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History / Re: The Minstral Boy - Semi Open
« on: July 02, 2018, 10:39:49 PM »
"Bluest eyes theres ever been
Like sunshine on the ocean
Sweetest smile i've ever seen
And her black hair
And the golden sands
We danced until the morning
And felt the warm southern breeze
In the summer island air"
Thomas sang merrily as he strummed away on his small harp, a handful of the crew stood in a circle around him, the odd few from Alemba joining in what was one of the songs from their homeland. The odd beaker of rum was being passed around and clearly a few had imbibed more than their fair share and now capered and danced a few steps encouraged by the others. Up on the Poop Deck of The Insolent Captain Braithwaite rested his right hand on the rail looking down on the main deck and tapped along with the tune. His second in command Commander Parrish appeared beside him like a ghost he seemingly just appeared. "Sir, the Doctor wants you to know Billy Maffey will pull through, he'll never climb the mast again but he'll live.....assuming no infections. Doctor says he never made a sound when they cut his arm off. Brave lad." Just six hours earlier they'd fought what was for many of his crew their first skirmish, a Seleucid 24 gun Merchantman that they'd ambushed from an Albion cove. They'd chased her down and then exchanged fire for a while before managing to break one of her masts, then Braithwaite had boarded her. The Captain and his Marines had swarmed onto the enemy deck and stormed through them as the rest of the Insolent crew had used muskets to fire onto the deck. Billy Maffey, a four year veteran of the skirmishes with the Seleucid had taken a flying piece of wood to his arm and by the time Thomas and another youngster had dragged him back aboard the Insolent it was hanging on by the thinnest of sinnews. Thomas had got caught up in the moment and found himself following the Marines when he should have been manning a small gun on deck, his gun chief had chastised him and said it was only the fact he'd saved Billy's life that he hadn't been flogged for deserting his post.
"When we get to port make sure Billy gets off-loaded, take money from my locker to make sure he gets sent back home.....he's from Gustavia isn't he?" Braithwaite prided himself on knowing his crew well and Billy had been with him a long time.
"I believe he is, was a fisherman when he signed up. We'll be landing in Castries though sir." the two islands where the opposite ends of the Paracambian Empire. "Not sure how many ships there are that will take him."
"They'll take him or I'll bloody thrash them. Lads a hero Parrish, I want him looked after ok?" Parrish nodded that he understood the Captains' orders it was a sure way to ensure your crew loved you, Braithwaite often told his 2nd in command that and Parrish absorbed every word keen to learn and one day hopefully take control of the Insolent himself, or maybe another ship if Braithwaite refused to move upwards something the senior man had turned down once or twice keen to stay at what he called the sharp end of the battle. Braithwaite firmly believed that if his men saw him looking out for them even after their usefulness was gone then they'd follow him anywhere and it was largely true. "That new lad, I think his names Thomas, you know the one with the harp."
"Thomas Bickermann" Parrish informed Braithwaite.
"Aye, good strong voice, seems brave too. He was over onto that Seleucid vessel like a rat up a drainpipe" the pair chuckled, "Send him to my ready room once he's done singing" Braithwaite turned away from the rail and made his way down to his room which had a door off the Quarterdeck, some of his veterans joked about him coming down to dance and ever keen to enjoy the crews jokes the Captain capered a few clownful steps as he made his way into his quarters earning a loud cheer from his crew, he stopped turned and removed his hat using it to bow dramatically as he turned and closed the door. He could still hear the music as he sat down and as the light began to fade began writing letters. They had lost five lads during the attack, another four would probably die before they reached port and yet another ten would never fight again, Braithwaite dipped a quill into a pot of ink and turned to the report he had written of the battle. He wrote neatly, "Billy Maffey today gave an arm for the freedom of others" , above his name were various entries listing the dead who had given their lives for freedom and several others who had lost limbs. Next Braithwaite began writing to the mothers of the deceased, he had no idea if the lads had living mothers but it was a necessary duty. He knew most of them wouldn't be able to read themselves but a local priest or preacher would always be willing to help and whichever Gods they prayed to would be quick to offer their support he was certain, after all they were doing the Gods work.
"Dear Mother Kingsley" he began the next letter.
