Thanks for the support. I think this is the penultimate chapter. Sorry it may be a bit too Will orientated.
Djaq looked up when she heard a scuffle at the entrance of the camp to see the darkened silhouette of Will Scarlett moving towards her. At that moment he was shrouded in shadows but as he stepped into a pool of light cast by a flickering torch she let out a horrified gasp. The young man was drenched in blood, the colour of his namesake. The liquid was spattered all the way from a concentration on his stomach to speckles on his chin and nose. His eyes held a look of both grief and pain, a darker blue than their usual colour.
"Will!" Someone in the camp had reacted before her – Much. "What happened?!" The former manservant and resident mother-hen darted forwards to the staggering man with a shocked and concerned expression. Robin and John were not far behind him, both looking anxious.
"Are you hurt?" Robin questioned, gesturing to his stomach.
"Who hurt you?"
"How did this happen?" All these queries flooded at the young man but he remained blank and mute looking towards Djaq with those hollow eyes. She moved forward, captured by his intense gaze and gently led him to the medical bay.
"It's not my blood," he whispered once she had lain him down. Those four words held a lot more meaning to her than they did to the others. She checked his torso just in case but he was right. The only injury she could see was a nasty looking purple-black bruise forming on his temple; it could explain his dazed state.
"Then whose blood is it?" Robin asked, a frown gracing his features. He could tell whatever had happened was very serious.
"His," Will grunted looking straight at the Saracen doctor. Djaq drew in a small breath and realised her earlier ideas had been correct. This was the blood of her attacker, the man who had brutally raped her. Did that mean Will had killed him? She remembered what the young carpenter had tried to do when the Sheriff killed his father.
"You didn't?" she let out a barely audible plead to the man.
Will couldn't have murdered him. It may have been a revenge attack for what he had done to Djaq but Robin had always taught them that they should never kill a man no matter what sin he had committed. Wasn't the Sheriff enough of an example of that? And how would Will even know which guy to kill as there were hundreds of peasants in Locksley village and she'd given him no details or clues.
But the look in his eyes and the blood on his shirt said otherwise. Who else could be 'him'? Djaq didn't like to think about the fact that a man had died because of her. That Will had felt the crime was so sordid and disgusting he needed to wipe out any evidence. Why had he done it? What could've possessed him to commit such a gruesome deed for her?
Love, a small voice whispered in her ear. The Saracen shook the thought from her head. She knew Will cared for her very deeply, as an older protective brother, but he didn't love her. Such a notion seemed ridiculous for the quiet, solemn carpenter.
"I…" Will began looking into the woman he loved dark brown eyes and contemplated whether to tell the truth. He had everyone's attention on him and he didn't like it, he didn't want to tell her what happened without the gang knowing the full details first. "Tell them, Djaq, tell them what happened."
The abrupt change of subject and the sudden lucidity in the young man's eyes startled both the woman in question and the group of outlaws surrounding their friend.
"But, you said…tomorrow."
"Now, Djaq, tell the truth and I'll tell you mine," Will was very alert now and tense, a hard look in his stormy eyes.
"Ok, now I'm really confused. What's going on?" Much's gaze switched from one outlaw to another with obvious bewilderment.
Djaq took one look at the blood stained young man and nodded before taking a seat heavily on the bench beside the bunk.
"I would appreciate it if you sat too," she said calmly. The others, wondering what an earth was going on, complied.
"Last night…I went to get the boots. I stayed out later than intended. When I began heading back to camp I was attacked. I had no idea by whom. I tried to get my sword out but in my struggle it was too late and I had a knife at my throat." As Djaq spoke she unconsciously rubbed the spot on her neck where the described weapon had been. "A man spoke in my ear, telling me to walk into the forest. I did because I was scared. Once we were in the forest he told me to undress and if I didn't he would do it for me. I tried calling for help, I begged for one of you to find me and stop him but…" The woman took a deep, choked breath. "He…raped me."
All of the men watching the distraught woman felt a series of emotions all through her story. First came disbelief that strong, independent Djaq could be breaking down in front of their eyes, second came horror as they realised what her story was leading up to and third was complete fury at the crime this peasant had committed.
"I will murder him," came a harsh whisper from the usually so calm Robin. His face was a picture of anger and disgust like he couldn't believe that someone could do such a thing. He'd been with a lot of woman but never had he forced himself upon them – it was evil and sinful. Another experience he experienced, maybe along with all the other men, was guilt. Why had he not been there to protect the helpless Djaq from this monster? She was a woman, he should've taken into account she was more vulnerable to attack.
