Day Sixteen

As soon as it was light, the newly promoted Francesca roused Frieda, and they swam out to the wreck. They soon discovered that the hold was divided into three sections and only one of them had been explored so far. With January upon them by this time, the water was getting extremely uncomfortable to work in and only Frieda, as ever, was happy in their task. Francesca willed herself into thinking she was really swimming in a warm sea off the coast of an Indian Ocean atoll, as she had been not so long ago when on holiday with her father on one of his ‘diplomatic’ visits.

He hadn’t been such a bad father in some ways, she mused as they painstakingly inspected the rest of the ship, making a note of any moveable items that might be of use to them. He was a hard man and with a sadistic streak a mile wide, but he loved his daughter in his own way and would be missing her now that she was gone.  She was surprised in some ways that he had not ordered a more thorough search for her body, but perhaps he had not discovered that she had been on the ship. And doubtless there were other things on his mind, what with the simmering rebellion away to the north.

The North! Gosh, what hardships a band of naked Amazons would suffer up there if and when they went to join the fighting!  Down here snow was a rarity and frosty nights could be counted on the fingers of one hand, but up there! It frightened Francesca, sometimes, to think what she had let herself in for. She only hoped that Spring would have arrived before they set off for those parts! In the meantime, this cold and watery five days would be useful acclimatisation!

As they surfaced for the twentieth time, she told Frieda to head for the rock and she swam after her. Heaving themselves out of the water, they allowed themselves to dry off in the sun, only imperceptibly higher in the sky, a week after the Winter Solstice.

Frieda sat looking at the water as though she couldn’t wait to plunge back into it! Francesca was not quite so keen. She stood, balanced precariously on the knife edged unevenness of the rocks and did a few very violent exercises. As soon as she was as warm as she was ever likely to be for the next few days, she spoke to Frieda.

“How is that back in all the salt water”

“OK, Fran. It’s done it good, I think. I can’t believe how fast you recovered, though, from your flogging!. Amazing!”

“I have a rank now, Brown. And the power to award punishments for minor offences, such as addressing officers by their first name. Five lashes is the going rate, I believe!”

“Sorry, Ma’am. It won’t happen again. I was forgetting,. I suppose it was because we’ve had such a splendid morning.  I’m a soldier, I can take my punishment, Ma’am.”

Francesca’s face broke into a broad and mischievous smile.

“How are we going to get through that bulkhead, Frieda? (and forget my rank out here - I was just having a cruel little  joke)”

“ I don’t know Fran.  I really don’t.  I think there must be another way into that part of the hold. Somewhere under all that mess is a way down, I’m certain.”

Francesca nodded.  She was trying so hard, as ever, to recall all the details of the ship on which she had spent a mere seventy two hours, mostly below decks.

“Come on old thing, lets get back to the fray! And I agree. We will go over every inch of that deck and try to se what we can shift ourselves. Otherwise we’ll have to get all hands out here - and that would be fun to watch!”

Frieda laughingly agreed. Some of the squad were highly aqua phobic!  She was a happy girl now she knew
Francesca’s new status was not going to spoil their friendship - at least out here.

By the time the light was too bad to work by, they had shifted much of the debris from the deck. It was a lot easier that had at first seemed possible. As they swam wearily back to shore, Francesca outlined her plan of campaign for the next day.

“We’ll try and find a couple of nice sharp knives, darling,  and swim out with them in our teeth! Just try not to cut yourself, you silly cow!”

Frieda took advantage of their last moments of intimacy to drag Francesca under the water. The pair finally came out laughing hysterically and with their arms round each others’ shoulders.

Frieda was the first, with her training, to return to normal. Francesca might have humanised this little tough-girl to some extent, but she still knew better than to risk offending Angela. She saluted Francesca and asked for permission to be dismissed.

 “Permission granted, Brown. Oh - and, Brown”

“Yes, Ma’am?”

“Thanks. You did a good job out there, well done!”

 Unfortunately for both of them, Angela had seen the horseplay and frowned angrily. The return to the proper military protocols once the two were ashore did something to restore her good humour, but she still resolved to have a word with her second-in-command on matters of discipline. Both she and Frieda had lessons to learn - painful ones for Frieda, who ought to know better!  She ordered the nearest girl to ask Francesca to report to her at once.

After their little chat Francesca returned to the cave and her bed, a rather chastened young lady. Angela might not be too bright, but she had a way with words when it came to scathing abuse and coarse invective. Francesca did not want to endure another verbal assault like that for a while! She had been left in no doubt that there must be no repetition of that familiarity with a subordinate. Angela had rubbed salt in the wound by directing Francesca to be  personally responsible for the said subordinate’s very painful punishment.

