Sorry this next chapter took so long...again. It's been one family
emergency after another. I am very pleased with how this on turned out
though. I've started playing with the writing style a little in
preparation for the rewrite.
A lot of stuff happens in this chapter. We're back into the action packed portion of the story. I hope you all enjoy. Happy Independence Day!
CHAPTER 15
Piper awoke early the next morning, her heart pounding with anticipation for the days ahead. She dressed quickly and slipped quietly out of her home. It was early yet. The birds were about and moving, but the sky was a pasty predawn gray, and obscured by the thin vestiges of fog that clung to the wet grass. Still there was enough light for her to circle around to the back of the manor, where the stable was located.
She took inventory of the stable. No horses were missing. She nodded in smug satisfaction, knowing that she had arrived before Bear. He thought that she couldn't do her job, perhaps arriving at Gisbourne's estate before him would begin to change his mind. It would certainly be easier for her since she was going straight through Sherwood. Her path would be much more direct.
Piper walked past each horse and greeted it in turn, offering her hand to sniff, or a scratch between t he ears. While the horses had never been officially named, she had given them each a name in secret, just to help her distinguish between them. She chose a dappled gray mare that she liked to call Thunder. Piper liked Thunder better than any of the other horses, because like Piper, she had a very strong will. Only Richard, Bear and Piper had ever successfully been able to ride her.
"Hey girl," she ran her hand down Thunder's long neck. "Would you rather go with me, or with Bear today?" Thunder snorted her indifference and pawed at the ground. "Me it is then."
She saddled Thunder and together, they turned north towards the back field. The fog was clearing away quickly revealing a thick layer of ominous clouds above. Thunder needed no encouragement to break out into a spirited gallop towards the forest. More than anything else, the horse loved to run. Piper let the exhilarating feeling wash over her as Thunder raced over the sloping field past the guard house.
The lands behind the Manor were not exceptionally large, and it wasn't long before they reached the forest's edge and had to slow down slightly to avoid some of the underbrush and loosely packed trees. Piper had taken Thunder into the forest before, so the horse was comfortable navigating it on her own. That left Piper with some time to think. Her mind drifted over the past few months, lingering particularly on the time that she had spent with Much. She smiled at the many pleasant memories that passed through her mind. So little made her truly happy. She loved her job. Fighting was what made life worth living, but Much was the thing worth fighting for.
She had been enjoying thoughts of Much for at least a quarter of an hour before she realized what she was doing and kicked herself. She gave Thunder a pat on the neck. "I bet things aren't nearly as complicated for you, are they?" Thunder snorted in response. "Well as a horse, you focus on one thing at a time. When you're walking, you're not thinking about that stallion back at the stable. Life must be much...clearer." Her only answer was an annoyed shake of the head.
The forest became denser and the clouds overhead darkened. As a light rain started sprinkling the treetops, Piper tried very hard not to think about Much. Thunder slowed down to a walk to avoid tripping over roots and ground cover. Piper ran through fighting moves, weapons, songs, even the names of all of the people she'd helped arrest, to distract herself from her favorite outlaw.
She became so focused on her task, that she didn't notice the rain as it soaked through her uniform. She didn't notice the long hour and a half that passed as she continued on her way. She was just in the middle of mentally reciting one of the songs they sang in the Farmer's Dog, when she was jolted back to reality by Thunder. The horse jerked nervously and pawed the ground, her eyes rolling.
"What..." Piper began, but stopped her question short. She thought she might have heard a weighty rustling in the trees that didn't sound like the natural disturbance of rain or wind. Piper tried to look up, but the rain fell in her eyes, temporarily blinding her.
There was another movement in the trees, the sound of snapping branches. Then a dark shadow swam in front of her streaming eyes and something slammed into her, knocking her off of Thunder's back. Piper fell into the mud, her left knee striking a rock painfully. She heard Thunder scream in alarm and the pounding of hooves as the frightened creature tried to get out of the way. At the same time, Piper pulled herself backwards and blinked the tears from her eyes.
She had to bite back a cry when her vision cleared and she was confronted with a terrifying image of William Scarlett. His long stringy hair dripped rain drops into his haggard face. Piper could see that in addition to the stark crescent shaped scar on his hand, he had acquired several new scars on his face. His wild, cruel smile showed off several missing teeth, and his mud stained clothes were faded and torn in several places.
