A TALE OF SHERWOOD
Chapter 4 In which there is good stew and a long conversation
A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book.
-Irish Proverb
Hilde's nose twitched, not a big twitch, but enough to bring wake her up a bit. She smelled something good. Something that smelled like stew. Her stomach started to complain so she opened her eyes. She was in a cave. Above her she could see a roof of soil and root fibers. She tried rolling over, but quickly stopped because her ribs really did ache. So she just craned her neck and saw that, sitting at the front of the cave was the outlaw, Duo. He was stirring a pot, which was set on top of an open fire.
"Is that something to eat?" she asked, her jaw felt much better. Duo turned, startled.
"So you're up? I didn't expect you to wake till tomorrow- the way you just fell unconscious in the wagon." He grinned. "You hungry?"
"Am I ever!" she replied, and then, realizing his absence "Where is Much?"
"He's with Little John, at the main camp."
"Little John? Camp? What did I miss?" she asked. Duo didn't reply- but ladled up stew for her instead. She was going to get up but he took the bowl to her.
"Sit, stay, eat." He said.
"Okay, but aren't you going to eat?" she asked.
"Yes but there is only one bowl and I'm not that hungry."
"Liar." She said, grinning herself at his astonished expression.
"How'd you know?" he asked.
"Anyone who watches me eat, like you are, is clearly hungry. Why don't you just eat out of the pot?"
"Hmmm. Good idea." And he did just that. Between mouthfuls he explained what had happened while she was asleep.
"Well, first you just sort of keeled over right there, gave us both a shock I can tell you. We were worried that maybe you'd gotten your head knocked in or something, but Elle (She's the doctor of the camp) just said that you were snoozing, but you probably shouldn't be moved far. So here you are, the roads only about 400 yards that way." Here he waved vaguely with his spoon in the direction of the road, presumably "So Much and I carried you. He wanted to do it all himself but I made him let me help, he got knocked around a bit, too. Anyway, we got you here, which is a small cave in Sherwood forest full of supplies, for any outlaw to use if wounded, tired, with company, or here to watch the road.
"Much didn't really want to leave, you see. He kept going on about how this was his fault and such. In the end Little John convinced him. So off went Much with Little John and here I am with Harry." He concluded.
"So now what? What happens to me and Much?" asked Hilde.
"Well, now you become an outlaw. I expect that you've already got prices on your heads for the stealing of Lord Chesterfield's daggers, which were meant for his two sons, which I, actually, stole. And for being willing accomplice to Robin Hood." He grinned at her again. "Much is at main camp and will most likely be paired off with Little John, while I get stuck with you, not that I mind." At her questioning look he continued.
"You see each new arrival gets paired with a veteran. They teach them the ropes, how to shoot, handle a staff, the workings of Sherwood, how to waylay a Lord, how not to get lost and such. After they learn the basics they are still paired off. Its just better for everything to happen in two's- it's safer, you see. If one person gets hurt then the other can go for help, or if there is an ambush then you're better off with a friend than alone.
"Much is in good hands, and so are you, if I do say so myself. We will stay here for about a fortnight, while I teach you a bit and you heal. Then we will go to main camp." He said, taking the empty bowl from her and adding more stew. "Besides, We were put on road watch."
"What's road watch?"
"Simple. We stay here and watch the road for anything good to go by. If it looks like it's worth our trouble then we get to run back to camp, let the others know what's up, and then go farther up the road a waylay whatever it is."
"Oh." Was the only thing Hilde could think of saying. She felt a bit stupid so she added, "Mhfff. This is good." By which se meant that the soup was good. "So you are the one who got us in all this trouble?"
"Yes, so sorry. But it ended up all right. Oh by the way, here you can have it in payment for all those bruises." He handed her the dagger. She sat, silent for a moment, watching the firelight glint of the blade.
"What did you want them for anyway?" asked Duo.
"What, the knives? Oh, well two reasons really. One is that we're pickpockets. We have to cut purse-strings quickly and without alerting the owner, you can't do that with a dull knife." She said, now fingering the hilt.
"You were pickpockets?"
"Of course, we worked as a team, pretty well until." she trailed off. He already knew the story.
"So what's the second reason?" he inquired. Hilde looked around.
"Give me a target."
"A target! Umm. How about that root on the far wall- the bumpy one."
"Which part of the root."
"The big bump on the left." Hilde threw the knife. It landed with a thud in the large bump on the left. She smiled at Duo's amazed expression.
"Oh. Where did you learn to do that?" he asked.
"Taught myself." She said, grinning back at him.
AN: okay, short chapter, I know. But I promise to write more very soon. Very, very soon. Do my conversations stink? I don't think I'm really good a dialog. but this will just have to do.
