A/N Thank you so much to the people who have reviewed me so far. Like many other writers, it makes me really grinny and happy.
Anyway, back to where our favourite SG team are hanging out… (groan)
This is a bit of a bitty chapter, but there is a lot that had to come together. Also it's really long, by my standards.
Chapter 11
As Daniel gasped for breath, he heard a voice cry above him.
"Will, the ropes!"
He saw a blade swing above his head and heard the ring of metal cutting something. He was suddenly on the floor, coughing painfully. A second later, Jack dropped unceremoniously on the dirt beside him, wheezing in agony.
An athletic young man jumped down next to Daniel under the scaffolding. "Robin. Sorry about that."
"S'O…k." Daniel panted, his lungs burning from the lack of air. The man cut the ropes round Daniel's wrists and removed the rope from around his neck.
"Gees." Jack rasped out next to him. Daniel lay back on the dusty floor and caught his breath. Above him the fights continued, but down here it seemed surreal – the light flitted through the boards of the platform above as people jumped and jabbed. He hoped no one fell down the gap in the platform.
The man cut Jack's ropes and Jack brought his hand to his neck, grimacing as it came into view with blood on it.
"Rope burn. Nice." He said, his voice husky.
"Yes my liege. They don't know who you are. Otherwise they wouldn't have hung you."
Even with next to no voice and no air in his lungs, Jack managed to be sarcastic. "Well, obviously. I would so like to hurt them all. And I can see why that's banned." He looked up to the now empty rope dangling a couple of metres above them.
X x x x x
The Sheriff knew something was wrong. Not with the kiss, though Marian was being too dominating for his liking. He pulled back and scrutinised her suspiciously. Her face was unreadable, but a change in the noise from the crowd told him all was not well. Turning to look at the scaffolding, he saw one of his men fall off it, an arrow in his chest.
"YOU!" He shouted at her. "You two; take her and follow me." He spun round and left the balcony, the two guards grabbing Sam's arms, pulling her behind him.
"Hey! I don't want to!" Sam said, in her best impression of a petulant child. She pulled her arms free in one swift manoeuvre; throwing her weight behind her and stepping back from the guards. They suddenly seemed incredibly bulky, but Sam had thought ahead and used this to her advantage. Spinning quickly, she ran the couple of metres back to the balcony and with a well timed jump, leapt onto the wall of the balcony.
The guards followed, their swords drawn.
"Now don't do anything rash. I'm sure the Sheriff doesn't want me harmed." She taunted, enjoying her freedom over the men who had hit her the night before.
""Don't be so sure." The Sheriff replied, stepping on the balcony behind the guards, slightly breathlessly. "Kill her."
X x x x x
Daniel stood up and took the sword Will handed to him. It would have to do.
"We need to get Sam and Teal'c."
"And get the hell out of here."
"Well."
Jack looked at Daniel, taking in his ragged appearance and bleeding neck. "Oh no… We are not staying. No. Not a chance."
"But Jack, These people-"
"I don't want to hear it Daniel. We're getting Carter and Teal'c, and we're going."
Jack brushed down his combats, removing the dust from his fall. "I suppose I best have that," he said, gesturing to the spare sword Will was holding out for him. Will nodded.
"Lady Marian was on the main balcony with the Sheriff. Follow me."
Will ventured towards the edge of the scaffolding and opened a door onto the market place. He gestured for Jack and Daniel to follow and they did, stepping out into a scene of utmost chaos.
The Sheriff's men appeared to be getting the upper hand, if only because they were mounted on horses. Most the villagers now seemed to be fighting with the cloaked men, using any weapon that came to hand. Jack made a mental note to add in his report how a woman attacked a guard with a live chicken.
Daniel tugged at his arm, and pointed up, over the confusion. Squinting against the sunlight, dust and other debris (feathers in particular) filling the air, Jack could see a blue-clothed figure teetering dangerously on the edge of the balcony.
