A/N: Hellooooo everybody! I do apologize for my break in updating, but I was holding out for those five reviews! Quite sad to say that I'm once again stuck at three :( I did absolutely adore what you guys wrote me (you know who you are) but I was hoping for just two more little messages. How about this time around, huh? I did make this chapter nice and long. And trust me, I know you'll love it :) R&R!
Chapter 9: Leaving Messages
The next day dawned sunny and frigid. As Djaq slowly awoke, the bright glow which promised warmth was followed by a blistering breeze which tore through the walls of the camp and Djaq's layers of blankets. Curling into a ball on her side, Djaq faced back towards the wall and clamped her mouth shut, quieting the chatter of her teeth as she shivered.
I don't understand, what was that dream? So strange, so very strange.
Fighting the quick loss of remembrance, Djaq brought her mind back to the dream she had had that night. It left a sick and twisted feeling in her stomach, and she reached for the dagger under her pillow subconsciously. She could see bits and pieces as clear as if they were real life. But others were blurred and faded, keeping her from seeing the whole picture. Fighting the cold that slowed her brain to the point of incompetence, Djaq began fitting the puzzle pieces of her dream together again.
It seemed normal at first; Djaq was wandering through the forest in the mid-afternoon, the sun standing proudly at its highest point. It was the warmth that threw her; it was far too warm to be late-October weather. But she wasn't complaining. The warmth reminded her of home.
She had soon reached her favorite section of the forest, the place where she would often run off to clear her head when camp life became far too much to handle. Looking up, she came to two tall sycamore trees. They stood crooked, bending in towards each other where their branches met and began to intertwine.
She could remember when the gang had finally become close with her and she was taken there by Allan. He had told her the story of these trees, which of course at the time she filed away as completely ridiculous. He had grabbed her hand and dragged her to where the trees met, forcing her to run her fingers along the weaving, knotted branches.
"We in England call these the marriage trees", was how Allan began his story, trying to impress her with his knowledge of the world, "See, when two trees of the same type are grown so close together, they begin to grow as one, like husband and wife. They say if you kiss under the trees, the person you kiss will be with you forever." She had looked at him then, feeling her heart jump in her throat as he leaned in closer and closer. Just before their lips touched, the memory faded and she remembered that she was supposed to be piecing together her dream.
Damn it Djaq, focus would you?
She remembered reaching the tree and sitting underneath where Allan and she had shared their first kiss.
She had slapped him after, blaming his cheeky behavior for his nonsensical actions. But she couldn't deny that, at the time it was the best moment in her life.
She heard a voice yelling her name then, sounding far off to the right of her secluded position. She knew that voice anywhere, even in the sanctity of her dreams.
"Djaq? Djaq! Where are you?" Allan came tearing into view, the sunlight glinting of the golden tresses of his hair and fear shining in his beautiful eyes. Djaq was instantly alarmed.
She stood up and ran over, meeting him half way in a tight embrace that left her breathless.
"I knew I would find you here love, I needed to find you. I've got to warn you, you aren't safe here." Allan cupped Djaq's soft cheeks in his hands, boring into her eyes with a look that demanded she listen. "Do you understand love? He's coming for you, he knows you're here. I need to keep you safe at all costs, so run Djaq, I need you to run now."
Djaq didn't understand what he meant. He? Who's he? Who was coming for her?
"No, Allan! I'm a fighter, let me fight with you! We can protect each other. Don't leave me." Djaq grappled for the sword that was always at her waist, but she realized it was nowhere in sight. She could feel her heartbeat quicken in its pace, fear restored her past calm.
"I will never leave you Djaq. I kissed you under that tree", Allan glanced back at the married trees behind them, "and we will be together always. I promise you that." Just before he reached in for a brush of the lips, a loud rustling was heard from behind Allan.
"No, no Djaq, he's found us. You've got to run. Run, now!" Pushing Djaq away from the rustle Allan turned to face the tall figure behind him. Djaq couldn't see the face of the man, it seemed so blurry in her mind. He was simply tall, very tall.
Djaq then took off running, feeling fear reach a height it never had before. She couldn't breathe; it was clawing up her throat with a sick hot power that engulfed all other senses but her ability to run. With a last glance over her shoulder, she could see Allan laying on the ground. His brilliant eyes glassing over and a trickle of blood seeping from the corner of the mouth that would never grin at her again, Djaq realized that she lost him, forever. She suddenly felt two large hands grab her, and then she woke.
