He couldn't sleep. Everything in his family home was suffocating to him, the clothes, the rooms, the people. As a soft rain fell, he fled out his window and ran to the old barn that sat at the back of the main property, now sitting with his back against the rough barn wood, his skin prickled against the raised grain, but it left him with a peaceful feeling. One that the down mattress could not. For five years, he was used to being outdoors, with shelter being a lean-to, a cave, or nothing at all. He was use to the ground being his mattress or if he was lucky, pine needles or an animal skin. Taking a deep breath of the cool, mist filled air, he felt himself drift off.
The sound of roosters and animals moving roused him from his sleep. He had fallen asleep outside and if he didn't get home, he was sure his mother would send out the militia looking for him, again. Running silently towards his home, Oliver made sure to not be noticed by any workhands or soldiers out and about in the early morning, even though they would not question him even if they did see him. Upon reaching the side of the house, he effortlessly leapt onto the trellis outside his window and climbed into his room on the second floor.
"What the hell are you doing here?" was whispered by his apparently angry sister was not what he expected as he climbed through the window. She was just inside his closed door, in what looked like scullery maid's clothing, her brown eyes boring into him, a frown gracing her face. Artemis just rested at the foot of his bed, looking between Oliver and Thea.
"I could ask you the same thing Thea, since this is my room," he watched as a blush crept up her face and she started to fiddle with the apron of her "uniform." He knew how to get her to answer, so he just leaned against the wall, folding his arms and leveled his eyes at her, like he had all the time in the world for her answer, which he did. And she hated to be stared at, it always made her uncomfortable, even as a small child, and he hoped she hadn't outgrown it.
Thea was trying to look anywhere but at him, so he knew he had her on the ropes. "Well, you have to promise you won't tell Mother." What was she doing that she didn't want mother to know? She couldn't be meeting a boy, could she? She was his baby sister! Her answer brought him out of his thoughts, "I met a boy, really a man, every morning, early. I sneak out of your room, since it has the trellis. I'm back before mother wakes up."
"What about the servants? Why haven't they told Mother?" he watched Thea fidget some more with the apron, looking at an interesting spot on the floor.
"Because they like Roy. He treats them respectfully, and I pay them extra every week, so they keep my secret and I really, really need you to keep it too Ollie." The desperation in her voice made him look even harder at his sister. And he truly saw her as she was, not what he had kept in his memory while he was gone. She wasn't the stick little tomboy that ran around anymore. She had become a woman, one that any man would love to have on his arm. Just from dinner last night he could tell she could keep a conversation going with anyone, was up on current affairs, which he had no clue of, and was a gracious host. So why was she hiding this man from Mother?
"So what is so wrong with this Roy that you sneak out? Is he a criminal? Is he French, what?"
Thea raised her hands in horror, "No, he is learning a trade, he's learning to be a blacksmith, and the only time I can see him is early in the morning when he is stoking the fire for the day and prepping the shop. Please don't tell Mother, Ollie! She thinks lowly of anyone that is in trades. She wants me to marry an English officer!" He gaffed at that. While Thea would make an excellent officer's wife, she was as wild as the frontier, and nothing, not even English propriety would tame that out of her, and he loved her for that. Without another word, he stepped from the window and gave her a sweeping gesture to allow her out, and she left, climbing down the trellis with practiced ease.
Later in the day, when he saw Thea again, primly dressed and entertaining some friends, Oliver saw her give him a conspiratorial smile as he walked past. "Where are you going Ollie? We are having refreshments." Thea asked, already knowing his answer, as several of the young ladies started to fan themselves, not being obvious at all.
"Out. It's a little stifling in here." He made a show of pulling at his collar and caveat as he quickly walked out, giving a whistle for Artemis to follow, aware of all the eyes on him. Walking down the streets he once knew so well, he felt all the eyes on him again. As he passed groups of soldiers, he noticed they would start to talk hurriedly. He had come back from the dead, of course he was something to stare at, and it was too much.
I need to get out of here, I need…I need something, but not this.
And without another thought took off for the forest, Artemis following his heels, where he felt at home.
When he turned a corner to head towards the outskirt of town, he heard, "Master Queen!" the voice, loud and booming stopped him. "Master Queen!" rang through the street again and he couldn't ignore it anymore. Artemis even turned up his ears to listen and look at Oliver in question. Turning towards the voice, there stood a large man, his skin dark, his body, muscular and intimidating as an affable smile graced his face. The man walked with authority toward him and stood in front of him, stuck out his hand in greeting, "Master Queen, my name is John, and I am your new valet. Your mother just assigned me to look after you and help you with any thing you need."
Oliver bit back a sigh, he didn't need a babysitter. He didn't need to be watched over. He needed to be alone. Oliver quirked his eyebrow, "Anything? In that case John, I need to be left alone," as he side stepped John to go around.
Oliver watched the man shake his head, followed the sidestep, blocking his escape and chuckle, "Your mother figured you would say that, you have an appointment at the tailors for a new set of clothes, something about despite having been gone for five years, coming back bigger and needing a new wardrobe." His valet, John, looked amused as he seemed to evaluate Oliver and the uneasiness in Oliver's stance.
