Those words surprised Caro a bit, as usually others found Louise to be quite a nuisance. As the newcomer knelt and showed her face, Caro was a little surprised to see the face of a young woman. Caro felt certain she had seen this lady before, but her thoughts were soon interrupted by two questions.
Caro nodded. "I guess you could say I have somewhere to go. And I have a few furs there. Nothing much, but I'll manage."
Louise stood up again, but now that she could see who was under the hood, the wolf-dog bore no aggressive stance, as she saw no further threat.
Caro smiled a little. "She likes you better now that she can see your face. Let's just say if Sir Guy of Gisborne were under that hood, Louise would not be so easily calmed." Caro's tone turned bitter when the man's name escaped her lips.
This young woman probably knew nothing of where Caro had to live, thanks to Gisborne. But Louise had figured it out pretty quickly. In the past, Caro had literally had to hold Louise down to keep her from running up and attacking him. As much as she hated Gisborne, the last thing she needed was his blood on her hands.
The poor girl looked frozen. Marian may not be use to the cold, but camp wasn't too far and at least she could survive that short walk to camp without a cloak. She didn't know where the girl would live would be, so she reached up and unclasped the cloak she had and wrapped it around the girl. She had Robin's still back on her bunk along with her white, thicker cloak so she would not miss it going.
"Take this," she said softly with a smile. She could already feel the cold hit her but she didn't mind, she would push past it.
Marian smiled as the dog seemed to accept her as anything but a threat, trying her best to remain friendly. But her eyes snapped back to the girl at the mention of Guy.
"Guy's the reason you are here?" she asked, assuming that to be the reason.
Caro watched as the other lady removed her cloak, a little bit conflicted about whether she should accept it or not as the lady gave her the cloak.
"Are you sure?" Caro asked, worried. Her heart warmed with gratitude, but she had mixed feelings about taking the cloak, as she did not want to deprive another of warmth so she could be warm instead.
Caro scratched Louise behind the ear. "Well, yes, in a way. Had it not been for my disliking the insane taxes and poor treatment of those who inhabit the villages, perhaps I would still be in my cottage. Even though we are not serfs, we could not afford to leave Locksley anyway." Caro sighed.
"I cannot say I do not blame myself for resisting the outrageous lack of justice, but my life is miserable because of him. I can sometimes visit with my parents when it's quiet in Locksley, because only a few of the sheriff's men even know who I am. To them, I'm just another lowly peasant. I doubt Sir Guy even sees me as a huge threat, just a rebellious wench. I just don't want to risk my parents' lawfulness by continuing to live with them, even if it means living in that blasted cave. But I know there are those who are worse off then myself, and I manage. I fear if Sir Guy recognizes me he'll remember me as a nuisance, and I don't want trouble. I'm just holding my own out here."
(Ooc: sorry about the question and then the long explanation, I'm just a little confused about timing. Like, Marian could answer the "are you sure," and we can assume Caro answers Marian's question about Guy after Marian answers Caro's question...Sorry, my newbiness is getting the better of me because I've wondered this about conversations for a while! By the way, I love how responses seem to be quick here. It's a big A+ for me!!! :D)
When the girl mentioned Locksley, Marian felt even more inclined to help her. They were Robin's villagers to protect, had been since he was a child, and even if the law said he was no longer the Lord of Locksley, he still acted more like it than Guy ever could. Sighing softly, Marian looked down. She had to deal with this, but she wasn't sure how. She couldn't go to Guy since she was not exactly going to have a great reception, and there was little she could do for the girl right now without the gang here.
"Guy does not take lightly to those he views wrong. But if you tell me where this cave is I will make sure you are helped." Marian reached down her front and lifted the tag to show her. Everyone knew what that meant, that only members of Robin's gang would have these. And maybe that would help her be trusted. "I promise."
As the other girl showed Caro a tag that Caro had seen quite a few times before, she gasped. "Robin Hood's men wear those! And any friend of the rightful Lord of Locksley is a friend of mine. My cave isn't far from the road passing Locksley. Keep going straight, cross the road and drift south when you get near Nettlestone. Most likely I'll be there, or nearby. Louise may see or hear you coming, but don't worry, if she's around, I'm not far behind, and she'll only attack if she sees a threat, or if I tell her to." Caro said, after she got over the surprise of seeing the tag. "Wait, now I know who you are!" Caro exclaimed after a long pause. "You're Sir Edward's daughter, are you not?" Caro lowered her voice a bit. "He never would have allowed Nottingham to become the living hell that it is. Forgive me, I'm beginning to rant. I knew I'd seen you before, I just didn't get out much before now."
