Mister Bush, the First Luff, who's a tartar, likes a taut ship, but ain't so free with the cat as all that. Mister Leat's the same. There's rumours that he was pressed hisself, years ago. An' Captain Bolitho don't like using the cat any more'n he has to. An' Mister Cartwright's the best Marine officer I've knowed." He shrugged, relaxing a bit. "You'd do all right. You know your ropes an' all that, an' I don't reckon you'd slack off. An' that's what they'm fussed about. Like their gun drill, they do. An' the Cap'n likes his sail drill done seamanlike. But he don't flog if it ain't - just gets 'em to do it again."

"Ain't no one doesn't like gun drill!" Sam replied, grinning. But then he grew more sober. "But you wouldn't mind, Tommy? Having me aboard."

He twisted round to look at his brother properly. "Mind? Why would I mind? Bin lookin' for you f'r long enough. 'Course I wouldn't mind, Sam."

Sam grinned. "Good! Then I'll... well I dunno what I'll do, but I'll ask Mister Deverel."

Oxley grinned, hugging his knees. "That'd be great if he says it'd be all right for you to shift over. I've missed you somethin' awful, Sam. Mebbe... mebbe you'll even sling your hammock next to Buckles, here. That'd be good, wouldn't it?" He assumed an innocent look as he said it, though.

"As long as he takes a wash sometimes!" Sam laughed. He gave De Guarde an elbow. "Just teasin' you, Shepherd. So your mates call you Buckles? Why's that?"

"Uh, we'll explain that later, Sam. Right now ain't a good time for it. We'll tell you on the way over to Terpsy - or on Terpsy." He grinned. "Wonder if we can find someone to write home an' say we've met up with each other?"

"Write home?" Sam laughed, sounding doubtful and amused. He heard shouting in the distance, a specific voice among the others. "Better go. That's me lieutenant, Mister James. See you later, yeah?" And with that he was off.

"See you! Take care!" he called as his brother scrambled up. He sat there a while longer, hugging his knees, hoping that Sam would be able to transfer over. Though, if he couldn't, at least he knew which ship his brother was serving in, now. Which meant he might be able to write to him, even if it would take ages for a letter to reach him. He sighed and pushed himself to his feet to see if Mister Cartwright wanted help with anything.