Finally, it's done. Happy dance time. Well I kind of slapped a short
story ending on a rather long story. If it seems a bit abrupt, forgive me.
I wanted to get it done. I'll eventually rewrite the whole damned
thing...make it longer and more in depth and flesh out the characters a bit
more. But you've got the basic plot now, so enjoy.
Thanks to everyone who has reviewed...especially those of you that have been so incredibly patient with slow updates and major interruptions due to life.
Now I can start writing my thesis. Joy.
CHAPTER 22
The prison cells were darker than Piper remembered, or perhaps that was just her mood. At least they put her in a cell by herself. When they got to the prison, they didn't know exactly what to do with her. They briefly considered putting her in a guarded bedchamber like Prince John, but the look of violent anticipation and the warning from Richard that she was not to do anything of an extreme nature convinced them that she would be fine in an isolated cell.
The others weren't so lucky. They had crowded them all, Sheriff's and Prince's guards, into one small wing of the prison. It was a small miracle that they hadn't killed each other within the first hour, but her own comrades were too busy taking stock...who had survived, who was injured, and what had happened to the Sheriff...and the Prince's guards were too concerned with coming up with plausible stories and excuses to prove their innocence. Piper could hear them talking and while it was difficult to ignore the ramblings of John's men, she was able to catch that in addition to Walter, William and Stephen had been killed, but apart from a few minor to moderate injuries everyone else was all right. No one knew what had happened to the Sheriff.
Piper didn't participate in the conversation except to let them know that she was all right. She sat in the far corner of the cell with her knees drawn to her chest, pressing herself as far into the shadows as she possibly could. It had been two days since they had been brought in, and the smaller scratches and larger cut along her ribs were beginning to heal despite neglect. The itching was far more annoying than the pain, but she ignored both, choosing instead to stare out of the bars of the cell from the shadows. This, plus the stories that were being told by John's men unnerved the prison guards, which became Piper's new form of entertainment. For their own recreation, the Sheriff's guards would sometimes encourage these stories with additions of their own. "Oh aye," she heard Richard whisper to one of the prison guards who was asking about her last encounter with Will Scarlett. "Killed him with her own two hands, she did. Then she took his own knife and cut off a finger. Got it strung around her neck as a reminder. No one knows where she came from yeh know. Some say the devil 'imself dropped her at the Sheriff's door when she was just an infant." After that the prison guards drew lots to decide who was going to deliver her food each day.
On the third day, Prince John's men were all taken from the cells by King Richard's men. They wouldn't say why. Most of the men seemed confident that they were being released. Thomas, the well-groomed man smirked at her as he passed her cell. He was still covered in bruises from their earlier encounter. Piper didn't blink. She simply watched him passively as though it wasn't of any consequence. She did notice that Captain Avery was not looking quite as cocky as the rest of his men. He remained quiet, his eyes on the ground before him.
It wasn't until two days later that anything else happened. The sheriff's guards had stopped talking for the most part and Piper found she was suffering more from boredom than from worry. Nearly a week after they were imprisoned however, the prison guards began removing them one by one. Again they wouldn't explain why. Piper's cell was nearest the exit and she watched as each of her friends were led away. There was a long wait in between each visit and it took the better part of the day to clear all of the men from the cells. Piper guessed, by her state of hunger, that it was mid afternoon when the last of the men were removed. She watched Bear pass her cell and their eyes locked. They drew comfort and strength from one another in that short moment. Then Bear was gone and Piper could only wait for her turn.
They hadn't fed her at all that day, and it seemed to take much longer for the guards to return for her than it had between their other visits. She was starting to feel a bit uneasy by the time someone came for her. Though she hid it well, she was shocked when it was Richard and Bear that came to release her.
"Our stories were too convincing," Bear explained as they unlocked her cell. "None of the King's men wanted to release you. They were afraid you would kill them as soon as they released you."
Piper stood up, but her legs were a bit shaky after sitting for so long, and her injuries certainly didn't help matters. She had to use the wall of the cell for support. Richard and Bear helped her out of the cell and the three of them slowly made their way out of the prison.
"What happened?" Piper asked at the base of the stairs.
They stopped and let her sit on the bottom step as they explained. "John's men have been taken teh London. They'll be tried fer treason, but we're being released. I suppose we have you teh thank fer tha'."
Piper looked at Richard in confusion. She had done nothing to get them released. Bear continued the explanation. "The only reason we're being released is because we turned mid-fight. That convinced enough of the outlaws and townspeople present that we were either planning to betray John all along, or that we were being forced to fight for John against our wills. It was you that started the cry for the King."
