The Longest Time - Chapter 9
Title, Chapter: The Longest Time - Chapter 9
Author: kegel84
Summary: When the king returned, everything would be right again. But the day King Richard came into the town of Nottingham, Robin and the outlaws had to notice that things didn't turn out as they had always thought in the back of their minds.
Characters/Pairings: The Outlaws & Marian, Pairings: Robin/Marian, Will/Djaq
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers/Warnings: Season 2 till Lardner's Ring (AU after that)
Disclaimer: I do not own the show or the characters and make no money off them.
Notes: Thanks so much to my betas neaptidea and emmithar, neaptidea especially for pointing out when I contradicted myself or made no sense at all, and emmithar for her inspiration. And thanks to laura_isabel for her artwork! :)
Artwork, by laura_isabel
Previous Chapter
Marian remounted her horse, ready to ride back to Locksley after she had checked on the progress of the rebuilding in Knighton. She hadn't much mind for it today. The construction was done after old plans of the hall, effectively rebuilding what had previously been there. It meant that even the emerging form of the house reminded her of what had been here, of what had been her home and the life she had lived here.
She remembered the day when Robin had returned from the Holy Land, when he had stood on their doorstep and she had threatened him with bow and arrow. She had been angry then, and worried for her father, so that she had not even felt the relief she should have at seeing him alive and well. If, when he would return next, her welcome would be different.
She had been downcast since the morning, when she had noticed that Robin's concern had not come true. She was not with child. She knew it was stupid to wish it had been so. She hadn't really thought of the matter before. While it had been clear that children would be expected if she and Robin were to marry as they had first planned all those years ago, it hadn't been the first thing on her mind. When Robin had raised the concern during the night before his departure, she had not minded it. But now she couldn't help feeling disappointment, though she guessed it was mostly the pain of him having left again, and the worry she held.
As she left Knighton behind her, she decided not to return to Locksley after all right now, feeling that it was better to be away from it for a day. She would go on to Nottingham instead to meet the new sheriff there as she had already planned to do later today. She hadn't had much opportunity yet to talk to the man about the matters in the shire.
When she arrived at the castle yard, Sir Hubert was already coming down the steps of the castle, wearing a wide smile as he saw her.
“Lady Marian, what brings you here?”
Marian dismounted, looking at the other. “You know what I need to talk to you about.”
“Ah,” the man nodded. “But the next Council is still weeks away! Come in, and sit down first, before we talk about all of those things again.”
Marian smiled tightly. While this man was trying to distract her, she knew she would at least be able to talk to him without having to worry about finding herself in the dungeons because the sheriff didn't like what she was saying.
Once they were sitting, and Sir Hubert had ordered refreshments to come, Marian tried to start the topics again that she had on her mind.
“I'm here to talk about the new taxes,” she said. “The villages can't pay it, neither Locksley nor Knighton, and I'm sure the situation isn't different in Clun, Nettlestone or the smaller villages.”
“Ah, yes,” Sir Hubert nodded, taking a sip from his drink. “Times are hard.”
“The people cannot pay,” she insisted.
“They will have to, Lady Marian. You were here and have heard the king. He needs the funds.” The sheriff smiled. “Your father would have understood.”
“Taxes were not as high during the time when my father was sheriff,” she contradicted him. “They have risen under Richard.”
“Yes, yes, his Grace needs all the funding he can get for his campaigns. All the men that follow him...”
Marian frowned. “England has already given all she had.”
“Lady Marian, let us not quarrel about that. How is your new hall coming along?”
She sighed, feeling the sting of the question. She didn't think he had intended it. She was spending means on rebuilding while claiming the villages couldn't pay their taxes. She doubted Sir Hubert intended to aggravate her with that fact. She had thought about it, but then she had figured that not rebuilding would not make it easier for the villagers to earn enough to pay what the sheriff wanted. At least in Locksley the means of the lands were ready again to help in the greatest need. Marian felt though that things were often just as difficult now as they had been when she had first decided to go out as the Nightwatchman.
“The construction is going well, but we could need more workers; in Locksley too.”
The other nodded. “Yes, but where do you intend to get them?”
What Marian had said wasn't entirely true. They didn't really need more labourers, but she had had an idea in connection with this, and as long as the sheriff didn't see through it, she would go for it.
“As you know, during the time of Sheriff Vaizey there were many men driven into the forest by his... interpretation of the law,” she started. “I think there might be a way to bring them back, recover what was done wrong in the time of a traitor who did not have the best of the kingdom in mind.”
“You want me to give a reprieve to outlaws?” Sir Hubert clarified, the smile still on his face.