There was a bit of irony present in Caro's voice when she mentioned not getting out much. She was out, all right, but not exactly where she wanted to be. But how had Edward's daughter ended up on this side of the law? Surely she had done nothing wrong, but then again, wrong and right were not easily defined at this time. That explained why Robin was an outlaw, Caro thought.
Surely there was a great flaw in how justice was carried out, Caro remembered the four boys from Locksley that the sheriff had tried to hang. Then she remembered why he had failed. Robin had saved them. She had even seen two of them once in a while when the outlaws did drop offs. She knew one of their names, the Scarlett boy. The other of the two, however, she had mixed feelings about. At first she had seen him with the outlaws, but then with Gisborne. What had possessed him?
"Speaking of not getting out much," Caro began, "Why is one of Robin's men working with Gisborne? I've seen him in Locksley with Robin and the others giving out food, but recently, he's been with Gisborne. Don't know what possessed him." The last sentence was almost a whisper, but Caro was truly confused. Caro shrugged. "He must be a fool."
(OOC: Sorry about the directions to the cave, I used the Map Of NottinghamShire to kinda guideline it. The cave is in Sherwood, but I don't know, I kind of panicked, I never thought of where exactly it would be! That's a big whoopsie on my part! Hope I pulled it off okay...)
Marian nodded when she mentioned the tags were linked to Robin Hood, letting it fall once more. She wanted to be trusted, just so the girl would willingly accept help. Living in a cave, as she had admitted, was not the best way to live and she wanted to try and make sure she was taken care of. She could get added to the list of drop offs. Pulling off her mittens, the ones Isabella had sent her, she handed them over to her. She had a few other pairs back at camp since Isabella had provided a few pairs. But perhaps part of her just wanted the betrothal ring on her finger to be seen. Maybe if she found out her relationship with the infamous Robin Hood she would be even more trusted.
"No he would not have. But he had no choice, if he had fought then things would have been bad. He just wanted to keep me protected. Things will change one day but we will do what we can to help others until then, including you. I'll see to it that you are brought food."
She could feel the cold starting to hit her but she didn't mind too much, since she had been so willing to offer the other girl things to keep her warm. She would rather others were more comfortable than herself, it was one of the many things that made her and Robin match so well. They worried about others and didn't put themselves first. The next question rather threw her off though.
"He is a fool," Marian said simply before sighing. "He got captured and tortured, then started to spy for Guy. Tell him plans and where the gang were going. Once Robin found out he could not let him stay and put the rest of the gang including those we help in danger. Allan chose his side."
The other girl handed Caro a pair of mittens that were previously on her hands, Caro caught sight of something. A ring. She raised an eyebrow, but said nothing, as she did not want to seem rude. She couldn't help but wonder who wore the other ring, though. Caro sighed sadly at the memory of her real parents leaving her. They sure didn't care enough to protect her, if they had left her when she was six. Perhaps they did not have the means to do so, but telling her to stay outside a church until someone came and then leaving without looking back did not seem very protective. She was just lucky that the kindly farmer, Jack, had found her before she perished in the freezing storm that night.
"Thank you, you are most kind. I do believe the definition of 'right' and 'wrong' is corrupt in these times." Caro said, deep in thought.
The mention of torture sent shivers down Caro's spine, well, more than she was already shivering. And it made her hate Gisborne even more. She did not understand why Allan went about this the way he did, though. "If I had been him, I would have told Robin. Sure, it would make Sir Guy furious, but I don't know, if he were not such a fool, surely he would have at least tried to defy Gisborne. But, what's done is done, I guess." Caro shook her head. "It's a pity, Allan's choice will be the death of him, and I can't say I would question such a fate now."
That was not entirely true, she was a bit hesitant to say what she really felt, and that was pity. Why hadn't Allan just told Robin what Gisborne wanted? Caro knew that should it be the case, she would readily question whether Allan really deserved death.
She had rather liked him, actually, but she did not expect her feelings to be returned. He most likely did not know of her existence, and perhaps if he worked for Gisborne and she was not on good terms with the law, she was probably lucky he knew little or nothing of her.
Caro just hoped she did not make it obvious to the other girl what her true opinion was. She did not like lying, and she was actually quite bad at it. She didn't want to make it known that she liked Allan, because, from what the former sheriff's daughter had said, Allan was not on good terms with Robin Hood and his gang.
(OOC: It's up to you whether Marian believes what Caro says about questioning Allan's fate. She IS lying, because she is hiding her true feelings. Caro's app implies that she has a crush on Allan, as far as Caro knows, he does not know she admires him. She does not believe he knows she exists. It's your call whether Marian believes Caro's lie.)
"It is, unfortunately. Those in the wrong are those we are meant to accept as right." And that certainly was not how it was meant to be. Those who were right and only wanted the best for Nottingham and England were the ones who suffered. Who ended up outlawed or dead and that had to be wrong. So wrong, actually. But she has been doing everything she can to set it right, it will just take a fair amount of time until everything goes back to normal. They needed the King back before things would be better and she could relax after everything that had happened. But at the moment that was just a dream.