"I only did it because the Sheriff was in trouble. John's men were..."
Richard and Bear were looking uncomfortably at one another. In the five days that they had been imprisoned they had found out nothing about him, but now it seemed that they knew something.
"What's wrong?" Piper began to feel the beginnings of panic well up inside her. "He was hurt in the fight. I saw it, but he's not..."
"He's not dead." Richard didn't look at her when he spoke. "He was hurt badly, but he'll survive they say. They're not even going to put him on trial. He'll be taken straight to the Tower. They're leaving tomorrow."
"What?" Piper's reaction was explosive. She jumped to her feet despite the weeks of beating her body had received. "They can't do that," she raged. "He's innocent. He was fighting for Richard all this time. Lord Robert must know. He'll tell the King..."
"Lord Robert has already spoken to the King. Bear's voice dripped with bitterness. "He said that the Sheriff had nothing to do with our turning. He said that the Sheriff has been supporting John and tormenting the peasantry all along."
"But Lady Marian..."
"Would only say that the Sheriff imprisoned her in his own home against her will. She was no help at all."
Piper looked from Richard to Bear, her breathing ragged with frustration. "No," she shouted. She turned away from them and ran up the stairs. Richard called after her, but Bear stopped him from following. She knew that she was near collapse. Her fight with Scarlett, the capture of the outlaws, her fight with Thomas and the most recent battle had all happened in quick succession and she was never given the opportunity to recover from any of them. Now combined with a week of malnutrition and only a bowl of water and a rag to clean her wounds, she felt the world spinning from exhaustion.
Still when she arrived at the top of the stairs she masked her weakness as best as she could. There was only one prison guard there and when he saw her, he looked ready to run. She must have looked quite frightening. She had saved the water to keep her wounds clean, so her arms and face were still covered in dirt. Her clothes were torn and hardened with blood and her hair was tangled mess. She was certain she didn't smell very good either. She used her alarming appearance to her advantage. She closed in on the frightened guard, and kept her gaze steadily on him.
"I want to see the Sheriff. Take me to him."
The guard was young and apparently quite impressionable. He trembled when he told her that no one was to see the Sheriff. He had obviously heard the stories about her. She smiled in her best predatory manner. "Well then I guess I'll have to kill you." There was no way that she could cause this man any harm in her current condition, but she was pleased to see that he hadn't considered this. He whimpered a bit, and then agreed to take her if she promised to tell no one.
When they reached a row of empty cells, the guard indicated to the last cell. It was dim and she couldn't see inside. "Thank you," she addressed the guard. "Now leave."
The guard stuttered, but managed a weak sounding "I c-c-can't l-leave him alone with you."
Piper sighed. "What do you expect me to do, break the door with nothing but my feet? If someone notices you gone from your post I'm certain you'll be in quite a lot of trouble. I'll let you know when I'm done."
When he didn't move, she took a menacing step towards him. That seemed to help him make his decision. Without a sounds he turned and fled. When he was gone, Piper moved cautiously along the row of empty cells. She peered into the last one. The Sheriff was there, sitting in the shadows, his eyes closed and apparently asleep. His face was very pale. His clothing was torn in various places. She could see what looked like a bandage through torn fabric at his shoulder. There was a deep wound that ran from his forehead above his right eye up into his hairline which looked like it had been stitched.
"Why does it not surprise me that you managed to bully your way in here?" The voice so startled her that she jumped backwards, and felt her back brush up against the wall. The Sheriff opened his eyes. He was looking straight at her. She couldn't think of what to say, so she settled with "You look terrible." He smirked. "You look worse."
She began to feel the room spinning and had to lean up against the wall for support. Though he didn't move the Sheriff's expression was concerned. "You should sit down." She didn't argue. She let herself slide down against the stone and waited for her equilibrium to return. When it did, the Sheriff was still looking at her. Piper wished she could be stronger. Now that she was sitting in front of the Sheriff she didn't know what she was expecting to happen.
"This isn't right. I'll get you out of here." She wasn't at all certain of how she would do that, but she knew that she had to try.
"No," said the Sheriff. He looked away from her.
"I meant that we could request an audience with the king or I could convince Lord Robert to tell the truth..."
"I said no!" The Sheriff was standing, though about as steadily as Piper had been a moment ago. The force of his voice frightened her and she stared, opened-mouthed with shock at his outbreak. He crossed the length of the small cell and sat down next to the barred entrance. Neither one spoke for a long time. Finally the Sheriff ran a hand over his pale face and seemed to come to a decision.
