Intercomm Ficlet: Delivered
Title: Delivered
Author: wastingyourgum
Characters: Much, Thornton, some unnamed yet familiar outlaws
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama
Warnings: Some fisticuffs, an implied death
Words: 859
Disclaimer: BBC & TA own anything you find familiar.
Notes: For rh_intercomm . Pre-series -takes place 1182ish. Beta'd by robinfanatic
Summary: a young Much gets into trouble travelling though Sherwood...
The man behind him smelled really really bad - like dead animals and wet leaves. He had red hair and a scraggly beard and his face was badly pock-marked from some previous illness.
"Skinny little runt, ain't he?"
Much wriggled desperately, trying to get out of his grip but the man's arms were like iron bands around his chest.
"Lively too!" his captor laughed, evilly.
Rough hands searched inside his shirt and pulled his shoes off.
Oh God - why didn't I listen to the stories about the outlaws in the forest? I should have left earlier to make it to Mansfield by dark! They're going to kill me and I'll never get to York now and I've never even kissed a girl and...
"Nuffin'!" the other man spat in disgust. He was shorter than his companion, with longer, darker hair and beard and had a deep scar across his face, twisting his lip into a permanent sneer.
"I told you - I haven't got anything! Please..let me go!" Much pleaded. "It's getting dark and... and I've got family waiting for me!" he lied.
The two men looked at each other and then back at him and burst out laughing.
"I don' think so, sunshine..." The smaller man leered at him and Much felt his insides turn to water.
"Oi!" The man holding him pushed him away and grabbed the scruff of his shirt instead. "Little toerag pissed on me boots!" He cuffed Much round the back of the head making stars dance in front of his eyes.
A piercing whistle came from across the clearing. They all turned to look in its direction.
The biggest man Much had ever seen was striding down the hill towards them. He had thick dark hair, dark stubble and was carrying what to Much's eyes looked like half a tree. Following closely behind him was a smaller, blond-haired youth only a few years older than Much and carrying an ugly looking wooden club.
"What's this?" the large man called down, gesturing at Much with his staff as he got closer.
"Found him on the North Road. Ain't got nuffin' on 'im," the dark-haired man replied.
"So let 'im go."
"Me an' Col 'ere were thinkin' of havin' a little fun first..." the smaller man said with a grin that said exactly what his idea of 'fun' was. He drew his dagger and picked at his fingernails with it as he strolled over to meet the other men.
"Not if you're part of this gang, you're not," the big man replied, coming to a halt as he drew level with the smaller man about twenty feet away from Much and the redhead.
"Why the 'ell not?" Much's captor asked.
"'Cause I say so - got a problem with that?" the big man growled, looking over towards them.
"I might 'ave, yeah!" The smaller man suddenly lunged at the giant with his dagger. The large man side-stepped the wild strike with a speed Much and apparently also the smaller man didn't expect. He whirled around and cracked his staff against the back of his attacker's head. The scar-faced man dropped like a stone and lay unnaturally still.
Much stared at the large outlaw's broad back in shock. He'd never seen somebody killed before. He'd seen them die from disease and he'd seen plenty of dead bodies but not actually killed right in front of him.
Much's captor let go of his collar and took a few steps forward but the blond haired youth had circled round during the fighting and threatened him with the large club. "Go on - try it."
The red-haired man looked at him for a minute then backed away with his hands raised before turning and sprinting out of the clearing.
"Right, lad - let's deal with you, shall we?" The large man turned and started advancing towards Much as the blond grabbed the front of his tunic.
Much was only dimly aware of someone catching him as he fainted and then nothing...
>>--------------------->
Sarah swore loudly as she opened the back door of Locksley Manor's wash house and nearly tripped over a large bundle of rags lying there.
"Bloody 'ell, Martha! I damn near measured my length over that. I thought you said you'd brought all the washing in?"
"I did!" Martha came through wiping her hands dry on her apron. She bent over the bundle then jumped back in alarm. "You better go fetch Thornton!"
"Don't worry, I'm here already," came a smooth voice from behind them. "Someone swearing like a soldier and threatening to wake the young master attracted my attention!" He stepped forward to inspect the bundle at the door. "What is it?"
"Looks like a boy, sir."
"One of the villagers?"
"No sir, I don't recognise him. Looks like he's just been dumped here."
Thornton sighed. This was the kind of complication he could do without. The boy stirred and looked up at them in fright with wide guileless blue eyes.
"Very well - bring him in and give him some food but make sure he's gone before Master Robin finds him. The last thing we need is him thinking he's got a new playmate..."
