Search and Rescue - Chapter 3
Title: Search and Rescue
Author: kegel84 and bron_v
Rating: PG
Pairings/characters: Marian, Robin, Much, Guy
Summary: Robin and Guy have to team up when Marian seems to have disappeared, AU after Lardner's Ring.
Spoilers: Till Lardner's Ring.
Disclaimer: We don't own the show or any of its characters and make no profit from this work.
Previous chapter
Chapter 3
The first thing she noticed was that she was lying on very uncomfortable, very hard ground. Living in the forest had never been comparable to the state of comfort she still enjoyed at the castle. Still, it was unusual to sleep on quite as hard ground as Marian felt herself lying on now. As she became more awake, she realized it was a stony floor. Her hand moved over the rough surface, as she slowly opened her eyes. There was complete darkness about her, but she remembered that she was back at the castle, wasn't anywhere in the forest.
She lifted her head and propped herself up on her arms. Her head was throbbing and her back aching, but she figured it wasn't much of a surprise after lying on the hard floor for who knew how long.
She felt around with her hands and soon touched a cold stone wall behind her. She continued feeling the ground, but only found the same stone surface there. Then she remembered the bag she had taken with her when she had left her chambers earlier that night. She actually could not be sure it was still night at all, despite the darkness, as she did not know how long she had been there. Or where she even was. She swallowed at the idea of being trapped somewhere that let no daylight in and offered no way out.
Marian felt for the bag that was fastened on her belt. After she managed to get it open, she found the pieces she needed. She hoped she would be able to light a torch that would offer her a glimpse at her surroundings. Working in the darkness didn't make it any easier than the task was under normal circumstances. She labored for a few minutes, stopping several times when she thought she heard sounds other than the ones she was making. Then the torch caught fire and a soft, shaky light filled the stone corridor Marian was able to see now. The ceiling was low. As she stood up, she could almost touch it with her fingers. Some feet away, in the direction of where she had originally found herself, she could see a large hole in the ceiling. She walked there to examine it, understanding dawning on her that she had fallen through it when she had ran from being detected in the lower levels of the castle.
At the place where she was standing now the ceiling proved to be not low enough for her to reach it. If she had been able to do so, she might have been able to pull herself up at the edge of the hole, but there was no such hope now. Looking around she saw that the corridor led into blackness in both directions once the light reached its limits for her eyes.
She could call for help. Maybe someone would come along the corridor above and hear her. They would be able to help her out of her predicament. But then it was not simply Marian they would find, but the Nightwatchman. The clothes she was wearing were far too tell-tale for the situation. Of course, she could always remove the disguise and hide it. But even then she would have a hard time explaining what she was doing down there in her undergarments. She could pretend that she had been attacked, that she had been forced to flee without heavier clothing to protect her from the cold, and that she had fallen on her run. It was a story she would be able to tell, as she had made up so many excuses before. Still, they would question who attacked her, and why no one had heard or seen anything. Not only that, but being found by unknown guards or other men, in a situation like this, wasn't a good idea, despite how convincingly she could tell the story... No, she would have to find a way out on her own.
She checked out the corridor in both directions, knowing that her torch would not last long. After unsuccessfully trying to gauge the right direction for the shortest way out of the castle, she picked the one that seemed to lead somewhat downwards and hurried along it.
The further she went, the dimmer the light she was carrying became, and soon the torch would expire. Still, it was preferable to the darkness she would have had to deal with if she hadn't been able to make the fire in the first place. The corridor's design didn't change. The ground and the walls were of rough stone and the ceiling was still low. Marian wondered where it was leading her. She certainly had to be on the lowest level of the castle; at the same level as the dungeons were, as far as she could tell. She didn't believe it to be some kind of escape from the dungeons though. The sheriff would have made sure it was closed if ever a prisoner had escaped this way.
Marian wasn't sure how long she had been running, when the light was suddenly gone. The fire had expired. She slowed down then. She had seen a clear way ahead before it had become dark, but she could never be sure that it stayed this way and she didn't need another painful surprise as the one she had experienced in the hallway one level above.
