I know I know, it's been a really long time since I last updated! I had stuffed my muses, Erik and Jasper, into a box for awhile so I could finish college. They were not very happy about it, but they wasted no time in getting their revenge. The bombarded me with ideas for my story and I had no choice but to stay up late and work on them. I was finally happy with they way this chapter turned out, 5-6 pages single space on word (longest chapter yet!). So before Erik and Jasper got anymore wild ideas I decided I would publish it. Please R&R. For songs and information about this chapter and future chapters please visit www (dot) ffamasquerade2005 (dot) wordpress (dot) com

"Hammerhead" By The Offspring

I am the one
Camouflage and guns
Risk my life
To keep my people from harm

Authority
Vested in me
I sacrifice
With my brothers in arms

Through this doorway
What's on the other side
Never knowing
Exactly what I'll find
Locked and loaded
Voices screaming
Let's go!
Come on do it
Here we go!

Oh, take a life
Ten others may live
Oh, that's just the way it goes
Oh, shut my eyes
It hammers in my head
Where it'll end
Nobody knows

Oh, take a life
Ten others may live
Oh, that's just the way it goes
It's playing over and over in my head
Where it'll end
Nobody knows

Stay the course
Reasonable force
I believe
I serve a greater good

Smoke and dust
Enemies are crushed
Nothing left
Where a man once stood

Through this doorway
What's on the other side
Never knowing
Exactly what I'll find
Locked and loaded
Voices screaming
Let's go!
But I'm just doing what I'm told

Oh, take a life
Ten others may live
Oh, that's just the way it goes
Oh, shut my eyes
It hammers in my head
Where it'll end
Nobody knows

Oh, take this life
Ten others may live
Oh, that's just the way it goes
It's playing over and over in my head
Where it begins
And where it'll end
Nobody knows

Bang, bang, it hammers in my head
Bang, bang, it hammers in my head
Bang, bang, it hammers in my head
In my head, in my head

Yeah, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
I fear no evil for Thou art with me
Locked and loaded
Gonna find my truth
Now I'm busting through
All hell breaks loose

And you can all hide behind your desks now
And you can cry, 'teacher come

help me!'
Through you all
My aim is true!
My
My aim is true!
My aim is true

4/1/1208

…After Pookah and I stepped through the window, the forest looked exactly the same! Those pesky fairies had indeed played a trick on me; I just laughed at my foolishness and urged Pookah onwards. The forest had always been a favorite place of mine to explore, the gargantuan trees, and being able to see the animals that you normally would not. I know that it sounds cliché but in the forest there was always a certain peacefulness that I couldn't seem to find anywhere else. After sometime of riding through the colossal forest I finally found what looked like a trail that was well used; I turned Pookah onto the trail, assuming that it would take us into a town where I could ask for directions to the camping grounds where I was to meet my friends.

Pookah and I hadn't been on this trail for very long when I heard men shouting and the sound of their horses' hoofs beating upon the ground from behind us. I gently pulled Pookah to a stop and turned around in the saddle to get a look at these men and maybe see if I could figure out why they were being so noisy. The men were dressed in dark clothing that seemed to be tattered and well torn in some areas, and a few of the men's outfits looked like they could use a good wash, and mending. Their clothing reminded me of what the peasant's wore during the medieval ages, and I pondered for a moment if they could be from some sort of medieval fair, for no one wears those types of clothes anymore in the twenty first century. The majority of the men seemed to be in their late twenties early thirties. Their steeds were what caught my attention, they seemed to be of fine breeding, well groomed and fed; quite out of the ordinary for men who's clothes gave them such a rough appearance. The horses also wore elaborately decorated saddles and bridles that glittered in the afternoon sun light. My first thought after taking in the appearance of the men and the horses, was that these men were thieves! As the men approached, Pookah and me, they formed a small circle around us and were making comments to each other about how Pookah would make a fine addition to their small collection. Deciding it was better to act quickly and now, rather than later, I spoke to the men "Excuse me gentlemen, could one of you please tell me which direction and how far the next town is?"

"The next town, is quite a ways to travel to on foot, it might take you a day or so to reach." The man directly in front of me spoke, the others around him burst out laughing when he said this, as if it was some big joke.

"Why would I be traveling on foot, when I have my horse?" I asked looking around the group, trying to see if there might be an opening that Pookah and I could run through if things started to get ugly.

"You would be traveling on foot, because we will be taking your horse and any other valuables we see fit! For he is to fine of a horse for you to have; he belongs with our herd of fine steeds!" The man who was in front of me spoke again, I was starting to think he was the leader of this group of ruffian's since every time he spoke the men looked at him, and so far he had been the only one to speak to me. As he spoke he moved his horse towards Pookah and me, Pookah being the lovely horse that he is snapped at the man's hand as it reached towards his bridle.

