Robin Hood: Celestian Style
I've been watching the BBC series "Robin Hood" lately and boy do I love it! So thus this little story was born. The thing is, it may become canon, because my characters in my book do pursue the villain Desero and his sister through the backcountry of New America, which is where this is set.
I just wanted to get some opinions on this piece, if you will. It's not highly structured of edited, so please excuse that.
A side note: you will see Anna a lot. She is a character that belongs to my best friend and has integrated herself into my characters' lives completely, as has my character Shane in hers. :)
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There was definitely something wrong down in the marketplace. There was shouting, and people crowding together trying to stay out of the way of the Lord’s men or else be trampled underfoot by their horses. One man was being dragged by a guard, whose hold was a handful of hair. The man bellowed pitifully, hopelessly screaming his innocence.
Shane shifted in her spot on the tree limb, preparing to jump down onto the house below them. It would only take her about ten seconds to cross the roofs and be in the midst of the scene, but a soft touch on her arm stopped her. She turned her head sharply, her blonde hair whipping over her shoulder, and matched gazes with Kiyoshi. He shook his head.
“If you show yourself the man will surely die,” he said. “As will the others they have arrested.”
“But I can’t stand jus’ sittin’ here!” she muttered.
“We cannot show our faces. If we do, we’ll lose Desero and Rebeka’s trail again for sure,” continued the elf in a warning tone.
“I know!” snapped Shane impatiently. She grumbled a bit before continuing. “Does not mean I have to jus’ sit on my ass an’ watch this.”
Kiyoshi sighed, turning to look back at the marketplace. Things had quieted down now. The Lord’s men had loaded up their jail wagon full of citizens who had committed some “crime” and left.
“C’mon.” He gripped the branch and hung from it before dropping to his feet, crouching as he landed so that the impact would be absorbed. He straightened up just as Shane landed next to him and was almost immediately walking briskly toward the town. The elf shook his head with a small smile; sometimes he thought that girl had some monkey in her.
As they entered the marketplace, a woman with reddened eyes and tear soaked cheeks ran up to them, already wailing about her husband being taken. Another woman appeared behind her, protesting that her brother and father had been taken for being short on the tax. Shane and Kiyoshi stood silently, side by side, surrounded by the friends and family of those that were taken that day. They were covered in dust kicked up by the horses, and they wore clothing that had worn out long ago.
They had saved villagers in the past, and now they hoped they would work miracles again. “All we can promise is to do what we can,” Kiyoshi assured the crowd. They all immediately stopped to listen to him. He had that effect on people, Shane realized. It had to do with that elven beauty of his-so graceful, yet masculine. He was tall, his hair growing in two distinct colors: black and blue. Aryan elves were uncommon in these parts, other than the Lord of the village, Tedrought. The people were immediately drawn to him and were prone to trust him. He always looked at you with those sad purple eyes, so understanding, yet so mesmerizing because of that silver swirl around the pupil.
I’ve seen those eyes bitterly hard, though, thought Shane as she briefly reflected on their past battles and hardships.
Shane, on the other hand, was chased out of town with pitchforks and torches the first couple of nights until Kiyoshi explained that she was with him. Way out in the backcountry people still held on to superstitious beliefs of vampires. Her blood red eyes, so stark against her porcelain skin and wheat blonde hair, had been the first tip. When her fangs had extended in the pub after a few pints, that had been all the proof the villagers needed.
That had changed after she rescued a few of them from prison. Now she was constantly be called on to help the farmers with heavy lifting or odd jobs she did for the women. Not that she minded, but she was sure to give them a hard time about it anyway.
The villagers believed they were Crusaders come to save them from the greedy, uncaring Lord Tedrought. But in actuality, they were searching for a man and his sister who they were certain was holed up in Tedrought Fortress on the other side of the hill.
They returned to camp not long before the sun began to set. Anna was coaxing a campfire to burn more strongly; Kaden was skinning the rabbits that Lenora had killed; and the blue-haired elf herself was concentrating on patching the various clothing of their small band. The only one missing was Vael; where he was only the Gods could know.
Anna looked up from the fire, pushing her long red hair out of her face. It slipped over her shoulder like a silk curtain. “Hey! I was wondering when you two would come back.”
“So what was the racket about?” Kaden asked, though he only sounded half-interested. They had made him stay at the camp when they heard the screams from the village. He was still quietly seething because Anna scolded his behavior.
“They arrested a bunch more innocent people,” Shane explained with a frown as she dropped onto one of the logs around the fire. Even though it was early Fall, the warmth of the fire felt great to her perpetually cool skin. “Where’s Vael?”
