Epic Short Fic: The Gambler - Part IV
Title: The Gambler
Author: roh_wyn
Word Count: 7844 words total; 1022 in this part
Rating: PG-13
Characters/Pairings: Little John, Allan, OC, mentions the other outlaws
Spoilers/Warnings: 2x12
Summary: The gang has an encounter with a mysterious stranger. (This story has not been beta'd and is quite possibly about nothing, but not in a cool Seinfeld sort of way).
Disclaimer: Robin Hood belongs to the BBC, Tiger Aspect and legend.
Continued from Part III at udontknowdjaq
John reached for the slop bucket and heaved, trying to empty the contents of his already empty stomach. He'd been this way since they'd gotten on the ship at Marseilles. Stupid thing…why isn't it ever still?
He hadn't given too much thought to sea sickness before, despite Djaq's many warnings. He'd considered himself above such petty fears, the domain of men who were smaller, not just in stature, but in heart. He'd lived the hard life of an outlaw for ten year-no, maybe more, he'd lost count-and he had little doubt nothing could be harder than that.
But the sea had made a mockery of his certainty. The moment they lifted anchor and the vessel began to list on the water, his heart had come into his throat and for a moment, the world had stopped. When it had begun to turn again, his stomach had threatened and he'd been driven below decks, to save his health and dignity. No amount of coaxing from the others had convinced him to come up at first, and although Djaq had given him a potion to settle his stomach, it was no assurance against a second wave of sickness.
Robin had, however, ultimately convinced him to come on to the deck, not for his own good but for the mission, and John hadn't been able to refuse. He hadn't really told anyone, when they returned to England-if they returned at all-he was determined to make a new life for himself. Being stuck in that barn, being near the edge of death, had convinced him he'd spent too long in regret and anger. It had festered like an old wound and left him with only bitterness and despair. In the barn, though, it had come to him all of a sudden, surrounded by other men and their half-lived lives. There isn't much point to being alive if you don't try to live…
When all this was over, he'd go out and find his wife and son and try to be a family man again. If he was far enough away from Nottingham, the law could not touch him, and he'd be able to keep Alice and his boy safe from harm. The fact that she already had a family gave him pause. What if she and Luke had married? What if she had other-
His reverie was interrupted by a tug on his sleeve. It was Allan.
"What do you want?" The words were out of his mouth before John could think better of them. He had not intended the harshness in his tone either, but unable to take it back, he just grunted in Allan's direction.
For his part, Allan seemed to understand. He shrugged and added, "I need a favor."
"From me?"
"Yeah. You doin' anything later tonight?"
John gaped at him, surprised at the question. However debauched Allan himself was, he usually never dragged John into his acts. When he didn't answer, Allan laughed and pressed on. "See, I thought maybe you'd like to be acquainted with my friend there." He pointed to a corner of the deck where a woman was standing, partly obscured by the shadows. John recognized her as the woman Robin had brought on board the ship. Probably some whore…
He gave Allan a withering look. "I don't want her. And I thought she was keeping you busy."
Allan looked ready to disagree, but after a moment, his shoulders slumped and he let out a sigh, resigned. "Yeah. Not bein' funny, but that's not going so well right now."
"So you want me to-er-?"
Allan shook his head with mock-emphasis. "Oh, nothing like that. I just need you to talk to her."
"About taking you back?"
"No!" Allan looked appalled at the idea. "I just want my black jacket back. It's mine. And it keeps me warm." He braced himself against the cold, making his point again. There was something vaguely pathetic about him, and he reminded John of a mouse about to drown. Or a rat…
He shook his head, trying to dismiss the uncharitable thought. "And if I ask her, she'll just give it to me?"
Allan shrugged. "I don't know. But you're a big man. Maybe you can do what I can't." Allan clapped him on the arm in a gesture that was too friendly much too soon. He took his hand away when John glared at him. "Only one way to find out though."
Reluctantly, John walked over to the woman, wondering the entire time why he wanted to help Allan. But there's good in everyone, I suppose.
He cleared his throat as he approached her. "Er, my friend there. He wants his jacket back."
The woman laughed, a sound like the tinkling of bells. "Oh, he does, does he?" She pulled a pair of dice out of her pocket. "And how are you going to help him?"
John shuffled his feet nervously. "I don't play those sorts of games."
"Are you sure? Not even just once?" She threw the dice in the air, and as they caught a sliver of light, it seemed to John as if they were dancing in the air. It was a bit like magic, and he was both awed by the sight and a bit frightened.
"I-I don't-"
"Won't you try once?" She moved very close to him, fingering the edge of his coat collar. "Big bear?"
He gaped at her, wondering how she'd known about that name, but before he could ask her, she sidled off, throwing him a glance and a sly grin as she walked away.
John's curiosity got the better of him. "Er, wait," he called after her. "Maybe I'll play. Just once. Like you said."
"Well, then." She sat down on the wood and patted the spot next to her. "Shall we?"
A few hours later
John startled awake to Allan shaking him.
"Well? Where's my jacket?"
John grunted at him and gave him what he hoped was his most disapproving glare. "She wouldn't give it to me." He mumbled sheepishly. "Managed to lose mine too."
