Here's chapter 10. Sorry it took a while. It was personally difficult to
write. Warning for some violence and adult situations, but nothing
graphic. I love the reviews, so keep 'em coming!
CHAPTER 10
Piper felt a sense of urgency flowing through, forcing her to move on through the forest despite the cold burning in her lungs. She knew this territory and her feet adeptly avoided the underbrush and snags that her eyes couldn't see. She had walked this way so many times that she hardly paid attention to her path. Instead, her mind struggled with what she was about to do.
She arrived at the place. It could hardly even be called a clearing. It was just a patch of grass surrounding an oak tree. There was enough room for two people to sit without being scratched by shrubbery. In the pale glow of the moon and stars, Piper could see that Much wasn't there. She breathed out a white cloud of disappointment. They never planned a meeting. Both agreed that it could be dangerous to do so. Piper knew that Much was around, and would be by sometime before morning. This was how a meeting occurred. This was the best way to keep Much safe. If Piper knew where he and the other outlaws were hiding, then she would have to report it to the Sheriff. So this was how it had to be.
Piper wrapped her wool cloak around her body and sat down against the tree to wait. She wasn't certain how long she waited, but she tried to keep her mind occupied with thoughts of Much only to keep the cold away. She became so lost in thought, that she didn't hear Much sneak up on her. She was startled with the sudden realization that she wasn't alone, and she jumped to her feet reaching for a weapon that she didn't have.
He smiled a small but genuine smile at her reaction. "Ever vigilant." He teased quietly. They embraced and shared a tender kiss before sitting together under the tree. Much caressed her cheek with his fingertips and stared deep into her eyes. Piper had to close her eyes and turn away to remind her why she was there. "Much..." She began, but he cut her off before she could continue.
"Whatever you're about to say, don't. I don't think I'm going to like it. Let's just enjoy the moment for a while." He leaned in to kiss her again, but she turned away. Damn, this is painful. She thought. She wanted nothing more than to let Much continue with whatever he had planned, but she was loosing her will every second.
"I can't do this. If we start, I won't be able to ask you what I need to ask you." Much traced a path with his hands from her face to her shoulders, and then down along her arms until he was holding her hands. Then he waited patiently for whatever she needed to tell him.
Piper took a deep breath. "You need to leave Sherwood."
"What?"
"You need to leave Nottingham. I can't explain, but you need to get as far away from here as possible. The forest isn't safe and you need to go, just till this is all over."
"No."
Piper's voice grew desperate. "Much, please..."
"No!" He insisted. "This is my home. This is all I have left. I can't run. There is no place for me to run to. Wherever I go, I'll be homeless and penniless. To the Normans, that's the same as being an outlaw. I can't escape this. I need to stay and fight."
"But Prince John..." Her voice caught in her throat. She couldn't tell him that Prince John was coming. She couldn't risk that he would tell the other outlaws. If they were prepared for the Sheriff's attack, it would only increase the chances of a bloody confrontation. "Prince John is too powerful. You can't fight him, and I can't protect you if you stay."
Much smiled at that. "I'm a big boy, Piper. I can take care of myself." He stood up and pulled her with him. "I've upset you, and for that I am sorry. I can't see what is in our future, but whatever it is, we can..."
"You're going to die!" Piper pulled away from him. "You will, or I will, or we both will. This won't end happily. It can't possibly end well, and you're so stubborn you won't even listen to me. Well damn you to hell, Much!" Her eyes were full of tears and she turned from him and ran.
"Piper, wait!" She heard Much call after her, but she didn't stop. She didn't even slow down. She knew he was running after her, but he wouldn't catch her. He knew t he forest better than she did, but she was fueled by grief and fear. She ran all the way back to the Manor. She didn't pay any attention to the gnarled branches and sharp thorns that tore at the hem of her dress and her legs. She ran until her legs felt like they would buckle, and she kept running. She didn't stop until she reached her chamber, where she collapsed on her bed and fell asleep crying.
**********
Piper woke up the next morning feeling numb. It was still dark and very cold when she fell out of bed and got dressed in her uniform. The fireplace had burned down to it's last embers, which barely left enough light to see by, so she lit a candle from its paltry heat.
She finished dressing and dowsed the fire, choosing to keep the candle to help light her way through the halls. The Manor seemed to have a personality of its own; Piper had always believed that. In the daytime, it seemed old and tired and forgetful. It was an old place, and bound to have many forgotten secrets. The ancient wooden beams would frequently creak and moan in an attempt to remember something just out of reach; something important.
