Chapter 14

She was tired of being in bed and sleeping. Grey seemed to sleep way too much. She had to admit that it definitely beat lying in the forest. She wondered what Robin Hood and them were doing. Grey hadn't exactly been important to them at all, but she highly doubted that they hadn't noticed her sudden disappearance. She didn't even really remember how long ago that had been.

Guy had come to see her at least twice a day. And he did his best to make sure that didn't step foot out of the bed she was borrowing until he was positive that she was better. Grey knew that she was better now. And she was going to leave whether he liked it or not. So that was exactly what the dark haired woman did.

Ignoring the fact that she was in a night dress of some sort, her bare feet moved silently across the floor towards the door and she opened it a crack, checking to make sure that no one was out there. That 'no one' being Guy. And the way was clear. The woman took off down the hall, trying to find the nearest exit so that she could actually breath fresh air. Windows didn't count.

She had thought that the way was clear. But the sheriff always had this odd little way of being there and not being noticed. It was like he became one with the wall. And Grey personally found it irritating. Very irritating.

"I see that you're up and about." She heard a twisted, cheerful voice from behind her. Grey didn't even know that it was possible to sound twisted and cheerful at once. They were almost polar opposites. "I really do like that night gown."

Grey turned to face the short bald man. "Then you can gladly have it once I get some real clothing." The man gave her a little grin, revealing his one rotting tooth. At least it looked like it was rotting. It added on to his somewhat pervy look.

"Anyways. Now that you're looking quite well, I think it's high time that we get down to business."

Grey's scowl deep-end. "I'm not getting down to business in a night dress."

The sheriff gave a little chuckle. "Of course not. If you had looked in the chest at the end of your bed you would have seen that there was some clothing for you." Well yeah, that was usually what chests where for. Except she hadn't even noticed it. "Well go on now. Chop, chop." Grey gave him a snide little smirk, followed by an eye roll as she started to walk past him towards the room she was using.

As she walked by, the sheriff's hand caught her upper arm and he pulled her uncomfortably close, and she could feel and smell his bitter breath on her face. What really bugged her was how he was breathing in her ear. He gave a little laugh as Grey tensed under his grasp and tried to pull her arm away from his tightening grip. "Such a defiant little thing aren't you?" Grey didn't even bother turning her head to scowl at him. She looked the other way instead. But it didn't really seem that the sheriff would have that. His other hand roughly grabbed her jaw and forced her to look at him. "If I were you, I would learn respect. I don't even think that, that precious Robin Hood would even accept this sort of behavior. The only difference there though, it that I can kill you for show. While eating pork. Dinner and a show, you see." Grey fought back the urge to spit in his face or something. Because like he said... dinner and a show. And Grey didn't have much of a desire to entertain people, whether she was dead or alive. "You know where to meet me once your dressed I would assume." He released Grey and gave her a little wave good bye as he turned and walked off.

Opening the trunk, Grey stared down in relief. She had been expecting horrible dresses. But she was relieved to see that the first article of clothing was a pair of dark brown leggings, a matching belt and a black tunic.

After quickly changing in to them, Grey found herself in front of two guards who opened the door that led in to that one room where the Sheriff kept all those birds. She could actually imagine what he did with them. But some things are better left unsaid.

The Sheriff sat at the other end of the room at his desk, leaning forwards on his elbows. "That didn't take long at all, did it?"

Grey didn't say anything at first. She simply walked forwards, dodging bird cages towards his desk. "Well, I do believe that we get should get down to business. Especially one as exciting as this." There was a twinge of sarcasm in her voice, but this just seemed to make the sheriff grin. He seemed to grin a lot.

"Eager are we? Excellent." And that was that.

Late afternoon came fast. Grey hadn't actually seen Guy at all that day. She hadn't bothered to ask the sheriff where he had been. Why would she do that? Besides she had been too busy trying to avoid that irritating looks she was getting from random maids and whoever else worked in the castle. She assumed it was because of the pants. So Grey had stuck to the dark corners most of the day. It would have been nice to let Guy know that she was leaving. But it was too late for that now.

It was definitely starting to get that nice, slowly darkening late afternoon feeling, and Grey quickly walked to the entrance of the castle where a small group of soldiers/guards stood by their horses waiting for her. "Ready?" She asked shortly. They all muttered either a yes or gave a nod as they climbed on to the backs of their horses. Who may she add where horrible animals. "Give me ten or eleven minutes and then come after me."