"You are not to do anything that might get you into trouble or attract attention to yourself in any way. It was easy enough to gain your release, but it was much harder to convince the King to leave Mark Manor to you."
Piper's head was reeling. She could not understand what was going on, or what the Sheriff was talking about.
"Piper, I'm going to tell you something that I shouldn't. Don't interrupt me, because I'll have to be quick. No one can know what I'm about to tell you.
"King Richard still has many enemies in this country who would prefer to see John on the throne, or someone worse. Of course with the King back in the country, the traitors will be much more careful. They won't make their loyalties known until they feel confident in the outcome. As far as anyone knows, I am a traitor to the crown. If I were to escape on the way to London and begin to organize a plot against King Richard..." He looked at her meaningfully.
Piper finally understood, or at least she thought she did. She didn't know what to say, so she nodded. "Be careful," she said.
"You'll be responsible for Mark Manor now. The King is going to appoint a new Sheriff, but you'll still have to take care of the lands and of Sarah and Milly. You'll need to learn to read and write. A tutor will arrive within a month's time. Now you need to go. Remember that no one can know."
"Of course!" If anyone were to find out what he was really doing, it would get him killed. They both stood up. Piper needed to say something, but she wasn't sure what it was. "Thank you," was the best she could manage, but it didn't seem nearly enough. Then she turned without looking back and left.
She left as quickly as her tired legs would carry her. She swept past the young prison guard who yelped when she suddenly appeared from a shadowy staircase. Outside, several of the Sheriff's guards were waiting for her. They exchanged a few words. Mostly they gave her their sympathies. They had lost their friends and employer that day, but she had lost a father. She didn't say much to her friends. She was still trying to digest all that she had just discovered. She excused herself as quickly as she could and began to walk painfully back to Mark Manor. She wasn't sure she wanted to be there just yet, but where else was she going to go?
Just outside the city gates, Piper found Much waiting for her. He looked worried and unsure. He didn't approach her and didn't say anything, as if concerned that he might frighten her away. Piper herself was too tired to talk. She was too tired to think or feel anything. She hobbled over to him and allowed him to fold her into a brief hug. Then, in the cooling air of the evening, Much supported Piper's weight as the two of them walked in silence down the road towards Mark Manor.
THE END
Thanks to everyone who has reviewed...especially those of you that have been so incredibly patient with slow updates and major interruptions due to life.
Now I can start writing my thesis. Joy.
CHAPTER 22
The prison cells were darker than Piper remembered, or perhaps that was just her mood. At least they put her in a cell by herself. When they got to the prison, they didn't know exactly what to do with her. They briefly considered putting her in a guarded bedchamber like Prince John, but the look of violent anticipation and the warning from Richard that she was not to do anything of an extreme nature convinced them that she would be fine in an isolated cell.
The others weren't so lucky. They had crowded them all, Sheriff's and Prince's guards, into one small wing of the prison. It was a small miracle that they hadn't killed each other within the first hour, but her own comrades were too busy taking stock...who had survived, who was injured, and what had happened to the Sheriff...and the Prince's guards were too concerned with coming up with plausible stories and excuses to prove their innocence. Piper could hear them talking and while it was difficult to ignore the ramblings of John's men, she was able to catch that in addition to Walter, William and Stephen had been killed, but apart from a few minor to moderate injuries everyone else was all right. No one knew what had happened to the Sheriff.
Piper didn't participate in the conversation except to let them know that she was all right. She sat in the far corner of the cell with her knees drawn to her chest, pressing herself as far into the shadows as she possibly could. It had been two days since they had been brought in, and the smaller scratches and larger cut along her ribs were beginning to heal despite neglect. The itching was far more annoying than the pain, but she ignored both, choosing instead to stare out of the bars of the cell from the shadows. This, plus the stories that were being told by John's men unnerved the prison guards, which became Piper's new form of entertainment. For their own recreation, the Sheriff's guards would sometimes encourage these stories with additions of their own. "Oh aye," she heard Richard whisper to one of the prison guards who was asking about her last encounter with Will Scarlett. "Killed him with her own two hands, she did. Then she took his own knife and cut off a finger. Got it strung around her neck as a reminder. No one knows where she came from yeh know. Some say the devil 'imself dropped her at the Sheriff's door when she was just an infant." After that the prison guards drew lots to decide who was going to deliver her food each day.
