Skinner Final Training Review

The following is the final training report for Isaiah Skinner prior to his full induction into the Bark River Peacekeepers.

Report
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Officer's Barracks of Lord Worthy's Peacekeepers, St. Trois. Dated _____.

Captain ___________,

You will remember my earlier epistle dated _______ bearing my recommendation that you accept Isaiah Skinner into the ranks of the Peacekeepers. As Recruit Skinner has been under my authority during his training I feel that some further words are in order to more fully elucidate the attributes of this fine young man, to assist you in your determinations of the most profitable employment of his capabilities.

First as to loyalty, there is no doubt to be found in the sincerity of his fealty to our liege lord & the king. Indeed, his devout faith in the One True God & His anointed impels him to brook no loose talk concerning anyone bearing the imprimatur of the divine right. His character is similarly above reproach; he treats his companions & betters with due regard to their rank & station, being neither too familiar nor too officious. He comports himself as I could wish many of my peers would do: he shuns alcohol, & would rather spend evenings reading, maintaining his kit, or skrimshawing than carousing or whoring. However, I do find his zeal for right conduct to be of a brittle quality, which will no doubt cause some him some distress when he realizes that a Peacekeeper's duties are not always described in terms of wrong or right. Still, he is very young, & this should improve with age & experience.

Second as to his upbringing & standing in the community. He is as yet unwilling, or perhaps unable, to engage in conversation concerning his own history to any significant degree. From what I can gather through other sources, his mother, Ella Skinner nee Fisher, was loving enough, but his father -- one Otis "Knuckles" Skinner -- was a layabout & ne'er-do-well, a loud, profane, & violent specimen, neglectful at best, abusive at worst -- traits that, fortunately for this Recruit, have inspired their opposite in his case. His father is now deceased; Widow Skinner is in poor health & in need of the constant charity provided by other members of their congregation. The meager allowance given to recruits has, in Recruit Skinner's case, been remitted almost in its entirety to ease his mother's existence, a behavior which reflects creditably upon his character. He & his mother are much beloved by their church, & he speaks fondly of their care for him & his mother during his youth. At this moment it behooves me to mention that the Recruit has an uncommon devotion to Recruit Piermont, who was until recently the pastor of that flock. They frequently break bread together, study the Book, & engage in prayer. Recruit Skinner has had rough words for anyone who would ill-use Piermont's reputation, but you know well of his conduct in this regard & of Piermont's own troubles, so I need not repeat them here.

Third as to his physical attributes. In many ways I would describe Recruit Skinner as a man yet unfinished. He is strong though not burly, handsome though not comely, steadfast though not vigorous, wise in part though naive about many matters of import, cunning though not educated. However, in two certain ways he is remarkable: he is small & slender, almost feminine in stature though not, of course, in figure, & possesses a dancer's grace. I find him to exceed the qualities we look for in recruits, though not to a remarkable degree. He excels in stalking & hiding, & ingenious with traps, skills he learned as a boy hunting game for the family table for which his slight proportions admirably suit him. I believe he has not yet reached his peak physical conditioning.

Fourth as to his competence in training. He brings with him considerable skill in outdoorsmanship, tracking, & hunting, enough to surpass any of our other recruits. He drills well & without complaint. He is an accurate shot with a light rifle, though a heavier firearm throws off his aim & disrupts his concentration. He is adequate as a pistoleer, but it definitely is not his preferred choice of armament. I feel that he has difficulty comprehending the urgency of a close-quarters gun battle, given that he reverts to his natural instinct to aim carefully -- he is most comfortable when he is able to draw a bead on his target from a position of cover or concealment. The idea of covering or suppressing fire is somewhat of a novelty where this Recruit is concerned; each shot is meant to kill, and it had not occurred to this Recruit to consider otherwise. In close quarters combat without recourse to firearms, he is diffident at best, though he drills well enough. Whether he will stand & fight or cower & choke when faced with a general melee is hard to predict, though given his characteristic mettle & stoicism, I certainly have all hopes for the former. What he lacks is confidence & self-possession that comes only with age & experience.

Notwithstanding that final note of caution, it is my pleasure to recommend Recruit Isaiah Skinner for advancement to a Peacekeeper as a light rifleman scout in the service of Lord Worthy & his august majesty the King. Long may he serve faithfully & well.

I remain, sir, your servant

Lt. John Dawson