"Me too," Much added an oddly twisted expression of malevolence on his face that didn't suit him.
"I will rip his neck from his shoulders," Little John growled, an undercurrent of hatred evident in his voice.
"You are too late," Djaq spoke very softly, "Will already did."
Everyone turned to look at the carpenter, linking the clues together. But Will shook his head.
"I didn't. But I wish I had."
Four hours earlier…
Will ran at the man and knocked him to the floor in a full blown tackle. Adomar let out a strangled yelp and thrashed about as he was pinned to the floor. Several dancing women screamed and leapt backwards, fear clear in their eyes. The outlaw knew he shouldn't do this here, not in front of all these witnesses, some of which might recognize him as one of Robin Hood's men. That would not help the credit of the gang.
However it was a definite struggle to stop himself from beating the hell out of the worm there and then. With more restraint than he thought he was capable of Will nodded curtly at the gob-smacked punters and headed for the door dragging a limp Adomar behind him.
"Whatcha doin', Johnny? Why you draggin' that bloke outta here?" came the drunken slur from Peter who was now draped across a chair and almost completely off his head.
"He's the thief, Peter," Will grunted before kicking open the door and heading out into the cold night. After him slipped a dark shadow.
"I ain't no thief!" Adomar protested as soon as they were out a little way from The Sheath and Sickle and under the protection of the woods. This was where Will would commit his crime much like Adomar had done the previous night.
"No, you're something much worse you filthy, disgusting, evil toe-rag," Will said, emphasizing each word by spraying spittle into the man's face and pushing him further into the ground.
"What you talking about? I ain't one of those neither."
"Oh you are," Will let out a small merciless chuckle, "Do you recall what you were doing last night or were you too drunk to remember?"
"Um…" for the first time Adomar looked visibly uncomfortable, his eyes gaining a shifty look, "I was at home with me wife. What's it to you anyhow?"
"You know that's a lie, Adomar. You were here last night, weren't you? And you got drunk and attacked some poor woman you saw walking past the inn on your way home. You held her at knifepoint and raped her." Will's voice was barely more than a whisper right by Adomar's ear because he wanted to make sure the man heard every word of what he did.
"Why do you care? She your wife or summin'?" Adomar knew he was caught and allowed his lips to twist into a leering sneer. Rubbery lips…
"No, she's the woman I love!" Will cracked, he had the confession, it didn't matter anymore, and brought out a small dagger – one he kept sharpened for emergencies. Adomar's eyes widened.
"Look, I dunno what your problem is, mate, but I think you should let the guy go."
The sudden voice caused the outlaw to halt in his tracks, his whole arm freezing midair with the knife still poised. He turned to his right to see a hooded figure moving his way. It moved silently across the leaf strewn ground with the skill of one of Robin Hood's own men. Who the hell was he?
It didn't matter who he was, Will finally decided, too blinded by raw emotion. It was none of his business and the carpenter was going to complete what he'd come to do.
"My problem is none of your business," Will growled before bringing the weapon down. However, it didn't land where he'd intended. His hand was knocked at the last second and the point penetrated Adomar's arm instead. Still, it caused the man to scream in agony anyway.
Confused, Will looked up to see the hooded figure standing over him, a sword in his own hands. He had nudged the carpenter's hand in the wrong direction but why did he care so much?
"Robin taught us never to kill. I'll not see you made a murderer, Will Scarlett, no matter what the reason." After that Will knew nothing but darkness as the butt of the sword hilt hit his head and knocked him out cold. His limp body fell face first onto Adomar's torso and across his wound. The rapist let out a scream.
"I'm not being funny but stop being such a wimp. I just saved your sorry life."
When Will woke several hours later he was dazed and rather disorientated. He blinked rapidly and tried to ignore the throbbing pain at his temple. Sitting up from a sprawled position on the floor he saw he was lying in a leafy clearing only a few metres from the outlaw camp. What on earth had happened?
Fragmented pieces of memory made their way back to him. He'd been at the inn, he'd met Vincent, and then he'd found Adomar, the man who hurt Djaq, and attacked him so he could kill him but someone stopped him…who?
Heaving himself to his feet, Will stumbled back to camp, he needed to see Djaq and make sure she was ok.
Haha, I bet several of you thought Will had actually killed the guy! He may have been a bit OOC but love makes you act in strange ways. Did you like my little hero of the day? Review.