-Sheriff's Quarters-

It had been three days--three days of masquerading as castle guards and still there was no sign of Elsie, not even the slip of a tongue by some unexpected source. Nothing. The three outlaws had searched every nook and cranny of Nottingham, only to be disappointed by the results. Still, Robin would not admit defeat.

Even with all the love he felt for Robin and his family, Much was growing tired of playing castle guard. There was always a constant worry that their charade would fall to pieces; perhaps their allies at the Blue Boar Inn would grow careless in the task of harboring the real guards for such a length of time. It seemed like at any given moment, the missing guards might be uncovered and the imposters revealed. Aside from his worries of being discovered and uncovering the whereabouts of Elsie, it was becoming increasingly more difficult for him to obey the never-ending stream of orders issued by either the sheriff or Gisborne. Much hated having to cater to the enemy. And it was his latest task, more than anything, which really sparked his irritation.

"Feed the birds," Much mumbled to himself as he trudged along the corridor, a basket of birdseed clasped in one hand. His incensed muttering continued all the way to the sheriff's private quarters, where he had been ordered to attend to the bird collection.

After being granted access into the heavily guarded section of the castle, Much stepped briskly into the room. He had to stop for a moment to take in the sight; the sheriff appeared to be something of a bird enthusiast as the room looked more like a menagerie than a living space. Dozens of cages in various shapes and sizes dangled from the ceiling all over the room. They housed birds in a variety of breeds, all of whom seemed to be chirping and fluttering around their tiny prisons.

Much groaned at the realization that this task was going to take much longer than he had originally thought; it only added to his aggravation. Once again muttering to himself, he set to work scattering feed on the bottom of the cages nearest him.

As the tedious affair wore on, his mind drifted in and out of focus. It wasn't until he had reached the cages hanging near the windows that he noticed an alcove, set off the main room. It caught his attention, because just visible among the shadows was the outline of something rather large and bulky. Curious, Much shuffled over to investigate. As he drew nearer, he recognized the over-sized contraption dangling from the rafters; it was the birdcage that Allan had once advised the sheriff to fill with the contents of his storeroom.

Scowling at the unpleasant memory, Much closed in on the giant cage. He was curious as to why it was currently hanging in the sheriff's quarters. It wasn't likely that Vaizey was keeping it for sentimental reasons. Hoping to find something valuable and worth the time he was wasting feeding the birds, Much peered through the bars; there was nothing but a pile of rags at the bottom. Chucking a fistful of feed at the monstrosity, he concluded that the cage had probably been used to house one of the larger bird species, like an eagle or a falcon.

Just as he was about to turn back to his assignment, out of the corner of his eye, he caught something moving at the bottom, under the heap of rags. Spinning back to have another look, he watched with wide eyes as a hand flicked into view, brushing away the seeds that had settled. Much blinked, completely awestruck by what he had discovered; the sheriff was keeping a prisoner in his private quarters. Swallowing nervously, Much stretched out a finger and gently prodded the bundle through the bars. The effect of his nudge was similar to that of a horse having been branded.

---

Elsie scrambled to her knees and plastered herself against the back of the cage. It wasn't enough for them to throw things at her; they had to touch her as well. She was not going to stand for that. She glared menacingly at the guard who stood gaping at her.

The last few days had really tested Elsie's character. The conditions she had been living in where a far cry from the comforts she was used to. She was completely drained in every aspect of her being. Without the use of the traditional methods, the sheriff had found a more subtle way of torturing her. The cage itself was a torture chamber; not quite tall enough to stand up in and certainly not wide enough lay down in comfortably. Her entire body ached, longing to stretch from the cramped conditions. Of course, she had not been eating properly either--a spot of bread and water when they remembered--and it was beginning to take its toll.

The sheriff was also playing on her conscience. He seemed to find sheer delight in reminding her that Robin had no idea of her return and would not be coming to aid any time soon. In all his pestering, Elsie was beginning to find truth and it weighed heavily on her heart and mind. With everything in her life slowly deteriorating around her, the last thing she needed was to be harassed by some second-rate guard, who had been sent to scatter birdseed.

"Do not touch me!" she shrieked, grasping at the bars in hopes that they might give way for her escape.

"Elsie?" Much had been in such a state of bewilderment by the sheer luck of the circumstances, that he could think of nothing else to say in the moment.

Only able to see the guard's eyes under all of his garb, Elsie noticed the genuine look of surprise caught up in them as he stared at her. Her brows furrowed in puzzlement. "How is it you know my name?"

Pulling down the bit of fabric that hid his face, Much gave her a friendly smile, in hopes that she might remember him. Perhaps it was because she was weary and frightened, or simply because several years had passed since they had last seen one another, but Elsie wasn't entirely certain she recognized that face. He seemed vaguely familiar, but she could not quite place him. She gave her head a small shake to indicate she didn't know him.

"Lady Elsie, it's me, Much," he said, slightly hurt that she had forgotten him.

Relief overpowered the fearful tension at the sound of his voice; it hadn't changed in the slightest. She knew that it truly was her brother's manservant standing in front of her, that there was no trickery involved. No longer cowering in fear, she pushed herself toward him, eyes taking in every inch of his face, finding the familiarity that she had overlooked.

"Much," she said softly, leaning her head tiredly against the cage. She frowned suddenly as a thought struck her. "Are you working for the sheriff now?"

"I most certainly am not working for sheriff," Much declared hotly. "He is despicable, which I am sure you know. He had no right imprisoning you when you have nothing to do with our gang. Though he will do anything to lure Robin into a trap. Actually, I am surprised that this is not some sort of trap; the sheriff always has some kind of trickery concocted," Much rambled, glad to have an outlet for the moment.

"Much," Elsie hissed, attempting to cut him off, but when his tangent continued, she had to raise her voice a little louder to get his attention. "Much, shut up!" His mouth closed at once. "If you are not a part of the guard then why are you here?"

"We are looking for you, of course," he explained as though it were obvious. "Surely you did not think Robin would leave you with sheriff?"

What she really wanted to ask was how Robin found out she had returned to the shire, but she knew that it would be a waste of valuable time, considering that she would not get a shortened version of the story, and the sheriff could arrived at any moment.

"Can you get me out of here?" Elsie asked, her hope rising.

Much nodded and Elsie quickly set about directing him to where she believed the sheriff kept the key to the great bird cage. Just as Much was about to begin the search, a scuffle from out in the corridor signaled to them that someone was approaching. Quickly, Much busied himself with the birds while Elsie settled down to wait for the sheriff to make his entrance.

A few seconds later, the doors were thrown wide open and the sheriff stormed into the room, shouting at the top of his voice.

"Out! Get out!" he hollered as soon as he saw Much in the room. He tore the feeding basket from Much's hands as he walked by, flinging it across the room.

Sadly, Elsie watched Much leave. Still, a new hope was beginning to rise inside her. Much would find Robin and tell him where she was; somehow they would find a way to help her. The encounter with Much was reassuring in the fact that she knew Robin was somewhere in the castle, looking for her. She was certain he would stop at nothing to rescue her. It was her confidence in her brother that gave her the much needed strength to endure the latest tirade from the sheriff.

A/N: I appreciate any feedback you may have! Thanks!