“He said something about scoping out the fortress some more,” explained Lenora. She didn’t look up from her work nor pause for one moment as she spoke. “I just hope he isn’t rash enough to try to break into the alehouse again.”
Shane couldn’t help but smirk, remembering that night a few days ago. Vael had been drunk off his arse and laughing despite being surrounded by fifty of the Lord’s men. He would have been dead for sure if Shane and Lenora had not arrived in time to get him out of there. The she-vampire thought he may be a little sore over the fact that two women had to save him.
Anna frowned. “I guess that means you’ll be breaking into the prison again, huh?”
“Can’t leave those people locked up!” Shane said with a wide grin that showed she wasn’t completely adverse to the idea.
“Maybe Vael,” Kiyoshi said his name with contempt, “will find a new method of getting in.”
“Mucking through the sewers too much for pretty boy?” Kaden asked, his grin wicked.
Kiyoshi did not grace him with a reply, but he did seethe in his direction for a moment.
“Maybe you should go find him,” Anna said to Shane. Both pretended to not have even noticed the men’s exchange. “He shouldn’t be out alone when it gets dark, not in these woods. I’m about to cook dinner, anyway.”
Shane nodded and stood. She had not yet removed her cloak or weapons, which included twin elbow blades that crisscross her behind, an ornate longsword hung from her back, and a handgun was shoved into each black boot. She was armed to the teeth at all times, but she favored the elbow blades. Her cloak, a deep red velvet with frayed ends, covered the weapons enough that a passing guard would not notice if giving her a cursory look.
“I’ll be back in a little bit,” she said, mostly to Kiyoshi. She turned and tromped off through the woods. The trees were spaced apart, allowing the setting sun’s rays to penetrate the canopy. Dead leaves crunched under her boots, sounding like explosions in Shane’s ears. She was so used to not making a sound when she moved, but Fall defeated that ability.
The sun was just about the dip below the distant mountains when she reached the top of the hill. On the south face was a cave and large formations of rock. On top of one of these crags sat Vael, who could look down the hill at the Fortress and see it perfectly, but not be seen from its walls. Shane climbed the rocks and sat beside of him.
For a few moments they sat in silence, both staring down at the Fortress. Shane felt her fingers begin to tingle, and her blood was racing cold through her veins. Desero and Rebeka were in there, she knew it-she could feel it. They were so close, yet she currently could do nothing but wait. It infuriated her. She wanted to bust down the front doors. She would flog anyone in her way if she had to, but she knew that was a wild fantasy. She would have to bide her time and be patient, something she had never been very good at.
“I feel like Robin Hood and his merry gang,” Vael said at last.
Shane snorted. “Wait-you would be Robin Hood? Why you?”
Vael grinned. When he turned to look at her, the last rays of the sun caught his hair, making it shine like gold. The strands were wispy, ghosting against his cheeks and jawline. His eyes were such a clear grey that the light reflected like silver mirrors. “It’s my comparison, isn’t it?”
Shane rolled her eyes, but played along. “All right then, who am I in your comparison?”
“Maid Marian, of course.”
Shane could not stop herself, she laughed loudly. She quickly covered her mouth with her hand, hoping the barking sound would not echo down into the valley the fortress sat in. Vael gave her a wry smile, but continued on unperturbed:
“Think about it. We keep robbing this lord for the poor villagers, and we’re leaving as a band in the forest like outlaws.”
“We are outlaws.”
“You’re ruining my comparison.”
Shane shook her head, smiling. He could do that-make her smile, no matter where her thoughts were, or how far gone she felt, he could always coax her to smile for him.
“Anna is cooking dinner. It’s time to go back.”
Vael sat in silence for a moment, just looking at her, and then nodded as he placed his hands on his knees, preparing to stand. “Right. Let’s go. Let me guess what we’re having.” He stood up and twisted around under his spine popped loudly. “Rabbit stew?”
“I think you’re right,” Shane replied with an unintentional laugh. Anna was a great cook, but you got tired of eating the same thing all the time. Unfortunately for Vael, this wood was not like Sherwood Forest. It held a dark secret. Most of the animals were corrupted with a black plague that slowly drove them rabid and mad. They attacked unprovoked, and once the skin was broken by one of those diseased beasts it was all over. If one did not die of the mauling, the ravaging infection would kill him. They had found that only rabbits and fish were not corrupted, but Lenora feared that would soon change. Occasionally she would kill a rabid with the taint these days. Many villagers had died eating the bad meat, and soon the taxes would be only another problem on top of starvation.
