Secrets and Lies: chapter 4
Title: Secrets and Lies
Notes: Chapter Four! With each update about a week apart... you guys are being spoilt. Usually I have so many things going at once that I take forever to update! (Well, I've still got 7-8 unfinished stories going at the moment, including this one, but I've got more inspiration for this one at the moment, count yourselves lucky!)
Let me know what you think! (and hope that the damn Harry Potter bunnies from book 7 leave me alone. I'm having difficulty shaking some of 'em off!)
Chapter 4: Barriers
Returning to Nottinghamshire-which she did after another two months with Anne-was among some of the hardest things that Marian had to do. Or rather, pretending that everything was fine. That she wasn’t a grieving mother. That she was the same as before.
Because whether she wanted to admit it or not, Marian had changed. She was no longer the naïve, albeit stubborn, girl she had been, but a headstrong, opinionated, slightly cynical even, young woman. But there was no doubting that her compassion was still there. In fact, that part of seemed to have grown even more zealous.
She let her father think what he would of her actions, that it was an effort to keep busy and distract herself from Robin’s absence. Which it did, in part. But a much larger part of the reason was her stillborn son. Everyday, the peasant children looked at her with big pleading eyes, and Marian’s heart broke for them. She wasn’t able to help her own child, but surely she could help other children and their families.
Then the new Sheriff came and took over her father’s position. Vaysey, his name was. Straight off, he seemed a cold, calculating type, given to bouts of sarcasm and cynicism. But after a few months in the position, he started to come out of his shell even more. And everyone, nobles included, wished he’d stayed in his shell.
The new punishments introduced for even the minor crimes usually involved death or maiming, and a measure of Sheriff Vaysey’s sadistic nature was revealed. The old punishments were condemned for being weak and ineffective, and taxes rose to satisfy the man’s lust for shiny, precious metals.
Marian was also prevented from helping the peasants, which annoyed her no end, but she knew that her father had only stopped her for fear that this new Sheriff would punish both of them for it, as he was already starting to move against the nobles who disagreed with him too openly. Edward and Marian, although left alone, knew that the Sheriff was watching them, along with others whom he suspected weren’t truly behind him.
Eighteen months after Robin’s departure, his father James died peacefully in his sleep, and Marian felt a wave of guilt crash over her. He had treated her as if she was his own for years, and she had cared for Robin’s father. And he’d never known that he’d had a grandson.
With James’ death, and Robin’s continued absence, the Huntingdon lands, including Locksley, went into the Stewardship of the Sheriff’s lieutenant, Guy of Gisborne.
It made Marian’s skin crawl to see that black figure prowling around Locksley, terrifying the villagers. She’d spent a considerable part of her childhood running around Locksley, just as Robin had done in Knighton, and it saddened her to see the formerly vibrant village become so silent and scared.
Another winter passed, and Marian soon found herself facing what would have been her son’s second birthday.
She wanted nothing more than to disappear off into the edge of Sherwood forest, let her still present grief bubble to the surface in one of the old haunts she had Robin had found as teenagers. But she couldn’t. She and her father were expected in Nottingham for a Noble’s meeting in the morning. And then, no doubt, they would be expected to linger for some reason. Giving Gisborne the opportunity to continue following her around like a lovesick dog. And that... that was exactly what she didn’t want to face.
Gisborne had been pursuing her almost since he’d appeared. It wasn’t that he wasn’t handsome, in detached, dark sort of way, but he wasn’t Robin. His smile never seemed to reach his eyes, and Marian couldn’t spend more than a few moments around him without having to suppress the urge to shudder. Or run. Or both. She’d given Gisborne the cold shoulder since his arrival, but he didn’t seem to take the hint.
Guy of Gisborne, it seemed, was not a man who noticed subtle things.
Marian finally got a few moments to herself in the afternoon, and she vanished from Knighton into Sherwood as soon as she could.