"It is hard to comment on what a person would do in his situation unless you are placed there. It is easy to say one would inform Robin of the troubles when one is not involved in it." Of course Marian would always be able to tell Robin if it came to that sort of thing, she just kept personal things from him and that included any pain or minor injuries. "Not that what Allan decided was right, but it's hard to completely understand why even if he tried to explain."
Which he had done, in the past, and she understood aspects of his problems. She just wished the gang had not been wrapped up in other things and noticed he had been taken before hand. But there wasn't really anyway they would have known, given that he wasn't exactly shy. He could have been anywhere given the reputation she knew of. A tavern or something. But he hadn't been, and if only the gang had known that...
She eyed her when she went on to say she would not expect any less after his choice but for it to be the death of him. Marian wouldn't be surprised if being on Guy's side ended in Allan's death, purely because it was such a dangerous side to play for. But of course, so were the outlaws. They were equally as dangerous.
"You do not mean that," Marian stated. She had become good at noticing blatant lies, well always had been. When it was completely clear that no ounce of truth had been spoken.
{OOC: Sorry if this is a little dodgy, I'm really tired but I don't usually like tags sitting over night.}
Caro knew she agreed with the other girl, but she couldn't shake the fact that Allan had been tortured. Wouldn't that be all the more reason NOT to work for the very man who made you suffer? Caro nodded, but when the other woman confronted her about her comment about the possible consequences of Allan's choice.
Why had she even bothered? Lying was not one of Caro's strong points. She wanted to speak the truth, but she did not know how. "Why do I even bother?" Caro threw her hands up, startling Louise, who was sitting at her side. Louise stood up, but when she realized there was no threat, she lay close to Caro, putting her head softly on her mistress' lap. Caro stroked the animal lightly, and Louise licked her hand.
"I have never before been confronted for not speaking the truth." Caro said with a sigh, and she raised her voice ever-so-slightly. "I suppose there is a first time for everything. I'm guessing you know my true opinion on the matter, then. I do not wish Allan death, I wish him sense. I wish sense was a common trait among people of authority. If it was, it would solve a lot of our problems. Perhaps I lack sense now, telling you this. I don't know much of Robin Hood's ways of dealing with...what happened, and I know little of what you might do upon hearing this." Caro's voice grew less intense, more questioning.
"Have you ever had feelings for someone, without knowing how to express them?" Caro paused. Obviously not, she assumed, remembering the ring on the woman's finger. "The sheriff does not scare me, my own feelings do, and I fear my sensitivity may be my undoing. I don't know what to think about Allan, though. First he's an outlaw, then he works with the very men who, let's face it, would have killed him, had it not been for those he is betraying?"
(ooc: Hahaha it's fine, I'm very tired as well. And yeah, I kind of implied that Caro was a bad liar. It's not really her thing, you know. And, by the way, I apologize for the lack of thoughts and the surplus of dialogue, it's just that I have issues with action and/or thoughts. In fanfiction, you'll find more dialogue than descriptions in my stories, because for some reason I fail at writing descriptions, take my directions to the cave as an example of that! :P And I'm really in my comfort zone with spoken interactions, rather than physical,such as fighting or standing up/sitting down, because I get so wound up in the dialogue that I forget that they're out in the cold, and that Caro is keeping the rabbit they caught out of Louise's reach, etc, which explains why Caro has barely moved since you entered the thread. LOL, and now I'm ranting. Going to sleep now :).)
"Forgive me, I just have an eye for a lie." Well she did now, especially now. She had begun to realise recently that she was less willing to believe someone spoke the truth. Plus, she had a betrothed who was guilty of lying and hiding things from her more than any other person she had met. "Sense on everyone involved is what most wish. I would rather see Allan back with us, realising and admitting what he did was so wrong, than see him hanging from a noose. There is little I can do from your opinion, they are your thoughts and I do partially agree with you. And Robin has dealt with it, there is nothing more he can do with this situation."
And it was true. She would much prefer him alive and well and helping them once more than dead. She didn't believe he no longer cared for their cause, even if he helped Guy and the Sheriff. After all he had plenty of time to say where they are so the Sheriff could capture them, and he had yet to do so. He had plenty of time to admit that he knew Marian was the Night Watchman and he had not done so, and he had not admitted he knew she was with the gang. He was not a lost cause, far from it.