---
I just wanted to get some opinions on this piece, if you will. It's not highly structured of edited, so please excuse that.
A side note: you will see Anna a lot. She is a character that belongs to my best friend and has integrated herself into my characters' lives completely, as has my character Shane in hers. :)
---
There was definitely something wrong down in the marketplace. There was shouting, and people crowding together trying to stay out of the way of the Lord’s men or else be trampled underfoot by their horses. One man was being dragged by a guard, whose hold was a handful of hair. The man bellowed pitifully, hopelessly screaming his innocence.
Shane shifted in her spot on the tree limb, preparing to jump down onto the house below them. It would only take her about ten seconds to cross the roofs and be in the midst of the scene, but a soft touch on her arm stopped her. She turned her head sharply, her blonde hair whipping over her shoulder, and matched gazes with Kiyoshi. He shook his head.
“If you show yourself the man will surely die,” he said. “As will the others they have arrested.”
“But I can’t stand jus’ sittin’ here!” she muttered.
“We cannot show our faces. If we do, we’ll lose Desero and Rebeka’s trail again for sure,” continued the elf in a warning tone.
“I know!” snapped Shane impatiently. She grumbled a bit before continuing. “Does not mean I have to jus’ sit on my ass an’ watch this.”
Kiyoshi sighed, turning to look back at the marketplace. Things had quieted down now. The Lord’s men had loaded up their jail wagon full of citizens who had committed some “crime” and left.
“C’mon.” He gripped the branch and hung from it before dropping to his feet, crouching as he landed so that the impact would be absorbed. He straightened up just as Shane landed next to him and was almost immediately walking briskly toward the town. The elf shook his head with a small smile; sometimes he thought that girl had some monkey in her.
As they entered the marketplace, a woman with reddened eyes and tear soaked cheeks ran up to them, already wailing about her husband being taken. Another woman appeared behind her, protesting that her brother and father had been taken for being short on the tax. Shane and Kiyoshi stood silently, side by side, surrounded by the friends and family of those that were taken that day. They were covered in dust kicked up by the horses, and they wore clothing that had worn out long ago.
They had saved villagers in the past, and now they hoped they would work miracles again. “All we can promise is to do what we can,” Kiyoshi assured the crowd. They all immediately stopped to listen to him. He had that effect on people, Shane realized. It had to do with that elven beauty of his-so graceful, yet masculine. He was tall, his hair growing in two distinct colors: black and blue. Aryan elves were uncommon in these parts, other than the Lord of the village, Tedrought. The people were immediately drawn to him and were prone to trust him. He always looked at you with those sad purple eyes, so understanding, yet so mesmerizing because of that silver swirl around the pupil.
I’ve seen those eyes bitterly hard, though, thought Shane as she briefly reflected on their past battles and hardships.
Shane, on the other hand, was chased out of town with pitchforks and torches the first couple of nights until Kiyoshi explained that she was with him. Way out in the backcountry people still held on to superstitious beliefs of vampires. Her blood red eyes, so stark against her porcelain skin and wheat blonde hair, had been the first tip. When her fangs had extended in the pub after a few pints, that had been all the proof the villagers needed.
That had changed after she rescued a few of them from prison. Now she was constantly be called on to help the farmers with heavy lifting or odd jobs she did for the women. Not that she minded, but she was sure to give them a hard time about it anyway.
The villagers believed they were Crusaders come to save them from the greedy, uncaring Lord Tedrought. But in actuality, they were searching for a man and his sister who they were certain was holed up in Tedrought Fortress on the other side of the hill.
They returned to camp not long before the sun began to set. Anna was coaxing a campfire to burn more strongly; Kaden was skinning the rabbits that Lenora had killed; and the blue-haired elf herself was concentrating on patching the various clothing of their small band. The only one missing was Vael; where he was only the Gods could know.
Anna looked up from the fire, pushing her long red hair out of her face. It slipped over her shoulder like a silk curtain. “Hey! I was wondering when you two would come back.”
“So what was the racket about?” Kaden asked, though he only sounded half-interested. They had made him stay at the camp when they heard the screams from the village. He was still quietly seething because Anna scolded his behavior.
“They arrested a bunch more innocent people,” Shane explained with a frown as she dropped onto one of the logs around the fire. Even though it was early Fall, the warmth of the fire felt great to her perpetually cool skin. “Where’s Vael?”
