As they had arrived early, Captain Harkness had ordered them to help sign in and distribute armour amongst the new recruits, causing Owen to grumble about how it was his job to tend to their wounds, not play nursemaid.

Gwen watched the new soldiers with interest. Some were loud and boastful, going on about how many Daleks they were going to kill and how many lasses they were going to kiss. Others were silent and sullen, muttering their names and collecting their suplies with a curt nod. Many looked as if they were going to vomit.

She had just finished with a chubby youth called Tyler who wouldn't look her in the eye and spoke in a gruff whisper when she noticed a shaking young man who looked as white and soft as a lily. Gwen was tempted to give him a friendly smile but feared it would be too womanly.

"Name?" she asked, her quill poised (her mother had taught her to read and write in hopes of her finding a better husband.)

"Edward Crawley," the lad stammered, tugging at his ear. "Son of Robert Crawley,"

Edith noted down his name and family before passing the kit to him. She watched as Edward Crawley; son of Robert Crawley , buckled under the weight of the armour. A shiver ran down her spine as she realised he would probably never see his family again.

"You alright Gwaine?" Owen muttered as he past by.

"Most these boys are going to die, aren't they?" was all Gwen could say.

Owen nodded. "Probably,"

/

Edith felt beads of sweat run across her forehead as the dark haired boy wrote down her made up name.

'Oh, what was I thinking?' she thought frantically, 'I could never be a soldier! What do I know of fighting and battles? I can't even play chess,'

Her armour was heavier than expected; she nearly collapsed under the weight of it, much to the amusement of those behind her. She had walked about ten steps before realising that she had no idea where she was meant to be.

"Excuse me," she said to the person nearest to her in what she hoped was a manly voice, "Could you please tell me where I am meant to go?"

The man turned to face her. He had muscles the size of her head, a broken nose and skin so scarred it looked like it was melting.

"What was that, you pipsqueak?" he growled.

"I don't know where to go," Edith whispered.

"You don't know where to go? You don't know where to go," he mocked, imitating Edith's posh voice, "Nowhere near me, that'll be where you go if you don't want your head smashed in, pretty boy!"

Edith felt as if she were going to cry.

"Hang on, there's no need for that," a fair haired boy said.

"Stay out of it William," a dark man beside him hissed.

"But Thomas-," William began,

"Stay out of it," Thomas growled, steering him away.

"Yes, that's right," Melty Face sneered, "Go and run away you pansies, go back to your mama and cry about how the big boys were mean to you. Leave the fighting to the real men!"

Thomas turned around and raised an eyebrow.

"Well now you asked for it,"

Thomas swung a fist and caught Melty Face by surprise, knocking him backwards.

Whereas Melty Face had muscle, Thomas had clearly had cunning. Melty Face tried to wrestle Thomas into a headlock, but Thomas dived out of the why and bit Melty Face on his shin. He than grabbed a handful of Melty Face's hair and kneed him in the groin.

"Oh my balls!" Melty Face cried.

Melty Face's friends heard his groans and rushed to his aid, causing a full on fight to start.

Punches were thrown and men wrestled in the mud. The camp was full of the sound of groans and cheers and soon the earth became mingled wth blood.

"Alright, Shut It!" Gwained yelled, standing on top of his desk, "Stop fighting immediatly!"

"Oh yeah?" one of Melty Face's friends jeered, "And what can you do about it?"

"I'll tell you what I can do about it! When it comes to battle I'll be in the physician's tent tending to your wounds. I can decide who gets seen to first and who has to wait. So if you don't want to be hanging around with your arm falling off while we look at a papercut I suggest you disperse. Now!"

"I couldn't have put it better myself Cooper," Captain Hakness said from atop his horse, his face full of thunder. "Now, may I ask who started this fight?"

"He did sir!" Melty Face cried, pointing at Edith.

"Is this true soldier?" Captain Harkness demanded.

Melty Face and his friends were all glaring at Edith.

"Yes Captain," Edith lied.

Captain Harkness looked as though he didn't believe a word of it.

"And what did you do to start the fight?"

Melty Face and his friends were now smirking triumphantly. Something inside Edith snapped.

"I asked him if we were going to use his face to scare off the enemy Captain,"

All the soldiers but Melty Face and (most of) his friends laughed.

Harkness smiled.

"A good tactic soldier," he said, "But I can see how it caused offence. Next time, keep it to yourself,"

And with that he rode off, not giving Edith a punishment.

"Oh, you are dead meat!" Melty Face growled, clenching his fists.

"Is he now?" Gwaine asked, "Didn't you hear what I said? Get out of here, now!"

For someone half their size, Gwaine looked rather fierce and even Melty Face and his friends knew better than to piss in the hands that fed them. They left, throwing Edith dark looks.

Gwaine knelt down beside Thomas and helped William pull him up.

"You alright?" he asked.

Thomas nodded. "The fat lump didn't touch me, I just slid on some mud,"

William hooted with laughter and the two of them made their way back to camp.

Edith turned to Gwaine.

"Thank you," Edith said.

Gwaine's eyes widened and Edith cursed her stupidity. In her relief she had forgotten to make her voice sound like a man's.

Gwaine's face softened into a smile.

"It's alright," she replied in an equally feminine voice. She leant forward. "My name is Gwen," she whispered.

Edith smiled back and stuck out her hand.

"And mine is Edith,"