"WHAT IN HELL DOES SHE THINK SHE'S DOING?" Shouted Jack over the noise around him. He turned to Daniel, in time to see him disappearing into the crowds, headed for the balcony.
"Oh for crying out loud." This day was getting worse and worse as it went on. And it had started badly. A knock from behind had him spinning round, sword ready, to be greeted by a large Jaffa.
"O'Neill. It is good to see you are well."
Jack nodded. "Thanks T. An idiot archaeologist just went into the crowds. After Carter."
"Indeed. Major Carter does seem to be employing a strange, if dangerous, battle tactic."
"Oh, she was not taught that." Jack said sarcastically.
"Follow me O'Neill." Teal'c strode into the crowd and Jack followed, thanking Lady Luck that the Jaffa was on their side, as he observed the way Teal'c parted the crowds.
X x x x x
Daniel followed Will through the fighting, towards the castle entrance, which was currently unguarded. He hastily tried to remember if he had ever had any sword training. It was surprisingly heavy – the sword in his hand.
They ran down the empty corridors - quiet except for shouting in the distance, and looked for stairs to the balcony.
X x x x x
Sam sighed. Men are so fickle. A couple more guards appeared behind the sheriff, bringing the number of armed men to four. Glancing backwards, she really hoped no one had moved the hay cart that she had spotted earlier. Even US air force hand to hand combat training did not prepare you for four large, armoured men wielding swords. Especially when you had nothing except the particularly restricting blue dress you were wearing. She jumped.
As she fell through the air, some of her more bizarre escape plans flashed through her mind. Leaping off a balcony in a dress definitely topped the list. Bracing for impact, she hit the hay cart with a thud and a crack. The cart collapsed and Sam lay there, temporarily stunned.
X x x x x
Glancing upwards, Jack saw Sam jump off the balcony.
"CARTER!" He bellowed. In front of him Teal'c stabbed a guard and pushed someone to one side. There was a crash barely heard above the fight and Jack arrived in front of a collapsed hay cart. He pushed by Teal'c and looked down.
Carter lay there quite still. For a moment he thought the worst. Then he realised she was blinking.
"Carter! Of all the stupid, dumb, STUPID things to do!" Jack shouted angrily. His heart had definitely been in his mouth for a second there. "That is, without a doubt, the most stupid thing you have EVER done!"
Teal'c side stepped Jack and crouched next to Sam.
"Are you all right Major Carter?" He enquired, noting that she did appear to be alive and not bleeding anywhere.
Sam was aware of Jack shouting at her and she knew she should feel indignant that he thought she had jumped without planning ahead. Teal'c asked her if she was well and she returned to the matter at hand, swiftly running through a mental inventory.
"I'm fine, I think." She sat up slowly as the dust shifted around her. Flexing her limbs experimentally, she confirmed her suspicions. She winced as her left hand moved. Jack didn't miss the subtle intake of breath as she raised her wrist.
"Carter?" He asked.
She looked up at her CO and knew she was busted. "I may have broken something Sir."
"You mean, apart from the cart." He replied lightly, gesturing to the mound of wood, wheels and hay that she sat in the middle of.
"Apart from that sir." She smiled gratefully at his tone and stood up gingerly. Teal'c followed and the two scrutinised her. Well, Jack scrutinised and Teal'c looked on with his usual expression.
"Carter…"
"I'm still a major, sir." She said briskly, watching him look at her in the blue dress.
"Yeah. Right. Nice dress though. So. Are you ok to move out?"
Sam nodded. "Yes sir." She would deal with her hand later. Or let Janet deal with it if they were heading back to the stargate.
"Where's Daniel?" She asked, looking round. Jack too, suddenly looked round.
"Aww crap. He came to save you. He must've gone inside." Jack groaned. "Ok. Carter; head towards the forest. The stargate. Get to the MALP in fact. We'll meet you there." Teal'c inclined his head slightly, but Sam frowned.
"I'm ok sir, I can fight."