At night it was a different place entirely. The Manor seemed to wake up when everyone else was going to sleep. It was as if the moonlight rekindled the memory of the Manor's former glory. There was an air of anticipation in the Manor at night. The walls became cold and alert, and droughts would sweep through the halls, making torch-light shiver with excitement. That was the personality of the Manor at night.
At the dark time before morning, the Manor became sinister. The hallway breezes that were, just a few hours ago, exciting, were now dark whispers of some terrible secret. The creaking of ancient timber supports became dry raspy cackles. The oppressive atmosphere set Piper's resolve for the task at hand. She quickened her pace to leave the Manor for the forests beyond.
Outside, the moon shown sharp and clear. It was bright and low in the sky. Piper could see faint signs of dawn about to break. The sky was deep gray instead of the vast black of midnight. The stars were just starting to fade, and every now and then, she could hear the cry of a raven that were getting an early start to the day.
The determined guard moved quickly over the fields of Philip's lands. The frost covered grass crunched beneath her feet in a satisfying way that she might stop to enjoy under other circumstances. As things stood, she simply made note that the frozen earth might make it more difficult to move silently on certain terrain.
By the time she reached the guard house, she had already adjusted her step to the crisp ground. None of the other guards had arrived yet, but Piper had little doubt that they would show up at any moment. She collected her bow and a quiver of arrows. She already had a dagger in it's sheath at her side. Since this mission was to find but not engage the outlaws, a sword would be unnecessary and cumbersome while traveling through the dense forest. The bow and dagger would be enough to defend herself if something should go wrong.
Finishing at the guard house, Piper moved on towards the forest. By the time she reached the forest's edge, the sky had lightened further. The sun would be breaking over the horizon in a few more minutes.
And so she began what would soon become a long and tedious task of searching. She started her search on some of the more frequented hunters' paths. These were footpaths that most of the woodsmen of the area knew about and used, but they were also used by outlaws, and she knew that they led to less frequented and more treacherous paths.
She moved from one to another, looking for tiny signs of recent travel. Snapped twigs and disturbed earth all told stories. Piper was not the best tracker in Nottingham. She had difficulty deciphering the difference between a hunter's heavy confident footstep, and an outlaw's light cautious one. It made the task at hand more difficult. By noon she was tired and frustrated. She had followed several promising leads that ended with disappointment. She found herself by the half frozen stream that also ran through Philip's property. She rested beside it, trying to decide where she would look next. She had exhausted most of the paths that she knew about, and would have to travel deeper into the forest if she was to be successful.
"They can't be too much further in." She mumbled to herself as she threw a stone at the thin layer of ice over the running water. "They have to be close enough to the main roads to be able to reach all of them in only a few hours. I wonder..." Her musings turned silent again. Not too far away was a main road that led away from Nottingham. If she walked for perhaps half an hour down that road she would come to a fork. She began drawing a map in her mind. Between the two forks, there was a section of forest with no footpath. No one ever traveled through that territory. Some said it was haunted; others said the terrain was swampy and unavigable. Whatever the reason, Piper never saw any reason to travel through there. It was far away from Nottingham and held little interest to her. She smiled, it was well hidden, away from the city, but close enough to the roads to make their robberies and murders possible.
"I have them." She whispered as she jumped to her feet.
"We have you." Said a predatory voice from above. Piper jumped, startled by the realization that she was not alone, and looked up in alarm, as three figures dropped from the trees. A gasp escaped her lips once the obvious leader of the trio presented himself.
"Scarlett!" Piper backed up a few steps, feeling the first waves of fear roll down her spine. He had been an outlaw when she was a child, although monster might have been a more appropriate term. Although he occasionally stole a horse or a bag of gold, his passion was for rape and murder. He had gotten his name after raping a girl of only 14 years, and bathing in her blood afterwards. Since then, he always wore a red leather vest, to strike terror in the heart s of his victims.
There had been a massive manhunt for him after he killed that girl. They never found him, but did find three more of his victims in the following weeks. After that, there was nothing. Everyone thought he had either been killed, or had moved on to another town. Still, this man before her was unmistakable from the old wanted posters; red vest, long blond stringy hair, haggard, unshaven face, and inhuman black eyes. Scarlett was back.
