The Force of Destiny, Chapter 3
Original Post
Rating: PG-13
Pairings/characters: Allan, the Outlaws, Florrie (OC), other OC's
Word count: 2538
Spoilers: While this alters the end of S2, there are still minor spoilers for the whole run of the show, including S3.
Summary: The gang tries to rescue a Locksley girl from Nottingham Castle.
Disclaimer: While these characters live on in my mind, I have neither rights to nor profits from them, or anything else related to the show.
previous chapter
-3-
Allan was almost embarrassed by the stupidity of some people.
The gang had gone into Nottingham to see what they could find out about the sheriff’s guest, for whose enjoyment Elaine had been abducted. What they had learned indicated that this could be the simplest rescue ever.
The guest was a personal friend of Prince John, a wealthy French nobleman whose entourage was cutting loose in Nottingham Town, clad in distinct cloaks for the specific purpose of being identified and retrieved, should they drink themselves into a stupor.
A couple of well-placed punches in dark alleys, and the gang set themselves up to be retrieved, carried to the castle “to sleep it off.”
Thank God the sheriff goes through guards faster than Guy goes through wine lately, Allan mused, as he was hauled to a waiting cart by a pair of castle guards, new since his tenure had ended. The men were muttering to each other about the failings of the prince’s friends, and Allan was screaming in his head for them to shut up before they got themselves hung or thrown off a castle wall or something. But, to say anything would be to give himself away, and better them than him. He was tossed none too lightly into the cart, landing half on Little John and half on the crude planks making up the bed of the vehicle, barely managing to bite back a reaction. As the guards went to move the cart along, he exchanged a pained glance with the big man, and slid himself over as best he could without making it seem like he had moved much.
Speaking of Much, he was soon flung in such a way that he landed on both of them with a muffled “oomph,” which fortunately the guards did not seem to hear.
It was then that Allan realized that he was going to wind up underneath most of the gang, and steeled himself for an incredibly unpleasant trip.
In fact, it was not all that bad; Will was tossed square on his back and Marian on him, whereas Tuck, Robin and Carter were apparently all heaped on John’s side. So, it could have been worse.
Then, it got worse. He had not considered the actual friends of the nobleman. By the time the cart pulled up to a side entrance of the castle (the sheriff not wishing a load of drunken hangers-on to be sitting around the courtyard), there were at least six men piled on top of the outlaws, most of them on Will and Allan’s side. And they were not exactly lightweights, with two of their favorite pastimes being drinking and eating.
Once the cart was nearly against the castle wall, the guards unhooked the mule from the front and led it away, leaving their charges to fend for themselves. The outlaws on the opposite side of the cart were able to quickly untangle themselves, but Allan and Will were stuck fast.
“Hey, how about a hand?” Allan called, his words muffled by the time they reached his friends’ ears.
“Please?” Will put in desperately.
Soon, the gang was through the side door, and standing in a narrow corridor. “If this one’s a friend of the prince, the sheriff will’ve given him the best quarters. And if Elaine’s a present for him, she’ll probably be in the room next to his,” Allan murmured.
“Which way is that?” asked Robin quietly.
Allan turned to the right. “This way.”
The group crept down the passageway, peering down intersecting corridors to make sure they would not be seen, and pausing now and then when they heard footsteps. “Nobody comes along here,” Allan told the others over his shoulder, although he kept his voice at barely over a whisper. “I bet that’s why they left that lot where they did, so they wouldn’t run into anybody.”
He had just finished speaking and faced forward when a pretty, young maidservant, apparently wearing such soft-soled shoes that she had not made a sound whilst approaching down one of the intersecting hallways, appeared in front of them.
For a moment, everyone froze, staring at one another in shock. Then, she broke into a huge grin.
“Allan A Dale! Didn’t think we’d be seeing you round here again; it’s been boring as sin since you left. And who’s this with you?” She looked to the outlaws, and her wide green eyes grew huge. “Is that-- You’re Robin Hood!” At least she had the sense to lower her voice when she said it.
Allan’s heart had stopped when he had nearly run into someone, but he was able to breathe again when he realized who it was. “Hey, Florrie. Yeah, this is Robin Hood, and most of the rest of the gang.”
