Ok intro in the story, I was randomly thinking about Robin Hood on the way home and then had a really cool dream that kinda sounds like this and thought hmm I want to write it down...soo little intro into Leah, she's this really random sort of excentric person, 17, loves meeting new people and she gets really annoyed at being patronized or being looked up and down hehe oh and she LOVES TO LAUGH... I hope you can be nice because it's my first story! But I only own Leah soo good luck! xx
"Bye Emma…Bye Tracey" I waved bye to my managers as I walked out the electronic doors of my shop and wrapped zip up my jacket as the wind whipped around me. Urghh it's the middle of summer and yet here I am with a jacket and coat trying to stay warm…but yes this is England and I'm freezing off my bum cheeks!
I walked out to busy car park avoiding the stupid drivers and narrowly avoiding a collision when they didn't pay attention. As I begin the long walk home, across the traffic lights and my thoughts drifted to my friends and other random subjects. It came to the bridge and a new idea entered my head- why not walk though the fields? I'd changed into normal clothes before I left work and I had on furry boats so walking through the fields wouldn't wreck my work shoes…and it would be fun!
So I swung my leg over the gat, pulled my hood up as it started to rain and tightened my grip on my bag holding my work clothes and over night gear since I'd be spending the night at Tiff's. After about 10 minutes I began to thinking walking across a muddy field in the middle of nowhere in the rain wasn't the best idea. I'd never actually walked through the field but I knew it ended up near my house if I made it right? I was enjoying looking round the fields to see how the crops were growing, no one was around and the weather began to improve slightly, the rain stopped letting the sun had appeared through the clouds. I took my coat off and swung it round the straps of my bag leaving my jacket on because it was still chilly, I'd been walking for about 40 minutes when I started getting light headed, I'd just reached the wooded area that I could cut through to get home but I had to stop, my arms and head started feeling fuzzy, like pins and needles running through my veins and my visions clouded to the point where I could barely see. This had happened to me a few times before but never outside my home. I tried to keep walking, something I knew the minute I did would make me pass out, I reached to grab something so steady myself and everything just went black. No thoughts…
I opened my eyes, slightly dazed thinking I'd fallen asleep in the woods. I slowly got up and reached around for any injuries but I was fine and then sat up to look for my bag. Only to see it being searched through by a man wearing brown and green with a hat, I never released till later that I had woken and was being watched by a man twice my size, something that you'd see followed by some crime report on the TV.
"Hey can I get my bag back?" the man turned his attention towards me; I could only slightly see him covered by the shade of the woods. Dark hair, middle aged, tanned and dirty…like how I'd imagine a farmer after he'd been in the fields all day…he also wore a kind of linen looking brown fabric for trousers and a loose shirt that was dirty too…maybe he was a farmer?
"Are you from the South maiden?" he asked, in a clear Nottingham Accent, I was there enough so I knew it anywhere, but I was still confused and he still had my bag.
"You what?"
"Are you from the South maid? London perhaps methinks" the man rose and began to walk towards me, held out his hand to help me up since I was still on the floor. I brushed myself off and then looked him full on in the face, his eyes were a lovely blue colour but he had pulled his hat down so the rest of his face was still in the shade.
"Yeah Colchester, in Essex if you know it" I was still watching him, one eyebrow raised slightly as I began to think more clearly and remember where I was. The man simply nodded and began to turn and walk off, my bag in hand.
"Sorry sunshine but you still have my bag, can I get it back?" I started walking after and cut him off in the direction he was headed, reaching for my bag that he held like a person unused to holding a baby would hold them away from their body. I snatched it back and smiled
"Well thanks for keeping watch of me I guess, while I passed out…" wanting to try and leave to get home
"You are not from around here Lady, you are a long way from home methinks…come I will take you somewhere safe" he reached out for my arm at which my instincts kicked it, having 4 brothers teaches you to be quick or get sat on. I pulled my arm back and stood in a position ready to either kick him or run for it. The man just stood there, all 5ft 10inches of him and looked down at my 5ft 3inches and smiled to himself either as a patronising gesture or an impressed smirk, either way it irritated me.
"Look here you, I'm going home, if you follow me or touch me again I will call the police" trying to look as intimidating as possible without looking like a defensive rabbit which apparently is how I look.
"Maiden you misinterpret me, look around, you are not from this time" in a calming neutral tone that reminded me of a fatherly friend when he thought I was getting annoyed with him. I did in fact and guess what caught my attention? The direction I had walked in had huge buildings because it was a shopping centre, all gone. The noise from the busy roads had disappeared and most importantly THE CATHERDRAL.
"Where the HECK has the CATHEDRAL GONE?" I yelled as the blood drained from my face and I felt myself go pale.
"You are before it was built, there is a group coming up by the path…make sure they do not pass here without you" he said, pointing to where I had been walking, and then he turned deeper into the woods and left out of sight. Sure enough I heard a load noise, like a train but only earthier coming from a way off along the path; I ran up to the path waiting to see what was happening now the man had disappeared and I was obviously not in Lincoln anymore but yet still in the same woods? I didn't get it. I was stood firmly in the middle of the path looking in the direction of the approaching sound, I could see in the distance horses, and I was beginning to notice bigger changes like there was no river running alongside the path, and the fields covered the horizon in every direction.
The horses were getting closer and I checked myself over, bag and coat in hand, mud brushed off my jeans and hair brushed off my face just as the group stopped in front of me. About a dozen men on huge horses wearing green and brownish colours, I was marvelling at the horses as they stopped just in front of me, looking down with faces concealed by hoods.
