Chapter 8 ~ At The River

[M/M] [Protection in a Wild Land] A war torn major travels west to an isolated fort commanded by a man whose intentions become increasingly suspicious.

Chapter 8 ~ At The River

It was now three weeks or so since Major Bailey had first stepped through the gates of Fort DeLacey with the bedraggled and suffering wagon train. He had to say he wasn’t counting but this day, as he reluctantly woke up in his comfortably large bed, was one that had stood out for a while. It was the general’s birthday and along with that, probably a day where he wouldn’t spend much time on duty. It wasn’t that he didn’t like working for the general " in fact, he found the job much more satisfying than many others he had done " but the warmth of his bed felt too lovely to leave quite yet.

So he pulled the covers tight back around him and relished the way the sun was streaming through the gap in the curtains, promising a bright day ahead. He smiled absent-mindedly and thought about the weeks that had just passed. In all honesty, it hadn’t been a particularly calm few weeks yet he had not been expecting such. In the second week, he had experienced his first Indian raid on the mule herd, the hostiles pouring down from the hills and swooping upon the animals in their corral and causing General Prior to pace incessantly in his office, repeatedly glancing out the window as Colonel Dawes charged out with a detachment of willing men to mitigate the situation. Taylor had said this had happened time and time before but always produced the same effect from the general.

On the other hand, William had impressed him very much. Of course, he had known the man throughout the Civil War and he had been exceptional then but this was the first time he had seen him on the field since then. And here, all of his memories had returned. He commanded his men with the amazing precision that Bailey had constantly admired throughout the years he had known him in conflict and not a soldier was shot from his saddle. They hadn’t managed to recapture the entire herd, though that wasn’t a terrible loss considering the amount they had actually brought back to the fort.

 And the next couple of times the event reappeared, the Indians stubbornly carving through the unsuspected cattle now, Dawes had acted similarly but, as was his character, had been very modest about his achievements. If he was being honest, Bailey wouldn’t have said that General Prior tried to do anything to change that either. He congratulated him briefly then dismissed him, as was ever the case.

On the theme of General Prior, he was noticing more little details about him as the time went on. He was a man who both hated and loved company at different times. He could get easily stressed " some times he hid it better than others " and could become hostile towards his aides in a very silent way but at other points, he could become very generous and on quite a number of occasions, Bailey had been invited to dinner parties by Prior. He had seen his looks linger on him out of the corner of his eye and had felt his hand often brush down his arm but in hindsight, Bailey didn’t really know why they had stood out so boldly in his mind. He ignored them usually anyhow.

If anybody, Taylor was the one who his mind was most often with. He had fast become a friend to Bailey but he was starting to realise " or maybe imagine " that was something wrong with him. The bruises he had previously seen on his wrists had appeared to have become worse and although Bailey had tried to ask him about them, Taylor always replied with the same statement; he was a soldier and had been for years. He was bound to have battle scars. Bailey didn’t ask anymore.

This problem didn’t seem to affect most other aspects of what happened at the fort however. They worked well together and outside of business, they spent a lot of time by one another as well. Taylor was happy and friendly, for a good majority of the time, and Bailey was often surprised that he didn’t find him with many of the other officers. He wondered who Taylor had shared his off-duty hours with before he had arrived at the fort.

He didn’t know why he wondered or thought about Taylor so much as the man himself didn’t seem bothered at all about any problems that Bailey now imagined he was creating but he was, at times, beginning to feel rather protective over him. He was younger than him by quite a few years and although he had obviously proved himself as a mature and responsible officer, Bailey couldn’t help thinking that he saw vulnerability in those green eyes. And the bruises…

Bailey shook his head and reeled himself back into reality, realising he had been dropping off to sleep again. A knock on the door made him reluctantly raise his head. He called out and a bright and smiling Taylor entered.

‘’Morning, major,’’ he said softly and came to perch by him on the bed. Bailey smiled and sat up. ‘’Are you ready?’’

‘’Ready for what?’’ Bailey winked at Taylor as he spoke. He knew what Taylor meant. It had become somewhat of a routine for them.

‘’Ready to go down to the river.’’ Taylor smiled as Bailey sighed and pulled back the covers.

