Order Only: Sherwood
Oct. 10th, 2013 09:23 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alt_terryDudley and I have been here almost a week now.
It's a bit confusing, but I think I have the way things are structured mostly figured out now. Sherwood is not just one encampment anymore, but an expanding web of them, seven settlements in all at the moment. Of course, it isn't safe to keep too many people together in one spot. There's also Central Command, which is separate from the settlements, but coordinates with all of them. Will Davidson's the head of the Sherwood Band and although he takes care to rotate among all the settlements every two weeks, he spends a good deal of time at Central. He's taken the rank of Colonel. Some people thought he should be our General, but he refused that, saying that 'Colonel' was more appropriate, considering the level of service he'd reached in the SAS.
The people directly under him at Central, the Lieutenant-Colonels, do the strategic and long-range thinking. They each have their specific units (with people under them) based on the functions broken out to help run the settlements. John Turner's one of those. Guess I'll learn more about that later.
Each settlement's within about a day's walk of one of the Protectorate's camps. Sherwood does their best to build network ties with people inside the camps, using the buttons, both to get supplies in (and sometimes out, if it's a hungry time during the winter), and to help smuggle people out to escape, as long as it can be done without the camp administrators noticing.
The settlements, each led by a Major, are numbered, and then each is broken down into three to five companies. Those are led by Captains. The company names sound sort of strange to me, but supposedly they're part of a traditional military code. So you might be in 'Settlement 1, Bravo Company' or Settlement 6, Foxtrot Company.' I'm with Settlement 4, Charlie Company.
Then there are what they call the 'Zulu Companies,' which are scouting groups, each associated with a settlement. They're flexible: might be two people going out on bivouac for one night or ten people going out for a week. If they break into three groups, they're called 'Zulu 1, Zulu 2, and Zulu 3' but when they're operating as one unit, they're just 'Zulu.' They travel lightly, staying in tents, or even just bedrolls on the ground. Those people are the ones who know the territory around each settlement just like the back of their hand. They go out to procure food for the settlements, either from people helping us from within the camps, or from sympathetic local farmers. We try not to take too much from any one source. They also try to find muggles or muggleborns who have escaped from the camps or who have left a work detail, and they bring them to safety. The Zulus are led by Captains, too, and although they're supplied by the Settlements, they work closely with Central, often doing errands for them.
It's clear there's been so much thought put into everything. Anytime someone new arrives, they're assigned to a settlement and company, and they spend the first month either building their shelter or helping adapt an existing one so it can be shared. Me and Dudley are moving into Tim and Finbar's, for instance. (They've been pleased to share space with us, but to tell the truth, Finbar snores something awful. Worse than Dudley. It's like a duet of muggle machinery, Tim says. That'll take getting used to.) Each settlement designs their shelters depending on the local terrain and materials. In our settlement, they're made with wood over dug-out pits. Posts are shoved into the ground and then covered with branches and camouflage spells.
You join the general chore roster for your company (helping with building fires, cooking meals, sanitation and so on) until they figure out what you can do. If you have a wand, you get tested to see how good you are at Defence, and then you might get training, but muggles who can fight get muggle fighting training, too.
I took the Defence test third day I was here. They said my response spells are fast enough, but I need to work in more fine-point aiming. They'll drill me on that. My animagus ability certainly got a LOT of attention. The person testing me said it might make me a really good sentry, because I can hide so much more easily.
On the other hand, now that some people have found out I can do it, it's been a little bit of a nuisance. There are a couple of young woman in my company always asking me to transform. I did it a time or two, just to be obliging, but it wasn't like they wanted me to transform for any useful purpose. All they do is giggle at me.
For Dudley's Defence test, they said he needed to work on his footwork, but he can pack a lot of power in his punches.
Duties expand as you prove yourself more. After the first couple months, you might be trusted to be an inner sentry, and after a few more, you can be an outer sentry, one who watches for trouble at the edge of the perimeter wards.
Dunno what I'll end up doing. Maybe sentry duty, like they say, but I might prefer to volunteer to assist the button network eventually: sending and receiving messages and passing them on to the right people.
Sleepy. Besides the concert in our shelter from Dudley and Finbar, I was up early this morning. It rained, and we'd missed a spot on the roof of our shelter when we were doing the waterproofing charms. Hope it stays dry tonight.
I do miss the sea.
It's a bit confusing, but I think I have the way things are structured mostly figured out now. Sherwood is not just one encampment anymore, but an expanding web of them, seven settlements in all at the moment. Of course, it isn't safe to keep too many people together in one spot. There's also Central Command, which is separate from the settlements, but coordinates with all of them. Will Davidson's the head of the Sherwood Band and although he takes care to rotate among all the settlements every two weeks, he spends a good deal of time at Central. He's taken the rank of Colonel. Some people thought he should be our General, but he refused that, saying that 'Colonel' was more appropriate, considering the level of service he'd reached in the SAS.
The people directly under him at Central, the Lieutenant-Colonels, do the strategic and long-range thinking. They each have their specific units (with people under them) based on the functions broken out to help run the settlements. John Turner's one of those. Guess I'll learn more about that later.
Each settlement's within about a day's walk of one of the Protectorate's camps. Sherwood does their best to build network ties with people inside the camps, using the buttons, both to get supplies in (and sometimes out, if it's a hungry time during the winter), and to help smuggle people out to escape, as long as it can be done without the camp administrators noticing.
The settlements, each led by a Major, are numbered, and then each is broken down into three to five companies. Those are led by Captains. The company names sound sort of strange to me, but supposedly they're part of a traditional military code. So you might be in 'Settlement 1, Bravo Company' or Settlement 6, Foxtrot Company.' I'm with Settlement 4, Charlie Company.