"Yes, actually. The man I am to marry I have loved for as long as I can remember. I watched him invite interest of many other girls without saying a thing and all it took was one unexpected kiss for us to realise that what we felt was more than that. I had hated him, or tried to hate him, when he left me but when he returned...Well my heart tried to fight that love but I couldn't. If you have feelings for someone it only hurts more to pretend they do not exist. Sensitivity can make you a target, forcing yourself to be strong, even just appearing it to others, will make you less of a target." What she had mentioned about her own feelings, about the man leaving, should make it very clear who her betrothed was. Especially if the girl came from Locksley, most knew that Marian was to marry Robin before he left for war and that it was ended when he left. Though, she didn't know how long the girl had been in Locksley for, maybe just recently.
"Allan is his own case. He does what he can to survive, it is probably why he went to Guy. He agreed to do what he did to survive, he just should have told us."
Caro sighed, a little relieved, but also a bit shocked. Was that an apology? Caro didn't know what to make of it, but she listened instead of speaking. At least she wasn't the only one who didn't dislike Allan himself, rather, she disliked the choice he had made, and would not have made the same choice.
"Wait a second...Robin's the one you're engaged to!" So that was how she knew of this girl! She was Marian of Knighton! Caro fought the urge to slap herself in the face for not realizing sooner.
"He was away in the Holy Land, Gisborne was in charge of Locksley in his absence.I've heard quite a few horrible stories of the Crusades," Caro said. She hesitated, and then asked a question which had been bothering her for quite some time. "But why leave to fight another country's war when England has a war of its own right here? I do not go so far as to try to hate Allan, but I do try to understand why he would betray...everyone. I cannot understand, and I do not believe I ever will. But I can only hope his senses return to him about what he's doing. Dealing with the sheriff and Gisborne is like selling your soul to the devil."
Caro nodded knowingly. "Really, had he told the gang, I think it's safe to say he'd still be with you. "By the way, my name is Caroline. I'm not quick to tell others my name, as most will not remember it. They have better things to do than remember my name. I'm just another peasant to most people. Whether you share their opinions is your choice. Anyone who remembers my name calls me Caro, though. That way nobody will pronounce it wrong."
(Ooc: it took me forever to brainstorm the whole name thing! By the way, her name is pronounced Carolyn, the reason she calls herself Caro is so people don't have to worry about the whole "Lyn" vs. "Line" issue.)
"Yes he is," Marian confirmed and for a moment she could smile like the completely in love woman she is. However, this situation and conversation was also rather serious and she didn't want to appear uncaring. Especially when she went on to talk about the Holy Land, since that was not exactly the happiest of topics in general never mind when it came to Marian's past.
"He was. And I am sure every story is close to true, at least. I do not imagine it is possible to exaggerate about this war, from what I have heard it is terrible." She bit her lip at the question, remembering having those exact thoughts when Robin left. "Things were not so bad when Robin left, it has only gotten worse since the Sheriff arrived. Well, in Nottingham that is. But men like Robin love their King so much that they feel it is their duty to protect him, fight for what they believe is right. King and country."
She nodded at her thoughts on Allan, biting her lip again. He probably would have been with them had he been honest about everything going on. They could have helped him, if Marian had been warned by Robin whilst she was in the castle she could have helped them keep him protected.
Caro smiled at Marian's confirmation of who her betrothed was. It saddened her to think of all the people who had given their lives in the Crusades, but mention of the Sheriff angered her. Oh, what she would give to see him dressed in rags with barely enough food to last the winter.Then maybe his attitude would change. "Robin's skill with a bow are legendary. Why not just kill the sheriff? Surely the king would not allow this corruption to continue here, that is, if he were here to see it." Caro's tone was meant to exhibit her true dislike for the Crusades and all the death and corruption involved.
Caro knew that was quite a blunt and ruthless statement, but it made sense to her. The sheriff did nothing good for the country. He plagued the people with unfair taxes and punishments for those who could not pay, or those who resisted.
Caro nodded, thinking that maybe, for once, this was someone she wouldn't have to remind of who she was.
Louise nudged her gently with her nose, Caro ignored her, knowing she just wanted the rabbit. "Louise, stop." Caro was annoyed, Louise often disturbed her when she was deep in thought like this. Louise whined and continued nudging Caro's arm. "Louise, no." Caro scolded, laughing to herself. She turned to Marian again.
"She's expecting to have a piece of the rabbit," Caro held up the rabbit to avoid the now-excited Louise taking it.
"Better not keep her waiting." Caro laughed weakly, despite protest from her freezing lips. " I should be going, before my mongrel takes my hand off." She was referring to the hand holding the rabbit, which was now way above her head, the large wolf-dog gaining on it.
"He cannot. The Sheriff is being watched closely by Prince John and if he dies and it is not a natural cause, Prince John will send his armies to destroy Nottingham completely. As much as that would appear the easy option it is far from it."