Scarlett said nothing as he closed in on Piper. Piper pulled herself to her feet, and quickly fell back to the ground. Pain radiated from her left knee down to her foot and up to her hip. She bit back a scream, intent on not showing anymore weakness than she already had. She pulled herself backwards as he loomed towards her again, until she felt her head and shoulders brush against the hard surface of a tree. Scarlett laugh, though it sounded more like a deep rasping cough.
Without warning, he launched himself at her, pinning her needlessly to the ground, as though at any moment she was going to get up and run away. Piper barely resisted, only looking disgusted as he crawled his way up her until their faces were nearly touching. He laughed again, and his breath stank of rot. "No one to save you this time...."
He never finished his sentence. Piper threw a handful of mud into his eyes. "How do you like it?" she sneered. As he backed up a little to clear his vision, she kicked out with her good leg landing her well aimed foot between his legs. She wasn't feeling any pain or fear. She was feeling only the drive to finish what was started months before.
Scarlett realized that despite her injuries, Piper was gaining the upper hand. He tried to back away; to stand up in order to gain the advantage again, but Piper wouldn't allow him. While she grabbed a fistful of his rag of a shirt with her left hand, her right hand reached underneath her for the dagger still attached to her belt. Her eyes never left his, even when they bulged in shock as she plunged her dagger deep into his heart.
It happened so quickly and quietly. Piper was expecting death to be more dramatic. His body jerked reflexively out of her grasp, and then slumped beside her in the mud. Piper waited breathlessly for him to get back up. After five minutes of nothing but rain, she groped around in the mud until she found a stick, which she proceeded to poke him with. Still, nothing happened.
Piper used the tree for support as she painfully climbed back to her feet. Her mind spun with conflicting thoughts and emotions. On the one hand, she had never actually killed anyone before. She was disturbed by how quickly and silently it had happened. Her morbid sense of curiosity kept her wondering whether that would be how she would die. Would she have any warning, or would it be over so quickly that she wouldn't have time to realize that she was dead?
On the other hand, that foul smelling pile of rat intestines was gone for good, and not at the hands of some over protective man. It was certainly fitting that a woman should kill Scarlett. In the end she decided that he was only lucky that she didn't have the time or the energy to further disfigure him as a warning to other filth that thought to mimic him.
"Thunder," she called for the willful horse. "Come on you stupid animal, I'm not feeling too patient right now." Tentatively, Thunder returned to her rider and allowed Piper to struggle up onto her back. She looked down at the body of Scarlett one last time. The knife was still sticking out of his chest. She considered retrieving it for a moment but eventually decided "It's a good knife, but blegh!" She urged Thunder northward towards Gisbourne's estate.
**********
It was mid-afternoon by the time she reached her destination. The rain eased from a heavy downpour into a steady drizzle, which made little difference to Piper. She was feeling cold and painfully uncomfortable, but strangely satisfied with the turn of events.
She exited the forest very close to the estate. It was massive, much larger than the simple but effective Mark Manor. There was obvious wealth in the well manicured grounds and ornate structure of the estate. It took fifteen minutes of quick paced riding to reach the impressively maintained stables. A stable hand was waiting to greet her and take Thunder to be brushed down and fed. Piper almost wished she could stay to have a look at the beautiful animals that Gisbourne's wealth could afford him, but the stable hand let her know that Bear had already arrived and that they were waiting for her inside.
Piper arrived at the main entrance out of breath, having hobbled there painfully from the stables. The entrance was designed to intimidate, she noticed. It was a high, heavy door, guarded by a single man that could easily dwarf Richard. Piper didn't have time or patience to be intimidated. "I've come from the Sheriff. I believe I'm expected."
The guard said nothing. He sized her up, taking his time in doing so; another obvious attempt to intimidate her. After over a minute of squaring off, the large bull of a man snorted and stepped aside as he pulled the door opened. Inside, there was another servant, a small, frightened looking girl with downcast eyes. She could have been no more than thirteen years old. "The Lord is waiting for you. This way please."
She turned and led the way down the main corridor. Piper took in the opulence of Gisbourne's furnishings as they walked. Cozy torches were set into the wall at frequent intervals, highlighting grand tapestries and paintings. Suddenly she realized what a mess she must look like. She was covered in mud still, her short hair hung in dripping wet strands into her face from under her hat, and her limp was becoming more apparent the longer she walked. In fact, it was becoming nearly impossible to ignore the throbbing pain that was radiating through her entire leg.
