Title: Mushroom

Author: Anna Fay Morgan
Rating / warnings: M15 - set in an AU where Marian was clever enough to run after season one, a.k.a. the disastrous wedding.
Characters / pairings: Guy of Gisborne, OFC (hopefully not Mary Sue), Vasey + sometimes Robin, Marian and Gang.
Summary: Adventure. Romance. Guy. Who needs more? :)

Thanks and tons of chocolate goes to Sedri at LJ, who was kind enough to be my beta in the English; and asd & LesMis in the Hungarian version. All remaining mistakes are mine.

Sadly I do not own any of the original characters, they all belong to BBC and Tiger Aspect.

- Please note that this was written last year, well before season three, so some of the characters can seem a bit OOC now.

oOo

Mushroom, mushroom, berries, two ugly-looking dotted eggs, berries, mushroom, mushroom, mushroom. Much gave a sad sigh as he counted the things he had managed to gather in two hours of hard work. On that day even a squirrel or two would have been welcome on his plate, no matter how dreadful creatures they were. After a year of living in the forest he gave up his dreams of soft, pink, spicy pork for quite some time.

"I guess they no longer roast pork at all," he said to himself, but before he could get to the gloomy idea that maybe there might be no pigs on this Earth anymore, sound of hooves disturbed his thoughts. The nearest bush was a dozen steps and a long jump's distance. The nearest tree was within arm's reach. He quickly crouched next to the trunk and hoped that his earth-coloured clothes will give him enough protection.

They did. Two soldiers and a lady galloped past him as if he was nothing but a pathetic little bush or a root poking out of the ground; nothing worth looking at. That hurt a bit, but not as much as it could have if he'd to fight the men alone, so he seized his basket with the pitiful mushrooms and the ugly eggs and ran towards the camp to alert the others, for the travellers that were bound to come back soon.

oOo

"Ah, Lady Gwyneth," said Sheriff Vasey with a stilted, fatherly smile on his face as the door of his office opened. "Come, come! We've been waiting for you!"

"My lord, I'm asking your help in a personal matter." The young woman bowed her head, but when she lifted it again, she looked at the man standing behind Vasey. Then, slowly, she turned to look at Vasey himself.

"I'm sorry, I give no private audiences," said the sheriff, but before Gwyneth had any chance to argue, he added; "Gisborne can have a look at you and make sure you're not hiding any daggers under your gown. After that he can leave us."

"He can stay," Gwyneth agreed coldly.

"You heard the lady, Gisborne, you can stay!" The gleeful smiles on their faces were embarrassing enough, but it was over in no time, whereas searching through her clothes could have lasted for long minutes.

"How is our beloved Sir Archibald?" asked Vasey when he finally stopped grinning over his own joke.

"Frailer and frailer with every passing day," said Gwyneth. "He's dying."

"I'm sorry to hear that." It was clear that the sheriff was about as shocked by this grave news as the young widow-to-be: Not at all.

"Thank you," she nodded, without affection in her voice. "I'm asking for your help in a matter connected to my husband's imminent death."

Vasey didn't say a word, but the way he put both hands on the arms of his chair indicated that Gwyneth should consider his attention as the greatest of all graces.

"With his father's death, my stepson wishes to marry me," she said.

"Congratulations!" The time could not have been more inappropriate, but Gwyneth couldn't help admiring how each and every smile of Vasey's could be more unpleasant than the one before.

"I would like to avoid this marriage," she said.

"I see." The sheriff tilted his head slightly.

"I'm asking your help to do so. In return I can offer you either land or money, from what I will get back from my dowry after my husband's death." Gwyneth stepped a little closer to the table between her and the sheriff, and added: "In a few years' time I will inherit other estates as well. I'm sure I will be able to pay generously for your help."

"I will have to think about it!"

"Thank you, my lord. If you'd be so kind and allow me to stay for the night… It's getting dark," she said. She was sure that in a night she could also think of something that would benefit not only Vasey, but herself as well.

