The dungeon was dark, cramped, and filled with the foulest stenches imaginable. Those unfortunate enough to be on the lower level were standing in the revolting slop the guards had the utmost delight in hauling and dumping on the prisoners. It was in every way...a dungeon.
For Will, the guard he had struck took his final act of revenge by stringing him up by his ankles, leaving him hanging upside down. The pain from all the blood rushing to his head was annoying, to say the least—excruciating, to say the most.
But at least he hadn't been tortured yet. The most he could moan about was the gigantic headache and a couple of sore ribs from his bout with the soldier earlier, but that was it. He had just been left to hang there, and with nothing else to do, his thoughts often turned to Noah, and in the long, mind-numbing stretch of almost boredom in the dark cell, his imagination began to invent all sorts of terrible things. And with the evil Sheriff, any of them could be true.
And when his thoughts weren't on Noah, they were on Azeem, Stephen, Fanny, and—okay, he admitted it—Robin. So many of the others claimed they had seen Locksley die. And he couldn't…just die. Not just like that.
"Sorry to keep you all hanging about," the Sheriff cheerfully apologized as he swept into the dungeon. Will didn't even glance up. Ha ha.
The Sheriff began to circle around the prisoners, teasing them with the amount of power he held, his hawk eyes brightening with glee—or was that insanity? And this guy holds Noah's life in his hands? And all of ours? The man next to him whimpered as the Sheriff neared and he groveled for Nottingham to spare him. Despicable.
"Now I have heard that Robin Hood may still be alive."
What? He's heard that Robin…is alive?
"Either tell me where he may be hiding, or you'll all be hanged and we'll find him anyway and do the same thing to him."
And if we tell you, you'll still hang us, Will wanted to snap back. But…maybe there's another way…
"I'd love to kill him for you." You know, it's easy to lie when you're halfway telling the truth. He got us into this mess. The statement had definitely gotten the Sheriff's attention. It had also gotten the attention of Wulf, who shouted from below "Will, no!"
"So he is alive then." The Sheriff eyed the upside-down man threateningly.
"I'm not really sure." It's not going to be that easy, Sheriff.
"Then why would I need you?" Nottingham sneered.
"Because, my Lord, if he is alive, I could get close to him. I'm one of his men." His voice became earnest, "He would never suspect me."
"He knows you always hated him, traitor!" Wulf yelled at him.
"Shut up!" they both yelled, but inwardly Will smiled. Good, now the Sheriff will believe I am on his side. Thanks a lot, Wulf.
"He's a trusting fool. He'll believe me and if he doesn't he'll kill me. And then you've lost nothing." The Sheriff liked it, but hehad to have the final word on the scheme. He settled on a good old threat.
"If you fail I will personally remove your lying tongue." Will wanted to spit as the man tilted his head around so that his threat would have more impact on the prisoner.
"But if I succeed, I want my freedom and the b…" he wanted to demand the boy the Sheriff had taken, but no, that would be too soon. Too untraitorish. "and the...bounty on his head."
Nottingham frowned at his suggestion. "The lash, I think," he ordered one of the guards. He turned back to Will. "Sorry about that, but it'll make it more convincing." And with that he left. The guard walked forward with the lash; the man next to him whimpered as the guard passed.
For his part, Will did his best not to make a sound as the whip descended on his stomach: he knew he would get no sympathy from the other prisoners. In their eyes, he was a traitor, about to destroy their beloved leader—he deserved everything he got. So he tried not to make a sound, but he couldn't hold back a few hisses and a couple curses as the lash continued to fall.
After that, he was freed from his shackles, boy did he hurt when the blood rushed once again to his feet. The Sheriff returned and demanded to hear the others disown Robin Hood. Ten men refused and instead swore their loyalty to him. Strangely, Nottingham didn't seem upset by those men. Rather, he looked pleased and eager. It didn't take Scarlett long to find out why.
"These men," the Sheriff informed Will, "are to be hanged as a wedding present for Lady Marian. Tell Hood this," he grinned devilishly, "right before you kill him and let him die knowing he failed. Go! And bring me back Hood's body!"
The guards hustled him out of the dungeon, and quickly threw him, literally, off of the castle grounds. Will pulled himself to his feet, wincing at the pain from his open wounds. He held an arm to the cuts, pressing the shirt in to stop the blood. He turned to look at the castle, half-hoping he would see a certain little boy peering out of a window. It would have certainly made things easier if he knew which room he was in. But there was no one peering out, and so he turned his back on the castle, and started the trek back to Sherwood forest.
I am so so sosorry that this is another short chapter, and I'm sorry that it took so long to get up. Computer problems kept me from even starting the chapter for several days, but it's mostly fixed now. And I really, really hope that the next chapter will be up very soon. Thanks for being patient with me, and keep sending those reviews! Thanks and have a great day!