I'm back up and running and with internet access, so here's the big fight
that I promised. There's only a few more chapters left, but there is one
more big fight, and possibly a few surprises too. I hope you all enjoy
this. It might be a little while till the next chapter while I settle into
Grad school life.
CHAPTER 17
Time and reality became suspended and a lifetime worth of thoughts and emotions passed in the span of one breath. Piper could see the shock on Much's face, followed by a brief period of indecision, and the inevitable resigned determination. He was going to betray her. The man holding Piper was saying something, but she couldn't hear it. All she could hear was Much's quiet intake of breath. He turned his back on Piper, towards John Little, on the verge of shouting out a warning. But the giant man's attention was elsewhere. He was scrutinizing something on the other side of the carriage. Recognition and alarm contorted his face as he raised his staff and pointed. "He's one of the guards," he shouted. That was when the entire forest was thrown into Bedlam.
Piper could hear Bear and the outlaw holding him in a struggle. Her own captor was distracted by the fight, and let her go. She took advantage of the moment, swinging her fist hard into his nose. She felt and heard the bone crunch, and the outlaw crumbled to the ground in shock and pain. She leapt over his body to the open door of the carriage, feeling her rigged hoop skirt slide off as she went. Her own sword was in her hand before she even got into the carriage. She had to feel around a bit for Bear's sword, which took only a few seconds longer. She was out the other side of the carriage before John Little reached them.
Bear and the outlaw were struggling for possession of a dagger, but when he saw her coming, he threw his opponent back a few paces. Piper tossed him his sword, which he caught with practiced ease.
John Little was only a few feet away. Piper rushed to meet him, her own sword at the ready. The big man stopped, and watched her incredulously as she approached. She was hoping that his surprise would freeze him long enough for her to disarm him. Unfortunately, he managed to overcome his shock quite quickly, and block her first few attacks. Then, in one sweeping gesture he knocked her sword out of her hand. The back end of his staff followed through for a direct blow. She saw the attack right before it connected and twisted her body in order to protect her left arm, which it would have surely been broken. The staff connected with her back, narrowly missing her spine. Piper fell to the ground and instantly rolled out of reach of a second attack.
It was at that moment that she heard a welcome voice shouting. A great rush of footsteps and more shouting alerted her to the presence of the other guards. Steven and Richard attacked John Little together. Bear was still fighting with his capture, and William seemed to be occupied with both Alan-a-Dale and the man that had originally stopped the carriage and captured the coachman. The coachman had escaped and was hiding somewhere. Piper pulled herself to her feet and ignored the throbbing in her knee as she sought out the only outlaw not occupied by a guard...Much.
Much was about to come to John Little's aid when Piper attacked. He was only carrying a quarter staff, but he managed to block one attack after another. She wasn't trying to harm him, only to guide him away from the center of the battle. Once they were far enough away, Piper held her ground, neither advancing, nor retreating.
"Run," she told him. "You can't win this one."
Much stared at her, his staff held up defensively, his eyes narrowed with suspicion. Piper had no patience for his over developed sense of loyalty. She swung her sword roughly at his right shoulder. He barely managed to defend himself that time, and the strength of the blow actually forced him back a step.
"Run," she repeated. "I can't protect you this time."
"I can't leave them," he stood firmly.
Piper felt sick at what she was about to do. "If you're captured with them, who will be left to alert the rest of your outlaws of what happened?" Much still didn't leave. He looked past her at his friends, all involved in their own fights. Then he looked back at her and her heart broke. There was so much sadness in his eyes. "We're lost," he breathed, before vanishing into the forest. She wanted to call after him. She wanted to reassure him that somehow everything would work out, but she couldn't. It would be a lie anyway.
Behind her, Bear and William were doing well in their fights. Richard and Steven were struggling to avoid John Little's staff and his massive fists. As he swung one end of his staff at Richard, missing his head by inches, Steven managed to get under his defenses, dragging the edge of his sword along the big man's ribs. The outlaw hollered in pain, but otherwise seemed unaffected by the wound. He lashed out, catching Steven directly on the back of his head and shoulders. Steven collapsed to the ground as Richard moved in to attack again.