"Gisborne will find you a room. Welcome to Nottingham; I hope you feel at home." Vasey sighed as if he had to live with people wanting his rooms, his meals, and his generosity every day.

Gwyneth waited fr a few second, but as the sheriff didn't say anything else, she bowed and turned to leave the room with Gisborne.

For some time she followed him silently, but after the third flight of steps, she decided to walk beside him and ask; "Do you think the sheriff will help me?"

"I cannot tell," Gisborne replied without looking at her.

"My offer might be too small for someone already ruling Nottinghamshire," she said, glancing at Gisborne with only the slightest of smiles. "But I'm sure it must be appealing for someone at the beginning of his career."

"Are you offering it to me?" he asked, for the first time looking at her.

"I do, if you accept!" Gwyneth broadened her smile, as he stopped and opened a door for her. "I hope the sheriff doesn't mind if you do."

Gisborne didn't say a word, but he was clearly considering it and needed only a nudge. "I would be in your debt," she said touching his arm lightly. "And I would be very grateful!"

"I'll se what I can do," said Gisborne, nodding slowly.

"Thank you," Gwyneth whispered solemnly.

"This room is too small," he said, smiling. "We should find you a bigger one!"

Gwyneth returned the smile and let him lead on. If only but a bigger bed came from smiling and being nice, she would be content.

It took Gisborne so long to get back to the office that Vasey started to think that he didn't only get the seductive offer from Lady Gwyneth, but took some deposit as well.

"Between you and me, this girl knows how to play our game," he said when Gisborne finally returned and could affirm Vasey's suspicions about the offer. "I hope she's not too clever, though. It's not good to have business with clever women."

"Are we to help her, my lord?" Gisborne asked.

"Of course we are!" Vasey smiled, sending his servants away. "It is our duty to help those in need!"

Gisborne only laughed softly.

"And this time, we will not help only because our good hearts urge us to do so, but because we will be paid for it!" Vasey sipped his wine, and continued with a broad smile. "Like Sir Archibald himself, his relatives also happen live for incredibly long time. On the other hand, they aren't really good at producing male heirs. And so when our good friend dies, his only son gets all his lands and riches."

Gisborne stepped only a little closer, smiling.

"It is in our interest too to prevent the boy from marrying our Lady Gwyneth," Vasey said, tapping the table before him with every word. "It is in our interest to prevent the boy from marrying anyone and making children. For if anything happens to him, his heirs would get the lands, and not us, Sir Archibald's chosen brothers."

"So we would have killed him anyway?"

"In time. But poor Lady Gwyneth will have to pay for it nonetheless!"

oOo

With some disappointment Gwyneth had to accept that she'd be the very last item on Vasey's list the next day. Waiting on the doorstep of his office like an eager child was out of the question. Climbing all the steps back to her room likewise. She decided to have a walk around the castle's yard. Then around the battlements. And the great hall. And the cathedral.

At last a servant came running with the good news: Vasey has finished all his other tasks and was willing to see her.

She expected a ridiculously high price and was ready for bargaining, but the sheriff merely smiled at her and apologized for not being able to say what he'd ask for.

"For now I can't even say how I could help you," he indicated a chair on which Gwyneth sat reluctantly. "And I would hate to set a price now and lift it later."

Gwyneth tried not to back away from him with her chair, but smiled gratefully and decided to change the topic: "Please, forgive my bluntness, my lord, but I would like to know if I can count on your help, or I should start to look for other possible solutions." She only glimpsed on Gisborne. She didn't expect him to keep her offer in secret from Vasey, and wanted to see his reaction too.

"You can," Vasey nodded. "And I take your bluntness as a virtue. For now."

Gwyneth couldn't help feeling sorry for mice trapped by large, evil cats.

"To be able to help you," Vasey continued "I'll also need your help. Nothing to worry about, nothing impossible. All you have to do is send me a word when Sir Archibald passes away. As quickly as possible."

"May I use the messenger my husband used to?"

"Meaning the one that should be my and your dear husband's secret? Of course!" Vasey laughed.

---

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