NORTHAMTON CASTLE – THE DUNGEON
"Stop struggling."
The guards holding Marian seemed unnerved by the way she kept shrugging out of their grip, even though her hands were shackled where she was stood outside of a large cell, where the old men and a few others were sat, hunched and some unconscious.
The guard facing Marian grabbed her left wrist and yanked the ring from her finger.
"Give me that." She snapped.
"Whoa ho would you look at that." The guard ignored her and held the ring to the torch light. Marian watched as it sparkled and felt her insides twist.
"The Sheriff will like this..."
"I said give it to me." Marian snapped, struggling harder.
The guard ignored her and dropped the ring in a large bag full of the prisoners few possessions and the ones they had managed to collect on their trip around Nottinghamshire, collecting people and jewels for the Sheriffs pleasure.
"Sheriff'll like this one." The guard let out a deep throaty laugh before the others joined in.
The one holding the bag gestured to the cell, lit by a large grated window at one end, and Marian could tell from the sky outside, and the stairs they had climbed up to reach the dungeons, that unlike the dungeons at Nottingham castle, the ones here were well above ground, not below.
"Throw her in with the others."
The guards holding Marian unlocked the door and threw her along he stone, dirt and straw covered floor.
The old men looked at her sadly through glassy eyes as she pushed herself upright, spinning to look at the leaving guards.
It fell silent for a moment before Marian pushed herself to sit up. She drew one knee up to her chest and pulled a dagger form her boot.
She then laid her hand on the stone, and twisted the knife through the lock roughly. It clicked open and clattered to the floor.
There were several murmurs from the men, but one man, much younger than the others, sat in the corner in the shadow, unnoticed by Marian, did not speak.
He simply grinned to himself, eyes focused on Marian.
Marian freed her other wrist of the shackle and examined her wrists, bruised and torn before she stood upright, looking at the torch lit stair case that led up and down away from the cell.
"Who are you?" Someone croaked.
Marian turned to see an older man staring at her, perhaps the oldest and frailest out of all of them.
She smiled at him and crouched down in front of him, helping him out of hsi shackles with teh use of her knife. It started to be passed around as old men helped themselves.
Her voice was calm, "I am Marian, wife of Robin Hood."
Nearly everyone gasped, except the young man in the corner who stood slowly, his eyes surprised, but his grin still in place.
"And I am going to get us all out of here." She told the old man, "If you will help me?"
He chuckled to himself and glanced at the man in the shadows, still not noticed by Marian, "anything is better than waiting round here to be sent to France, what do you say son?"
Marian glanced to her left as the young man stepped into the light.
She gasped and stood upright, her eyes locked on his brunette ones.
The curve of his mouth as he grinned at her, the crease beside his left eyes, the brown hair.
He stood before her, almost as though he was exactly the same, yet entirely different.
He grinned, "I would do anything to help my lady." He bowed to her, laughing slightly at her still surprised expression.
"James?" She gasped.
He chuckled, "Night-watchman."
Marian beamed and he stepped towards her, wrapping her in his arms and sweeping her up in a hug.
Despite herself, Marian laughed.
SHERWOOD FOREST
"Right..." Robin led his lads through the forest, marching through the trees in a fanned out position almost.
"Djac and Will, go to Nottingham and see if you can find out anything and I mean anything." He told them and they nodded and verbally said their confirmation.
"Alan and John, you go to the villagers, ask Thornton if he has seen anything and Alan, go to the tavern or speak to milk maids or something, I want everyone who knows who Marian is asked if they have seen her, or seen anyone new around here that goes for everyone."
Robin was reeling off orders quickly, and the speed they were walking meant that he was gasping for breath.
But he would not slow down, he would not waste a second of the daylight they had.
"Much, you and I will go to the North road and see if there are any unfamiliar tracks, carriages or anything to spot."
Much nodded, slightly glad at being able to spend time alone with his best friend, although he knew the situation was entirely serious, and that Robin probably wouldn't smile today, at least in the way Much knew they wouldn't be in danger or doing something rash...
He nodded eagerly at Robin, "Of course."
Robin sighed, "Right, meet back at camp after nightfall."
The gang nodded and went their separate ways.