Here's the second to last chapter. Sorry it took me so long. This
semester was rather intense and I had to put aside writing for...well...more
writing. I rushed through this bit a little so I could get it done before
summer classes started. Even with the summer session though, I should have
the final chapter done before mid-June. I'll try to finish it quickly so
you don't have to wait in the dark anymore. So here's the big battle,
slightly shorter than I would like, but maybe that can get fixed in the
rewrite (whenever that will happen).
Thanks to everyone that's been reading and especially to those that have
been reviewing. I love the attention.
-byrdgirl
CHAPTER 21
The fighting started closest to the gallows where John's men were. An arrow missed one of the royal guards by inches as the few outlaws positioned there stormed the gallows. Then it spread. Piper and the reluctant guards hesitated, hoping that by some miracle, the slaughter could be prevented, but as the first swords were drawn; as the first battle cries were sounded, they realized that they had only one option.
Piper and Much turned away from each other. They searched out the crowd for another foe. Piper found one rushing at her with desperate enthusiasm. He was a tall, wild looking man, but he had honest eyes. He also had a sword. Piper didn't allow herself to think. She let loose the arrow that was still drawn in her bow. It struck the man's shoulder, causing him to drop his sword and crumble to the ground.
She scanned the battle then. Outlaws were freeing the prisoners and fighting with the royal guards at the gallows. John Little managed to snap the ropes holding him on his own and was now crashing through the crowd attacking guards with his bare fists. Isolated fights were happening all around. Most of the townspeople ran for safety, but a few were fighting alongside the outlaws with whatever weapons they could find. While the outlaws and peasants outnumbered the guards, they were fighting more with pitchforks and quarter-staves than with bows and blades. The guards had the advantage.
Piper's attention was drawn to a fight just off the gallows. One of John's men had Tuck backed up against the wall. Tuck looked hurt and armed only with a staff. "Tuck you fool," she hissed. "You don't belong here." A few feet away there was an abandoned cart. It wasn't very high, but it gave her just enough of a vantage point to get a good shot. No one was paying her any attention, so she climbed up onto it and let loose an arrow. Tuck's attacker dropped, an arrow protruding from his leg. "Now have some sense and get out of here," muttered Piper as she jumped off the cart and threw herself into the fray.
She would have preferred to use just her bow, but the fighting was in tight quarters, and she knew that if she stayed on the high ground of the cart for too long, she would become an easy target. So she exchanged her weapon of choice for the sword at her side. Her first opponent appeared to be a farmer. He fought with a shovel beaten into a primitive blade. She disarmed him quickly and gave him a warning; a thin red line across his collarbone. "Leave," she advised him, but he was beyond common sense. The farmer charged her in defiance, grabbing for her sword. Instinctively, she raised her blade to defend herself without considering that her enemy had no real weapon. He ran himself onto the blade, the shock registering on his face only moments before the glazed look of death replaced it.
Piper pulled away from the grisly image, removing her sword from the lifeless body and allowing it to fall. She heard a strangled cry of pain somewhere behind her. It sounded like Mr. Thomas. She didn't turn to see. People were dying around her and it sickened her.
Something caught her attention from high up on the wall. Several of John's men had encircled Prince John, Marian and the Sheriff, presumable to escort them to safety, but now the circle of guards were backing away in confusion. Marian and Prince John looked at first like they were dancing, then like they were struggling.
Her attention was brought back to the fight when another man, one that Piper recognized from the tavern, attacked her with an ax. She ducked under the first swing and grabbed his arm. She pulled hard throwing the man off balance, then stepped in and punched him in the stomach. As he was recovering from that, she followed her own momentum behind him and kicked the spot just behind his knees. She didn't watch him fall, instead returning her focus on the events on the wall.
The Sheriff was now standing between Marian and John, his sword drawn and threatening the Prince. John's men were crowding in around them. Piper realized that she had only ever seen the Sheriff fight on a few occasions. She knew that he could take care of himself, but not against so many opponents. He needed a distraction. She took less than a second to consider her options.
"Damn it," she cursed. Piper ran back to the cart, punching one outlaw in the face and escaping passed him while he recovered from surprise. She took a running leap at the abandoned cart. It was just high enough that she could see the fight going on around her. She could, if she too the time, find each of the Sheriff's men within the battle. Once she was upon the cart, she took a deep breath and shouted as loudly as she could "For King Richard!" The cry spread outward from Piper, first taken up by Walter who was near enough to hear her. Then Bear and William joined and some of the outlaws also lent their voices. Louder and louder the chanting continued as Piper's comrades broke off their fights with the outlaws, turning to aid them instead.
