Date: 1190. Place: England.
"Isabella!" Lillian called, "Would you come help me with this?" She asked. I stopped weaving and walked outside to see Lillian carrying a jug of water. Lillian was a middle-aged woman. She had a husband and two sons but all three were in the holy land on King Richards third crusade. I had been living with the family for 3 years and Lillian considered me as her daughter. I was more than pleased to take on that title. I rushed over and helped her bring it into the cottage. We had a small cottage that had one bedroom. I didn't sleep so I would stay up all night, no one ever noticed. I helped Lillian around the house, we also had a tiny shop in the market of the village selling pottery. I walked over and grabbed a handle of the jug and helped her bring it inside.
"Did you here?" I asked while I stretched my back, "We have a new tax collector."
"Oh really?" Lillian asked, a little breathless from carrying the water in. She patted her dress down "I was going to open up the store. Do you care to join me?" She smiled.
"Of course." I smiled back, I went outside to the water trough and splashed some water on my neck and face and dried myself on some cloth before meeting Lillian in front of the cottage. Lillian was already sitting on the cart, which was pulled by an old horse. In the cart held a few large pots and several smaller ones. I climbed onto the cart next to Lillian and we went into the market. When we got to the shop we pulled down the heavy coth that was hanging from the front and placed the new pottery next to the others. It was only a small village, and our shop was nothing more than some wobbly wood and a holy thatch roof. The walls were heavy leather and the floor was often mud.
"Hello Lillian!" Old woman Henry called as she walked passed our shop, "And young Isabella too!" She crowed happily.
"Good day Mrs Henry," I smiled,
"Yes, good morrow Mrs Henry." Lillian smiled over a hanging shelf. "Can I interest you in a lovely vase?" Lillian asked, coming forward.
"O' well this one is lovely." Mrs Henry cooed, she smiled a content smile that only the oldest of women can possess.
"That one there is three threepence." Lillian smile coming over.
"O' well I pass by here every day. I do believe it would make a lovely gift for my young granddaughter. She was just wed you know. And to a lovely merchant sailor no less!" Mrs Henry rattled while she pulled the coins of silver from a leather pouch. She handed the coins over and Lillian handed Mrs Henry the vase. Mrs Henry tucked it under her arm and totted off down the street. Lillian gave me a knowing smile before going back to arranging the pots.
We heard the heavy trod of horses, I looked over to Lillian "The new tax collector perhaps?" I shrugged.
Lillian cleaned her hands on a cloth "Maybe you should go get the shillings?" She asked coming to the front of the shop. We watched as an almost middle aged man rod forward, followed by the sheriff and his guards, a teenage boy was also with them. They all dismounted.
"So, there will also be a third tax." The sheriff finished his sentence while brushing of the dirt from his pants.
"Another bleeding tax." I muttered.
The middle aged man turned to glare at me, I assumed he was the new Tax Collector "You have something to say?" He barked. I didn't reply and chose to stand there, a hard glare on my face. "This you're shop?" He pointed to it. I nodded stiffly.
He swaggered forward and ripped down one of the hanging displays. Lillian gasped and moved forward and two guards restrained her. "Do you have something to say about the taxes?" The tax collector glared at me before pulling down shelf after shelf of pottery. Lillian was now crying and begging him to stop, my hands clenched in anger. He walked around to the front and pushed against the support. It started to fall taking everything with it. Our shop was now a pile of rubble.
"No!" Lillian cried.
"Are you going to apologise for being so disrespectful." He sneered.
I glared at this human, he destroyed the shop that had been Lillian's lively hood for so many years, "I don't think I will." I glared. He glared at me and sighed motioning to the guards. They pushed Lillian to the ground, "No!" I growled. My breathing was becoming heavy with rage. And my eyes blazed.
"This is what is going to happen. You are going to come with me, or your mother dies." He smirked.
"Isabella, No!" Lillian cried.
"Are you going to come with me?" He asked, I looked to Lillian,
"No," She gasped.
"Yes," I growled as a plan formed in my mind, the tax collector smiled and pulled me over to the horse,
"Take me, take me not her!" Lillian tried to yell. I looked to her and smiled, telling her that everything would be okay. She was so kind, I was not her daughter, and yet she'd sacrifice herself for me.
