Nocturne, Chapter 4
Title, Chapter: Nocturne, Chapter 4
Author: railise
Summary: Robin and Marian attempt to sneak into Knighton Hall.
Characters/Pairings: Robin/Marian
Rating: PG
Spoilers/Warnings: Starts the morning after 1x13 ends; AU from there. Serious skulking about within this chapter. *shifty eyes*
Disclaimer: I can only dream of having been affiliated with the show Robin Hood, its characters, creators, cast, crew, or other overseers. Reality presents an opposite tale. Such is life.
Artwork by shinysparks
Previous Chapter
~4~
They waited until after dark; luck was with them insofar as the night went, since clouds still covered what little moonlight there was. Robin had not wanted Marian to come along, as she had already needed to have her stitches fixed once that day, but there was no talking her out of it. And, it did make sense for her to be present, so that if they had an opportunity to collect more than only the box, she would be able to select those things. Much and Will remained nearby to come to the rescue if needed, but far enough back that, if anything went desperately wrong, they could go get help from the outlaws who had stayed with Edward.
Robin was growing more concerned by the minute that help would prove to be necessary. Knighton was crawling with the sheriff's and Gisborne's men; fortunately, the soldiers were conspicuous enough that he doubted they would run into any by accident, yet their sheer numbers were going to make it difficult to get anywhere without being spotted. They naturally figured that they would have a better chance of getting in the back, so they had come up through the woods that way, stopping to survey the village as they went. It should have been no surprise to discover that the outlaws were not the only ones who had recognized the tactical advantage, but it was still frustrating to Robin when they found several guards posted along the treeline.
"We can take them," Marian hissed in his ear. "There are only eight."
"Yes, we can take them, but not without alerting the other dozen," he replied in an equally low tone. "We stand a better chance coming up through the village."
Creeping back through the forest and down below Knighton again was a simple matter, but moving through the village was much more complicated. Robin and Marian waited near one of the cottages until a patrol had passed, and then, crouched down to make themselves as inconspicuous as possible, darted over to the lean-to attached to the back of the cottage, ducking behind a small pile of crates just as the guardsman walked around behind the dwelling. Once he had finished his circuit and they were alone once more, they hurried to the next cottage, and made it to one more beyond that before the patrol circled the houses again. Two more such rushed movements brought them to the edge of the village, and the most challenging problem yet: getting to the manor.
Four armed men were positioned along the front of Knighton Hall, spaced out so as to cover the area, but not widely enough to allow for any evasion. When entering the manor by the second floor, Robin had always climbed up the back, by Marian's chamber; he had never had occasion to do so from the front before. Considering the problem, he peered around the corner of the cottage where they were currently hiding. Leaning back, he whispered to Marian, "We can go around behind the planting sheds, and come up behind the stables. It does not look like there are many, if any patrols over there."
She raised an unimpressed eyebrow. "If you had given me the chance, I would have told you that."
He realized that she probably knew every way to sneak in and out of the house, after nearly four years spent as the Night Watchman, although he would have appreciated that she point it out in a less critical fashion. "Do you have any specific suggestions, then?"
"Actually, I do," she hissed. When both his eyebrows went up to indicate that she should share her idea, she did: "Follow me."
It had taken Robin some getting used to when he first had to follow orders in the Holy Land. Being orphaned at the age of eight and growing up as an influential lord had not instilled much in the way of humility in him. Thornton tried, and Edward made an effort, too; and between them, Robin at least picked up some proper manners, likely helped along by an innate sense of respect. He did learn to take commands on Crusade, but he soon rose to a position of leadership, himself, which left him answerable to no one but the king. Since being left behind by the king's army, he had once again gotten used to being the one in charge. Following the lead of another did not come naturally to him.
