Peering through the low slung branches she wondered where she'd found herself this time. It was a pretty little forest, lots of shades of green and brown, rather pleasant.
"But I better not let that distract me" she thought, "You never know who might be around or what's around the corn- WHOAH!" she yelled as she was thrown up into the air with half a ton of leaves.
"Pfft!" she spluttered as she spat out leaves and shook them out of her long dark curls; "what the….?" As she looked around she saw she was caught up amongst the branches of the trees in some sort of net. Evidently when she should have been concentrating on her surroundings instead of admiring the view she had stepped right into a trap hidden on the forest floor.
"For goodness sake!" she muttered as she flailed about trying to free herself of the netting, not really thinking about the fall she'd face if she did get herself out.
After a moment of scrabbling about she became aware of laughter floating up from beneath her.
"Who's there?" she snarled; she'd been getting quite frustrated after trying to detangle herself without much success.
"I'm not being funny, but you don't look like you're getting out of there anytime soon" the stranger chuckled.
"Oh is that so?" She quickly snapped back at the man whom she could now see. "I'd like to see you do any better!"
"Yeah well I wouldn't be stupid enough to get stuck up there in the first place" he replied cheekily.
"Is that right?"
"Yes."
"I bet you wouldn't have seen the net either!"
"I'd have been looking out for it, really it is common sense that when you're walking through a strange place to keep on your guard."
"And how do you know it's a strange place for me? For all you know I could know this forest like the back of my hand!"
"Well for one if you did then that would make you getting stuck even more stupid wouldn't it? And two your accent is definitely not local." Damn. She thought, she'd walked into that one.
"Well if you're so smart you'll be able to tell me where I am then won't you?"
"You're in a forest."
"I know that!"
"I was just answering your question."
"You know fine well I didn't mean that."
"Yeah well maybe I did maybe I didn't but think yourself lucky."
"And just how possibly could this situation be described as lucky?"
"At least you have an incredibly handsome man to keep you company."
"Humph! A modest one as well I see!"
"Oh well I don't know about that, I'd describe myself as quite well endowed." He said with a cheeky gleam in his eye.
"Is that so?"
"Uhuh," grinning, "And maybe if you're good you will get to see just how well endowed I am."
"Oh shut up and help me get down will you?" She ordered, ignoring the innuendo. He was far too cocky in her opinion.
"Can't do that I'm afraid, got to wait for Robin to arrive."
"And who the hell is Robin?"
"Robin Hood. He's the one in charge round here, you will meet him soon enough."
"In charge, what do you mean in charge? Of who?" She'd given up trying to get down by now, she was too exasperated.
"Of the gang, we're a bunch of outlaws who live in the forest helping the poor in the villages and resisting the twisted Sheriff. Robin's our leader, he's rightful Lord of Locksley and Earl of Huntingdon but he would not succumb to the Sheriff so he has been outlawed and the Sheriff has a price on his head. Basically we fight for what is right and do what we can to help people until King Richard returns. It's a tough job but someone has got to do it right?" He flashed her a grin. You know, now that she had calmed down a bit he was really quite attractive, but she wasn't going to let him know that.
"So you work for this Robin?"
"Well work is a bit strong! We help him; he's done good by us so we do good by him."
"Really? What's your name?"
"They call me Allan A Dale. You ask a lot of questions, I better watch what I say. For all I know you could be a spy!"
"Well if I was I'd be a pretty useless one getting stuck up here wouldn't I?"
"Well that is true. But still, better keep on my guard none the less" he grinned cheekily at her. To be honest he couldn't really imagine her as a spy, she didn't look the type. He wasn't sure exactly what the spy type looked like but he was sure she wasn't it. She wasn't the most beautiful girl in the world, she appeared to have an average figure from what he could see and she didn't have any particularly striking features. But she had a pleasant face and pretty chestnut hair that would have tumbled down in curls if it wasn't sticking up all over the place with bits of leaves and twigs stuck in it. Allan thought it was quite endearing really, as was the way her cheeks were flushed from frustration and flailing about. "What is your name then?" He asked her.
"Emma."