Finally, she reached a quiet spot near one of the small creeks that ran through the mighty forest. It was this one day a year when Marian consciously thought of Daniel, and by connection, Robin-although they both found their way into her thoughts at other times anyway. It was the one time that Marian allowed herself to cry over them. When she let all her worries about Robin bubble up to the surface rather than let them fester deep inside her. Marian wondered once more what Daniel would have looked like. When he’d been born, the only feature that had really stood out to Marian was the small thatch of dark hair that had been plastered to his scalp.
Lost in her daydreams, the hours rolled on til the changing shadows of roused Marian. Hurrying back to Knighton Hall, she hoped that her father hadn’t realised how long she had been gone.
“Marian, where have you been?” Maybe it was a vain hope that the former Sheriff wouldn’t notice the absence of his own daughter.
Marian paused halfway up the stairs that led to her room before turning back to face her father. “I... needed to clear by head,” she told him. “And get my temper under control over what’s happening in Nottingham,” she half-lied. She had to do that all the time, she just hadn’t been doing it then.
Edward’s face softened. “I know it’s hard for you, for any decent person, to not speak out against him. But if we bide our time, he will surely lose in the end.”
“We can only pray,” Marian replied softly before continuing up the stairs.
~*~*~
It was later that night, well after her father had fallen asleep, that Marian retrieved the costume she had assembled. Dark brown pants that were flexible enough for fighting and running, a long sleeved leather jerkin of the same colour, a rough brown cape with a hood, a scarf to cover the lower half of her face, and the important mask, which, should anyone see her, would obscure her features.
If the Sheriff was going to stop her from helping the peasants in the open, she’d just have to do it by stealth instead. Maybe it was better this way, even. Peasants wouldn’t know it was her, and wouldn’t be so wary of her philanthropy, as some of them were previously. She knew that some accused her of only caring to make herself look good. It seemed to be a much easier way, actually.
She strapped her belt on, which had her sword (well, her father’s really) already attached to it, and grabbed her longbow.
Besides, if Robin was fighting a war, she could too. Except hers was much closer to home and would help people, unlike the war Robin was embroiled in.
She disappeared silently out of Knighton Hall; her first night as the mysterious person that would soon become known as the Nightwatchman.
Or the FF.N link here if you prefer.
Notes: Chapter Four! With each update about a week apart... you guys are being spoilt. Usually I have so many things going at once that I take forever to update! (Well, I've still got 7-8 unfinished stories going at the moment, including this one, but I've got more inspiration for this one at the moment, count yourselves lucky!)
Let me know what you think! (and hope that the damn Harry Potter bunnies from book 7 leave me alone. I'm having difficulty shaking some of 'em off!)
Chapter 4: Barriers
Returning to Nottinghamshire-which she did after another two months with Anne-was among some of the hardest things that Marian had to do. Or rather, pretending that everything was fine. That she wasn’t a grieving mother. That she was the same as before.
Because whether she wanted to admit it or not, Marian had changed. She was no longer the naïve, albeit stubborn, girl she had been, but a headstrong, opinionated, slightly cynical even, young woman. But there was no doubting that her compassion was still there. In fact, that part of seemed to have grown even more zealous.
She let her father think what he would of her actions, that it was an effort to keep busy and distract herself from Robin’s absence. Which it did, in part. But a much larger part of the reason was her stillborn son. Everyday, the peasant children looked at her with big pleading eyes, and Marian’s heart broke for them. She wasn’t able to help her own child, but surely she could help other children and their families.
Then the new Sheriff came and took over her father’s position. Vaysey, his name was. Straight off, he seemed a cold, calculating type, given to bouts of sarcasm and cynicism. But after a few months in the position, he started to come out of his shell even more. And everyone, nobles included, wished he’d stayed in his shell.
The new punishments introduced for even the minor crimes usually involved death or maiming, and a measure of Sheriff Vaysey’s sadistic nature was revealed. The old punishments were condemned for being weak and ineffective, and taxes rose to satisfy the man’s lust for shiny, precious metals.
Marian was also prevented from helping the peasants, which annoyed her no end, but she knew that her father had only stopped her for fear that this new Sheriff would punish both of them for it, as he was already starting to move against the nobles who disagreed with him too openly. Edward and Marian, although left alone, knew that the Sheriff was watching them, along with others whom he suspected weren’t truly behind him.
