Twisted Justice

Chapter 11…Standing Alone

Robin's feet found good purchase in the old stone wall, as she had known they would. Still, she didn't move down, her hands gripping the edge firmly and her eyes locked on the sleeping form of Kale. For a moment, she thought what she felt might be enough to keep her here.

One hand went to the chain around her neck. It was tarnished silver, not particularly good quality. That only made it easier to break, as Robin pulled it from her neck.

From the first time since Avonsleigh was invaded, she took it off, gave it up. He would know, when he awoke in the morning, she was no longer fighting him for the fief. She decided she had spent too long fighting.

Now, it was time to walk away from it all. Close her ears, block her eyes…

She wished they had spoken of love last night. Even so, she would always remember it. Eyes turned ahead, she eased down the wall, then, with her infamous stealth, found the trap door that had saved her once before, and made her way unhindered from the fief. She only stopped only to readjust the quiver over her shoulder and spare a moment to wish for the modified breast band. She supposed it would be difficult to shoot with breasts in the way, at least until she got used to them.

*

"Robin's gone." Little John found Kale sitting at the foot of a rumpled bed, wearing a pair of breeches and holding something in one fist. He didn't care about his lord's state of dress. His friend was gone, most likely from some double crosser who knew to take out the fief they'd have to take out Robin first. 

"I know." Kale said, quietly.

"How?" The word came from deep in John's chest, his hand going to the hilt of a hunting knife. John was the only person who would notice Robin's bow gone, as well as the armguards she used in heavy battle.

"She gave up Avonsleigh." He said, holding up the ring, smile full of self-mockery.

John's eyes narrowed further. "Speak sense, man. And hurry, we need to find him!"

"Robin is the lady Marion." He flicked the ring to John so he could study it. "Hid not only her sex, but her past. I found out when she came to meet me – she was injured." He shrugged, coldly casual.

John studied the ring for only a moment, his eyes cold when they met Kale's. "You forced our lady out?"

"Not 'your lady', John. Robin. She…she would have been welcome here. She chose to go." He stood then, turning to walk over to the window, where two handprints were clear in the dust. "You know she does things on her terms, or not at all."

"We—we must follow her!" he said, totally confused, wanting action to deaden the need to sit and think.

Kale turned, arms folded, his expression ironic. "Could you track her?" he asked, coolly. "You know her skill. If she wants to leave, there is no way to stop her."

John stood still for long minutes. "There is only one reason Robin—lady Marion—would give up fief Avonsleigh, after fighting for it for so long." He threw the ring to Kale negligently. "She loved this land. There must be something that she loves stronger for her to sacrifice it." He shrugged, noting the expression in Kale's eyes turned colder. "You're right. I can't track her. A Coldfang couldn't track Robin. Unless she doesn't want to go."

Kale's fist tightened around the ring. "This isn't a fairy tale." He said, clearly. "And it won't end like one."

*

A summer storm was rolling in – she could smell it on the air. About to turn and warn her men, she stopped, mouth half open and both feet now still.

It was the tail end of summer. Already, the air was cooling, and soon the mountains would be dressed in white. Boughs would be heavy with snow, and the ground would be hard and cold at night. She had no tent, no bedroll, nothing other than her bow, a fresh quiver, the clothes she wore and two knives, one a hunting knife, the other a cruel, curved blade that she could, if she had to, use with skill. She would live. She had faced greater odds than what she faced now: there was no enemy following her, no one out to harm her except the usual bandits and raiders. 

Robin could deal with that. She would. For the last three days she had kept up her steady pace. She could have gone faster, but down the track she would have fared worse. Better to keep to this pace consistently. Besides, no one was even attempting to follow her. She could take all the time she wanted. As long as she could leave this valley by the onset of winter. She'd spent enough nights on the ground to know she didn't want to be caught in the open, alone, at night in the middle of winter if it was avoidable.

At the thought of lying cold and alone at night, her mind supplied her with an image of Kale. Or, more a feeling of warmth and content.

Since that was hardly likely to happen, she would have to settle for a decent inn over the worst of the winter. And between now and then, she had to earn to coin to pay for it…

The sound of footsteps broke into her thoughts, and she immediately swung herself as quietly as she could into the nearest tree. It would be nightfall soon, and if there were people about she would possibly have to spend her night where she was, rather than risk being caught.

A familiar man came into view. He went unarmed except for a sword, sheathed for the moment. Robin's heartbeat picked up. He wouldn't see her. She doubted anyone would, unless she chose to show herself. Still, she would be careful.

