Just an idea I had. Please review at the end!
Faith finished kneading the cinnamon dough, her expert fingers shaping it into round buns. Her mouth watered, imagining how delicious they would taste once they came out of the stone oven. Of course, she wouldn't be able to eat any, since over three dozen had to be delivered to Locksley Manor tonight.
She pushed the pan of rolled up dough into the oven, and the heat sent hair rolling down her hairline. She closed the oven door, wiped the sweat off her face, and added a few more wooden blocks to the oven's fire to keep it hot long enough for the dough to rise.
"Faith!" a familiar voice called, and she smiled. She opened the door and walked outside, and sure enough, Robin and Allan were lounging carelessly against her front gate
"Hey there, sweetness." Robin said, greeting her with a sly rolled her green eyes and walked quickly down the path, before opening the wooden gate to let the men in.
"Hi!" she said happily, pushing a few strands of her dark auburn hair out of her face. "I was worried you wouldn't come this week."
"And miss seeing your pretty face? Never!" Allan said over dramatically, tossing her a boyish smirk. Faith was a constant flirt, and the men of the village, and the men in Robin's gang knew it. Especially Robin and Allan. Faith liked them because they were as quick witted and clever as she was.
"Stop it, before you make me blush." Faith pouted.
"We all know it takes a lot more than that to make you blush." Allan laughed. Faith tossed him a pointed look, but then giggled. "Yeah, you're right." she agreed.
"Plus, it's adorable when you blush." Robin argued playfully. Faith just rolled her eyes again and pushed the two men inter her humble little house.
"Get in before someone sees you! Honestly, what if a neighbor reports me for having you at my house, or if Gisborne just happens to look out his window and see you here? I'll be arrested!"
"Then we'll have to break you out of jail then, won't we?" Allan said as he followed Robin into Faith's home. He sniffed deeply. "Ooh, something smells yummy." He said, going to open the oven.
"Don't!" Faith snapped, slapping his wrist before it reached the door. "They just went in, and I need all of them at Locksley tonight."
"Why? Is Gisborne having another one of his little parties?" Robin asked, making himself at home in a wooden chair.
"I guess so." Faith answered. "He's got almost everyone in the village working on something. It's going to be huge though, I can tell you that. He's ordered over twelve dozen pastries from me alone, and I heard that Dave, the butcher, is preparing six pigs.
"Interesting." Robin said, mainly to himself. "Do you think there's any way I can get into that?"
"I doubt it. He must be expecting you, because the security here has tripled. There's a lot more guards than there normally is, and everyone who enters Locksley Manor has to first cleared by Gisborne and then patted down. And last night they were boarding up almost all the windows so you can't sneak in that way."
"Damn." Robin cursed.
"Hey, what are you gonna do?" Allan shrugged, uncaring. "You can't get in 'em all." He winked at Robin. "That goes for parties and women, my friend."
The men both laughed loudly. "It's true." Robin grinned.
"Excuse me!" Faith snapped, but her eyes were glinting. "Do I need to remind you that you are in a lady's presence? You filthy outlaws shouldn't make such crude jokes."
"How could we forget?" Robin asked sarcastically. "We shouldn't talk so around such a delicate, naïve, and innocent little girl, Allan."
"Yeah, right." Allan snorted in sarcasm. Faith narrowed her eyes at him dangerously.
"Oh, don't get your knickers in a twist." Allan said defensively. "You know I'm just bein' funny." He looked around the house cautiously. "But just to make sure, your father isn't home, is he?"
The last time Robin and Allan had visited, Faith's father had been home, and very, very drunk. He'd caught Allan passing Faith a wink, and had shattered a wine bottle over Allan's head.
"No, he's at the tavern, as always." Faith sighed. "And Mother and Eloise are in Kingsley for the day, visiting an aunt."
"Good." Allan said thankfully.
Eloise was Faith's little sister, an eight year old girl with a mass of springy gold curls and blue eyes.
"You know," Robin said, standing up and dipping a finger in a bowl of batter that Faith had mixed for a later batch of sweet rolls. "You're cooking sucks for a baker's daughter."
