The Road to Middle-Earth
A fanfiction by MushrooomsPTook
Disclaimer: I own nothing. You might as well say it owns me!
Chapter Twenty-One: Outlaws
I looked around me as I stepped off the Seafarer, taking in every note of the place that Will called Nottingham. Will momentarily came up behind me after gathering his belongings. I was surprised to see a hand on the hilt of a sword. Upon his back there was a quiver of arrows next to a long bow which hung on his shoulder. Upon his other shoulder hung a large bag that must have contained the rest of his belongings.
"Goodness," I commented. "Are we going to war?"
"Come," he said.
"Are we going to the castle to find my cousin?" I asked anxiously.
Will stopped for a moment and looked at me, face paling just the slightest. "No, not yet. It's too dangerous. We must make our plans."
I sighed. I was ready to go now. How long must my cousin remain in unfriendly hands, and when would we do something about it? I had a mind just to go off my own and find her myself when a certain tree caught my glance. There was nothing particularly unusual about it, for it looked like all the other trees around us, except this one had a flyer pinned to it. I squinted my eyes to get a closer look at what it said and this is what I read:
PROCLAMATION
1000 Gold Pieces
For the Capture of
the Villainous Outlaw
ROBIN OF THE HOOD
Dead or Alive
By order of the Sheriff of Nottingham
I gave a startled squeak when I felt firm hands grip my shoulders and turned me around. Will was looking at me apologetically when he took out a black blindfold and tied it around my head. "I'm sorry for this," he muttered. "But it's for your protection as well as mine."
"So you really don't trust me, do you?"
"Just a precaution," he replied. He took my hand and began leading me into an unknown direction. I caught the scent of damp earth, much like the smell after a long recent rain. As we walked deeper, I felt the touch of leaves and bushes graze me as we strode by briskly. I trembled at the dew drops that fell on my skin as Will pulled me after him. I heard the crunch of leaves, twigs, and dirt under my feet and I couldn't help but be curious as to where he was taking me. Wherever it was, I sensed it was a very secluded and private place, that only he knew about.
About fifteen minutes later, we stopped and I heard him shift behind me and remove the blindfold. I blinked a couple of times, trying to adjust my eyes to the light. We were in the midst of a large forest, with nothing but lush trees and bushes surrounding us. It had been nothing like the forest that I went through after meeting Tom, and I was thankful for that. We now stood on the edge of a bridge and I looked up at Will with an anticipating stare. He seemed to be waiting for something, or someone, before crossing, for his eyes roamed the area with uncertainty.
"So," I mumbled, breaking the silence. "Who is this Robin of the Hood?"
He looked at me a bit startled and then smiled sheepishly. "Alayna, I have to come clean. I haven't been totally honest with you."
"Okay..." I started uneasily.
"My name is really—"
He was cut off by the sudden noise of the bushes surrounding us. They fluttered a bit and then out of them hopped several men, armed and ready to charge, causing me to shriek from surprise, and I stumbled back a bit. Will drew an arrow from behind his back with incredible speed. On the other side of bridge, another man stepped forward, camouflaged in leaves and sticks, and in his hands he held a bow and an arrow was at the ready. I clung to Will's side, watching in suspenseful silence as all the men exchanged glances with each other. Then slowly, Will lowered his weapon, sighing, and broke out into a relieved laugh.
"You're late," he said.
The others also fell at ease and began laughing heartily. I looked around, thoroughly confused, and watched as they all put away their weapons in a casual manner. The one across the bridge discarded his disguise and began approaching us. I suddenly felt shy and hid slightly behind Will.
"So are you," he said and pulled him into an embrace, kissing his cheek. "Welcome home, friend."
"Thank you, John," said Will. "What news of Nottingham, any?"
"The Sheriff has raised the taxes again, another two percent. At this rate, the people will soon starve."
"I'm afraid they already are," replied Will with a nod.
"Not only that," piped up a younger man. "But he's also raised the price on your head! 1000 gold pieces now."