He smiled, showing off several rotting teeth. "I'm glad I haven't been forgotten, but I'm confused. Since when has the guard's uniform been the height of lady's fashion? Although I must say, it's quite..." He raked his lecherous eyes over her body and she had to resist the urge to retch. "...flattering on you." He finished.
Scarlett took a step closer, and Piper took a step back. She was aware of his two compatriots closing ranks behind her, but she was finding it difficult to fight the urge to retreat.
"I see my legacy has not been forgotten. But don't be misled. The stories they told about me don't come close to the reality." The red vested monster moved to close the gap between himself and his prey. At that moment, Piper's instincts kicked in. She turned to face the two outlaws behind her.
They both wore identical dead expressions and dumb sneers on their faces. She didn't want to fight. She wanted to get away, and these boars were the door. She surprised the first with a kick to his groin. The second man tried to grab her. She dropped to a crouch and kicked his legs out from under him. He fell to the ground, but grabbed her leg before she got a chance to run. She lost her balance and hit the ground hard. Her bow and arrows fell from her arms, out of reach and useless.
She twisted and kicked to free herself, but the outlaw held on tight. Then she felt a pair of hands seize her arm. She was flipped onto her back. The sight of Scarlett standing over her galvanized Piper to fight harder. She struggled and kicked and screamed in rage. Scarlett was joined by the man who had been holding her leg. Both of them pushed her to the ground. The feel of hands pressing against her in such a dominating way clouded her judgment with panic.
"Gerrard, you pathetic waste, stop whining and give us a hand!" Scarlett barked at the third man, who was still curled on the ground from her initial attack. Gerrard crawled over to them and took Scarlett's place. Scarlett took up a new position, straddling Piper's waist. Though it seemed futile, Piper struggled even harder.
Her assailant only smiled. "Keep fighting little one." He growled. "I like it that way." He stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. In that moment, Piper saw her one small chance for escape. She turned her head towards his calloused hand an bit down hard. She managed to catch his palm with her teeth, and tasted blood. Scarlett screamed in rage and pain and tried to pull away, but Piper wouldn't let go; not yet. Her other two attackers backed away from her in shock as she and the murderer fought for possession of his hand.
Finally, he pulled free, instinctively jumping off and away from her. Before he had a chance to realize what he had done, Piper was on her feet, pulling the dagger from it's sheath. She stood crouched like a threatened snake, her dagger ready to strike the first person that came near her.
Gerrard and his friend seemed ready to give up. This girl was obviously not as helpless as she appeared, and they were more than willing to leave in search of easier prey.
Scarlett, on the other hand, was enraged by his bloodied hand. "You're going to pay for that, you little wench! It was going to be relatively quick and painless. Now, i'm going to take my time."
Gerrard looked on nervously. "Will, I think she's a real guard. I heard about her. Sheriff's girl. She's the one that chased Robin Hood out of his house. Maybe we should..."
"Shut up you little weasel! Never mention Locksley's name to me. You're lucky I don't kill you right now. Still, Sheriff's girl, huh? Might be fun to leave him pieces of you when I'm done with you." He lunged at her, but Piper was ready. She slashed at his belly and again at his throat. Both times, he dodged. On her third try, he managed to grab her wrist. He backhanded her across the face. Piper let go of the knife and instantly realized her mistake. Stupid! She scolded herself silently.
Now it was her turn to dodge. She noticed instantly that he went for the throat...literally. She ducked under his first attack and side stepped the second. Then, while he was still regrouping, she landed a well placed kick to his hand. The knife went flying out of his grip.
What happened next was a flurry of motion. Both opponents fought with the ferocity of wolves. They used every trick they knew. Scarlett attacked relentlessly, never giving Piper the chance to recover. Piper conserved her energy by simply avoiding his attacks. She attacked sparingly, and only when an opportunity arose.
Suddenly, it happened. Both had bruises and scrapes, and were breathing heavily from the exertion of their battle. They had some distance between them, and just for a moment, Scarlett paused before his next attack. In that moment, Piper saw what his next move would be. He was going to charge her. He was going to try to wrestle her to the ground using the force of a running attack. Piper knew that if he succeeded, she would have no chance for escape.
Scarlett made his move. He was fast; almost too fast for Piper to react in time. For a heart stopping moment she though This is it. , but then instinct kicked in. The moment before he reached her, she crouched down into a ball. When his hands reached for her, there was nothing there. His feet tripped over her huddled form and he went sprawling onto the forest floor. Quickly she jumped back up to finish the fight. She didn't see the large, heavy tree branch until Scarlett swung it at her face from his prone position on the ground. It cracked against the side of her head, splitting the skin just above her left eye, and trailing burning red gashes down her cheek with it's sharp ends.