"Shut up, that has no sugar in it yet!" Faith protested, smiling as his face wrinkled up in disgust. "Sometimes I wonder why I even bother with you outlaws."
"Because you want this." Robin stated, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a little burlap sack. He tossed it to Faith, who caught it in the air, and it jingled with the promise of coins.
"Thank you." she said peering inside. Her face lit up when she saw the amount inside. "Oh Robin, thank you!" she squealed again. "I swear I could kiss you!" Then, smiling happily, she leaned over and sweetly pecked his cheek.
"Hey, hey, hey!" Allan protested. "Do I need to remind you who actually stole those coins from Gisborne's goons for you?" Faith laughed and kissed Allan's cheek as well. "That's right, share the love." he smiled.
Faith sat back down in her own chair, absentmindedly toying with the sack in her hand. A few seconds passed, and her brilliant smile fell from her face.
"What's wrong?" Allan asked, sensing the change in her mood.
"It's just…" Faith trailed, "I hate being a charity. I hate begging for money and just being given it."
"Sweetness, all of England is a charity right now." Robin said plainly. "You have nothing to be ashamed of."
"I know." Faith admitted. "But the second that I don't need this money anymore, when I can make it on my own, I won't take it. It's just…they've raised the taxes again…and with Father not working anymore and Eloise so sick…I can't lose the bakery, I just can't."
"It's alright." Robin said, smiling supportively. "We completely understa—"
Robin was cut off by a loud knocking on the wooden door.
"Oh my God, it's Gisborne's men!" Faith gasped quietly. Her eyes widened and her knees began to shake. "They know you're here!"
Bam! Bam! Bam! "Open it, Faith!" A man's voice called from the other side.
"Go ahead, open it." Robin instructed Faith, who was scared out of her mind. He and Allen shrunk back away from the door and out of sight. Allan unsheathed his sword, and Robin loaded an arrow and pointed it at the door.
"If things go bad, we'll fight, and you run away, into the woods, okay?" He whispered. "We'll come and get you afterwards."
Faith nodded, and took two quick breaths to calm herself down.
Bam! Bam! Bam! "I know you're in there!"
"Go!" Allan hissed.
Faith cleared her face of all emotion. "I'm coming!" she snapped at the door. Then she opened it.
"Sorry I took so long, I was up to my elbows in flour and –" She started, but to her great surprise – and relief – the man at the door was not one of Gisborne's black and yellow knights, but instead was a local village man.
"Harvey?" Faith asked in confusion. "What are you doing here?"
"I – I did it." Harvey sputtered. "I left her."
"Left who?"
"My wife." Harvey stated proudly. "And my baby. I did it for you Faith! So we can be together!. I love you, and I know you love me too! Don't try to deny –"
"Harvey!" Faith snapped. Her mind was a whirl. "Why would you leave your wife?"
"I know you love me." Harvey whispered. "I see it in your eyes when you wink at me, and when you smile at me. I hear it in your voice when you say hello, and I feel the same way! My wife never made me feel like that!"
Faith let out a sad sigh. In reality, she hadn't treated Harvey any different than she did any other man, but her natural flirty nature tended to make some men think they were receiving special treatment.
"I don't love you, Harvey." she said plainly. "I'm sorry, but I don't. I don't love anyone in this village, at least not in that way."
"But…what?" Harvey asked in blank confusion. His eyes were frantic. "Just let me come inside so we can talk about this! I mean, you have to feel the same way!" He dropped to his knees and hugged her legs in some kind of weird declaration of love.
"I don't Harvey. I'm sorry." Faith repeated, looking down at him in shock. Though her words were firm, her voice was kind.
"But, what am I supposed to do now?" he asked,
"Go back to your wife and child." She said firmly. "They need you, and your wife truly loves you." Faith shook her legs, and managed to loosen his grip.
"But, but…" He stammered.
"Go home, Harvey." She instructed him, stepping backwards out of his grasp and closing the heavy wooden door with a slam. She sighed.
"Poor bloke." Allan said, coming out of the shadows. "Hope his lady takes him back."
"So do I." Faith said sadly.
"Do you ever get tired of that?" Robin laughed, taking the arrow out of his bow.
"Tired of what?"