On the wall, Piper saw the Sheriff fall under a blow from John himself. Marian was backing away from the fight, but she wouldn't stand a chance of escaping if it wasn't for the group of outlaws who had finally arrived to protect her. Soldiers and outlaws collided, and Marian was ushered to safety. Piper couldn't see what had happened to the Sheriff. The fight on the wall was now far too chaotic to see whether he had risen again, or was too badly hurt to continue fighting.
She couldn't waste time worry about it either. She was an easy target standing on the cart. One of John's men was rushing towards her with a raised sword. She took the briefest moment to read his posture and facial expressions. This man was a confident fighter, and she had the distinct impression that he was a competent one too. She blocked his first attack which was forceful. She felt the impact of it nearly dislocate her shoulder. She used her position on the cart to her advantage while she could, kicking the guard in the face. He reeled back but regained his balance quickly; too quickly.
The fight began in ernest. Piper tried to remain on higher ground for as long as she could, but she found herself blocking his attacks on her legs and ankles so much that she couldn't attack him. He was a furious fighter who didn't give her a moment to think. Then she saw what appeared to be an opening. She avoided an attack which swung wide, leaving his side and back vulnerable. She thrust, but he twisted out of the way, avoiding her blade by inches. At the same time he grabbed one of her legs and pulled hard, throwing her off balance. She fell on her back and had to roll off the cart to avoid being run through.
Piper knew before she regained her footing that she was in trouble. The guard was a large man, powerfully built and very well trained. He was still breathing normally and didn't show the slightest hint of fatigue or discomfort while Piper was winded and beginning to feel the protest of bruised and overused muscles. Her enemy attacked again, slowly forcing her to retreat. She put all of her energy into defending herself, but she could feel her arm going numb with each impact. It wasn't long before her weapon was forced out of her hand. She watched in horror as it slipped from her fingers and landed several feet away. Her right arm was practically useless. The guard thrust his sword at her chest. Piper narrowly avoided the attack. Next he swung at her arm, and she stumbled exhaustedly backwards out of reach. She wasn't quite fast enough to entirely avoid the third attack. The tip of the sword drew a shallow wound across her ribs. 'Could be worse,' she thought to herself. 'I think he was trying to disembowel me.' It was then that she realized that she had nothing left. She stumbled again and fell backwards.
Prone on the ground, Piper locked her eyes with the guards and refused to look away. It was her last act of defiance. The guard seemed hesitant to kill her. His resolve wavered for only a moment. Then he pulled back his arm for the final blow. That blow never came. The guard was knocked off his feet by someone else; his sword flew from his grasp. It happened too quickly and Piper couldn't see who it was. By the time she pulled herself wearily to her feet the two men were wrestling on the ground. Her attacker had the upper hand and was blocking her view of the other fighter. There was a flash of something silver in the light. Piper didn't wait any longer. She retrieved her own fallen weapon and killed the Prince's guard with one thrust through his heart from behind. The man collapsed and died instantly.
Though she had no energy left, Piper found the strength to roll the dead man away. Underneath, Walter lay pale-faced and unmoving. Piper knelt beside him to see what was the matter. She thought perhaps that he had struck his head and was unconscious. Then she noticed how shallow and irregular his breathing was. She put a hand on his arm. "Walter," she called to him, but he did not respond. She checked him for wounds and found one quickly. A deep wound between his ribs just under his heart. It was hard to see through the dark and grimy clothing of his uniform. It looked like a knife wound. She turned to the dead guard and indeed he was holding a bloodied knife in his lifeless hand.
When she turned back to Walter, his eyes were opened, barely. They were focused on her. The two watched each other silently as though the rest of the battle was not happening. It was uncomfortable for Piper. She and Walter had never really understood each other, but he seemed to need the contact. Piper knew he was dying and didn't want to deny him this one comfort, so she kept watching, and eventually she reached for his hand and held it.
Less than five minutes later, Walter's erratic breathing stopped. Piper resisted the urge to give in to grief. She let go of his hand and closed his eyes. When she stood up she was ready to kill something. In one hand she held her own sword. In the other she held the knife that had killed Walter. She scanned the battle, which had thinned slightly, and spotted a target for her rage. A yard away, a guard in royal uniform was menacing a villager who had nothing to defend himself with.
Piper took one step before she was interrupted. A loud piercing fanfare from the two trumpeters still atop the wall caught everyone's attention. The trumpeters were looking nervously at a point behind Piper. She turned to see what they were seeing. A long line of men on horseback with fine clothes and heraldic banners was approaching. The man at the front was an imposing figure though the dark circles under his eyes and gaunt features gave evidence either to illness or starvation. Piper had never seen the King before, but she recognized the symbol on this man's armor and on the two banners carried by the guards on either side of him. She and every other person in the square dropped their weapons and silently fell to one knee in deference to King Richard.