Putting on a cheeky smile that would have always been on his face before he went missing, and shrugging, "What can I say, I'm a growing boy. Now John, lead me to the tailors." Oliver could see his change in demeanor take his new valet by surprise, but that was the idea. Oliver patted his thigh for Artemis to follow him. As they walked Oliver sized up John as they walked toward the tailor's shop. The man had a knife strapped to his thigh, over his trousers, and Oliver bet there was one strapped to his ankle above his boot. Why would a man that was a slave be allowed to have a knife out in open? John walked with strength and conviction, and almost seemed to march, like a soldier. Just who had his mother assigned to be his valet?
When they came to the tailor's shop, John opened the door to allow Oliver and Artemis in and followed them, making sure the door was closed and then started to shutter the windows. Oliver turned to look at John to question what was going on, when a voice he knew caught his attention. "Sir, sir you cannot bring a dog into the shop. It simply isn't allowed." The voice last night. The serving girl was working at the tailor's shop?
His breath caught in his throat, she was stunning. Last night had been dark and she was wearing serviceable clothes, but today, she was a beauty in a rose-colored dress. "Well, since Artemis is a wolf, and not a dog, I guess that rule doesn't apply to him then, does it Miss?" For some reason, Oliver wanted to push her, engage her in conversation, in argument, even though he couldn't hide his smile as he responded.
He had never seen a piercing glare leveled at him, as she did, from behind dark rimmed spectacles. "It's Miss Smoak, Felicity Smoak, and you sir, need to leave your wolf outside." She pointed to the now shut door, making her point. Artemis, seeming to realize he was being discussed, walked over to the low counter Miss Smoak stood behind and stood up, and placed his head under her hand, forcing her to rub him. Oliver tried to hide his smile behind his hand as she automatically started to stroke his wolf's ears and murmur something softly. What was she saying?
His thoughts were interrupted when John came over, "Miss Smoak, the Queens plan of spending lots of money in here today, and I'm sure the owner would not appreciate losing their business because you wouldn't allow Master Queen's wolf to accompany him. Where Master Queen goes, so does his wolf." Oliver was impressed when John lifted his eyebrow, challenging Miss Smoak to say something.
Oliver heard a mumble from her, "Well at least the wolf has manners," as she straightened herself up, "I don't work her sir. I am only here to help with the accounts. Master Allen will be back in a few moments. He was called away to help the surgeon with stitching a wound. Please feel free to look around, but I will not be helping you today."
He gave her his most charming smile, "Pity, I was hoping you would be taking my measurements. I've been told I've grown." He wanted to make her uncomfortable. He wanted to make her leave the shop. He wanted to see if her blush was the same shade as her dress.
Again, the blue eyes just leveled a look that would have made most men squirm, "As I am the only one here at the moment, I won't be doing that, but I will be writing up your bill. That I will do for you Master Queen."
"Please, call me Oliver, Master Queen was my father. You too John, please call me Oliver."
A look of recognition passed over the girl's face, "That's right, you're the heir who was supposed to have perished with his father when a storm took out your boat as you were headed back to England for some reason. Your father died and you obviously didn't because if you did you wouldn't be standing in front of me, with your wolf and staring at me and I'm going to stop talking right now." Oliver watched as she bit her lip to stop her speech, and he this time he didn't his smile. At least she was honest.
"Tell me Miss Smoak, I don't remember you from before, how do you know of me?" Just as she was about to answer, the bell above the door rang, signaling someone had entered.
"Master Allen, I'm so glad you are back. Oliver Queen and his valet and his wolf are here for measurements and a fitting of new clothes," as soon as she spoke Oliver watched her grab the ledger that had sat on the counter and hurried behind a curtain, out of his sight, and he missed her immediately. Why would he miss her, he didn't even know her?
Oliver sat down on the floor of his bedroom, stroking Artemis's fur absentmindedly as he let his head rest against the wall. The afternoon had been awful. Being poked and prodded and measured in a closed off building was torture. When he had questioned John as to why he had shuttered the windows of the shop, all his valet would say was it was ordered to be done, and gave no further information. And then there was the tailor, Barry Allen, who kept telling him to take off his shirt for measurement and Oliver kept refusing until he roared at the man that if he tried to pull the shirt off again, he would cut him with his own scissors. That sent Mr. Allen scurrying towards the back of the shop saying he needed something, and Oliver could have sworn there was a small wet spot on the man's breeches as he ran. But it had also earned him a cool blue glare from Miss Smaok in the back as Allen had pulled the curtain back. He could almost hear the clucking of her tongue in disapproval. Artemis's soft growl and a knock on his door brought him back to the present, "Who is it?"
"Ollie, Mother wants us down for dinner. She has some English officers coming to dinner and expects us down there in fifteen minutes." Oliver could hear the weariness in his little sister's voice, how she disliked entertaining the officers. He didn't want to see the officers.
He got up and fastened his shirt and changed from the breeches he was expected to wear into the buckskins he preferred. Without a second thought, he grabbed Artemis and had him jump out the window, with him quickly following, landing as softly as a feather and took off in a run.
He took the back alleys and when he hit the woods, he felt free. This was what he had known for most of the last five years. Artemis ran to the cave that he had discovered, pawing at the covering over the entrance. "I know boy. This seems to be a better home than the one in town. But we can keep this as our place. I have plans for this place boy." Oliver scratched his wolf's fur and pulled the covering back. He lit the small torch that he had anchored to the wall previously and grabbed the green wooden crate. Opening the lid, Oliver pulled out the green leather pants and hood, running his hands over the smoothness. His armour. That is what the tribe had called it when they gave it to them. Green to become part of the forest, leather to protect him from blades, a hood to make him a ghost. And a small leather bound book, names written in his father's hand, names that had failed his city.