When they reached the safety of Sherwood forest, it was nearing morning, but everyone agreed that they could all rest up after the rather unusual night. Will was once again troubled by nightmares from memories of long ago.
"See you later Will." the other boys called.
"Can't you stay a little while longer?" he pleaded to his good friend.
"It's late, I'm already going to be skinned alive as it is. You know that." Avery replied before he too took off.
Yes, he knew that. But he didn't have to like it. Now all he could do was go home. He hated his home. It wasn't what a home was supposed to be.
Wearily, he trudged down the road. Three years had passed after crossing paths with Robin of Locksley, and Will Scarlett had buried all dreams of his brother and a different life. He knew he would never be of the noble status of his father and brother, but he despised the profession-and social status-of his mother.
She hadn't always been in this work. Will could dimly remember a time when she had worked with the other poor women in the fields. But she had never liked nor was good at that job, and she had still been young enough and pretty enough to discover a new line of work, a better paying kind of work. And since then, she had become the brooding, hateful, vengeful woman that Will would always remember. And despise.
The door was ajar and Will knew he could go in, otherwise it would have been closed and bolted because 'it would be embarassing for my reputation if my son walked in on a customer'. And it was too late for any new customers. So he walked in, but...there was a man there. Both his mother and the stranger were fully clothed, he was very grateful for that. But a grimace crossed his features as he heard what they were arguing about: money. They were trying to decide how much his mother's body had been worth. He wanted to throw up, but he also wanted to scream and kick all the world in his anger at what had become of his mother.
"That is not enough, sir," his mother repeated firmly to the man. "I am not some ordinary girl that you—"
"Oh but you are ordinary, my dear," the man leered contemptuously, slithering forward until he had Will's mother backed up against the wall, "you are a most common harlot, I can find one on every corner,and don't-you-forget-it," he warned, taking her small wrist and twisting her arm until she whimpered, just a little reminder of who was boss. "Now you will accept what you are paid." She nodded, venom in her eyes.
"Good," he said. Or rather, he tried to say, but at that moment Will broke the vase over the stranger's head and he fell limp to the ground. His mother gasped.
"Are you all right mother?" the boy inquired gently.
She stood transfixed for a moment, gazing at the scene, but when he put his hand on her arm, she snapped out of it and slapped him across the face. Hard.
"You fool," she whispered angrily, "do you know who that is? He's a man with enough power to see us both hanged, that's who he is. You've endangered us both, and you've ruined my reputation! Idiot boy!" she screamed. "Get out! I might be able to save me, but I won't be able to save us both! Get out of this house, get out of this place, if you get out far enough,you just might get out alive!"
Will woke up before the dream could continue, but he knew what happened. His mother had thrown him out the door. He had rushed to Avery's house, where his loyal friend had given him shelter for the night and food for the next day, because his mother had been right; men were looking everywhere for the little scamp that had clobbered the nobleman.
What a great friend Avery had been.
Everything inside Will wanted to scream that this was somehow Locksley's fault. But it wasn't, not really. For Will had had the choice of which friend to choose. And he had chosen…Locksley? Hours later, he admitted to himself, he still wasn't sure why. Maybe I'm easily swayed by Locksley's charms myself, he chuckled, sure that couldn't possibly be the answer.
All right, that's the end of the four new chapters. Ahemm, press that little review button, four times please. )Hope you enjoyed these chapters, and I'll get the next one up in about a week. Thanks for reading, please review, and have a great day!