Brothers Wittebane

01

1613, 7th June

I didn't like boats, but Caleb said, Caleb said. try your dears, Dry your Tears. He always did that. Make his words funny. Coz Caleb was happy when I was happy. And I was always happy when he smiled. So, I let him make his words funny.

It was drizzling the night they arrived, but it was enough to soak one to the bone. Caleb had a leaf stuck to the sole of his boot; Philip could see it. He stared at it with ever step his brother took, blinking at the sprinkle of rain drops that dripped down his lashes, brown hair matted to the back of his neck. Caleb's hair looked like melting straw, slowly losing its golden colour and turning to a bleached yellow, but that's just because it was wet. Philip loved his brother's hair. It was like silken gold, it was like lemons, like warm hay, pale sunlight. It meant he could spot him anywhere.

Philip felt his stomach growl but didn't say anything to Caleb. He knew that his brother had enough to worry about already. He wasn't very helpful, and there were times recently when he felt that Caleb found him bothersome. So, the best he could do was not add to the list of his brother's troubles. "Don't worry Pip," Caleb smiled over his shoulder down at the boy who had gripped his hand so tightly. Hands coated in cold rain, that could slip apart at any moment. "I'll find us a place for the night," he smiled, so Philip smiled back because he loved him and he knew, he knew that Caleb was taking everything not to break.

1613, 7th June

It had been 2 weeks maybe and I'm scared Caleb will break. He might fall apart. I don't miss mother as much as him. I'm worried. As much as I miss Porlock I'm going to try and like it here. Caleb called it a 'new start' sounds ghastly. So much for the 'New World', its just as ghastly, and is just like back home. Grumpy farmers, sodden fields. I'm doing it for Caleb because he needs me. Coz Caleb loves mother, and I love him. But mother's gone so I'll just have to do.

He'd tried to find them boarding for the evening, but most had turned the brothers away. So they stood Infront of an old rusty barn and Caleb smiled at Philip again. It was his worried smile but also his mischief smile. Pip would've recognized either anywhere, but it was odd to see both the smiles playing on his brother's lips. "Pippin we're going to play a game," Oh no Philip thought, we're going to get into trouble, aren't we? Before he knew it Caleb was trying to push him into an opening on the barns side.

"You know this is one of your worst ideas" said Pip, Caleb blew out a breath, both as if tsking his younger brother with a smart mouth as well as trying to move the rouge piece of hair hanging in front of his eyes. "Come now Pip, give me some credit I still have lots of time to come up with worse ideas- ow that's my ear," "You're slippery," "It's almost as if I'm soaking wet," "Don't be an ass," "Language,"

Philip let out a squeak as he tumbled down some hay right to the barn's floor. "Pip!?" "I'm ok!" he called out to Caleb as the strong animal smell stated to make his eyes water. "It's really, really filthy in here," he said dryly. For someone so young Caleb thought Pip acted like he had the entire wight of the world on his shoulders. There was a laugh from outside, and Philip watched as the satchel that carried their entire life went rolling down the mountain of hay he had just tumbled off of. "You sound like an old man," came Caleb's voice as he watched his older brother volt himself through the opening. Caleb came crashing down next to him, making sure to knock Philip over. The younger boy let out a giggle as Caleb proceeded to act as dramatic as possible, "Forgive me there, fair maiden I had not seen thee," Philip laughed, "Piss off,"

"You have the mouth of a sailor," "Spent more than a week with em'" "Oh the ship ride wasn't so bad," Philip scoffed, "Easy for you to say, you had half of them fawning over you," "Did not" Did to". That was Caleb's superpower. He was so easy to love, and so easy to love back. He'd had every man on that ship laughing and slapping his back. "Tell us a' nother one lad," as they begged for a story, "What tune was ye' whistling there?", they asked as he sang for them. With barely any money Caleb had charmed the socks off a Spanish trader heading for the New World, slipping his way on board for passage. Some haggling was needed, and he might have gotten the captain a tad too into his cups, but before Philip knew it, they had set course for Jamestown.

They liked Philip a little less. Many didn't take well to children. Caleb was still 6 and 10, Philip was only a few months away from double digits. He also stuck to his brother's side as if they were joint at the hip. Caleb was on dish duty? Philip was licking the plates clean. Caleb was scrubbing the deck? Philip was glaring at anyone who decided to come to close to his brother's freshly polished work. A lawless a child with no manners. Fiercely possessive and protective. No good Christian lad had eyes that burnt like that. Mind you, for all of that child's acidity he was good at charming to, but Philip charmed to get what he wanted. Caleb had still offered honesty in return.

Caleb sighed as he started peeling off his blue coat. Their family crest embroidered in gold looked as if it wanted to fall away. A bird breaking free, taking flight, likely to fall under a drawer and collect dust, but at least it would be free. Philip could see the lingering smile on his brother's lips, but he also knew that Caleb was thinking. The small crease that formed between his brows was the tell tale. How will we get dry? What can we eat? I can't risk a fire not in here that's absurd. But we need to get dry. Philip knew all that was going through his brother's mind. He wished he could help.