This is my first ever Robin Hood fan fiction, and it tore me to pieces when I finished the series :( please go easy on me :)
Disclaimer: I do not own Robin Hood, Djaq, or any of the other characters.
Women have no rights. When they get married, they take the man's name. When they have a family, it's the man that provides while the woman stays home with their children. Women are used by men and are looked down a pone in society. When a man and a woman offer their opinions, it's the man that get's listened to, even if the woman is right. It is unjust.
Being a Saracen, she had even less rights in England. She was a woman of a different race, making life difficult. Growing up, she learned from her father how to fight and the basics of medicine. After her brother's death she cut her hair and became him. In order for her brother to live on, Saffia had to "disappear". In taking on his identity, she would remember him, and also gain an advantage she had been born without. Equality. When people thought she was her brother Djaq, she had a voice, an opinion. The villagers, the allowed her to dress their wounds, thinking she was her brother. They allowed her to fight. It was exhilarating. Something she couldn't give up. Soon Saffia was completely gone, leaving behind only Djaq.
She was small, but that didn't mean she was weak. After her father's death, she had to look elsewhere for work, and moved to the next town over. She worked with the men of the village and soon could do more than most of the men she worked with. She was proud of herself. Her, a girl, was working amongst men, and doing their job better, without them even realizing she was female.
Her life was going fine. She had enough money for a small house; she always ate at least something, never going hungry for long. She kept mostly to herself, but she was never judged, nor bothered by anyone.
That was until the Sheriff of Nottingham showed up.
What right did he have to come to their country and take valuable men from them? None. Maybe she was still trying to live up to Djaq, but she spoke up. Where did that get her? Thrown in a cage with the rest of the village men, that's where.
The ride to, England she guessed, judging by their accents, was long and tiring. There were 6 of them all together, crammed into the small cage. The trip was, for the most part, spent on bumpy trails, causing them to rock and crash into each other. The man who drove the cart was a blubbering Englishman. In one meal he ate more than they got all together in one day. Every one of the men understood English, but she was the only one who could actually speak it. The man continuously insulted them. It was the first time she'd felt like a minority in a long time. Here, even when people thought she was male, she was treated badly.
It was like the English thought they were animals.
Maybe they did?
In her mind, she was about to die. She hadn't really eaten anything since they left. Something she'd gotten used to since becoming Djaq, was that everything was a competition for men. Even something as simple as food was an excuse to impress someone. Who? She hadn't found that out yet. But because of that, she didn't usually get much food. Yes she was a fighter, but they could easily over power her if it meant more food for them.
It seemed as if they were going to do something very dangerous, since they made the effort to come and get slaves.
When had things gotten so messed up? Two weeks ago, she had it all. A loving family friend that allowed her to sit with the pigeons, a respected career as a physician, and she trained with a lot of the village men. It was as if her brother was actually living through her life. And now, she was somewhere in England, in a cage, about to be paid for by a sheriff.
She knew enough tricks to be able to burn through the ropes without anyone noticing, but once she got out, she could easily be caught by the man on the horse. It had happened before. The first day they took her, which ended in a beating.
The smirk that spread across her face was almost invisible when she saw 5 men had stopped the cart.
Maybe she would get her chance to run now. The men didn't look to smart and seemed to be living in the forest. Outlaws.
Why were they treating the driver so well? The leader even agreed with him when he told them not to feed them. Instead he threw the water container at the man standing in front her; obviously terrified of the story he'd just been told. Turk flu. Yeah right. Brains leaking from peoples noses? As a physician, she knew that wasn't possible. Yet everyone seemed to believe it.
It made her furious. Which is probably why she'd messed with the over talkative one.
She couldn't contain the full smile that stretched across her lips when the big man knocked out the arrogant driver.
It was then that their leader came to speak with them, claiming he would set them free at that moment, or they could help to destroy the mines.
She tried saying they all just wanted to be set free, but that man was very arrogant in reveling he could speak her language.
In the end, she'd agreed, if only to embarrass the man that brought her there in the first place.
She would never admit it, but climbing down the ladder into the mine was the scariest thing she'd ever done. It was dark, and dusty, making it hard to see and breath.
She eagerly climbed back out right after the Englishman, and the plan had gone off without a hitch. The guards ran, her men were set free, and they started a fire. At least it would have gone off without a hitch. The big guy she liked because he punched out the driver had fallen through a hole and was now inside the mine.
If she hadn't been there, he would've died.
By then she'd learned all of their names. Robin was the leader, Will was the man who'd been scared of the Turk flu, John was the big one I'd saved, Much was the talkative one, and Allan was the fake Turk in the plan.
She hid behind a rock and watched the group tease Much. He was speaking to God, but it was almost like he was arguing. She decided to play a trick on him.
Her fun was short lived when Robin called for her from her hiding spot.
She eagerly came out and asked to join their group. Then she could be treated as an equal again. Then she could help people like she had back home.
That was when Will spilled her secret.
"It wouldn't be safe for you to join us…" Will muttered.
"For us or for him?" Robin asked, obviously confused.
Will smirked at her. "For her."
Djaq glared at him while everyone but the smiling Robin exchanged confused glances.
"I guessed as much…" Robin said arrogantly.
She instantly became nervous that she would have to leave again because she was a woman.
"Does anyone have a problem with a woman joining the gang?" Robin looked around the group.
Djaq looked at everyone expectantly, and saw that they were all shaking their heads in a 'no' motion.
The excitement that coursed through her at that moment was more than enough to make the trip of hell seem slightly more bearable.
Smiling, she joined her new group for their first dinner together.
R&R please :)