crimebuff: Thanks, hope you like this next chapter.
skrblr: (I can write your name without checking how to spell it...how kewl am I:)) My sporks are fighting alongside the choppersticks and the flying gorillas! They shall squish your ketchup sachets.
Garen Ruy Maxwell: Thanks and that jazz. The boy they were beating up was Much!
BTW- I just re-did this chappie, I didn't like some of the bits in it. You'll notice Marian is alot more quieter in this one.
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The wind whistled through the wet trees as I walked in between the outlaws, Will behind me, Allan at the front, and Jon beside me. The blindfold rubbed constantly against my skin, irritating me more than anything. The going was tough; as soon as the rain began to fall I started slipping. The mud splattered all over my silken dress and pale legs, my feet had long gone past cold and my shoes were beyond repair. They were dancing shoes, not shoes to go hiking in the forest with. Fat raindrops trickled down my neck, nestled in my hair and dragged down the edge of my dress. By the time we had entered the forest, I was ready to burst into tears. Thorny brambles attacking the hem of my dress and only Jon's guiding hand stopped me getting lost forever in the vast forest.
At last Allan spoke to me, "We are far enough, you could not get back even if we let you." His fingers fumbled with the knots for a moment then the blindfold fell away and the world of the outlaws appeared before me. I glanced at Allan in wonderment, even though his previous words did not seem kind, his smile was compassionate. As we journeyed deeper into the forest I noticed that the branches and leaves above became broader, thicker. Finally we arrived in a large clearing; half was shadowed by the canopy above, completely sheltered from the rain. The other half was utterly open to the skies. As I glanced around I saw nothing unusual, but the others had stopped. I looked around again; I could see nothing. "Why have we stopped?" I asked them, puzzled. Jon smiled slightly but before he could speak I studied my surroundings. Finally, I saw it. In between the many trees, hidden cleverly in the undergrowth were campfires. Small stools that at first (or second) glance looked only like part of a tree root. Their houses, small huts settled in between trees and covered with moss, leaves and shadowed with branches. Even small ropes leading from one tree to the next, disguised as long branches. The outlaw camp was hidden, masked by the forest.
"Finally!" The sudden sound in the distance startled me; I stepped instinctively behind Jon. "I thought you'd never see it," The voice called out to me. "Maybe you're not as witless as the rest of your Norman race." I felt like crying out but restrained myself. I tried to peer through the heavy rain to see the mysterious silhouette but it was impossible. Within moments he crossed the stretch of land that was the clearing and was standing in front of us. I surveyed him; taking in every detail. Dark brown hair in small curls rested on his brow, bright emerald eyes shone, full of life. He was dressed in plain green cloth, the same shade as the forest around us. He held himself proudly, tall and lithe. His eyes were ever roaming; it was obvious this was not a man who could stay still for long.
"Who are you?" I asked, my head held high though my stomach was fluttering with nerves.
--- --- ---
In the distance I saw four figures enter the camp, but I was already aware of their presence. Two scouts had come to warn me several minutes earlier, and all I had to do was wait. Three I recognised -- one was like a small giant. That could only be Jon Little. Another, tall with dark hair, had to be Will and the other, quite small with bright red hair, Allan. The foruth and last I had only seen briefly a few hours ago; petite and maybe slim underneath those outrageous dresses that were fashionable with the Norman ladies. As they stopped at the far end of the clearing I saw the girl glance round. At first she didn't seem to notice anything. After a few tries she saw our camp; now she knew our secret.
"Finally!" I cried out dramatically. The poor lass jumped at least a foot in the air, and automatically hid behind Jon. "I thought you'd never see it. Maybe you're not as witless as the rest of your Norman race." I spoke in jest as I strolled towards them; but the young girl obviously did not think so. She looked ready to strangle me. As I approached them, she looked me up and down with an accusing glare. I gazed, spellbound, at her. I had never seen a Norman lady up close. Auburn locks of hair encircled her face, eyes, bright blue, but with slicks of grey so dark that they looked silver, eyes that were full of suspicion, fear, pride, complex and many other emotions.
"Who are you?" she asked me, somewhat defiantly. I grinned at her; her lips trembled slightly as she tried to control herself.
