(Disclaimer: I don't own anything! Robin of Sherwood characters belong to Richard Carpenter and Anglia TV. Lord of The Rings characters belong to Tolkein's estate. I'm not making any money from this. All characters will be returned with only minor contusions.)
This is my first fanfic, so be gentle. Reviews are welcome, though flames will be mocked by my co-author.
The Archer and the Greenleaf.
Prologue
It was strange how such a familiar place can seem when the truth is known about it. It was coming up to Beltane, and for the inhabitants of Nottingham and the surrounding towns and villages that meant the annual archery tournament. Robin of Loxley had spent his entire life living and hunting in Sherwood Forest, yet this evening, there was an eerie glow to the place and an unseasonable chill as he hurried through the trees to the small clearing where he and his fellow prison escapees were hiding from the Sheriffs soldiers. If Herne the Hunter, the God of this forest had not chosen him as his son, the Robin wouldn't be particularly bothered about the contest, but the first prize was Herne's Arrow, an artefact older than living memory and could be used in the summoning of powerful evil.
Castle de Belleme was an eerie place and there were only a few inhabitants. Nasir acted as the Barons messenger and bodyguard, and this Beltane's eve, he had been charged to win Herne's arrow at the archery tournament for his master, so he could use it in some obscene ritual.
Grief was still playing rife with Legolas' emotions and head, so when he was faced with a crossroads on their path to Lothlorien, he mistook the two paths and led the Fellowship down a route far darker than it should have been. However, they all ignored this fact, blaming it on an early sunset and the rising forces of darkness. It was only when the trees changed from the golden Mellorn trees they had been under to thick, flowering oaks that any of them questioned their direction.
Boromir was the first to speak up "these trees look unfamiliar Legolas. Are you sure that this path is the right one?"
Legolas and Aragorn both looked worried. It was true that both had noticed the change in their surroundings. Aragorn thought for a moment and looked around, "There's a path just up there," he said, motioning to his left "we should follow that and see where it takes us."
They followed the path for about half an hour, when Legolas motioned them to leave the path, "Hide! I hear horsemen" They were all hidden in the bushes when Guy of Gisburne and a group of weary looking foot soldiers passed by.
Unfortunately, the soldiers were hunting for poachers and had tracker hounds with them, and the Fellowship was quickly found. A shadow loomed over them and they slowly peered up.
"Well what have we here? A whole group of poachers!" Guisborne was triumphant. It may not have been the Wolfshead and his followers, but poachers were poachers and the Sheriff would be pleased. He motioned to some of the guards to bind them, and the Fellowship sprang up. Aragorn drew his sword and Legolas brought out his knife, while Boromir also drew his sword and stood to protect the Hobbits, with Gimli beside him.
"What are you doing? We are no poachers, can you not tell that? We are innocent.," proclaimed Aragorn gazing round at the scene unfolding round him.
"Then what, pray are you? Where do you come from? And what are you doing with a bow in Sherwood? Any one from round here should know that the carrying of a bow in the Kings forest is against the law." Guisborne probed Aragorn with his eyes, his words taking a scathing tone as he questioned them.
It was Boromir, not Aragorn that spoke first, not moving from his place, but drawing himself up to his full height. "I am Boromir, son of Denethor, heir to the Stewardship of Gondor." He challenged Gisburne with his gaze, never once moving his eyes. "And who might you be? Lackey." His last word was a guess but from the flinch that shook Gisburne, he knew he had struck a nerve.
"I have never heard of Gondor, so I presume you to be a mad man. As for who I am, I am no lackey, but Sir Guy of Gisburne, the Sheriff of Nottingham's steward." He stared hard back at Boromir then moved forward, his sword drawn, "And you all will bow to me."
That was the last straw for Aragorn and he lunged at Guisborne, but never reached him as he was beaten on the back of the head with one of the foot soldiers swords. Guisborne smirked, "Bind them and take them to Nottingham, have the Sheriff decide what to do with them" he motioned to four of the guards to carry this order out, and summoned the rest to follow him.
While all this had been happening, and unbeknownst to all others, Frodo, in sheer terror had slipped the Ring out of his pocket and put it on, but was now immensely confused. Everything was as it normally was when he wore the Ring, but the taunting, shadowy voices were gone, and the flaming eye had not appeared. He stumbled off unnoticed, and for a while wandered through the forest. After a while though, he decided that he was out of danger and realised that he could be at risk from Sauron's forces if he kept the Ring on much longer, so he slipped it off and dived into some bushes, just as Will Scarlett and Little John walked past.