Piper swiftly returned to the carriage. She moved fluidly, without stopping. She tossed her sword ahead of her, which landed neatly on the cushioned seat. Then she vaulted over her still whimpering captor with the broken nose, and through the cabin of the carriage, grabbing her bow and arrows as she passed. By the time she emerged on the other side, her quiver was slung over her shoulder, and an arrow was drawn in her bow. She aimed carefully, aware of Richard's close proximity to John. She felt the tension on the bow string becoming more intense. Then as the painful tension began burning into her arm, she saw an opening. Richard ducked under another swing at his head. John raised his weapon high, to bring it down on the now prone guard.
Piper loosed the arrow. She heard it slice through the air as it left her grasp. She knew before it struck that her aim was good. The sharp edge of the arrow head and the flimsy, yet razor edged fletches drew two angry red lines across John's forearm. The staff clattered to the ground, as he spun in shock towards her. There was another arrow drawn before he had time to react. John Little froze. Richard rose to his feet and reclaimed his sword. Piper could see William standing over a now unconscious outlaw. Bear backed his opponent up against a nearby tree and quickly disarmed him. They had won.
It took only a few minutes for William to shackle and secure all of the outlaws while Bear, Richard and Piper kept watch. The coachman, who stayed clear of all of the fighting, returned to the carriage, and turned it back towards Gisbourne's Estate as instructed. After that, Piper helped Steven, who was finally coming around. He was holding a hand to a large knot on the back of his head, and standing rather unsteadily, but with a little help, he would make it back to town safely. She gave him John Little's staff to lean on, then helped the others gather the outlaws.
It took them well into the afternoon to return to Nottingham. There were injuries to both the guards and the outlaws, and without the use of the carriage, it made their progress much slower. Piper stationed herself along the left side of the convoy. Bear took the right side, Robert lead the group, and William and Steven guarded the rear.
The sun was sinking low in the sky by the time they marched their captives down the main road into Nottingham. Merchants and laborers moved to the side of the road to make room for the awkward, limping procession, but Piper recognized unconcealed contempt in each pair of eyes that she passed. To the citizens of Nottingham, these outlaws were salvation. They represented hope of rescue from Prince John's tyranny. Not for the first time, Piper wondered at whose side she was really on.
The Nottingham prison was connected to the previous Sheriff's castle. The town actually rose up around Nottingham castle so long ago that the town and the castle seemed to be one and the same. The castle still housed the prior Sheriff's youngest son and his wife, but the man was a poor keeper of accounts. The only reason that the lands had not been seized for failure to pay taxes was because the castle was also being used for shire business. The prison was still in use, The Sheriff often used Nottingham Castle for clerical functions, and often important visitors would be housed there instead of the much smaller Mark Manor.
It was an impressive structure. Piper had only been there on a rare few occasions, and as she looked up at the solid, bleak wall that surrounded it, she was grateful. Mark Manor was not what she would call a warm cozy home, but it was far more inviting than this collection of stone and mud. She had heard stories of the previous Sheriff. He was a firm supporter of Prince John, and a cruel tyrant who took pleasure in the torture of dissidents and malcontents. Piper felt certain that if there were such things as ghosts, they dwelt here.
The wall opened up into a wide iron gate which was guarded by two curious looking men. Though they were large and intimidating, Piper could tell they weren't fighters. She could see in the way that they stood that they were unaccustomed to battle. They stood relaxed and unalert. They would be absolutely useless if anything unexpected happened, and Piper couldn't imagine that, while holding five of Locksley's outlaw friends, nothing unexpected would happen.
Piper also noticed a change in their prisoners. John Little's face became a grim mask of granite as they passed through the gate to the castle. Alan-a-Dale's eyes were downcast and distant, as though he were trying to convince himself that he wasn't really there. The other three outlaws were supporting each other, each having been injured to some degree. All three were looking up at the high walls with dread.
It was difficult to not feel sympathy for these men. They were doing what they thought was right for England, and now they might very well die for it. Life certainly wasn't in any way fair. She shivered at the thought that Much was very nearly one of them. Her mind was wandering into dark territory, so she pushed all her thoughts as far away as they would go and focused on the task at hand.
They traveled along a small road that led around the perimeter of the castle to the back, where the prison was. The prison was an extension of the castle. It had its own separate entrance which was guarded at all times. The man at attention here was slightly more alert than the two at the gate. He was smaller, and looked quite nervous, his eyes shifting quickly from the guards to the outlaws and back again. He wouldn't be much help in a fight either, and he was just smart enough to realize it.
Recognizing Richard, he let the party into the prison without hesitation.
"The last one on the left is empty," he said, and handed Richard a heavy set of keys.