‘’Let’s go then.’’

~~~

Taylor loved having Bailey as a friend. The previous aide that he had worked alongside of had barely talked to him outside of business and had been much, much older than him anyway. That would have been alright but they had had nothing in common and it made the hours of business long and tedious " even more so than they actually were. With Major Bailey, they were still as long as they had ever been yet now at least he had someone amicable and interesting by his side. It was the same out of work too.

He felt happy with Bailey. And safe. The major didn’t just take things lying down, that was for sure, and though he had strong opinions, he wasn’t arrogant in them, like a lot of men Taylor had worked with throughout the War. He could be soft and gentle and Taylor had experienced that side and admired and respected it. However, there were times ahead that Taylor imagined his ability to stand up for himself and others would become even more important than usual.

As for the current situation, everything was fine at the fort " the finest it had been in a while. It was on days like these, when the sun was shining and there was an all-round sense of tranquillity about, that Taylor found himself loving his job. And now he was walking down with Bailey to the river, a free day ahead of them in celebration of the general’s birthday. There was to be a party later on out on the parade ground and although Taylor had attended many of Prior’s events, seeing many of them from different viewpoints, there was always something much friendlier and more social at his birthday.

If he was honest, he had been looking forward to this day for a while now. And not just because it was a chance to escape from the routine of the usual day " something he was proud of doing but also something that had a liability to grate on his nerves at times.

Taylor and Bailey reached the water’s edge where Bailey was always the first one to start undressing. Taylor had been shy at first " and he still was a little, in truth " but Bailey seemed to not have much of a care. The lieutenant had admired this trait. And as Bailey began undressing that day, he realised again that it wasn’t quite the only thing that he admired.

The major was very handsome " probably the most handsome man he had come across in his years in the army, though Taylor didn’t really keep a check on that. Still, there was something in the way that Bailey’s green eyes flashed when he smiled that made Taylor think that there was something different, distinct " appealing " about him that set him apart. And as he undressed beside him by the river’s edge, he felt a certain sense of consciousness about himself, standing there with the jagged lines across his arms and wrists and next to Bailey’s much stronger looking frame.

He didn’t really know why he was feeling like this, however. The major wasn’t at all judgemental and he couldn’t imagine him being so either.

He was the first one into the river that morning and as he hit the water, Taylor saw him gasp at its cold temperature. He couldn’t remember a time when the river hadn’t been cold but even after being at the fort since its first days of construction, he still hadn’t become accustomed to it. He liked to usually take things slowly getting in, especially at this time of the morning, but Bailey was having none of this. Giggling and laughing in that refreshing way of his, he grasped Taylor’s wrist and tugged him down the bank, making him stumble into the water.

Taylor felt all of his breath leave him yet he still managed to laugh, clinging onto Bailey and deliberately putting his full weight onto him so the major, who had pulled this trick one time too many, would fall under the water. He giggled as he did, only to get a mouthful of water as Bailey yanked him under too. He pulled away out of his friend’s grip quickly and as they resurfaced, playfully pushed him with a mischievous smile.

‘’Major, if your goal is to drown me, then you are doing a very good job!’’ Taylor laughed; a continuous joke they had together in their bath time frolics. Bailey shook his head and smiled.

‘’Mr Anderson,’’ he said. ‘’You are a brilliant officer but you do have a tendency to overreact.’’

Taylor gasped, feigning injury. ‘’Major Bailey!’’ he grinned. ‘’You have struck me right in my heart " where it hurts the most!’’

Bailey laughed. ‘’Be quiet!’’ he winked and splashed his partner. Taylor replied with a lively giggle and what was meant to be a wash quickly switched back to another watery play fight.

~~~

Over in the trees, standing amongst the leaves and obscure to the two handsome aides having fun in the river, was General Prior. He had been on his routinely morning walk, getting up especially early to drink in the fresh and beautiful atmosphere of his 43^rd birthday, when he had heard the splash of water coming from the river. Usually on his walks, he was the only one around the fort at this time of the morning so the sound surprised him and being an inquisitive man, the desire to go and see what was making it immediately came to him.

It didn’t take him long to find Major Bailey and Dandy splashing around and laughing in a refreshingly playful and youthful way the water. A smile formed over his face to see such a thing and for a while, he stopped, giving his legs a rest. However, as time passed, another thought began to arise that wasn’t quite so much about the momentary innocence and mischievous nature of his workers.

By heaven, they were both so very handsome. It hadn’t been the first time the notion had entered Prior’s mind, through various experiences " the memory of the bath briefly penetrated the general’s mind " but now, here they were again and together.

Prior shook his head, the thought making his stomach twist. He tried to think of the preparation for his party later on, what would happen, who would be there, what music the band would play…It had been a busy couple of weeks that had passed and, in himself, he was glad that this day had finally come around. Some time off from all the stress and pressure " if only a day " would do wonders for his men, he imagined.

Dandy and Bailey laughed excitably and Prior watched as they fell against each other, the water glistening off their skin and soaking their hair. Prior found himself watching again. He was only stopping for a rest. Then he’d get back to his quarters.

A blush started to consume Prior’s cheeks. The thermometer must have been lying about the temperature today. He would have to look at getting that fixed. Bailey and Dandy sank beneath the river and then jumped again almost simultaneously, spraying more water over one another. They were drenched, shining in the early morning sun and Prior could see their clothes scattered along the banks, also getting splattered.

He had to undo the first few buttons on his uniform. It really was getting quite warm. Robbins would have to get that thermometer repaired.

Sighing for a reason he didn’t really know, he glanced back over his shoulder and back at the HQ, idly taking his pocket watch from his jacket. The time was getting on for 8AM. He tried to move back to his quarters, knowing that his walk had taken a little while longer than it normally did because of various things, but for the first few attempts, he found he could not " or more accurately he didn’t want to.

The thought was absurd though. So much so it irritated him. Defiant and frustrated at himself, he immediately turned on his heel and started back through the trees, many other notions now swarming around his head. The heat had returned to his cheeks.

However, apart from the issue with the thermometer " yes, the thermometer " his birthday had started well.