Hello there everyone! Enjoy this new update, because even though the meeting is short, in a few chapters the real fun is going to begin, and from there on out it will practically be all Langley/Sheriff stuff from there on out. However until then, tell me what you want to see and leave constructive criticism, I'm always open for that and any unanswered questions you'd like to ask.

I would also like to thank anime-aquarion-fan, Goddess Nefertari 19, chris-52, Artlover (guest), 191987, and Bar for reviewing, you all are what keeps me updating.

I don't own any Robin Hood characters, only the majority of the plot and Langley.

Again, enjoy and please review for a sooner update!

-Dev

The Mighty Fall

Chapter 8: Poking an Angry Bear

John had asked immediately what she meant, but with the thought fresh in her mind Langley called the people and began moving, a skip in her step as she fastened the pace. No one knew why Robin's cousin was suddenly so happy, but if you looked at her eyes, the glint in them was anything but innocent joy, much rather mad. In the best of ways.

They stumbled upon a damp cave, but it perfectly accommodated their needs after a few fires were sparked to life and tents pitched. It was actually quite warm, and it sheltered everyone from dangerous winds and the abrupt frostiness of the night. Though it was nothing compared to their old camp, no one was complaining.

Azeem noticed Langley's restlessness and mischievous smile, investigating once everyone was situated in which she spilled the details of the inner workings of her mind. It was simple: she went to town with a few others, they split up, they collected the gossip on the Sheriff's plans, got some food while they were at it, met up and decided what to do from there.

It was nearly flawless as it had no details, only simple nothings like sounds of distress. Shrieking like a bird meant the plan was foiled, but otherwise they had nothing but whistles to sound when and where to meet; one blow meaning the center of the market, and two meaning outside at the gates.

After trading her maid clothes for more appropriate attire, Langley set out with a freshly shaven John, Bull, Much, Butch, and Tuck, all disguised in fresh faces and sharp cloaks. They set off, each to their own horse towards Nottingham castle with mischievous grins on their faces. Once they came into view they put their hoods up and dismounted, all their steads being tied up so they would not roam freely. Butch stayed with the horses, but the rest entered town with a decent amount of gold which they salvaged from the Sheriff's raid.

At the entrance they split up, not a word having been exchanged in fear of causing suspicion, definitely not good when they already drew attention for their mysterious guises.

Langley walked slowly, carefully eavesdropping in on the conversations with a dagger clutched tightly in one hand and her whistle in the other. She had to abandon the sword and bow for fear of being caught, but the dagger was on all other men as it was her if they needed to fight. A cold wind blew through, but Langley did not shiver, for she was too focused with the plan at hand to notice the hairs that rose on her rigid arms.

Every detail around her was soaked in with green eyes, each noted as she tried to find fruitful information that could be of help when the time came. The marketplace was alive with people and guards, which seemed to have been amped up in numbers since her last visit. Readily so, not that it would stop the antics in play.

Langley decided she'd engage in a direct conversation with somebody, bowing her head as she walked passed a guard, not noticing another taking interest in her obvious mysteriousness. She steered through a sea of people with the mission sharp on her mind, headed in no particular direction as she did so. Though she'd briefed the other men to pick up food and robes for the oncoming winter, she had not specified what she needed to supply, which was causing a dilemma. It didn't matter all that much, she just needed to find a talkative dealer and she was set.

Surely it wouldn't be too hard.

"Firecrackers for sale! Only one crown for twenty!" The booming voice had Langley spinning on her heel, the notion of Firecrackers sounding much more entertaining than anything else she could buy. The man looked good enough as well, and was definitely very friendly by the front he put on. "Ello there miss, how may I help you?"

Langley was surprised he knew she was a woman, but instead spoke, not taking time to dwell on such thoughts. "I was actually just wanting to take a look around, thank you." The man nodded, watching her as she fondled the Firecrackers on display with mocking interest. She already knew her purchases, but this man didn't need to know that.

"'Ave yah heard about the ball bein' thrown on the morrow? Heard lots of Barons will be there, supposed to be celebrating the killing of the hostages from the outlaw fight. God bless their souls."

Langley was relieved at his rushed chatter to keep her interested in the product, "A ball you say? A hanging I assume?"

"The good Sheriff actually planned on a beheading, bad idea if you ask me. I heard there were a lot more outlaws left out there, even if Robin Hood is dead."

