"Ruffled Feathers" by Karrenia
'Absence never actually made the heart grow fonder.' Will thought as he sat on a burnt out tree stump whittling off the excess branches of length of ash-wood that he planned on turning into a new bow stave. If that were true then he would have more in the way of feminine company than just Marian; and no one in their right mind, drunk or otherwise would term her delicate, although when she wasn't barking orders or looking all grim and determined, only then would have to admit that she hard nicely delicate and proportioned features.
Speaking of delicate, or not, it was all a toss up at this point. Robin of Locksley, now calling himself Robin Hood. He had, against all logic and odds, found a way to ingratiate himself in the life of the outlaw, and Will discovered that he did not like it, not one least little bit. The entire situation had left him with a cottony, dry taste in his mouth.
Still, he knew what the leader said went, it was just he wasn't at all comfortable that the bloody-minded blue-blood aristocrat, flush with his tales and his silver tongue and exploits in the Far East fighting in King Richard the LionHeart's
Crusades, made him think he could waltz into Sherwood Forest and take over command of the forest outlaws.
It was more than the feeling of being bossed around, more than just an interloper, Will Scarlett had had his reasons for his dislike, resentment, and let's face it, Will, outright disdain of Robin of Locksley.
"The guv's got some nerve," Will muttered, his griping serving as a counterpoint to the humming of his sawing his whittling knife back and forth along the grain of the ash wood. "Some nerve, me Mum warned me that there would be days like this, and off all things, fate can be cruel and it can be kind, but on the very eve we hear that the ol Sherriff up Nottingham-way is about to tighten the proverbial noose around our collective necks, who should come to save us, but Robin of Locksley, the man who ruined my life, and my brother by blood."
"Will! Someone called out his name, "You finish with those bow staves yet!" Little John came rumbling over toward where he sat, the last of many bow staves piled up around his feet, "Yeah, give me a moment, if ye would"
"Sure, the big man rumbled, raising his hands to tug at the wooly tangled mass of black beard that nearly covered his face and expansive chest in a gnarled mass. "Not that it's any of me business, but seeing as how we'll be joining forces with yon nobleman, seems to me that ye best but your differences aside, at least until another time."
"Ye speak your mind, Little John," Will replied as he looked up and caught the big man's eye and then held the contact, "And don't let it be said that I don't respect that," Will paused and heaved a sigh, "but I've got my reasons and I can't let go, not just yet."
"I hear ye, and I respect that, I to," Little John replied, sighing. "I just can't help getting this feeling that it might come to blows, and the mean need us to provide a united front, seeing as how we're gonna to train them up right for the big fight.."
"Understood," Will replied. "I'll take it under advisement."
Will paused and looked around to where Robin Hood stood in front of a line of outlaws now training to throw and retrieve spears and then another group learning to shoot at practice targets made of wood and straw bales. "Let's put it another way, either we work together or we hang separately, right?"
"Looks like," the big man nodded grimly.
"Looks like," Will echoed, and grinned, that reckless devil-may-care sparkle back in his blue eyes, "I've made a decision, "I'd rather not hang at all, okay?"
"Famous last words, but my sentiments exactly."
Robin wandered over, having decided to give the raw recruit's a rest break before starting them in again and wandered over to the corner of the firewood stack where his second-in-command and the man introduced as Will Scarlett stood conversing.
'I am interrupting anything?" he asked with his hands outspread to in a wordless display of no harm meant. Even from his first meeting he had sensed that the younger man was about prickly as startled and angry hedgehog and as for the big man, Little John, well it was best not to make a freshly awakened and hungry bear ma; there was no telling what they might do.
"Naw, you aint' Little John grumbled and straightened up, the muscles in his back and arms stiff from being in one position too long. " Will, I'll just be gathering up the bow staves and taking them over to the fletchers."
"Have at them," replied Will as he stood up as well. "Locksley." he stiffly greeted the older man.
"Look, it wouldn't take much, " Robin began and then trailed off, unsure of both what he wanted to say and how it would be received. "You don't trust me?" It was a question but it was phrased as more of a statement.
"No, but give me a reason," replied Will.
"What's this about?" Robin demanded," because frankly, I honestly do not know why you've taken this sudden dislike to me."
"It ain't sudden as all that, It's been a long time in the making. Will sighed. "Guess you would have no way of knowing about any of that, off fighting in the Crusades, that where you learn all your fancy fighting moves?"
"Actually yes," Robin said, "surprised by how open and forthright Will Scarlett was behaving at this point, his own innate and perhaps a bit naïve nature welcoming the change and willing to for it to last.
"Hope it ain't all book-learning, rich boy," Will grinned, pulling up his sleeves to show the brace of knives strapped to his wrists, but Little John and I, and the rest of us forest outlaws agreed on one thing."
"And what would that one thing be?" Robin asked, interested in spite of himself.
"We either work together….." Will trailed off and never for one instant did that devilish determined grin fade from his face, "Or we hang separately."
"It's lesson learned from hard experience, yours, mine, and theirs," Robin pivoted on his heel and gestured with the thumb of his left hand to the redoubt and the forest outlaws shelters.
"So, we are agreed then?" Robin asked.
"Hell, if we ain't." Will replied as he reached up above his head and finger-combed the tousle of fine blond hair. "You gonna lead us,, rich man?"
"To the best of my ability and beyond, you have my word on it." Robin extended his right forearm in a gesture and token of trust, and for a few awkward seconds he was afraid and uncertain the Will Scarlett would not reject the unspoken gesture. Will looked all around, at the trees, at the camp, at the bonfire, and the surrounding forest, anywhere but at him, but then something seem to catch at him, and grabbed hold of Robin's arm and pumped it up and down for all he was worth. "You got yourself a promise on that," he said.