Not that killing someone was easy, but disposing of the Sheriff always would appear the better thing to do. Then again even if the Sheriff did not have such a deal with Prince John Nottingham would still be at risk. Prince John could always send another Sheriff and who knows how that person could be.
"You should go before you freeze," Marian agreed, pushing herself up to stand. Marian herself would freeze soon enough but she had not been thinking on it. "Take care of you both. I will ensure you are visited."
She could be added to the drop offs they had. Marian just had to ignore how the list seemed to be growing by the minute.
Caro frowned slightly at the very mention of Prince John, thinking things so horrid about that man that she believed, however, she refrained from saying them.
What was it with men and power? It was like air, they lived and breathed power and there was no going on without it. The other girl stood, after again suggesting that Caro seek shelter.
Caro stood as well, nodding to Marian's words. "God Bless you, and God bless Robin Hood." she said. Usually, when she spoke to others, she was timid and intensely quiet. Not now. Caro spoke those words very clearly, as they meant a great deal to her. If only they meant anything to people other than lonely peasant girls, people who 'mattered.'
(OOC:Sorry about late response, I fear this may happen quite a bit until I'm fully adjusted to the whole school routine. I hope it was a long enough post, I know it could have been longer but I felt really bad keeping you waiting, yet I'm too tired to write much more than this. I'm assumming this post, or perhaps your next one, is the last on this thread? Cause I don't exactly understand how to continue after Caro goes to the cave. Gah, just a little confused.)
"Thank you," she responded quietly, appreciating the gesture of God Bless. She may not be the most religious of people but she needed any blessing she could get. Especially in this situation. They needed help to protect all these people, to protect Nottingham and England and they needed something like this to make it easier. Only who knew if they would ever be blessed. God left Nottingham long ago.
"Take care. And remember we will do what we can to help you." After that, Marian nodded, and turned to walk away. She had to get back to camp before she froze since she had given everything to Caro. Not that she regretted it. She preferred helping the girl than keeping herself warm.
{OOC: I'm sure that can be the last one unless you want to post Caro's thoughts :)}
Caro nodded. "I guess you could say I have somewhere to go. And I have a few furs there. Nothing much, but I'll manage."
Louise stood up again, but now that she could see who was under the hood, the wolf-dog bore no aggressive stance, as she saw no further threat.
Caro smiled a little. "She likes you better now that she can see your face. Let's just say if Sir Guy of Gisborne were under that hood, Louise would not be so easily calmed." Caro's tone turned bitter when the man's name escaped her lips.
This young woman probably knew nothing of where Caro had to live, thanks to Gisborne. But Louise had figured it out pretty quickly. In the past, Caro had literally had to hold Louise down to keep her from running up and attacking him. As much as she hated Gisborne, the last thing she needed was his blood on her hands.
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"Take this," she said softly with a smile. She could already feel the cold hit her but she didn't mind, she would push past it.
Marian smiled as the dog seemed to accept her as anything but a threat, trying her best to remain friendly. But her eyes snapped back to the girl at the mention of Guy.
"Guy's the reason you are here?" she asked, assuming that to be the reason.
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"Are you sure?" Caro asked, worried. Her heart warmed with gratitude, but she had mixed feelings about taking the cloak, as she did not want to deprive another of warmth so she could be warm instead.
Caro scratched Louise behind the ear. "Well, yes, in a way. Had it not been for my disliking the insane taxes and poor treatment of those who inhabit the villages, perhaps I would still be in my cottage. Even though we are not serfs, we could not afford to leave Locksley anyway." Caro sighed.
"I cannot say I do not blame myself for resisting the outrageous lack of justice, but my life is miserable because of him. I can sometimes visit with my parents when it's quiet in Locksley, because only a few of the sheriff's men even know who I am. To them, I'm just another lowly peasant. I doubt Sir Guy even sees me as a huge threat, just a rebellious wench. I just don't want to risk my parents' lawfulness by continuing to live with them, even if it means living in that blasted cave. But I know there are those who are worse off then myself, and I manage. I fear if Sir Guy recognizes me he'll remember me as a nuisance, and I don't want trouble. I'm just holding my own out here."
(Ooc: sorry about the question and then the long explanation, I'm just a little confused about timing. Like, Marian could answer the "are you sure," and we can assume Caro answers Marian's question about Guy after Marian answers Caro's question...Sorry, my newbiness is getting the better of me because I've wondered this about conversations for a while! By the way, I love how responses seem to be quick here. It's a big A+ for me!!! :D)
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When the girl mentioned Locksley, Marian felt even more inclined to help her. They were Robin's villagers to protect, had been since he was a child, and even if the law said he was no longer the Lord of Locksley, he still acted more like it than Guy ever could. Sighing softly, Marian looked down. She had to deal with this, but she wasn't sure how. She couldn't go to Guy since she was not exactly going to have a great reception, and there was little she could do for the girl right now without the gang here.