On the third day, Prince John's men were all taken from the cells by King Richard's men. They wouldn't say why. Most of the men seemed confident that they were being released. Thomas, the well-groomed man smirked at her as he passed her cell. He was still covered in bruises from their earlier encounter. Piper didn't blink. She simply watched him passively as though it wasn't of any consequence. She did notice that Captain Avery was not looking quite as cocky as the rest of his men. He remained quiet, his eyes on the ground before him.
It wasn't until two days later that anything else happened. The sheriff's guards had stopped talking for the most part and Piper found she was suffering more from boredom than from worry. Nearly a week after they were imprisoned however, the prison guards began removing them one by one. Again they wouldn't explain why. Piper's cell was nearest the exit and she watched as each of her friends were led away. There was a long wait in between each visit and it took the better part of the day to clear all of the men from the cells. Piper guessed, by her state of hunger, that it was mid afternoon when the last of the men were removed. She watched Bear pass her cell and their eyes locked. They drew comfort and strength from one another in that short moment. Then Bear was gone and Piper could only wait for her turn.
They hadn't fed her at all that day, and it seemed to take much longer for the guards to return for her than it had between their other visits. She was starting to feel a bit uneasy by the time someone came for her. Though she hid it well, she was shocked when it was Richard and Bear that came to release her.
"Our stories were too convincing," Bear explained as they unlocked her cell. "None of the King's men wanted to release you. They were afraid you would kill them as soon as they released you."
Piper stood up, but her legs were a bit shaky after sitting for so long, and her injuries certainly didn't help matters. She had to use the wall of the cell for support. Richard and Bear helped her out of the cell and the three of them slowly made their way out of the prison.
"What happened?" Piper asked at the base of the stairs.
They stopped and let her sit on the bottom step as they explained. "John's men have been taken teh London. They'll be tried fer treason, but we're being released. I suppose we have you teh thank fer tha'."
Piper looked at Richard in confusion. She had done nothing to get them released. Bear continued the explanation. "The only reason we're being released is because we turned mid-fight. That convinced enough of the outlaws and townspeople present that we were either planning to betray John all along, or that we were being forced to fight for John against our wills. It was you that started the cry for the King."
"I only did it because the Sheriff was in trouble. John's men were..."
Richard and Bear were looking uncomfortably at one another. In the five days that they had been imprisoned they had found out nothing about him, but now it seemed that they knew something.
"What's wrong?" Piper began to feel the beginnings of panic well up inside her. "He was hurt in the fight. I saw it, but he's not..."
"He's not dead." Richard didn't look at her when he spoke. "He was hurt badly, but he'll survive they say. They're not even going to put him on trial. He'll be taken straight to the Tower. They're leaving tomorrow."
"What?" Piper's reaction was explosive. She jumped to her feet despite the weeks of beating her body had received. "They can't do that," she raged. "He's innocent. He was fighting for Richard all this time. Lord Robert must know. He'll tell the King..."
"Lord Robert has already spoken to the King. Bear's voice dripped with bitterness. "He said that the Sheriff had nothing to do with our turning. He said that the Sheriff has been supporting John and tormenting the peasantry all along."
"But Lady Marian..."
"Would only say that the Sheriff imprisoned her in his own home against her will. She was no help at all."
Piper looked from Richard to Bear, her breathing ragged with frustration. "No," she shouted. She turned away from them and ran up the stairs. Richard called after her, but Bear stopped him from following. She knew that she was near collapse. Her fight with Scarlett, the capture of the outlaws, her fight with Thomas and the most recent battle had all happened in quick succession and she was never given the opportunity to recover from any of them. Now combined with a week of malnutrition and only a bowl of water and a rag to clean her wounds, she felt the world spinning from exhaustion.
Still when she arrived at the top of the stairs she masked her weakness as best as she could. There was only one prison guard there and when he saw her, he looked ready to run. She must have looked quite frightening. She had saved the water to keep her wounds clean, so her arms and face were still covered in dirt. Her clothes were torn and hardened with blood and her hair was tangled mess. She was certain she didn't smell very good either. She used her alarming appearance to her advantage. She closed in on the frightened guard, and kept her gaze steadily on him.
"I want to see the Sheriff. Take me to him."
The guard was young and apparently quite impressionable. He trembled when he told her that no one was to see the Sheriff. He had obviously heard the stories about her. She smiled in her best predatory manner. "Well then I guess I'll have to kill you." There was no way that she could cause this man any harm in her current condition, but she was pleased to see that he hadn't considered this. He whimpered a bit, and then agreed to take her if she promised to tell no one.
