(This chapter is uber long so don't expect anything for a while, I have too many other more important fanficitons to work on, this one is merely for the fun of it. Either way I hope you enjoy, though the next chapters following this one will be fillers as well, though it will lead to lots and lots of juicy stud. I don't own Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves so creds to Disney on that, however I do own Langley so HA! Disney. Also please review :3)

The Mighty Fall

Prologue 1 : Not-So-Welcome-Welcoming to Nottingham

It is a truth universally known that something a man cannot have is what he wants most. Langley knew this in one instance, but she soon found out she would know it in a more intimate way as well.

Her father had always wanted a son, but after three tries of only daughters he had lost hope. However that didn't stop him from turning his second child, the middle child, into the makeshift son he'd never had. Harold of Locksley, brother to Robin of Locksley's father, had made a warrior out of a woman. Despite his husband's protests, the Lady of Locksley had managed to make as much of a woman from her middle child as possible, though in the end her efforts were futile.

Langley was the ideal image of every son a nobleman could want by the end of her sixteenth year: she was smart, sharp, skilled in the arts of fighting, could negotiate, was strong-minded, and knew how to get her way. The only problem was, she was a girl. Which was how she ended up amidst a thunderstorm on her way to the Locksley estate, the only passenger along her trip her loyal mare Spade. Langley had been banished from her town — despite her father being the lord of said town — for not marrying off to one of the town Warriors. Her father had actually encouraged her leaving, not wanting the time of molding her to his desire to go to waste, and so he sent her off with a small amount of money, a bow and arrows, a sword, her horse, and two pairs of clothes (which included thin armor). Langley had little to nothing; with her bonds to her family severed (not that much had been there in the first place) and her previous noble ties gone, she was nothing but an outlaw on the run. Not that she cared.

The rain had carried on for three passing days at least, but her riding in the dismal weather never ceased or slowed unless her mare tired. Langley had hoped to arrive at her cousin's estate in two days' time, and at the pace she was going it would take one and a half, letting her go to town for some essentials, maybe a house warming gift, for her uncle. She did not know if Robin had returned from war yet, but she had every intention of waiting till he did. Langley knew her uncle would take her in and treat her as a daughter as he had many years ago, she knew despite her label he would welcome her with open arms, so she intended to at least have a gift of some kind. Maybe a sword would do well. She knew she needed a new one anyways, not to mention she was soaked and Spade needed more food than a meager Apple.

The rain held over to the dawn but had stopped when the sun rose, the weather becoming rather crisp and cold as she ventured deeper into the countryside. Langley had slowed her horse to a trot when the small local town had come into view, it was nothing compared to the beauty of Nottingham itself but it was nice and filled with friendly people. At least she hoped it was, the last she'd been in Nottingham it was six almost seven years ago, and things can change a lot in that amount of time.

Langley slowed her horse to a trot when the beginnings of the town came into view, and by the time she was in the center of the city people and shops surrounded her on all sides. Not many people were on horses she noticed, but the town had changed, a lot. She didn't remember it being so poverty stricken or depressing, almost everyone wore a sullen expression on their face; that is, if you could see it beneath the layers of dirt and grime. Clean and kept as she was, though mildly wet, above an equally as mighty and polished stead she looked like a god, albeit she was anything but that. She was an outsider, an outlaw, yet she would still manage to be their saving grace.

Climbing from her horse, Langley led him by the reigns to the nearest clean bucket of water, giving the owner (or whom she thought to be the owner) a shilling in pay. He nodded his thanks and she pat her mare on the neck affectionately as he bent his head to get some water. "I must go find a sword Spade. Stay here until I return, or come if I whistle." Langley began exploring the town with interest, her green eyes taking in every detail with sharp precision and observing every movement in her range. She didn't know what she was dealing with, but she needed a sword, so she'd tend to that first.

Approaching a man wearing all black with her current weapons hidden — a sturdy bow and small sword gifted to her from her father — she smiled at him and tried to be as casual as possible. "Hello there, I'm wondering where the blacksmith of this town may be located, if you could be of assistance?" Langley's voice was strong, but she didn't come off as completely relaxed as she was going for, not that he noticed.

