(I AM SO EXCITED FOR HOW THIS STORY IS PROGRESSING YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT'S IN STORE AHHHHH! Ok, now that that's over with, read and review because even though this is a filler chapter everything after this is heated as hell and action-packed or feeling-packed and all that so yay! Also, I don't own Robin Hood or the Sheriff, sadly. Again- please review for a new chapter!)
Chapter 7: Regrets and Revenge
Her pace on the horse never faltered as she put distance between herself and the castle, between what had just been exchanged between her and the Sheriff. It was scandalous, horribly out of line and completely inappropriate! He was the cruel Sheriff of Nottingham, she was an outlaw, and yet he had nearly gotten her in his bed with her consent! She didn't want to know what would have transpired between them had she not woken up, but she knew it was nothing good.
The burning in her mid-section never left, but she ignored it, willed it to be gone from her mind as Spade trampled through the trees and back to the camp. The Sheriff's words hung over her head, the omen of Robin's death, and she kicked Spade faster. He's lying. It was all she could hold onto.
The camp came into sight and all previous hope – no matter how small – diminished at the horrendous sight. He wasn't lying. She repeated the thought over and over again in her mind, the words becoming heavier and heavier as her stomach sunk deeper inside her. Everything was up in flames, destroyed, bodies scattered all around—almost as commonplace as the flowers—and what was not victim to the fire was burned to the extent where even the Sheriff's darkest clothes could not compare.
This was all his fault. All that wretched man's fault! She had been snogging him, ready to go farther while everyone here suffered a slow death and those who lived watched their families die without hope of saving them.
Then a thought crossed her mind, the most dreadful thought of them all: "Where is Robin?" Her voice had cracked, her knees weak and suddenly she felt very sick. "Where's Robin?" She repeated, now louder and more desperate in her plea. "Someone please answer me!"
She turned to where the nearest sign of life was: the sound of walking. Out of the brush appeared Little John, Azeem, and Bull, but there was no sign of anyone else. No sign of Robin. "I'm sorry Langley, but they attacked while you were away… We all fought, but we lost a lot of men." She froze to the spot as John gave her an awkward pat to her shoulder, trying to comfort her in a near fatherly fashion.
"They took hostages." Bull added as an afterthought, something that didn't help Langley's sorrows, but she was too heartbroken to care.
All the memories of her and Robin flooded back to her in a tidal wave, this couldn't be happening, couldn't be real. Robin didn't' die, couldn't die from something so silly. He'd survived nearly ten years in a war for god's sake how could a little battle hurt him? Anguish gripped her heart, he was all she had left, but the more she tried to dig herself into a hole of denial the more she knew he was gone. Forever. No longer did she have that valiant playful cousin who would die for her, die with her, and be her rock. He was no longer anything but a memory, a legend, dead. It punctured a hole deep in her heart, and yet, at the same time, it awoke an anger, a thirst for revenge that could only be quenched with blood. With death.
The Sherriff must die, but right when that thought crossed her mind she looked back upon their first and most recent meeting: would she be able to kill that man, that man that she now harbored so many illegal desires for? Langley had never wanted something so much for herself and yet wanted it dead at the same time, the former having never happened more than the ladder.
She would swallow her desire and not let it surface, or at least make him pay in some alternative way for what he'd done to her, done to Robin. It was only fair.
"We must find the bodies and bury them, let all the surviving outlaws mourn, then we must move our home base."
No one questioned Langley's authority, already assuming her the leader of the pack now that Robin was gone. And no one questioned her command, even if her voice sounded too cold to be of any state of action. But they did as they were told.
Langley did not help in the escapade, instead going to her untouched tent on the brink of the ruined village and packed up her things, silently sobbing in the name of Robin. She had a feeling his body wouldn't be found, with all the fire she would be surprised if anyone's body was found at all. So she made him his own grave on the Willow tree two yards from where her tent stood, carving his name into the trunk and kneeling over it.
"I'm so sorry Robin," tears streaked down her cheeks as she grasped at the bark, hopelessly wanting a man, her cousin, to be in its place. "I don't know if I can help these people, not like they need it. They need you, someone strong and unbreakable, but I think I'm breaking from the inside and it's all that bloody bastard's fault!" Langley couldn't remember the last time she'd cried so ferociously, but it was horrible, to lose the one person that cared for you and to be torn on whether to kill his murderer. She was stuck between anger and sadness, but both seemed to only weigh down her already sinking sanity.