Fortunately, she didn't have far to travel. The servant led her to the grand hall, which was lit by torches and a large fire at the far end. There were several long oak tables in the vast hall, but only one was occupied close to the fire place. There sat Bear, whose attention had turned towards her when she came in. He seemed to be enjoying a substantial meal. He sat at the end of the table closest to her. At the other end sat the man that Piper recognized as Lord Guy of Gisbourne. He was tall; his height noticeable even when he sat down. He wore fine rich clothes of black velvet and gold trim and kept his long brown hair pulled sharply back underneath his hat. He sat with an aristocratic grace, and a superior disinterest in everything that was going on around him, but Piper saw beyond the facade. Behind the boredom, he seemed to observe everything with a sharp intelligence. She definitely needed to be careful around him.
Down the table from him there was a rather heavyset, and pompous man in ridiculously fancy clothing. He looked disgusted by her appearance, as though she were some mangy dog that had just walked in and began licking itself. Next to him there was a younger woman with severe features and a sour expression on her face. She too was dressed too finely to be taken seriously and there was something about her manner that reminded Piper of the Lady Marian.
All four stood up at Piper's presence. "And this is..." Gisbourne looked not at Piper as he asked the question, but at the slip of a girl next to her. The girl's eyes widened with horror. She had not asked for Piper's name, and therefore could not formally announce her. She was obviously going to be in a lot of trouble for this oversight, despite the fact that, Gisbourne knew very well who she was. It annoyed Piper that he was using his power to frighten a child with the voice of a mouse, so she limped forward before the girl could confess her mistake. "Please pardon my rudeness, Your Lordship. I was sent by the Sheriff. My name is Piper." Her voice was thick with insincere graciousness. She had taken an instant dislike to Gisbourne.
The woman in fancy clothes scoffed. "Am I to understand that this is a guard? No wonder honest Lords and Ladies can't travel though the Forest safely, look what Philip leaves our safety in the hands of!"
"Indeed," Gisbourne raised an eyebrow in mock disinterest. Piper decided to ignore the woman and concentrate her attention on her host. "I also apologize for my appearance. I ran into some trouble." She smiled morbidly. "I took care of it."
She knew that Bear was watching her. She knew that he was probably concerned about her. She decided not to meet his gaze. She would speak with him later. Gisbourne continued. "May I introduce the Lord Geoffrey Renald and his daughter Eleanor," he indicated to his two guests. They both nodded curtly at Piper and sat down with Gisbourne.
"Please, join us and have some food. You must be very hungry from your journey."
Piper nodded in thanks, but tried to decline. "Your Lordship, I'm not dressed for such finery, and I have been injur..."
"I do hope that you are not refusing my hospitality." His voice took on a dangerous edge. Piper smiled tersely and assured him that she wasn't. She sat next to Bear, away from the nobles, who seemed to completely ignore them from that point on. Neither Piper nor Bear were fooled though. They knew that they were being watched closely by Gisbourne. It would be the only reason that he would allow someone with such low status to sit at the same able as him.
They both bowed their heads to the task of eating. Neither gave any hint of the suspicion that they held for their host. After what seemed like a lifetime of pretending to ignore the bland conversation of Lord Geoffrey and Lady Eleanor, Piper heard Bear's hushed whisper from next to her. "Your leg...Scarlett?"
Piper nodded slightly. She risked a sideways glance at him. He was nodding as well. "You deserved the kill." His mouth twisted briefly into a feral grin before returning his full attention to the cold food on his plate.
By the time the nobles had finished their meal the sky was darkening. Piper couldn't have arrived very late in the afternoon and all of that sitting without proper care had caused her knee to swell. She was beginning to worry about how she was going to fight outlaws the following day. She was certain that her knee was useless by now.
Gisbourne bid his two companions good evening, and the quiet young girl reappeared to show the buffoons to their rooms. Then the great hall was silent while Gisbourne filled his goblet with the last of the wine and made his way to the end of the table where Bear and Piper sat.
"I told Philip that he was wasting his time raising the taxes on the peasants. It's like squeezing water from a stone. He should have concentrated his efforts on capturing the outlaws as soon as they became a problem." He paused to gauge their reaction to his comments, but both listened to him with practiced indifference.