Day SEVENTEEN

Next day she roused  Frieda with a stern  glance that told the other girl all she needed to know. Damn that woman for being so nosey and observant! These few days had promised to be such fun! These thoughts were passing through both girls’ minds at the same time.

As soon as they were on the other side of the wreck and out of the Commander’s sight, Francesca put an arm around Frieda and kissed her long and lovingly on the lips.  Frieda responded. Nothing was said for some minutes. Finally Francesca, with great reluctance, pushed the other girl away.

“Just remember that kiss, my darling,  and all the others I’ll give you whenever I can. When you finish helping me, our little bit of fun and games is going to cost you dearly. I hate myself for getting carried away - I truly am deeply sorry, my love!”

Frieda shrugged her firm swimmer’s shoulders and smiled.

“I knew I was in for it last night when I saw her glaring at us!  But it really  is worth it, getting to know you so well yesterday! You don’t have to worry about me, Fran, darling. I can take it, whatever she decides on! And I’ll have your sweet darling face in my thoughts all the time I’m being punished so it won’t hurt a bit!  Now let‘s get that deck cleared and have lots of lovely fun at the same time. I mean it Fran - don‘t fret about me.  We love each other - what else matters?  I never knew people like you existed in real life, and now I get to be kissed and hugged and loved and respected by you! I‘m a lucky girl - I really am!”

The heavy hearted Francesca found it hard to keep her mind on the job, although her preoccupation with Frieda’s coming ordeal did take her mind off the cold. This distraction was a blessing  as the sea was getting steadily more uncomfortable to be in,  almost by the hour.

By the end of their second day, the deck was looking a lot clearer, but there were some heavy fallen timbers lying over a hatchway that they had identified as the one they needed to open. It was a long job that lay ahead with the few tools available. Fran and Frieda both agreed that it would take a bit more than three more days for the two of them to do it.

Angela gloomily agreed to an extension of one day. She supposed it gave her time to decide on how to deal with Frieda, but she didn‘t like having to reschedule her timetable, having had things worked out so carefully.  She ordered Francesca to see if there was anything anywhere on the island that could cut through the wood more quickly. She was not anxious to take any of the others away from their training,.

As Francesca scurried about on her search, Angela called the remaining women to line up for the evening inspection.  What a motley crew they were, she thought. One thing about nudity is that it reminds one time and again that people, especially young women, come in all shapes and sizes!  She had taught them by this time to arrange themselves with the shortest in the middle and the tallest at the extremes of right and left. It was a pleasing and symmetrical picture.  She wished she could say the same of some of the sagging bosoms and flabby stomachs that confronted her disgusted gaze!

Nothing much to be done about the bosoms perhaps, but those stomachs were in for a very nasty shock.   Now that the weapons training was over and the little band was  well able to defend the island against all comers, she was going to put these creatures through a bit of physical training such as would make them sweat all day and send them to bed tired out every night. She relished this. So much easier than having to think!

She caustically told them what she thought of their posture and physique, and assured them all this was due to be changed, starting with a round the island route march in the morning. Some of the girls welcomed this as a welcome change and the rest wished they had never become rebels in the first place.  All wearily trooped off to bed.

DAY SEVENTEEN

While the  unfit girls were on their route march, cutting open their tender feet on all the jagged sharp stones along their way, Frieda and Francesca continued to hack away at the junk on the ship’s deck. Francesca had managed to find a rusty saw amongst all the miscellany of spoil and she was using it to reasonably good effect. Finally, she managed to sever one of the larger bits of timber and tip the segments overboard. She signalled to Frieda to surface.

“I think that merits a break, don’t you, darling?” she said as their heads broke the surface.

“And a nice kiss, Fran!  The memory of each sweet kiss from you  will help me take that whipping I‘m in for.  So kiss away, my darling!”

The two infatuated girls found a far from comfortable perch, well out of Angela’s line of vision. Fran gave Frieda all the hugs, caresses, kisses and more that she could give her in a necessarily abbreviated time. It was a very concentrated session and hugely enjoyable!  Frieda eagerly lapped it all up. Then they went back to work.

 On their way back they swam close together, so that their legs could brush excitingly against each other all the way to shore. Both of them were having great difficulty in suppressing their laughter as their precious time together drew to a close.

They scrambled out of the sea onto the beach and Frieda saluted smartly.  Francesca returned the salute, by some miracle keeping a straight face. Then they parted, Francesca for her improvised officer’s quarters and Frieda to the  crowded billet she shared with all the other girls.  As they slept, separated by space but together in spirit, they dreamt of each other and woke up happy and refreshed.