“Lady Marian?” she exclaimed. “We’d heard rumors, but I didn't know if they were true. You’re with Robin Hood now, too?”
Marian looked to Allan in consternation, as everyone else was also doing. “Florrie’s all right,” he assured them. “You saved her father last year in Clun--”
He broke off suddenly, remembering that it was Carter who had set the whole thing up with the sheriff. Fortunately, she seemed not to be aware of who Carter was. “And that’s after helping me keep him fed these last few years,” she told Robin. “Thank you.”
Robin smiled at her.
“Listen, we’re here for a girl who was taken from Locksley,” Allan told Florrie.
“Oh, that poor dove.” Florrie leaned in toward them. “The comte, he’s a bad one. If I didn’t already know that the sheriff’s the Devil, I’d think the comte was.”
“Careful,” Allan warned her, worried that someone could be lurking to overhear.
Sharply, Marian said, “Has he hurt her?”
Florrie shook her head. “Not yet, but he will if you don’t get her out soon.”
“Then, let’s go get her,” Robin put in decisively. “Can you tell us where to find her?”
“I’ll do one better-- I’ll take you there.”
“You don’t have to do that,” protested Allan. “You could get caught with us.”
She shot him a disapproving look. “Now, see here. I owe you all for saving my Da, and I want to help. So, shut it, and stay a few steps behind me.”
Robin clapped a hand on Allan’s shoulder. “Thanks, Florrie. Lead on.”
They had gone a few feet down the corridor when she looked back at Allan. With a wink, she added, “Besides, I seem to recall that I still owe you, as well.”
He actually felt himself blush as Much asked, “What do you owe Allan for?”
“Nothing,” Allan answered quickly, cutting off whatever reply Florrie was about to give. A good thing, too, judging from her mischievous expression. She jokingly blew him a kiss.
He ignored the muffled chuckles that came from behind him.
Swiftly, they followed the maid through a series of passageways, up a few flights of stairs, and eventually to the floor on which Elaine was being held. Somehow, they had managed to avoid anyone else the entire time, but their luck ran out then. Florrie peeked around a corner and quickly pulled her head back. “Guards,” she whispered so softly, they barely heard her, and then she continued, “Two. I’ll take care of them.”
Before anyone could react, she flipped the brown curls that had slid over her shoulder behind her and sauntered around the corner. “Hello, boys,” she called jovially.
“Florrie,” one of them greeted her.
“We can’t let her do this,” Allan hissed to Robin. “She’ll get herself arrested.”
Robin nodded. “Right. Let’s move.”
Florrie was just starting to chat up the guards when the outlaws came tearing around the corner, weapons in hand. She did not have to pretend to be startled; she had not been expecting that. The guards started to draw their swords, but did not have a prayer. Instead, they dropped them on the ground and held up their hands.
Will, Marian, and Carter backed them up against the wall and held them there at swordpoint. Meanwhile, Robin barked at Florrie, “You, open the door.”
Catching onto the ploy, she stammered as if afraid, “Y-yes, sir,” and turned the key that had been left in the lock.
Sloppy, Allan thought, shooting the guards a disgusted look.
One of the guard’s eyebrows disappeared up into his helmet as he caught the look. “Hey! You’re--”
“Shut it,” Carter ordered. The guard, whom Allan recognized as a man called Arthur, obeyed.
Florrie flung the door open, for all the world like a terrified hostage. There was a startled shriek from within.
“You first,” Little John ordered the guards, gesturing with his staff for them to go into the chamber. Again, they did as they were told, and continued to do so as they were bound and gagged.
Elaine, tearstained and bedraggled from her struggle as she was dragged away from Locksley, had flown at Robin when he walked in, crying and laughing and thanking the gang all at the same time. He passed her off to Little John so as to help bind the guards, but seemed to have forgotten about Florrie. She would not seem as innocent as she did now if they just set her loose.
“What about this one?” Allan called to Robin.
Hesitating a split second, Robin answered, “We cannot let her alert anyone.”
“Right,” Allan replied. “But we can’t leave her in Elaine’s place.”
“You won’t kill me, will you?” she spoke up fearfully.
“What?”
She glanced uncertainly between the outlaws. She should tread the boards, thought Allan admiringly. “Well... the comte said he’d kill me if I so much as thought about trying to weasel my way into his bed, being a servant and all.”