She kept close to the stone wall and walked carefully, testing each step before she put weight on it. Her progress was much slower this way, and she briefly considered lightning another fire, but as the tinder she had in her bag was nearly gone she decided to preserve it in case she really needed it later. After all, she didn't have any idea how long the tunnel would go on till it lead to an exit, or if there was even an exit at all.
She wondered how long she would be able to go on, how long she would actually be willing to keep going. When would be the time to decide that she wasn't getting anywhere and that it was better to turn and go back to face either being found out as the Nightwatchman or in an otherwise very uncomfortable situation? She wasn't even sure how much time had passed since she had left her chamber. If it was still at night, she probably wasn't being missed yet. If it was already the next day, it would be different. Guy would certainly want to see her. He wouldn't be able to find her and then the question would be how long it would take until he started an actual search for her.
One could not be certain he would do any such thing at all, although Marian guessed that Guy wouldn't shrug off her disappearance. Maybe he would think she had decided to leave Nottingham again, but then he would find that she hadn't taken her personal belongings from her room. Still, who would guess that she was down here? How long would it take until Robin noticed that something was wrong? He had no way of knowing after all. Anything could happen to her and he would most likely only learn of it later. She had always had to face that risk, living in the castle, working in secret against the sheriff.
Marian stopped for a few moments, listening intently for any sounds. There were none. The tunnel was completely still. Dark and silent. She tried to feel if there was any movement of the air, anything that could hint at a draft from outside, but there was none either. So she moved on, still measuring every step she took.
In the end, Robin had decided to return to the camp as quickly as possible. If Marian was seeking refuge anywhere, it would be there, so it was a likely location to find her. There was no reason to believe that she had actually vanished from the face of the earth.
Robin trotted lightly through the forest, staying parallel to the main road. He was still within earshot of it though, so he would notice the approach of any horses, but nobody traveling through would be able to see him from there.
The day was coming to a close and Robin knew that if Marian wasn't at the camp, which was a possibility that had regained probability in his mind after he had left Nottingham behind, there wasn’t much he would be able to do until tomorrow.
In the morning he and his men would be able to go to the villages around Nottingham and ask about Marian. After all, this wasn't such a bad plan of action. Robin reminded himself that Marian could take care of herself. And the fact that Gisborne didn't seem to know where she had gone was definitely not a bad sign.
At first he heard only the singing of the forest birds, but then the sound of hooves falling on the ground became more distinct and Robin knew that horses were coming along the road. He moved closer to it, still taking care not to be seen. The clearing that the road provided gave him a good view of anyone coming along. After a few seconds the first riders appeared, followed by more soon after. Robin recognized them easily. They were the same men he had seen leaving the castle under Gisborne's orders earlier that day. He wondered where they had spent the meantime.
Another horse came along the road and he saw Gisborne hastening his animal to catch up with the other men. Robin frowned and hurried along to keep the men in sight. He was lucky that the road did not go straight through the forest, so he was able to take some short cuts while the riders had to go the longer way. Still, he was out of breath, trying to keep up with the men, when he realized that they were getting closer and closer to the outlaw's camp.
As long as they did not leave the road, they would never find it. Will had naturally made sure that it wasn't this easy to find their hiding place. Robin shook his head. It was just as natural that people would come by this close on their way through the forest. It didn't mean that Gisborne had any idea about the location of the camp. Still, Robin sometimes worried that Allan would betray the location. He wasn't able to trust the man although Allan had to know that Robin would kill him if he ever dared to go so far in his betrayal.
It was then that Robin noticed the riders slowing down. They almost came to a complete stop and he saw Gisborne once again taking the lead. He seemed to be talking to his men, but Robin was too far away to understand what he said. An uneasy feeling was coming up inside of him.
Gisborne and the guards had already passed the point from that the shortest way to camp led. But for Robin's taste they were not far enough away yet to be simply left scouring the forest. The camp was well hidden from the eye, if it was closed off and one did not know where to look for it. But with the lads unaware of the danger, not even the traps they had set would make sure the camp stayed undetected, if one knew exactly where one was going... Allan's face from earlier that day was dancing in Robin's mind. Had the man played him again?
