[For Bush]

[yoursarahjane]

As soon as the news had come that people were being ferried over onto the other Island, Sarah Jane had jumped at the opportunity. Perhaps not literally, but she didn't want to go into the details of how very close she had come to actual jumping. She'd hurried to get a pack of things together and found that either Caspian or Lieutenant Bush could

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[stoicsidekick]

Bush's mind was fully focused on the task at hand. Simple as the sail would be, it was still a sail, and for that the deck had to be cleared, sails had to be set, a crew had to be prepared. Informal as it was, the makeshift role of lieutenant was one he fell into with ease and no little relief.

So his thoughts were far from certain young ladies and the pestering questions they might ask. At the call from shore, he shaded his eyes and peered down at her. "Near about. Coming aboard, then, miss?"

[yoursarahjane]

Sarah Jane smiled warmly up at Bush and waved a hand up at him to show that she was both present and ready. "Coming aboard," she confirmed, doing just that as she spoke, settling her bag in a place that it would remain unobtrusive. "So, how long does this journey normally take?" she asked, eyes sparkling with excitement.

[stoicsidekick]

"Assuming this breeze keeps up, we should be there within two hours," he answered without hesitation. The wind was already picking up to a decent seven or eight knots, he would have guessed, and they were not yet on open water. It would be an easy journey today. He looked at her curiously. "Do you have plans for your days on the island?"

[yoursarahjane]

Sarah Jane smiled warmly at him, glad for the short journey (even if nothing could compare to the instantaneous joy of finding a new world to discover). "Mostly exploring," she admitted, the thrill in her voice. "I plan to see everything I can, get lost and just bask in the fact that it's some place I haven't yet been a dozen times before."

[stoicsidekick]

Bush clasped his hands behind his back. That seemed to be a popular reason, so far as he had gathered, and, in his estimation, an odd one. There was nothing to claim on the other island, nothing new to find. There was only the eerie silence of the shipwreak beach. That was enough reason to stay away. "Do you wish to find anything?" he asked. "In your exploration?"

[yoursarahjane]

For a long moment, she let her attention get carried away by the sea and her thoughts drifted as well, but his question brought her back to herself and she turned to smile at him, even if it was rather weary. "Something...unnatural," she decided, running a hand over the boat. "Is Archie coming along on this trip?" she asked, innocently.

[stoicsidekick]

Bush arched a brow at her. "Unnatural? I think we've got that about covered already, miss." Wasn't one unnatural island enough? But at the question about Archie he only shrugged dismissively. "Mr. Kennedy is staying ashore today."

[yoursarahjane]

"Ah," Sarah remarked a bit knowingly, not wanting to just sit when she could help as much as she could. "Does he often do that, stay ashore while you go out ferrying people from one Island to the other?"

[stoicsidekick]

Bush blinked, left puzzled by the question. "We've barely started with the crossings, miss. It isn't necessary to have the entire force of volunteers with us each time."

He wasn't sure how he felt about the look she was sending him, either.

[yoursarahjane]

She just peered innocently at him, now, just looking all the role of the young woman in search of information. "Yes, but it's not volunteers," she said blithely. "It's Archie! I mean, given the lessons I took, it seems the two of you are close. Best friends?"

[stoicsidekick]

William shifted his weight from foot to foot and suppressed a small cough. "We served together before this, yes, but I wouldn't go that far. Hornblower knows him better." He hesitated. "Kennedy was here, ah, before. So we knew each other then as well." He swallowed as his words danced close to topics he would rather avoid, but his tone was noncommittal as ever.

[yoursarahjane]

"Ah," once more came from Sarah Jane and she settled herself down, smiling brightly at the Lieutenant. "I only ask because it was so kind of him to let me take lessons with the both of you and you're quite the good team. At least, in terms of balance, I'd say."

Most definitely they balanced each other's personalities.

[stoicsidekick]

"Ah," Bush echoed, a little dry. There was a chart rolled up on the small platform in front of him. He unrolled it to () the carefully hand-sketched lines of the island, carefully labeled in his own hand as best he could with the lack of longitude available.

It was a perfectly natural thing to do, if one did not consider the fact that the island was visible from where the ship lay and the sail straightforward.

"Balance? What do you mean by that?"

[yoursarahjane]

She watched over his shoulder on her tiptoes as best as she could, her natural curiosity never fading seeing as she wanted to know as much as she could about this voyage. "Well," she said patiently, eyes scanning the chart. "He's rather cheerful and outgoing and you're more withdrawn. A very good partnership."

[stoicsidekick]

A lesser man would have blushed. As it was, something that was half embarassment, half hope, made his chest tighten slightly. He promptly dismissed it.

But the corner of his mouth turned up in a sort of half smile. "I'm not certain Kennedy would agree," he said, sounding a little rueful. "I have found that my caution tends to try his utter lack of patience."

[yoursarahjane]

"Opposites attract," was all she said to that in a very serious and patient way with a seemingly knowing nod as she regarded the chart and gestured with her pinky. "So, do we really know if these coordinates are accurate, at all? Or is this a new system specifically for the Island?"