When they reached a row of empty cells, the guard indicated to the last cell. It was dim and she couldn't see inside. "Thank you," she addressed the guard. "Now leave."
The guard stuttered, but managed a weak sounding "I c-c-can't l-leave him alone with you."
Piper sighed. "What do you expect me to do, break the door with nothing but my feet? If someone notices you gone from your post I'm certain you'll be in quite a lot of trouble. I'll let you know when I'm done."
When he didn't move, she took a menacing step towards him. That seemed to help him make his decision. Without a sounds he turned and fled. When he was gone, Piper moved cautiously along the row of empty cells. She peered into the last one. The Sheriff was there, sitting in the shadows, his eyes closed and apparently asleep. His face was very pale. His clothing was torn in various places. She could see what looked like a bandage through torn fabric at his shoulder. There was a deep wound that ran from his forehead above his right eye up into his hairline which looked like it had been stitched.
"Why does it not surprise me that you managed to bully your way in here?" The voice so startled her that she jumped backwards, and felt her back brush up against the wall. The Sheriff opened his eyes. He was looking straight at her. She couldn't think of what to say, so she settled with "You look terrible." He smirked. "You look worse."
She began to feel the room spinning and had to lean up against the wall for support. Though he didn't move the Sheriff's expression was concerned. "You should sit down." She didn't argue. She let herself slide down against the stone and waited for her equilibrium to return. When it did, the Sheriff was still looking at her. Piper wished she could be stronger. Now that she was sitting in front of the Sheriff she didn't know what she was expecting to happen.
"This isn't right. I'll get you out of here." She wasn't at all certain of how she would do that, but she knew that she had to try.
"No," said the Sheriff. He looked away from her.
"I meant that we could request an audience with the king or I could convince Lord Robert to tell the truth..."
"I said no!" The Sheriff was standing, though about as steadily as Piper had been a moment ago. The force of his voice frightened her and she stared, opened-mouthed with shock at his outbreak. He crossed the length of the small cell and sat down next to the barred entrance. Neither one spoke for a long time. Finally the Sheriff ran a hand over his pale face and seemed to come to a decision.
"You are not to do anything that might get you into trouble or attract attention to yourself in any way. It was easy enough to gain your release, but it was much harder to convince the King to leave Mark Manor to you."
Piper's head was reeling. She could not understand what was going on, or what the Sheriff was talking about.
"Piper, I'm going to tell you something that I shouldn't. Don't interrupt me, because I'll have to be quick. No one can know what I'm about to tell you.
"King Richard still has many enemies in this country who would prefer to see John on the throne, or someone worse. Of course with the King back in the country, the traitors will be much more careful. They won't make their loyalties known until they feel confident in the outcome. As far as anyone knows, I am a traitor to the crown. If I were to escape on the way to London and begin to organize a plot against King Richard..." He looked at her meaningfully.
Piper finally understood, or at least she thought she did. She didn't know what to say, so she nodded. "Be careful," she said.
"You'll be responsible for Mark Manor now. The King is going to appoint a new Sheriff, but you'll still have to take care of the lands and of Sarah and Milly. You'll need to learn to read and write. A tutor will arrive within a month's time. Now you need to go. Remember that no one can know."
"Of course!" If anyone were to find out what he was really doing, it would get him killed. They both stood up. Piper needed to say something, but she wasn't sure what it was. "Thank you," was the best she could manage, but it didn't seem nearly enough. Then she turned without looking back and left.
She left as quickly as her tired legs would carry her. She swept past the young prison guard who yelped when she suddenly appeared from a shadowy staircase. Outside, several of the Sheriff's guards were waiting for her. They exchanged a few words. Mostly they gave her their sympathies. They had lost their friends and employer that day, but she had lost a father. She didn't say much to her friends. She was still trying to digest all that she had just discovered. She excused herself as quickly as she could and began to walk painfully back to Mark Manor. She wasn't sure she wanted to be there just yet, but where else was she going to go?
Just outside the city gates, Piper found Much waiting for her. He looked worried and unsure. He didn't approach her and didn't say anything, as if concerned that he might frighten her away. Piper herself was too tired to talk. She was too tired to think or feel anything. She hobbled over to him and allowed him to fold her into a brief hug. Then, in the cooling air of the evening, Much supported Piper's weight as the two of them walked in silence down the road towards Mark Manor.
THE END