"Guy does not take lightly to those he views wrong. But if you tell me where this cave is I will make sure you are helped." Marian reached down her front and lifted the tag to show her. Everyone knew what that meant, that only members of Robin's gang would have these. And maybe that would help her be trusted. "I promise."
{OOC: Yeah it's pretty much like that :)}
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"Robin Hood's men wear those! And any friend of the rightful Lord of Locksley is a friend of mine. My cave isn't far from the road passing Locksley. Keep going straight, cross the road and drift south when you get near Nettlestone. Most likely I'll be there, or nearby. Louise may see or hear you coming, but don't worry, if she's around, I'm not far behind, and she'll only attack if she sees a threat, or if I tell her to." Caro said, after she got over the surprise of seeing the tag.
"Wait, now I know who you are!" Caro exclaimed after a long pause. "You're Sir Edward's daughter, are you not?" Caro lowered her voice a bit. "He never would have allowed Nottingham to become the living hell that it is. Forgive me, I'm beginning to rant. I knew I'd seen you before, I just didn't get out much before now."
There was a bit of irony present in Caro's voice when she mentioned not getting out much. She was out, all right, but not exactly where she wanted to be. But how had Edward's daughter ended up on this side of the law? Surely she had done nothing wrong, but then again, wrong and right were not easily defined at this time. That explained why Robin was an outlaw, Caro thought.
Surely there was a great flaw in how justice was carried out, Caro remembered the four boys from Locksley that the sheriff had tried to hang. Then she remembered why he had failed. Robin had saved them. She had even seen two of them once in a while when the outlaws did drop offs. She knew one of their names, the Scarlett boy. The other of the two, however, she had mixed feelings about. At first she had seen him with the outlaws, but then with Gisborne. What had possessed him?
"Speaking of not getting out much," Caro began, "Why is one of Robin's men working with Gisborne? I've seen him in Locksley with Robin and the others giving out food, but recently, he's been with Gisborne. Don't know what possessed him." The last sentence was almost a whisper, but Caro was truly confused. Caro shrugged. "He must be a fool."
(OOC: Sorry about the directions to the cave, I used the Map Of NottinghamShire to kinda guideline it. The cave is in Sherwood, but I don't know, I kind of panicked, I never thought of where exactly it would be! That's a big whoopsie on my part! Hope I pulled it off okay...)
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"No he would not have. But he had no choice, if he had fought then things would have been bad. He just wanted to keep me protected. Things will change one day but we will do what we can to help others until then, including you. I'll see to it that you are brought food."
She could feel the cold starting to hit her but she didn't mind too much, since she had been so willing to offer the other girl things to keep her warm. She would rather others were more comfortable than herself, it was one of the many things that made her and Robin match so well. They worried about others and didn't put themselves first. The next question rather threw her off though.
"He is a fool," Marian said simply before sighing. "He got captured and tortured, then started to spy for Guy. Tell him plans and where the gang were going. Once Robin found out he could not let him stay and put the rest of the gang including those we help in danger. Allan chose his side."
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Caro sighed sadly at the memory of her real parents leaving her. They sure didn't care enough to protect her, if they had left her when she was six. Perhaps they did not have the means to do so, but telling her to stay outside a church until someone came and then leaving without looking back did not seem very protective. She was just lucky that the kindly farmer, Jack, had found her before she perished in the freezing storm that night.
"Thank you, you are most kind. I do believe the definition of 'right' and 'wrong' is corrupt in these times." Caro said, deep in thought.
The mention of torture sent shivers down Caro's spine, well, more than she was already shivering. And it made her hate Gisborne even more. She did not understand why Allan went about this the way he did, though.
"If I had been him, I would have told Robin. Sure, it would make Sir Guy furious, but I don't know, if he were not such a fool, surely he would have at least tried to defy Gisborne. But, what's done is done, I guess." Caro shook her head. "It's a pity, Allan's choice will be the death of him, and I can't say I would question such a fate now."
That was not entirely true, she was a bit hesitant to say what she really felt, and that was pity. Why hadn't Allan just told Robin what Gisborne wanted? Caro knew that should it be the case, she would readily question whether Allan really deserved death.
She had rather liked him, actually, but she did not expect her feelings to be returned. He most likely did not know of her existence, and perhaps if he worked for Gisborne and she was not on good terms with the law, she was probably lucky he knew little or nothing of her.
Caro just hoped she did not make it obvious to the other girl what her true opinion was. She did not like lying, and she was actually quite bad at it. She didn't want to make it known that she liked Allan, because, from what the former sheriff's daughter had said, Allan was not on good terms with Robin Hood and his gang.