I was lifted onto the horse and the Tax Collector got on behind me before kicking the horse. We shot off down the street. We came up to a stone house; the Tax Collector got off the horse and pulled me with him.
I was led into a dinning room, "Can you dance?" He asked,
"Dancing is simple enough. So yes." I glared,
"Good, do as I want and you can go." He smiled and went to sit down. The teenaged boy came in, "Son!" He smiled "Come watch the girl dance!" He grinned.
"The horses need tending," He muttered before glancing at me and scurrying out. The man shrugged and sat down at the head of the dining table. He leaned back in his chair and started to clap a steady beat. I glared at him the entire time; I only broke the eye contact when I did my twirls and spins. I danced for him for a full 20 minutes before I stopped. He raised an eyebrow and stopped clapping. He stood up and walked around the table coming towards me slowly.
"I did what you said, now let me go." I demanded,
"I don't think so," He growled coming forward, as he took steps closer I stepped backwards. He rushed forward and pined me to the stone. His tight grip made my skin burn, "Our fun is just beginning." He snarled.
"Your family will be cursed" I growled before spitting in his eye he glared at me and pushed me against the wall with his arm before wiping his eye with the other, "You'll die, but be cursed to walk the earth. Never to be seen, never to be heard. Never to move on to your afterlife" My growled words were cut off as he pressed against my windpipe. I reached up to his wrist and grasped it tightly. He groaned and I pushed his arm down painfully before reaching into my shoe for my dagger. I was on my feet, dagger pointed at the tax collector. I was ready to kill the human when the window smashed.
"Let the girl go!" A man yelled, pointing a loaded bow in the tax collectors face,
"Are you the famous Robin Hood?" The tax collector asked sarcastically.
"So you've heard of me." He joked. "Let her go."
"I think not!" He smirked, pulling out a sword and pulling me against him. I looked up and glared at him.
"There isn't a second option." The man warned.
"You'll never make it out of here," The tax collector laughs
"Who's gonna stop me, you?" The man laughed, lowering his bow to bend over laughing before abruptly stopping and pointing his bow once again at the tax collector.
The tax collector pursed his lips, before pushing me over to him. The stranger caught me before I wrenched myself out of his grasp. "Just thought I'd mention," The tax collector laughed "You'll be put on the most wanted list. And your family will be questioned" He smirked.
"You devil!" I growled,
"Whoa ho! Come on" The stranger said and pulled me out side. We were already outside of town, and the forest was close. I marched off towards the forest, I could smell the smoke of a campfire so I knew they were camp close "Hey come back!"
"I didn't need saving!" I called.
"We saved you!" A second man said, "You should be grateful!" He yelled.
"Grateful?" I yelled and spun on my heels to meet them "Grateful that I'm now an outlaw! Grateful that the woman who has given me a home for the past 3 years is going to be tortured!" I yelled at them, "Yeah, I'm bleeding grateful." I muttered before turning back around and walking into the forest. The man called Robin Hood strode forwards and took the lead. I rolled my eyes but followed. In all honesty, I was in my power to leave these humans behind. To go to Lillian and save her and then to kill the Tax Collector. But something urged me not to, urged me to be as human as possible. To go the course. I wasn't sure if it was my instinct or if it was Mother. I always liked to think it was Mother. The four of us walked in silence until we reached the camp.
"I knew you were gonna save the girl, but I didn't know you were bringing her back!" One man who was leaning against a tree crowed. I turned to glare at him and raised my hand that was still clutching my dagger and flung it at his head. It only just missed his ear. I stalked over and plucked my dagger out of the trunk of the tree.
"Fair warning. I can aim." I growled. I was already in a bad mood so I needed to get things set straight with were we all stood.
"I mean ye no harm." The man replied, a friendly drunken smile on his face. I walked over to where Robin Hood stood.
"Your men are truly Merry" I whispered to him before going into the forest for a quiet place to think. I sat down on a rock and picked up a stick before I started to viciously carve it into a point.
"Gets easier you know." A man who looked to be around 30 said, crouching down next to me.