And yet, he found that he had no trouble falling into step behind Marian as she hurried behind the potting shed, staying as low as they could in the hopes of not being spotted. That was not to say that he could see himself surrendering the gang to her, he acknowledged, as he flattened himself against the back of an outbuilding and inched along the wall beside her. But, watching as she ran to another shed in such a smooth, silent fashion, he reflected on how utterly competent she was in situations like these. Coming to a halt quietly behind her and edging around the structure, he reflected not for the first time about how much Marian stood out amongst the women of the nobility. Most had at least rudimentary knowledge of how to wield a sword or a bow, and there were a few who were very clever and not afraid to hide it, and a few who at least attempted to be clever; but, not one of them would be found lurking about in the middle of the night, especially not with skill that spoke of having performed the action many times before. Falling into step as they hurried to the grain storage building, he grinned as he thought how most noblewomen would respond to even the suggestion of acting as the Night Watchman. Marian had not only been amenable to the concept, she had invented it, if not the name that accompanied it.
Emerging around the corner of that building, he thought once more how wonderful she had been outside of Clun that day. If facing off against a group of guards in order to deliver a wagon of food to a starving village was wonderful, what she did in that mask and cloak was magnificent. They were about to embark on the most dangerous part of the excursion thus far, getting into the manor, which would not be easily accomplished with the guards outside-- and worse, if there were many men inside.
And that was why Robin hated that Marian was so good at adventurous tasks. Those other noblewomen were safe in their beds right now, whereas she could very easily be hauled back to the Nottingham dungeons at any moment, facing the noose this time instead of the block. It was possible that she had already aggravated her wound once again with all of this rushing about, perhaps not just the stitches in her skin, but the ones within her body, as well. Of all the memories he wished he could forget, having Marian's blood soaking into his hands as he tried in vain to help Djaq repair the damage within her was near the top of the list.
But, he could not think on that, because it was distracting him at a time when he very much needed to concentrate-- not just for his safety, but for hers, as well. They both peered over at the stables, before leaning back to quickly converse. "It looks clear," Marian murmured.
Robin gave her a nod. "Let's just hope nobody's watching the horses."
Almost silently, they hastened across the exposed patch of ground between the grain shed and the stables, and ducked through the doorway on the side of the stables away from the manor entrance. Fortunately, the horses were unguarded, and after releasing a couple of the animals to get the sheriff's men away from the front of the house, the pair rushed through the front door. They had weapons in hand, prepared for a fight, but the low sound of voices from the kitchen indicated where the men lucky enough to be stationed inside had gone; after exchanging an amused glance, Robin and Marian crept up the stairs.
He had been concerned that, as some of the guards were clearly picking through the kitchen, one or more might be seeing what they could pocket from the bedchambers. However, they were once again fortunate enough to avoid detection, and in the faint light of a lantern which had been left burning in the corridor, Marian quickly retrieved the jewelry box and stowed it in one of the packs they had brought along. Then, they quickly grabbed as many other things as they could-- mostly clothes, but some other sentimental or practical objects, as well,-- and when the packs were both full, Robin peeked out the back window in Marian's chamber. The guards behind the house had not moved, so he decided to make them do so.
"Get ready," he said, slinging his bow off of his back and retrieving a pair of arrows from his quiver.
Marian tossed one of the packs onto her back, and handed him the other, which he quickly donned. Standing to the left of her window, he aimed toward the blade on a plough, which he had noticed earlier behind one of the outbuildings. The person in charge of its care needed to be far more diligent, but as it was proving to be a boon for the lady of the estate, Robin figured it all worked out in the end. "Ready?" he asked.
"Ready," she confirmed.
Letting the arrows fly, there was a satisfying clanging noise which, as he had intended, got every guard stationed in the area running toward the sound. "Let's go!" he hissed, hopping out of the window and onto the ledge. Marian followed, as comfortable as he with climbing about the framework outside her home, and more used to doing so whilst carrying provisions. Grinning at her, half in admiration and half from enjoyment of the adventure, Robin was about to put his bow onto his back so that he could swing onto the metal bar below and get to the ground, when they heard the guards running in their direction.
Quickly, he moved back, Marian already doing the same, and both of them taking cover in the shadows under the eaves.
"They must be in the house!" one of the men called. "Bert, Perry, around to the front. Jarvis, Art, to the other side. The rest of you, follow me." With that, the apparent leader and three other men rushed through the back entryway, passing absurdly close to the feet of the people they were pursuing. Once they were all inside, the door shutting behind the last, Robin dropped to the ground, Marian landing right next to him. When he glanced at her to make sure she was with him, she slid her hand into his and held on as they made their escape.