--
Next Chapter
Author: roh_wyn
Word Count: 7844 words total; 1022 in this part
Rating: PG-13
Characters/Pairings: Little John, Allan, OC, mentions the other outlaws
Spoilers/Warnings: 2x12
Summary: The gang has an encounter with a mysterious stranger. (This story has not been beta'd and is quite possibly about nothing, but not in a cool Seinfeld sort of way).
Disclaimer: Robin Hood belongs to the BBC, Tiger Aspect and legend.
Continued from Part III at udontknowdjaq
John reached for the slop bucket and heaved, trying to empty the contents of his already empty stomach. He'd been this way since they'd gotten on the ship at Marseilles. Stupid thing…why isn't it ever still?
He hadn't given too much thought to sea sickness before, despite Djaq's many warnings. He'd considered himself above such petty fears, the domain of men who were smaller, not just in stature, but in heart. He'd lived the hard life of an outlaw for ten year-no, maybe more, he'd lost count-and he had little doubt nothing could be harder than that.
But the sea had made a mockery of his certainty. The moment they lifted anchor and the vessel began to list on the water, his heart had come into his throat and for a moment, the world had stopped. When it had begun to turn again, his stomach had threatened and he'd been driven below decks, to save his health and dignity. No amount of coaxing from the others had convinced him to come up at first, and although Djaq had given him a potion to settle his stomach, it was no assurance against a second wave of sickness.
Robin had, however, ultimately convinced him to come on to the deck, not for his own good but for the mission, and John hadn't been able to refuse. He hadn't really told anyone, when they returned to England-if they returned at all-he was determined to make a new life for himself. Being stuck in that barn, being near the edge of death, had convinced him he'd spent too long in regret and anger. It had festered like an old wound and left him with only bitterness and despair. In the barn, though, it had come to him all of a sudden, surrounded by other men and their half-lived lives. There isn't much point to being alive if you don't try to live…
When all this was over, he'd go out and find his wife and son and try to be a family man again. If he was far enough away from Nottingham, the law could not touch him, and he'd be able to keep Alice and his boy safe from harm. The fact that she already had a family gave him pause. What if she and Luke had married? What if she had other-
His reverie was interrupted by a tug on his sleeve. It was Allan.
"What do you want?" The words were out of his mouth before John could think better of them. He had not intended the harshness in his tone either, but unable to take it back, he just grunted in Allan's direction.
For his part, Allan seemed to understand. He shrugged and added, "I need a favor."
"From me?"
"Yeah. You doin' anything later tonight?"
John gaped at him, surprised at the question. However debauched Allan himself was, he usually never dragged John into his acts. When he didn't answer, Allan laughed and pressed on. "See, I thought maybe you'd like to be acquainted with my friend there." He pointed to a corner of the deck where a woman was standing, partly obscured by the shadows. John recognized her as the woman Robin had brought on board the ship. Probably some whore…
He gave Allan a withering look. "I don't want her. And I thought she was keeping you busy."
Allan looked ready to disagree, but after a moment, his shoulders slumped and he let out a sigh, resigned. "Yeah. Not bein' funny, but that's not going so well right now."
"So you want me to-er-?"
Allan shook his head with mock-emphasis. "Oh, nothing like that. I just need you to talk to her."
"About taking you back?"
"No!" Allan looked appalled at the idea. "I just want my black jacket back. It's mine. And it keeps me warm." He braced himself against the cold, making his point again. There was something vaguely pathetic about him, and he reminded John of a mouse about to drown. Or a rat…
He shook his head, trying to dismiss the uncharitable thought. "And if I ask her, she'll just give it to me?"
Allan shrugged. "I don't know. But you're a big man. Maybe you can do what I can't." Allan clapped him on the arm in a gesture that was too friendly much too soon. He took his hand away when John glared at him. "Only one way to find out though."
Reluctantly, John walked over to the woman, wondering the entire time why he wanted to help Allan. But there's good in everyone, I suppose.
He cleared his throat as he approached her. "Er, my friend there. He wants his jacket back."
The woman laughed, a sound like the tinkling of bells. "Oh, he does, does he?" She pulled a pair of dice out of her pocket. "And how are you going to help him?"
John shuffled his feet nervously. "I don't play those sorts of games."
"Are you sure? Not even just once?" She threw the dice in the air, and as they caught a sliver of light, it seemed to John as if they were dancing in the air. It was a bit like magic, and he was both awed by the sight and a bit frightened.
"I-I don't-"
"Won't you try once?" She moved very close to him, fingering the edge of his coat collar. "Big bear?"
He gaped at her, wondering how she'd known about that name, but before he could ask her, she sidled off, throwing him a glance and a sly grin as she walked away.
John's curiosity got the better of him. "Er, wait," he called after her. "Maybe I'll play. Just once. Like you said."
"Well, then." She sat down on the wood and patted the spot next to her. "Shall we?"
A few hours later
John startled awake to Allan shaking him.
"Well? Where's my jacket?"
John grunted at him and gave him what he hoped was his most disapproving glare. "She wouldn't give it to me." He mumbled sheepishly. "Managed to lose mine too."
--
Next Chapter