"Yeah, sure. Need I remind you you just leapt from a balcony? Go to the stargate. If we're not back in…" He glanced at his watch, "an hour, dial home and fetch help." Sam started to argue. "That's an order, Major." He smirked at her.
X x x x x
Will pointed to some stairs spiralling upwards and Daniel nodded, but just as the two of them climbed the first steps, they met with a party coming down.
Will leapt back onto flat ground immediately and aimed his sword at the stairwell. Daniel paused, but as the guards overcame their initial shock on seeing him, he realised he was balancing precariously on a step. He joined Will on flat ground.
The guards, Will noted, seemed a bit wary of attacking. As a loud voice carried down the stairs, he realised why.
"If she is alive; I want her killed. If she is dead; make sure. I want no mistakes." The sheriff descended into view, trailed by two guards. He paused as he took in the scene before him.
"Well well well. Come for your woman Locksley? Too bad I'm afraid; she just fell to her death." He gave a smirk of satisfaction as Daniel gasped, and glanced at his guards, still standing on the steps in front of him.
"What are you waiting for? Kill them."
The guards sprung into action. Wielding their swords menacingly, they descended the last couple of steps. The sheriff muttered to the two guards behind him and they too descended the steps.
Daniel flexed his sword arm and was glad of Jack's harsh exercise regime (for once). He might not be able to use the sword, but at least he had the strength to wave it around for a while. He stole a furtive glance at Will, wondering what was the best stance to take when being approached by four armed guards. Before he could decide, a sword swung at him out of nowhere and he instinctively raised his own to meet it.
The hallway filled with the sounds of metal clashing and the scuffling of boots on the floor. The sheriff looked on idly. There was no need for he himself to get involved. After all, isn't that what he trained guards for? Normally, he would have drawn a sword as a precautionary measure, but today Robin of Locksley seemed a bit off colour and not really a threat to anyone. It occurred to the Sheriff that while Robin was weak it would be a good idea to fight him and kill him, and thus claim the honour of Robin's death for himself.
He descended a couple of steps towards the fighting group – where Will was valiantly holding off three of the guards and Daniel was doing his best not to get hurt – just as a shout echoed along the corridor. Looking over the heads of his guards, the Sheriff saw the mad follower he had tried to hang that morning, with a large man beside him. Perhaps fighting Robin was not a great idea. The Sheriff turned and disappeared down a dark, narrow corridor.
X x x x x
Jack and Teal'c wove in and out of the fighters outside, before slipping into the cooler, quieter corridors of the castle.
"They would've looked for stairs, so we too shall look for stairs." Jack whispered loudly. Teal'c nodded and they jogged down the main corridor – their eyes peeled for any signs of life.
Echoes of metal clashes could be heard getting nearer and nearer and as Jack and Teal'c rounded a corner they saw Will and Daniel fighting four guards. Jack made another mental note, this time to ask the General about sword training, as he watched Daniel.
"HEY!" As he expected, no one looked up from their battle.
"T, any good with a sword?"
Teal'c raised an eyebrow in response and gestured to the sword resting in his hand.
"Of course you are. After you then." Jack smiled cheekily. "The mission is to get Daniel."
Teal'c nodded and the couple approached the group.
One of the guards looked up as his companion attempted to stab Will (unsuccessfully). He elbowed his friend and gestured towards the two men walking to them. Leaving the other two to deal with Robin and his friend, they swung their swords at Jack and Teal'c, who responded instantly.
X x x x x
In the market place, some of the merry men became aware that Robin was not fighting among them. One observed little John slipping into the castle, and they slowly advanced towards the entrance, trying to lose the guards they were fighting.
X x x x x
Teal'c swiftly got rid of the guard who had dared approach him. The glint in his eye suggested that he was enjoying himself.
As Jack glanced over at Teal'c, he thought he looked just a little too happy. "T, help Daniel!"
If Daniel hadn't been trapped in a corner by an angry swordsman, he would've smiled gratefully.
Approaching noise warned them that the crowd had entered the castle, and a couple of minutes later they were joined by other duelling men.