For a moment, Robin was perfectly happy.
Next Chapter
Author: railise
Summary: Robin and Marian attempt to sneak into Knighton Hall.
Characters/Pairings: Robin/Marian
Rating: PG
Spoilers/Warnings: Starts the morning after 1x13 ends; AU from there. Serious skulking about within this chapter. *shifty eyes*
Disclaimer: I can only dream of having been affiliated with the show Robin Hood, its characters, creators, cast, crew, or other overseers. Reality presents an opposite tale. Such is life.
Artwork by shinysparks
Previous Chapter
~4~
They waited until after dark; luck was with them insofar as the night went, since clouds still covered what little moonlight there was. Robin had not wanted Marian to come along, as she had already needed to have her stitches fixed once that day, but there was no talking her out of it. And, it did make sense for her to be present, so that if they had an opportunity to collect more than only the box, she would be able to select those things. Much and Will remained nearby to come to the rescue if needed, but far enough back that, if anything went desperately wrong, they could go get help from the outlaws who had stayed with Edward.
Robin was growing more concerned by the minute that help would prove to be necessary. Knighton was crawling with the sheriff's and Gisborne's men; fortunately, the soldiers were conspicuous enough that he doubted they would run into any by accident, yet their sheer numbers were going to make it difficult to get anywhere without being spotted. They naturally figured that they would have a better chance of getting in the back, so they had come up through the woods that way, stopping to survey the village as they went. It should have been no surprise to discover that the outlaws were not the only ones who had recognized the tactical advantage, but it was still frustrating to Robin when they found several guards posted along the treeline.
"We can take them," Marian hissed in his ear. "There are only eight."
"Yes, we can take them, but not without alerting the other dozen," he replied in an equally low tone. "We stand a better chance coming up through the village."
Creeping back through the forest and down below Knighton again was a simple matter, but moving through the village was much more complicated. Robin and Marian waited near one of the cottages until a patrol had passed, and then, crouched down to make themselves as inconspicuous as possible, darted over to the lean-to attached to the back of the cottage, ducking behind a small pile of crates just as the guardsman walked around behind the dwelling. Once he had finished his circuit and they were alone once more, they hurried to the next cottage, and made it to one more beyond that before the patrol circled the houses again. Two more such rushed movements brought them to the edge of the village, and the most challenging problem yet: getting to the manor.
Four armed men were positioned along the front of Knighton Hall, spaced out so as to cover the area, but not widely enough to allow for any evasion. When entering the manor by the second floor, Robin had always climbed up the back, by Marian's chamber; he had never had occasion to do so from the front before. Considering the problem, he peered around the corner of the cottage where they were currently hiding. Leaning back, he whispered to Marian, "We can go around behind the planting sheds, and come up behind the stables. It does not look like there are many, if any patrols over there."
She raised an unimpressed eyebrow. "If you had given me the chance, I would have told you that."
He realized that she probably knew every way to sneak in and out of the house, after nearly four years spent as the Night Watchman, although he would have appreciated that she point it out in a less critical fashion. "Do you have any specific suggestions, then?"
"Actually, I do," she hissed. When both his eyebrows went up to indicate that she should share her idea, she did: "Follow me."
It had taken Robin some getting used to when he first had to follow orders in the Holy Land. Being orphaned at the age of eight and growing up as an influential lord had not instilled much in the way of humility in him. Thornton tried, and Edward made an effort, too; and between them, Robin at least picked up some proper manners, likely helped along by an innate sense of respect. He did learn to take commands on Crusade, but he soon rose to a position of leadership, himself, which left him answerable to no one but the king. Since being left behind by the king's army, he had once again gotten used to being the one in charge. Following the lead of another did not come naturally to him.
And yet, he found that he had no trouble falling into step behind Marian as she hurried behind the potting shed, staying as low as they could in the hopes of not being spotted. That was not to say that he could see himself surrendering the gang to her, he acknowledged, as he flattened himself against the back of an outbuilding and inched along the wall beside her. But, watching as she ran to another shed in such a smooth, silent fashion, he reflected on how utterly competent she was in situations like these. Coming to a halt quietly behind her and edging around the structure, he reflected not for the first time about how much Marian stood out amongst the women of the nobility. Most had at least rudimentary knowledge of how to wield a sword or a bow, and there were a few who were very clever and not afraid to hide it, and a few who at least attempted to be clever; but, not one of them would be found lurking about in the middle of the night, especially not with skill that spoke of having performed the action many times before. Falling into step as they hurried to the grain storage building, he grinned as he thought how most noblewomen would respond to even the suggestion of acting as the Night Watchman. Marian had not only been amenable to the concept, she had invented it, if not the name that accompanied it.