"So, now the problem has grown out of his control and it is up to me to save him from Prince John's wrath. Of course, I can't see this ridiculous plan of his working, not if he expects to capture the outlaws with a crippled girl and a brainless animal." Piper could feel Bear tense beside her but she didn't dare look. When it was apparent that he wasn't going to get any type of reaction from the two guards, he sneered and became fascinated with the gold trim on his black velvet doublet.
"Your disguises are already waiting for you in your rooms, the carriage will be outside and ready right after breakfast. Katherine will show you the way." He began to walk out of the hall, but almost as an after thought he turned and looked at Piper. "I have a physician staying here tonight. Perhaps he could look at that leg for you." Piper barely contained her disgust. He had let her suffer all afternoon while there was a physician nearby. He probably got some sort of perverse pleasure out of it.
As soon as Gisbourne left, Bear turned his full attention to Piper. "How bad is it?"
"I don't know. It's swollen. I'm afraid I can't put weight on it." She tried to get to her feet, but she had to lean heavily on her chair. Bear waited nearby to lend his support. Just then, the young girl, Katherine, appeared. "This way please," she said to her feet.
"Could you please take us to this physician first," Bear asked. Piper gritted her teeth as she put a little weight on her left leg. Bear slipped her arm around his shoulder and pulled her along as Katherine led the way to the physician.
Of course, his room had to be one of the farthest from the great hall. He was set up in the servants' quarters where the halls weren't quite as well lit. Piper tripped several times and would have fallen if Bear wasn't supporting her.
Katherine stopped and knocked on a heavy door. There was a muffled response from inside. Piper was no longer paying much attention anymore. She was trying to stay upright. There was some more conversation between Katherine and the man inside the room. Then the door opened. "I'll wait here," Katherine told them as they entered.
The physician was a willowy gray haired man with small bright eyes. "Oh my," he stepped back when he saw Piper, uniformed and mud splattered and limping. Piper wasn't in the mood for any more shocked sensibilities. "I fell off my horse and hurt my left knee, now fix it."
Bear led her to a spare chair and helped her sit down in it. The old man still looked baffled and a little unsure of how to proceed. Bear crossed his arms impatiently over his chest. "Take your time," he suggested sarcastically. The healer looked startled by Bear's comment. "But...b-but..." he stuttered.
Piper rolled her eyes and decided to speed things along a bit. She pulled off her boot and rolled her pants up to reveal her swollen knee. She considered pulling her pants down around her ankles, but that would have required standing and she suspected it would have caused the little man to faint. "This hurts," she pointed to her knee. Both men turned to her as she explained things in a patronizing voice. "I want you to make it stop hurting please," then she smiled. "Before I decide to hurt you."
The man nodded dumbly. He bent over Piper's knee to examine it. "It's swollen," the physician observed.
"I noticed that," Piper answered shortly. He continued his examination. After a while of poking and prodding and asking if various things hurt, he nodded excitedly. "Oh yes...mmm hmmm...bad humors will do that...I have just the thing for you."
"If you say leeches, then I'm going to have to kill you," Piper warned.
The physician's whole face fell in disappointment. Piper didn't feel at all sorry. She wanted to go to bed. She didn't want to spend another hour sitting in a chair while worms sucked out her blood. She knew that leeches were a favorite form of treatment, but she also knew that when the guards treated themselves for similar injuries, they never used leeches and they survived just fine. "I can make a compress for you, but I can't guarantee that it will be as effective as the leeches."
"Fine, just hurry up."
It took ten minutes for the physician to make the compress and another five to apply it and wrap it to her knee. "This should reduce the swelling and some of the pain. Come see me first thing in the morning so I can make a new one." He looked nervously between Bear and Piper and seemed to be considering suggesting leeches again, so Piper pulled herself up and thanked him.
Bear walked her out of the room in a hurry. Katherine was still out there waiting. Their guest quarters were in amongst the other servants'. Katherine showed Piper to her room first. Bear was about to help her into the room, but she held a hand up. "Thank you Bear. I'll be fine. I'll see you in the morning." With that, she let herself in and closed the door behind her.
Her room was clean and warm. While she was certain that it didn't come close to matching the guest chambers of Lord Geoffrey and Lady Eleanor, but it was more than she needed. In one corner of the room was a basin of water and her dress laid out for the next morning. It was green satin with gold trim and gold embroidery down the front. Her attention turned from the dress back to the basin of water. She considered washing herself off before falling asleep. She was absolutely filthy. After only a second's pause she shook her head. The bed was only a few steps away and the basin of water would still be there when she woke up. The next morning she would remember looking at the bed from the doorway, but she would not remember crossing the distance and collapsing into it.
