Threats More Subtle Than Swords, Part 4
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Allan had not only had the foresight to bring a haywagon, he'd also hitched his own horse and Guy's to it, so that they did not have to return to the castle for their mounts. As soon as it was light enough to see, they set out into the forest.
Eventually, Allan said, "We should leave the horses here. There's a clearing over there and if I'm right, Djaq and one of the others will come along soon with food for the poor."
"And if you're not right?" Guy asked, swinging down from his horse.
"Then we go to the next one," Allan explained.
They hid in the undergrowth, far enough away from the clearing that they could see who approached it, but when two outlaws appeared, carrying sacks of food, Guy exhaled in frustration. He could clearly see that the little Saracen was not one of them.
"So, they've changed their schedule," Allan said when Guy glared at him. "We'll try somewhere else."
"How about somewhere closer to their camp?" Guy suggested threateningly. He was sure that Allan hesitated just for a moment before answering, "Hey, we don't want to go up against all of them at once!"
"We don't want to spend the entire day running around in the forest while Marian is dying!" Guy retorted, clenching his fist until Allan backed away.
But on the way to the second clearing, they got lucky. All of Robin Hood's gang were walking through the forest, but Djaq was lagging a little behind the others. Not only that, but she called out something and pointed into the forest, then detached herself from the group and headed for a large bush. Allan turned to Guy and gave him a triumphant look, and they began to circle around.
Guy drew his sword from its scabbard and approached stealthily, waiting until Djaq had finished what she came for and was fastening her trousers again. It was the perfect moment, and Guy didn't hesitate, grabbing her from behind and holding the sword to her neck.
"Don't scream," he whispered. Djaq froze, then shifted somewhat as Allan came around in front of her.
"This isn't what it looks like," Allan said, taking out a length of rope.
Something hard and cold jabbed Guy in the neck, and from behind him, Robin Hood asked, "What is it, then?"
The rest of the gang appeared from behind trees, each with a bow and an arrow pointed in Guy's direction, and Guy cursed inwardly.
"We were just going to borrow Djaq for a while," Allan said with an attempt at a disarming grin. "We'd've let her go again in two or three days."
The part about letting Djaq go hadn't been Guy's plan at all, but he hoped the statement made a good impression on the outlaws anyway.
"Borrow her? Why?" Robin asked, sliding the tip of his sword around Guy's neck so that the blade was now in front, ready to slice open his throat. Guy automatically loosened his hold on Djaq, and she slipped out from under his sword, whirling around to face him.
"Marian's sick," Allen explained.
Djaq reached out and unwrapped Guy's fingers from the hilt of his sword, taking it for herself. Guy wanted to catch her hand and crush it, and it galled him that he couldn't, that he had to stand there and submit to anything they wanted to do to him.
"What does she have?" Robin asked.
Allan opened his mouth, but Robin made a tutting sound. "I want Gisborne to answer."
Guy gritted his teeth and looked away into the forest, then straightened up as much as he could with Robin's blade at his throat. "Fever," he admitted. "A bad cough."
"Sounds like what's going around," said one of the other outlaws. Guy didn't know his name. "I heard there was a woman in Nettlestone who's already died from it."
Guy stiffened in shock, and Robin caught the movement. "What?"
"Marian went to Nettlestone a few days ago," Guy said shortly, and there was a shocked silence from behind him. The other outlaws looked uncomfortable, too.
"So you thought you'd "borrow" Djaq and let her take care of Marian, then when Marian's all better, you've got yourself a captive outlaw?" Robin conjectured. "One you can torture for information, and then hang?"
Guy remained silent. Allan looked distinctly uncomfortable. Robin went on. "Well, guess what, Gisborne? It's not going to work that way. I want Marian alive, too, and we'll let Djaq go to help her, but we're going to need some kind of assurance that she'll be safe in the castle."
"Marian's not in the castle," Allan spoke up quickly. "She's at Guy's house."
"Allan," Guy growled. "Shut up."
"My house, you mean," Robin said, even though he hadn't lived there since becoming an outlaw. "That's good. That's very good. But we'll still need that assurance, or Djaq doesn't leave the forest."
Djaq pointed Guy's own sword in his direction, as if he needed reminding of who had the upper hand, then spoke in her lightly accented voice. "And all the time we are standing here talking, Marian is getting worse."
The reminder of Marian was just strong enough to overcome Guy's stubbornness to give in to Robin, and he ground out, "You have my word. If Marian lives, your Saracen goes free."
"That's not the kind of assurance I need," Robin said. "I don't trust your word, and I don't trust you. John, tie his hands and find something to blindfold him with."
"What're you going to do, take me hostage?" Guy tried to make a taunt of it as the big man set his bow aside and came forward, grabbing the rope from Allan's unresisting hands. "Why don't you just kill me then?"
"This is better," Robin replied, and Guy could hear the gloating in his voice. "Anything that happens to Djaq, we do the same to you – and to you, Allan."