I threw Will a demanding glare, which didn't go unnoticed. "Yes, I saw."
"Your name isn't Will," I said, holding my gaze. "You're the outlaw, aren't you? The Robin of the Hood."
"Hello," said the same man, walking slowly up to me. "Who's this? A friend perhaps, eh, Rob? No wonder it took you so long to get back. Got preoccupied with other affairs, didn't you?"
"Oh do hush up, Will Scarlet!" said Robin, and then he turned his attention back to me. "I'm sorry. I'll explain everything in due time."
"You don't need to explain!" I said, shaking my head angrily. "You're an outlaw, shouldn't that be enough explanation?"
Robin's eyes went cold at my words and the men looked at each other befuddled. The one whose name was John gave me a disapproving look.
"No, it isn't," said John. "We are all outlaws, because we disrupt the plans of the Sheriff, stop him from hurting Nottingham, even risking our lives. We all have warrants on our heads, because we follow a man who we believe in, who saves countless number of lives everyday. I am proud to call him my leader and to die by his side if I must. But you would know nothing of—"
"John!" Robin held up a hand, beckoning silence. "It's all right." He looked at me and I ducked my head, ashamed of my words, but also praying that he wouldn't see the blush in my cheeks. "I'm sorry I lied," he said sincerely. "Please forgive me, and allow us to help you recover your lost friends."
"I'm...I'm sorry, too," I muttered. He clasped a hand on my back and smiled reassuringly, which I returned shyly. There suddenly came three sharp whistles that echoed in the air, the last lingering a bit before fading away.
"Ah," said John with a smile. "Dinner!"
I walked with the company, still unsure about my new environment, and so sticking close to Robin's side as he led the way through the forest, explaining my appearance and my situation to the others. It wasn't long before we reached a clearing and as we entered this peaceful spot, a gasp slipped past my lips, for there stood a giant structure that looked like several tree houses built together. There were bridges that were strung from one house to another and there were ropes that hung down to the ground for people to climb. Ladders also hung about everywhere. There were sheep baaing and chickens crowing, and horses were strung loosely to branches of trees. People were walking to and fro, seeing to their duties, and tending to their activities. Some people approached our group, looking at me curiously, and gave Robin a welcoming hug and asked how his journey went. I didn't miss the disappointment in his voice when he said, "No luck." I once again clasped the key that was hidden beneath my shirt, uncertain of whether or not I should come forward or continue to keep it hidden. I didn't have time to ponder my decision long before I heard a loud and deadly shriek come ahead. I looked up and my mouth fell open in shock.
There was a campfire and on it was a huge pot that was boiling with water. Next to the fire sat a plump woman and she was wrestling with the most hideous creature I'd ever seen. The animal was wailing loudly as the lady tried to shove it into the pot. I set my jaw and pushed through the crowd, racing over to the scene as quickly as I could.
"Charming!" I reached forward and jerked the woman out of the way as I grabbed the duck into my arms.
"A...Alayna?" he asked looking surprised. His feathers were all over the place and his fluffed head was a sight for sore eyes. I gave him a tight squeeze in which he nuzzled into my chest gratefully.
I glared down at the woman and cast my gaze around at the people, who had gathered to see what had caused all the commotion. "If any of you so dare to touch this duck, I swear I will kill you with my bare hands!"
"Alayna?" Robin rushed forward and clutched my elbow. "What is going on?"
"You don't understand," I cried. "This is Charming, one of my friends that went missing."
"A...duck?" he asked, rubbing the back of his neck questioningly.
"Yes, a duck, and the bravest duck you'll ever meet." I puffed out my chest with pride and Charming ducked his head in embarrassment.
"The ugliest duck, too," muttered a voice from within the crowd. I glared blankly at the person but returned to nuzzle my face into the feathered creature in my arms.
"Oh, Charming, I'm so sorry for the horrible things I said to you earlier. Can you ever find it in your heart to forgive me?"
Charming chuckled. "There's nothing to forgive."