"I was told that there was unrest in Nottingham, but I did not expect to find this." His voice was full of disdain for what he was. "Would you care to explain yourself, brother?" Piper chanced to tear her eyes away from the ground. Prince John, Marian and the outlaws had come down from the wall. All but the Prince were bowed before the King. John was walking towards his brother.
"Richard, it is true that you have returned, thank the lord! What has happened is that we were attacked by outlaws and traitors to the crown during the lawful execution of a number of criminals. We..."
"Is that so?" Richard sounded doubtful. "Cousin," he turned his attention to the Lady Marian. "Come forward." Marian rose to her feet keeping her eyes respectfully downward. "Is what my brother saying true? I have heard so many stories on my way here. I hope that you can shed some light on the matter."
Marian seemed to consider what to say. "Your Majesty, Prince John was attacked while trying to execute several men, but they were not criminals. He has taxed your people beyond their means and he has beaten and imprisoned those who could not pay. These criminals and outlaws that he speaks of were the only ones who were capable and willing to fight his injustices."
"Those were the stories I've heard," King Richard nodded. "Gentlemen," he indicated to his own soldiers. "Take my brother into custody. I'm certain that there are quarters in Nottingham Castle suitable for his detainment. As for his men, put them in the dungeons until we get this whole mess sorted properly."
Piper sighed in relief. It was all over. Richard had returned and the country would be restored to order. Then Piper noticed that King Richard's soldiers were not just taking John's men. Bear and Steven were being herded towards the castle along with them. Three of the soldiers were surrounding Richard who looked badly beaten himself from the fight. "Wait," she protested. A single soldier approached her to arrest her. She prepared to resist, but then she heard Richard call her name. He shook his head to signal that she shouldn't fight and let the soldiers lead him to the dungeons. Piper's own guard began to lead her in the same direction, and she submitted, but as they passed the Lady Marian, she gave one last effort to correct the situation. She tried to make eye contact with the Lady, but Marian's eyes were meekly downcast. "We helped you. Tell him," she pleaded, but Marian gave no indication that she even heard Piper.
And so, those of the Sheriff's guard that were still alive were led like traitors through the cast iron gates to Nottingham prison. Piper didn't look up at the faces of the outlaws as she passed. She couldn't bear to see Much's expression. She could bare it even less if, in searching for him, found that he hadn't survived the battle. She went quietly, defeated, and tired of fighting.
CHAPTER 21
The fighting started closest to the gallows where John's men were. An arrow missed one of the royal guards by inches as the few outlaws positioned there stormed the gallows. Then it spread. Piper and the reluctant guards hesitated, hoping that by some miracle, the slaughter could be prevented, but as the first swords were drawn; as the first battle cries were sounded, they realized that they had only one option.
Piper and Much turned away from each other. They searched out the crowd for another foe. Piper found one rushing at her with desperate enthusiasm. He was a tall, wild looking man, but he had honest eyes. He also had a sword. Piper didn't allow herself to think. She let loose the arrow that was still drawn in her bow. It struck the man's shoulder, causing him to drop his sword and crumble to the ground.
She scanned the battle then. Outlaws were freeing the prisoners and fighting with the royal guards at the gallows. John Little managed to snap the ropes holding him on his own and was now crashing through the crowd attacking guards with his bare fists. Isolated fights were happening all around. Most of the townspeople ran for safety, but a few were fighting alongside the outlaws with whatever weapons they could find. While the outlaws and peasants outnumbered the guards, they were fighting more with pitchforks and quarter-staves than with bows and blades. The guards had the advantage.
Piper's attention was drawn to a fight just off the gallows. One of John's men had Tuck backed up against the wall. Tuck looked hurt and armed only with a staff. "Tuck you fool," she hissed. "You don't belong here." A few feet away there was an abandoned cart. It wasn't very high, but it gave her just enough of a vantage point to get a good shot. No one was paying her any attention, so she climbed up onto it and let loose an arrow. Tuck's attacker dropped, an arrow protruding from his leg. "Now have some sense and get out of here," muttered Piper as she jumped off the cart and threw herself into the fray.
She would have preferred to use just her bow, but the fighting was in tight quarters, and she knew that if she stayed on the high ground of the cart for too long, she would become an easy target. So she exchanged her weapon of choice for the sword at her side. Her first opponent appeared to be a farmer. He fought with a shovel beaten into a primitive blade. She disarmed him quickly and gave him a warning; a thin red line across his collarbone. "Leave," she advised him, but he was beyond common sense. The farmer charged her in defiance, grabbing for her sword. Instinctively, she raised her blade to defend herself without considering that her enemy had no real weapon. He ran himself onto the blade, the shock registering on his face only moments before the glazed look of death replaced it.