Chapter 4 In which there is good stew and a long conversation
A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book.
-Irish Proverb
Hilde's nose twitched, not a big twitch, but enough to bring wake her up a bit. She smelled something good. Something that smelled like stew. Her stomach started to complain so she opened her eyes. She was in a cave. Above her she could see a roof of soil and root fibers. She tried rolling over, but quickly stopped because her ribs really did ache. So she just craned her neck and saw that, sitting at the front of the cave was the outlaw, Duo. He was stirring a pot, which was set on top of an open fire.
"Is that something to eat?" she asked, her jaw felt much better. Duo turned, startled.
"So you're up? I didn't expect you to wake till tomorrow- the way you just fell unconscious in the wagon." He grinned. "You hungry?"
"Am I ever!" she replied, and then, realizing his absence "Where is Much?"
"He's with Little John, at the main camp."
"Little John? Camp? What did I miss?" she asked. Duo didn't reply- but ladled up stew for her instead. She was going to get up but he took the bowl to her.
"Sit, stay, eat." He said.
"Okay, but aren't you going to eat?" she asked.
"Yes but there is only one bowl and I'm not that hungry."
"Liar." She said, grinning herself at his astonished expression.
"How'd you know?" he asked.
"Anyone who watches me eat, like you are, is clearly hungry. Why don't you just eat out of the pot?"
"Hmmm. Good idea." And he did just that. Between mouthfuls he explained what had happened while she was asleep.
"Well, first you just sort of keeled over right there, gave us both a shock I can tell you. We were worried that maybe you'd gotten your head knocked in or something, but Elle (She's the doctor of the camp) just said that you were snoozing, but you probably shouldn't be moved far. So here you are, the roads only about 400 yards that way." Here he waved vaguely with his spoon in the direction of the road, presumably "So Much and I carried you. He wanted to do it all himself but I made him let me help, he got knocked around a bit, too. Anyway, we got you here, which is a small cave in Sherwood forest full of supplies, for any outlaw to use if wounded, tired, with company, or here to watch the road.
"Much didn't really want to leave, you see. He kept going on about how this was his fault and such. In the end Little John convinced him. So off went Much with Little John and here I am with Harry." He concluded.
"So now what? What happens to me and Much?" asked Hilde.
"Well, now you become an outlaw. I expect that you've already got prices on your heads for the stealing of Lord Chesterfield's daggers, which were meant for his two sons, which I, actually, stole. And for being willing accomplice to Robin Hood." He grinned at her again. "Much is at main camp and will most likely be paired off with Little John, while I get stuck with you, not that I mind." At her questioning look he continued.
"You see each new arrival gets paired with a veteran. They teach them the ropes, how to shoot, handle a staff, the workings of Sherwood, how to waylay a Lord, how not to get lost and such. After they learn the basics they are still paired off. Its just better for everything to happen in two's- it's safer, you see. If one person gets hurt then the other can go for help, or if there is an ambush then you're better off with a friend than alone.
"Much is in good hands, and so are you, if I do say so myself. We will stay here for about a fortnight, while I teach you a bit and you heal. Then we will go to main camp." He said, taking the empty bowl from her and adding more stew. "Besides, We were put on road watch."
"What's road watch?"
"Simple. We stay here and watch the road for anything good to go by. If it looks like it's worth our trouble then we get to run back to camp, let the others know what's up, and then go farther up the road a waylay whatever it is."
"Oh." Was the only thing Hilde could think of saying. She felt a bit stupid so she added, "Mhfff. This is good." By which se meant that the soup was good. "So you are the one who got us in all this trouble?"
"Yes, so sorry. But it ended up all right. Oh by the way, here you can have it in payment for all those bruises." He handed her the dagger. She sat, silent for a moment, watching the firelight glint of the blade.
"What did you want them for anyway?" asked Duo.
"What, the knives? Oh, well two reasons really. One is that we're pickpockets. We have to cut purse-strings quickly and without alerting the owner, you can't do that with a dull knife." She said, now fingering the hilt.
"You were pickpockets?"
"Of course, we worked as a team, pretty well until." she trailed off. He already knew the story.
"So what's the second reason?" he inquired. Hilde looked around.
"Give me a target."
"A target! Umm. How about that root on the far wall- the bumpy one."
"Which part of the root."
"The big bump on the left." Hilde threw the knife. It landed with a thud in the large bump on the left. She smiled at Duo's amazed expression.
"Oh. Where did you learn to do that?" he asked.
"Taught myself." She said, grinning back at him.
AN: okay, short chapter, I know. But I promise to write more very soon. Very, very soon. Do my conversations stink? I don't think I'm really good a dialog. but this will just have to do.