“A villager is better?” Will muttered.
Then, Elaine spoke. “I was told to say I was a merchant’s daughter, from Nottingham Town.”
The gang exchanged disgusted looks.
“We should go,” Little John pointed out.
Robin chewed on his lip. “All right; if the comte’s does not like maids, this one should be safe enough.” His unspoken “I hope” was heard by everyone in the room. “Allan, tie her up.”
“This brings back memories,” she murmured teasingly, in a low tone, as she walked by Allan to get in place. She did not sound at all worried, which reassured him regarding her safety. He was glad the guards did not hear her; he wished that Marian had not, because now he could not make eye contact with her, and she was staring at him in amused surprise.
He was surprised, too, but for a different reason. While he and Florrie had had some entertaining interludes while he was at the castle, he was suddenly thinking of Kate.
“Time to disappear,” Robin called quietly, and the outlaws, with Elaine in tow, hurried from the room, shutting and locking the door behind them.
They silently rushed back the way they had come, managing to avoid any confrontations along the way. When they got outside, however, they were unsure how to get through the castle gates.
Just as the omission from the plan was occurring to them, a cry went up from inside the castle. Instinctively, the guards at the gate rushed toward the building. Allan could not believe their luck, but did not wait around to question it. They all ran as fast as they could toward the portal, managing to get through it seconds before the guards realized their mistake. But by then, it was too late; the gang was already approaching the city gate.
The guards here were not distracted by anything, and saw the group rushing at them. Drawing their swords to stop the escapees, they stood at the ready.
“Carter, get Elaine out of the way, but be nearby and ready to run,” Robin called over his shoulder, as he drew his Saracen sword from its scabbard.
The others drew their weapons, as well, just as the guards rushed at them. Carter quickly ushered Elaine aside; with the sword in his left hand, Allan blocked the blade that was aimed for Carter’s back. With the one in his right, he countered the attack, not managing to wound the armored man, but hitting him hard enough to throw him back and probably knock some of the wind out of him.
The guard ended up nearly bumping into Much, who noticed the movement and quickly turned, bringing the hilt of his sword down on the man’s head. Helmet notwithstanding, the blow knocked him unconscious.
One down, three to go.
John took the second down without a fuss, an easy matter of the end of his staff to the guard’s chin, the move elegant in its simplicity. The other two went after Robin and Marian, making the mistake of ignoring Will as they did so. He smashed his larger axe into one’s back, flinging the man forward onto his face, and following that with a kick to the head that put him out of commission. Meanwhile, Robin rushed forward to meet the final guard, who was running toward him, sword held high for a downward strike.
Robin brought his own weapon up to block what would have been a death blow to his head, and kicked his attacker in the stomach, driving the man’s armor into his solar plexus. The guard automatically doubled over, and Marian shot her foot up to the guard’s face, stunning him.
Looking around to confirm that they were now unchallenged, Robin called, “My gang, let’s go!” They all hightailed it out of the west gate and into Sherwood before the castle guards could catch up to them. Allan peered over his shoulder a couple of times to make sure Elaine was keeping up, and was glad to see that she had no trouble doing so.
When they were out of danger, they slowed to a normal pace, making their way to the meeting point they had set up along the North Road, where Tuck and Djaq would be waiting with Elaine’s family. From there, the family would find a new place to settle, far from the reach of the Sheriff of Nottingham.
They were waiting as planned, and after many heartfelt thanks and farewells, the family set out, and the outlaws headed back toward camp.
“So, Allan, it seemed like Florrie was a rather good ‘friend’ of yours,” Marian remarked lightly.
Surprised at her bold tease, he nevertheless laughed. “Yeah, she was.”
“It seemed as though she would still like to be,” Robin said, in far too casual a manner, and then grinned at him.
Allan grinned back, but thoughts of Kate’s kisses that afternoon in Locksley drifted through his mind, rather than memories of late nights in the castle with Florrie.
“Friends are good to have,” he responded vaguely. He met Robin’s considering gaze, and suspected that his leader knew what was going on in his head. The small wink from Robin proved it. Normally, Allan would have preferred to keep his thoughts to himself, but found that he really did not mind sharing his happiness over Kate.
Uh-oh, a voice in his head murmured.