"I believe it is only etiquette that the guest introduces herself first; but maybe manners are not prized as much in the lives of the noble Normans. Therefore I shall turn a blind eye to your rudeness; my birth-name is Robert, to most I am Robin, to my enemies I am Robin of the Hood, leader of the notorious Outlaws brotherhood, and to the story-tellers I am the mysterious spirit of the green man that lurks amongst the trees." I paused, hoping to humour her and waited to see if she would reply. When she did not I continued. "And I believe you are Lady Marian Locksley, heir to the great halls of Locksley manor?" She raised a slender eyebrow.
"That is true. Now may I ask why your men have dragged me to your lair, so unceremoniously?" Her voice was cold as she struggled to cloak her emotions.
"My men do naught without good reason. I am sure that they shall explain all soon, and now to get us out of the rain and into the warm. I would not have it said that Robin of the Hood let his first noble, female visitor catch her death out in the cold."
--- --- ---
Jon hurried me through the rain that poured down on all sides, soaking my auburn hair. I soon realised that a small hill stood out before us; Will stepped forward and started to feel around in the thorns and moss that covered one side of the hill. Suddenly he stopped, and knocked on the hill. To my surprise, the sound was that of hollow wood. And to my further amazement, a door opened out of the hill. As I peered in, I realised that the door had been built into the hill and the vegetation was disguising it. Several ladders unfurled from the 'door' and down into a passageway. I peered round in pure wonderment. There was one small room directly below the 'door' and as I looked down the corridor I saw it went of into a room the size of one of my Uncle's small halls. And from there several more doors led off into different directions. "Impressive, is it not?" I turned to see Robin gazing intently at me. He quickly diverted his gaze and carried on. "Legend has it that once, long ago, there had been a war that raged over many years. Apparently this very place was one of the halls that the great lords in those times used to rest and hide from their enemies. It is where we store our supplies, sleep during the winter and hold our councils. Some of our forced 'guests' have been here, but they were all blindfolded all the way and only shown one room. You are the first to see it all, with almost completely unrestricted eyes." There was something in his voice made me hesitate, he was waiting for me to say something.
"Why have you let me see it then?" I asked, a little bothered -- did they think that just because I was a woman, a female, that I was not as dangerous as any man? Almost as if he had read my mind, Robin answered. "My lady, I did not mean to offend you. It is simply because you have Jon's trust, and I in turn trust Jon with all my heart." I felt slightly shocked; I had not known that Jon trusted me so. But I had been feeling that emotion quite a lot over the past hour: since Jon had rescued me from Will.
"Jon may trust her, but I do not." We all turned to see Will glaring furiously at me. "She is a noble woman, and a Norman as well. She will betray us, like the rest of her treacherous race." His savage words vexed me greatly; what had I done to deserve such a harsh welcome? Robin must have known, as the others must have as well, for they all tried to smooth Will's unexplainable anger towards me.
"Come now Will," Allan spoke. I had not heard him speak since it had started raining so his voice took me by surprise. It was soft, melodious and gentle. His pale blue eyes were full of warmth, not a spark of the cruelness I had expected from the outlaws shone there. "Does she look like one who would betray us? And you forget, her parents were good people. 'Tis her Uncle whom you hate..." His voice trailed off as Will glared at him, angrily. Jon, seeing that a fight would soon start if the pair was not separated, interrupted.
"That is enough. Will, come with me. We must go see to the latest hunt. Allan, you can...you can go and do something else." Allan smiled ruefully. "It is my turn to take the watch over the front entrance." With a slight nod he left to go to the 'door' we had entered through. Jon and Will made their way elsewhere leaving me with Robin. "Shall I take you to a room where we may talk?"
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I seated myself on a small stool opposite a flaming fire; Robin sitting a few meters away. I trailed a finger around the hort table; several arrows were scattered on the floor, half finished. And a quiver hung on a nail in the wall to accompany them. This, I guessed, was Robin's bedroom.
"Tell me, you live with your uncle, is that true?" Robin asked me. I nodded but said nothing.
Then, "Why does Will hate my Uncle so?" I asked him bluntly. A few moments passed before he replied, during which he studied me carefully.
"I heard from Jon that you hate your Uncle aswell. What grievances has he caused you?" Robin asked, avoiding the question.
"Many." I spoke carefully, considering my words. "I am not his daughter and he has never treated me as if I were. Only an ungrateful niece he has been forced to foster until I come of age. And then I, if I desire it, I can fight for my inheritance and take back the lands that were once my fathers." I sighed and shook my head. "He would do anything to get rid of me, sell me of to the highest bidding lord."