The door to the prison opened to an abrupt stone staircase lined with torches, many of which had burned out. No one made a sound as they descended the stairs. There was an oppressive silence that didn't come from the lack of sound. Piper thought for certain that if one of them were to shout at that very moment, it would only come out sounding like a whisper.
At the base of the stairs was a corridor with heavy doors on either side. These doors led to the individual cells. Each one probably housed five or six prisoners, though they were meant for only two or three. They reached the end of the corridor, and Richard opened the door on the left. The five outlaws shuffled into the cell quietly, though John Little glared at each guard as he passed. There was fire in his eyes, and Piper knew that he would be a difficult prisoner. They would need to watch him carefully.
The door closed behind them with terrible finality. Piper found herself wanting to be away from Nottingham castle more than anything else at that moment. Richard locked the door and checked to make sure it was secure before they left.
Once outside, Richard turned to rest of the guards, to give them orders.
"Yeh all did a fine job today. We didnae catch Locksley, but we did manage to capture Little, his second in command. It's gettin' late, and I think we could all do with some rest, so..."
The approach of several horses interrupted him. They all turned to see who was coming. Piper had never seen even a picture of Prince John, but there was no doubt that it was Prince John who rode towards them on a majestic black stallion. He wore dark purple velvet and was accompanied by two banner bearers and three royal guards. His eyes were piercing blue, highly intelligent, and utterly disdainful of the environment they beheld.
The entire company of guards fell to one knee, humbling themselves in front of the false king.
"You are Mark's man, Richard," he asked of Richard.
"Aye, yer Majesty. I am."
"I have been told that you have just captured five outlaws, including the second in command of Locksley's band. Is this true?"
"Aye, Majesty. It is." It is always best to keep your answers short and to the point when speaking to royalty. If a king approaches you, then never waste his time with frivolous words. Piper was told that once, and she could see now why. Even this brief conversation seemed to tax Prince John's patience.
"It is a pity. Perhaps if you had done your job sooner, I wouldn't have to waste my time traveling to this rat infested dung heap of a city in order to oversee these proceedings."
He then turned his horse and rode off towards the front of the castle, without giving Richard a chance to respond. He had just been insulted by royalty. It was probably best that he bit his tongue and made no response at all.
"Is he going to be staying at Nottingham castle," Piper asked as she painfully got back on her feet.
"I believe so," said Richard.
"Good," said Piper.
CHAPTER 17
Time and reality became suspended and a lifetime worth of thoughts and emotions passed in the span of one breath. Piper could see the shock on Much's face, followed by a brief period of indecision, and the inevitable resigned determination. He was going to betray her. The man holding Piper was saying something, but she couldn't hear it. All she could hear was Much's quiet intake of breath. He turned his back on Piper, towards John Little, on the verge of shouting out a warning. But the giant man's attention was elsewhere. He was scrutinizing something on the other side of the carriage. Recognition and alarm contorted his face as he raised his staff and pointed. "He's one of the guards," he shouted. That was when the entire forest was thrown into Bedlam.
Piper could hear Bear and the outlaw holding him in a struggle. Her own captor was distracted by the fight, and let her go. She took advantage of the moment, swinging her fist hard into his nose. She felt and heard the bone crunch, and the outlaw crumbled to the ground in shock and pain. She leapt over his body to the open door of the carriage, feeling her rigged hoop skirt slide off as she went. Her own sword was in her hand before she even got into the carriage. She had to feel around a bit for Bear's sword, which took only a few seconds longer. She was out the other side of the carriage before John Little reached them.
Bear and the outlaw were struggling for possession of a dagger, but when he saw her coming, he threw his opponent back a few paces. Piper tossed him his sword, which he caught with practiced ease.
John Little was only a few feet away. Piper rushed to meet him, her own sword at the ready. The big man stopped, and watched her incredulously as she approached. She was hoping that his surprise would freeze him long enough for her to disarm him. Unfortunately, he managed to overcome his shock quite quickly, and block her first few attacks. Then, in one sweeping gesture he knocked her sword out of her hand. The back end of his staff followed through for a direct blow. She saw the attack right before it connected and twisted her body in order to protect her left arm, which it would have surely been broken. The staff connected with her back, narrowly missing her spine. Piper fell to the ground and instantly rolled out of reach of a second attack.