Stars erupted in front of her eyes from the blow, and she fell to the ground, to stunned to realize the danger she was in. Her vision began to clear just in time to see Scarlett pick her knife up from the ground. He said something, but she couldn't focus on his words. Blood began to trickle into her eye, and she futilely tried to wipe it away.
With her one good eye, she saw the knife. She saw Scarlett step over her and raise it, and she realized that she was completely helpless to do anything about it. Please make it quick. She prayed silently, but refused to look away.
The knife came down, and fell harmlessly beside her. Scarlett roared in shock and pain, an arrow suddenly protruding from his forearm. He turned his attention to his new opponent. Piper's gaze sluggishly followed his. On the opposite bank of the stream, Much stood with another arrow notched and aimed at Scarlett's heart. "Get out of here you murdering son of a bitch, and if I ever see you again, I'll kill you." His voice was low and dangerous. Piper had never heard him use that tone of voice before.
Scarlett smiled through his pain. "Much my boy, how are you? I suppose you've already taken up with that Locksley fellow, and yet, you protect the Sheriff's girl." He shook his head in mock disappointment. "It's a shame really. You know she'll only get you killed in the end." Much pulled back the arrow, ready to let it go, but Scarlett and his cohorts were already slithering back into the forest,
When they were gone, he jumped across the stream and rushed to Piper's side. "Are you all right? Did he...he didn't...?" The young outlaw couldn't bring himself to ask the question. "I'll heal." She reassured him. "When did you become so good with a bow?" A shot to the forearm was very difficult, and Piper was looking for anything to distract her from what very nearly happened to her.
Much smiled lopsidedly. "I didn't." He confessed. "I was aiming for his heart."
Piper snorted and then winced at the pain it caused. "Then you're the luckiest man in the world."
He rested his palm on the right side of her face and looked directly at her. "I know." He said very seriously. He helped her to her feet and wrapped his arm around her waist or support. "Come on." He led her into the woods. "You can't go back to the Manor looking like that. I've got a friend who can help you, and he knows how to keep a secret."
CHAPTER 10
Piper felt a sense of urgency flowing through, forcing her to move on through the forest despite the cold burning in her lungs. She knew this territory and her feet adeptly avoided the underbrush and snags that her eyes couldn't see. She had walked this way so many times that she hardly paid attention to her path. Instead, her mind struggled with what she was about to do.
She arrived at the place. It could hardly even be called a clearing. It was just a patch of grass surrounding an oak tree. There was enough room for two people to sit without being scratched by shrubbery. In the pale glow of the moon and stars, Piper could see that Much wasn't there. She breathed out a white cloud of disappointment. They never planned a meeting. Both agreed that it could be dangerous to do so. Piper knew that Much was around, and would be by sometime before morning. This was how a meeting occurred. This was the best way to keep Much safe. If Piper knew where he and the other outlaws were hiding, then she would have to report it to the Sheriff. So this was how it had to be.
Piper wrapped her wool cloak around her body and sat down against the tree to wait. She wasn't certain how long she waited, but she tried to keep her mind occupied with thoughts of Much only to keep the cold away. She became so lost in thought, that she didn't hear Much sneak up on her. She was startled with the sudden realization that she wasn't alone, and she jumped to her feet reaching for a weapon that she didn't have.
He smiled a small but genuine smile at her reaction. "Ever vigilant." He teased quietly. They embraced and shared a tender kiss before sitting together under the tree. Much caressed her cheek with his fingertips and stared deep into her eyes. Piper had to close her eyes and turn away to remind her why she was there. "Much..." She began, but he cut her off before she could continue.
"Whatever you're about to say, don't. I don't think I'm going to like it. Let's just enjoy the moment for a while." He leaned in to kiss her again, but she turned away. Damn, this is painful. She thought. She wanted nothing more than to let Much continue with whatever he had planned, but she was loosing her will every second.
"I can't do this. If we start, I won't be able to ask you what I need to ask you." Much traced a path with his hands from her face to her shoulders, and then down along her arms until he was holding her hands. Then he waited patiently for whatever she needed to tell him.
Piper took a deep breath. "You need to leave Sherwood."
"What?"
