Lady Robin Hood

Chapter 8

THANK YOU to everyone who have been so patiently awaiting this chapter. I don't quite like how it turned out, but I'll do revisions and whatnots when the story is completed. YES, I AM going to finish this. Please be patient, but it WILL GO ON TO THE END. I will NEVER quit on a story once I start posting it.

Just so everyone knows, I have absolutely no idea on how to go about making a "hidden treehouse" or how to build a treehouse in the first place. Details may be a bit exaggerated and updates a bit slow or short because I'm gonna try to do some research to make accurate descriptions for you.

I'm also terribly sorry that this is so late in coming out, but I said to myself 'I'm getting this out on Friday no matter what!' So hopefully, it worked.

Please, people, join my Mailing List? It makes update notices so much easier, it's free, and I'm gonna be posting previews for other various stories there first before (if ever) putting them here.

And now to the story.

Oh! I'm not sure if I ever mentioned this earlier, but as it is important to the story I should tell you, shouldn't I? Anyway, it is currently the end of summer and beginning of autumn, and since it normally never gets very warm for England's summers, that's why the weather is so cool.

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The ring of girls stared at the ancient tree for a bit longer, each lost in their own thoughts. Sometimes, one of them would absently glance around at the others before returning to her own thoughts, no one noticing that another would glance up and around just as she glanced down. It continued on for an indefinite time before one broke the silence. Her voice remained soft though, as if unwilling to shake off the spider silk that bound them with a hard blow of words.

"It's getting late, and it's becoming colder too. We should find a spot to settle into."

Slowly, glazed eyes clearing, the others looked up and nodded their assent. Alex gazed at the tree thoughtfully as Lita scanned the surrounding woods before they met the other's gaze, nodding in an unspoken agreement.

"This tree, and the ones surrounding it, could make interesting and useful living chambers," Lita said casually. She looked up into the oak's sturdy expansive limbs thoughtfully, almost absently. Noticing most of the incredulous looks she received, she sighed and remarked, "Just look, this tree is so old that it is thick, expansive, and so deep into the forest that we are the only ones who have ever been foolhardy enough to travel so far, right? Well, considering the many holes in the trunk and most branches, I'd say we would have a rather easy time of hollowing some of it out; it's thick enough to hold at least two people comfortable, tall enough to be three stories! and still have some head room. The branches are as wide as those fish barrels - and I'm sure they would have no problem supporting a few of us standing all together on them - and they reach out to the surrounding trees, even if there are a few gaps, they're easy enough to leap safely! We could most likely build some small single rooms around, if not inside, them and still have access to all this oak. We could make rope bridges connecting the various trees, and I can tell that some of these trees are still thick enough at the top to be supportive while still being hidden from ground-sight even when the leaves fall! And this spot isn't even close to any roads, be they main or side or even hunter paths! There aren't even deer paths within a few hundred feet of here, and with humans 'moving in' I'm sure they will decrease in time." Lita turned away from the girls, eyeing the trees speculatively, her eyes bright and gleaming as her imagination took over. She absently stretched and rubbed her hands together.

"She's got a point, you know." Everyone's eyes swung over to Alex who was eyeing the ancient landmark while slowly walking its circumference. "It would make an excellent treehouse, as would the other surrounding trees." Her eyes gleamed as her lips twitched into a devious smirk. "Just think; we'd each have our own private bedroom, and this here," she patted the ancient tree, "could be a kind of gathering area. Three levels should be adequate: the bottom for storage, the midlevel for meetings, and the top as a sort of lounging area with a quite spectacular view I'm sure. We can gather plenty of building wood from what we have in the vicinity, rope we have in abundance in the village, metal works will be a bit harder to come by unfortunately." Her smirk darkened. "But I'm sure we'll think of something." She turned back around to face the others.

Setsuna sighed, startling the others with her abrupt sound. "This is all well and good, and I, for one, believe we should set to work as soon as suitable; however, where are Mina and Serena to stay this eve? and just how are we to go about this task?"

All eyes turned to Lita and Alex. The pair glanced at each other, nodded slightly, turned to face the questioning looks with dual serious expressions . . . and simultaneously shrugged indecisively.

Everyone promptly groaned before jumping on the duo who could not fend off the impromptu assault of their seven companions.

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In the back of the near empty tavern sat an unnoticed black-cloaked figure silently sipping his mug of ale. The dim lighting of the flickering torches did little to illuminate any helpful characteristics: the cloak covered the figure completely, but did little to hide the sturdy frame of the man, but covered up whatever clothes or weapons he had, his hands were encased in smoothed, dull black leather gloves that revealed nothing of their owner.