Marian nodded. “There are many young, strong men who could be of much more use to the villages than living in the forest.”
“You know this would actually be a matter of the king.”
“These are men no one outside of this shire has ever heard of. They belong to the shire here. If you show mercy... and consider the use of it... More people working and living in the villages means more can be done. And the villages would be able to pay more. You can even write a letter to the king. I am sure you would be able to find his agreement.”
Sir Hubert nodded thoughtfully. “You may be right, Lady Marian. I'm sure your father would have agreed.”
Marian nodded once, knowing she wouldn't be able to talk about the taxes again today.
>>>----> >>>----> >>>---->
The downpour from above seemed endless. At least it was comparatively warm, it being early June. Still, the new rain didn't help with the mud on the ground, and Robin was fairly certain that by now the mud wasn't only on the ground, but everywhere on him. If he had been in doubt about that, he could have taken a look at Carter, who had joined his side a while ago and who was covered from head to toe, too.
It had been a few weeks now that they had left England behind after the short stop they had made in Winchester in the south of the country where the king had finally let go most of the men taken in Nottinghamshire and the areas around it. Now, it was only his army that was trudging through Normandy.
Robin had been there when the king had spoken to his next in command the night before. They expected to meet John's men soon, maybe even some of Phillip's, though they were not sure about that. What they seemed to be sure about, and willing to do, when Robin thought back to the anger he had seen in the king, was fight. The men had been readied for it, and it now only was a matter of time until it would come.
Robin was apprehensive of it. Before they had decamped in the morning, he had checked his bow again, had checked that the string was as it should be, that he had enough arrows left. His sword was by his side, but when he thought of the upcoming battle, he hated the idea of using them. Yes, he had killed during his time in Sherwood. He had done so, when it had been necessary - he almost would have said when he had no other choice, but that would disregard what Marian had once told him, and what he had further told others, that everything was a choice. He had killed then, and not the least when he had believed Marian to have died after Gisborne had stabbed the Nightwatchman. He had not thought coherently then, had been in a suicidal rage that had not stopped before the sheriff's men. He did not want to go back to that. He didn't know how he would be able to return to England this way, to his home, if he once again waded through the blood of other men.
“What are you thinking of?” Carter asked him then, as they marched on, trying to avoid the deepest water-filled holes in the ground.
“Many things,” Robin said simply. He still wasn't sure what had made Carter go with the king again, apart from loyalty, but that was maybe enough. Robin wondered if he had come, if the king had simply asked him to do so. The way it had been, the choice he had been given, it had not simply been a request. But if it had been, he was not sure that he would have come. There might have been a time, when he would have done anything for his king, but then he had also thought that doing anything meant that it would bring the man safely home. Now it was only taking them further away from England. And Robin guessed that it was more that he wanted to do anything for his home, had thought before that this meant placing the king first, thinking the man would make home right again.
Months ago he had wondered if he were ready to pay the ultimate price if the king had decided that Robin needed to die for his crimes. It was another thing he was not sure of. Loyalty to the man would have demanded that he stayed, no matter what, but loyalty to his people, to his friends, to Marian, would had demanded otherwise; that he fled and saved his life. Marian had once said that he could help no one when he was dead, but back then he had also thought that he could not see anyone hurt because of him.
Now he was marching towards battle again. He would be fighting, hurting and killing, but not so much for the loyalty to his king but for the chance to one day return to England.
>>>----> >>>----> >>>---->
Allan kept a few paces behind Will as they wandered through the forest. They had been friendly enough along the way back to Nottinghamshire, ever since they had been let go by the king's men who noted that they didn't expect to gain any ransom or any other use off them.
Allan and Will had said goodbye to the other men who had accompanied them back to the shire, some of them walking on to Nottingham town, while Will and Allan headed for Sherwood.
Allan was grateful for Will's company, but was apprehensive of the reaction of the others. Robin would be livid that he dared to come to the camp, John would disapprove and Much would voice his indignation. Of course, he still hoped to charm himself back into their good graces. He guessed though this wouldn't work on Robin at all.
But then - was Robin even at the camp anymore? The king had returned after all, had come to Nottingham, had thrown out the sheriff. Surely Robin had gotten everything he wanted, would be back at Locksley. Much was maybe back with him at Locksley, too. Allan nodded to himself, more and more convinced of the truth of this. It would be easier to talk to Djaq and John.
“Allan,” Will called from a few paces ahead. “Are you coming?”
Allan saw that a slight smile accompanied Will's question. Maybe the other didn't mind Allan's presence all that much.