This is my first fanfic, so be gentle. Reviews are welcome, though flames will be mocked by my co-author.
Prologue
It was strange how such a familiar place can seem when the truth is known about it. It was coming up to Beltane, and for the inhabitants of Nottingham and the surrounding towns and villages that meant the annual archery tournament. Robin of Loxley had spent his entire life living and hunting in Sherwood Forest, yet this evening, there was an eerie glow to the place and an unseasonable chill as he hurried through the trees to the small clearing where he and his fellow prison escapees were hiding from the Sheriffs soldiers. If Herne the Hunter, the God of this forest had not chosen him as his son, the Robin wouldn't be particularly bothered about the contest, but the first prize was Herne's Arrow, an artefact older than living memory and could be used in the summoning of powerful evil.
Castle de Belleme was an eerie place and there were only a few inhabitants. Nasir acted as the Barons messenger and bodyguard, and this Beltane's eve, he had been charged to win Herne's arrow at the archery tournament for his master, so he could use it in some obscene ritual.
Grief was still playing rife with Legolas' emotions and head, so when he was faced with a crossroads on their path to Lothlorien, he mistook the two paths and led the Fellowship down a route far darker than it should have been. However, they all ignored this fact, blaming it on an early sunset and the rising forces of darkness. It was only when the trees changed from the golden Mellorn trees they had been under to thick, flowering oaks that any of them questioned their direction.
Boromir was the first to speak up "these trees look unfamiliar Legolas. Are you sure that this path is the right one?"
Legolas and Aragorn both looked worried. It was true that both had noticed the change in their surroundings. Aragorn thought for a moment and looked around, "There's a path just up there," he said, motioning to his left "we should follow that and see where it takes us."
They followed the path for about half an hour, when Legolas motioned them to leave the path, "Hide! I hear horsemen" They were all hidden in the bushes when Guy of Gisburne and a group of weary looking foot soldiers passed by.
Unfortunately, the soldiers were hunting for poachers and had tracker hounds with them, and the Fellowship was quickly found. A shadow loomed over them and they slowly peered up.
"Well what have we here? A whole group of poachers!" Guisborne was triumphant. It may not have been the Wolfshead and his followers, but poachers were poachers and the Sheriff would be pleased. He motioned to some of the guards to bind them, and the Fellowship sprang up. Aragorn drew his sword and Legolas brought out his knife, while Boromir also drew his sword and stood to protect the Hobbits, with Gimli beside him.
"What are you doing? We are no poachers, can you not tell that? We are innocent.," proclaimed Aragorn gazing round at the scene unfolding round him.
"Then what, pray are you? Where do you come from? And what are you doing with a bow in Sherwood? Any one from round here should know that the carrying of a bow in the Kings forest is against the law." Guisborne probed Aragorn with his eyes, his words taking a scathing tone as he questioned them.
It was Boromir, not Aragorn that spoke first, not moving from his place, but drawing himself up to his full height. "I am Boromir, son of Denethor, heir to the Stewardship of Gondor." He challenged Gisburne with his gaze, never once moving his eyes. "And who might you be? Lackey." His last word was a guess but from the flinch that shook Gisburne, he knew he had struck a nerve.
"I have never heard of Gondor, so I presume you to be a mad man. As for who I am, I am no lackey, but Sir Guy of Gisburne, the Sheriff of Nottingham's steward." He stared hard back at Boromir then moved forward, his sword drawn, "And you all will bow to me."
That was the last straw for Aragorn and he lunged at Guisborne, but never reached him as he was beaten on the back of the head with one of the foot soldiers swords. Guisborne smirked, "Bind them and take them to Nottingham, have the Sheriff decide what to do with them" he motioned to four of the guards to carry this order out, and summoned the rest to follow him.
While all this had been happening, and unbeknownst to all others, Frodo, in sheer terror had slipped the Ring out of his pocket and put it on, but was now immensely confused. Everything was as it normally was when he wore the Ring, but the taunting, shadowy voices were gone, and the flaming eye had not appeared. He stumbled off unnoticed, and for a while wandered through the forest. After a while though, he decided that he was out of danger and realised that he could be at risk from Sauron's forces if he kept the Ring on much longer, so he slipped it off and dived into some bushes, just as Will Scarlett and Little John walked past.
Authors note: Well, Prologue done, with Gisburnes name changed. I looked on the back of the video box, and found that it was spelt differently to how I had spelt it.