I kissed the duck and looked at him grimly. "Where's Alice and Tom? What happened?"
The happiness in Charming's face faded and Robin, John, and Will stepped forward to hear the duck's response. Charming suddenly burst into tears and smothered his face into my shirt. I petted him in an effort to calm the outburst and also to steady myself for what was to come. "Oh, Alayna!" he cried. "They've been taken! All three of us were walking for a while when we came to this clearing and in it was this sort of...big castle-looking structure. We got nervous after a bit and decided we should go back to find you, when these men dressed in red coats came up on horses and asked us why we were trespassing. Before I knew what had happened, Alice and Tom were carried off. I managed to escape, no doubt because they wouldn't accuse a duck of trespassing, that or they didn't see me, and since then I've been hunting all over for you...until just about a few minutes ago, when I was seized by this...creature!" Charming glared at the woman and she blushed, looking up at Robin for some kind of assurance.
"I beg your pardon, dear friend," Robin apologized, slightly bowing. "No harm will ever come to you as long as I live."
The duck nodded briefly but then looked back at me. "Alayna, what do we do?"
I hugged him close to my chest. "I don't know, Charming. We'll think of something."
Having lost our 'supper', Robin went in search for a replacement while a couple of the women showed me to my room. I had to climb one of the ladders and cross a bridge in order to get there. It was wonderful, as I had always wanted a tree house growing up. This just gave me an opportunity to claim a part of my childhood that I never had. The room itself, looked very cozy. There was a small bed and next to it was a nightstand, on which a candlestick stood. There was a changing screen in the far corner and a stack of books on a chair beside it. After I had gotten a good look around, I felt as though I wanted to get clean before dinner. I asked where I could have a bath and I was led out of the clearing to where a lake lay just a few minutes' walk away. The woman asked if she could stay in an effort to keep an eye out for danger, but I insisted I would be fine and I gestured to the duck as the only protection I needed. Charming blushed and the woman reluctantly left us to our own devices.
Charming settled into the long grass and began grooming his feathers while I stripped myself of my clothing and entered the cool water. I shuddered at first but as I began to swim around, my body acclimated to the chilly temperature.
About a half hour later, I opened my eyes to hear a familiar voice in the distance, and it came closer every time it spoke. "Alayna? Alayna!" Charming, startled, crept towards the water and ducked his head below the surface, allowing his rear to stick up high into the air. "Alayna!" called the voice again, and suddenly Robin stumbled out from some bushes. He stopped short when he spotted me and I wrapped my arms around myself instinctively. Robin, clearly embarrassed, blushed and began to retreat, tripping over a stray stone and falling flat on his rump.
"Oh, uh... excuse me," he said. "I-I didn't know you were busy."
"Well?" I waited for an explanation for his intrusion.
"I just, uh, wanted to let you know...um, dinner is ready."
"Thank you," I said, still covering myself. When he didn't reply, I raised my eyebrows and said, "Is there anything else?"
"Oh—uh—no. I'll just be..." he tripped again and pointed behind him with his thumb. "...going."
Upon my return to the camp, I saw numerous people gathered around the fire in a sitting position. They were all being served a portion of meat from a deer that Robin had killed. I looked around for him, but he wasn't to be seen, so I sat down between Will Scarlet and John. When Will lifted up his meat for a bite, a plump man dressed in a hooded cloak clapped his hands.
"Not yet, Will!" he ordered. "We must first give thanks to our Lord for this blessing."
"Um...shouldn't we be thanking Robin, Tuck?" he asked, giving me a wink.
"Robin would not have caught it if it weren't for the good Lord's provision."
He bowed his head and said grace in such a beautiful way that I wanted to cry. After he finished there were many clatters and shouts as food was devoured, and conversations rose up all over the congregation. Many people asked me questions about my journey and of where I lived. They gave me pats on my back during the moments that I shared our victories and bowed their heads slightly when I shared the disappointments. But the biggest concern on everyone's mind was the rescue of Alice and Tom. I could tell they were not trying to talk too much about the Sheriff as it would've only increased my anxiety, but I felt like the more I knew about him, the better I could learn how to defeat him. Throughout this talk, it was agreed among the people that Robin Hood was my best chance at rescuing my cousin and Tom.