Author: wastingyourgum
Characters: Much, Thornton, some unnamed yet familiar outlaws
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama
Warnings: Some fisticuffs, an implied death
Words: 859
Disclaimer: BBC & TA own anything you find familiar.
Notes: For rh_intercomm . Pre-series -takes place 1182ish. Beta'd by robinfanatic
Summary: a young Much gets into trouble travelling though Sherwood...
The man behind him smelled really really bad - like dead animals and wet leaves. He had red hair and a scraggly beard and his face was badly pock-marked from some previous illness.
"Skinny little runt, ain't he?"
Much wriggled desperately, trying to get out of his grip but the man's arms were like iron bands around his chest.
"Lively too!" his captor laughed, evilly.
Rough hands searched inside his shirt and pulled his shoes off.
Oh God - why didn't I listen to the stories about the outlaws in the forest? I should have left earlier to make it to Mansfield by dark! They're going to kill me and I'll never get to York now and I've never even kissed a girl and...
"Nuffin'!" the other man spat in disgust. He was shorter than his companion, with longer, darker hair and beard and had a deep scar across his face, twisting his lip into a permanent sneer.
"I told you - I haven't got anything! Please..let me go!" Much pleaded. "It's getting dark and... and I've got family waiting for me!" he lied.
The two men looked at each other and then back at him and burst out laughing.
"I don' think so, sunshine..." The smaller man leered at him and Much felt his insides turn to water.
"Oi!" The man holding him pushed him away and grabbed the scruff of his shirt instead. "Little toerag pissed on me boots!" He cuffed Much round the back of the head making stars dance in front of his eyes.
A piercing whistle came from across the clearing. They all turned to look in its direction.
The biggest man Much had ever seen was striding down the hill towards them. He had thick dark hair, dark stubble and was carrying what to Much's eyes looked like half a tree. Following closely behind him was a smaller, blond-haired youth only a few years older than Much and carrying an ugly looking wooden club.
"What's this?" the large man called down, gesturing at Much with his staff as he got closer.
"Found him on the North Road. Ain't got nuffin' on 'im," the dark-haired man replied.
"So let 'im go."
"Me an' Col 'ere were thinkin' of havin' a little fun first..." the smaller man said with a grin that said exactly what his idea of 'fun' was. He drew his dagger and picked at his fingernails with it as he strolled over to meet the other men.
"Not if you're part of this gang, you're not," the big man replied, coming to a halt as he drew level with the smaller man about twenty feet away from Much and the redhead.
"Why the 'ell not?" Much's captor asked.
"'Cause I say so - got a problem with that?" the big man growled, looking over towards them.
"I might 'ave, yeah!" The smaller man suddenly lunged at the giant with his dagger. The large man side-stepped the wild strike with a speed Much and apparently also the smaller man didn't expect. He whirled around and cracked his staff against the back of his attacker's head. The scar-faced man dropped like a stone and lay unnaturally still.
Much stared at the large outlaw's broad back in shock. He'd never seen somebody killed before. He'd seen them die from disease and he'd seen plenty of dead bodies but not actually killed right in front of him.
Much's captor let go of his collar and took a few steps forward but the blond haired youth had circled round during the fighting and threatened him with the large club. "Go on - try it."
The red-haired man looked at him for a minute then backed away with his hands raised before turning and sprinting out of the clearing.
"Right, lad - let's deal with you, shall we?" The large man turned and started advancing towards Much as the blond grabbed the front of his tunic.
Much was only dimly aware of someone catching him as he fainted and then nothing...
>>--------------------->
Sarah swore loudly as she opened the back door of Locksley Manor's wash house and nearly tripped over a large bundle of rags lying there.
"Bloody 'ell, Martha! I damn near measured my length over that. I thought you said you'd brought all the washing in?"
"I did!" Martha came through wiping her hands dry on her apron. She bent over the bundle then jumped back in alarm. "You better go fetch Thornton!"
"Don't worry, I'm here already," came a smooth voice from behind them. "Someone swearing like a soldier and threatening to wake the young master attracted my attention!" He stepped forward to inspect the bundle at the door. "What is it?"
"Looks like a boy, sir."
"One of the villagers?"
"No sir, I don't recognise him. Looks like he's just been dumped here."
Thornton sighed. This was the kind of complication he could do without. The boy stirred and looked up at them in fright with wide guileless blue eyes.
"Very well - bring him in and give him some food but make sure he's gone before Master Robin finds him. The last thing we need is him thinking he's got a new playmate..."