She didn't have to relive the dream, simply looking back on it was enough to make Djaq's eyes sting with tears. She swallowed the lump in her throat that choked her and wiped the trail of salty tears away from her cheek.
Sitting up and shaking her head, Djaq realized that the men were still cocooned away in their bunks, every blanket wrapping every inch of skin. Seeing that Much was still fast asleep, Djaq decided to let him stay that way while she started a fire and breakfast. She had left over half the dishes she was supposed to have cleaned dirty last night, making breakfast while the manservant slept was the least she could do.
Hurrying as quickly as she could, Djaq ran out of the camp and into the wall of cold that left her gasping for breath. She returned a few minutes later, cheeks burning red and carrying a bundle of sticks and logs that could be used for the fire. She placed them down on the floor as quietly as she could, hoping not to wake her friends. She let out a soft giggle at seeing Robin, wrapped up so tightly in his blankets that only his nose could be seen. She couldn't help but think; oh did she love her boys.
Quickly lighting the fire in the kitchen, Djaq set about frying some of the bacon that was left from their last raid of food. They most definitely needed to restock soon; they were awfully low on supplies. On top of the slabs of bacon, which were now popping and sizzling satisfyingly in the red hot pan, Djaq scrounged up three eggs which she would scramble and divide and one small remaining loaf of crusty bread.
She wouldn't necessarily call herself the best of cooks, and Allah knows she couldn't do more than some bacon and eggs, but it was the least she could do for the others. And it helped to keep her mind off her eerie dreams, the frightened feeling still looming over her shoulder. For now, she was far too afraid to turn around and look it in the eye.
Knowing she would probably regret how cold it would make her, Djaq walked over to the pail of water which sat in the corner of the kitchen. Taking one large, deep breath, Djaq plunged her head, ears and all, into the water and let her mind go numb. It was so freezing cold it felt almost hot. And when she took her head out, shaking the water off and letting it fly around the room in icy droplets, her nightmare was the farthest thing from her mind. She could feel the rivulets drip down into her collar and reach down to her breasts.
She heard a gentle cough sound from behind her and she whipped her head around, her hair falling wetly in odd angles on her forehead. There stood Will, scruffy before his morning shave and still bleary from the night's sleep. His collar laid open a few buttons and his forearms once again flexed from his rolled up sleeves. Djaq was amazed; he stood completely unruffled by the cold morning air. She had to admit, she was jealous of his thick English blood.
Then she realized how absolutely ridiculous she must have looked. There she stood, her head sopping wet from having dunked it in a bucket of ice cold water. Great going Djaq. Remembering her manners, Djaq, attempting nonchalance, ruffled her wet hair with her fingers and muffled and simple "Good morning" to her friend.
Will smiled back at her dreamily, almost as if he was still asleep, and returned the pleasantry. "Good morning to you too Djaq," he said as he strode by her towards the bucket. He grabbed it and walked outside, Djaq following his back with her eyes.
Standing outside, Will yanked his worn shit over his head leaving him half-bare in the early winter weather. His pale body was lean, but with every inch covered in the wiry muscles of a carpenter. Then he took the bucket and turned it over above his head, allowing the remaining water to cascade down over his body. Djaq couldn't breathe, she was simply struck by how handsome the man outside was. She could see the water trail down over his back and shoulders, and when he turned droplets remained on his chest and abs. the water darkened his hair to a sultry black and left it entirely drenched into flatness.
So…handsome. Allah oh Allah is he glorious.
Her mind's wanderings were broken apart by a sleepy Much, who raised his head and sniffed the open air.
"Is something burning Djaq?" he asked her, still sniffing for signs of smoke.
With a gasp Djaq tore her eyes away from Will and back to the bacon, which was now mostly burnt. Removing the charred slices of what was once meat and cracking the eggs into the fat left over in the pan, she scrambled the yolks with a wooden spoon, taking her charged emotions out on the bubbling yellow mixture.
Well, I hope the boys don't mind their bacon on the crisp side.
After the gang had eaten breakfast, the bacon having been swallowed a bit forcefully, they gathered their gear and met just outside camp so Robin could dole out the agenda for the day.