"Tired of men literally throwing themselves at your feet." Robin said incredously.
Faith tossed him a devilish smile. "What girl could get tired of that?" She said innocently.
"Aw, there's the Faith we know and love!" Allan said happily, ruffling her hair. She smiled and ducked out of his reach.
"It's a wonder you aren't married yet." Robin said.
"Yeah, why aren't you?" Allan asked intrusively. "You're what, sixteen now?"
"Nineteen." Faith corrected him soberly.
'And still a maid…" Allan said. "Why? You're sure as hell attractive enough to find a man,"
"Maybe because Father scares off all the men?" Faith asked, trying to instill a little humor into the conversation. Although she wouldn't admit it, she found her status as a "maid" very personal, and a little irritating. It hurt to see all of her childhood friends married and swollen with children while she was still husbandless.
"And that's the only reason?" Robin asked in disbelief. "Plenty of girls have drunkards as fathers, and they get married."
Faith knew that although their questions were raw, the men couldn't understand how it made a woman feel to be alone and unmarried when everyone else was. They didn't know the emotional damage their questions caused.
"I guess I'm also a little…outspoken." Faith said slowly.
"No kidding." Allan snorted.
"Men just don't like their women to have opinions." Faith said dismissively. "Or to go against them or speak their mind. And I guess I'm not one to be controlled, so I don't want a husband like that." She thought for a second. "And I don't want a man ridiculously older than me as a husband, or a simpleton like Harvey." She thought some more. "And I don't really want to be just a butcher's wife or a tanner's wife, you know?"
"Then whose wife do you want to be?" Robin asked.
"Preferably someone who doesn't skin carcasses as their daily job." Faith shot back. She waved the matter away with a dainty hand. "But boys, my current status isn't that important. Shouldn't you two be off, saving someone destined to hang, or stealing some gold cache?"
"As a matter of fact, there is a batch of peasants about to hang in Nottingham tonight." Robin remembered, snapping his fingers. "We almost forgot. Thanks for reminding us!"
"Yeah, anytime." Faith answered. "Thanks for the money."
Allan and Robin gathered up their weapons and tucked them away. Allan, with his pick pocketing skills, managed to snag a muffin that had been cooling off the cooling rack without Faith realizing.
Faith opened the door for the two men, and they both walked out. "Bye!" she called.
Both men returned the farewell, but Robin ran back to her. Before she could say anything, he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her to him. "Are you really thankful for the money?" He breathed in her ear.
Faith was confused as to why he was pulling her so close to his body. "You know I am." She whispered back quietly.
He looked down at her. "Then I know how you can repay me." He said huskily. He shot her one of his trademark dazzling smiles.
"How?" she asked, almost afraid to hear his answer. Things had gotten…intimate, pretty fast here.
He stepped backwards quickly, releasing her. "Crash Gisborne's party for me." He said simply, as if they hadn't just been so close. "Find out some information."
"What?" Faith asked incredously. "I can't. I'll be caught!"
"You have to deliver the bread and pastries to Locksley Manor tonight, don't you?" he asked.
"Yeah."
"So just stick around a bit when you deliver them. Poke around and overhear things. If you get caught, play the lost damsel card. Your pretty face might melt Gisborne's icy heart enough to let you live." Robin said, smiling.
"I'll think about it." Faith answered, not willing to make a decision right now with Robin pressuring her.
"See you later!" Robin said.
"Bye." Faith answered. Robin ran to catch up with Allan, and the two waved at her, before trotting back into the woods and disappearing.
Faith went back into her house, thinking it over. She'd have an excuse to be at Locksley Manor, that was true. And she could play the dumb girl card if she got caught snooping…And she really hated being given money and doing nothing in return…
Deep inside her, Faith really wanted to do it. And she knew why. The reason she didn't want to marry a butcher or a tanner was because it would be boring. It would be plain. She needed adventure, and she needed to do something with her life.
She made up her mind. Faith walked into the bedroom that she shared with Eloise, and opened up her wardrobe. Then she rifled through her clothing.
What dress should I wear to crash an evil party? She thought, holding them up to her slim body.
**What do you think?**
**Keep or trash?**
**Please review!**