A small group of guards followed Gisborne off the road and deeper into the forest. They were still on their horses, though now moving at a much slower pace. Robin had no trouble keeping up with them now, although he needed to be more careful to stay out of sight of the now several groups of men searching the woods.
Then there was a sudden shout from one of the men. Another call followed and Robin could understand what Gisborne was yelling.
“Get him!”
Confused, Robin wondered who they were talking about because they didn't mean him, as far as he could tell. He didn't see anybody else who might be prey for the guards, but the men charged ahead and Robin hurried after them.
Then he saw him. The man was running hard through the brushwork, trying to vanish from sight, and it was unmistakably Much. Robin's heart beat faster as he hurried his pace even more, the guards getting closer to his friend. He was hoping that maybe the horses would stumble on the uneven ground, but they stayed on their feet.
“Stop!” he cried in the next moment, before he even knew what he was doing. “Gisborne!“
Two of the men actually stopped and turned to see who was shouting behind them, but the others kept charging ahead. Robin pulled the bow from his back in the course of a moment, the arrow following swiftly and a split-second later the first of the two men who had come to a halt was falling from his horse. The second man was on the ground little later, and Robin leapt forward to reach the men who were still chasing Much.
His throat pulled tight as he saw that he was too late. A circle of men had surrounded his friend. Gisborne had his eyes fixed on him while another man turned and saw his fallen comrades, alerting the others to the situation. Gisborne looked away from Much and spotted Robin approaching.
“Stay back,” the sheriff's man warned him and Robin lifted his bow with one hand, showing there was no arrow sitting ready. He was caught up by the fact of the swords that were being held at Much.
“Where's Marian?” Gisborne called, still looking at Robin.
“I don't know. You tell me,” Robin offered wearily.
“Where is she?” the other man demanded, a few notches louder now, his look turning to Much.
Much shook his head, glancing nervously at the blades in front of him. “I don't know.”
“Maybe you, Gisborne, could spare us all the trouble and tell us what you know?” Robin suggested, still wondering if Marian was safe and sound somewhere with a perfectly reasonable explanation. Maybe they were all just overreacting.
“I?” Guy asked coldly. “Where are you hiding her? What have you done to her?” His voice was getting fiercer with each word he spoke.
“Look who's talking,” Robin retorted. It was irritating him how Gisborne assumed the outlaw knew anything about Marian. It was Gisborne who was seeking power in Nottingham, it was under Gisborne's protection Marian supposedly was. “How can she vanish under your nose? You tell me that!”
Gisborne's expression froze. The guards, who until now were mostly watching the exchange between Guy and Robin, looked to their master expectantly. Guy slid from his horse, not letting his gaze on Robin waver at all. Pulling out his sword, he strode over to the man slowly. Much stared at the sheriff's man increasingly uneasy.
Guy stopped a few paces away from Robin.
“How do you know Marian disappeared?” he asked icily.
Robin held his gaze. “As you're looking for her, I assume you don't know where she is. And if I remember correctly, you actually heavily implied that you don't know. Unless of course, you're just trying to hide your tracks, pretend you have no idea,” he added grimly.
He didn't think it likely. Nobody would question Gisborne about Marian's whereabouts. After the death of her father she didn't have any protector left. It was already clear that the sheriff didn't trust Marian and that he would happily dispose of her. Yet, as far as Robin could tell, it was only Vaysey's twisted sense of enjoyment in seeing Gisborne's obsessive infatuation with Marian that had kept him from doing so.
Maybe Vaysey had acted now after all. Robin felt cold at that thought.
Gisborne had come closer, holding the sword pointed at Robin. “Where is she?”
“I told you, I don't know,” Robin responded, his expression showing his annoyance.
“Maybe you’ll tell me if I cut up your little friend.“ Gisborne turned his head to the guards. “Kill him,” he ordered simply.
Robin acted in the course of a moment. Stringing his bow, he aimed an arrow at Gisborne. “Don't move, or he dies.”
Robin focused on his aim. He knew the situation was dire. They could easily kill Much and he would only have one go for revenge, only one chance to kill Gisborne, before they would get Robin, too.