"What does?" I asked,
"Being an outlaw," He shrugged.
"You have a family?" I asked
"Sure" He nodded, "Miss em' too" He frowned slightly, "But like I said, get's easier." He nodded. "Thought I should come tell ya that there's food to be had." With that he got up and wandered back to camp. I sighed and threw my stick at the ground, tucked my dagger in my shoe, and walked through the camp. Robin Hood waved me over to him with a big smile on his face. I went and sat down next to him on the log.
"Here, What your name be?" He asked, handing me a rabbit leg.
"Isabella." I answered, taking a bite of the meat. I could eat what the humans ate, it tasted all right but it didn't sustain me. "Are you the famous Robin Hood?" I asked,
"Wouldn't know about the famous part there miss," The man on the other side of me teased.
"That is my name." The man confirmed,
"So do you burst through windows often?" I asked,
"Hey look, I was helping you miss." He defended and took a drink from a goblet.
"I didn't need helping." I growled,
"Didn't look that way to me, miss." He smirked,
I bit my tongue to stop myself making a witty comeback and settled for glaring at him and eating the food in front of me. The sky grew darker, Robin Hood had to go talk to some other men and I was quiet content drinking cheap wine with the others. I was laughing at a joke when Robin Hood came over. "I've got ye some sleeping quarters," He said I stood up and Robin Hood led me through the forest and we came to a small tent. We went inside and there was a jug of water and pine needles covered with cloth and blankets for a bed.
"Thank you." I smiled, "This is very kind of ye."
"Least I could do for ye miss." He shrugged.
"In the morning, I'd like to talk to ye." I said,
"Concerning what?" He asked.
"I think we should kidnap the Tax Collector." I said, his eyes widened and I smiled, "See you in the 'morn. Famous Robin Hood" He nodded silently before ducking out. I dabbed myself with water before laying down on the bed. I stared at the ceiling of the tent and immersed myself in my own thoughts. When I felt the sun rising I got up from the bed and washed my face before going outside. Men lay awkwardly on the ground, clutching rum and wine bottles. I shook my head and walked over to Robin Hood who was sitting down eating some bread. I sat down next to him,
"You want to kidnap the tax collector." He stated and offered me a piece of bread. I waved my hand at the bread and said,
"He's an evil man."
"That is the truth." He replied. "Shall I rally my men?" He asked
"I don't know" I shrugged, "Too many men might draw attention."
"Smart girl." He mumbled to himself.
"Well I'm surely no fool." I commented, he looked at me with surprised eyes and I mentally cursed myself. I wasn't meant to be able to hear that, it happened often. Whenever I would get too comfortable around humans I would slip. They would start to realise that I wasn't normal, wasn't human. And in a world of god fearing men, being more than human was the worst thing you could be. "When should we go?" I asked.
"Eager are we?" He asked,
"The longer we wait, the more Lillian suffers." I replied. He nodded seriously,
"Understood. I'll go get some of my best men." He said and stood up before going over and waking up a group of men. I watched as he talked, he motioned to me several times. I could've listened in on his conversations but I knew that was rude. He came over to me and I stood up to greet him. "Get ready. You are wanting to join us a trust?" He said before going into a tent. I went and sat next to what was left of one of the fires. I watched the still red coals simmer. I heard footsteps approaching then a hand on my shoulder, I looked up and saw Robin Hood.
"I only have my dagger as a weapon." I said,
"Come with me." He said, he led me towards his tent and we both ducked inside, "I shall lend you my Long sword." He said, plucking the weapon from his bed side, "I'm better with my bow anyhow." He smiled,
"Tis' foolish to only rely on your bow." I said,
"True, which is why I shall also carry an Estoc," He said and reached under the pine needle bed and pulled out another sward. "Do you know your way around a long sword, miss?" He smirked slightly. In answer, I raised it and held it with both hands in front of me and examined it, before I swung and stopped and inch from his neck.
"I do believe I shall be fine." I answered
"Such an unusual young maiden," He murmured to himself. I bit my tongue to stop myself from answering his jibe; he already suspected me of being different I didn't need any other condemning evidence against me. "We shall leave right away then, can you ride?" He asked.