"You need to leave Nottingham. I can't explain, but you need to get as far away from here as possible. The forest isn't safe and you need to go, just till this is all over."
"No."
Piper's voice grew desperate. "Much, please..."
"No!" He insisted. "This is my home. This is all I have left. I can't run. There is no place for me to run to. Wherever I go, I'll be homeless and penniless. To the Normans, that's the same as being an outlaw. I can't escape this. I need to stay and fight."
"But Prince John..." Her voice caught in her throat. She couldn't tell him that Prince John was coming. She couldn't risk that he would tell the other outlaws. If they were prepared for the Sheriff's attack, it would only increase the chances of a bloody confrontation. "Prince John is too powerful. You can't fight him, and I can't protect you if you stay."
Much smiled at that. "I'm a big boy, Piper. I can take care of myself." He stood up and pulled her with him. "I've upset you, and for that I am sorry. I can't see what is in our future, but whatever it is, we can..."
"You're going to die!" Piper pulled away from him. "You will, or I will, or we both will. This won't end happily. It can't possibly end well, and you're so stubborn you won't even listen to me. Well damn you to hell, Much!" Her eyes were full of tears and she turned from him and ran.
"Piper, wait!" She heard Much call after her, but she didn't stop. She didn't even slow down. She knew he was running after her, but he wouldn't catch her. He knew t he forest better than she did, but she was fueled by grief and fear. She ran all the way back to the Manor. She didn't pay any attention to the gnarled branches and sharp thorns that tore at the hem of her dress and her legs. She ran until her legs felt like they would buckle, and she kept running. She didn't stop until she reached her chamber, where she collapsed on her bed and fell asleep crying.
**********
Piper woke up the next morning feeling numb. It was still dark and very cold when she fell out of bed and got dressed in her uniform. The fireplace had burned down to it's last embers, which barely left enough light to see by, so she lit a candle from its paltry heat.
She finished dressing and dowsed the fire, choosing to keep the candle to help light her way through the halls. The Manor seemed to have a personality of its own; Piper had always believed that. In the daytime, it seemed old and tired and forgetful. It was an old place, and bound to have many forgotten secrets. The ancient wooden beams would frequently creak and moan in an attempt to remember something just out of reach; something important.
At night it was a different place entirely. The Manor seemed to wake up when everyone else was going to sleep. It was as if the moonlight rekindled the memory of the Manor's former glory. There was an air of anticipation in the Manor at night. The walls became cold and alert, and droughts would sweep through the halls, making torch-light shiver with excitement. That was the personality of the Manor at night.
At the dark time before morning, the Manor became sinister. The hallway breezes that were, just a few hours ago, exciting, were now dark whispers of some terrible secret. The creaking of ancient timber supports became dry raspy cackles. The oppressive atmosphere set Piper's resolve for the task at hand. She quickened her pace to leave the Manor for the forests beyond.
Outside, the moon shown sharp and clear. It was bright and low in the sky. Piper could see faint signs of dawn about to break. The sky was deep gray instead of the vast black of midnight. The stars were just starting to fade, and every now and then, she could hear the cry of a raven that were getting an early start to the day.
The determined guard moved quickly over the fields of Philip's lands. The frost covered grass crunched beneath her feet in a satisfying way that she might stop to enjoy under other circumstances. As things stood, she simply made note that the frozen earth might make it more difficult to move silently on certain terrain.
By the time she reached the guard house, she had already adjusted her step to the crisp ground. None of the other guards had arrived yet, but Piper had little doubt that they would show up at any moment. She collected her bow and a quiver of arrows. She already had a dagger in it's sheath at her side. Since this mission was to find but not engage the outlaws, a sword would be unnecessary and cumbersome while traveling through the dense forest. The bow and dagger would be enough to defend herself if something should go wrong.
Finishing at the guard house, Piper moved on towards the forest. By the time she reached the forest's edge, the sky had lightened further. The sun would be breaking over the horizon in a few more minutes.
And so she began what would soon become a long and tedious task of searching. She started her search on some of the more frequented hunters' paths. These were footpaths that most of the woodsmen of the area knew about and used, but they were also used by outlaws, and she knew that they led to less frequented and more treacherous paths.