It was a fight that nobody would win.
Next chapter
Author: kegel84 and bron_v
Rating: PG
Pairings/characters: Marian, Robin, Much, Guy
Summary: Robin and Guy have to team up when Marian seems to have disappeared, AU after Lardner's Ring.
Spoilers: Till Lardner's Ring.
Disclaimer: We don't own the show or any of its characters and make no profit from this work.
Previous chapter
Chapter 3
The first thing she noticed was that she was lying on very uncomfortable, very hard ground. Living in the forest had never been comparable to the state of comfort she still enjoyed at the castle. Still, it was unusual to sleep on quite as hard ground as Marian felt herself lying on now. As she became more awake, she realized it was a stony floor. Her hand moved over the rough surface, as she slowly opened her eyes. There was complete darkness about her, but she remembered that she was back at the castle, wasn't anywhere in the forest.
She lifted her head and propped herself up on her arms. Her head was throbbing and her back aching, but she figured it wasn't much of a surprise after lying on the hard floor for who knew how long.
She felt around with her hands and soon touched a cold stone wall behind her. She continued feeling the ground, but only found the same stone surface there. Then she remembered the bag she had taken with her when she had left her chambers earlier that night. She actually could not be sure it was still night at all, despite the darkness, as she did not know how long she had been there. Or where she even was. She swallowed at the idea of being trapped somewhere that let no daylight in and offered no way out.
Marian felt for the bag that was fastened on her belt. After she managed to get it open, she found the pieces she needed. She hoped she would be able to light a torch that would offer her a glimpse at her surroundings. Working in the darkness didn't make it any easier than the task was under normal circumstances. She labored for a few minutes, stopping several times when she thought she heard sounds other than the ones she was making. Then the torch caught fire and a soft, shaky light filled the stone corridor Marian was able to see now. The ceiling was low. As she stood up, she could almost touch it with her fingers. Some feet away, in the direction of where she had originally found herself, she could see a large hole in the ceiling. She walked there to examine it, understanding dawning on her that she had fallen through it when she had ran from being detected in the lower levels of the castle.
At the place where she was standing now the ceiling proved to be not low enough for her to reach it. If she had been able to do so, she might have been able to pull herself up at the edge of the hole, but there was no such hope now. Looking around she saw that the corridor led into blackness in both directions once the light reached its limits for her eyes.
She could call for help. Maybe someone would come along the corridor above and hear her. They would be able to help her out of her predicament. But then it was not simply Marian they would find, but the Nightwatchman. The clothes she was wearing were far too tell-tale for the situation. Of course, she could always remove the disguise and hide it. But even then she would have a hard time explaining what she was doing down there in her undergarments. She could pretend that she had been attacked, that she had been forced to flee without heavier clothing to protect her from the cold, and that she had fallen on her run. It was a story she would be able to tell, as she had made up so many excuses before. Still, they would question who attacked her, and why no one had heard or seen anything. Not only that, but being found by unknown guards or other men, in a situation like this, wasn't a good idea, despite how convincingly she could tell the story... No, she would have to find a way out on her own.
She checked out the corridor in both directions, knowing that her torch would not last long. After unsuccessfully trying to gauge the right direction for the shortest way out of the castle, she picked the one that seemed to lead somewhat downwards and hurried along it.
The further she went, the dimmer the light she was carrying became, and soon the torch would expire. Still, it was preferable to the darkness she would have had to deal with if she hadn't been able to make the fire in the first place. The corridor's design didn't change. The ground and the walls were of rough stone and the ceiling was still low. Marian wondered where it was leading her. She certainly had to be on the lowest level of the castle; at the same level as the dungeons were, as far as she could tell. She didn't believe it to be some kind of escape from the dungeons though. The sheriff would have made sure it was closed if ever a prisoner had escaped this way.
Marian wasn't sure how long she had been running, when the light was suddenly gone. The fire had expired. She slowed down then. She had seen a clear way ahead before it had become dark, but she could never be sure that it stayed this way and she didn't need another painful surprise as the one she had experienced in the hallway one level above.
