OPORTO, 22nd May - Naval Landing Parties

"They won't. They like playin' tricks too much not to 'preciate this one," Oxley said, and shrugged. "Don't care if he does come round. Just you 'member that you're Andrew Shepherd, for now, an' don't go answerin' to anythin' else, less'n it's one of the Terpsy's officers sayin' it."

"Don't think they'll recognise me either." He nodded. "Well, think I could borrow yer coat, when I am t' meet m' brothers next?" Unless there was no time, or opportunity. He didn't mind it, he just enjoyed the trick and the way that even an officer took part in it. That was something to tell for days to come. "Ah, there he is." He murmured seeing the lieutenant better then.

"Dunno. You don't look much like 'em, though, that's for sure. Be fun to do it, though, I know that much." He grinned. "C'mon, the others'll be wonderin' where we're at if we don't hurry up."

"Ah well, some don't resemble their siblings." He grinned. "Oy, I'm tryin' ter go as fast as I can, can yer do t' first talkin'. Yer know him better than I." He quickened his pace of course, and spoke quieter the closer they were coming.

"He don't bite. Much. Honest. Not like some folks I could name," Oxley said. "Why do I have to do the talkin', anyhow? You're the gennelman, out of the pair of us."

"Never thought that'd be used against me, ever." The boy answered and straightened a little. "Allright, I'll do t' talkin'.." He arched an eyebrow with a slightest trace of a grin: "What folks bite?"

"Shriver," Oxley answered, unhesitatingly. "Well, he punches anyway. Knocked me off me feet once, clear into the damn mainmast, 'cause he thought I was in his way. Didn't even give me a chance to move."

"Some good use t' mainmast was.. keepin' yer from falling." The boy murmured glancing over to Oxley. "That's t' big man, near like Branning, jus' not exactly like him. Is it? Don't remember .." Or rather he hadn't been paying much attention to who was coming on land. "Has he come with us? Didn't see 'im down in t' sewers, that's fer sure!"

"He wouldn't go down no sewers, not unless he was ordered to, an' then you'd hear him complainin' all the time," Oxley said. "Went half across the deck and hit the mast with me shoulder, 'cause I weren't expectin' to get hit an' weren't ready for it. Hurt like anythin', that did. Shriver's the other big 'un, though he ain't so friendly as Brannin'. You want to stay away from him, 'cause he don't do anythin' but sulk and moan all the time."

"Wouldn't be good fer any sneak'up on t' enemy then." He chuckled imagining the French who'd hear the constant moan and groan about how the place stand and how it was awful and how, well all those things that this Shriver could say. " Well, he sounds like he's got quite some strength on him. By wot' yer sayin' he'd be like a dog on a leash. Bitin' anyone but 'is master, n' barking away even then."

He smiled at Oxley. "Though he's moanin' like a proper woman there. Yer sure he ain't jus' one, but a more burly a sort?" It was a tease, and his voice was quieter , since they were as close to the lieutenant as they could be, with having some privacy still.

"He grumbles about all sorts of things. Me, I'll stick with Brannin'. At least he don't hit you if you get in his way."

He stretched, finding it interesting to be out of uniform on land. "Still think I'm glad I 'listed as a Marine though. And didn't you have a cutlass when you come ashore? If it's anywhere around here, I'll have that, seein' as you've got me sword for now."

"Oh, Aye, I do!" He nodded then looked down at his hands pausing." Oh...I must've dropped it." Luckily not in the sewer.

" Um... back where we were. Or maybe.." He was trying to remember. He'd gone back and forth so many times it wasn't easy to follow the cutlass's own adventure. " Think.. think 'twas when t' explosion happened. Who was it that did it anyhow? I jus' felt t' whole place shake n' tremble, n'all those things start falling!"

He paused: " We could ask fer a permission ter go there, or go now though that would make t ' lieutenant wait on us. Wouldn't it?"

"If you've dropped it, it don't matter. I can find one somewhere else," he said, shrugging. "And we don't want to keep the 'Tenant waitin' any longer'n we have, I think. An' I think he had summat to do with all that, though I didn't see too well what happened." He shrugged, and looked around to see if he could spot the Lieutenant anywhere.

"Well sure. Sorry, there. ... must've dropped it then, or earlier. " Maybe it was earlier. His head hurt and he couldn't really remember it proper. He shrugged.

"We can ask t' others about who'd caused that. Whoever it was, did a darn good job!"

"Wonder how's it like bein' you marines." He murmured as he followed Oxley's gaze.

"You Marines, you mean," Oxley retorted. "Seein' as you'se in a red jacket, an' I ain't. I reckon you'se goin' to find out, if you keep that on. At least, you'se goin' to find out a bit." He spotted a discarded cutlass and shoulder belt and grabbed them, slipping the shoulder belt over his head. "Least I can fight back if any more of them Frenchies show up," he said.

"Us marines." And he better remember it, if Mr. Hollow came around. " How many of them Frenchies did you get?" He asked, glad that his friend had something to defend himself with.

"Dunno. Think I got one or two of 'em. One of 'em nearly did for me. I ain't so strong as that yet, though I know a bit of the cutlass drill. Hope you do, too, or that sword ain't goin' to do you much good." He grinned, feeling much better now he had a weapon again.

"I know enough ter have a Frenchman sent hoppin' back to his pond!" He glanced at the drummer's sword. "....'least enough not ter get killed, I hope." He said more humbly and grinned. "Ah, shall we greet yo...my lieutenant now?"

"That's what I thought we were doing," Oxley said patiently. "The not gettin' killed bit, I mean. An', here, you've got me hat on crooked." He reached to straighten it.

De Guarde didn't need to lower himself even a little for Oxley to manage reaching and correcting his hat." Sorry, I'm setting a bad example for the marines, eh?" He said though he didn't sound quite as apologetic as he should. "N' true.. well there he is, see 'im? ..Constantly going about though."

"I seed him ages ago. C'mon, or he'd goin' to wonder why we've took so long to get you all cleaned up. And don't forget, you're Andrew Shepherd for the next... well, till we're out of this mess." He stepped back and nodded at de Guarde. "Wouldn't do for parade, but you ain't goin' on parade, so there."

It had been awhile since he'd seen the two lads from the well. Cartwright hoped they hadn't met with any more interference from that midshipman. A second meeting with that particular fellow would not go well for the young gentleman.

"Who the bleedin' hell's that, sir?" Everett asked, spotting a Marine and a Tar making their way toward them. "Don't look like nobody from our lot."

Cartwright turned to look and grinned. "It's all right, Everett. I know who they are."

"Ain't m' fault you was gettin' all dirty before it." He looked ahead of them and quickened his pace a little. Once they were closer and certainly close enough, he halted. "He's lookin' at us. And them is too."

He began to walk again and then, nervously he saluted the tall marine lieutenant. "..A..Andrew Shepherd reportin' ter.. duty, sir."

Oxley ran a hand through his tousled hair. Everett looked confused, which only made the young drummer grin harder. He knuckled his forehead to the officer like a Tar would, though it hadn't been said that he was a Tar... just that de Guarde was a Marine. Still, he thought, it'd look stupid doing a proper salute without wearing a hat.

Shepherd? Everett blinked and stared, thoroughly confused. They had left both Shepherds aboard and this lad certainly did not look like the twins.

"Welcome back, Shepherd," Cartwright said easily. The story about all this would get around quickly once they were all back on Terpsichore.