milliways_bar | (no subject)

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Archie is outside again. It seems to be something of a cycle; full moon, can't sleep. New moon, can't sleep. So he is out sitting on a rock at the edge of the lake with a cup of chocolate, watching the light frim the bar and the light from the stars reflecting off the wavelets. His sword is propped against the rock next to him. He may or may not have been practicing a moment ago.

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[sound carries far, at night. Delia had forgotten this, or maybe she just didn't think anyone would be around]

[so, maybe Archie can her crying. Sobbing. From the unneeded shade of a sycamore tree]

Sometimes... people want to be alone when they are crying, Archie knows this as well as anyone, but sometimes, when we think we want to be alone, what we really want is someone to help us not be quite o alone. Archie knows this as well, it is why there's a soft step, and a warm jacket draped across Delia's shoulders. He doesn't say anything right away, and he'll leave if she wants. Or he'll stay, and let her lean against him. He's good at that.

[still crying, she pulls the jacket tighter around herself. Still crying, she doesn't lean into him, but she does manage to say,]

Thank you.

He leans back, gazing up at the stars showing between the leaves. Not towards her or away, just there.

"Any time, my dear."

[Delia sniffs, and wipes her eyes.]

I...oh, fuck it.

Archie was getting out his handkercheif when she spoke, making him start a bit.

"Er... I'm sorry?"

Sorry. I just...did something rather stupid, is all.

A quiet sigh.

"We all do on occasion. Do you wish to tell of it?"

[she laughs, or would if the sound doesn't catch in her throat]

Not really.

He nods once, he understands.

"Then would you like me to stay, or shall I go?"

I don't...I don't know.

[her voice is a bit stronger now.]

He reaches to give her hand a little squeeze.

"Then let me know when you decide, hm?"

Until then, he'll just be there, solid and warm.

Okay.

[and if she ends up just resting her head on his shoulder, then so be it.]

He's there. And if sometimes he has trouble knowing what words to say to ake things better for people, he's very good at simply being there.

It also seems to be contagious.

Maybe because of his offer to Wells, which means battle is coming again, Sharpe is also sitting on the shore, his sword across his knees and his dog's head against his leg.

Raven would say it is a 'thing', but a soldier recognizes the look another gets when they are facing a battle. It is a slight change in the aura perhaps. It is something Archie at least could always tell as surely as some could predict a storm. Well... most of the time, anyway.

"Where are you bound?"

Greetings soldier, whither away and who are we fighting?

He looks up at Archie without surprise, only a nod that could just as easily be a salute.

"Gruinard Island, it's called. With Sergeant Wells."

"I haven't spoken with him in some time."

He tilts his head a little.

"He's a score to settle though, hasn't he?"

And part of him wishes he was going too.

"He does. And any man who'd use a loyal soldier the way he and his were used... I've a score to settle too."

Archie eyes him. He doesn't know that part of the story.

"How much did the Sergeant tell you about his score?" Sharpe asks first.

Archie shakes his head.

"As I said, I haven't spoken to him since he came back after leaving the first time."

Which is to say, not much at all.

"But you know there is one. So you know his men were killed, maybe?"

"Aye, and brutally as I take it."

"Seems so. What they weren't told, then, was the real reason they were up there. Training exercise, they were told."

Archie makes a small sound not unlike a growl.

"So they did it to them on purpose? Bastards."

"Oh, aye. They were after a werewolf, see. Wells and his men were bait."

Archie frowns deeply.

"Well the got one, didn't they?"

And a lot more than they bargained for, it seems.

Sharpe shakes his head.

"Not the way they wanted. Wells set off an explosion and killed the lot of them."

Archie makes another small, disgruntled noise.

"Well, I'm not exactly one to stand in judgement on someone who is seeking repayment for things done to him by his senior officers..."

"It's not just his senior officers, Archie", Sharpe says grimly. "From what he says, this was an order from the top. This island is where the names are, of who gave it."

Archie glares out over the water, jaw jutting stubbornly.

"From the top. Christ. They say power corrupts..."

"The men who did this", Sharpe says, voice low and deadly, "took a company of good soldiers and sent them to their deaths on a lie. There needs to be payment, for that."

And if he's thinking of Harris and Hagman, dead for someone else's incompetence, well.

A deep breath, and let out slowly.

"And paid with intrest."

He was one of those men. And Wellard, and Horatio sent to lay the charges at the fort, and the Marquis and his guillotine, and Bracegirdle who was theonly one to survive the ambush at the ruins...

"If I could go with you..."

"I'd not turn you down", Sharpe says honestly. "But it's not my operation."

He makes another little noncomittal noise. Svava would probably kill him if he went off this close to the wedding. He would though, if he was needed. And he'd fight for all of them.

"I'd see you married first, though, lad. And it's Wells you need to talk to."

Just in case.

He reaches down almost unconsiously to touch the hilt of his sword. He will always come back for her. It may take time, but they will be together.

"I'll look for him."

He closes his eyes for a moment. A fine thing to die in someone else's war...

"It'll be well", Sharpe says quietly.

He nods.

"It has been, and it will be. With what we have here, how could it not be?"

Sharpe nods back, firmly.

"We'll go, we'll get those damned names, and we'll come home."

Another nod.

"And then..."

Payback.

"And then, Wells tells his world or as much of it as he can reach exactly what happened and whose fault it is."

And if some of those responsible die during the mission, Sharpe won't be mourning them.

"I wish him all the luck in the worlds for that."

He can try all he likes, the hard part is getting people to believe the truth.

"Someone'll believe it. And as long as it's not a secret, the word'll spread."

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