"Of cause I can ride!" I said, bemused at such a question.
"For your sword," Robin said and threw me a sheath.
I nodded and buckled it around my waist. It was very large though so it hung down at my hips. I sheathed my sword and checked my dagger before going outside. Robin was already mounted on a large brown horse. "This here be your steed" Robin said, gesturing to a beautiful white mare with.
"Need a hand there, miss?" One of Robins men asked kindly.
"No, I can mount a steed. Thank you for your kindness mind ye." I smiled and walked up to the mare and patted it on the neck before gracefully lifting myself onto the saddle. The men followed suite and we rode into town. We left our horses hidden and snuck up to the Tax Collectors property.
"Go in the stable, make a noise and he'll come in to investigate." Robin chided. I nodded and I looked around before stealthily stalking up to the stables crouching low I rattled some horse shoes and made the horses whinny. I heard Robin and his men enter, no doubt so we could surround the Tax Collector once I lured him into the stable. Robin and I went to the far away door while his men went to the other door and climbed the rafters. The door we were at flung open and the Tax Collector stormed in. Robin and I acted fast and closed the door. The Tax Collector spun to look at us,
"Back again so soon?" He joked; I just smirked as Robin's men jumped on him from above and put an old potato sack on his head. The Tax collector rushed forward and out of pure luck knocked down one of Robin's men. The Tax Collector managed to get the sack off his face and he had drawn his sword. "Guards!" He called "Guards!" He called again as we all started to draw our swords one by one.
"Father!" The teenage boy yelled coming into the stables,
"Grab him!" Robin yelled, his men obeyed and put a sack over the boys head. "Go!" He yelled, we ran to the door and was met with the Tax Collectors guards. We started to run, I swiped my sword back and forth. Cutting down guard after guard we eventually made enough way for us to be able to run to our horses. Robin threw the boy over his horse and raced off into the forest. We raced back to camp and Robin pulled the boy off his horse and pushed him against a tree.
His men acted fast and quickly tied him against it and pulled off the hood. I stared at his slightly blemished face and glared.
"Where is the Tax Collector keeping her?" I asked, not wasting time with the questioning.
"Who?" He asked, slightly breathless.
"Lillian!" I growled, not in the mood to play games.
"Lillian who?" He groaned.
"Do not play games with me boy!" I yelled, crouching to get my dagger before stepping forward to place it against his throat, "Lillian! My mother! Where is he keeping her!" I screamed.
"I don't know!" He yelled, I huffed angrily an nicked his neck with my knife.
"Calm down Isabella!" Robin exclaimed, and tried to pull me away.
"He's lying!" I accused,
"You can't do this, you must leave!" Robin muttered in my ear, I relented and let him pull me away. Once the boy was out of my site Robin let me go. I stormed off to my tent and fumed silently. I was sitting and plotting the different ways I could make him talk when Robin came inside my tent and told me, "The butchers."
"What?" I asked
"They take them to the butchers, to keep them hostage and other things."
"It's the other things I'm worried about."
"We'll go in the morning, it's already getting late. She'll be alright till then. You must come eat." Robin said, and came over. I nodded and stood up and followed him out to a camp fire. I ate some potato and rabbit before making up an excuse about being tired so I could go back to my tent. I was worried about Lillian. I was never human. Unlike my children who are often born human before I change them I don't know what it's like to be human. I don't know if I'm evil. I just don't seem to care. I held a few things sacred and care about those similar to me. Everyone else, well I didn't care about them. To me they were nothing, cannon fodder.
Morning came quickly and I was the first to be saddling my horse. I patted my horse and she whinnied loudly.
"Ready to ride?" Robin asked,
"Yes," I nodded. I swiftly mounted and waited for Robin and his men. We rode into town and straight down the street and stopped in front of the butchers. We didn't waste time and burst through the door. I saw Lillian on the ground on her knees, with the Tax Collectors sword hovering over her neck. The animal I tried so hard to contain burst through the surface. I didn't bother to draw my sword as I crossed the room in two bounds and had him pinned in less than a second.