He decided to ignore it.
next chapter
*
Rating: PG-13
Pairings/characters: Allan, the Outlaws, Florrie (OC), other OC's
Word count: 2538
Spoilers: While this alters the end of S2, there are still minor spoilers for the whole run of the show, including S3.
Summary: The gang tries to rescue a Locksley girl from Nottingham Castle.
Disclaimer: While these characters live on in my mind, I have neither rights to nor profits from them, or anything else related to the show.
previous chapter
-3-
Allan was almost embarrassed by the stupidity of some people.
The gang had gone into Nottingham to see what they could find out about the sheriff’s guest, for whose enjoyment Elaine had been abducted. What they had learned indicated that this could be the simplest rescue ever.
The guest was a personal friend of Prince John, a wealthy French nobleman whose entourage was cutting loose in Nottingham Town, clad in distinct cloaks for the specific purpose of being identified and retrieved, should they drink themselves into a stupor.
A couple of well-placed punches in dark alleys, and the gang set themselves up to be retrieved, carried to the castle “to sleep it off.”
Thank God the sheriff goes through guards faster than Guy goes through wine lately, Allan mused, as he was hauled to a waiting cart by a pair of castle guards, new since his tenure had ended. The men were muttering to each other about the failings of the prince’s friends, and Allan was screaming in his head for them to shut up before they got themselves hung or thrown off a castle wall or something. But, to say anything would be to give himself away, and better them than him. He was tossed none too lightly into the cart, landing half on Little John and half on the crude planks making up the bed of the vehicle, barely managing to bite back a reaction. As the guards went to move the cart along, he exchanged a pained glance with the big man, and slid himself over as best he could without making it seem like he had moved much.
Speaking of Much, he was soon flung in such a way that he landed on both of them with a muffled “oomph,” which fortunately the guards did not seem to hear.
It was then that Allan realized that he was going to wind up underneath most of the gang, and steeled himself for an incredibly unpleasant trip.
In fact, it was not all that bad; Will was tossed square on his back and Marian on him, whereas Tuck, Robin and Carter were apparently all heaped on John’s side. So, it could have been worse.
Then, it got worse. He had not considered the actual friends of the nobleman. By the time the cart pulled up to a side entrance of the castle (the sheriff not wishing a load of drunken hangers-on to be sitting around the courtyard), there were at least six men piled on top of the outlaws, most of them on Will and Allan’s side. And they were not exactly lightweights, with two of their favorite pastimes being drinking and eating.
Once the cart was nearly against the castle wall, the guards unhooked the mule from the front and led it away, leaving their charges to fend for themselves. The outlaws on the opposite side of the cart were able to quickly untangle themselves, but Allan and Will were stuck fast.
“Hey, how about a hand?” Allan called, his words muffled by the time they reached his friends’ ears.
“Please?” Will put in desperately.
Soon, the gang was through the side door, and standing in a narrow corridor. “If this one’s a friend of the prince, the sheriff will’ve given him the best quarters. And if Elaine’s a present for him, she’ll probably be in the room next to his,” Allan murmured.
“Which way is that?” asked Robin quietly.
Allan turned to the right. “This way.”
The group crept down the passageway, peering down intersecting corridors to make sure they would not be seen, and pausing now and then when they heard footsteps. “Nobody comes along here,” Allan told the others over his shoulder, although he kept his voice at barely over a whisper. “I bet that’s why they left that lot where they did, so they wouldn’t run into anybody.”
He had just finished speaking and faced forward when a pretty, young maidservant, apparently wearing such soft-soled shoes that she had not made a sound whilst approaching down one of the intersecting hallways, appeared in front of them.
For a moment, everyone froze, staring at one another in shock. Then, she broke into a huge grin.
“Allan A Dale! Didn’t think we’d be seeing you round here again; it’s been boring as sin since you left. And who’s this with you?” She looked to the outlaws, and her wide green eyes grew huge. “Is that-- You’re Robin Hood!” At least she had the sense to lower her voice when she said it.
Allan’s heart had stopped when he had nearly run into someone, but he was able to breathe again when he realized who it was. “Hey, Florrie. Yeah, this is Robin Hood, and most of the rest of the gang.”
“Lady Marian?” she exclaimed. “We’d heard rumors, but I didn't know if they were true. You’re with Robin Hood now, too?”
