TD - 15th Hussars HQ - Major's office

Major Seamus McIntyre was standing by the window of his office and looking down at the dusty street. It was an ordinary day, the sun was warm as always in this country, with only sometimes a slight breeze to stirr the dust in the streets. Dry, had been the first thing he had noticed about this country. Mostly warm and always dry! And he would never bloody get used to it, he thought. Unlike his home country with its green and rocky hills, the clear rivers and fresh air. Oh, how he longed to breathe that air again!

He looked at the dusty street again. There was a stray cat making her way to a door, but otherwise it lay deserted in the westering sun. You never have that much sun in Scottland though, he contemplated.

After receiving a visit from Captain Hunter, Pierce walked down the corridor to Major McIntyre's office. No doubt the man was reminiscing about his home again, while nobody disturbed him.
Pierce knocked on the door sharply.

The sharp knock shook the Major from his thoughts. He shook his head as to clear them away completely and turned to the door. "Come!"

Pierce walked in briskly, his gaze as steely as it was when he was talking to Willoughby.
'Good day, sir. I am afraid I have some news. Trooper Willoughby has just reported for duty, or to be more exact was escorted here. I am of an opinion it would have been better for him to stay dead'. Pierce laid the short report on the matter on the desk.

"Ah, Pierce" McIntyre raised on eyebrow and after a short moment walked over to his desk and started rumaging for something. "Trooper Willoughby.... wasn't he presumed to be dead by the hand of the enemy?" he seemed to have found what he was looking for "Ah, there it is... yes.. 'probably killed in action'... hm.". Finally he looked at Pierce. "Oh, and what brings you to this opinion?" He took the report and scanned it briefly. His Captain was always one to jump fast for a conclusion, though he had to give it to him, he was seldom completely wrong with them.

'To cut a long story short, the boy got knocked out, got lost, got picked up by Second Division and travelled with them here. Of course, then he failed to report for duty'. Pierce's lips thinned, making him look most displeased.

'What's worse, he is so thoughtless, he threw a stone at a crow in a middle of a crowd. The stone hit an officer, and now not only he laid himself open to a charge of desertion, but also assault on an officer, not counting other minor offences. It would have been better for him to be killed in action, because now as it stands he will either be shot or will hang'. Pierce glared at the wall. 'Would have spared us the trouble of having to choose how best to kill him now'.

McIntyre listened to Pierce's account with an emotionless expression. Though he couldn't surpress a sharp intake of breath when he heard about the stone assault. He briefly thought about asking Pierce what he meant with 'other minor offences' but chose to let it pass as the Trooper was in quite some trouble already, it seemed.
The Major tried put on a frown at Pierce's last comments. Well, that surely was for him to decide.
"I see." he said a brief moment of thought later after Pierce had ended. "And I take it, the offended officer holds an accusal against him?" he asked matter-of-fakt-ly "Do we have his report already?"

'No, we do not, but the Liuetenant who brought Willoughby here seemed quite certain of the man's fate. I have sent a cornet to find this... Liuetenant Jaeger, though it is my understanding that the damn infantry will prosecute Willoughby themselves for the assault'. Pierce paused for moment, as if restraining himself from further comment on that particular piece of information.

'Willoughby has had some luck: a Captain Hunter came to see me. It would appear he wished to volunteer his services as Willoughby's defence in case there will be a court martial regarding the assault. Not that it is going to help him. He is getting what he deserves', growled Pierce.

"So, will they? Well, that's to be seen. And no doubt he get's what he deserves, defence or not." No trace of emotion could be detected from his tone.

McIntyre cocked his head slightly. He had sat down in the chair behind his desk and folded his hands infront of him. He regarded Pierce with a thoughtful expression. "As we will have to wait for more information from the infantry on the second matter, we better concentrate on the first of Willoughby's offences. Did he had anything to say in his defence for not reporting immediately?"

'Did not say much at all, beyond 'Yes, sir', 'No, sir' and 'Please don't hang me, sir', mocked Pierce. 'Did get a bit braver when I accused him of desertion', but not so much as to explain himself clearly'. Pierce shook his head.

McIntyre shook his head in slight confusion. "He is accused of assaulting an officer and of desertion and has nothing to say for himself?! Well, I might come to the conclusion that he is indeed better off dead."

Again his brows draw together in thought. "But we can't just have that, can we?" He looked at Pierce "You at least spoke to the man. What do you suggest?" and knowing his Captain he added with a smirk "and save the firing squad as our final consequence."

Pierce seemed to think hard for a few moments, his severe expression easing somewhat. He tugged his collar and spoke: 'Well, sir. The trooper is careless and does not think his actions through, that much is obvious, and there is no escaping the fact that he did fail to report'. He paused, sighing.