He quirked a brow at her, folding his arms over his chest as if he were trying to portray how superior he was to her. "And who might you be? What does a woman need with a blacksmith?"

She wasn't going to answer who she was if she could avoid it, word may get out of her whereabouts and she didn't need that, but she had to sigh at the stereotype anyways. "I am merely picking up a present for my uncle, he is in dire need of a sword."

"Why are you dressed in men's clothes? Woman of your beauty should be in dresses, not armor."

Another sigh, "I'm flattered by your words," Langley began with the most obvious sarcasm, that, yet again, the ignorant man didn't pick up on. "However I am more comfortable in armor, not a dress. And, a dress doesn't let me do this:," in one swift movement Langley had retrieved his sword from his waist and pointed it at his chest. "Now, if you could kindly show me to the blacksmith I can give you your sword back, if not, well, you'll see what happens."

The man's eyes widened and he put his hands up in surrender as he stare at the gleaming blade his face was reflected back to him on. "You can't kill me! I'm one of the Sheriff's men- he'll have your head!"

Langley hesitated for a moment, her eyes narrowing slightly in a miffed manner at the man in front of her. She hated beggars, especially ones who had a cocky attitude until their lives were at stake. But there were more pressing thoughts: she had recalled hearing about the Sheriff of Nottingham as it'd been mentioned once before, but politics weren't her interest lest fighting was involved, and all things she had heard were not pleasant. "I can do anything I wish if one of the Sheriff's men is impolite to a lady."

"I see no lady," he said boldly.

"I am more of a lady than you will ever be a man, lest a warrior." Langley growled at him, pressing the blade deeper into his armor as her eyes silently searched for a gap.

The man winced as it dug in, but reluctantly raised his hand and pointed to a building made of stone on the far side of town. "It's over there," he clarified with a strained voice.

Langley nodded and thrusted his sword tip down into the dirt. "See? That wasn't so hard, was it?"

The guard glared but didn't say anything, and went to retrieve his sword. He however couldn't get it to falter from the ground. "Good luck with that." Langley chuckled, then was off.

The blacksmith wasn't as far as she first thought, but it was a decent walk for barely any variety. They had almost nothing: there was no swords, or at least no swords that couldn't also be considered daggers; spears were in stock, but she and her uncle weren't into spears and had a surplus of daggers inventory, which also happened to be plentiful. "You don't have any swords- at all?"

The blacksmith shook his large head, "Not a single one. I'm not even a verified blacksmith, merely an apprentice learning on his own."

"Where is your mentor?"

"Taken."

Langley's brow furrowed in a perplexed manner, "Taken? By whom?"

"You must be really new here- the Sheriff of course! He's taken all blacksmiths for his own personal sword making, rumor has it he's making them forge artillery and weapons in large numbers, don't know what that man's brewing, nothing good for sure. You didn't hear it from me though."

Langley waved him off, though she was slowly processing all the information. It seemed there was a picture she was missing, albeit she only had pieces of it at this point, she however just knew something was up. "Of course, of course, thanks for your time, I hope business does well. And good luck with your apprenticeship."

She departed from his company, no further in her quest of finding a weapon for her and her uncle since when she entered the small town, though her thoughts had recently strayed far from the topic. "How peachy, I love this place already." She muttered to herself sarcastically, walking back towards where she came. There was shouting Langley noticed, which piqued her otherwise occupied interest. When she turned to face the sound she could see a group of men in black uniforms — matching that of the guard Langley had threatened earlier — running after a small boy with their swords drawn. The boy looked to be about ten, maybe eleven in years and was covered in dirt and wore clothes that were ripped so much that even the layers of material that adorned him didn't cover all the skin it was supposed to.

"Get the boy, dead or alive, it doesn't matter!" The command belonged to a brown haired man with a raspy voice, and at the instruction the guards continued to run after him, the boy barely out of his reach when Langley intervened stopping them mid step.

"Move woman! The boy must be caught-"

"This is the woman I was speaking of Lieutenant Gisborne! She is the one who threatened me!" The guard from earlier shrieked, swinging his sword sloppily in Langley's direction.