Opening the doors, she flipped the hood of her cloak off and quickly sprinted through Nottingham towards Sherwood Forest. Why didn't she just ride a horse? Because she hated them. And she didn't know how to. All Grey really knew from them was pain.

Ten minutes later she was out of the town. And she could hear the soldiers gaining on her. Her legs started to burn as she pushed them to move faster down the road. It wasn't long before she was running through the forest down trails big enough for men on horses to fit down. It also wasn't long before Grey felt someone grab her wrist and pull her down in to the bush.

Grey found herself sitting in a whole, under a tree root behind a bush right beside none other than Robin Hood. The woman put on her best exhausted and surprised face she could muster and looked towards Robin giving a slight gasp.

The outlaw put a finger to his lips as they heard the men on horses ran by the bush. When he was sure that they had Robin crawled out of their hiding spot, with Grey right behind him. The man spun on his heels and tightly grabbed Grey's shoulders. "Where the hell have you been?!"

"I got lost... And the Sheriff's men happened to be the ones to find me." She lied quite smoothly. Though it really wasn't a lie at all. More like an extremely shortened explanation. Robin watched her for a moment, before giving a slow nod.

"We thought you were dead."

Grey raised a dark eyebrow at that. "You didn't even bother trying to come and get me." She spoke tonelessly.

"Well, we didn't know that you where with the Sheriff. That night with Marian... you walked off and didn't come back for almost two weeks. We didn't bloody know what happened to you." Grey didn't say anything at first. She just started to walk past him towards the direction of their camp.

"Doesn't matter now." She heard Robin quickly walk to catch up to the small woman. Two weeks. That sounded longer then it had seemed. The two didn't say much as they headed back to the camp.

Of course the instant everyone saw her, she had been bombarded with questions. She just dismissed them with an, 'I'm tired, let me be.' and went to sit by a fire that had been going in the spot that it always was. Much once made an attempt to march up and demand to know everything, but Robin had caught him and sternly told him no.

The woman had been back at camp for about two days. The most eventful thing that had happened was when they looted some tight faced, blonde woman with a whip and a weird hissing box. Among the things they had taken had been a nasty looking knife, which Grey really wanted to call dibs on, and a ring that matched up perfectly with the Sheriff's insignia. Since Grey was no expert on insignias, never mind the fact that she wasn't even entirely sure what they where, she wasn't going to throw in her two cents.

Naturally they had all gotten suspicious, so Grey, along with Much and Allen went with Robin to Nottingham. For once Grey volunteered though. And she had almost laughed at the surprised looks on their faces. Especially since she still sort of looked like she had just went through hell and back. They had been hesitant, but Grey managed to convince them to let her go.

So there they were. Gathered up in their cloaks, watching the castle guards suspiciously. Well, Grey wasn't but the rest sure were. Then three men in black cloaks riding on horses trotted by.

"Who is that?" Grey heard Robin ask from in front of her. She didn't say anything, she just watched with slightly narrowed eyes as the three men rode through the gate, managing to drown out the sounds of Allen and Much bickering. Was there something that the Sheriff should have told her?

"Jigger off? What the hell is that?"

"You know what it is." Grey looked over her shoulder and saw Allen walk off, leaving Much looking distraught.

They snuck around some more, and then Robin sent herself and Much to go and get the others, while he got uniforms. Grey had to roll her eyes at that.

"I'm going to grab Allen. Go on without me." The woman half mumbled towards Much as she started to walk off in another direction. Grey ignored Much's protests as she walked off. Rather than going to get Allen though, Grey headed straight for the castle.

All she had to do was flip off her hood and show her face and the Guards let her in without complaint. The woman headed straight to the Sheriff's weird little bird room. But she didn't make it that far. As she walked around a corner, she failed to notice a slightly angered looking Guy leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, until she practically ran in to him.

Grey stepped back and looked up at him with surprised grey eyes, noting that the 'slightly angered' look on his face was directed at her. "Feeling better?" He asked, uncrossing his arms.

Sorry if it's rushed guys . And sorry that I didn't update sooner. I was away for a couple days. But, now I'm back. And exams are finished. Which means I have an entire week off of school. Hopefully more chapters with be updated very soon ^-^