A lot of stuff happens in this chapter. We're back into the action packed portion of the story. I hope you all enjoy. Happy Independence Day!
CHAPTER 15
Piper awoke early the next morning, her heart pounding with anticipation for the days ahead. She dressed quickly and slipped quietly out of her home. It was early yet. The birds were about and moving, but the sky was a pasty predawn gray, and obscured by the thin vestiges of fog that clung to the wet grass. Still there was enough light for her to circle around to the back of the manor, where the stable was located.
She took inventory of the stable. No horses were missing. She nodded in smug satisfaction, knowing that she had arrived before Bear. He thought that she couldn't do her job, perhaps arriving at Gisbourne's estate before him would begin to change his mind. It would certainly be easier for her since she was going straight through Sherwood. Her path would be much more direct.
Piper walked past each horse and greeted it in turn, offering her hand to sniff, or a scratch between t he ears. While the horses had never been officially named, she had given them each a name in secret, just to help her distinguish between them. She chose a dappled gray mare that she liked to call Thunder. Piper liked Thunder better than any of the other horses, because like Piper, she had a very strong will. Only Richard, Bear and Piper had ever successfully been able to ride her.
"Hey girl," she ran her hand down Thunder's long neck. "Would you rather go with me, or with Bear today?" Thunder snorted her indifference and pawed at the ground. "Me it is then."
She saddled Thunder and together, they turned north towards the back field. The fog was clearing away quickly revealing a thick layer of ominous clouds above. Thunder needed no encouragement to break out into a spirited gallop towards the forest. More than anything else, the horse loved to run. Piper let the exhilarating feeling wash over her as Thunder raced over the sloping field past the guard house.
The lands behind the Manor were not exceptionally large, and it wasn't long before they reached the forest's edge and had to slow down slightly to avoid some of the underbrush and loosely packed trees. Piper had taken Thunder into the forest before, so the horse was comfortable navigating it on her own. That left Piper with some time to think. Her mind drifted over the past few months, lingering particularly on the time that she had spent with Much. She smiled at the many pleasant memories that passed through her mind. So little made her truly happy. She loved her job. Fighting was what made life worth living, but Much was the thing worth fighting for.
She had been enjoying thoughts of Much for at least a quarter of an hour before she realized what she was doing and kicked herself. She gave Thunder a pat on the neck. "I bet things aren't nearly as complicated for you, are they?" Thunder snorted in response. "Well as a horse, you focus on one thing at a time. When you're walking, you're not thinking about that stallion back at the stable. Life must be much...clearer." Her only answer was an annoyed shake of the head.
The forest became denser and the clouds overhead darkened. As a light rain started sprinkling the treetops, Piper tried very hard not to think about Much. Thunder slowed down to a walk to avoid tripping over roots and ground cover. Piper ran through fighting moves, weapons, songs, even the names of all of the people she'd helped arrest, to distract herself from her favorite outlaw.
She became so focused on her task, that she didn't notice the rain as it soaked through her uniform. She didn't notice the long hour and a half that passed as she continued on her way. She was just in the middle of mentally reciting one of the songs they sang in the Farmer's Dog, when she was jolted back to reality by Thunder. The horse jerked nervously and pawed the ground, her eyes rolling.
"What..." Piper began, but stopped her question short. She thought she might have heard a weighty rustling in the trees that didn't sound like the natural disturbance of rain or wind. Piper tried to look up, but the rain fell in her eyes, temporarily blinding her.
There was another movement in the trees, the sound of snapping branches. Then a dark shadow swam in front of her streaming eyes and something slammed into her, knocking her off of Thunder's back. Piper fell into the mud, her left knee striking a rock painfully. She heard Thunder scream in alarm and the pounding of hooves as the frightened creature tried to get out of the way. At the same time, Piper pulled herself backwards and blinked the tears from her eyes.
She had to bite back a cry when her vision cleared and she was confronted with a terrifying image of William Scarlett. His long stringy hair dripped rain drops into his haggard face. Piper could see that in addition to the stark crescent shaped scar on his hand, he had acquired several new scars on his face. His wild, cruel smile showed off several missing teeth, and his mud stained clothes were faded and torn in several places.