She rolled her eyes and waved him off with the gesture of his hand, "Yes yes, that was me, great observation. But I'm more curious to what a boy could have done that needs the attentions of the Sheriff's Lieutenant, if that is who you are." Langley crossed her arms over her chest and quirked a brow at them in a mocking manner. "Or have you nothing better to do but chase little boys with your swords?"

Gisborne — she noticed was the one who'd commanded her to step aside before — walked ahead of the men, brandishing his weapon until he was merely two feet away and within attacking range. Though Langley made no move back. "The boy has been poaching."

"Poaching? First the Sheriff steals away all the blacksmiths, then he makes outlaws of young children, what blasphemy is this? I must meet this Sheriff and set him straight, what a man of company he must be." Langley sneered with her chin held high, her eyes glazing in rebellion. Many people had gathered at the commotion now and they were, to say the least, astounded at the newcomers boldness as to stand up to one of the Sheriff's men, the one being his Lieutenant at that.

"And who might you be to question the authority of the Sheriff of Nottingham?" Gisborne returned, his hold on the sword much more experienced and natural than the men with him.

"I am Langley of Locksley," Drawing her sword from her waist she wielded it with expertise to show her own personal skill before crouching. "And though I'm a woman and an outlaw, I happen to have my priorities straight." The clashing of metal on metal rung through the air as she threw the first move to Gisborne, catching him slightly by surprise in which he fell back into his men. Langley took the time to turn to the boy who had been the guard's target in the first place (which had stopped and stared at the battle unfolding before him at this point) to command him to run as fast as he could while she held them off.

"Get the boy! Some of you stay and help capture the girl!"

Even if she was being cocky Langley knew she couldn't protect the boy and herself and not get hurt all alone, but then again, she wasn't alone. Bringing her lips to her mouth she let out a loud whistle, which contacted her horse that had been greedily lapping away at a water pale no more than fifty feet away. In her lapse of weakness one of the guards had managed to get a slash in which grazed her skin and opened a small wound on her left shoulder. It was definitely not fatal but it did and would sting for a while.

Spade came trotting in moments later, seeing his master in danger he sped up and made time to get to her quickly as she slowed the pursuing guards. He let out a mighty neigh and bucked at the group, Langley smiled and quickly lifted herself up by the stirrups into the saddle. She kicked his side hard and took off, replacing the sword back into her waist band before speeding up to a canter. The faint sound of "mount your horses, get the hounds, and get them!" in the background could be heard over the hooves, but Langley was more concentrated on the boy who'd made good yardage during the battle. She swooped down and grabbed him by the collar as they passed, lifting him into the saddle behind her. "Hold on tight." He complied, and with another kick to the mare's side he was at full speed off in the direction of the Locksley estate. Langley was sure the lord of the manner, her uncle, would help her get out of this, he was a very powerful man after all and a great diplomat.

"Who are you?" Langley asked, slightly out of breath and in pain from the short-lived battle.

"An outlaw, yourself?"

"I'm Wulf, I'm an outlaw too."

"I see, my name is Langley. Where do you live if you're an outlaw?" He hesitated for a moment, obviously unsure whether or not to disclose her with that information. "I'm a fellow outlaw, remember? I won't tell anyone, trust me."

"Sherwood forest."

Langley nodded, taking a deep breath as they rounded a path and came into an open clearing that led to the large hills at the start of her home estate. She knew of the forest as her and Robin had dared enter the beginnings of it many times when they were children, but no more than a hundred feet in they would turn and leave, too scared to continue on. Something fishy is going on here… Langley thought, her mouth setting in a thin line as she tried to come up with a premise of what was happening.

"How do you have such a fine horse and clothes if you are an outlaw miss?" Wulf asked after a moments pause.

"Call me Langley please, it makes me feel old otherwise." She smiled breathlessly at him, ignoring the stinging in her shoulder where she'd been struck. "And about that, I used to be a baron's daughter, but then I became an outlaw when I disobeyed his orders, he practically disowned me."

"What did you do?"

"Long story, I'll have to tell you another time." Langley turned in her saddle to face the gaining guards, they weren't necessarily on her tail but they were making distance, even in his prime Spade couldn't ride faster than any horse carrying two passengers. Langley cursed and urged her horse on faster, hoping to get to the manor or at least onto the land before they were caught. "Hey, Wulf, hand me the bow strapped back there would ya?" Langley could feel Wolf move before she heard the untying of her bow from its hold. "Get the quiver too, how far are they behind us?"