Eighteen months after Robin’s departure, his father James died peacefully in his sleep, and Marian felt a wave of guilt crash over her. He had treated her as if she was his own for years, and she had cared for Robin’s father. And he’d never known that he’d had a grandson.
With James’ death, and Robin’s continued absence, the Huntingdon lands, including Locksley, went into the Stewardship of the Sheriff’s lieutenant, Guy of Gisborne.
It made Marian’s skin crawl to see that black figure prowling around Locksley, terrifying the villagers. She’d spent a considerable part of her childhood running around Locksley, just as Robin had done in Knighton, and it saddened her to see the formerly vibrant village become so silent and scared.
Another winter passed, and Marian soon found herself facing what would have been her son’s second birthday.
She wanted nothing more than to disappear off into the edge of Sherwood forest, let her still present grief bubble to the surface in one of the old haunts she had Robin had found as teenagers. But she couldn’t. She and her father were expected in Nottingham for a Noble’s meeting in the morning. And then, no doubt, they would be expected to linger for some reason. Giving Gisborne the opportunity to continue following her around like a lovesick dog. And that... that was exactly what she didn’t want to face.
Gisborne had been pursuing her almost since he’d appeared. It wasn’t that he wasn’t handsome, in detached, dark sort of way, but he wasn’t Robin. His smile never seemed to reach his eyes, and Marian couldn’t spend more than a few moments around him without having to suppress the urge to shudder. Or run. Or both. She’d given Gisborne the cold shoulder since his arrival, but he didn’t seem to take the hint.
Guy of Gisborne, it seemed, was not a man who noticed subtle things.
Marian finally got a few moments to herself in the afternoon, and she vanished from Knighton into Sherwood as soon as she could.
Finally, she reached a quiet spot near one of the small creeks that ran through the mighty forest. It was this one day a year when Marian consciously thought of Daniel, and by connection, Robin-although they both found their way into her thoughts at other times anyway. It was the one time that Marian allowed herself to cry over them. When she let all her worries about Robin bubble up to the surface rather than let them fester deep inside her. Marian wondered once more what Daniel would have looked like. When he’d been born, the only feature that had really stood out to Marian was the small thatch of dark hair that had been plastered to his scalp.
Lost in her daydreams, the hours rolled on til the changing shadows of roused Marian. Hurrying back to Knighton Hall, she hoped that her father hadn’t realised how long she had been gone.
“Marian, where have you been?” Maybe it was a vain hope that the former Sheriff wouldn’t notice the absence of his own daughter.
Marian paused halfway up the stairs that led to her room before turning back to face her father. “I... needed to clear by head,” she told him. “And get my temper under control over what’s happening in Nottingham,” she half-lied. She had to do that all the time, she just hadn’t been doing it then.
Edward’s face softened. “I know it’s hard for you, for any decent person, to not speak out against him. But if we bide our time, he will surely lose in the end.”
“We can only pray,” Marian replied softly before continuing up the stairs.
~*~*~
It was later that night, well after her father had fallen asleep, that Marian retrieved the costume she had assembled. Dark brown pants that were flexible enough for fighting and running, a long sleeved leather jerkin of the same colour, a rough brown cape with a hood, a scarf to cover the lower half of her face, and the important mask, which, should anyone see her, would obscure her features.
If the Sheriff was going to stop her from helping the peasants in the open, she’d just have to do it by stealth instead. Maybe it was better this way, even. Peasants wouldn’t know it was her, and wouldn’t be so wary of her philanthropy, as some of them were previously. She knew that some accused her of only caring to make herself look good. It seemed to be a much easier way, actually.
She strapped her belt on, which had her sword (well, her father’s really) already attached to it, and grabbed her longbow.
Besides, if Robin was fighting a war, she could too. Except hers was much closer to home and would help people, unlike the war Robin was embroiled in.
She disappeared silently out of Knighton Hall; her first night as the mysterious person that would soon become known as the Nightwatchman.
Or the FF.N link here if you prefer.