She kept close to the stone wall and walked carefully, testing each step before she put weight on it. Her progress was much slower this way, and she briefly considered lightning another fire, but as the tinder she had in her bag was nearly gone she decided to preserve it in case she really needed it later. After all, she didn't have any idea how long the tunnel would go on till it lead to an exit, or if there was even an exit at all.
She wondered how long she would be able to go on, how long she would actually be willing to keep going. When would be the time to decide that she wasn't getting anywhere and that it was better to turn and go back to face either being found out as the Nightwatchman or in an otherwise very uncomfortable situation? She wasn't even sure how much time had passed since she had left her chamber. If it was still at night, she probably wasn't being missed yet. If it was already the next day, it would be different. Guy would certainly want to see her. He wouldn't be able to find her and then the question would be how long it would take until he started an actual search for her.
One could not be certain he would do any such thing at all, although Marian guessed that Guy wouldn't shrug off her disappearance. Maybe he would think she had decided to leave Nottingham again, but then he would find that she hadn't taken her personal belongings from her room. Still, who would guess that she was down here? How long would it take until Robin noticed that something was wrong? He had no way of knowing after all. Anything could happen to her and he would most likely only learn of it later. She had always had to face that risk, living in the castle, working in secret against the sheriff.
Marian stopped for a few moments, listening intently for any sounds. There were none. The tunnel was completely still. Dark and silent. She tried to feel if there was any movement of the air, anything that could hint at a draft from outside, but there was none either. So she moved on, still measuring every step she took.
In the end, Robin had decided to return to the camp as quickly as possible. If Marian was seeking refuge anywhere, it would be there, so it was a likely location to find her. There was no reason to believe that she had actually vanished from the face of the earth.
Robin trotted lightly through the forest, staying parallel to the main road. He was still within earshot of it though, so he would notice the approach of any horses, but nobody traveling through would be able to see him from there.
The day was coming to a close and Robin knew that if Marian wasn't at the camp, which was a possibility that had regained probability in his mind after he had left Nottingham behind, there wasn’t much he would be able to do until tomorrow.
In the morning he and his men would be able to go to the villages around Nottingham and ask about Marian. After all, this wasn't such a bad plan of action. Robin reminded himself that Marian could take care of herself. And the fact that Gisborne didn't seem to know where she had gone was definitely not a bad sign.
At first he heard only the singing of the forest birds, but then the sound of hooves falling on the ground became more distinct and Robin knew that horses were coming along the road. He moved closer to it, still taking care not to be seen. The clearing that the road provided gave him a good view of anyone coming along. After a few seconds the first riders appeared, followed by more soon after. Robin recognized them easily. They were the same men he had seen leaving the castle under Gisborne's orders earlier that day. He wondered where they had spent the meantime.
Another horse came along the road and he saw Gisborne hastening his animal to catch up with the other men. Robin frowned and hurried along to keep the men in sight. He was lucky that the road did not go straight through the forest, so he was able to take some short cuts while the riders had to go the longer way. Still, he was out of breath, trying to keep up with the men, when he realized that they were getting closer and closer to the outlaw's camp.
As long as they did not leave the road, they would never find it. Will had naturally made sure that it wasn't this easy to find their hiding place. Robin shook his head. It was just as natural that people would come by this close on their way through the forest. It didn't mean that Gisborne had any idea about the location of the camp. Still, Robin sometimes worried that Allan would betray the location. He wasn't able to trust the man although Allan had to know that Robin would kill him if he ever dared to go so far in his betrayal.
It was then that Robin noticed the riders slowing down. They almost came to a complete stop and he saw Gisborne once again taking the lead. He seemed to be talking to his men, but Robin was too far away to understand what he said. An uneasy feeling was coming up inside of him.
Gisborne and the guards had already passed the point from that the shortest way to camp led. But for Robin's taste they were not far enough away yet to be simply left scouring the forest. The camp was well hidden from the eye, if it was closed off and one did not know where to look for it. But with the lads unaware of the danger, not even the traps they had set would make sure the camp stayed undetected, if one knew exactly where one was going... Allan's face from earlier that day was dancing in Robin's mind. Had the man played him again?