"Alright lads," the leader began, his bow casually slung over his shoulders as he addressed the group, "we've got a busy day ahead of us so we're probably going to be out from now until nightfall." Much groaned and was about to protest when Robin silenced him with a steely look. No doubt the man was concerned whether or not lunch was on the to-do list.
Robin cleared his throat and continued on, scratching at the overgrown scruff which adorned his cheeks. "Now, first things first we'll need to visit our stores to get the necessary food for our drops today. I hate to admit it but we gained five more families in need of food from last week's drops." Djaq's heart fell at the man's announcement, she hated that the list grew every week. It made giving to the poor much harder, with not much left to provide.
"So, with the increase in places to visit, I think we need to divide and conquer today. Most of the families that signed on were from Clun and Locksley, with one new addition from Nottingham. Since there's less drops to make for the latter, I figured we'd put the extra man on the Clun-Locksley run. Much, John, you'll come with me. Will and Djaq I'll send you off to handle things in Nottingham." Robin fixed Djaq with a grin that she couldn't seem to reciprocate.
He was smiling because he thought he was doing her a favor, he thought she wanted to spend extra time with the carpenter. Oh Robin, sometimes you need to stop trying so hard. She looked over at Will who was once again staring at her. She was beginning to realize he did that more often than she noticed. Nervously, she began to shuffle under his gaze.
"Well? We go", said John, rousing the gang to trudge off through the barren trees and towards the nearby food stores.
In what seemed to Djaq to be hours later, they finally reached the shed which held the food given away on drop days. Damn this cold to Hell. Ten minutes turns to ten hours and I can't feel my toes. Djaq wiggled her small digits within her boots and sighed when she realized they had completely lost feeling.
Today's weather was especially bad. She needed a cheeky trickster to warm her up…Djaq mentally shook herself. She had got to learn to focus more or she'd never get the deliveries done.
Saying goodbye to their companions for the day, John, Much and Robin headed west towards Locksley while Will and Djaq turned south towards Nottingham. Maybe, just maybe, I could get to see Allan! The thought warmed her from the inside out and the walk certainly seemed to move by much quicker.
About halfway to Nottingham, Djaq heard Will clearing his throat and trying to grab her attention. Heaving a sigh and shifting the overflowing bag of food to her other shoulder, Djaq replied, "Yes Will, what is it?" She had been dreading the awkward discussion she knew he would start about last night since Robin had paired the two of them together. Why does it always seem to be the two of us paired off?
Will, carrying two massive sacks that were both larger than the one Djaq was lugging blushed pink as soon as Djaq spoke to him. He opened his mouth to speak, but after two tried nothing came out. Finally the third time around Will softly mumbled, "About yesterday Djaq, I'm sorry if I—I embarrassed you. I didn't mean to pry; I was just concerned that something was wrong. I wanted to be totally sure that everything was alright."
The smoldering gaze that followed was enough to make Djaq's shoulders sag with remorse. She loved Allan dearly, but she needed to figure out a way to be with him without lying to everyone else she cared for. Looking back towards the path in front, Djaq could see the walls of Nottingham come into view. Allah be praised.
"Look Will, thank you for your concern, but maybe it'd be better if we didn't bring this up again. I forgive you; now let's just get these drop-offs over and done with, alright?" Djaq moved forward with a fresh quickness in her step, eager to finish her day's work and climb back into the warm blankets of her bunk back at camp. Will followed behind, his long-legged stride easily matching and then over taking Djaq's.
Looking over his shoulder Will smiled at Djaq, playfully calling out to her, "What's the matter Djaq? I thought you hated to lose in competition." It was true beyond belief, Djaq hated being bested. Ever since she was a young girl she always felt the need to run faster, learn more, and fight harder than anyone else, even the boys. Maybe that's why she came to the gang, because she knew no other woman had.
Never one to back down from a challenge, Djaq tightened the grip on her load of food and began a slow jog, her joints stiff from walking in the cold. She soon met Will, who was still walking, and slowly inched out in front of him. Hearing him pick up his pace, she felt a rush of adrenaline seize her as she began to sprint, laughing at the joy she felt at getting to race like a child once more.