Scarlett said nothing as he closed in on Piper. Piper pulled herself to her feet, and quickly fell back to the ground. Pain radiated from her left knee down to her foot and up to her hip. She bit back a scream, intent on not showing anymore weakness than she already had. She pulled herself backwards as he loomed towards her again, until she felt her head and shoulders brush against the hard surface of a tree. Scarlett laugh, though it sounded more like a deep rasping cough.
Without warning, he launched himself at her, pinning her needlessly to the ground, as though at any moment she was going to get up and run away. Piper barely resisted, only looking disgusted as he crawled his way up her until their faces were nearly touching. He laughed again, and his breath stank of rot. "No one to save you this time...."
He never finished his sentence. Piper threw a handful of mud into his eyes. "How do you like it?" she sneered. As he backed up a little to clear his vision, she kicked out with her good leg landing her well aimed foot between his legs. She wasn't feeling any pain or fear. She was feeling only the drive to finish what was started months before.
Scarlett realized that despite her injuries, Piper was gaining the upper hand. He tried to back away; to stand up in order to gain the advantage again, but Piper wouldn't allow him. While she grabbed a fistful of his rag of a shirt with her left hand, her right hand reached underneath her for the dagger still attached to her belt. Her eyes never left his, even when they bulged in shock as she plunged her dagger deep into his heart.
It happened so quickly and quietly. Piper was expecting death to be more dramatic. His body jerked reflexively out of her grasp, and then slumped beside her in the mud. Piper waited breathlessly for him to get back up. After five minutes of nothing but rain, she groped around in the mud until she found a stick, which she proceeded to poke him with. Still, nothing happened.
Piper used the tree for support as she painfully climbed back to her feet. Her mind spun with conflicting thoughts and emotions. On the one hand, she had never actually killed anyone before. She was disturbed by how quickly and silently it had happened. Her morbid sense of curiosity kept her wondering whether that would be how she would die. Would she have any warning, or would it be over so quickly that she wouldn't have time to realize that she was dead?
On the other hand, that foul smelling pile of rat intestines was gone for good, and not at the hands of some over protective man. It was certainly fitting that a woman should kill Scarlett. In the end she decided that he was only lucky that she didn't have the time or the energy to further disfigure him as a warning to other filth that thought to mimic him.
"Thunder," she called for the willful horse. "Come on you stupid animal, I'm not feeling too patient right now." Tentatively, Thunder returned to her rider and allowed Piper to struggle up onto her back. She looked down at the body of Scarlett one last time. The knife was still sticking out of his chest. She considered retrieving it for a moment but eventually decided "It's a good knife, but blegh!" She urged Thunder northward towards Gisbourne's estate.
**********
It was mid-afternoon by the time she reached her destination. The rain eased from a heavy downpour into a steady drizzle, which made little difference to Piper. She was feeling cold and painfully uncomfortable, but strangely satisfied with the turn of events.
She exited the forest very close to the estate. It was massive, much larger than the simple but effective Mark Manor. There was obvious wealth in the well manicured grounds and ornate structure of the estate. It took fifteen minutes of quick paced riding to reach the impressively maintained stables. A stable hand was waiting to greet her and take Thunder to be brushed down and fed. Piper almost wished she could stay to have a look at the beautiful animals that Gisbourne's wealth could afford him, but the stable hand let her know that Bear had already arrived and that they were waiting for her inside.
Piper arrived at the main entrance out of breath, having hobbled there painfully from the stables. The entrance was designed to intimidate, she noticed. It was a high, heavy door, guarded by a single man that could easily dwarf Richard. Piper didn't have time or patience to be intimidated. "I've come from the Sheriff. I believe I'm expected."
The guard said nothing. He sized her up, taking his time in doing so; another obvious attempt to intimidate her. After over a minute of squaring off, the large bull of a man snorted and stepped aside as he pulled the door opened. Inside, there was another servant, a small, frightened looking girl with downcast eyes. She could have been no more than thirteen years old. "The Lord is waiting for you. This way please."
She turned and led the way down the main corridor. Piper took in the opulence of Gisbourne's furnishings as they walked. Cozy torches were set into the wall at frequent intervals, highlighting grand tapestries and paintings. Suddenly she realized what a mess she must look like. She was covered in mud still, her short hair hung in dripping wet strands into her face from under her hat, and her limp was becoming more apparent the longer she walked. In fact, it was becoming nearly impossible to ignore the throbbing pain that was radiating through her entire leg.