He sighed, stopping beneath her tree and positioning himself just so, before the sound of a liquid hitting the ground met Robin's ears, and she fought not to either wince or grin. Instead, she fitted an arrow to her bow, drew, then loosed.

It flew true, and with no sound other than the falling of a body and the puff of leaf litter, he went from one world into the next. And he still had his pants down, too.

Robin looked around herself carefully. She was sure he had been just a sentry for a small band of mercenaries. They must be pretty confident, too, to stay so close to the fief.

Then again, without Robin and her band, there would be no scouts in the forest for awhile. It saddened her…win back the fief, loose the land.

Suddenly, she felt her old wolfish grin. No, she might be only one, and this may not be her land any more, but she was still Robin, and these men had a few grudges against them still. Not even after the death of Finn would she shrug and say it's over. Her revenge…

She would never be satisfied that she had avenged her family and all those in her care. But this could be her last gift to Avonsleigh.

Scanning the area again, she picked out her path, with the boughs and branches to pave the way. As soon as they found his body, they'd know it was Robin. She fletched her arrows specifically so they were distinctive.

She grinned, spotting a half asleep sentry. Once they knew it was her, they wouldn't be quite this easy to pick off. She sighted her target, and released, the string groaning. The man seemed to look down at the arrow in his chest, pinning him to the tree. Then he relaxed, and didn't breathe again.

For a moment, Robin hoped he found peace in the next world. She delivered the justice, twisted though it was. They didn't need to be judged again. Or, not too harshly.
She moved on. Depending how strong they were, she would pick off sentries and strays. There was a limit to her skills as an archer, and if they found her position, there was no one to cover her as she got away. So, she would have to be careful, and bide her time.

With a new purpose, she pushed thoughts of Kale and Avonsleigh from her mind.

*

Her plan worked well. When they finally roused themselves enough to hunt for the missing sentries, they grew fearful and wary. Their numbers went from twenty three to eleven in four days.

It was dawn when she was surrounded.

Robin fired mechanically, felling men even as she wondered how long it would take for her body to be found if she were slain. Wondering if it ever would be.

Somehow she kept them back far enough that she was still able to use her bow. Somehow, she dodged the return fire. It was the last man who hit her, and even that wasn't a mortal wound, though she wouldn't walk easily until it was properly healed. He, on the other hand, would never walk again.

She took a bandanna from the closest man, and washed it wearily in the stream before binding the wound on her thigh. It was a few hours to Rocky Hollow, though it would take her all day now, without full movement. She would wait there until she was stronger.

So she set out, weary and shaken. Her limp worsened as the sun rose, and she had to rest several times. Blood soaked through the makeshift bandanna, but she knew herself lucky. It could have been – should have been – worse.

It was a little after noon when she realised she was being followed. She forced herself to move faster, doubling back to confuse her tracks. She gained some time, sliding into the river to leave behind no tracks as she waded against the current to Rocky Hollow, remembering how she had lowered one of her men into his watery grave. Remembering how she had stood beside Kale.  

She knew they were close, trusting to instincts. Instead of standing her ground, she sought refuge in Rocky Hollow. They wouldn't find her, unless they had dogs to track her. She was tired of standing alone. If they came, she would fight, and fall. She had long known it would one day be the price.

It was cold comfort. She lay against the wall, wishing for a blanket. Weakened, and in pain, she listened to a quiet conference of the mercenaries just outside her sanctuary. Her hand didn't leave her bow, even when she fell asleep. She didn't hear the familiar "bird calls" of the men she had led, nor the hiss of arrows loosed.

Her dreams were filled with Kale, not the screams of family and friends. Exhausted and spent, she slept through the night without waking for the first time in months.

AN: Pointless chapter, I know. Not particularly good. But necessary for the next one to make sense. Yes, there will be another chapter. I won't let Robin just lie there for days as her wound becomes infected. No way a character of mine is going to die of gangrene. Well…maybe they will. I have a mind to kill Kale for being such a prick about the whole sleeping-with-her-then-letting-her-go thing. Hmm. Nah—Robin wouldn't let me.

I'm thinking of maybe sprucing up some other fairy tales/legends. Putting them in TP's world and seeing how they manage as I twist and tweak everything. I could do Cinderella and prince Roald…or maybe one of Roald's sons. But I think I'd get bored with the characters. Any suggestions welcome…except Goldilocks. No way am I having talking bears and a chick with golden ringlets and a halo in my fic. ^_~ And thanks to my only reviewer, Galux Pheonix.

Oh—and I will post the next chapter on SotL translated later today if my beta hasn't gotten back to me between now and then. Its just that her computer crashed, so…

Keep writing,

~Elisse