(OOC: It's up to you whether Marian believes what Caro says about questioning Allan's fate. She IS lying, because she is hiding her true feelings. Caro's app implies that she has a crush on Allan, as far as Caro knows, he does not know she admires him. She does not believe he knows she exists. It's your call whether Marian believes Caro's lie.)
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"It is hard to comment on what a person would do in his situation unless you are placed there. It is easy to say one would inform Robin of the troubles when one is not involved in it." Of course Marian would always be able to tell Robin if it came to that sort of thing, she just kept personal things from him and that included any pain or minor injuries. "Not that what Allan decided was right, but it's hard to completely understand why even if he tried to explain."
Which he had done, in the past, and she understood aspects of his problems. She just wished the gang had not been wrapped up in other things and noticed he had been taken before hand. But there wasn't really anyway they would have known, given that he wasn't exactly shy. He could have been anywhere given the reputation she knew of. A tavern or something. But he hadn't been, and if only the gang had known that...
She eyed her when she went on to say she would not expect any less after his choice but for it to be the death of him. Marian wouldn't be surprised if being on Guy's side ended in Allan's death, purely because it was such a dangerous side to play for. But of course, so were the outlaws. They were equally as dangerous.
"You do not mean that," Marian stated. She had become good at noticing blatant lies, well always had been. When it was completely clear that no ounce of truth had been spoken.
{OOC: Sorry if this is a little dodgy, I'm really tired but I don't usually like tags sitting over night.}
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Why had she even bothered? Lying was not one of Caro's strong points. She wanted to speak the truth, but she did not know how.
"Why do I even bother?" Caro threw her hands up, startling Louise, who was sitting at her side. Louise stood up, but when she realized there was no threat, she lay close to Caro, putting her head softly on her mistress' lap. Caro stroked the animal lightly, and Louise licked her hand.
"I have never before been confronted for not speaking the truth." Caro said with a sigh, and she raised her voice ever-so-slightly. "I suppose there is a first time for everything. I'm guessing you know my true opinion on the matter, then. I do not wish Allan death, I wish him sense. I wish sense was a common trait among people of authority. If it was, it would solve a lot of our problems. Perhaps I lack sense now, telling you this. I don't know much of Robin Hood's ways of dealing with...what happened, and I know little of what you might do upon hearing this." Caro's voice grew less intense, more questioning.
"Have you ever had feelings for someone, without knowing how to express them?" Caro paused. Obviously not, she assumed, remembering the ring on the woman's finger. "The sheriff does not scare me, my own feelings do, and I fear my sensitivity may be my undoing. I don't know what to think about Allan, though. First he's an outlaw, then he works with the very men who, let's face it, would have killed him, had it not been for those he is betraying?"
(ooc: Hahaha it's fine, I'm very tired as well. And yeah, I kind of implied that Caro was a bad liar. It's not really her thing, you know. And, by the way, I apologize for the lack of thoughts and the surplus of dialogue, it's just that I have issues with action and/or thoughts. In fanfiction, you'll find more dialogue than descriptions in my stories, because for some reason I fail at writing descriptions, take my directions to the cave as an example of that! :P And I'm really in my comfort zone with spoken interactions, rather than physical,such as fighting or standing up/sitting down, because I get so wound up in the dialogue that I forget that they're out in the cold, and that Caro is keeping the rabbit they caught out of Louise's reach, etc, which explains why Caro has barely moved since you entered the thread. LOL, and now I'm ranting. Going to sleep now :).)
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And it was true. She would much prefer him alive and well and helping them once more than dead. She didn't believe he no longer cared for their cause, even if he helped Guy and the Sheriff. After all he had plenty of time to say where they are so the Sheriff could capture them, and he had yet to do so. He had plenty of time to admit that he knew Marian was the Night Watchman and he had not done so, and he had not admitted he knew she was with the gang. He was not a lost cause, far from it.
"Yes, actually. The man I am to marry I have loved for as long as I can remember. I watched him invite interest of many other girls without saying a thing and all it took was one unexpected kiss for us to realise that what we felt was more than that. I had hated him, or tried to hate him, when he left me but when he returned...Well my heart tried to fight that love but I couldn't. If you have feelings for someone it only hurts more to pretend they do not exist. Sensitivity can make you a target, forcing yourself to be strong, even just appearing it to others, will make you less of a target." What she had mentioned about her own feelings, about the man leaving, should make it very clear who her betrothed was. Especially if the girl came from Locksley, most knew that Marian was to marry Robin before he left for war and that it was ended when he left. Though, she didn't know how long the girl had been in Locksley for, maybe just recently.
"Allan is his own case. He does what he can to survive, it is probably why he went to Guy. He agreed to do what he did to survive, he just should have told us."
