A quick drabble written a while ago inspired by a post on from "the-unseen-academical" regarding the concept of shepherds on the Chalk being buried with a piece of wool and suggesting the Watch may have a similar concept...

Discworld et al. property of Terry Pratchett, I just occasionally play with it.

The funeral is well-attended, which is probably not what he'd have wanted, his friends later agreed. He wouldn't have wanted all of the society big-wigs turning up to look formal and solemn in expensive mourning clothes, murmuring politely about what a loss and did so much for the City, most of them probably thinking excellent, I can get away with it all now*. But it goes smoothly, and when they're saying their final goodbyes, Carrot steps forwards and carefully pins the badge onto the shroud. After all, Commander Samuel Vimes wouldn't be seen alive or dead without his badge.

Vimes was almost across the desert when the badge appeared. Death had told him what to do, and in the absence of anything else, he'd done it. Walking was an ingrained habit, and it was better than sitting around thinking about Sybil and young Sam, both of whom must by now know that he wasn't coming home again.

There was an odd shimmery feeling, his battered armour flickered for a moment into a shroud, and when it solidified again, his badge was back in its rightful place. He froze for a moment, briefly puzzled, before relaxing as he remembered.

It had long been tradition, brought down from the Chalk downs, that Watchmen* are buried with their badge. The Chalk shepherds say that the gods must allow for the fact that during the lambing, or similar, a shepherd may not be able to make it to church as often as they would like, and pin a bit of wool to them at the funeral to alert the gods of the fact. Some bright spark had decided that the Watch should operate under the same principle. Vimes had always been a bit cynical about it*, on basis that most Watchmen weren't too fussed about getting to church anyway and after a few weeks on the street you tended to lose faith in gods, and quite often people.

Vimes plodded along for a few moments, deep in thought. Then, very slowly, he started to grin.

"Well, a Watchman's work is never done."

"…innumerable counts of negligence of those under your protection. I also accuse you of the wilful destruction of at least thirty three cities, on the evidence provided in this transcript in your own words. Have you anything to say in your defence?"

"I'm a God! You can't arrest me!"

Commander Samuel Vimes can arrest anyone.

* They won't, because he's left plenty of people behind to take up his mantle.

* And, more recently, women

* In fairness, Sam Vimes was a bit cynical about everything.