Seeing the entrance to Nottingham come into sight, Djaq slowed down and came to a stop, resting her hands on her knees as she fought to catch her breath. Puffs of steam billowed in front of her face with every exhale, and a moment later Will stood in front of her panting with just as much force.
"Lord Djaq, I—forgot—how bloody—fast—you were," Will's sentence came across in broken bits and pieces making Djaq laugh as she heard it.
"It's not my fault you're so out of shape Will, obviously you should be running more often," Djaq grinned at the shocked carpenter. His look of surprise quickly faded into one of humor, followed finally by revenge. Before she could react, Will pounced on Djaq, sending her flat on her back and pinned beneath the hard muscles she had seen that morning.
The wind rushed out of Djaq's lungs, but not entirely because she was tackled. Djaq stared into the shimmering green eyes that sparkled playfully as their noses brushed at the closeness of their position. After a moment, Will's eyes began to darken with a look Djaq had seen Allan wear a hundred times: lust.
With a cough and a quick shove, Djaq nudged Will off of her a picked her bag off the ground. Brushing the dirt off her clothes and flipping her hood up to shade her Saracen features, Djaq began walking towards the open gate if Nottingham, motioning to Will to hurry up and gather his things. They had deliveries to make.
Sneaking into Nottingham wasn't too difficult; Djaq tossed and extra loaf of bread to the beggars living down in the empty moat in front of the castle, who then caused a massive ruckus as they fought over every last crumb. The guards stationed in front of the gate, which normally would have stopped Will and Djaq to look into their bags, ran over to the sea of rag covered bodies to break up the fight. Slipping quietly into the castle completely unseen, Djaq and Will set right to work.
Moving within the shadows and under the cover of buildings and tarps, Will and Djaq shuffled from one house to the next, having easily memorized who was and wasn't on their list. Coming down to the last two stops, Djaq saw that the new house on the list was almost directly across from The Golden Arrow. The Saracen couldn't help but smile as she remembered her last night there with Allan, her handsome rogue of a lover.
Djaq froze when a white sign on the front of the Arrow suddenly caught her eye. Will had continued up ahead, moving into the house, and Djaq quickly jogged over to see if the sign was for her. The massive 'D' that had been scribed in thick white chalk was a message from Allan; he wanted to meet again soon.
Looking back over her shoulder to make sure Will was nowhere in sight, Djaq withdrew the piece of black writing coal that she always carried in her purse. Thinking quickly about when she could next successfully leave the gang for the night, Djaq drew three lines within the top of the 'D', the sign for her and Allan to meet in three days time. Underneath that in the center of the letter, Djaq next drew a small circle followed by another small vertical line, telling Allan that they would meet one hour after nightfall. Looking around for where they should next meet, Djaq wrote two capital B's at the bottom of the 'D', saying that they would be meeting at the Blue Boar Inn. Tucking the coal back into the pouch at her waist, Djaq turned back around to find Will, hoping they would complete their last drop off and return home quickly.
Hidden under the shadows stood Will, watching Djaq leave her message to whoever she would come to visit then scamper off presumably to find him. He was so tempted to erase that message and prevent her from seeing this mystery person but, he had an idea of who he was. And he needed to be certain.
Suddenly he saw Djaq coming towards him out of the corner of his eye; he looked over and saw the flush in her cheeks, the glint of happiness in her eye. Obviously she was very excited to be meeting this person; Will thought it was safe to assume it was a he. Not a wise-woman then, why would you be lying Djaq? What could you possibly be hiding from us?
"Will? Are you ready for the last drop? We're almost done, and I'm freezing so let's get this done and go home," with a quick smile Djaq hurried off to the last house on the list. Will, his mind still swirling with his musings followed behind in a dazed stupor. She couldn't be meeting…no, no way would Djaq do that. She would never betray the gang like that—would she? Quieting his mind for now Will entered the last house with Djaq, emptying what was left of his pack of food on the kitchen table.
His last thought on the matter finished as soon as they were on their way back home.
If it's you Allan A'Dale, I'll kill you with my bare hands.
A/N: Angsty Will much? Psshh, I'd say. But what's gonna happen in three days? and what about Djaq's dream? You'll have to review and read next time to find out ;) I know, I'm a tricky lil thing. But please review, I would LOVE to have five this time around 3