Authors Note: There really is no excuse, but I'm going to hide behind the white-flag labelled "school work" and cross my fingers. Sadly (or happily…) school is over in like, a week, and then some more spectacularly important exams and then…DONE. Bliss. So, this is an attempt at updating before the real insanity of exams begins, as otherwise my next update would be sometime in November, by which point you all would have well and truly washed your hands of me.
Thankyou all for your fantastic reviews! I love them all, they are the reason that I felt guilty enough to try writing another chapter. Sorry, sorry, sorry again about the wait.
Thanks all for sticking with this well past its anticipated use-by-date (ha, to think I wanted it done within a few short chapters…) we are nearing the finish line people!!!! (I think…)
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The Sheriff's mouth almost hurt from smiling so hard. It was not a position that he had been in often in his life, and he found himself to be rather fond of it, the inability to wipe the smirk from his face.
He was tempted to wander up to the outlaws and attempt one of his "I see you're just hanging around" lines, but he doubted the dark haired one had the strength to appreciate it, and the other one was being decidedly irritable.
As well as the helpless defiance the prisoners were attempting to exhibit, he was very much enjoying the shocked faces of the crowd. As he wandered about on the platform, ranting and raving about Robin Hood's failure to rescue his own men from peril he could almost feel the confidence in the outlaw dropping among the people. Many of them were darting curious, and terrified, glances at the prisoners, as though unable to believe that Hood had allowed that much damage to come to his men.
It was positively delicious.
The Sheriff favoured the crowd with a dazzling grin, allowing all his teeth to show as he prepared to give his eager soldiers the chance to destroy any following Hood might have had. Gisbourne was attempting to hide his impatience at the delay while standing on the steps, which meant that the Sheriff dragged his speech out for another minute or so, again elaborating on the wrongs of following Robin Hood, just to be contrary. Finally it was at the point where he couldn't wait any longer either, he was most eager to watch the morning's proceedings, and so he turned to the man testing the whip and nodded his head.
Which, apparently, was not only the signal for the whipping to begin, but for all hell to break loose.
No sooner had the man raised the whip, causing a flinch to ripple through the entire crowd, than Lady Marian came screeching into the castle, hair flying wildly in all directions and tears pouring down her face.
Her noise immediately meant that the crowd's attention was distracted, and the Sheriff gave his confused soldier an annoyed signal to pause where he stood, as Gisbourne, the git, leapt off the stairs and forced his way through to his lady.
She burst into a fresh bout of tears and threw her arms around Gisbourne's neck, which surprised the Sheriff no end. He exchanged a startled glance with the blonde outlaw who had raised a confused eyebrow at the proceedings.
Not close enough to hear what the blasted woman was saying Vaisey stepped off the platform and moved closer to the two, muttering under his breath about the uselessness of women, and how they ruined everything.
As he tried to force his way through the pulsing crowd he was able to see Gisbourne leap onto a horse, that had apparently materialised out of thin air, and wave his arms about, summoning soldiers to him. Marian was smiling now, and calling out things like "Thankyou my Lord" in such a nauseating tone that the Sheriff thought he might puke on the nearest peasant.
His angry shouts had been swallowed by the crowd, and by the time had reached the woman, whose tears were drying rapidly, Gisbourne had disappeared with three quarters of the soldiers thundering after him.
The Sheriff shook his head at his right hand man's stupidity, and decided to make a point of the meaning of the word "whipped" at their next meeting.
After spluttering for a minute at Gisbourne's rudeness, and wondering what on earth would have convinced him to leave the party so quickly, and so well-escorted, he rounded on Marian, who was now dramatically gasping for air.
"What on earth is going on?" He thundered, wondering to himself how on earth the situation had managed to get quite so out of control.
"My lord it was Hood!" She cried, "he and his men attacked my home, they are holding my father, I was barely able to escape! I came straight here for help, but…" The sheriff took an involuntary step back as tears reformed in he eyes, "I think that I might be too late to save my father".
And then they started again, pouring down her face. Her eyes, already red and puffy, were swelling rapidly, and she sniffled repeatedly.
Vaisey rubbed his temples as a headache started. He turned his back on Marian, ready to attempt to regain some order and carry out the whipping, he allowed a small chuckle as he realised that Gisbourne would have missed it. And pondered briefly what Hood had hoped to achieve by not attacking the castle directly, as he had expected.
Maybe he was hoping to bargain hostages?
The Sheriff caught the eye of the soldier who was waiting to continue his duty, raising his hand to signal the restart of entertainments when the second rather unexpected surprise of his morning occurred.
"Don't you dare move another bloody inch" came the thunder of Robin Hood's voice, his tone dark and icy.
Vaisey cringed. Bloody Gisbourne and his woman troubles. This is all his fault.
The last thing he saw was the angry fist of an enormous, bearded man.
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Ha, there we go, a small offering, but an offering nonetheless. We're getting there, slowly but surely. I will try and get some more updates done in the holidays, but if nothing comes through, FEAR NOT, come November I'll be FREE, and then there will maybe be such unheard of wonders as daily updates…sigh. Bliss.
Thanks for reading, PLEASE REVIEW.