"Not too far, they are gaining quickly, is there any way we can go faster?" Wulf asked as he turned and handed her the weapon and ammo.

Langley shook her head and let the reigns go, controlling Spade's direction with her legs. "No, not with two people, but we shall be to that wall over yonder soon and then we shall be safe." Making sure to string the bow as fast yet productively as possible, Langley slung the quiver over the shoulder and took one last glance behind her at the guards on horses, their shouts ringing in her ears as she brought the horse to a stop by a tree and small stone wall. At this point she didn't know what she was doing, but she was on Locksley land now, so she should be safe. "Get off and run home, use the wall here to guide you, and make sure to stay out of sight."

"What about you?"

Langley looked at the guards for a moment before nodding her head in the direction of the forest. "I'll be fine, the worst thing that can happen is the Sheriff catching me, if that happens maybe I can knock some sense into him."

Wulf paused before he clambered off the horse and jumped the wall, running along it – hidden all the while – in the direction of Sherwood Forest. Langley stayed mounted on her horse, her bow ready in hands as she pet her mare to calm him as he was furiously kneading the ground, Spade was smart enough to know something was about to happen. "Sh, sh boy, we'll be alright." Spade circled a tree that stood high next to the wall, stopping only when seven men on five horses came, two of them holding back dogs attached to leashes. Time to bullshit this she thought sarcastically, smirking slightly at her own internal banter.

"Where's the boy?" Gisborne demanded at once, his horse slowing as he reached the head of the group. Langley made sure to hide her weapon from sight for the time being.

"Gone, what are you going to do about it? Arrest me? I'm on my own land now, you'll have to talk to the lord of the manner if you wish to take me away."

Gisborne laughed cruelly, and Langley had to force herself to keep a straight face at the abrasive noise. The smile on his lips was enough to distract her though, he had the most devious itch curling his lips into a smirk that she felt her skin crawl with curiosity. He opened his mouth to say something, and before he said it Langley knew it was nothing of any good, but he didn't have a chance to speak when a familiar, but as he rounded the wall until his horses side was grazing the stone, a figure popped out from behind it and he pressed the sword in his hand to Gisborne's neck. "Now, Sir, if you would be so kind as to tell me your name before I run you through." Langley perked up at the sight, the face was familiar, as was the voice and confident aura she could sense even from five feet away. It was Robin!

"Guy of Gisborne, the Sheriff's cousin. She released a prisoner and threatened me and my guards, the prisoner she released was poaching."

Robin chuckled and dug the blade deeper into Gisborne's neck. "I would consider neither crimes, but go, I have seen enough blood spilled to last two lifetimes. Now get off my land! And tell Nottingham what happens to scum who pick on innocent woman and children!" He withdrew his sword from Gisborne's neck, who reluctantly turned and lead his guard away, sending a few glares over his shoulder before clearing from the land completely.

"I thought I'd never see you again, cousin. I'm glad you're alive." Langley stepped down from her mare and went to Robin, wrapping her arms around his torso and burying her head in his neck.

"It's great to see you too Langley, what are you doing here though?" Robin asked as he pulled back from the embrace, though he kept his hand locked on her forearms.

Langley grimaced, but knew she could trust her cousin with the information. "I became an outlaw when I refused to marry a Nobleman's son despite my father's wishes."

"Your father didn't really wish it, did he?"

Langley shook her head ruefully, knowing that Robin was just as familiar with her dad's intentions as she was. "Of course not, but that doesn't matter, I'm an outlaw now and was hoping if I could stay with you and your father."

Robin smiled, "Of course! But here, I must let you meet my Moorish friend, his name is Azeem," Robin turned to the side to reveal a black man in layered clothes walking down the wall behind him, Langley raised a brow at him. Robin understood the question spoken through the formation of her brow before gesturing to him. "I saved his life in the dungeons where we were held prisoner, so now he must stay with me until he has saved my life. Though he hasn't done much of a job. Damn man left me to face those men all by myself, seven to two! What about fulfilling your promise moor?"

"I fulfill my vows when I choose." He said simply, smiling towards Langley who waved back with a small smile of her own. How these two met would definitely be a story for a late night campfire.