Piper pulled away from the grisly image, removing her sword from the lifeless body and allowing it to fall. She heard a strangled cry of pain somewhere behind her. It sounded like Mr. Thomas. She didn't turn to see. People were dying around her and it sickened her.
Something caught her attention from high up on the wall. Several of John's men had encircled Prince John, Marian and the Sheriff, presumable to escort them to safety, but now the circle of guards were backing away in confusion. Marian and Prince John looked at first like they were dancing, then like they were struggling.
Her attention was brought back to the fight when another man, one that Piper recognized from the tavern, attacked her with an ax. She ducked under the first swing and grabbed his arm. She pulled hard throwing the man off balance, then stepped in and punched him in the stomach. As he was recovering from that, she followed her own momentum behind him and kicked the spot just behind his knees. She didn't watch him fall, instead returning her focus on the events on the wall.
The Sheriff was now standing between Marian and John, his sword drawn and threatening the Prince. John's men were crowding in around them. Piper realized that she had only ever seen the Sheriff fight on a few occasions. She knew that he could take care of himself, but not against so many opponents. He needed a distraction. She took less than a second to consider her options.
"Damn it," she cursed. Piper ran back to the cart, punching one outlaw in the face and escaping passed him while he recovered from surprise. She took a running leap at the abandoned cart. It was just high enough that she could see the fight going on around her. She could, if she too the time, find each of the Sheriff's men within the battle. Once she was upon the cart, she took a deep breath and shouted as loudly as she could "For King Richard!" The cry spread outward from Piper, first taken up by Walter who was near enough to hear her. Then Bear and William joined and some of the outlaws also lent their voices. Louder and louder the chanting continued as Piper's comrades broke off their fights with the outlaws, turning to aid them instead.
On the wall, Piper saw the Sheriff fall under a blow from John himself. Marian was backing away from the fight, but she wouldn't stand a chance of escaping if it wasn't for the group of outlaws who had finally arrived to protect her. Soldiers and outlaws collided, and Marian was ushered to safety. Piper couldn't see what had happened to the Sheriff. The fight on the wall was now far too chaotic to see whether he had risen again, or was too badly hurt to continue fighting.
She couldn't waste time worry about it either. She was an easy target standing on the cart. One of John's men was rushing towards her with a raised sword. She took the briefest moment to read his posture and facial expressions. This man was a confident fighter, and she had the distinct impression that he was a competent one too. She blocked his first attack which was forceful. She felt the impact of it nearly dislocate her shoulder. She used her position on the cart to her advantage while she could, kicking the guard in the face. He reeled back but regained his balance quickly; too quickly.
The fight began in ernest. Piper tried to remain on higher ground for as long as she could, but she found herself blocking his attacks on her legs and ankles so much that she couldn't attack him. He was a furious fighter who didn't give her a moment to think. Then she saw what appeared to be an opening. She avoided an attack which swung wide, leaving his side and back vulnerable. She thrust, but he twisted out of the way, avoiding her blade by inches. At the same time he grabbed one of her legs and pulled hard, throwing her off balance. She fell on her back and had to roll off the cart to avoid being run through.
Piper knew before she regained her footing that she was in trouble. The guard was a large man, powerfully built and very well trained. He was still breathing normally and didn't show the slightest hint of fatigue or discomfort while Piper was winded and beginning to feel the protest of bruised and overused muscles. Her enemy attacked again, slowly forcing her to retreat. She put all of her energy into defending herself, but she could feel her arm going numb with each impact. It wasn't long before her weapon was forced out of her hand. She watched in horror as it slipped from her fingers and landed several feet away. Her right arm was practically useless. The guard thrust his sword at her chest. Piper narrowly avoided the attack. Next he swung at her arm, and she stumbled exhaustedly backwards out of reach. She wasn't quite fast enough to entirely avoid the third attack. The tip of the sword drew a shallow wound across her ribs. 'Could be worse,' she thought to herself. 'I think he was trying to disembowel me.' It was then that she realized that she had nothing left. She stumbled again and fell backwards.
