Disclaimer: I still don't own anything. Sheesh. Don't hurt me. All I tried to do was steal Jack's costume... :D
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A couple of hours later, Will had had enough ale to have worked up the considerable courage it would take to talk to Cadiana. He got off the dead log he had been sitting on. "Cady?"
When Cadiana looked up from where she was lazily chatting with the others, Will made his move. "Could I talk to you for a moment?"
"All right Scarlet." Cadiana said, getting up, and walking with him to the edge of the camp, where she turned and regarded him seriously.
"Cady," Will started. "Why are you 'ere?"
Cadiana gave a delicate snort. "That's a fine way to greet me."
"Nope." Will said slumping against a tree. He was uncomfortably aware of how beautiful she was, even now, in men's clothing. From what he could see of her in the extremely poor light, he knew she had grown up a lot since he'd last seen her. "A fine way to greet you was by almost killin' you. D'you realise that Cady? That I almost killed you, my best friends sister?"
"I can 'old my own, and you know it Will Scarlet." She said angrily.
"Sure." He said wearily. "What I don't understand is 'ow Alec could let you roam around the countryside dressed as a man, pickin' fights."
Cadiana's eyes grew cold at the sound of her older brother's name. "Alec doesn't 'ave any say in what I do anymore."
"Well, 'ow about your parents?" Will asked, trying to find somebody, anybody to blame for her near death, including himself.
Her entire body was rigid by now. "Neither do they."
"And why not?" Will asked sarcastically, turning to stare into the darkness. "Bit of a falling out I s'ppose."
"No." Danielle told him quietly now. "They're all dead Will. All of them."
Will turned around so fast that he was surprised he didn't hurt himself. Cadiana was watching him with sad eyes.
"It was Norman mercenaries Will. They destroyed the whole village." She whispered. "I'm sorry."
"No." Will growled in a low voice. Not possible he told himself, she's lying.
Cadiana watched Will, having gotten past this grief-filled point years ago. But now, watching the pain flicker across Will's face was almost too much for her.
One second she was watching the man that resembled the boy she had grown up with, and the next, she was pressed against the tree, pinned there by the weight of his body. He held a dagger to her throat, but Cadiana knew he wouldn't hurt her.
"You're lyin'" He told her in a deep snarl. "Admit it. You're lyin' to me."
Cadiana knew that they were too far into the darkness for any of the rest of the band to see them, or hear them, and for that, she was grateful. She knew it was humiliating for Will to portray anything that could be translated into weakness.
Her eyes filled with tears. "I'm sorry Will. I was away. I came back and everyone was dead. I'm sorry, I'm sorry." She was almost sobbing now, and Will stared at her for a few seconds before releasing her. "I wouldn't lie to you like that Will. You know me."
He stared at her with haunted eyes, backing up slowly, having realized that she hadn't lied to him. Soon he had disappeared into the darkness, leaving Cadiana with nothing but the old grief she had bourn since the deaths.
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A couple of hours later, Will had had enough ale to have worked up the considerable courage it would take to talk to Cadiana. He got off the dead log he had been sitting on. "Cady?"
When Cadiana looked up from where she was lazily chatting with the others, Will made his move. "Could I talk to you for a moment?"
"All right Scarlet." Cadiana said, getting up, and walking with him to the edge of the camp, where she turned and regarded him seriously.
"Cady," Will started. "Why are you 'ere?"
Cadiana gave a delicate snort. "That's a fine way to greet me."
"Nope." Will said slumping against a tree. He was uncomfortably aware of how beautiful she was, even now, in men's clothing. From what he could see of her in the extremely poor light, he knew she had grown up a lot since he'd last seen her. "A fine way to greet you was by almost killin' you. D'you realise that Cady? That I almost killed you, my best friends sister?"
"I can 'old my own, and you know it Will Scarlet." She said angrily.
"Sure." He said wearily. "What I don't understand is 'ow Alec could let you roam around the countryside dressed as a man, pickin' fights."
Cadiana's eyes grew cold at the sound of her older brother's name. "Alec doesn't 'ave any say in what I do anymore."
"Well, 'ow about your parents?" Will asked, trying to find somebody, anybody to blame for her near death, including himself.
Her entire body was rigid by now. "Neither do they."
"And why not?" Will asked sarcastically, turning to stare into the darkness. "Bit of a falling out I s'ppose."
"No." Danielle told him quietly now. "They're all dead Will. All of them."
Will turned around so fast that he was surprised he didn't hurt himself. Cadiana was watching him with sad eyes.
"It was Norman mercenaries Will. They destroyed the whole village." She whispered. "I'm sorry."
"No." Will growled in a low voice. Not possible he told himself, she's lying.
Cadiana watched Will, having gotten past this grief-filled point years ago. But now, watching the pain flicker across Will's face was almost too much for her.
One second she was watching the man that resembled the boy she had grown up with, and the next, she was pressed against the tree, pinned there by the weight of his body. He held a dagger to her throat, but Cadiana knew he wouldn't hurt her.
"You're lyin'" He told her in a deep snarl. "Admit it. You're lyin' to me."
Cadiana knew that they were too far into the darkness for any of the rest of the band to see them, or hear them, and for that, she was grateful. She knew it was humiliating for Will to portray anything that could be translated into weakness.
Her eyes filled with tears. "I'm sorry Will. I was away. I came back and everyone was dead. I'm sorry, I'm sorry." She was almost sobbing now, and Will stared at her for a few seconds before releasing her. "I wouldn't lie to you like that Will. You know me."
He stared at her with haunted eyes, backing up slowly, having realized that she hadn't lied to him. Soon he had disappeared into the darkness, leaving Cadiana with nothing but the old grief she had bourn since the deaths.