Stargate Atlantis: Emerald Isle

Chapter 15 - Fight

John spun slowly in the water. Which was better than the fast spinning he'd been doing a minute ago and better still than the precarious tilt he'd done before that, which had nearly landed him in the sea. He had risen early and, seeing a group of children leaving the fort carrying between them small round coracle-type boats, had followed them out of the main gate and over the rocks to where they launched their little craft and began fishing with handlines. The sea was calm today or, John thought, their little round canvas-covered boats would quickly have been swamped.

John stood watching until one of the boys jumped out of his coracle and hauled it up onto the rocks and, seeing John, held out the paddle to him and indicated the boat, speaking questioningly.

John took the boy up on his offer, but quickly realised he must have been a bit of a joker. John nearly fell in just climbing into the tricky little craft and then, using the one paddle, could at first only get the boat to spin in circles.  Eventually, by observing the other children, he managed to make some progress by wedging his feet against the opposite side of the boat for stability and reaching forward to paddle in a figure eight in front of the boat.  The children grinned and clapped encouragingly and seemed especially attentive when John, deciding his arm had had enough exercise and he wanted his breakfast, paddled himself over to the rocky shore and began to climb out.  There was a burst of delighted laughter when the coracle decided to part company with John's chosen landing place, and John was deposited in the cold water.  He emerged, spluttering and gasping at the cold and the rasping saltiness, hauled himself out and sat, his woollen clothes dripping heavily and smiled ruefully at the children.

"You knew that would happen, didn't you?" he said.

The children, seeing John was inclined to take his dunking in good part, climbed out of their coracles and, beaching them, helped John to wring out his clothes and gave him a couple of their fish.  He noted, for future reference, that they'd worked in pairs, helping each other climb out; it was obviously a two-man job.

John was the target of delighted laughter once more when he returned to his hut.

"Enjoy your morning swim?" Rodney chortled.

"Yes. Thank you!" said John, "and less of the laughter if you want to share my fish."

He set the fish down by the hearth and Jed and Mal eagerly began preparing them.  John took off his wet cape and flung it over the rafters in such a way that heavy drops of water flicked all over Rodney.  "This is going to take all day to dry," he said.  "Looks like I'm going Atlantean today!"

"It might help," said Rodney, through a mouthful of barley porridge.

"What, why?" said John, struggling out of his water-logged tunic.

"If Orrin sees you all black-clad and business-like," said Rodney, waving his spoon.  "Do that expression you do when we're in a life-or-death, saving-the-world kind of situation.  You know!"

"Do I?" said John.  "I'm not sure I can do that if we're not actually in a life-or-death situation."

"Try," Rodney said.

So after breakfast, John emerged from the hut, mission ready, his shirt-sleeves rolled up, his tac vest on and his P90 slung crossways in its usual fashion.  He didn't intend using it, but it made an impressive statement.  John tried to look warlike but was thwarted by the children running around him, laughing; they knew exactly why he'd had to change his clothes.

Rodney shooed the children away with impatience, but John grinned at them, unable to maintain his serious expression for long.

There was a broad empty space in the middle of the fort, next to the high watchtower and longhouse.  Some of the men were practicing their skills, throwing spears at targets, fighting with wooden swords and a group were practicing unarmed combat.  Orrin and Coll strode between the groups, Orrin obviously showing off his warriors with considerable pride.