Prone on the ground, Piper locked her eyes with the guards and refused to look away. It was her last act of defiance. The guard seemed hesitant to kill her. His resolve wavered for only a moment. Then he pulled back his arm for the final blow. That blow never came. The guard was knocked off his feet by someone else; his sword flew from his grasp. It happened too quickly and Piper couldn't see who it was. By the time she pulled herself wearily to her feet the two men were wrestling on the ground. Her attacker had the upper hand and was blocking her view of the other fighter. There was a flash of something silver in the light. Piper didn't wait any longer. She retrieved her own fallen weapon and killed the Prince's guard with one thrust through his heart from behind. The man collapsed and died instantly.
Though she had no energy left, Piper found the strength to roll the dead man away. Underneath, Walter lay pale-faced and unmoving. Piper knelt beside him to see what was the matter. She thought perhaps that he had struck his head and was unconscious. Then she noticed how shallow and irregular his breathing was. She put a hand on his arm. "Walter," she called to him, but he did not respond. She checked him for wounds and found one quickly. A deep wound between his ribs just under his heart. It was hard to see through the dark and grimy clothing of his uniform. It looked like a knife wound. She turned to the dead guard and indeed he was holding a bloodied knife in his lifeless hand.
When she turned back to Walter, his eyes were opened, barely. They were focused on her. The two watched each other silently as though the rest of the battle was not happening. It was uncomfortable for Piper. She and Walter had never really understood each other, but he seemed to need the contact. Piper knew he was dying and didn't want to deny him this one comfort, so she kept watching, and eventually she reached for his hand and held it.
Less than five minutes later, Walter's erratic breathing stopped. Piper resisted the urge to give in to grief. She let go of his hand and closed his eyes. When she stood up she was ready to kill something. In one hand she held her own sword. In the other she held the knife that had killed Walter. She scanned the battle, which had thinned slightly, and spotted a target for her rage. A yard away, a guard in royal uniform was menacing a villager who had nothing to defend himself with.
Piper took one step before she was interrupted. A loud piercing fanfare from the two trumpeters still atop the wall caught everyone's attention. The trumpeters were looking nervously at a point behind Piper. She turned to see what they were seeing. A long line of men on horseback with fine clothes and heraldic banners was approaching. The man at the front was an imposing figure though the dark circles under his eyes and gaunt features gave evidence either to illness or starvation. Piper had never seen the King before, but she recognized the symbol on this man's armor and on the two banners carried by the guards on either side of him. She and every other person in the square dropped their weapons and silently fell to one knee in deference to King Richard.
"I was told that there was unrest in Nottingham, but I did not expect to find this." His voice was full of disdain for what he was. "Would you care to explain yourself, brother?" Piper chanced to tear her eyes away from the ground. Prince John, Marian and the outlaws had come down from the wall. All but the Prince were bowed before the King. John was walking towards his brother.
"Richard, it is true that you have returned, thank the lord! What has happened is that we were attacked by outlaws and traitors to the crown during the lawful execution of a number of criminals. We..."
"Is that so?" Richard sounded doubtful. "Cousin," he turned his attention to the Lady Marian. "Come forward." Marian rose to her feet keeping her eyes respectfully downward. "Is what my brother saying true? I have heard so many stories on my way here. I hope that you can shed some light on the matter."
Marian seemed to consider what to say. "Your Majesty, Prince John was attacked while trying to execute several men, but they were not criminals. He has taxed your people beyond their means and he has beaten and imprisoned those who could not pay. These criminals and outlaws that he speaks of were the only ones who were capable and willing to fight his injustices."
"Those were the stories I've heard," King Richard nodded. "Gentlemen," he indicated to his own soldiers. "Take my brother into custody. I'm certain that there are quarters in Nottingham Castle suitable for his detainment. As for his men, put them in the dungeons until we get this whole mess sorted properly."
Piper sighed in relief. It was all over. Richard had returned and the country would be restored to order. Then Piper noticed that King Richard's soldiers were not just taking John's men. Bear and Steven were being herded towards the castle along with them. Three of the soldiers were surrounding Richard who looked badly beaten himself from the fight. "Wait," she protested. A single soldier approached her to arrest her. She prepared to resist, but then she heard Richard call her name. He shook his head to signal that she shouldn't fight and let the soldiers lead him to the dungeons. Piper's own guard began to lead her in the same direction, and she submitted, but as they passed the Lady Marian, she gave one last effort to correct the situation. She tried to make eye contact with the Lady, but Marian's eyes were meekly downcast. "We helped you. Tell him," she pleaded, but Marian gave no indication that she even heard Piper.
And so, those of the Sheriff's guard that were still alive were led like traitors through the cast iron gates to Nottingham prison. Piper didn't look up at the faces of the outlaws as she passed. She couldn't bear to see Much's expression. She could bare it even less if, in searching for him, found that he hadn't survived the battle. She went quietly, defeated, and tired of fighting.