Archive of Our Own ^beta

Heavy rain had been falling for the last two days. They were anchoring near shore, and among the crew of the Indefatigable, officers and seamen alike, there was a general agreement that a change to less inclement weather, soon, would be welcome.

As to Hornblower, he bore the wet climate with no signs of complaint. Even now, he stood next to Pellew, his thin form wrapped in a great boat cloak, and simply looked out with a light frown at the grey surface of the sea from the quarterdeck.

“Beastly, the downpour, what?” Pellew said dispassionately, looking sideways at Hornblower, blinking water from his eyes.

“Yes, sir,” Hornblower agreed. Rain dripped from his hair and nose, and he looked entirely drenched. His shoulders, though without Hornblower's awareness if Pellew ought to guess, were hunched.

“Go below deck for a while, Mr Hornblower, and see after the men,” Pellew ordered then, hoping to see the man out of the downpour for a bit.

“Yes, sir,” Hornblower was swift to acknowledge, and there was the very faintest hint of a quivering sigh in his tone. He neatly pivoted to go.

Pellew harrumphed. “Oh, and Mr Hornblower?”

“Yes, sir?” Hornblower looked round and blinked at him.

“Get yourself a hot tea, man,” Pellew said, his voice gentling.

“Aye, sir,” said Hornblower after a surprised glance at Pellew, smiled timidly, and then scrambled off, giving a tolerable enough impression of a gangly bird as he ambled away in his dark boat cloak.

Pellew looked after him, his mouth thin. The man was at times insufferable, he thought fondly, but strangely earnest. It was right that he'd sent him away, since Hornblower's at times inane need to prove himself to ship and captain could’ve easily made him stand there until his shoes had filled up.