'He will have to be punished for that, sir, and there is not much to be done, should this Jaeger and his commanding officers push for a court martial, but otherwise... Well, I think we can forego flogging or anything else drastic. The boy practically shook in his boots when I talked to him, yet he managed to assert and look hurt when I called him a deserter.'

'Will give him some punishment like mucking out the stables... Or maybe I should keep him as my messenger, sir, see if I can make him faint'. Suddenly, Pierce smiled with an almost mischevous sparkle lighting up his usually cold eyes.

McIntyre had to surpress an amused chuckle at hearing Pierce's suggestion. "I see." He rose from his seat and turned to the window again, his hands folded behind his back. He looked down at the street again, almost as if he had forgotton what he had been occupied with mere seconds before. The cat had curled up on the doorstep in the already weakening sun. He sighed and turned around to face the Captain again.

"As much as I see your point in having your personal runner" he looked at Pierce almost kindly "I think mucking the stables will be sufficient. No need there to have him dead by the end of the week when we just saved his life, eh?"

"So, better get the unfortunate Trooper summoned here, Pierce. Won't do to leave him in his misery for longer than is needed, does it? Though I just might have a serious chat with him before he is absolved."

'Very good, sir. Of course, should he give you any trouble, I will be more than happy to take him in hand'. Pierce saluted. 'I shall fetch him presently, sir' With that he left.

The Major sat down again when Pierce had left. The Captain was quite eager when it came to restoring order and McIntyre was glad to have men like him around. Even if that meant having to level things out sometimes when he became almost overzealous. But better than some Trooper who couldn't tell a crow fom a Lieutenant or failed to report after declared dead.

Pierce was silent as they walked back to the office, his hands clasped behind his back. As they reached it he knocked again, but did not wait for an answer, instead opening the door a split second later, knowing that the Major was expecting them.
'Trooper Willoughby, sir,' announced Pierce with a scowl, letting the boy into the room.

(Cometh from here )

Willoughby entered and right on cue saluted the major, before settling himself into a stiff stand, hands at his sides. He hadn't even glanced around him to study the room, his curiosity mostly stifled. He may have looked paler, though not as white as when Pierce first threatened him with the punishments and had him accused of deeds he hadn't done.

Standing there in silence he awaited to be addressed, asked or requested to speak.

Major McIntyre took in the Trooper's appearance. Well, his uniform wasn't in the best of states, but given that he rose from the dead only days ago that was no surprise. Otherwise the young man looked everything a Hussar in such a situation would look like.

McIntyre straightened in his seat some and lookig down at his desk as if to read any papers that might be before him he addressed the Trooper "Trooper Willoughby, you know why you are here, right?" still not looking at him.

"Yes sir." Well he was quite sure it was about the desertion. Captain Pierce had made that point more than clear.

"And you know that desertion is quite a grave accusation with a most severe charge!" He made the last words not sound like a question at all and looked up at last, right into the Trooper's face, with his most stern expression.

Willoughby resorted to the blank stare that soldiers held when addressed by their superiors. It helped blur out the face of his major, though the voice of his tone and its content remained prime on his mind.

"...yes, sir." He repeated in answer, then daring to add simply and shortly:"....But.. I have not deserted... sir."

McIntyre had his gaze still fixed on the Trooper's face. "Well, that's for us to decide what you have and what you haven't done!" and he added with his countenance turning more impatient on the Trooper's reluctance to say something propper in his own defence "if you knew all that and did not desert as you say.." his voice rising some "why in the name of all that his holy did you not report immediately?"

"...I.." He dropped his gaze. It was a mistake he soon regretted. McIntyre's fierce gaze had him less able to explain what already was hardest to make to sound logical.

He looked away, and felt as it the room had wanted to make it's own wild dance about him standing there. It steadied itself and he found himself still standing. "...Yesterday we've just arrived in Coimbra... and i.. thought " Wrong that, soldiers had no place to think: ".. that you shall be preoccupied with .. the accomodations and celebrations...sir." And he could not celebrate himself if he had reported then.

"In the morning......there was... the rifle's presentation sir. I intended to report.. right after them."

The Major sighed at the Troopers words. Not the cleverest of answers but at least he was saying something. McIntyre leaned back some in his chair and folded his hands over his stomach. He regarded the emotions that flickert over the Trooper's face.
He nodded his head and began to speak. "I see... You failed to report because you thought" and here he paused on purpose to make it sound like thus was his failure, but then continued "that I was too occupied celebrating... or was it rather you who was too occupied with such? And after that you failed again to report because you were caught with those greenjackets showing off their new toys!"
"And you seriously think that we won't hold that against you as desertion?!"

"....Yes, sir. My absence... falls ..if it has to, thus be ..."He quietened then as his thoughts were gathered he continued:"..Not desertion, sir. I remain here...and...and I would have reported." He added more quietly. Absence without leave, it was what he could have considered it being. But not desertion. Not that the first was much better.