"You arrogant beast, I'll teach you some manners before I'm though with you!" The man shouted at Pookah. I grinned and patted Pookah on the neck while murmuring praise to my wonderful horse.

"Sir, you ought to be more cautious when approaching strange animals, you're likely to get hurt." I replied in a mock serious voice, it was all I could do not to start laughing my head off. These men obviously had little to no experience with spirited horses, and if they thought Pookah was bad, they would be shocked at my behavior should they try the same stunt again or something more rash.

"Lady I command that you dismount and hand your beast of a horse over to me at once!" Would this man ever just shut up and leave me alone? I thought to myself, he is getting on my nerves!

"Oh? And if I don't what then?" I replied.

"Carson…perhaps it best to leave the lady alone, and continue on before the castle guards catch us" a man to Carson's left spoke up.

"Barney, me think's you doth protest too much, and until I ask for ye's input do not give it so freely!" Carson yelled to Barney. "Wench, I will not tell ye again. Dismount your horse and hand me your valuables and we shall be on our merry way. I have been lenient with you thus far; do not keep trying my patience." He all but growled at me, the nerve of him! I sighed, so he was going to choose the hard way. Well Pookah and I were always ready for some good sport, let the games begin then.

"Carson, I'm assuming that's your name. Here are your problems, A. my horse and I don't want to be separated from each other, and B. you have not asked me, you have ordered me. I do not do well with being told to do something. So I suggested that unless you, and your pathetic excuse for men, are looking for trouble you leave us alone. But if you are itching for a fight well, you'll get one. Pookah and I will not come quietly I can assure you that sir."As I said this, I discretely slid my hand into my saddle bag and withdrew a few small red balls, preparing to throw them at any given moment.

"You dare talk to me that way wench; I shall have what I want woman, men bring me the horse and do what you want with the woman!" Carson barked to his men.

"Bring it boys, catch me if you can!" I then threw the red balls towards the men as they approached me, as the balls exploded a screen of red smoke drifted up in between us and gave me a head start in the chase. Pookah was used to jumping over logs and making sharp turns while running at full speed, I had competed in cross-country equestrianism* with him for many years and we had always finished in the top three. I guided Pookah around the trees, trying to make it as difficult as possible for the horse thieves to follow or even catch us. I kept my eyes trained upon the path ahead of us, not daring to look behind, too many times had I seen riders look behind them only to turn back around and be knocked off their mounts by a low hanging tree branch. I tried focusing my hearing to behind us to figure out how close the thief's were to us. After a few moments of listening and only catching fragments of what was being said, I estimated that they were only a few minutes behind us, not nearly enough time to hide anywhere. I urged Pookah to into a faster gallop to try and put more distance between us, if this didn't work then I was always ready for a fist fight. I threw a pretty decent punch, for a girl, my brother used to say, he never would admit that I threw a better punch than him though.

I had a thought, if I could get just enough distance between us I could circle back on them, through the trees up ahead, and ride though a gap that would surely be in the group therefore causing confusion and giving us more time. "Come on Pookah, we can do this!" I silently urged my stallion on. As we neared the tree line where I had planned on circling back we quite literally ran into a group of what appeared to be guards. They had appeared out of nowhere, and I had no time to turn Pookah in another direction or stop him, resulting in the collision of two horses and riders. The guard, who was wearing what looked like an over coat made of black cotton, with a fur cape of some sort, ended up flying off his mount and falling onto the ground, which by the sound he made when he landed, was not very soft. I looked at the guard on the ground and apologized for running into him, using the little time I had before the horse thieves caught up to me to explain why I was in such a hurry. I wasn't able to get two sentences out when the said thief's showed up cursing at me for making them chase me, when they stopped mid sentence because I was talking with the guards.

The man that I had knocked to the ground took one look at the men who had just shown up and shouted to his fellow members "Arrest these thieves at once, along with the woman!...She is most likely in league with them" he added almost as an afterthought.

"What! No, no, no you've got it all wrong sirs, I am not with these thieves's, they tried to steal my horse and other items!" I started to explain, when the guard closest to me urged his horse forward and backhanded me. "How dare you speak out of turn women, have you no manners?"

I was in shock; did he really just hit me? Oh man, if this man thought he could get away with that he had another thing coming. "Sir," I hissed at him as I wiped the blood off the corner of my mouth, "if you strike me again, you will no longer have a hand to hit with!" He made a move to strike me again, but he wasn't fast enough as I had pulled his dagger from his saddle and held it to his wrist. The man who had previously been on the ground had gotten up sometime during the scuffle and was now in front of the man who had his wrist up against the dagger.

"Gisborne! I said…arrest those men! I said nothing about harassing the women. Do your duty before I let her use the dagger on you."

"But Sherriff, you said…" Gisborne never did finish his original sentence because the said Sherriff gave him a look that could defiantly have killed, that is if looks could kill. Gisborne just gave a defeated sigh a finished with a "Yes m'lord. Men, you heard him." And with a shout and heal to their mounts side the men were off after the horse bandits.