"Hello gentlemen, my names Leah and I'm a bit lost" I said, hoping to look innocent and in need of help…which was kind of my intention. The front man, hopped off his horse while I continued to smile in my confused-post-fainting state. He walked up to me, looked me up and down and took his hood off, this action alone made me hate him simply because I think its degrading to be looked up and down! I hate it with a passion.
"Well..milady clad in tight clothing, I am Robin of Locksley and these are some of my merry men" he said pointing to the other men who were now swinging off their horses to. My brain finally kicked in at this point
"Wait wait wait…you're Robin Hood?" I said pointing to him, he nodded and gave me what I would call a sarcastic look.
"No way, Robin Hood was in the middle ages, get over yourself" I said eyeing the other men to try and get a good look at them. There were about 8 of them in total, all wearing green tops and small hoods that pointed slightly at the top, like a misshaped sailor's hat and all except one wear quite tall and physically fit and the one that didn't was wearing a dog collar and long black robes.
"Well lady if you believe me that's your fault, but I am Robin of Locksley and also called Robin Hood" he said in a slow calm voice…like he was controlling himself.
"If you are Robin then where are we?" giving him slight evils
"In Lincoln, about 40 miles of good road from my dear Nottingham" he said looking bored really.
"And when are we? Like era, month, decade?" still keeping eye contact.
"In the reign of King John, if that's what you mean" still looking my up and down under the protection of his hood. My eyes widened as I took in what he was actually saying.
"OH MY DAYSS… you're actually Robin Hood? I've just met Robin Hood…wow wow oh my days…" I was just hopping around now, jumping on the spot and screaming!
"I AM IN THE MIDDLE AGES! AHHHHHH ok must be calm… woo focus" I actually had to refrain myself from jumping up and hugging him or something because I LOVE Robin Hood with a passion! During my little excited session the men had all removed their hoods and had an expression of trying not to laugh, so once I calmed down and looked at them I could actually see them! Robin Hood's men! WOW!
"Ok well hello nice to meet you, I'm not from around here and a farmer dude told me that you would help me so…could you? Somehow?" A man from behind Robin came forward and looked at me, he was well…lush! Dark hair, bright blue eyes, about 20ish.
"Robin if she needs help we might as well, we have a spare horse to take her back to Nottingham with us, but you'd have to live in the forest with us. It's a hard life but you'll never be alone" talking to me, I honestly can say that I wasn't paying any attention, just the fact that he was Welsh with a brilliant welsh accent and I just wanted him to keep talking.
"Oki I'm fine with whatever I just need to get home somehow but I have a feeling it's not built for another 600 years so go for it". I looked expectantly at them as one brought forward a horse from the back of rabble, a huge brown beast that was twice my height and looked like it would swallow me whole for dinner. I must have looked incredibly intimidated coz the Welsh came over with a saddle and attached it to the horse.
"Can you keep up?" he said looking at me
"Umm yeah I mean how hard is it to ride a horse anyway?" looking at him and giggling nervously and inwardly thinking oh crap just kill me now, that horse is gunna trample me! But the lovely Welsh bloke just smiled and pulled a saddle out of no where and buckled it to the horse, coaxing him as he did it until the horse sat down…on the floor. The man then motioned for me to get on the horse, lying on the floor.
"Now you hold the reins like this, putting your feet here" he then continued to position my hands and feet in the right places so I knew.
"Now I'm going to raise Bailey and he'll look after you fine ok?" my mysterious Welsh dude was looking at me expectantly because I must not have looked like I was paying any attention because well I was watching Robin and the other men who were now wondering around the wood; some disappeared behind trees so I'm guessing they needed the loo. The big man who had first greeted me was still no where to be seen so I think he's just left me here…but he seemed to know who I was so I don't know?
Mysterious Welsh must have noticed me watching the other men because he stopped telling me what to do and instead stayed quiet, silently raising the horse and shocking me out of my reverie.
"WOO little warning please before you do that next time?" I said sarcastically
"Well you weren't paying attention to my instructions, if you had then you would have heard" he shot back not looking me in the face.
"Fine be like that, I was only curious"
"Curious about what? Being in the hands of Outlaws or just being here?" I think he was angry at me, but I didn't get why so I just got angrier.
"Well sorry mate but where I'm from usually you get some kind of introduction when you meet new people. I mean you all know my name and I don't know any of you and I'm stuck 600 years before I was even born and urgh this is messed up" I must have squeezed my legs during my rant because the horse just sort of shot off running which made me scream and shout
"WHAT DO I DO?" at no one in particular until some random person actually stopped the horse about 500 yards down the path and I'd stopped shouted and was actually enjoying myself while on the horse but I still couldn't stop him. I was laughing by the time the horse had stopped and a hooded individual had come to my rescue.
"Thank you so much" I said, still breathless from my ride and laughter. Only when I'd started breathing did I notice that this man wasn't wearing the same colour green…in fact he was wearing a deep maroon colour and giving me the blankest look I've ever seen, like expressionless has just met zombie so I couldn't read anything he was thinking except from his eyes which were a brown colour.
"And who wouldst thou be?" he asked in a dark tone
"Leah" holding eye contact
"Don't you know to bow when you see a member of the Royal Guard?"
"When I'm able to recognise a member of the Royal Guard and know what they do then yeah I suppose" I'd never been good at not being sarcastic when I get a cocky remark like that. I'm pretty sure he was gunna smack me at this point because he got off his horse and pulled up his gloves and reach for his horse whip reaching towards me foot… BUT I squeezed Bailey my horse and rode as quickly as I could get him to go back in the direction of Robin and his men. Hoping and praying they hadn't just left me with this stupid man!