“I'm here.”
It wasn't far to the outlaw's camp anymore. Allan hoped they would find the others there. He was reminded of the day when he and Will had almost run off with Gisborne's treasure, leaving the outlaws behind. But they had returned to their friends just in time to help fight off the sheriff's men.
“I don't want to startle them,” Will said. “We've been away for a long time.” They had been gone for many weeks.
“We haven't run into any new traps yet,” Allan replied somewhat nervously.
“Hello,” Will called out. “It's me, Will.”
Allan figured that he should keep his mouth shut for now.
All of a sudden the big man stood before them. John smiled broadly as he greeted Will, and the smile didn't vanish when his glance fell on Allan, though he quickly turned back to Will, apparently choosing to tolerate Allan's presence for now.
“You're back,” John nodded happily. “Djaq will be glad.”
Allan couldn't hear Will's reply, but followed the other two into the camp, where Djaq jumped up when she saw them.
“Will! Allan!”
She was hugging Will in an instant, and Allan wondered if he had ever seen cool, detached Djaq that upbeat. Then she let go of Will and turned to Allan, giving him a hug as well. “So good to see you.”
“Have you heard from Robin and Much?” Will asked, and Allan wondered what it was that they should have heard from them. They had occasionally mentioned Robin and Much during the time it took them to get back to Sherwood, but Will had not really told him what they had been doing, when the king had returned, and Allan had figured that he did not really know it either.
“Much was here for a few days,” Djaq told them, “but he left to find Eve.”
“Eve?” Allan wondered. He remembered what that girl was about, but why would Much leave to go to her?
“What about Robin?” Will went on.
Djaq glanced at John, who shrugged.
“Robin left with the king months ago,” he said. “They're going to France, Marian told us. And Much followed Robin for a week before coming back and he said the same thing.”
“He left?” Allan laughed. That was so Robin. The man couldn't be quick enough to hang out with the king again.
“It wasn't because he wanted to, Allan,” John spoke up, sounding more serious than Allan would have expected.
“Well, I didn't want to go anywhere either. And I'm sure Will shares that sentiment. But look, we're back,” Allan shrugged.
Will gave Allan a look.
“What now?” he wanted to know.
“Marian,” Djaq said. “She is doing something.”
Allan grimaced, hoping this would amount to something else than running around with a mask on her face.
Next Chapter
Author: kegel84
Summary: When the king returned, everything would be right again. But the day King Richard came into the town of Nottingham, Robin and the outlaws had to notice that things didn't turn out as they had always thought in the back of their minds.
Characters/Pairings: The Outlaws & Marian, Pairings: Robin/Marian, Will/Djaq
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers/Warnings: Season 2 till Lardner's Ring (AU after that)
Disclaimer: I do not own the show or the characters and make no money off them.
Notes: Thanks so much to my betas neaptidea and emmithar, neaptidea especially for pointing out when I contradicted myself or made no sense at all, and emmithar for her inspiration. And thanks to laura_isabel for her artwork! :)
Artwork, by laura_isabel
Previous Chapter
Marian remounted her horse, ready to ride back to Locksley after she had checked on the progress of the rebuilding in Knighton. She hadn't much mind for it today. The construction was done after old plans of the hall, effectively rebuilding what had previously been there. It meant that even the emerging form of the house reminded her of what had been here, of what had been her home and the life she had lived here.
She remembered the day when Robin had returned from the Holy Land, when he had stood on their doorstep and she had threatened him with bow and arrow. She had been angry then, and worried for her father, so that she had not even felt the relief she should have at seeing him alive and well. If, when he would return next, her welcome would be different.
She had been downcast since the morning, when she had noticed that Robin's concern had not come true. She was not with child. She knew it was stupid to wish it had been so. She hadn't really thought of the matter before. While it had been clear that children would be expected if she and Robin were to marry as they had first planned all those years ago, it hadn't been the first thing on her mind. When Robin had raised the concern during the night before his departure, she had not minded it. But now she couldn't help feeling disappointment, though she guessed it was mostly the pain of him having left again, and the worry she held.
As she left Knighton behind her, she decided not to return to Locksley after all right now, feeling that it was better to be away from it for a day. She would go on to Nottingham instead to meet the new sheriff there as she had already planned to do later today. She hadn't had much opportunity yet to talk to the man about the matters in the shire.
When she arrived at the castle yard, Sir Hubert was already coming down the steps of the castle, wearing a wide smile as he saw her.
“Lady Marian, what brings you here?”
Marian dismounted, looking at the other. “You know what I need to talk to you about.”
