Chapter 5: Nightmares
"Ahhh! '' Little John bolted upright in bed breathing heavily. Glancing around the empty darkness of his room it dawned on the bear that it was just a dream. Running a hand down his sweaty face John tried to reorient himself as he pulled himself upright, sleep far from his mind after the terror.
Maybe some tea would help settle his queasy stomach. With determination and a goal in mind the bear pushed himself out of bed and headed over to heat up the kettle. His home was no palace, it was small but it was his. After living on the run from the Sheriff and hiding out in the forest having four walls and a roof was a blessing. Though there were some things he did miss from that time, he sure didn't miss sleeping on the ground. Or cooking over the fire. Pulling the kettle off the stove, Little John paused at the thought as it brought up memories of a flustered Robin smiling apologetically for burning the cooking, again. Setting the kettle down, Little John buried his face in his hands.
Robin.
The bear's shoulders shook as the images from his nightmare resurfaced. Three years, it was almost three years to the day that he lost..that Robin... It was always around this time that the nightmares were the worst.
Pouring his tea Little John headed over to his table, not yet ready to head back to bed.
After Robin, he did his best to pick up the pieces. He pulled the people of Nottingham together. He never had wanted to take Robin Hood's place, but he'd been his partner in crime and knew that Robin would have wanted Little John to carry on in his stead. So, they retreated to Sherwood Forest, after the stunt Rob pulled they had enough money to live on. Being resourceful and working together they were able to get along fairly well in the woods.
Prince John's soldiers nor the Sherif ever really chased after them, after Robin Hood none of them had any fight left in them and the Sherif and his goons knew that. So, the people of Nottingham hid in Sherwood forest and for the most part were left alone.
Little John let out a long sigh thinking back to those times. They hadn't had to live that way long, before King Richard returned and took back his throne from his younger brother. After that, order was restored. Little John had heard of other areas affected by King John's reign, once the true king returned those in prison over unpaid taxes were released and their debts forgiven them. Order was restored in Nottingham and beyond. But for Little John..somethings well, they just couldn't be restored. He knew Merium felt this too. Though much differently, Robin Hood was her love. For Little John, Robin was his brother, his best friend. He really hoped Robin knew how loved he was. What a difference he made in people's lives.
Whipping a tear from his fury face Little John took a centering cry. "I know you wouldn't want me crying over you Rob" He spoke aloud to the still room, a humorless chuckle falling from his lips. "But you left and it hurts so deal with it." Time made things easier but..there were times where it still hurt. That was the thing about grief about loss. When you lose someone they leave a hole in your life.
Finishing the rest of his tea Little John debated his options. Whether he wanted to return to bed and catch a few last hours of sleep before the sun was up, or start work on his daily chores. He had a fairly good sized garden on his property. It wasn't anything fancy but for the most part it supported him. He also worked as a bit of a craftsman to help support the needs that he couldn't grow or build.
Closing his eyes the terrifying scene from three years ago replayed itself in his mind, as it had in his dream. Opening his eyes Little John took a deep breath, decision made. Getting a head start on the day sounded like a great plan.