Disclaimer: I don't own Robin Hood, but I want to!
Chapter 11: Red Elixir of life
The weird thing about dying is that you get to see the entire picture. Where the plan went wrong and where you messed up. You also get to see everyone's reactions: their screaming, feelings of loss, sadness and defeat. I wonder if they'll remember me, wonder if I mattered to them like they did to me. Wonder what will happen to me. But now, pressed against the tree, feeling my life slowly drift away ( I felt it flow out of me, not the pain that I should have felt) I simultaneously wondered if they'd find me and if I wanted to be found.
In retrospect I realize how futile my efforts were to try and bring my belongings with me. Was I really naive enough to believe that my father wanted me back? Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
The pain came when I started crying. It spread like the ripples on a pond. Slowly consuming me, infiltrating my lungs and clawing its way out my throat. Suddenly I was weeping, crying out for all of them. "ROBIN! MUCH! WILL! JOHN! DJAQQ! AAAALLLLAAAAANNNN!" I took deep breaths trying to force down the pain because with every word it grew, "I'm sorry"
(v) (v) (v) (v) (v) The Meeting(v) (v) (v) (v) (v)
I shouldered my small pack filled with some rabbit meat cooked to Much's standards. There were four figures in the middle of the clearing just ahead of us, two had bags over their heads, and my father and Gisbourne were standing next to who I hoped was Robin and Will.
I took a step forward before Djaq pulled me roughly backwards into a hug and whispered for me to be safe. When she released me Little John clasped a hand on my shoulder, "You, I like. Little Worm." I nodded, blinking back tears. Allan was looking at me oddly; I blushed and averted my gaze. His hand reached under the curtain formed by my loose hair and gently pulled up my chin. (A/N: okay here they can ether have the most adorable awkward little kiss complete with bumped noses, tenderness, and Evelyn mentioning at first that he has chapped lips but then decides that she doesn't care. Or he can say something witty that goes along the lines of "I'm not being funny (when is he ever?) but please be okay."...Your choice)
Allan took off his scarf, smiled at me and then wrapped it around my neck, "For good luck," he said. I hugged him one last time. "I can't top that," said Much, I laughed and hugged him too. I smiled at all of them then took a step out of our hiding area and walked to the clearing. When my Father saw me his smile grew to near impossible proportions.
(v) (v) (v) (v) (v)The Tree (v) (v) (v) (v) (v)
This is the singular moment where I should have reacted to the oddity of the situation. Instead I was too filled with the dread of going back to notice the Sheriff's insane smile. I never asked myself why there weren't any guards, I wasn't thinking at all. My body must have already been shutting down, preparing for the end, trying to make it as painless as possible.
I slumped against the tree, all of my energy left through my tears. It all seems poetic; I was born dead, caged by walls of stone, I lived in the open expanses of the forest for two days, and now I die covered in blood and propped up against a tree.
(v) (v) (v) (v) 20 feet from saving Robin and Will (v) (v) (v) (v)
Two arrows appeared out of Robin and Will's chests. My feet raced into motion as their bodies fell two the ground, blood already showing of their shirts. My father caught me before I could reach them, I was struggling as hard as I could but he still held me back. The blood pools kept growing and then the two men stopped convulsing. My knees gave out and I was sobbing on the floor, my father let go of me as soon as Robin and Will died.
Silently an arrow with different fletching then the ones that killed Robin and Will sprouted between my fingers. The pinpoint accuracy surprised me because only one man possessed that ability and he was lying dead before me. My tears dried and I glared up at my father.
"Who were these men?" he gave me a questioning look. I stood up, and let all my pent up hatred show as I attempted to set him on fire with my gaze, "I know for a fact that these two corpses do not belong to Robin and Will Scarlet, and if you lie to me I will know, so tell me the truth. Who. Were. They?"
He glared at me, "Give me one good reason why should I tell you?"
"GET OUT OF THERE! IT'S A TRAP" shouted Robin Hood as he dashed from out of the woods. He was safe and still alive.
His warning came too late as a knife broke through the skin by my stomach. I looked down and thought 'Well this is unexpected' I dropped to my knees again, choked out one last question, "How did you get their tags?"
My father laughed as Gisbourne reached down and pulled his knife out of my side, "There was a charming little girl in the castle, she had a photographic memory. Too bad she was executed for witchcraft. Gisbourne, please get my daughter back to the castle so she can die in her own bed, and do send your guards over here, the savage Outlaws are running this way."
"They aren't savage! They're more civil then you! You're a monster!" I screamed as Gisbourne hoisted me over his shoulder and walked away. I could see Allan running in front of Djaq, who was just behind him. John and Much were already fighting their way through the guards that had come charging out of the forest. Allan and Djaq got mobbed then, both having to fight their way out of a dog pile.
I hoped that they could hear what I screamed, because it was the last thing I ever said to them. Gisbourne put pressure on the stab wound that was currently dripping blood onto his uniform; which may I say can be incredibly painful when it was digging into a profusely bleeding hole in your side. The pain of him jabbing his finger into where my blood was trying to clot was enough to make me black out.
When I came too, Gisbourne's pace had slowed. We were still in the forest. I grabbed a nearby, low hanging, tree branch and held on with all the strength I had left. Gisbourne jolted to a stop and then proceeded to try and pull me off of the branch. He let go of my middle and let gravity pull me down. I struggled when he bent to pick me up again, "Please," I begged, "I don't want to die there." He seemed to understand but he picked me up anyway. I grabbed a jagged rock and smashed it into his temple and free fell to the rocky path again as he lost consciousness.
One clutching my bleeding side, the other in front of me to move the branches and thorns; I ran as fast and admittedly as blindly as I had ever run before. The adrenalin could only carry me so far, and my legs gave out on the side of a hill, where I am now.
After my repeated screams, I wondered why I had done it. Was I expecting them to be searching the forest for me? Why should they? My father ordered me to be brought to the castle and die there.
Birds were looking at me strangely, their heads cocked to one side. "I'm sorry," I said. They all looked at one another, and in a magical moment started to sing at the same time. Black dots appeared in my vision, I tried to blink them away, but when my eyes opened they were still there. The black was steadily growing. 'I should be panicking' I thought but the bird's song kept me from doing so. As the darkness began to close in, I sighed. Of all the ways to die, this wasn't all that terrible.
A/N: I don't want this to end! That's why it took me so long to write this, sorry. There can be an epilogue if you want. And thank you to everyone who read this and reviewed. I mean I love all of the people who just read this, but I have no way of thanking you personally.
Isobellfrancis- I feel kinda dumb now for confusing those two phrases
WillDjaqFan- I like those names too but Evelyn seemed to fit Shadow, and it sounds like something that would show up in a dream
Dancing Tiger- Wow where to start…I love your username too, imagine my surprise when I get the email titled Dancing Tiger is following you. I guess the Sheriff sparing her is a bit OOC but he must have felt some weakness, you can't just kill your own four year old daughter. This one moment of weakness is probably why he tries not to pay attention to her. Skipping topics again, sorry about the commas, school has done a terrible job of making the comma rules understandable/comprehensible. I get where you're coming from though. On the subject of my spelling…you don't know how many red lines there are before I go and fix (hopefully) everything. You're review didn't sound very bipolar just very detailed. Thanks for your dedication in elaborating on everything; I usually am blunt and brief.
Signora Ted-Thanks! Are you a new Reviewer? If so Welcome! If not sorry … but then again I am not known for my memory.