The regiment was silent that evening as they sat around the camp fire. Feelings were, as could be expected, pretty low and many of them sat cradling bottles of wine and tankards of ale. Just after they had found themselves thrown into seventeenth century army life, they had been ordered by the Lord Ralph Hopton to move up to Gander Down, where they would form up in battalia and wait until the morning. Forming up in Battalia had of course, failed and lead to the thousands of Royalists troops doing their own thing.

Sarah sighed. Meeting Ralph Hopton had been a plus, although he had shouted at her for apparently 'being drunk'. These people could not, and would not understand that Henry Tilliers Regiment were not supposed to be there and that they were completely in the wrong time. They had decided as a regiment that maybe talking about 2008 was a bad idea, and could lead to some pretty nasty happenings. And Sarah knew what those nasty happenings could be. If any of the girls were caught, they would be executed. If they made too much of a big deal out of being from the future, they would all be accused of withcraft.

They had found themselves slap bang in the middle of the English Civil War, on the eve of battle. They knew the outcome well. They knew what would happen at 8am the following morning. They knew that come 4pm tomorrow afternoon, they would likely all be dead.

With a sigh Sarah reached into her snapsack and pulled out her tobacco pipe. Cigarettes were of course, not allowed here even though she had an almost full pack in her bag. Biting her lip, she filled the bowl with tobacco and lit it sneakily with her zippo lighter. She inhaled deeply, relishing the taste of the tobacco and wishing that there was something else in there to calm her down. She was breaking out into cold sweats, clutching the barrel of her musket so tight that her hands went white.

"Are you ok Sarah?"

She looked up at Paul, who had just come and sat next to her. She gave him a small smile and shrugged, "Truth be told Paul, I'm shitting myself. We all know what's gunna happen tomorrow when the battle starts…"

Paul nodded but said nothing. He too was obviously scared. As were the rest of the regiment. She glanced round, saw Owen and Dan making their way through a bottle of strong wine which they had found in the old farmhouse. Both of them were swaying and looking very unwell. Omar was sat slightly away from them with a pipe, staring into space. Again, she had a bottle of wine by her side. The water ladies Amanda and Lyn were sat together, not talking. They were all distinctly quiet, none more so than their ensign, Dave. Sarah had never seen him so quiet and reserved.

With a sigh, she grabbed the bottle of wine from paul and stood up.

"GUYS!"

Nothing was said, they all just looked at her.

"Ok! I know we're all really annoyed that we're here! And I know we're all shit scared because we know what's going to happen tomorrow. And I mean we know…"

She glanced at John Seal, who nodded grimly

"But listen, we all know what we're doing. We have been trained to such high standards that those parliamentarian bastards aren't going to know what's hit them! Tilliers are one of the most feared regiments in the entirety of the knot. I believe we can get through this, I KNOW we can get through this…even though, truth be told I am as terrified as any of you about what's going to happen tomorrow…but we can't let that get to us. Just imagine we're going up against Manchesters at Basing, or Hesselridge's at Midhurst. Those were scripted, but you know we fight dirty. We can get through this guys…"

She trailed off, suddenly conscious that the entire regiment was looking at her. Silence seemed to crush her for a moment, but then a small spattering of applause burst into roars of approval. She felt herself clapped on the back, felt her hand forcefully shook. More wine was pressed into her hands. Suddenly she felt a strong hand on her shoulder pull her back. She turned quickly, splashing red wine down her front and found herself face to face with Richard, the commanding officer.

"Sarah, that was a brilliant speech."

"Oh Rich…it was nothing…I was just fed up of seeing so many unhappy faces…"

He gave her a sad smile, "You do realize don't you, that not all of us will make it tomorrow…I've been talking to John…he's been telling me all about what happened here…"

She nodded, "And the lanes ran with blood…according to contemporary soures…I'm not gunna lie to you Rich…we'll be lucky to make it out alive…"

He sighed and looked across the camp at the thousands and thousands of Royalist soldiers. All were acting as if this was just another night, that this was normal. But of course, for them, it was, "Sarah…you know what happened here…both you and john…I'm handing command of the regiment over to the both of you…"

She shook her head, "But Rich…I can't command a musket block…I've only just got my test out of the way…"

He grinned, "Sarah…you think a safety test is going to matter tomorrow?"

Sighing, she shook her head, "No…I suppose not…but Rich, I'd rather fight…"

He placed a hand on her shoulder, "trust me, you'll get a chance to fight…Sarah, you will make a wonderful commander. You know how to get morale up, and you know what you are doing…"

With a smile, he handed over his halberd. She took it with shaking hands, and gave him a small, sad smile.