"It is my sad duty to tell you that poor Wesley has today given his life so that others may have freedom. Your son was part of an attack on a Seleucid vessel from which we freed sixteen slaves whom we are now bringing back to our homeland. These 16 people will no longer wear the chains of slavery and that is thanks to Wesley. He was a brave lad and did his duty to the very end. I will miss him and so will my crew. He was a cheeky chap, full of smiles and laughter. His very presence on a stormy night made the winds feel a little softer. The Empire of Paracambi today gained new citizens while losing one of its greatest. I have enclosed what personal possessions of his we had onboard and his final wages, though that will never be enough. If you require anything please do not hesitate to contact my staff.
It was a privledge to command a hero such as Wesley.
Your humble and thankful servant
Captain Jebadiah Braithwaite
INS Insolent"
Just as he placed the quill down their was a knock on the door, "ENTER" the Captain yelled as he watched a nervous Thomas walk through the door.
"You wished to sir me Sir" the young musician stood his cap in his hand looking at the deck, he thought the Captain had perhaps heard of his desertion from his post and was about to get punished.
"Indeed I did Thomas" Braithwaite came and perched on Thomas' side of the desk. "I heard you got Billy back to the surgeons, good work. I'm pretty sure Billy had crossed onto the other ship, but that can't be true as otherwise you'd have disobeyed orders to man a deck gun wouldn't you?" He watched Thomas splutter for words. "Oh be quiet" he continued, "I know what its like to be in your first battle, the nerves, the excitement and the confusion. You did what had to be done and thats the sign of a good soldier. So I'm having you reassigned, you'll no longer be a deckhand, I'm making you a Marine. You'll start off as a Corpsman, fetching and carrying ammuntion, clearing the wounded and the like, meanwhile Sergeant Greaves will train you how to fight. That sound exciting?"
There was a broad smile on Thomas' face. He'd signed up to free slaves and while he knew he'd be doing that while a sailor there was something exciting about the Marines. Yes it was more dangerous but it was also more adventurous and his father had worn the red jacket proudly. "Yes sir. Thank you sir" Thomas stood up straight seemingly having grown a few inches. "I'll make you proud sir." he added.
"You did today, well done. Now run along and leave the door open. Play something sweet when your back outside." Thomas replaced his cap, saluted and turned, "Oh and Thomas, tell everyone extra ration of rum" Thomas nodded and headed back outside soon there was a cheer as the news was relayed and then Braithwaite heard three cheers, he assumed earned from the rum ration increase, his men had done well today and they deserved it but he knew their fight was not over. Today they'd freed a handful of slaves bound for Seleucid but he knew only too well thousands more will get through.
Like sunshine on the ocean
Sweetest smile i've ever seen
And her black hair
And the golden sands
We danced until the morning
And felt the warm southern breeze
In the summer island air"
Thomas sang merrily as he strummed away on his small harp, a handful of the crew stood in a circle around him, the odd few from Alemba joining in what was one of the songs from their homeland. The odd beaker of rum was being passed around and clearly a few had imbibed more than their fair share and now capered and danced a few steps encouraged by the others. Up on the Poop Deck of The Insolent Captain Braithwaite rested his right hand on the rail looking down on the main deck and tapped along with the tune. His second in command Commander Parrish appeared beside him like a ghost he seemingly just appeared. "Sir, the Doctor wants you to know Billy Maffey will pull through, he'll never climb the mast again but he'll live.....assuming no infections. Doctor says he never made a sound when they cut his arm off. Brave lad." Just six hours earlier they'd fought what was for many of his crew their first skirmish, a Seleucid 24 gun Merchantman that they'd ambushed from an Albion cove. They'd chased her down and then exchanged fire for a while before managing to break one of her masts, then Braithwaite had boarded her. The Captain and his Marines had swarmed onto the enemy deck and stormed through them as the rest of the Insolent crew had used muskets to fire onto the deck. Billy Maffey, a four year veteran of the skirmishes with the Seleucid had taken a flying piece of wood to his arm and by the time Thomas and another youngster had dragged him back aboard the Insolent it was hanging on by the thinnest of sinnews. Thomas had got caught up in the moment and found himself following the Marines when he should have been manning a small gun on deck, his gun chief had chastised him and said it was only the fact he'd saved Billy's life that he hadn't been flogged for deserting his post.
"When we get to port make sure Billy gets off-loaded, take money from my locker to make sure he gets sent back home.....he's from Gustavia isn't he?" Braithwaite prided himself on knowing his crew well and Billy had been with him a long time.
"I believe he is, was a fisherman when he signed up. We'll be landing in Castries though sir." the two islands where the opposite ends of the Paracambian Empire. "Not sure how many ships there are that will take him."