A small group of guards followed Gisborne off the road and deeper into the forest. They were still on their horses, though now moving at a much slower pace. Robin had no trouble keeping up with them now, although he needed to be more careful to stay out of sight of the now several groups of men searching the woods.
Then there was a sudden shout from one of the men. Another call followed and Robin could understand what Gisborne was yelling.
“Get him!”
Confused, Robin wondered who they were talking about because they didn't mean him, as far as he could tell. He didn't see anybody else who might be prey for the guards, but the men charged ahead and Robin hurried after them.
Then he saw him. The man was running hard through the brushwork, trying to vanish from sight, and it was unmistakably Much. Robin's heart beat faster as he hurried his pace even more, the guards getting closer to his friend. He was hoping that maybe the horses would stumble on the uneven ground, but they stayed on their feet.
“Stop!” he cried in the next moment, before he even knew what he was doing. “Gisborne!“
Two of the men actually stopped and turned to see who was shouting behind them, but the others kept charging ahead. Robin pulled the bow from his back in the course of a moment, the arrow following swiftly and a split-second later the first of the two men who had come to a halt was falling from his horse. The second man was on the ground little later, and Robin leapt forward to reach the men who were still chasing Much.
His throat pulled tight as he saw that he was too late. A circle of men had surrounded his friend. Gisborne had his eyes fixed on him while another man turned and saw his fallen comrades, alerting the others to the situation. Gisborne looked away from Much and spotted Robin approaching.
“Stay back,” the sheriff's man warned him and Robin lifted his bow with one hand, showing there was no arrow sitting ready. He was caught up by the fact of the swords that were being held at Much.
“Where's Marian?” Gisborne called, still looking at Robin.
“I don't know. You tell me,” Robin offered wearily.
“Where is she?” the other man demanded, a few notches louder now, his look turning to Much.
Much shook his head, glancing nervously at the blades in front of him. “I don't know.”
“Maybe you, Gisborne, could spare us all the trouble and tell us what you know?” Robin suggested, still wondering if Marian was safe and sound somewhere with a perfectly reasonable explanation. Maybe they were all just overreacting.
“I?” Guy asked coldly. “Where are you hiding her? What have you done to her?” His voice was getting fiercer with each word he spoke.
“Look who's talking,” Robin retorted. It was irritating him how Gisborne assumed the outlaw knew anything about Marian. It was Gisborne who was seeking power in Nottingham, it was under Gisborne's protection Marian supposedly was. “How can she vanish under your nose? You tell me that!”
Gisborne's expression froze. The guards, who until now were mostly watching the exchange between Guy and Robin, looked to their master expectantly. Guy slid from his horse, not letting his gaze on Robin waver at all. Pulling out his sword, he strode over to the man slowly. Much stared at the sheriff's man increasingly uneasy.
Guy stopped a few paces away from Robin.
“How do you know Marian disappeared?” he asked icily.
Robin held his gaze. “As you're looking for her, I assume you don't know where she is. And if I remember correctly, you actually heavily implied that you don't know. Unless of course, you're just trying to hide your tracks, pretend you have no idea,” he added grimly.
He didn't think it likely. Nobody would question Gisborne about Marian's whereabouts. After the death of her father she didn't have any protector left. It was already clear that the sheriff didn't trust Marian and that he would happily dispose of her. Yet, as far as Robin could tell, it was only Vaysey's twisted sense of enjoyment in seeing Gisborne's obsessive infatuation with Marian that had kept him from doing so.
Maybe Vaysey had acted now after all. Robin felt cold at that thought.
Gisborne had come closer, holding the sword pointed at Robin. “Where is she?”
“I told you, I don't know,” Robin responded, his expression showing his annoyance.
“Maybe you’ll tell me if I cut up your little friend.“ Gisborne turned his head to the guards. “Kill him,” he ordered simply.
Robin acted in the course of a moment. Stringing his bow, he aimed an arrow at Gisborne. “Don't move, or he dies.”
Robin focused on his aim. He knew the situation was dire. They could easily kill Much and he would only have one go for revenge, only one chance to kill Gisborne, before they would get Robin, too.
It was a fight that nobody would win.
Next chapter