It was at that moment that she heard a welcome voice shouting. A great rush of footsteps and more shouting alerted her to the presence of the other guards. Steven and Richard attacked John Little together. Bear was still fighting with his capture, and William seemed to be occupied with both Alan-a-Dale and the man that had originally stopped the carriage and captured the coachman. The coachman had escaped and was hiding somewhere. Piper pulled herself to her feet and ignored the throbbing in her knee as she sought out the only outlaw not occupied by a guard...Much.
Much was about to come to John Little's aid when Piper attacked. He was only carrying a quarter staff, but he managed to block one attack after another. She wasn't trying to harm him, only to guide him away from the center of the battle. Once they were far enough away, Piper held her ground, neither advancing, nor retreating.
"Run," she told him. "You can't win this one."
Much stared at her, his staff held up defensively, his eyes narrowed with suspicion. Piper had no patience for his over developed sense of loyalty. She swung her sword roughly at his right shoulder. He barely managed to defend himself that time, and the strength of the blow actually forced him back a step.
"Run," she repeated. "I can't protect you this time."
"I can't leave them," he stood firmly.
Piper felt sick at what she was about to do. "If you're captured with them, who will be left to alert the rest of your outlaws of what happened?" Much still didn't leave. He looked past her at his friends, all involved in their own fights. Then he looked back at her and her heart broke. There was so much sadness in his eyes. "We're lost," he breathed, before vanishing into the forest. She wanted to call after him. She wanted to reassure him that somehow everything would work out, but she couldn't. It would be a lie anyway.
Behind her, Bear and William were doing well in their fights. Richard and Steven were struggling to avoid John Little's staff and his massive fists. As he swung one end of his staff at Richard, missing his head by inches, Steven managed to get under his defenses, dragging the edge of his sword along the big man's ribs. The outlaw hollered in pain, but otherwise seemed unaffected by the wound. He lashed out, catching Steven directly on the back of his head and shoulders. Steven collapsed to the ground as Richard moved in to attack again.
Piper swiftly returned to the carriage. She moved fluidly, without stopping. She tossed her sword ahead of her, which landed neatly on the cushioned seat. Then she vaulted over her still whimpering captor with the broken nose, and through the cabin of the carriage, grabbing her bow and arrows as she passed. By the time she emerged on the other side, her quiver was slung over her shoulder, and an arrow was drawn in her bow. She aimed carefully, aware of Richard's close proximity to John. She felt the tension on the bow string becoming more intense. Then as the painful tension began burning into her arm, she saw an opening. Richard ducked under another swing at his head. John raised his weapon high, to bring it down on the now prone guard.
Piper loosed the arrow. She heard it slice through the air as it left her grasp. She knew before it struck that her aim was good. The sharp edge of the arrow head and the flimsy, yet razor edged fletches drew two angry red lines across John's forearm. The staff clattered to the ground, as he spun in shock towards her. There was another arrow drawn before he had time to react. John Little froze. Richard rose to his feet and reclaimed his sword. Piper could see William standing over a now unconscious outlaw. Bear backed his opponent up against a nearby tree and quickly disarmed him. They had won.
It took only a few minutes for William to shackle and secure all of the outlaws while Bear, Richard and Piper kept watch. The coachman, who stayed clear of all of the fighting, returned to the carriage, and turned it back towards Gisbourne's Estate as instructed. After that, Piper helped Steven, who was finally coming around. He was holding a hand to a large knot on the back of his head, and standing rather unsteadily, but with a little help, he would make it back to town safely. She gave him John Little's staff to lean on, then helped the others gather the outlaws.
It took them well into the afternoon to return to Nottingham. There were injuries to both the guards and the outlaws, and without the use of the carriage, it made their progress much slower. Piper stationed herself along the left side of the convoy. Bear took the right side, Robert lead the group, and William and Steven guarded the rear.
The sun was sinking low in the sky by the time they marched their captives down the main road into Nottingham. Merchants and laborers moved to the side of the road to make room for the awkward, limping procession, but Piper recognized unconcealed contempt in each pair of eyes that she passed. To the citizens of Nottingham, these outlaws were salvation. They represented hope of rescue from Prince John's tyranny. Not for the first time, Piper wondered at whose side she was really on.
The Nottingham prison was connected to the previous Sheriff's castle. The town actually rose up around Nottingham castle so long ago that the town and the castle seemed to be one and the same. The castle still housed the prior Sheriff's youngest son and his wife, but the man was a poor keeper of accounts. The only reason that the lands had not been seized for failure to pay taxes was because the castle was also being used for shire business. The prison was still in use, The Sheriff often used Nottingham Castle for clerical functions, and often important visitors would be housed there instead of the much smaller Mark Manor.