--- --- ---
I watched her closely as she spoke softly about her Uncle. Her soft locks of hair tumbled down her back as she shook her head in sorrow, the subtle colours catching the light of the fire, illuminating her sweet face and silver eyes. "Your Uncle was involved in the slaughter of many outlaws that happened not ten years ago. Men, women, children; all murdered with not a hint of mercy. Some of us escaped, Will, Jon and I among them. Many I knew died there. Including Will's parents, Jon's sister and my own brother, Louie. Will has never forgiven him, nor his partner in murder. A devil of a man, by the name of Gisbourne." I glanced over at Marian to see how she reacted. True to my thoughts, she looked shocked.
"Gisbourne!" she cried. "Guy of Gisbourne! That is that man my Uncle wishes me to marry." I nodded and turned to look into the fire.
"I know. Word reached us from one of our spies in Locksley manor. The man heard Gisbourne and your father talk of it late one night. You were right when you said he wanted to be rid of you as soon as possible. You are not like the other women." I smiled at her. "You are different, others have laid out a path at your feet but I do not think you mean to follow it." From what Jon has told me of you, you will not break without a fight. But you seem so quiet, so silent. What mysteries do you hold underneath your defensive cloak? I thought silently to myself.
--- --- ---
So the man I was to marry was evil, a murderer and feared by even the Outlaws. I did not know if the latter was a good thing or not. As Robin looked into the fire, I watched him. "You are different." He spoke softly to me. I could not tell if it were a compliment or not, so I remained silent. But from the fact that he had mentioned Gisbourne with forced casualness, I knew something was up.
"Why did you bring me here?" I demanded.
"You are an intriguing woman. Your future, as I already told you, has been laid out before your feet. Jon spoke of you often and with great pity, he told me that you were being submerged underneath your Uncle's tight rein. You are a born lady and yet you would sit in an underground room on plain, rough wooden stools and not complain." The flames flew higher and higher in the hearth; orange, reds, yellows. All mixed together. "I wanted to know more about you. And the fact that you had seen some of my men at work made them bring you here. Will, and even Allan, were not sure if you were to be trusted. Jon was." He added the last part, almost as an afterthought. I was amazed yet again by Jon's faith in me. I knew that he had not wanted me blindfolded, Will had insisted, but I had the impression that Jon had felt guilty afterwards.
"Why did Jon not tell me that he was an outlaw?" I asked, trying to steer the conversation away from me.
"He was always your true friend, Marian. He told me that. His duties as a spy always came second, you came first. He loves you dearly. I believe you put him in mind of his sister. He talked about you in the same way. But he did not want you to be afraid of him, simply because he was an outlaw. Your reaction to the news has actually been quite good. Many women would have broken into long fits of sobbing and tears." Only then did I realised that he was right. I had adjusted to the situation very quickly, and it had been many long minutes since I had felt afraid of the outlaws.
And Jon, when Robin had mentioned Jon's sister, I had felt a great surge of pity. But to know that Jon treated me as he had treated his dead sister, I felt guilty for having felt betrayed by him. I could not look Robin in the eye, for I suspected he knew what I was thinking. Instead I looked at the wooden door, neither me nor Robin facing it. It was not handsome like the ones at my Uncle's manor, no gold lined it and no impressive guards stood before it. But it had its own beauty, standing tall and sturdy. Always there, always standing guard at our backs. A small hole was situated in the corner where the guards could look through in case they suspected anything inside. I heard the shuffle of a guard's feet as they passed on his or her patrol.
"If that is it then, you can go home tomorrow. We did not know if you could be trusted before, but now I do. It is too dark now, but tomorrow Jon shall take you back."
I felt slightly confused -- why drag me all the way here, only to dismiss me after a brief talk? I suspected that he had some deeper plan in mind, but I did not question him and simply turned to leave. Then I stopped.
"Robin, may I ask you a question?"
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"Jon shall take you back," I told her. But something did not feel quite right. There was something unfinished, something yet to happen. What, I did not know, but there was something.
"Robin, may I ask you a question?" Marian asked me. I nodded and she sat back down. "You hate Gisbourne, more than I do. I barely know him, but you have seen his terrible work." She paused, and gazed into the fire before continuing. "I do not want to follow the path of those he has murdered before. I ask you now, will you help me?" Her question took me by complete surprise, and it seemed to shock her too.
"Help? How can I help you? I can not battle Gisbourne. I can not fight for your freedom, no matter how much I would wish for it. He is guarded day and night, with an army of soldiers around him. And the risk to my people would be too great. I am sorry M'lady, but I cannot help you."