She hesitated in asking her next question: "Does everyone know of his passing?"

"If you don't you're downright crazy! Rest that poor man, shame he had to die so early in the fight. God knows we don't need any more balls that we've 'otta pay for."

A ball! Yes, now it clicked. A party to crash! O' how the gears of fate turned, but now in her favor. "Do you know any more about these beheadings?"

"Afraid not, Sheriff's only said that everyone'll see it. Supposed to be a big event, but the details haven't been released. I'd wager they'll talk all about it at the ball, if you can get in."

A smirk graced Langley's formerly sorrowful features, this man had laid out a perfect plan for he and he didn't even know it. "I'll take three sets of twenty." She produced three golden coins, earning a nod of thanks from the merchant as she moved on. Though it was she who should be thanking him.

Her pockets heavy with mischief, Langley went on walking, about to blow the whistle for a meeting when she noticed three guards staring at her suspiciously. They didn't try and hide it, but then again they couldn't tell that she'd noticed, she decided to keep it that way.

Walking on like they weren't there, the outlaw kept on darting her eyes around and noticed more guards surfacing, all antsy and staring at her. She did not see one of her cloaked friends in the crowd, and she was beginning to get anxious at being caught, or worse: one of them being caught. She could deal with the consequences of her being found, but if they were taken by fault of her flawed plan she would never forgive herself. Or she'd die trying to earn their freedom. Either way it made her stomach churn uneasily.

The outlaw veered left, blending in with the shadows as she slunk in-between people, she bowed her head, slowly taking off her cloak as to not alarm any of the guard's before easing the cloak onto another person, trading their own in place of hers without their notice. She had hit a lucky strike there, and as she disappeared into the nearest shop she was assured by its loud clatter and even louder occupants. Hopefully they could provide some sort of cover for her. It was then that she noticed where she was: an armory. She had readily assumed all the skilled blacksmiths were under the Sheriff's employment, but this establishment proved otherwise. It was decorated from wall to wall with fine, glimmering steel, not yet to shed the blood of men or animal alike. Bows were strung, knives, shields, and armor on display. Many boys fawned over the graceful weapons, and men often touched the blade to weigh its value. Langley felt slightly more at ease, because though she only had a dagger at her disposal before, now she had a whole room to choose from. What a lovely change of events.

They once more turned against her, however, when a group of three bumbling buffoons in guard drab blocked the exit, appearing slightly intoxicated. She underestimated them, as their form was initially still better than the guards' whom she'd met before, not that that was saying much. She almost chuckled at the notion, but managed to keep quiet as a fragile silence settled over the armory.

"Where is the owner of this establishment?" The lead guard asked, his chest puffed out and chin held high in a display of authority. The owner made himself known by raising his arm, and the guard met the man's eyes before continuing. "His lordship is in search of outlaws, and we believe that among you there is one… or many."

"There's no one here but the regulars, I should know." The shop owner seemed completely unfazed by the demanding guards, whom, obviously ignoring the shop owner, entered further. The merchant was not pleased as one could tell by his pressed lips, but he kept them sealed.

"Are you sure? I was given specific instructions that the outlaw was here…" Langley was growing antsy, she needed to leave before anyone else get caught. They all needed to leave or the mission may be spoiled. That was a blow Langley was not sure she could cope with.

Her anxiousness was shattered by a screeching noise, everyone heard it, but the clear mocking of a bird only meant something to Langley. Someone was in trouble.

She acted swiftly, kicking down the nearest shelf of weapons which had a domino effect on the rest, the loud clatter alarming the guards but not giving them enough time to act as all three were squished beneath the weapons. Langley grabbed a sword and jumped over the piles, a serious expression on her face as she off-handedly passed by the shocked shoppers and even more so guards. "Stop right there! Under the orders of the good sheriff you are-" She pressed her weight on the weapons shelf he was trapped beneath, successfully squishing all the air from him and prohibiting any form of speech. Without a word she left, abandoning her cloak as she sprinted in the direction of the cry of distress.

The sight Langley beheld within a few short strides made her stomach churn with anxiety.

There, in the middle of a group of guards, stood Little John, trapped with only a small dagger and a pile of cloaks on his arm, no doubt bought to bring back to camp for warmth. Langley swallowed, catching his eye and causing her legs to falter beneath her. The pleading look in his eyes, the one that screamed please help me but leave at the same time made her feel weak. She was conflicted, but she could not leave one of her men to rot at the hands of the Sheriff.