"Hey, I like Djaq, don't you think I'd look after her?" Allan asked, acting affronted.
"I think you'd sell your best friends out if the price was right," Robin said darkly.
"And your own mother," John snarled, pulling Guy's hands together and lashing the rope around them so tightly that it bit into the skin.
"I'll bet you'd sell out your grandmother, your mother, and your mother's lap dog," said one of the other outlaws who hadn't spoken until then. Guy recognized the voice immediately. Much. The Sheriff had played a joke on him once when he'd been captured, pretending to make him Earl of Bonchurch, and had shown him to be exactly as ridiculous as he truly was.
"Take Djaq back to Locksley and look after her," Robin told Allan. "I might not trust you, but I know you trust me when I say that if anything happens to her, we'll hunt you down and make you regret that your father ever looked twice at your mother."
"I won't let anything happen," Allan said. "I wouldn't."
"I'll need my medicines," Djaq said, and led Allan out of the circle. Gisborne felt his heart sink at the sight, thinking that it should have been the other way around. Allan should have been leading Djaq, and she was the one who was supposed to be tied up. He tried to focus on the fact that at least Marian would benefit, but it was hard to overlook the humiliation.
John pulled a length of dirty, sweaty cloth from around his neck and tied it over Guy's eyes, catching some of his hair up in the knot as well. Only then did Guy feel Robin release the sword from his throat.
"Well, now what?" Much asked. "We gonna tie him to a tree and leave him til Djaq gets back?"
"No," Robin said, and his voice was no longer coming from behind Guy.
"Well, we can't take him back to camp!"
"We could, but I'd want to leave somebody there to keep an eye on him, make sure he doesn't escape," Robin said. "I know something better, though. We'll take him with us."
Guy heard sounds of surprise and shock coming from all around him, and some even from his own mouth.
"Him? With us?" John demanded, sounding disgusted.
"He'll slow us down." That was the outlaw who was barely more than a boy. Guy didn't know his name.
"I know." Amusement was clearly audible in Robin's voice, which made Guy want to jam both his fists into the man's face.
"Will, you got any more rope?"
There were some soft rustling sounds, and then someone, probably Robin, grabbed Guy by his arm and passed the end of a rope between his bound wrists. When it was secure, Robin gave the rope a tug that pulled Guy forwards a step.
"Come on, let's go," Robin said, and tugged again. Guy stumbled after him, and they set off.
Part 5
Allan had not only had the foresight to bring a haywagon, he'd also hitched his own horse and Guy's to it, so that they did not have to return to the castle for their mounts. As soon as it was light enough to see, they set out into the forest.
Eventually, Allan said, "We should leave the horses here. There's a clearing over there and if I'm right, Djaq and one of the others will come along soon with food for the poor."
"And if you're not right?" Guy asked, swinging down from his horse.
"Then we go to the next one," Allan explained.
They hid in the undergrowth, far enough away from the clearing that they could see who approached it, but when two outlaws appeared, carrying sacks of food, Guy exhaled in frustration. He could clearly see that the little Saracen was not one of them.
"So, they've changed their schedule," Allan said when Guy glared at him. "We'll try somewhere else."
"How about somewhere closer to their camp?" Guy suggested threateningly. He was sure that Allan hesitated just for a moment before answering, "Hey, we don't want to go up against all of them at once!"
"We don't want to spend the entire day running around in the forest while Marian is dying!" Guy retorted, clenching his fist until Allan backed away.
But on the way to the second clearing, they got lucky. All of Robin Hood's gang were walking through the forest, but Djaq was lagging a little behind the others. Not only that, but she called out something and pointed into the forest, then detached herself from the group and headed for a large bush. Allan turned to Guy and gave him a triumphant look, and they began to circle around.
Guy drew his sword from its scabbard and approached stealthily, waiting until Djaq had finished what she came for and was fastening her trousers again. It was the perfect moment, and Guy didn't hesitate, grabbing her from behind and holding the sword to her neck.
"Don't scream," he whispered. Djaq froze, then shifted somewhat as Allan came around in front of her.
"This isn't what it looks like," Allan said, taking out a length of rope.
Something hard and cold jabbed Guy in the neck, and from behind him, Robin Hood asked, "What is it, then?"
The rest of the gang appeared from behind trees, each with a bow and an arrow pointed in Guy's direction, and Guy cursed inwardly.
"We were just going to borrow Djaq for a while," Allan said with an attempt at a disarming grin. "We'd've let her go again in two or three days."
The part about letting Djaq go hadn't been Guy's plan at all, but he hoped the statement made a good impression on the outlaws anyway.
"Borrow her? Why?" Robin asked, sliding the tip of his sword around Guy's neck so that the blade was now in front, ready to slice open his throat. Guy automatically loosened his hold on Djaq, and she slipped out from under his sword, whirling around to face him.
