Will stood quietly in what was left of the doorway of a burned-out hut. He felt his mood grow as dark as the charred wood of the building as he surveyed the wreckage. The building looked on the verge of collapse.
He could easily make out from the size of it that it must have belonged to one of the larger families in Sherwood. The remains of several beds only confirmed his suspicions. His stomach tightened uncomfortably as he spied a homespun doll by the entrance, staring up at him with button eyes as though questioning his very presence. Without thinking, Will stooped down and picked it up, holding it almost reverently. He fervently hoped the child was one of the ones that had escaped with Friar Tuck yesterday. Then again, with the many dead amongst them If the child had survived it was likely an orphan now. Still…the child should at least have their doll. I have gone soft since my time in Sherwood….who cares….I was an orphan and I managed to survive hardship all these years.
He reluctantly entered the remains, feeling like an intruder despite the present circumstances. This feeling was only reinforced by his recollections of his own childhood which had been cut short just shy of 8 years old. After his world had shattered, Will had done his best to honor his mother's memory and stay true to the values she had raised him with. This had quickly turned into a mockery as he had embarked on the life of an orphan, learning through struggle what survival really meant. Hunger. Cold. Loneliness.
The first time he had been forced to steal a loaf of bread out of sheer hunger he had barely managed to choke it down he had been so ashamed. In the span of his first year alone Will had become an accomplished thief, stealing without a qualm when his survival depended on it. While many of the other orphans turned into beggars, Will had never debased himself to that level. His 8 year old pride had justified that it was more honorable to live a life as a thief than a beggar. He wondered what his mother would think of him now. A man that tried to kill his own brother. Slitting a man's throat….no….stop thinking about that! One more breakdown today and Robin will leave me here tomorrow tied to a tree! The man is suspicious enough already.
Will frowned as he inwardly rebuked himself and forced his mind back to the present moment and his reason for being there. It was vital that Will find enough food so that their bellies were full enough to survive the fight tomorrow. Will was accustomed to hunger, but none of them had eaten in some time and Robin had asked him to find something. Considering how patient Robin had been with him earlier, Will figured in the spirit of their truce he at least owed his brother a decent meal.
Will felt a mild desperation sink in as several forays into the destroyed huts had led to a meager collection of food. It was barely enough to feed one grown man, let alone six men and Fanny. He hoped Bull had better luck with finding game. He scanned the room, his eyes lighting on a wooden box of what likely held provisions, miraculously untouched by the fire. He sighed in relief as he opened the lid and found a box of various root vegetables and herbs. Finally! I would rather die in battle than die first of hunger.
Tossing them into a sack with the other provisions, he quickly laid the doll carefully propped up against the side of a burned wall and left the hut without a backwards glance.
He made his way back through the woods towards the campfire where an overturned cookpot lay and a bucket of water. Will righted the pot and filled it with water before putting it over the flame and adding more wood to the fire. Wasting no time, Will took out his knife and quickly set to work on preparing and tossing vegetables into the pot. The familiar task was rather calming after all the emotion and chaos that had filled the day so far and Will could feel some of the tension fade away. Stooping slightly, he stirred the contents and added a few more ingredients and herbs before deciding that he was satisfied with his work. Standing back up, he brushed off his hands and turned his attention to the pile of weapons that still needed to be cleaned and sharpened.
He set upon this task with the same determination, tuning out the sounds of Father Tuck and John conversing nearby. It sounded like the two men were disagreeing slightly over parts of the plan and Will wanted no part of any further conflict in this day. Focused fully on his task, Will almost jumped when he heard someone speak his name.
Turning, he glared fiercely at Bull for the second time that day. Unperturbed, or perhaps oblivious to Will's scowl and the weapon in his hands, Bull held up two dead rabbits in triumph. The older man grinned widely as he set them with a flourish down by Will's feet. Will couldn't help but return the man's grin, as the man obviously expected Will to clean them and take on the full task of cooking. Will almost jumped a second time as he felt a hand descend upon his shoulder. His panic subsided as he heard his brother's voice.
"Bull….can you deal with those? I need Will for a moment."
Will wondered idly if the madness of the day was making him lose his edge. Normally alert, he had not heard either man approach. He forced his breathing back to normal.
Robin must have sensed his agitation, as the older man squeezed his shoulder in apology before walking back towards his spot by the empty campfire and crouching down in front of it. Realizing he had no choice but to follow, Will's attention was immediately drawn to the wooden carvings on the ground. With a start, he easily identified the village of Nottingham and the Castle grounds.
Despite himself, he was reluctantly impressed with his brother's obvious talent for whittling. It made sense with how often he had observed the older man fiddling with objects when agitated or uncomfortable. Observant by nature, Will wondered that in the months since Robin had been in Sherwood, he had picked up on more of his brother's habits then he had ever intended to. Unbidden, Will recalled in stark detail his younger self from years ago and his boyhood fascination with Robin. He tried to shake it off, but his voice betrayed him, coming out harsher than intended.
"What did you want Locksley?"
Nonplussed, Robin threw him a questioning look. He opened his mouth as if to say something but stopped. Will was not used to seeing Robin at a loss for words.
Checking himself, Will muttered an apology at his brother before dropping down beside him. He eyed the village with a critical eye.
Robin appeared relieved and Will noted that the other man was quite obviously tired…and dirty. Will felt a moment of guilt and made a vow to himself that he would strive to uphold his end of their agreement for the next while. Robin had quite obviously done as Will had asked.
As if reading his thoughts, Robin turned slightly towards him.
"The deed is done. I just wanted to let you know that."
"Thank you."
Robin kept his gaze fixed on his brother, but his voice was soft and hesitant.
"I also did not think it a good idea that you skin rabbits right now."
Will almost laughed despite himself. He was too spent to be angry and if he were honest he really couldn't blame the man for questioning his sanity. Will had certainly given his brother enough reason to do so.
"Locksley-"
"Robin."
"Robin….I am fine. I promise you. Earlier was just…just…It was how the man died, not that he died or that I killed him."
Seeing the questions in his brother's eyes, Will quickly changed the subject.
He gestured at the wooden village. "Those guard houses are all placed wrong. Nottingham moved them."
Caught off guard, Robin's eyes flew to his.
"How do you know? I assumed they dropped you off by Sherwood Forest after they released you."
Will chuckled. "They did…. I walked back to check to see where they were posting guards for the hangings tomorrow. Trust me it made for a long walk...why else do you think I passed out earlier?
Without waiting for an invitation Will plucked several figures off the ground and spent a moment rearranging them. He felt his brother's gaze but ignored him. Will frowned thoughtfully as he examined the changes he had made. Satisfied, he stood up and made to leave.
"That should be right."
Robin bit back a slight grin. "So…you were not planning to kill me after all?"
Will's smile faded slightly. He forced himself to meet his brother's eyes.
"I can't say."
Will saw a flash of hurt in the other man's eyes and knew a moment of regret for his honesty. Robin turned his back and resumed his study of the revisions Will had made. Will felt at a loss as to how to fix the situation. His voice held a slight tremor, which gave away his discomfort.
"Robin-"
Will could tell the man picked up on his discomfort. Although he kept his back turned, his voice was gentle.
"It's fine Will. I promise you...I am only angry at myself...you have nothing to be sorry for. Truce remember?"