Marian looked to Allan in consternation, as everyone else was also doing. “Florrie’s all right,” he assured them. “You saved her father last year in Clun--”
He broke off suddenly, remembering that it was Carter who had set the whole thing up with the sheriff. Fortunately, she seemed not to be aware of who Carter was. “And that’s after helping me keep him fed these last few years,” she told Robin. “Thank you.”
Robin smiled at her.
“Listen, we’re here for a girl who was taken from Locksley,” Allan told Florrie.
“Oh, that poor dove.” Florrie leaned in toward them. “The comte, he’s a bad one. If I didn’t already know that the sheriff’s the Devil, I’d think the comte was.”
“Careful,” Allan warned her, worried that someone could be lurking to overhear.
Sharply, Marian said, “Has he hurt her?”
Florrie shook her head. “Not yet, but he will if you don’t get her out soon.”
“Then, let’s go get her,” Robin put in decisively. “Can you tell us where to find her?”
“I’ll do one better-- I’ll take you there.”
“You don’t have to do that,” protested Allan. “You could get caught with us.”
She shot him a disapproving look. “Now, see here. I owe you all for saving my Da, and I want to help. So, shut it, and stay a few steps behind me.”
Robin clapped a hand on Allan’s shoulder. “Thanks, Florrie. Lead on.”
They had gone a few feet down the corridor when she looked back at Allan. With a wink, she added, “Besides, I seem to recall that I still owe you, as well.”
He actually felt himself blush as Much asked, “What do you owe Allan for?”
“Nothing,” Allan answered quickly, cutting off whatever reply Florrie was about to give. A good thing, too, judging from her mischievous expression. She jokingly blew him a kiss.
He ignored the muffled chuckles that came from behind him.
Swiftly, they followed the maid through a series of passageways, up a few flights of stairs, and eventually to the floor on which Elaine was being held. Somehow, they had managed to avoid anyone else the entire time, but their luck ran out then. Florrie peeked around a corner and quickly pulled her head back. “Guards,” she whispered so softly, they barely heard her, and then she continued, “Two. I’ll take care of them.”
Before anyone could react, she flipped the brown curls that had slid over her shoulder behind her and sauntered around the corner. “Hello, boys,” she called jovially.
“Florrie,” one of them greeted her.
“We can’t let her do this,” Allan hissed to Robin. “She’ll get herself arrested.”
Robin nodded. “Right. Let’s move.”
Florrie was just starting to chat up the guards when the outlaws came tearing around the corner, weapons in hand. She did not have to pretend to be startled; she had not been expecting that. The guards started to draw their swords, but did not have a prayer. Instead, they dropped them on the ground and held up their hands.
Will, Marian, and Carter backed them up against the wall and held them there at swordpoint. Meanwhile, Robin barked at Florrie, “You, open the door.”
Catching onto the ploy, she stammered as if afraid, “Y-yes, sir,” and turned the key that had been left in the lock.
Sloppy, Allan thought, shooting the guards a disgusted look.
One of the guard’s eyebrows disappeared up into his helmet as he caught the look. “Hey! You’re--”
“Shut it,” Carter ordered. The guard, whom Allan recognized as a man called Arthur, obeyed.
Florrie flung the door open, for all the world like a terrified hostage. There was a startled shriek from within.
“You first,” Little John ordered the guards, gesturing with his staff for them to go into the chamber. Again, they did as they were told, and continued to do so as they were bound and gagged.
Elaine, tearstained and bedraggled from her struggle as she was dragged away from Locksley, had flown at Robin when he walked in, crying and laughing and thanking the gang all at the same time. He passed her off to Little John so as to help bind the guards, but seemed to have forgotten about Florrie. She would not seem as innocent as she did now if they just set her loose.
“What about this one?” Allan called to Robin.
Hesitating a split second, Robin answered, “We cannot let her alert anyone.”
“Right,” Allan replied. “But we can’t leave her in Elaine’s place.”
“You won’t kill me, will you?” she spoke up fearfully.
“What?”
She glanced uncertainly between the outlaws. She should tread the boards, thought Allan admiringly. “Well... the comte said he’d kill me if I so much as thought about trying to weasel my way into his bed, being a servant and all.”
