"We're making good progress, old boy!" Said Skarloey's driver, delightedly clapping his engine's side in triumph.

Skarloey just harrumphed in reply and struggled on with his train of slate, which he was carrying to Crovan's Gate, where the narrow gauge railway connected with the Mainline.

"Not far now, and then you can rest." Said his driver reassuringly.

"That'll be welcome," wheezed Skarloey, as he looked towards where Beatrice was clanking behind the trucks. "How are you faring, sir?" he called out.

Quarry supervisor, Martin Roland, called back, "Aye, all is fine back here!"

"That's a relief," said the driver. "All steam ahead, old"-

He was interrupted, however, by a loud bang! Skarloey felt the coupling between the trucks and himself snap. Fortunately, he remained on the rails; but he was horrified when he saw the slate trucks rolling off the line, slate smashing to pieces! Some trucks only jolted onto their sides; the ones directly behind him spun over, their loads emptying onto the trackside.

"Mr. Roland, sir!" called the fireman. He saw the other man wave back, before hobbling up towards them. "You alright, sir?"

"Aye, that I am!" Mr Roland called back, joining Skarloey's fireman. When questioned, Roland revealed he had felt a sudden jolt, and a truck came off the line. This had been his warning to jump clear and fortunately, he had done so, obtaining only minor injuries. "Just a relief you're fine. How's your driver?"

"Shocked, but fine."

"Skarloey?"

The fireman hesitated. Skarloey was still on the rails, but he knew the little engine would be furious with the accident, and the inevitable delay it would cause.

Skarloey's crew were unhurt, just badly shaken, and Skarloey himself felt quite... tender... where the coupling had snapped. This, combined with the scare he had English from the accident, and its unfortunate, costly, results, caused him to quickly start cursing in a storm of Welsh and English oaths.

He didn't let up, not even when his younger brother arrived to aid him.

"Are you alright, Skarloey?" asked Rheneas. Skarloey just swore.

"... Best leave him be, mate," sighed the fireman. "He got a scare and now he's pissed off, as you can see."

"Right." So, without speaking, Rheneas coaxed his foul-mouthed sibling out to a siding to rest- and get his composure back- whilst he himself dealt with the trucks and broken slate.

Unfortunately, much to Mr. Roland's consternation, the slate was beyond salvageable.

"I'm glad no one got hurt badly," he said. But it was obvious he was vexed at the costliness of this accident.

...

The manager, Mr. Mack, was furious, as predicted by the crew. He was so angry, in fact, that he spewed curses and uttered oaths, with feeling, for about ten minutes before calming down enough to focus on Skarloey.

"This accident, you do realise, has been very costly," he warned Skarloey and his crew. Although it was copper that was the SKR's most valuable resource, slate had not been opposed to as secondary freight, due to its uses in construction and building.

Thus, today's loss was not to be taken lightly.

Skarloey knew this, and was irked at being reminded. He opened his mouth to protest, only for his drover to butt in with a sheepish "That it was, sir,"

"Need I remind you, sir, that it was an accident?" Skarloey snapped peevishly. "My trucks just came off!"

"Not another peep from you, No. 1!" Snapped Mr. Mack. "In fact, I shall keep you in the shed for this! Is that clear?"

Skarloey scowled at his manager, but said nothing, defying his manager. Mr. Mack grew angry.

"I said, is that clear?!"

It was then that Rheneas chose to speak up. "Sir, it really was an accident. That part of the line is difficult to take, and Skarloey has been a lot more diligent since his wheels were put in. Sir, please, my brother will be stinging enough that his job will have to be incomplete due to an accident outside of his control. Please, do not punish my brother." He said softly.

"Rheneas, you cannot deny your brother is far more troublesome to work with than you," said Mr Mack, icily.

The words were like a slap in the smokebox for poor Skarloey. His mouth opened and closed like a goldfish, unable to articulate a response. He merely fired a glare at his brother, who looked shocked at their manager's words.

"Sir, that's- that's hardly fair..." he said, faintly.

"Rheneas, your brother needs to learn how to handle trucks like you do." Was the only reply he got.

Rheneas was cross at this cruelty, and dismayed to see the hurt in Skarloey's eyes.

'Skarloey... forgive me, my friend...'

Rheneas coughed politely. "I will not stand by and listen to anyone compare my brother and I," he said, sternly. "Skarloey is a marvellous engine, and excellent with passengers... and I know how to handle trucks without losing my temper. Why don't you focus on enhancing our strengths instead of using our weaknesses to tear us down?" He spoke with such great eloquence and passion that Skarloey stopped sulking to listen, suddenly captivated.

Mr. Mack pursed his lips disapprovingly, and looked between his two engines, clearly unimpressed by Skarloey's surly behaviour and Rheneas's defiance.

"I will speak with both of you. Later." He said, and, turning on his heel, he stormed away.

...

"... you bloody idiot." Said Skarloey, quietly. "There was no need for you to speak up for me like that. I don't need you in trouble, too." He reminded Rheneas. Not that were was telling his brother- one thing they had in common was that once they made their mind up about something, it was impossible to make them change their minds.

"If not me, Skarloey, then who?" asked Rheneas. "We're family, for God's sake! Family doesn't abandon each other." He bit his lip, looking over at his sibling. "And I'm certainly not abandoning you."

"... you bloody idealist." Skarloey said gruffly. But there was now a warmth in his eyes, and a smile playing on his lips. "Diolch." he added, warmly, his cheeks flushing as red as his paintwork. "And for the record, I'm not abandoning you, either. Not for the world."

"No problem," smiled Rheneas. "Sorry about your accident."

"You didn't cause it," said Skarloey sensibly. "I… I was trying to be careful."

"I know." Said Rheneas, calmly. "Here, there's no point fretting now. What's happened has happened. How about we get some sleep and carry on tomorrow?"

"Sounds good to me," Conceded the older engine, gratefully. |Though, as they were wont to do these days, they ended up spending the next hour and a half, exchanging idle chatter until the two little engines of the SKR eventually nodded off, side by side.