“Ah,” the man nodded. “But the next Council is still weeks away! Come in, and sit down first, before we talk about all of those things again.”
Marian smiled tightly. While this man was trying to distract her, she knew she would at least be able to talk to him without having to worry about finding herself in the dungeons because the sheriff didn't like what she was saying.
Once they were sitting, and Sir Hubert had ordered refreshments to come, Marian tried to start the topics again that she had on her mind.
“I'm here to talk about the new taxes,” she said. “The villages can't pay it, neither Locksley nor Knighton, and I'm sure the situation isn't different in Clun, Nettlestone or the smaller villages.”
“Ah, yes,” Sir Hubert nodded, taking a sip from his drink. “Times are hard.”
“The people cannot pay,” she insisted.
“They will have to, Lady Marian. You were here and have heard the king. He needs the funds.” The sheriff smiled. “Your father would have understood.”
“Taxes were not as high during the time when my father was sheriff,” she contradicted him. “They have risen under Richard.”
“Yes, yes, his Grace needs all the funding he can get for his campaigns. All the men that follow him...”
Marian frowned. “England has already given all she had.”
“Lady Marian, let us not quarrel about that. How is your new hall coming along?”
She sighed, feeling the sting of the question. She didn't think he had intended it. She was spending means on rebuilding while claiming the villages couldn't pay their taxes. She doubted Sir Hubert intended to aggravate her with that fact. She had thought about it, but then she had figured that not rebuilding would not make it easier for the villagers to earn enough to pay what the sheriff wanted. At least in Locksley the means of the lands were ready again to help in the greatest need. Marian felt though that things were often just as difficult now as they had been when she had first decided to go out as the Nightwatchman.
“The construction is going well, but we could need more workers; in Locksley too.”
The other nodded. “Yes, but where do you intend to get them?”
What Marian had said wasn't entirely true. They didn't really need more labourers, but she had had an idea in connection with this, and as long as the sheriff didn't see through it, she would go for it.
“As you know, during the time of Sheriff Vaizey there were many men driven into the forest by his... interpretation of the law,” she started. “I think there might be a way to bring them back, recover what was done wrong in the time of a traitor who did not have the best of the kingdom in mind.”
“You want me to give a reprieve to outlaws?” Sir Hubert clarified, the smile still on his face.
Marian nodded. “There are many young, strong men who could be of much more use to the villages than living in the forest.”
“You know this would actually be a matter of the king.”
“These are men no one outside of this shire has ever heard of. They belong to the shire here. If you show mercy... and consider the use of it... More people working and living in the villages means more can be done. And the villages would be able to pay more. You can even write a letter to the king. I am sure you would be able to find his agreement.”
Sir Hubert nodded thoughtfully. “You may be right, Lady Marian. I'm sure your father would have agreed.”
Marian nodded once, knowing she wouldn't be able to talk about the taxes again today.
>>>----> >>>----> >>>---->
The downpour from above seemed endless. At least it was comparatively warm, it being early June. Still, the new rain didn't help with the mud on the ground, and Robin was fairly certain that by now the mud wasn't only on the ground, but everywhere on him. If he had been in doubt about that, he could have taken a look at Carter, who had joined his side a while ago and who was covered from head to toe, too.
It had been a few weeks now that they had left England behind after the short stop they had made in Winchester in the south of the country where the king had finally let go most of the men taken in Nottinghamshire and the areas around it. Now, it was only his army that was trudging through Normandy.
Robin had been there when the king had spoken to his next in command the night before. They expected to meet John's men soon, maybe even some of Phillip's, though they were not sure about that. What they seemed to be sure about, and willing to do, when Robin thought back to the anger he had seen in the king, was fight. The men had been readied for it, and it now only was a matter of time until it would come.
Robin was apprehensive of it. Before they had decamped in the morning, he had checked his bow again, had checked that the string was as it should be, that he had enough arrows left. His sword was by his side, but when he thought of the upcoming battle, he hated the idea of using them. Yes, he had killed during his time in Sherwood. He had done so, when it had been necessary - he almost would have said when he had no other choice, but that would disregard what Marian had once told him, and what he had further told others, that everything was a choice. He had killed then, and not the least when he had believed Marian to have died after Gisborne had stabbed the Nightwatchman. He had not thought coherently then, had been in a suicidal rage that had not stopped before the sheriff's men. He did not want to go back to that. He didn't know how he would be able to return to England this way, to his home, if he once again waded through the blood of other men.
“What are you thinking of?” Carter asked him then, as they marched on, trying to avoid the deepest water-filled holes in the ground.