“A villager is better?” Will muttered.
Then, Elaine spoke. “I was told to say I was a merchant’s daughter, from Nottingham Town.”
The gang exchanged disgusted looks.
“We should go,” Little John pointed out.
Robin chewed on his lip. “All right; if the comte’s does not like maids, this one should be safe enough.” His unspoken “I hope” was heard by everyone in the room. “Allan, tie her up.”
“This brings back memories,” she murmured teasingly, in a low tone, as she walked by Allan to get in place. She did not sound at all worried, which reassured him regarding her safety. He was glad the guards did not hear her; he wished that Marian had not, because now he could not make eye contact with her, and she was staring at him in amused surprise.
He was surprised, too, but for a different reason. While he and Florrie had had some entertaining interludes while he was at the castle, he was suddenly thinking of Kate.
“Time to disappear,” Robin called quietly, and the outlaws, with Elaine in tow, hurried from the room, shutting and locking the door behind them.
They silently rushed back the way they had come, managing to avoid any confrontations along the way. When they got outside, however, they were unsure how to get through the castle gates.
Just as the omission from the plan was occurring to them, a cry went up from inside the castle. Instinctively, the guards at the gate rushed toward the building. Allan could not believe their luck, but did not wait around to question it. They all ran as fast as they could toward the portal, managing to get through it seconds before the guards realized their mistake. But by then, it was too late; the gang was already approaching the city gate.
The guards here were not distracted by anything, and saw the group rushing at them. Drawing their swords to stop the escapees, they stood at the ready.
“Carter, get Elaine out of the way, but be nearby and ready to run,” Robin called over his shoulder, as he drew his Saracen sword from its scabbard.
The others drew their weapons, as well, just as the guards rushed at them. Carter quickly ushered Elaine aside; with the sword in his left hand, Allan blocked the blade that was aimed for Carter’s back. With the one in his right, he countered the attack, not managing to wound the armored man, but hitting him hard enough to throw him back and probably knock some of the wind out of him.
The guard ended up nearly bumping into Much, who noticed the movement and quickly turned, bringing the hilt of his sword down on the man’s head. Helmet notwithstanding, the blow knocked him unconscious.
One down, three to go.
John took the second down without a fuss, an easy matter of the end of his staff to the guard’s chin, the move elegant in its simplicity. The other two went after Robin and Marian, making the mistake of ignoring Will as they did so. He smashed his larger axe into one’s back, flinging the man forward onto his face, and following that with a kick to the head that put him out of commission. Meanwhile, Robin rushed forward to meet the final guard, who was running toward him, sword held high for a downward strike.
Robin brought his own weapon up to block what would have been a death blow to his head, and kicked his attacker in the stomach, driving the man’s armor into his solar plexus. The guard automatically doubled over, and Marian shot her foot up to the guard’s face, stunning him.
Looking around to confirm that they were now unchallenged, Robin called, “My gang, let’s go!” They all hightailed it out of the west gate and into Sherwood before the castle guards could catch up to them. Allan peered over his shoulder a couple of times to make sure Elaine was keeping up, and was glad to see that she had no trouble doing so.
When they were out of danger, they slowed to a normal pace, making their way to the meeting point they had set up along the North Road, where Tuck and Djaq would be waiting with Elaine’s family. From there, the family would find a new place to settle, far from the reach of the Sheriff of Nottingham.
They were waiting as planned, and after many heartfelt thanks and farewells, the family set out, and the outlaws headed back toward camp.
“So, Allan, it seemed like Florrie was a rather good ‘friend’ of yours,” Marian remarked lightly.
Surprised at her bold tease, he nevertheless laughed. “Yeah, she was.”
“It seemed as though she would still like to be,” Robin said, in far too casual a manner, and then grinned at him.
Allan grinned back, but thoughts of Kate’s kisses that afternoon in Locksley drifted through his mind, rather than memories of late nights in the castle with Florrie.
“Friends are good to have,” he responded vaguely. He met Robin’s considering gaze, and suspected that his leader knew what was going on in his head. The small wink from Robin proved it. Normally, Allan would have preferred to keep his thoughts to himself, but found that he really did not mind sharing his happiness over Kate.
Uh-oh, a voice in his head murmured.
He decided to ignore it.
next chapter
*