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"Wait a second...Robin's the one you're engaged to!" So that was how she knew of this girl! She was Marian of Knighton! Caro fought the urge to slap herself in the face for not realizing sooner.
"He was away in the Holy Land, Gisborne was in charge of Locksley in his absence.I've heard quite a few horrible stories of the Crusades," Caro said. She hesitated, and then asked a question which had been bothering her for quite some time. "But why leave to fight another country's war when England has a war of its own right here? I do not go so far as to try to hate Allan, but I do try to understand why he would betray...everyone. I cannot understand, and I do not believe I ever will. But I can only hope his senses return to him about what he's doing. Dealing with the sheriff and Gisborne is like selling your soul to the devil."
Caro nodded knowingly. "Really, had he told the gang, I think it's safe to say he'd still be with you. "By the way, my name is Caroline. I'm not quick to tell others my name, as most will not remember it. They have better things to do than remember my name. I'm just another peasant to most people. Whether you share their opinions is your choice. Anyone who remembers my name calls me Caro, though. That way nobody will pronounce it wrong."
(Ooc: it took me forever to brainstorm the whole name thing! By the way, her name is pronounced Carolyn, the reason she calls herself Caro is so people don't have to worry about the whole "Lyn" vs. "Line" issue.)
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"He was. And I am sure every story is close to true, at least. I do not imagine it is possible to exaggerate about this war, from what I have heard it is terrible." She bit her lip at the question, remembering having those exact thoughts when Robin left. "Things were not so bad when Robin left, it has only gotten worse since the Sheriff arrived. Well, in Nottingham that is. But men like Robin love their King so much that they feel it is their duty to protect him, fight for what they believe is right. King and country."
She nodded at her thoughts on Allan, biting her lip again. He probably would have been with them had he been honest about everything going on. They could have helped him, if Marian had been warned by Robin whilst she was in the castle she could have helped them keep him protected.
"Caro it is then."
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"Robin's skill with a bow are legendary. Why not just kill the sheriff? Surely the king would not allow this corruption to continue here, that is, if he were here to see it." Caro's tone was meant to exhibit her true dislike for the Crusades and all the death and corruption involved.
Caro knew that was quite a blunt and ruthless statement, but it made sense to her. The sheriff did nothing good for the country. He plagued the people with unfair taxes and punishments for those who could not pay, or those who resisted.
Caro nodded, thinking that maybe, for once, this was someone she wouldn't have to remind of who she was.
Louise nudged her gently with her nose, Caro ignored her, knowing she just wanted the rabbit. "Louise, stop." Caro was annoyed, Louise often disturbed her when she was deep in thought like this. Louise whined and continued nudging Caro's arm. "Louise, no." Caro scolded, laughing to herself. She turned to Marian again.
"She's expecting to have a piece of the rabbit," Caro held up the rabbit to avoid the now-excited Louise taking it.
"Better not keep her waiting." Caro laughed weakly, despite protest from her freezing lips. " I should be going, before my mongrel takes my hand off." She was referring to the hand holding the rabbit, which was now way above her head, the large wolf-dog gaining on it.
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Not that killing someone was easy, but disposing of the Sheriff always would appear the better thing to do. Then again even if the Sheriff did not have such a deal with Prince John Nottingham would still be at risk. Prince John could always send another Sheriff and who knows how that person could be.
"You should go before you freeze," Marian agreed, pushing herself up to stand. Marian herself would freeze soon enough but she had not been thinking on it. "Take care of you both. I will ensure you are visited."
She could be added to the drop offs they had. Marian just had to ignore how the list seemed to be growing by the minute.
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What was it with men and power? It was like air, they lived and breathed power and there was no going on without it.
The other girl stood, after again suggesting that Caro seek shelter.
Caro stood as well, nodding to Marian's words. "God Bless you, and God bless Robin Hood." she said. Usually, when she spoke to others, she was timid and intensely quiet. Not now. Caro spoke those words very clearly, as they meant a great deal to her. If only they meant anything to people other than lonely peasant girls, people who 'mattered.'
(OOC:Sorry about late response, I fear this may happen quite a bit until I'm fully adjusted to the whole school routine. I hope it was a long enough post, I know it could have been longer but I felt really bad keeping you waiting, yet I'm too tired to write much more than this. I'm assumming this post, or perhaps your next one, is the last on this thread? Cause I don't exactly understand how to continue after Caro goes to the cave. Gah, just a little confused.)
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"Take care. And remember we will do what we can to help you." After that, Marian nodded, and turned to walk away. She had to get back to camp before she froze since she had given everything to Caro. Not that she regretted it. She preferred helping the girl than keeping herself warm.
{OOC: I'm sure that can be the last one unless you want to post Caro's thoughts :)}
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