"And does that not include prayers and mealtimes or when I'm outnumbered? What's the point of vowing to protect me if you won't even do it?"

"You whine like a mule, you are alive aren't you?" Langley chuckled at this, more at ease around her cousin and his humorous friend. This trip was already very worth it. Robin rolled his eyes, obviously not as amused as his cousin was before turning away. Azeem turned to Langley, smirking, "Interesting place this England is! Even more so the people."

Langley's thoughts immediately switched to the Sheriff, but she managed to school her face and mind before replying. "Interesting indeed."

-0-

Torches were lit among the dark corridors where Gisborne stalked, a sneer curling at his rough lips as he climbed the stairs to his cousins private chambers. A guard was standing watch, probably there to make sure no one disturbed the lord of the castle while he did what he did best.

"Hold on, sir! The Sheriff doesn't wish to be disturbed!"

Shagging whores.

Gisborne punched the guard in the face, the measly man crumbling to the ground upon impact before he entered the room. His dark-haired cousin was in fact entertaining a lady, her clothes mostly off while he managed to be dressed fully and with a cloak on. If he had entered a moment later the case may have been different though, not that he hadn't seen his cousin naked and vice versa; they were both very in tune with sating their desires, so that was often what they did in their little free time. The Sheriff looked up from his ministrations, a glare forming on his face as he stared with a locked jaw at Gisborne. "Cousin. I trust you justify your intrusions with news of profound value?"

"I met a hooded man and a moor today who insisted I warn you not to harm his people." Gisborne began, his gaze trailing heatedly to the whore that tried to cover herself up at the entrance of another person.

The Sheriff followed his line of sight before growling, "Who told you to cover up?" Before turning back to his cousin with an uninterested look on his face. "His name? The hooded man- not the moor, I could care less of him."

Guy ignored the throbbing sensation in his crotch, he would tend to it later, perhaps even with the same whore his cousin had at the moment. "Robin of Locksley."

The Sheriff's features twisted with disgust. "The prodigal son returns! He's a whelp! This girl could best him!" He didn't begin to try hiding the dislike from his voice, it actually dripped off every syllable with the curl of his lips.

"Well this whelp bested four of my men!" Gisborne said haughtily, his features becoming cross and annoyed.

The Sheriff waved it off however. "Your men were probably drunk! But you survived, cousin!"

"I've barely survived," The Sheriff ignored the last statement and turned back to his companion, about to continue the earlier but interrupted activities when Gisborne continued with information that piqued his interest greatly. "He had a girl with him, she called herself Langley of Locksley, but I believe her to be related to the hooded viper. She managed to steal away with a criminal boy and best all my men on her own, she even gave a chase! That devilishly handsome woman."

"Handsome you say? What was she doing here if she is not married? Lord Locksley had no other family members besides a brother, no daughters." The Sheriff inquired, his mind now turned completely from the woman currently sitting next to him whom looked slightly dejected.

"She was very handsome indeed, quite a sight on the eyes- but dressed in men's clothes and rode a mighty black stead that carried many dangerous weapons. She was very quick and knew how to fight, almost bested me in a sword battle but managed to escape in the Knick of time. You would have been quite pleased if I had caught her cousin, I know I would have too." They both knew what each other was talking about, but the Sheriff knew if the girl was interesting enough he would have his way with her first then let his cousin have her. He was never one for used goods when he could have it first.

"Yes, yes… what does she look like?"

"Long black hair, green eyes. Her body was hidden beneath the armor she wore but definitely muscular and curved if I could guess. She had quite the nasty tongue though, even managed to talk bad of you, saying you needed to be set straight and that she would see to it herself."

The Sheriff smirked, he hadn't even seen the girl and he was already greatly impressed. He schooled himself to sound careless though, and waved his hand nonchalantly before turning back to his companion. "One hundred crowns for whomever brings her in alive, I could care less of Robin, just catch them all, would you?" With a new face in mind and rekindled desire for an unknown woman he'd never met, the Sheriff nurtured his imagination upon the face and body of the whore and let Gisborne take his leave, neither knowing that Robin's cousin was to prove more trouble than a mere one hundred crowns.