As if knowing they were talking about him, Robin suddenly appeared among the crowd and he was rubbing his face and dark damp hair as if he had just taken a cold shower. I smirked, and he blushed when he saw me. We simultaneously looked away when our eyes made contact. After a moment, I looked up at him again, but he was in the midst of talking to the cloaked man.
"So," I started, after supper had ended and all the plates had been cleared away. Night had fallen fairly quickly and the stars were out, twinkling in the clear sky. Charming was sitting in my lap and grooming himself again. "How are we to rescue Alice and Tom? What's the plan? Can we sneak into the castle somehow?"
"Not likely," said Robin. "The guards are too numerous, and they are trained to look out for intruders. If they spotted you, your neck could be stretched before you even had a chance to see the Sheriff."
"But I can't just wait around for something to happen!" I said, raising my voice. Murmurs rose among the crowd of people as they looked at their leader, waiting for some direction. The admiration in their eyes was evident and so I tried to put my hope in that he would do his best to save them.
"No, we won't. But we must be patient if we are to do this with precision. Unfortunately, in order to get inside to talk to the Sheriff you have to be invited in now-a-days."
"Oh!" A small hand went up into the air, as if this had sparked an idea. "I remember seeing a flyer when I was walking through the markets the other day. It said there was an archery tournament to be held in a fortnight, and the winner would be invited to have dinner with the Sheriff."
"When did you see that, Wolf?" asked John, tousling the boy's head.
"A week ago to be exact. It was a Wednesday, and I always go to the markets on Wednesday in order to see my friends."
"That's it!" I cried.
Robin laughed at me and I frowned. "You really think the Sheriff would allow an outlaw into the castle for dinner?"
"No, but you're forgetting, I'm not an outlaw," I clarified. "And I've done some archery in the past...in high school, I mean."
Robin frowned at me and the other men laughed, but Charming glared at them. "I don't know what 'high school archery' is but I can tell you what it is not, and this is it. These are real warriors that are entering this tournament, trained and perfected to the last arrow. Your being a woman automatically excludes you."
"No it doesn't!" I rose to my feet. "Wolf said nothing about having to be male, did you, Wolf?"
The boy's mouth fell open in surprise and he looked first up at John and then at Robin, looking for an excuse to close his mouth.
"These competitions are always reserved for men, and rightly so. Archery is a dangerous sport." To make a point, he suddenly drew an arrow, locked it into his bow and fired. The arrow flew with incredible speed, missing my ear by a hair and hitting a tree behind me. "If you can fire an arrow like that, I would consider allowing it."
"Robin," I said with widened eyes, a new hope entering my soul. "You can teach me!"
"No," he said automatically.
"Yes, you can. I'm a good learner and a very diligent student. You can teach me anything and I won't forget it."
"I don't have a problem training you," he explained. "I can't allow you to enter into such a dangerous situation."
Finally, I sighed and gave him a grim look. The crowd watched us and swiveled their heads left and right as a tense moment passed between us. "Seriously, if I can handle nearly getting eaten alive, survive a blistering desert, escape from kidnappers, and rescued from drowning, then surely I can handle this. Robin," I began, "you said you would help me rescue my friends. Now I'm entering this contest with or without your help, but with your help I have a better chance."
Robin stared at me, looking quite astonished. His mouth was hanging open and he closed it and swallowed. The others watched intensely, waiting for his response. "All right," he relented finally. "We start training first thing in the morning."
I smiled and ran up to him throwing my arms around his neck. "Thank you! You won't regret this."
"I doubt that," he whispered.
Next Chapter – Can Alayna be transformed into a warrior in time for the tournament?
B The Shadow Ninja Samurai – That feeling would be quite correct. :)
LadyOfSlytherin101 – Thank you, I'm glad you're enjoying it! :)