Then there are what they call the 'Zulu Companies,' which are scouting groups, each associated with a settlement. They're flexible: might be two people going out on bivouac for one night or ten people going out for a week. If they break into three groups, they're called 'Zulu 1, Zulu 2, and Zulu 3' but when they're operating as one unit, they're just 'Zulu.' They travel lightly, staying in tents, or even just bedrolls on the ground. Those people are the ones who know the territory around each settlement just like the back of their hand. They go out to procure food for the settlements, either from people helping us from within the camps, or from sympathetic local farmers. We try not to take too much from any one source. They also try to find muggles or muggleborns who have escaped from the camps or who have left a work detail, and they bring them to safety. The Zulus are led by Captains, too, and although they're supplied by the Settlements, they work closely with Central, often doing errands for them.
It's clear there's been so much thought put into everything. Anytime someone new arrives, they're assigned to a settlement and company, and they spend the first month either building their shelter or helping adapt an existing one so it can be shared. Me and Dudley are moving into Tim and Finbar's, for instance. (They've been pleased to share space with us, but to tell the truth, Finbar snores something awful. Worse than Dudley. It's like a duet of muggle machinery, Tim says. That'll take getting used to.) Each settlement designs their shelters depending on the local terrain and materials. In our settlement, they're made with wood over dug-out pits. Posts are shoved into the ground and then covered with branches and camouflage spells.
You join the general chore roster for your company (helping with building fires, cooking meals, sanitation and so on) until they figure out what you can do. If you have a wand, you get tested to see how good you are at Defence, and then you might get training, but muggles who can fight get muggle fighting training, too.
I took the Defence test third day I was here. They said my response spells are fast enough, but I need to work in more fine-point aiming. They'll drill me on that. My animagus ability certainly got a LOT of attention. The person testing me said it might make me a really good sentry, because I can hide so much more easily.
On the other hand, now that some people have found out I can do it, it's been a little bit of a nuisance. There are a couple of young woman in my company always asking me to transform. I did it a time or two, just to be obliging, but it wasn't like they wanted me to transform for any useful purpose. All they do is giggle at me.
For Dudley's Defence test, they said he needed to work on his footwork, but he can pack a lot of power in his punches.
Duties expand as you prove yourself more. After the first couple months, you might be trusted to be an inner sentry, and after a few more, you can be an outer sentry, one who watches for trouble at the edge of the perimeter wards.
Dunno what I'll end up doing. Maybe sentry duty, like they say, but I might prefer to volunteer to assist the button network eventually: sending and receiving messages and passing them on to the right people.
Sleepy. Besides the concert in our shelter from Dudley and Finbar, I was up early this morning. It rained, and we'd missed a spot on the roof of our shelter when we were doing the waterproofing charms. Hope it stays dry tonight.
I do miss the sea.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-10-11 04:34 am (UTC)Are Tim and Finbar helping to show you the ropes?
(no subject)
Date: 2013-10-11 11:22 pm (UTC)When I mentioned Moddey Dhoo while talking to Finbar in the chow line, the serving ladies' ears perked up, and they told me how grateful they all were for the harvest you shared with them. The fresh vegetables, especially.
Tim and Finbar have been a big help, although unfortunately, Tim and Dudley have discovered a mutual taste for practical jokes. The adults don't allow stuff like that out at fireside, so they're concentrating more on our stuff in the shelter. I've taken to checking Dudley's and my gear everytime I go in there. At least since I have a wand, I can vanish the frogs and bugs and things. Dudley isn't as stoic about 'em as I am.
But it's already better than it was the first day or two. I bet they'll settle down pretty soon.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-10-11 03:01 pm (UTC)Which group is my Mum in?
(no subject)
Date: 2013-10-11 11:24 pm (UTC)I dunno what she looks like.
But I'll ask around.
It's kind of a spartan life, Sally-Anne, but I do feel safe here. And people feel like they have a purpose. I'm sure she's fine. But I'll try to find out.
Private message to Terry Boot
Date: 2013-10-12 03:01 am (UTC)I just wish--
I had to sabotage my chances to get into CCF, you know. Because part of the test was a boggart, and that would have given things away. I've always regretted it, because I think it would have been dead useful if I'd learned the same sort of stuff that the rest on the Lock learned. If it ever comes to fighting.
When I found out about Moddey Dhoo, then I wanted to go there because Mum and Dad were there. But now, I dunno.
Don't know what they could do with a garden designer.
Re: Private message to Terry Boot
Date: 2013-10-12 03:08 am (UTC)Don't think that hexes and curses are the only contributions that are important. We're going to need healers, too.
Re: Private message to Terry Boot
Date: 2013-10-12 03:14 am (UTC)That helps.
Private Message to Terry
Date: 2013-10-13 07:18 pm (UTC)I hope so - I mean, I hoped things were working out well for you.
Re: Private Message to Terry
Date: 2013-10-14 01:15 am (UTC)But though I was grateful for the education, in a strange way I felt as though I was too old for it, you know? Like I'd seen things and done things that made it difficult to fit in with all those innocent kids. I had such an itch to do something, too. Something that would make a difference for people like you and me. Something to strike a blow at the Protectorate.
Now that I'm at Sherwood, at least I can see that there are people doing things that will make a difference. And while I'm not doing them myself, they have me on a training track that gives me a promise that I will be actually doing those things. Someday.
How has it been at Hogwarts for you, Hermione? Do you ever feel like you just have to make a difference, too? It your work for the Order enough for that? Well, spying at Buckingham...that has to be dead important for sure.