Emerging around the corner of that building, he thought once more how wonderful she had been outside of Clun that day. If facing off against a group of guards in order to deliver a wagon of food to a starving village was wonderful, what she did in that mask and cloak was magnificent. They were about to embark on the most dangerous part of the excursion thus far, getting into the manor, which would not be easily accomplished with the guards outside-- and worse, if there were many men inside.
And that was why Robin hated that Marian was so good at adventurous tasks. Those other noblewomen were safe in their beds right now, whereas she could very easily be hauled back to the Nottingham dungeons at any moment, facing the noose this time instead of the block. It was possible that she had already aggravated her wound once again with all of this rushing about, perhaps not just the stitches in her skin, but the ones within her body, as well. Of all the memories he wished he could forget, having Marian's blood soaking into his hands as he tried in vain to help Djaq repair the damage within her was near the top of the list.
But, he could not think on that, because it was distracting him at a time when he very much needed to concentrate-- not just for his safety, but for hers, as well. They both peered over at the stables, before leaning back to quickly converse. "It looks clear," Marian murmured.
Robin gave her a nod. "Let's just hope nobody's watching the horses."
Almost silently, they hastened across the exposed patch of ground between the grain shed and the stables, and ducked through the doorway on the side of the stables away from the manor entrance. Fortunately, the horses were unguarded, and after releasing a couple of the animals to get the sheriff's men away from the front of the house, the pair rushed through the front door. They had weapons in hand, prepared for a fight, but the low sound of voices from the kitchen indicated where the men lucky enough to be stationed inside had gone; after exchanging an amused glance, Robin and Marian crept up the stairs.
He had been concerned that, as some of the guards were clearly picking through the kitchen, one or more might be seeing what they could pocket from the bedchambers. However, they were once again fortunate enough to avoid detection, and in the faint light of a lantern which had been left burning in the corridor, Marian quickly retrieved the jewelry box and stowed it in one of the packs they had brought along. Then, they quickly grabbed as many other things as they could-- mostly clothes, but some other sentimental or practical objects, as well,-- and when the packs were both full, Robin peeked out the back window in Marian's chamber. The guards behind the house had not moved, so he decided to make them do so.
"Get ready," he said, slinging his bow off of his back and retrieving a pair of arrows from his quiver.
Marian tossed one of the packs onto her back, and handed him the other, which he quickly donned. Standing to the left of her window, he aimed toward the blade on a plough, which he had noticed earlier behind one of the outbuildings. The person in charge of its care needed to be far more diligent, but as it was proving to be a boon for the lady of the estate, Robin figured it all worked out in the end. "Ready?" he asked.
"Ready," she confirmed.
Letting the arrows fly, there was a satisfying clanging noise which, as he had intended, got every guard stationed in the area running toward the sound. "Let's go!" he hissed, hopping out of the window and onto the ledge. Marian followed, as comfortable as he with climbing about the framework outside her home, and more used to doing so whilst carrying provisions. Grinning at her, half in admiration and half from enjoyment of the adventure, Robin was about to put his bow onto his back so that he could swing onto the metal bar below and get to the ground, when they heard the guards running in their direction.
Quickly, he moved back, Marian already doing the same, and both of them taking cover in the shadows under the eaves.
"They must be in the house!" one of the men called. "Bert, Perry, around to the front. Jarvis, Art, to the other side. The rest of you, follow me." With that, the apparent leader and three other men rushed through the back entryway, passing absurdly close to the feet of the people they were pursuing. Once they were all inside, the door shutting behind the last, Robin dropped to the ground, Marian landing right next to him. When he glanced at her to make sure she was with him, she slid her hand into his and held on as they made their escape.
For a moment, Robin was perfectly happy.
Next Chapter