Speak of the devil. There the dark handsome man stood, not two feet from John with a triumphant smirk on his face. His lips moved, but Langley couldn't make out any words coming from his lips. She couldn't even move.

John's face contorted into an expression of disgust before spitting at the Sheriff, the bite of his words visible even though she didn't hear a bit of what he said. Judging from the dark look that the Sheriff had, it was not what he was looking for. Langley's heart sank, even from this far and with a scattered brain she knew exactly what the Sheriff ordered next: kill him.

She didn't think, she only acted.

The outlaw took the whistle from her pocket, following the first plan of action that came to mind. Though she would have originally jumped right in to fight, she only had a dagger and was outnumbered greatly, not to mention she didn't know if these commoners were friend or foe. If it was the latter she was done for, but she could only hope it wasn't.

She blew the whistle as hard as she could six times over, frantically hoping it would catch all the guards' attention. It seemed to do much more than that, in fact the high pitched, ear drum bursting frequency caught everyone's attention within a mile radius. Langley exploited the turning of all the heads in her direction, getting to a bit of higher ground so John could see her face and confirm it was her. That also informed the Sheriff and his men that the target was inbounds, something Langley hadn't taken into consideration. It was too late for that though, so she exploited the moment by cupping her hands around her mouth and screaming.

"JOHN RUN!"

If the whistling or obvious show of her face didn't catch everyone's attention, than the screaming did, but John took the opportunity and ran, meeting nearly no setbacks as all the guards were now chasing after her.

You have a knack for getting in the worst situations. Langley turned and ran, disappearing into the sea of parting people that closed behind her, making the Sheriff and his men have to weave in-between everyone. So they were on her side.

Wrong place wrong time. She dodged behind a building, noticing a whole new string of shops and stands up ahead. The Sheriff's insistent yelling followed her, making her legs beat on the cobbles faster even though it was all white noise. Her inner dialogue seemed to overrule everything.

Didn't this happen only yesterday though? Two days ago? Langley tipped over a water melon stand behind her, the thuds and rolls proof her mission has been accomplished.

Nearly a week, but nice try.

She chanced a glance behind her, noticing with wide eyes that the Sheriff was quite close. Too close. Almost like before. De ja vu.

Their eyes met and he smirked, his eyes taunting that he would catch her and he would torture her, she could almost feel it, the pain, the pleasure… Langley paled, shaking her head quickly and disappeared down another alleyway. She turned into the nearest shop, a thick perfume filled one that nearly had her gagging upon entrance. It would work though, there were so many dresses and suits in here she could easily hide for a month and never be caught.

"Do you need any help fidning-"

"Sh, no." Langley quickly snapped, delving deep into the shop and ignoring the offended woman in a frilly pink dress. None of these were high end, she noted, but they were nice considering the state of Nottingham she supposed.

Just then the door opened again, and Langley quickly, and quietly mind you, dove behind the nearest cover, which happened to be a rack of the heaviest scented dresses that had ever existed. She managed to keep her coughs to a minimum, straining her ears to listen despite the layers of cloth between her and the talk.

"Oh, my lord Sheriff, I did not expect you-"

"Has anyone recently entered here?" Langley's hopes diminished upon hearing the Sheriff's voice, her stomach coiling in anticipation of what was to happen. Though she had to admit, she found great joy in the annoyed tone the shopkeeper put on from being cut off into her sentence twice in a matter of a minute, even if it was dripping with desire.

"A lady, my lord. Dressed in men's garb."

"Where is she?"

Langley could hear the excitement in her voice, and she cringed. She could not let him get his hands on her or there would be something much worse than what had transpired on the wall of his castle a week ago… She shivered at the thought, in desire or fear she didn't know.

"I do not know, she disappeared back there."

"Leave."

"What?"

"I said leave, unless you need me to show you out-"

"No, I understand. Good luck milord."

The door shut and the two were left alone. Langley did not like the prospect of being alone with him, even if she was lying to herself about it.

"My men are surrounding this building, Langley. Any attempt at escape will be futile. I suggest coming out now, it will be better for both of us if you do."

Langley wished to retort, but he was so close and the odds were stacked too high against her. Tempting, but I'll pass.