As the Sherriff's men went to round up the remaining horse thief's he finished brushing himself off and re mounted his horse. Now that all the commotion had died I had a chance to study the man I had knocked off his steed. He was an older man, his gray hair and beard gave that much away, he looked to be late forties early fifties. He wore a black cloak decorated with a fur collar, a black shirt, black riding pants and you guessed it black riding gloves; 'did this guy have a thing for black or something?' I wondered to my-self. His stallion looked to be a Lipizzaner, dark grey in color, maybe 15/15.5 hands, a peppered mane and tail with dark brown eyes. "I apologize for my men's behavior earlier lady…"

"Arianna O'Conner." I stated

"…Lady O'Conner, I assure you it won't happen again" The Sherriff replied.

"I would hope not, for your men's sake Sherriff. I may be a women but I know how to yield a dagger fairly well, as you saw, and I will not back down when provoked." I told him a no nonsense tone (oh the trouble my tongue would get me into in later times). He just looked slightly annoyed that I was still talking to him, and not in the least bit concerned, which looking back on it now should have been my first warning to be wary of this man.

"Lady, does it look like I need reminding of what you can do to my men? A clue no!" he replied in a disgusted tone of voice. 'Fine, I won't warn you next time. Let's see if he will at least tell me where I am, and maybe how I can get to the area where I am to meet my friends.' I remember thinking to my-self.

"Excuse me Sherriff, while we are waiting on your men, could you tell me where we are? I seem to have taken a wrong turn a ways back and am unsure what direction I need to go from here to get to Messaline*." The Sherriff looked at me like I had grown a second head when I asked him about getting to Messaline!

"Lady, I know not of anyplace called Messaline, however you are currently in Sherwood Forest, and I suggest you accompany my men and I back to the castle where we can finish sorting this mess out, and to better protect you from the clutches of the notorious thief Robin Hood."

'Robin Hood? Now I've heard it all! Sherwood Forest, Wench, horse thieves, Robin Hood, Castles! What next Prince John and Maid Marain? I think these people are taking the whole medieval time re-enactment way too far'. "Sherriff, you can drop the act. I am glad that you are enjoying this re-enactment of medieval times, but I just want to know how to get to Messaline. Plus everyone who has ever studied history knows that while a 'Robin' did exist in the thirteenth possibly fourteenth century. The Robin Hood you seem to be speaking of was a made up character who appeared as early as the fifteenth century in a four line rhyme" I stated.

"Lady I think you hit your head at some point on your journey for I tell you there is no place called Messaline. This 'Robin Hood' that I speak of does exist and has been a thorn in my side for years. What does a woman know of history, which is something only men can understand?" As he finished scolding me, Gisborne, and the rest of his men trotted back up the path towards us with the thieves in tow. Neither party looked happy to be in their current position.

"Ahh, Gisborne, it seems you can do something right for once! Now that you are back we shall head back to the castle and finish sorting out this mess that we seem to have found ourselves in. If we are lucky these men might reveal where that pesky Robin Hood is either hiding, or will strike next. If there is one thing I hate more than women who prattle on thinking they are superior to men, it's Robin Hood. By the way, Gisborne, I am making it your responsibility to make sure our new friend Lady Arianna stays with our group in addition to the men you caught. If any of them escape I will make sure to report it to Prince John and emphasize that it was your fault!" The Sherriff then turned his horse around and started riding back towards the castle, I assumed. Before I could recover from being insulted, Gisborne had produced some rope and hand bound my hands to my saddle horn, and was slipping a lead rope over Pookah's neck.

"Bastard, this isn't fair! I didn't do anything; I thought we established that I wasn't with these bandits. I'm neither a friend nor enemy. I'm Switzerland." I shouted at the Sherriff. I got no reply from the Sherriff, just a threat from Gisborne, that if I couldn't 'hold my tongue' he would gladly gag me. I admit that, that shut me up pretty quickly. I had no desire to be gagged like some lowly prisoner. 'Gag me? Ohhh just you wait until I get my hands free. I'm going to enjoy beating the crap out of you all too much!' I seethed to myself.

We started to follow the Sherriff up the path, us captives being silent, weather from shame or anger, with only the soldiers talking to each other occasionally. After riding for what seemed like hours we abruptly stopped. Before I could ask why we stopped riding, the forest went silent, and I heard from up above in the trees a man yell "Sherriff, how nice of you to stop for us! Now if you will be so kind as to unload the gold that you have stolen from my people, and let the lady go, my men and I will let you pass unharmed."

"Robin Hood! I've been expecting you, guards, kill him, and bring me his head!" The Sherriff yelled.

Cliff hanger... but hey at least now she meets up with Robin and now the story will be able to follow the tv series plot more or less! Again for songs and information about this chapter and future chapters please visit www (dot) ffamasquerade2005 (dot) wordpress (dot) com