A warm hand placed itself on her shaking back, and Langley's head shot around to face her comforter, though she never tried to push the hand away. One look in Azeem's pitying eyes and she knew he had heard her, she just hoped he didn't know what she meant.
"Christian, there is nothing to be sorry of. Robin will understand anything which happens to you, but these people need a leader and you must be that for them, if only for now."
Langley wiped away her loose tears with the back of her sleeve, nodding and shakily standing up. Her face hardened as she thought of all the people that depended on her. "Every strong leader needs a help, unless you have anywhere else to be…?" Her voice cracked, but Azeem smiled at her and she managed a small one herself.
"Wouldn't have it any other way. Now I came to tell you the bodies have been buried and Lady Marian returned safely, she wishes to speak with you."
Langley followed Azeem to where a very flustered, sad Marian stood next to her horse, clutching onto her robes like they were her lifeline. "Lady Marian," Langley nodded, catching the crying lady's attention.
"Please don't tell me it's true, please don't tell me Robin's dead." She pleaded, her composure having been completely lost at the hearing of Robin's death. Langley wished she could say it wasn't true, but she would be lying.
Langley gulped and bowed her head, "I cannot."
A heartbroken cry resounded from across her, and Marian began mumbling how she'd 'kill that god forsaken man!' in the name of Robin. Langley quickly shushed her, not wanting Marian to be consumed by rage as she was. "Marian, calm, please. Do not go threatening the Sheriff when we have no more evidence to back up our accusations, even if you tell the King of his work we have no proof and our pleas are therefore unviable. I wish to take him down as much as you do, but we must be smart in our moves and recuperate first. Not to mention get out men back. So I need you to do something for me, can you promise you will do it no matter what?" Langley felt as if she was already taking the role of the leader, but now Marian needed a friend, not a leader. And so she would provide.
Marian nodded, "Yes, I do."
"Good, I need you to go back to London and stay with your mother." Marian immediately opened her mouth to protest, but Langley once more shushed her before continuing. "It is for your sake, trust me. I will send you weekly updates of our progress, but if you are here the Sheriff may use you as a bargaining chip or manipulate your presence, especially since your father is here." Marian's face darkened at hearing her father's mention, and Langley noted not to speak of him again. "Robin would want it this way."
She was silent for a long moment, the last of Langley's words striking a deep chord within her. Robin did want her safe, would want her safe, and if this was the way then she could go to London. "I suppose it is for the best."
Langley nodded, "Good. I trust you can get there without the Sheriff intercepting you?"
She hadn't meant for it to be a joke, but Marian laughed, so Langley smiled as if it was intended. "I think I can manage."
"Alright, if you need anything I am here, do not forget that. Now make haste, I do not want you to waste another moment where you could be captured once more."
Marian departed, and after making sure she'd gone, Langley rounded up the rest of the surviving outlaws and led them deeper into the uncharted forest, their only hope a cave or collection of trees to protect them. The winter winds and weather had settled in, and her people needed to be safe before it struck its cold kiss of death and took many a life. She would not have it.
They took a break halfway through their trek, the weaker and injured on horseback and the strong on foot. What was left in supplies was pulled on a horse drawn wagon, but even then many were tried from the long expanse of walking, especially after such a taxing fight. There was not much talking, not as much liveliness as before, not when there were so many to mourn that we had to leave behind. Langley closed her eyes and meditated on her thoughts before cracking them open when she heard a twig crack next to her. Little John took the space to her left.
He got right to the point of his being here: "They have my son." Langley nodded, not knowing how to respond, they were all mourning, but the hostages were still alive, and she was a firm believer of never leaving a man behind. "I'm not stoppin' till we get 'im back. Even if it costs me my own life."
"I know you won't John, but we needn't be hasty. We will get your son back, all the other's too. I will die for their freedom if need be, and I'm sure many others will too, but we need a plan."
"What are yah thinkin'?"
Langley paused, "If I've learned anything about the Sheriff, it's that he likes to display his accomplishments, and I'm sure ending Robin's life is at the top."
John's brow furrowed, and suddenly everything clicked together in Langley's head, "What do you intend to do?"
She smirked, a devious malicious smirk that could make even the dear Sheriff's blood turn cold. "We are going to crash his party."