Fiction. At Sea One Day
TITLE: At Sea One Day.
AUTHOR: Ashley-Pitt
CHARACTERS: William Bush, Horatio Hornblower
RATING: PG
WORD COUNT: 333
SUMMARY: Uncharacteristically, Bush muses on his watch.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own these characters, nor am I making any money from them. I borrow them once in awhile, but put them away tidily.
AUTHOR”S NOTE: I have been a William Bush fan for ages, but have only been recently spurred to write him after reading idler_1814’s work. My stories pale in comparison.
Lt. William Bush stood on the quarterdeck and looked forward. He glanced up at the sails. They were all trimmed and pulling well. The ship was making good progress on the port tack. The wind was steady from just abaft the beam.
He turned slightly and looked out over the rail. The sky was clear with only a few fair weather clouds. He inhaled deeply. He could smell the salt, the hemp and the tar.
God, how I love this life.
Startled Bush looked around. Had he said these words aloud?
No, the helmsman was still staring up at the sails and the midshipman of the watch was still checking the hour glass.
Satisfied that he had not betrayed his feelings, Bush turned again to look as the sea.
Love. That was an odd word for him to use. He was a pragmatist; no one could ever accuse him of being a mooning romantic.
Love. He supposed he did love his mother and his sisters. He did take care of them after all. He missed them while he was at sea, and was glad to see them when he came home.
But it was not the same love that he felt for his ship or the sea or his captain.
God! Bush was startled out of his musings once again. Where did that thought come from?
He obeyed his captain, he would die for his captain but that was to be expected from any naval officer.
It was just that this captain stirred something deep inside him; something he could not quite explain.
Bush stiffened slightly to attention as he felt a presence beside him.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Bush. She sails well?” Hornblower said.
“Seven knots at last cast of the log, sir.” Bush replied.
They stood in companionable silence gazing over the rail.
“You may exercise the big guns today, Mr. Bush.”
“Aye-aye sir.”
Hornblower turned to go, but stopped and said so quietly only Bush could hear, “And William, I also love this life.”
AUTHOR: Ashley-Pitt
CHARACTERS: William Bush, Horatio Hornblower
RATING: PG
WORD COUNT: 333
SUMMARY: Uncharacteristically, Bush muses on his watch.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own these characters, nor am I making any money from them. I borrow them once in awhile, but put them away tidily.
AUTHOR”S NOTE: I have been a William Bush fan for ages, but have only been recently spurred to write him after reading idler_1814’s work. My stories pale in comparison.
Lt. William Bush stood on the quarterdeck and looked forward. He glanced up at the sails. They were all trimmed and pulling well. The ship was making good progress on the port tack. The wind was steady from just abaft the beam.
He turned slightly and looked out over the rail. The sky was clear with only a few fair weather clouds. He inhaled deeply. He could smell the salt, the hemp and the tar.
God, how I love this life.
Startled Bush looked around. Had he said these words aloud?
No, the helmsman was still staring up at the sails and the midshipman of the watch was still checking the hour glass.
Satisfied that he had not betrayed his feelings, Bush turned again to look as the sea.
Love. That was an odd word for him to use. He was a pragmatist; no one could ever accuse him of being a mooning romantic.
Love. He supposed he did love his mother and his sisters. He did take care of them after all. He missed them while he was at sea, and was glad to see them when he came home.
But it was not the same love that he felt for his ship or the sea or his captain.
God! Bush was startled out of his musings once again. Where did that thought come from?
He obeyed his captain, he would die for his captain but that was to be expected from any naval officer.
It was just that this captain stirred something deep inside him; something he could not quite explain.
Bush stiffened slightly to attention as he felt a presence beside him.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Bush. She sails well?” Hornblower said.
“Seven knots at last cast of the log, sir.” Bush replied.
They stood in companionable silence gazing over the rail.
“You may exercise the big guns today, Mr. Bush.”
“Aye-aye sir.”
Hornblower turned to go, but stopped and said so quietly only Bush could hear, “And William, I also love this life.”