She moved from one to another, looking for tiny signs of recent travel. Snapped twigs and disturbed earth all told stories. Piper was not the best tracker in Nottingham. She had difficulty deciphering the difference between a hunter's heavy confident footstep, and an outlaw's light cautious one. It made the task at hand more difficult. By noon she was tired and frustrated. She had followed several promising leads that ended with disappointment. She found herself by the half frozen stream that also ran through Philip's property. She rested beside it, trying to decide where she would look next. She had exhausted most of the paths that she knew about, and would have to travel deeper into the forest if she was to be successful.
"They can't be too much further in." She mumbled to herself as she threw a stone at the thin layer of ice over the running water. "They have to be close enough to the main roads to be able to reach all of them in only a few hours. I wonder..." Her musings turned silent again. Not too far away was a main road that led away from Nottingham. If she walked for perhaps half an hour down that road she would come to a fork. She began drawing a map in her mind. Between the two forks, there was a section of forest with no footpath. No one ever traveled through that territory. Some said it was haunted; others said the terrain was swampy and unavigable. Whatever the reason, Piper never saw any reason to travel through there. It was far away from Nottingham and held little interest to her. She smiled, it was well hidden, away from the city, but close enough to the roads to make their robberies and murders possible.
"I have them." She whispered as she jumped to her feet.
"We have you." Said a predatory voice from above. Piper jumped, startled by the realization that she was not alone, and looked up in alarm, as three figures dropped from the trees. A gasp escaped her lips once the obvious leader of the trio presented himself.
"Scarlett!" Piper backed up a few steps, feeling the first waves of fear roll down her spine. He had been an outlaw when she was a child, although monster might have been a more appropriate term. Although he occasionally stole a horse or a bag of gold, his passion was for rape and murder. He had gotten his name after raping a girl of only 14 years, and bathing in her blood afterwards. Since then, he always wore a red leather vest, to strike terror in the heart s of his victims.
There had been a massive manhunt for him after he killed that girl. They never found him, but did find three more of his victims in the following weeks. After that, there was nothing. Everyone thought he had either been killed, or had moved on to another town. Still, this man before her was unmistakable from the old wanted posters; red vest, long blond stringy hair, haggard, unshaven face, and inhuman black eyes. Scarlett was back.
He smiled, showing off several rotting teeth. "I'm glad I haven't been forgotten, but I'm confused. Since when has the guard's uniform been the height of lady's fashion? Although I must say, it's quite..." He raked his lecherous eyes over her body and she had to resist the urge to retch. "...flattering on you." He finished.
Scarlett took a step closer, and Piper took a step back. She was aware of his two compatriots closing ranks behind her, but she was finding it difficult to fight the urge to retreat.
"I see my legacy has not been forgotten. But don't be misled. The stories they told about me don't come close to the reality." The red vested monster moved to close the gap between himself and his prey. At that moment, Piper's instincts kicked in. She turned to face the two outlaws behind her.
They both wore identical dead expressions and dumb sneers on their faces. She didn't want to fight. She wanted to get away, and these boars were the door. She surprised the first with a kick to his groin. The second man tried to grab her. She dropped to a crouch and kicked his legs out from under him. He fell to the ground, but grabbed her leg before she got a chance to run. She lost her balance and hit the ground hard. Her bow and arrows fell from her arms, out of reach and useless.
She twisted and kicked to free herself, but the outlaw held on tight. Then she felt a pair of hands seize her arm. She was flipped onto her back. The sight of Scarlett standing over her galvanized Piper to fight harder. She struggled and kicked and screamed in rage. Scarlett was joined by the man who had been holding her leg. Both of them pushed her to the ground. The feel of hands pressing against her in such a dominating way clouded her judgment with panic.
"Gerrard, you pathetic waste, stop whining and give us a hand!" Scarlett barked at the third man, who was still curled on the ground from her initial attack. Gerrard crawled over to them and took Scarlett's place. Scarlett took up a new position, straddling Piper's waist. Though it seemed futile, Piper struggled even harder.
Her assailant only smiled. "Keep fighting little one." He growled. "I like it that way." He stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. In that moment, Piper saw her one small chance for escape. She turned her head towards his calloused hand an bit down hard. She managed to catch his palm with her teeth, and tasted blood. Scarlett screamed in rage and pain and tried to pull away, but Piper wouldn't let go; not yet. Her other two attackers backed away from her in shock as she and the murderer fought for possession of his hand.
Finally, he pulled free, instinctively jumping off and away from her. Before he had a chance to realize what he had done, Piper was on her feet, pulling the dagger from it's sheath. She stood crouched like a threatened snake, her dagger ready to strike the first person that came near her.