The figure had sat quietly when the first messenger appeared, and stilled when the second appeared, only to continue sipping silently after a moment as though nothing had made him pause. The men's conversation was quite audible now that there was no one else left to disrupt them. After hearing Andrew's last statement about his two sisters (1) before the direction turned to a different avenue, the man silently got up, left money for his ale and a tip, and left the tavern unnoticed.

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After an indefinite amount of time, when the seven relented and allowed the exhausted duo some momentary peace, they quickly decided where Mina and Serena would spend the next few days. It was argued over and over that this house had more hiding spaces, but that one had more less people living in it, and the other one was too close to other houses, etc. Each house had its advantages and disadvantages.

It was finally agreed upon that the two would stay in Alex's home because there were few people living in it and it was closest to the forest. It was best for it had the quickest escape route; should the Sheriff look for Serena, she could easily lose any pursuers in the forest. Everyone agreed that should the Sheriff come searching the houses of Serena's friends they would all meet here again.

Night began giving way to the rising Dawn and one by one the women left to return to their respective homes before they were missed. Later in the day Amy said she would slip over to Mina's and Serena's homes to collect some of their belongings in order to start preparing for the coming changes.

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A storm slowly began collecting its elements, the skies slowly - nearly imperceptibly - began to darken as the day progressed. Clouds hung in the heavens, their soft white puffs growing heavier as they slowly began their monopoly over the skies. Steel grays, ashy whites, dark charcoals, and faint spots of black slowly tainted the once calm white. Faint rumblings could be heard sporadically and many would jolt and look down the road, expecting to see some madly charging carriage approaching the town, only to find nothing but a hazy mist crawling along the dirt tracks through the town and forest road.

Shops began closing as the day darkened earlier than normal, shoppers and pedestrians quickening their pace to get indoors before the heavens unleashed their pent up frustrations. Doors were closed and bolted, shutters and windows slammed closed, children collected and brought in.

And then the storm broke loose.

Great torrents of rain fell, creating tiny craters in the beaten earth, churning, condensing, collecting, overflowing. The rains fell harder as a harsh wind began to whip the running droplets into slanted daggers. Tiny rivers began to streak down the roads joined by the leaping waterfalls as they cascaded from rooftops and plummeted down to the muddied currents.

The storm's hazy curtain made the dark and shuttered town appear like mirage: the image shifting and changing forms as each gust of wind made the rain curtain dance and jump. The dark and shuttered town seemed devoid of any life; a ghost town like those that lost travelers stumble upon only to return with tales of horrors about ghosts and the supernatural.

Only in one house, on the near edges of the town closest to the forest's edge, was a tiny light flickering. It was muted through the slightly ajar shutters, and the ray danced as an unseen wind twined about it. Inside were two people: one pacing back and forth with a scowl plastered on, glaring unseeingly at the carpet, while the other sat stiffly in a large fluffy chair, hands folded limply and eyes darting between the companion and the candle.

"Darn it, Serena!! Will you stop pacing already? You are beginning to give me a headache, what with you going back and forth in circles and the breeze you are creating causing the only light we have to jump around like it's on fire!!" (2)

Serena halted mid-stride, then slowly turned on her heels to face her companion. In a calm voice that spoke of highly strained control, she replied softly,

"Mina-dear, I shall pace if I want to because it keeps me sane. It also prevents me from pulling my hair out, because if I go bald," she paused and leveled her gaze at Mina, "your hair is the next item I'd be pulling out." Mina blanched. "Besides, the candle won't last for much longer and it'd really be better if we didn't have it lit in the first place. We should either be sleeping or planning, not doing nothing like this!"

Mina sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose she waved a hand towards Serena. "Well then, we'd best get some rest. We've both had a very long day, and we're bound to have another one tomorrow."

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Alright, I'm sorry this is so short but life and whatnots have gotten in the way. But it's here!! I'm already starting on the next chapter and I hope to have it up in a few days. I hope this keeps all of you occupied for a little while longer.

(1) Andrew's two sisters. Well, you remember when I said that Mina's parents were Serena's Godparents? That would technically make Serena Andrew's sister also, even though she's not blood related.

(2) Hehe, the candle and the fire bit. Sorry, I know it's a really bad pun/joke but I just couldn't resist putting it in there. It's my Mother's sense of humor popping up in my. : P