Fortunately, she didn't have far to travel. The servant led her to the grand hall, which was lit by torches and a large fire at the far end. There were several long oak tables in the vast hall, but only one was occupied close to the fire place. There sat Bear, whose attention had turned towards her when she came in. He seemed to be enjoying a substantial meal. He sat at the end of the table closest to her. At the other end sat the man that Piper recognized as Lord Guy of Gisbourne. He was tall; his height noticeable even when he sat down. He wore fine rich clothes of black velvet and gold trim and kept his long brown hair pulled sharply back underneath his hat. He sat with an aristocratic grace, and a superior disinterest in everything that was going on around him, but Piper saw beyond the facade. Behind the boredom, he seemed to observe everything with a sharp intelligence. She definitely needed to be careful around him.
Down the table from him there was a rather heavyset, and pompous man in ridiculously fancy clothing. He looked disgusted by her appearance, as though she were some mangy dog that had just walked in and began licking itself. Next to him there was a younger woman with severe features and a sour expression on her face. She too was dressed too finely to be taken seriously and there was something about her manner that reminded Piper of the Lady Marian.
All four stood up at Piper's presence. "And this is..." Gisbourne looked not at Piper as he asked the question, but at the slip of a girl next to her. The girl's eyes widened with horror. She had not asked for Piper's name, and therefore could not formally announce her. She was obviously going to be in a lot of trouble for this oversight, despite the fact that, Gisbourne knew very well who she was. It annoyed Piper that he was using his power to frighten a child with the voice of a mouse, so she limped forward before the girl could confess her mistake. "Please pardon my rudeness, Your Lordship. I was sent by the Sheriff. My name is Piper." Her voice was thick with insincere graciousness. She had taken an instant dislike to Gisbourne.
The woman in fancy clothes scoffed. "Am I to understand that this is a guard? No wonder honest Lords and Ladies can't travel though the Forest safely, look what Philip leaves our safety in the hands of!"
"Indeed," Gisbourne raised an eyebrow in mock disinterest. Piper decided to ignore the woman and concentrate her attention on her host. "I also apologize for my appearance. I ran into some trouble." She smiled morbidly. "I took care of it."
She knew that Bear was watching her. She knew that he was probably concerned about her. She decided not to meet his gaze. She would speak with him later. Gisbourne continued. "May I introduce the Lord Geoffrey Renald and his daughter Eleanor," he indicated to his two guests. They both nodded curtly at Piper and sat down with Gisbourne.
"Please, join us and have some food. You must be very hungry from your journey."
Piper nodded in thanks, but tried to decline. "Your Lordship, I'm not dressed for such finery, and I have been injur..."
"I do hope that you are not refusing my hospitality." His voice took on a dangerous edge. Piper smiled tersely and assured him that she wasn't. She sat next to Bear, away from the nobles, who seemed to completely ignore them from that point on. Neither Piper nor Bear were fooled though. They knew that they were being watched closely by Gisbourne. It would be the only reason that he would allow someone with such low status to sit at the same able as him.
They both bowed their heads to the task of eating. Neither gave any hint of the suspicion that they held for their host. After what seemed like a lifetime of pretending to ignore the bland conversation of Lord Geoffrey and Lady Eleanor, Piper heard Bear's hushed whisper from next to her. "Your leg...Scarlett?"
Piper nodded slightly. She risked a sideways glance at him. He was nodding as well. "You deserved the kill." His mouth twisted briefly into a feral grin before returning his full attention to the cold food on his plate.
By the time the nobles had finished their meal the sky was darkening. Piper couldn't have arrived very late in the afternoon and all of that sitting without proper care had caused her knee to swell. She was beginning to worry about how she was going to fight outlaws the following day. She was certain that her knee was useless by now.
Gisbourne bid his two companions good evening, and the quiet young girl reappeared to show the buffoons to their rooms. Then the great hall was silent while Gisbourne filled his goblet with the last of the wine and made his way to the end of the table where Bear and Piper sat.
"I told Philip that he was wasting his time raising the taxes on the peasants. It's like squeezing water from a stone. He should have concentrated his efforts on capturing the outlaws as soon as they became a problem." He paused to gauge their reaction to his comments, but both listened to him with practiced indifference.
"So, now the problem has grown out of his control and it is up to me to save him from Prince John's wrath. Of course, I can't see this ridiculous plan of his working, not if he expects to capture the outlaws with a crippled girl and a brainless animal." Piper could feel Bear tense beside her but she didn't dare look. When it was apparent that he wasn't going to get any type of reaction from the two guards, he sneered and became fascinated with the gold trim on his black velvet doublet.