"But you can," Marian exclaimed. "I am not asking you to fight him for me, but I do wish to be free. And you can help me. I wish to join the outlaws, and the rest of you here."
I sat there, gaping. The thought of a noble woman, a Norman at that, begging to join us was so absurd that it was almost funny.
"Join us?" I managed to stammer out. Marian nodded, thought she did not look like she was so sure herself. "But -- you're a high-born lady. You live in a huge manor, with servants to do your every bidding. And you wish to join us outlaws? We sleep under the stars on the warmest days, and underground on the coldest. If you were to live with us, you would have to work like us, you would not get any special treatment."
"I do not want any special treatment, I will work hard. I promise. I never cared much for silks and satins, as long as I can get away from him!" She gazed at me, her eyes full a pleading she did not want to show.
And that was what made me say it; "I shall think on it. And I must ask the others for their council."
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I lay on a cot full of straw in a small, underground room. After adjusting my position for the tenth time I sat up and put my head in my hands. Long, gentle, auburn curls tumbled across my face as I tucked my knees under my arms. My situation seemed hopeless; Robin was away deciding and remembering Will's feelings towards me, I did not have much hope. I was full of a restlessness I had never known before. No matter which way I turned, straw still stuck up into my hair. Somehow a cold draught breathed into my room, making me shiver. And the sounds all around me - I kept gasping, startled by some forest noise. I knew that I could not sleep. I stoop up, shivering and made my way to the door. It was unlocked, so I slipped out. Walking quickly down a narrow corridor, I reached the small hall where I could only guess that councils or meetings were held. It was completely empty, not a living soul disturbing the uncanny stillness. My footsteps echoed through the hall, I gulped and hurried forward.
I pushed the door that led to the the small corridor and the 'door' that we had entered from earlier. I could think of nothing else besides my need to be outside, in the fresh air. But just as I stepped into the corridor, I felt the cold caress of a blade against my throat. I froze. A man emerged from the shadows; his eyes such a dark shade of brown that they looked almost black. Will sneered and kicked the door shut behind me. We were completely alone, with only the flickering torches to watch us. "So, thinking of running away, were you, wench?" His voice was unnaturally serene, cold and emotionless. I tried to shake my head, but could not without cutting myself on his sword.
"She is with me," a voice called out. A tall figure came forward and placed a pale finger on the blade, pushing it away from me. "She is with me," Robin repeated. Will hesitated, as if thinking of still running me through. But in the end he put his sword away and moved aside, grumbling to himself.
Together, Robin and I made our way up the ladder and out into the open. We stood, side by side, for minutes on end. A full winter moon shone high above us. Soon it would disappear, pushed out of the skies by the sun until it slowly forced its way back up into the night sky.
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I watched the forest with a mixture of awe and wonderment; no matter how many times I had seen it, it never ceased to amaze me. The beauty wasoverwhelming. Tall trees stood, swaying in the gentle breeze. Their leaves rustled as they spoke to each other; owls hooted and flew from tree to tree while squirrels scuttled up the thick trunks. A gust of wind blew at us, its cold bite making me shiver. Even I, who was so used to the winter's chill, could not stand the forest's bitter breath if it breathed especially hard. I turned to see Marian looking up to the heavens, captivated by what she saw. The wind whipped her hair around her - it flew out behind in long, gentle locks. But even so, I saw her shiver. She closed her eyes and looked away from the brilliant moonshine.
"Marian, you're cold." I spoke softly. She said nothing back. I untied my cloak and tucked it round her shoulders; the dress she wore left them bare. As my hand brushed past her bare skin she shivered again and took the cloak from me. By herself she tied it up. "Thank you." Marian smiled at me.
I did not know what to tell her. She expected me to have made a decision by now but I had not. Everyone had told me their opinions. I had talked to Will, to Jon, to Much and Rebecca. And each had given me different views. I could not choose. I turned and looked into those blue eyes mixed with silver and saw the sorrow there. From her every movement, her every word, I could tell she had never experienced true sorrow or pain - but she knew of it. And her eyes were full of fear. I had told her the truth about Gisbourne, and she was frightened. I knew then what I had to do.
"You can stay m'dear," I spoke quietly. I heard her gasp as she turned towards me, her cheeks flushed red by the cold, her hair lying in gentle curls against my green cloak. "You may stay," I repeated. "But not yet. First we must plan."
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