“Many things,” Robin said simply. He still wasn't sure what had made Carter go with the king again, apart from loyalty, but that was maybe enough. Robin wondered if he had come, if the king had simply asked him to do so. The way it had been, the choice he had been given, it had not simply been a request. But if it had been, he was not sure that he would have come. There might have been a time, when he would have done anything for his king, but then he had also thought that doing anything meant that it would bring the man safely home. Now it was only taking them further away from England. And Robin guessed that it was more that he wanted to do anything for his home, had thought before that this meant placing the king first, thinking the man would make home right again.
Months ago he had wondered if he were ready to pay the ultimate price if the king had decided that Robin needed to die for his crimes. It was another thing he was not sure of. Loyalty to the man would have demanded that he stayed, no matter what, but loyalty to his people, to his friends, to Marian, would had demanded otherwise; that he fled and saved his life. Marian had once said that he could help no one when he was dead, but back then he had also thought that he could not see anyone hurt because of him.
Now he was marching towards battle again. He would be fighting, hurting and killing, but not so much for the loyalty to his king but for the chance to one day return to England.
>>>----> >>>----> >>>---->
Allan kept a few paces behind Will as they wandered through the forest. They had been friendly enough along the way back to Nottinghamshire, ever since they had been let go by the king's men who noted that they didn't expect to gain any ransom or any other use off them.
Allan and Will had said goodbye to the other men who had accompanied them back to the shire, some of them walking on to Nottingham town, while Will and Allan headed for Sherwood.
Allan was grateful for Will's company, but was apprehensive of the reaction of the others. Robin would be livid that he dared to come to the camp, John would disapprove and Much would voice his indignation. Of course, he still hoped to charm himself back into their good graces. He guessed though this wouldn't work on Robin at all.
But then - was Robin even at the camp anymore? The king had returned after all, had come to Nottingham, had thrown out the sheriff. Surely Robin had gotten everything he wanted, would be back at Locksley. Much was maybe back with him at Locksley, too. Allan nodded to himself, more and more convinced of the truth of this. It would be easier to talk to Djaq and John.
“Allan,” Will called from a few paces ahead. “Are you coming?”
Allan saw that a slight smile accompanied Will's question. Maybe the other didn't mind Allan's presence all that much.
“I'm here.”
It wasn't far to the outlaw's camp anymore. Allan hoped they would find the others there. He was reminded of the day when he and Will had almost run off with Gisborne's treasure, leaving the outlaws behind. But they had returned to their friends just in time to help fight off the sheriff's men.
“I don't want to startle them,” Will said. “We've been away for a long time.” They had been gone for many weeks.
“We haven't run into any new traps yet,” Allan replied somewhat nervously.
“Hello,” Will called out. “It's me, Will.”
Allan figured that he should keep his mouth shut for now.
All of a sudden the big man stood before them. John smiled broadly as he greeted Will, and the smile didn't vanish when his glance fell on Allan, though he quickly turned back to Will, apparently choosing to tolerate Allan's presence for now.
“You're back,” John nodded happily. “Djaq will be glad.”
Allan couldn't hear Will's reply, but followed the other two into the camp, where Djaq jumped up when she saw them.
“Will! Allan!”
She was hugging Will in an instant, and Allan wondered if he had ever seen cool, detached Djaq that upbeat. Then she let go of Will and turned to Allan, giving him a hug as well. “So good to see you.”
“Have you heard from Robin and Much?” Will asked, and Allan wondered what it was that they should have heard from them. They had occasionally mentioned Robin and Much during the time it took them to get back to Sherwood, but Will had not really told him what they had been doing, when the king had returned, and Allan had figured that he did not really know it either.
“Much was here for a few days,” Djaq told them, “but he left to find Eve.”
“Eve?” Allan wondered. He remembered what that girl was about, but why would Much leave to go to her?
“What about Robin?” Will went on.
Djaq glanced at John, who shrugged.
“Robin left with the king months ago,” he said. “They're going to France, Marian told us. And Much followed Robin for a week before coming back and he said the same thing.”
“He left?” Allan laughed. That was so Robin. The man couldn't be quick enough to hang out with the king again.
“It wasn't because he wanted to, Allan,” John spoke up, sounding more serious than Allan would have expected.
“Well, I didn't want to go anywhere either. And I'm sure Will shares that sentiment. But look, we're back,” Allan shrugged.
Will gave Allan a look.
“What now?” he wanted to know.
“Marian,” Djaq said. “She is doing something.”
Allan grimaced, hoping this would amount to something else than running around with a mask on her face.
Next Chapter