Scarlet weaved through trees, following her father. The ground flew by beneath her. She leaped from her tree branch and grabbed the next one, swinging from it and landing lightly on a branch four feet away.
"Father, where are we going?" She called. "You'll see. Now quiet! Don't awaken them." Them happened to be a group of soldiers, sleeping some hundred feet away in the light of a dying fire. Scarlet continued her path through the tree branches towards them. The sliver of the moon darted behind a cloud as they went.
Marian would not have liked this one bit, but luckily she was sleeping soundly, thanks to the Chamomile Scarlet had but in her tea. Marian would never have to no. Ignorance is bliss, Scarlet thought slyly.
Scarlet was now in a tree just twenty feet above where the soldiers lay sleeping. She crept lower, to the lowest branch she could when she heard, "Who whoooo..." The owls call. Or rather, Alan's call. Alan the Owl, She thought comically. Ha. She dropped down from the tree and landed lightly on her feet. Around her, the merry men were doing the same, circling the soldiers.
Scarlet and a few others darted forward, pocketing the coins of the elderly gentlemen whom the soldiers were guarding. Filthy rich, the lot of em'. She pulled reached down to take a rich young man's coin purse when his eyes opened and he snatched he wrist.
Around her the guards and the other men were jumping to their feet. "Oh hell." She muttered. He pulled a sword from a sheath with one hand, still gripping her wrist tightly. "I didn't know girls were allowed in the sherwood forest." He said snidely. "Their not," Scarlet replied.
She kicked the sword out of his hand, twisted her arm in his grip, and smashed his nose with her elbow. "So get out!" He felt his nose and cringed. He advanced persistently, but Scarlet ducked behind him and kicked him in the small of his back. Little John, who happened to be passing by, took the chance to crack him on the head with his quarter staff.
"Thanks," Scarlet said breathlessly. He grinned. "You had everything under control anyway." She laughed. Then a knife was pressed up against her throat. She stiffened. "Drop the weapons, or the miss dies." Everything ground to a halt. Robin sighed and dropped his bow and quiver on the ground.
Quickly the other merry men followed suit. From the stench it could only be one person. "Gisbourne." The word came out as a low whisper, but was clearly audible. "Yes Letty, Sir Gisbourne." Robin's voice was treacherously deadly.
"Good, now, if you would please kneel with your hands on your head, I would be most obliged." He grabbed onto Scarlet's hair with one hand, with the other he held the knife. "Now!" Slowly the merry men did as asked.
Scarlet shook with rage. She hated being the bargaining chip. It made her feel helpless, like she was a helpless newborn everyone had to watch out for. Then another person walked into view. It was the Sheriff of Nottingham. "Well done Gisbourne. You will be paid in full. Once they are locked up."
The sheriff walked over to Robin. "Well well. Robin of Hood. Brought to your knees once and for all." Robin said nothing. "You will look me in the eye when I speak to you, convict." Robin looked up at him. "Very good. You understand then, that your daughters life is on the line if you don't. And where is Marian? Well, I hope?" Robin looked down. "She's safe. Far away from you."
"Gisbourne!" The sheriff said. Scarlet felt the dagger dig into her skin, puncturing it. She bit her lip to keep from making a noise. "Gisbourne!" The voice was distinctly female, this time. All heads whipped around including Scarlet's. Scarlet barely had time to gasp before Gisbourne fell to the ground, and arrow lodged in his abdomen