“He said something about scoping out the fortress some more,” explained Lenora. She didn’t look up from her work nor pause for one moment as she spoke. “I just hope he isn’t rash enough to try to break into the alehouse again.”
Shane couldn’t help but smirk, remembering that night a few days ago. Vael had been drunk off his arse and laughing despite being surrounded by fifty of the Lord’s men. He would have been dead for sure if Shane and Lenora had not arrived in time to get him out of there. The she-vampire thought he may be a little sore over the fact that two women had to save him.
Anna frowned. “I guess that means you’ll be breaking into the prison again, huh?”
“Can’t leave those people locked up!” Shane said with a wide grin that showed she wasn’t completely adverse to the idea.
“Maybe Vael,” Kiyoshi said his name with contempt, “will find a new method of getting in.”
“Mucking through the sewers too much for pretty boy?” Kaden asked, his grin wicked.
Kiyoshi did not grace him with a reply, but he did seethe in his direction for a moment.
“Maybe you should go find him,” Anna said to Shane. Both pretended to not have even noticed the men’s exchange. “He shouldn’t be out alone when it gets dark, not in these woods. I’m about to cook dinner, anyway.”
Shane nodded and stood. She had not yet removed her cloak or weapons, which included twin elbow blades that crisscross her behind, an ornate longsword hung from her back, and a handgun was shoved into each black boot. She was armed to the teeth at all times, but she favored the elbow blades. Her cloak, a deep red velvet with frayed ends, covered the weapons enough that a passing guard would not notice if giving her a cursory look.
“I’ll be back in a little bit,” she said, mostly to Kiyoshi. She turned and tromped off through the woods. The trees were spaced apart, allowing the setting sun’s rays to penetrate the canopy. Dead leaves crunched under her boots, sounding like explosions in Shane’s ears. She was so used to not making a sound when she moved, but Fall defeated that ability.
The sun was just about the dip below the distant mountains when she reached the top of the hill. On the south face was a cave and large formations of rock. On top of one of these crags sat Vael, who could look down the hill at the Fortress and see it perfectly, but not be seen from its walls. Shane climbed the rocks and sat beside of him.
For a few moments they sat in silence, both staring down at the Fortress. Shane felt her fingers begin to tingle, and her blood was racing cold through her veins. Desero and Rebeka were in there, she knew it-she could feel it. They were so close, yet she currently could do nothing but wait. It infuriated her. She wanted to bust down the front doors. She would flog anyone in her way if she had to, but she knew that was a wild fantasy. She would have to bide her time and be patient, something she had never been very good at.
“I feel like Robin Hood and his merry gang,” Vael said at last.
Shane snorted. “Wait-you would be Robin Hood? Why you?”
Vael grinned. When he turned to look at her, the last rays of the sun caught his hair, making it shine like gold. The strands were wispy, ghosting against his cheeks and jawline. His eyes were such a clear grey that the light reflected like silver mirrors. “It’s my comparison, isn’t it?”
Shane rolled her eyes, but played along. “All right then, who am I in your comparison?”
“Maid Marian, of course.”
Shane could not stop herself, she laughed loudly. She quickly covered her mouth with her hand, hoping the barking sound would not echo down into the valley the fortress sat in. Vael gave her a wry smile, but continued on unperturbed:
“Think about it. We keep robbing this lord for the poor villagers, and we’re leaving as a band in the forest like outlaws.”
“We are outlaws.”
“You’re ruining my comparison.”
Shane shook her head, smiling. He could do that-make her smile, no matter where her thoughts were, or how far gone she felt, he could always coax her to smile for him.
“Anna is cooking dinner. It’s time to go back.”
Vael sat in silence for a moment, just looking at her, and then nodded as he placed his hands on his knees, preparing to stand. “Right. Let’s go. Let me guess what we’re having.” He stood up and twisted around under his spine popped loudly. “Rabbit stew?”
“I think you’re right,” Shane replied with an unintentional laugh. Anna was a great cook, but you got tired of eating the same thing all the time. Unfortunately for Vael, this wood was not like Sherwood Forest. It held a dark secret. Most of the animals were corrupted with a black plague that slowly drove them rabid and mad. They attacked unprovoked, and once the skin was broken by one of those diseased beasts it was all over. If one did not die of the mauling, the ravaging infection would kill him. They had found that only rabbits and fish were not corrupted, but Lenora feared that would soon change. Occasionally she would kill a rabid with the taint these days. Many villagers had died eating the bad meat, and soon the taxes would be only another problem on top of starvation.
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