She saw him between the gap of the dresses, and Langley had to stifle a gasp. He was even more handsome than she remembered, and the tailored outfit he wore wasn't helping her attraction. Maybe it was the lighting…

Wait- that was it! Fire, the firecrackers. Her hand moved to her pockets, the rustle of the foreign device giving her relief yet alarming the Sheriff at the same time. He whirled around, facing the spot she was in with a wicked smile on his pale face, causing the cut on the side to pull up with his lips, giving him an even more sinister look. She needed to get to the nearest candle before he got to her.

With that thought in mind she tore from her hiding place, just barely escaping his reach as she dove for the nearest candle. He'd caught her however, stopping her mission when it was nearly accomplished and turned her around, trapping her between the edge of the counter and his body.

"My my, you must really stop getting into this situations with me or I might begin to believe you want me as much as I want you."

Langley didn't know what was most surprising, the fact that he'd caught her or the fact that he just admitted he wanted her. The former was painful, because the ledge was pressing comfortable into her back, however the latter awakened something dark and lustful in her, stirred the molten heat in her stomach. "Don't flatter yourself."

He smirked at her denial, "I will when my touch stops affecting you."

"The only thing it's affecting right now is my urge to punch you. It's becoming more prominent you bastard." She struggled a bit – futilely I might add - in his hold, even as strong as she was she was no match for him.

"Such a tongue on you, I can't wait to tame it." That spurred on more struggling, Langley was surprised she wasn't foaming at the mouth. How could mere words like that nearly melt her into a puddle? And from him no less!

"I hate you."

"There is a thin line between hate and desire."

"I think you mean love."

He leered in her face, his eyes flickering between hers and her mouth as his grip tightened and he pressed his body further into her. She could already feel his aching desire and she hadn't even done anything yet. "They are the same thing."

Langley narrowed her eyes at him, leaning into his face so their noses were nearly brushing. She refused to be intimidated by him, refused to let him know just how much he affected her, not yet… "No they aren't, I may desire you, but I will never love you. No one ever will."

His lips curled up in a sneer, but he did not draw back. "Don't make promises you can't keep."

"I never do." Langley retorted, staring into his darkened eyes with a smoldering one of her own, trying to keep a hardened expression on her face. It proved quite difficult.

"There's a first for everything." Then he kissed her. Unlike the first neither were hesitant, they already knew each other's bodies despite being so new to each other still. It was instinct to know every spot that could make the other moan, and nearly immediately Langley was kissing back with a fervor she didn't know she possessed. He was so warm, so masculine and tasted so good.

The feeling in her stomach exploded as his tongue daringly explored her mouth, nothing holding back as his lips devoured her own with an animal-like hunger she didn't think humans could possess. But before she could fall completely under his spell like last time, Langley managed to push him off, using her leverage as power to disconnect their bodies with the soles of her feet. He stumbled back, quickly recovering with his sword in hand and he swung it menacingly, merely trying to scare her into submission but managing to catch the skin of her shoulder through her clothes.

White hot pain erupted in her shoulder, but in his shock she grabbed the candle and escaped, throwing down the candle in blur of pain and pleasure onto the firecrackers. They erupted behind her, crackling and catching all the guards off balance as she numbly retrieved the whistle and signaled to meet back at the horses.

Everything melded together, all the pain, the pleasure, the thoughts. Reality felt off as she drowned in her acute, overwhelming senses. Her arm was throbbing, but her nether are was throbbing worse, and with a heat only quenchable from one person.

Everyone was at the horses, and though Langley was fine all around, her mind was jumbled and it showed through her panicked eyes.

"Are you alright lassy?" John asked, already mounted on his horse with the stock of clothes behind him.

"Yes, quite. How is everyone?"

"Mutch was taken."

The words didn't sink in right away, but Langley nodded, putting on the best angry face she could muster to encourage them. They didn't need to know how much the Sheriff was affecting her. They didn't need to know their leader was weak. She wasn't Robin, and they needed Robin. But the Sheriff had taken him, just like he'd taken everything else from her and would continue to do so.

"We will get him back, tomorrow. I have a plan."

As they trot towards the cave with the supplies in hand, Langley would never admit that losing Mutch was the last thing on her mind at all. There was much more at stake than a single outlaw, but Langley didn't know exactly what it was.