"I don't want to lead our lot to their deaths Rich. I don't want that on my conscience…"

He just shook his head, "We're gunna need to give you a blokes name…Samuel Young?"

With a sigh, she nodded, "Yeah, fine whatever. Are you not listening to me? I do not want this on my conscience Rich…"

But he said nothing more to her, just pushed her bac towards the throng of green clad soldiers, "All right then Men! I have handed over command of the musket block to our very own Samuel Young…"

There was a murmer of confusion for a moment before they realized what was going on. And then the loud applause. From somewhere in the noise, she heard Omar shouting a well done. By now the wine was starting to hit her and the world was spinning a bit. Something was said about John taking over full command of the regiment, there was more noise. She stumbled away from Rich, towards an area more secluded. There was a tree there, what looked like an oak tree. She didn't really care. All she wanted to do was to sit down and for the world to stop spinning. But there was someone already over there.

A slight groan escaped her lips as she neared, realizing who it was. Luke. But now that she commanded the musket, she supposed she would have to be nice to him. Or would she? At that precise moment, she didn't care.

"All right Sarah?"

She nodded, barely taking in the buff coated form of Luke, "It's Samuel now apparently…"

"Ah, of course, you're now the one to be obeyed in all that we do. I suppose that means I have to show you some respect?"

She frowned, "Well…I suppose so…"

He laughed, "Like that will ever happen! Seriously if Richard thinks you can order me about on the battlefield then I'd rather desert and go over to the dark side!"

She sighed and leant back against the tree trunk, "I came over here to escape the noise of that lot, and instead I've got you sniping at me. What the hell did I do to you Luke that has made you hate me so damned much?"

"I think you know why…"

"Why? Because you played me so badly that my mental health deteriorated? And yet you had the balls to blame everything on me! Why can't you just admit that you were in the wrong? What you did to me was awful Luke, you caused me so much hurt that I ended up on anti depressants for months. Yet you still find it, what? Funny? To make my life a misery!"

She tried standing up but her legs turned to jelly and failed her. She crashed to the ground, dropping the Halberd at the same time.

"Oh DAMNIT!" the words had escaped her lips before she could stop herself, closely followed by the tears. She leant forward, placed her head in her hands and sobbed.

"Come on Sarah…it's not that bad…"

She looked up at Luke through eyes blurred by tears, "Isn't it? You're not the one having to lead this regiment into battle tomorrow. You don't have to lead them to their deaths. You know as well as I do that tomorrow, we are all going to die. I don't want this Luke. I want to be back in 2008, where I have a house and a car and I can smoke real cigarettes…"

He sighed and gently pulled her into a hug, "look, I'm sorry I was horrible. And I really didn't know that what happened between us affected you that much. I know I was a bastard, and I'm sorry I turned every thing around on you. I had no idea it affected you that badly…"

She sighed, remembering what had happened over the last twelve months. She had been in and out of psychiatric units, on various pills, told she was depressed and schizophrenic. The past 12 months had passed in a blur of depression and happy pills.

"You're right, you have no idea. I wish the two of us could have saved some form of friendship Luke, but you made my life hell. Do you have any idea what it's like to hear voices? Do you have any idea what it's like to be on happy pills. I'm still fucking on them. And it's all because of you. All I wanted from you, while I was in the hospital, was just a phone call or a visit to tell me you were sorry…but I got nothing…"

"I didn't know…"

She raised a hand to stop him, "You did know Luke, because I know for a fact that when it was all going on, Omar reported back to everyone!"

He sighed and nodded, "All right, I did know. I wanted to come and apologise to you. But I was scared of what would happen, what you would say, what your parents would say…and then I heard that you were better and that you had moved on…I thought it best to stay out of your way…"

She looked at him, "Except you were still an arse when it came to musters…"

He shrugged, "You were a lower rank than me…"

She laughed, "Can't say that now…"

He grinned and removed his hat, letting his long dark hair fall over his shoulders, "No, I guess you're right. I suppose I'll have to show you at least some respect tomorrow…not much mind you…but a little…"

She smiled at him, feeling strangely at peace. This was the most they had talked in a long time, and she felt so much better for it.

"You'll make a great commander Sarah…sorry, Sir…that speech you gave earlier was really very good. I'm proud to serve you"

She smiled and forced herself to her feet, wiping her tears as she did so, "Thank you…get some rest soldier. You'll need it…"

Without saying another word, she picked up the Halberd and made her way back to the rest of her regiment. The drink was still flowing and the noise was getting even louder. Yet she thought she should sit it out with them, see them through the night and likely drink herself into oblivion at the same time. Just as long as there was still booze in the morning to give her some dutch courage, she didn't really care.