It was an impressive structure. Piper had only been there on a rare few occasions, and as she looked up at the solid, bleak wall that surrounded it, she was grateful. Mark Manor was not what she would call a warm cozy home, but it was far more inviting than this collection of stone and mud. She had heard stories of the previous Sheriff. He was a firm supporter of Prince John, and a cruel tyrant who took pleasure in the torture of dissidents and malcontents. Piper felt certain that if there were such things as ghosts, they dwelt here.
The wall opened up into a wide iron gate which was guarded by two curious looking men. Though they were large and intimidating, Piper could tell they weren't fighters. She could see in the way that they stood that they were unaccustomed to battle. They stood relaxed and unalert. They would be absolutely useless if anything unexpected happened, and Piper couldn't imagine that, while holding five of Locksley's outlaw friends, nothing unexpected would happen.
Piper also noticed a change in their prisoners. John Little's face became a grim mask of granite as they passed through the gate to the castle. Alan-a-Dale's eyes were downcast and distant, as though he were trying to convince himself that he wasn't really there. The other three outlaws were supporting each other, each having been injured to some degree. All three were looking up at the high walls with dread.
It was difficult to not feel sympathy for these men. They were doing what they thought was right for England, and now they might very well die for it. Life certainly wasn't in any way fair. She shivered at the thought that Much was very nearly one of them. Her mind was wandering into dark territory, so she pushed all her thoughts as far away as they would go and focused on the task at hand.
They traveled along a small road that led around the perimeter of the castle to the back, where the prison was. The prison was an extension of the castle. It had its own separate entrance which was guarded at all times. The man at attention here was slightly more alert than the two at the gate. He was smaller, and looked quite nervous, his eyes shifting quickly from the guards to the outlaws and back again. He wouldn't be much help in a fight either, and he was just smart enough to realize it.
Recognizing Richard, he let the party into the prison without hesitation.
"The last one on the left is empty," he said, and handed Richard a heavy set of keys.
The door to the prison opened to an abrupt stone staircase lined with torches, many of which had burned out. No one made a sound as they descended the stairs. There was an oppressive silence that didn't come from the lack of sound. Piper thought for certain that if one of them were to shout at that very moment, it would only come out sounding like a whisper.
At the base of the stairs was a corridor with heavy doors on either side. These doors led to the individual cells. Each one probably housed five or six prisoners, though they were meant for only two or three. They reached the end of the corridor, and Richard opened the door on the left. The five outlaws shuffled into the cell quietly, though John Little glared at each guard as he passed. There was fire in his eyes, and Piper knew that he would be a difficult prisoner. They would need to watch him carefully.
The door closed behind them with terrible finality. Piper found herself wanting to be away from Nottingham castle more than anything else at that moment. Richard locked the door and checked to make sure it was secure before they left.
Once outside, Richard turned to rest of the guards, to give them orders.
"Yeh all did a fine job today. We didnae catch Locksley, but we did manage to capture Little, his second in command. It's gettin' late, and I think we could all do with some rest, so..."
The approach of several horses interrupted him. They all turned to see who was coming. Piper had never seen even a picture of Prince John, but there was no doubt that it was Prince John who rode towards them on a majestic black stallion. He wore dark purple velvet and was accompanied by two banner bearers and three royal guards. His eyes were piercing blue, highly intelligent, and utterly disdainful of the environment they beheld.
The entire company of guards fell to one knee, humbling themselves in front of the false king.
"You are Mark's man, Richard," he asked of Richard.
"Aye, yer Majesty. I am."
"I have been told that you have just captured five outlaws, including the second in command of Locksley's band. Is this true?"
"Aye, Majesty. It is." It is always best to keep your answers short and to the point when speaking to royalty. If a king approaches you, then never waste his time with frivolous words. Piper was told that once, and she could see now why. Even this brief conversation seemed to tax Prince John's patience.
"It is a pity. Perhaps if you had done your job sooner, I wouldn't have to waste my time traveling to this rat infested dung heap of a city in order to oversee these proceedings."
He then turned his horse and rode off towards the front of the castle, without giving Richard a chance to respond. He had just been insulted by royalty. It was probably best that he bit his tongue and made no response at all.
"Is he going to be staying at Nottingham castle," Piper asked as she painfully got back on her feet.
"I believe so," said Richard.
"Good," said Piper.