"Marian's sick," Allen explained.
Djaq reached out and unwrapped Guy's fingers from the hilt of his sword, taking it for herself. Guy wanted to catch her hand and crush it, and it galled him that he couldn't, that he had to stand there and submit to anything they wanted to do to him.
"What does she have?" Robin asked.
Allan opened his mouth, but Robin made a tutting sound. "I want Gisborne to answer."
Guy gritted his teeth and looked away into the forest, then straightened up as much as he could with Robin's blade at his throat. "Fever," he admitted. "A bad cough."
"Sounds like what's going around," said one of the other outlaws. Guy didn't know his name. "I heard there was a woman in Nettlestone who's already died from it."
Guy stiffened in shock, and Robin caught the movement. "What?"
"Marian went to Nettlestone a few days ago," Guy said shortly, and there was a shocked silence from behind him. The other outlaws looked uncomfortable, too.
"So you thought you'd "borrow" Djaq and let her take care of Marian, then when Marian's all better, you've got yourself a captive outlaw?" Robin conjectured. "One you can torture for information, and then hang?"
Guy remained silent. Allan looked distinctly uncomfortable. Robin went on. "Well, guess what, Gisborne? It's not going to work that way. I want Marian alive, too, and we'll let Djaq go to help her, but we're going to need some kind of assurance that she'll be safe in the castle."
"Marian's not in the castle," Allan spoke up quickly. "She's at Guy's house."
"Allan," Guy growled. "Shut up."
"My house, you mean," Robin said, even though he hadn't lived there since becoming an outlaw. "That's good. That's very good. But we'll still need that assurance, or Djaq doesn't leave the forest."
Djaq pointed Guy's own sword in his direction, as if he needed reminding of who had the upper hand, then spoke in her lightly accented voice. "And all the time we are standing here talking, Marian is getting worse."
The reminder of Marian was just strong enough to overcome Guy's stubbornness to give in to Robin, and he ground out, "You have my word. If Marian lives, your Saracen goes free."
"That's not the kind of assurance I need," Robin said. "I don't trust your word, and I don't trust you. John, tie his hands and find something to blindfold him with."
"What're you going to do, take me hostage?" Guy tried to make a taunt of it as the big man set his bow aside and came forward, grabbing the rope from Allan's unresisting hands. "Why don't you just kill me then?"
"This is better," Robin replied, and Guy could hear the gloating in his voice. "Anything that happens to Djaq, we do the same to you – and to you, Allan."
"Hey, I like Djaq, don't you think I'd look after her?" Allan asked, acting affronted.
"I think you'd sell your best friends out if the price was right," Robin said darkly.
"And your own mother," John snarled, pulling Guy's hands together and lashing the rope around them so tightly that it bit into the skin.
"I'll bet you'd sell out your grandmother, your mother, and your mother's lap dog," said one of the other outlaws who hadn't spoken until then. Guy recognized the voice immediately. Much. The Sheriff had played a joke on him once when he'd been captured, pretending to make him Earl of Bonchurch, and had shown him to be exactly as ridiculous as he truly was.
"Take Djaq back to Locksley and look after her," Robin told Allan. "I might not trust you, but I know you trust me when I say that if anything happens to her, we'll hunt you down and make you regret that your father ever looked twice at your mother."
"I won't let anything happen," Allan said. "I wouldn't."
"I'll need my medicines," Djaq said, and led Allan out of the circle. Gisborne felt his heart sink at the sight, thinking that it should have been the other way around. Allan should have been leading Djaq, and she was the one who was supposed to be tied up. He tried to focus on the fact that at least Marian would benefit, but it was hard to overlook the humiliation.
John pulled a length of dirty, sweaty cloth from around his neck and tied it over Guy's eyes, catching some of his hair up in the knot as well. Only then did Guy feel Robin release the sword from his throat.
"Well, now what?" Much asked. "We gonna tie him to a tree and leave him til Djaq gets back?"
"No," Robin said, and his voice was no longer coming from behind Guy.
"Well, we can't take him back to camp!"
"We could, but I'd want to leave somebody there to keep an eye on him, make sure he doesn't escape," Robin said. "I know something better, though. We'll take him with us."
Guy heard sounds of surprise and shock coming from all around him, and some even from his own mouth.
"Him? With us?" John demanded, sounding disgusted.
"He'll slow us down." That was the outlaw who was barely more than a boy. Guy didn't know his name.
"I know." Amusement was clearly audible in Robin's voice, which made Guy want to jam both his fists into the man's face.
"Will, you got any more rope?"
There were some soft rustling sounds, and then someone, probably Robin, grabbed Guy by his arm and passed the end of a rope between his bound wrists. When it was secure, Robin gave the rope a tug that pulled Guy forwards a step.
"Come on, let's go," Robin said, and tugged again. Guy stumbled after him, and they set off.
Part 5