A shaft of light from the open window made Archer squeeze his eyes tightly closed.
He knew he'd have to get up from his wooden bunk soon. It was his turn to go hunt for food with Much. He sighed. And he was really looking forward for peace and quiet, too.
Then he realized that his bunk was different…softer, somehow. He furrowed his brow, his eyes still closed. He shifted, and then gasped as his eyes flew open. His leg throbbed.
He looked around the unfamiliar room...then sighed again as it became recognizable once more.
Right. He was captured. Tied to the bed, not by ropes and chains, but by his own body.
Archer relaxed again and shut his eyes with a slight smile. At least he'd get that peace and quiet now. The door banged open. "Good morning!" Scarlett called out in an annoyingly cheerful voice while carrying a rattling tray of food. Archer rolled his eyes upward. Forget that idea.
Scarlett set the tray at the foot of bed and waited for Archer to rearrange himself into a position suitable for eating the eggs and sausage on the plate. His eyebrows rose in surprise at the amount and quality of the food. The sheriff's wife, with a never-ending smile, seemed oblivious to his shock as she lifted the tray and placed it on Archer's lap.
Archer inhaled the mouthwatering scents, but decided to wait until Scarlett had finished fluffing his pillows and smoothing the blankets and left.
But after waiting for a few moments, peering sideways at the unmoving form of the sheriff's wife, he realized she was not going to leave.
Slightly unnerved by her watching eyes, he began to eat, very conscious of sweet juices running down his chin. He quickly wiped it away. "Um, thank you for the care," his voice contained heavy sarcasm as he indicated towards his bandaged leg.
"Oh dear, I know you've had bad experiences with the sheriffs in the past, but this is the present, and we are not bad people," Scarlett smiled annoyingly wide again. "Give your leg a chance to heal here, and we'll let you go whenever you desire, Archer."
Archer held a suspicious look on the inside. His outward appearance smiled graciously and he continued to eat.
It took a bit longer for Archer to finish eating than usual because of the constant chatter by Scarlett. But soon he was done and Scarlett whisked the tray away and left, but not before rearranging his pillows once more and tugging the blankets up and tucking them close around him so it was hard to breathe.
Soon Archer was suffocating from the heat of the snug blankets and threw them off with one yank of his hand. He gazed out the open window, longing to be back in Sherwood, wishing he had never run off and fought so stupidly. Then he wouldn't be here under the care of a female Much. He compared the two. And grinned.