"They'll take him or I'll bloody thrash them. Lads a hero Parrish, I want him looked after ok?" Parrish nodded that he understood the Captains' orders it was a sure way to ensure your crew loved you, Braithwaite often told his 2nd in command that and Parrish absorbed every word keen to learn and one day hopefully take control of the Insolent himself, or maybe another ship if Braithwaite refused to move upwards something the senior man had turned down once or twice keen to stay at what he called the sharp end of the battle. Braithwaite firmly believed that if his men saw him looking out for them even after their usefulness was gone then they'd follow him anywhere and it was largely true. "That new lad, I think his names Thomas, you know the one with the harp."
"Thomas Bickermann" Parrish informed Braithwaite.
"Aye, good strong voice, seems brave too. He was over onto that Seleucid vessel like a rat up a drainpipe" the pair chuckled, "Send him to my ready room once he's done singing" Braithwaite turned away from the rail and made his way down to his room which had a door off the Quarterdeck, some of his veterans joked about him coming down to dance and ever keen to enjoy the crews jokes the Captain capered a few clownful steps as he made his way into his quarters earning a loud cheer from his crew, he stopped turned and removed his hat using it to bow dramatically as he turned and closed the door. He could still hear the music as he sat down and as the light began to fade began writing letters. They had lost five lads during the attack, another four would probably die before they reached port and yet another ten would never fight again, Braithwaite dipped a quill into a pot of ink and turned to the report he had written of the battle. He wrote neatly, "Billy Maffey today gave an arm for the freedom of others" , above his name were various entries listing the dead who had given their lives for freedom and several others who had lost limbs. Next Braithwaite began writing to the mothers of the deceased, he had no idea if the lads had living mothers but it was a necessary duty. He knew most of them wouldn't be able to read themselves but a local priest or preacher would always be willing to help and whichever Gods they prayed to would be quick to offer their support he was certain, after all they were doing the Gods work.
"Dear Mother Kingsley" he began the next letter.
"It is my sad duty to tell you that poor Wesley has today given his life so that others may have freedom. Your son was part of an attack on a Seleucid vessel from which we freed sixteen slaves whom we are now bringing back to our homeland. These 16 people will no longer wear the chains of slavery and that is thanks to Wesley. He was a brave lad and did his duty to the very end. I will miss him and so will my crew. He was a cheeky chap, full of smiles and laughter. His very presence on a stormy night made the winds feel a little softer. The Empire of Paracambi today gained new citizens while losing one of its greatest. I have enclosed what personal possessions of his we had onboard and his final wages, though that will never be enough. If you require anything please do not hesitate to contact my staff.
It was a privledge to command a hero such as Wesley.
Your humble and thankful servant
Captain Jebadiah Braithwaite
INS Insolent"
Just as he placed the quill down their was a knock on the door, "ENTER" the Captain yelled as he watched a nervous Thomas walk through the door.
"You wished to sir me Sir" the young musician stood his cap in his hand looking at the deck, he thought the Captain had perhaps heard of his desertion from his post and was about to get punished.
"Indeed I did Thomas" Braithwaite came and perched on Thomas' side of the desk. "I heard you got Billy back to the surgeons, good work. I'm pretty sure Billy had crossed onto the other ship, but that can't be true as otherwise you'd have disobeyed orders to man a deck gun wouldn't you?" He watched Thomas splutter for words. "Oh be quiet" he continued, "I know what its like to be in your first battle, the nerves, the excitement and the confusion. You did what had to be done and thats the sign of a good soldier. So I'm having you reassigned, you'll no longer be a deckhand, I'm making you a Marine. You'll start off as a Corpsman, fetching and carrying ammuntion, clearing the wounded and the like, meanwhile Sergeant Greaves will train you how to fight. That sound exciting?"
There was a broad smile on Thomas' face. He'd signed up to free slaves and while he knew he'd be doing that while a sailor there was something exciting about the Marines. Yes it was more dangerous but it was also more adventurous and his father had worn the red jacket proudly. "Yes sir. Thank you sir" Thomas stood up straight seemingly having grown a few inches. "I'll make you proud sir." he added.
"You did today, well done. Now run along and leave the door open. Play something sweet when your back outside." Thomas replaced his cap, saluted and turned, "Oh and Thomas, tell everyone extra ration of rum" Thomas nodded and headed back outside soon there was a cheer as the news was relayed and then Braithwaite heard three cheers, he assumed earned from the rum ration increase, his men had done well today and they deserved it but he knew their fight was not over. Today they'd freed a handful of slaves bound for Seleucid but he knew only too well thousands more will get through.
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