Gerrard and his friend seemed ready to give up. This girl was obviously not as helpless as she appeared, and they were more than willing to leave in search of easier prey.
Scarlett, on the other hand, was enraged by his bloodied hand. "You're going to pay for that, you little wench! It was going to be relatively quick and painless. Now, i'm going to take my time."
Gerrard looked on nervously. "Will, I think she's a real guard. I heard about her. Sheriff's girl. She's the one that chased Robin Hood out of his house. Maybe we should..."
"Shut up you little weasel! Never mention Locksley's name to me. You're lucky I don't kill you right now. Still, Sheriff's girl, huh? Might be fun to leave him pieces of you when I'm done with you." He lunged at her, but Piper was ready. She slashed at his belly and again at his throat. Both times, he dodged. On her third try, he managed to grab her wrist. He backhanded her across the face. Piper let go of the knife and instantly realized her mistake. Stupid! She scolded herself silently.
Now it was her turn to dodge. She noticed instantly that he went for the throat...literally. She ducked under his first attack and side stepped the second. Then, while he was still regrouping, she landed a well placed kick to his hand. The knife went flying out of his grip.
What happened next was a flurry of motion. Both opponents fought with the ferocity of wolves. They used every trick they knew. Scarlett attacked relentlessly, never giving Piper the chance to recover. Piper conserved her energy by simply avoiding his attacks. She attacked sparingly, and only when an opportunity arose.
Suddenly, it happened. Both had bruises and scrapes, and were breathing heavily from the exertion of their battle. They had some distance between them, and just for a moment, Scarlett paused before his next attack. In that moment, Piper saw what his next move would be. He was going to charge her. He was going to try to wrestle her to the ground using the force of a running attack. Piper knew that if he succeeded, she would have no chance for escape.
Scarlett made his move. He was fast; almost too fast for Piper to react in time. For a heart stopping moment she though This is it. , but then instinct kicked in. The moment before he reached her, she crouched down into a ball. When his hands reached for her, there was nothing there. His feet tripped over her huddled form and he went sprawling onto the forest floor. Quickly she jumped back up to finish the fight. She didn't see the large, heavy tree branch until Scarlett swung it at her face from his prone position on the ground. It cracked against the side of her head, splitting the skin just above her left eye, and trailing burning red gashes down her cheek with it's sharp ends.
Stars erupted in front of her eyes from the blow, and she fell to the ground, to stunned to realize the danger she was in. Her vision began to clear just in time to see Scarlett pick her knife up from the ground. He said something, but she couldn't focus on his words. Blood began to trickle into her eye, and she futilely tried to wipe it away.
With her one good eye, she saw the knife. She saw Scarlett step over her and raise it, and she realized that she was completely helpless to do anything about it. Please make it quick. She prayed silently, but refused to look away.
The knife came down, and fell harmlessly beside her. Scarlett roared in shock and pain, an arrow suddenly protruding from his forearm. He turned his attention to his new opponent. Piper's gaze sluggishly followed his. On the opposite bank of the stream, Much stood with another arrow notched and aimed at Scarlett's heart. "Get out of here you murdering son of a bitch, and if I ever see you again, I'll kill you." His voice was low and dangerous. Piper had never heard him use that tone of voice before.
Scarlett smiled through his pain. "Much my boy, how are you? I suppose you've already taken up with that Locksley fellow, and yet, you protect the Sheriff's girl." He shook his head in mock disappointment. "It's a shame really. You know she'll only get you killed in the end." Much pulled back the arrow, ready to let it go, but Scarlett and his cohorts were already slithering back into the forest,
When they were gone, he jumped across the stream and rushed to Piper's side. "Are you all right? Did he...he didn't...?" The young outlaw couldn't bring himself to ask the question. "I'll heal." She reassured him. "When did you become so good with a bow?" A shot to the forearm was very difficult, and Piper was looking for anything to distract her from what very nearly happened to her.
Much smiled lopsidedly. "I didn't." He confessed. "I was aiming for his heart."
Piper snorted and then winced at the pain it caused. "Then you're the luckiest man in the world."
He rested his palm on the right side of her face and looked directly at her. "I know." He said very seriously. He helped her to her feet and wrapped his arm around her waist or support. "Come on." He led her into the woods. "You can't go back to the Manor looking like that. I've got a friend who can help you, and he knows how to keep a secret."