"Guards!" He gurgled out,
"I have your son." I taunted in his ear as he struggled, "He's tied to a tree right now. He's weak." I continued, "He cried out as I slit his throat!" I growled.
"No!" He growled angrily,
"Isabella!" Robin yelled, "Do what you must, we must leave soon." I smiled as I stood up and drew my sword. With a single swipe of my sword, his head fell off his neck and rolled around the floor. I allowed myself only a moment of soaking in the view of his headless corpse before I rushed over to help Lillian. I checked her over for wounds and when I found none life threatening I started to pull her off the ground.
"We must go." I urged.
Robin went on her other side and we went to the door "Ready?" He asked,
"Do it" I nodded my eyes set with determination. He kicked open the door and together we rushed outside, swords in one hand and our other arms holding up Lillian. About 10 guards rushed up and Robin quickly had to drop Lillian as he drew his bow. Taking down many more guards than with his sword. I too let go of Lillian as I took down guard after guard. I was still in my animal mode. I only cared about Lillian and getting her out of here. Then there was a strangled cry. Now there were the constant gurgling of the guards, but this cry was more familiar, I looked around and saw that Robin had an arrow protruding grotesquely from his chest.
"No!" I yelled and rushed over to him, I looked around and saw an archer on the roof I glared at him for a moment before he started coughing up blood. I bent down on the ground next to Robin. I reached around and snapped in the end of the arrow, Robin groaned in response, "You'll be fine." I muttered as I pushed the arrow through and out. He groaned again, "You stay awake. Don't you leave!" I commanded. I pursed my lips and exposed his shoulder before bending down and biting him.
He gasped and I pulled away, wiping the blood away from my lip with a delicate finger. The wound on his chest was already starting to heal. "Robin's injured!" I called out to his men, they quickly did away with the men they were fighting and came over to help me. When Robin was being tended to I went over to Lillian. "Lillian, can you ride?" I asked, helping her up.
"Yes." She nodded I went and helped her onto Robin's horse before I mounted my own. Robin was on one of his men's horses. I started to ride back to camp and the others quickly followed. When we reached camp I helped the men bring Robin into his tent and laid him down on his bed.
"I'll watch after him." I said.
"What about your mother?" One asked,
"She'll understand." I snapped, "Get out." I growled and glared at them. They scurried out and I sat on the bed next to him. I put my hand on his chest and felt his heart flutter. His cheeks were flushed and a coat of sweat was developing on his forehead. I sighed and my eyebrows creased in worry. He didn't open his eyes again until the moon had risen. And when he did he was in a frenzy. "You must calm down." I said standing up.
"What did you do to me?" He gasped "I can see everything, I can hear the heart beat of a rabbit a mile away!" He choked,
"You'll be needing a little more than rabbit now." I joked.
"You've turned me into a monster." He accused.
"I have given you a gift" I corrected, "I saved your life." I then smiled kindly "You have a choice. You may hunt humans or you may to choose a life of hunting large game. But you always have a choice."
"You've taken away my choice!" He growled standing up.
"You might also wish to control that temper," I chided. In retrospect that was most likely the most foolish thing I had done all day. Because will those words he suddenly roared with anger as his face elongated into a muzzle and his legs transformed into the hind legs of a dog. He was a half-human half wolf creature, and stood the height of two men. Although he was crouched at the time due to the small space. "Calm yourself this instant!"I demanded, glaring at him with wise eyes. He whimpered and slowly started to change back, he was now a simpering man in tattered clothing on the ground. I sighed and crouched next to him and took him into my arms. "It will become easier with time." I soothed.
"What-what am I?" He whispered.
"Werewulf." I smiled,
"Thank you" He whispered before passing out again. I smiled like a proud mother as I lifted him into the bed and watched over him while he slept.
I travelled with Robin and his men until his men grew old and couldn't travel no more. Robin and I did not age and his men said that we must be blessed by god. When Lillian passed I knew that it was time for Robin and I to go our separate ways. Before we parted he asked me what I was, I simply smiled and said that one day he'll know. As we were saying our goodbyes, I told him that he could create others like himself, and how to do so. He hugged me and walked away. He would always be my son, and I knew that one day we would meet again.
Okay, what do you all think?