"Your disguises are already waiting for you in your rooms, the carriage will be outside and ready right after breakfast. Katherine will show you the way." He began to walk out of the hall, but almost as an after thought he turned and looked at Piper. "I have a physician staying here tonight. Perhaps he could look at that leg for you." Piper barely contained her disgust. He had let her suffer all afternoon while there was a physician nearby. He probably got some sort of perverse pleasure out of it.
As soon as Gisbourne left, Bear turned his full attention to Piper. "How bad is it?"
"I don't know. It's swollen. I'm afraid I can't put weight on it." She tried to get to her feet, but she had to lean heavily on her chair. Bear waited nearby to lend his support. Just then, the young girl, Katherine, appeared. "This way please," she said to her feet.
"Could you please take us to this physician first," Bear asked. Piper gritted her teeth as she put a little weight on her left leg. Bear slipped her arm around his shoulder and pulled her along as Katherine led the way to the physician.
Of course, his room had to be one of the farthest from the great hall. He was set up in the servants' quarters where the halls weren't quite as well lit. Piper tripped several times and would have fallen if Bear wasn't supporting her.
Katherine stopped and knocked on a heavy door. There was a muffled response from inside. Piper was no longer paying much attention anymore. She was trying to stay upright. There was some more conversation between Katherine and the man inside the room. Then the door opened. "I'll wait here," Katherine told them as they entered.
The physician was a willowy gray haired man with small bright eyes. "Oh my," he stepped back when he saw Piper, uniformed and mud splattered and limping. Piper wasn't in the mood for any more shocked sensibilities. "I fell off my horse and hurt my left knee, now fix it."
Bear led her to a spare chair and helped her sit down in it. The old man still looked baffled and a little unsure of how to proceed. Bear crossed his arms impatiently over his chest. "Take your time," he suggested sarcastically. The healer looked startled by Bear's comment. "But...b-but..." he stuttered.
Piper rolled her eyes and decided to speed things along a bit. She pulled off her boot and rolled her pants up to reveal her swollen knee. She considered pulling her pants down around her ankles, but that would have required standing and she suspected it would have caused the little man to faint. "This hurts," she pointed to her knee. Both men turned to her as she explained things in a patronizing voice. "I want you to make it stop hurting please," then she smiled. "Before I decide to hurt you."
The man nodded dumbly. He bent over Piper's knee to examine it. "It's swollen," the physician observed.
"I noticed that," Piper answered shortly. He continued his examination. After a while of poking and prodding and asking if various things hurt, he nodded excitedly. "Oh yes...mmm hmmm...bad humors will do that...I have just the thing for you."
"If you say leeches, then I'm going to have to kill you," Piper warned.
The physician's whole face fell in disappointment. Piper didn't feel at all sorry. She wanted to go to bed. She didn't want to spend another hour sitting in a chair while worms sucked out her blood. She knew that leeches were a favorite form of treatment, but she also knew that when the guards treated themselves for similar injuries, they never used leeches and they survived just fine. "I can make a compress for you, but I can't guarantee that it will be as effective as the leeches."
"Fine, just hurry up."
It took ten minutes for the physician to make the compress and another five to apply it and wrap it to her knee. "This should reduce the swelling and some of the pain. Come see me first thing in the morning so I can make a new one." He looked nervously between Bear and Piper and seemed to be considering suggesting leeches again, so Piper pulled herself up and thanked him.
Bear walked her out of the room in a hurry. Katherine was still out there waiting. Their guest quarters were in amongst the other servants'. Katherine showed Piper to her room first. Bear was about to help her into the room, but she held a hand up. "Thank you Bear. I'll be fine. I'll see you in the morning." With that, she let herself in and closed the door behind her.
Her room was clean and warm. While she was certain that it didn't come close to matching the guest chambers of Lord Geoffrey and Lady Eleanor, but it was more than she needed. In one corner of the room was a basin of water and her dress laid out for the next morning. It was green satin with gold trim and gold embroidery down the front. Her attention turned from the dress back to the basin of water. She considered washing herself off before falling asleep. She was absolutely filthy. After only a second's pause she shook her head. The bed was only a few steps away and the basin of water would still be there when she woke up. The next morning she would remember looking at the bed from the doorway, but she would not remember crossing the distance and collapsing into it.