We Fall Like Rain

Green Arrows

---Nikita---

Location: Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire

Date: 1211 AD

Niki lurched into a sitting position as she awoke to a green canopy of leaves above her head. The dappled sunlight caressed her face as she rose to her feet.

The ground beneath her was muddy and damp from midmorning dew, and the birds' song surrounded her like a sweet melody.

"Maggie!?" She shouted, her sudden presence disturbed the animals nearby causing the birds to flap their wings violently as they flew out of the trees and into the clear blue sky.

Niki paced a few steps forwards through the trees. Pine needles and broken twigs scattered the ground crunching undertow.

"Lia!?" She called again, looking through the leaves of a low-hanging branch.

"By all the saints, woman. Are you trying to alert every soldier from here to Ollerton?" A deep male voice rattled from behind her.

Niki spun so fast she almost fell backwards but caught herself just in time to land a punch straight in the strange man's face.

He staggered back a step and glanced up at her with a mix of surprise and awe.

Niki froze, her mouth hung open in shock as she beheld the stranger. His brown eyes, and dark blonde hair that looked as if it hadn't been cut in months. He wore a faded green tunic with a sword sheathed at his side and a bow and quiver at his back.

"You don't sneak up on a lady." She scolded him. "Who the hell are you, and where are my friends?"

"Well," the man said as he righted himself, "you can consider my lesson learned, and as for your 'friends' I do not know."

Niki surveyed him for a second before nodding. "What year is it? Be exact."

He tilted his head to the side in silent question. "1211, daim Summer has cast her spell upon the land, and judging from the position of the sun, I'd say it's somewhat past noon. Is that specific enough for you, my lady?"

"Yes actually. And my name is Nikita by the way. Seeing as you didn't ask."

"And a beautiful name it is, Lady Nikita. I am Robert of Loxley" He said, extending a bow.

Niki wasn't sure if she was still breathing. Her worry faded for a moment as she beheld Robin Hood. "You're really the Robin of Loxley, as in Robin Hood."

"Is there another man by my name?" He retorted, a smirk on his face.

"No- I just- I'm a big fan." She felt herself blush in her excitement. And suddenly all those bedtime stories her uncle would read to her, bounced back at once.

"Fan? I'm afraid I don't understand the term." He questioned, looking at her quizzically.

"Oh- admirer, I really admire what you do and everything." A huge smile broke onto her face as Robin bowed his head in thanks.

"Well then, might there be anything I can help you with, Nikita?"

"My friends, I need help finding them." She said, resuming her composure.

"Of course, but what, may I ask, were you doing wandering around the woods alone? Especially in a time like this." He asked as he started to walk eastward.

"A time like this?" She asked, stepping into pace beside him.

"Yes, haven't you heard? There is a dangerous presence stalking these lands. It brings death and poverty in its wake."

"You mean, the sheriff?" Niki raised her brow in question.

"Dear no, he is long deceased. I mean the blue cloaked beast who roams villages in the dead of night. They say if you gaze upon his face, you drop dead straight away. Leads one to wonder. . . What kind of beastly form can cause such a fright."

"That's terrible, surely it's not safe here, in the woods - for you, I mean." Niki was never one to stumble over her words until it came to her hero.

He extended his hand to help her over a large log, his expression grim. "Yes, well the wise option would be to leave. However, I am not so wise. The forest is our home, we will not be driven out by dark forces."

Niki smiled, her hair was down for once, tangling over her shoulders and sweeping down to the small of her back. She combed her hands through the mess as Robin walked on.

After a few minutes of dodging low-hanging branches and twigs that grabbed at her from the air and the ground, they made it to a little campsite in a small clearing.

The ground was covered in vibrant wildflowers and pine-needles.
A giant tree was at the far end, its roots, twisting out like nature itself was trying to give a hug. A young man with what looked like a ukulele was stood leaning against the roots. Even with a grown adult standing next to them, they were bigger than him.

A large fire crackled in the middle of the clearing, hidden from view by a few large boulders on the edge by the treeline. Niki figured the rocks were placed there, as they acted as a kind of windbreaker and wall that surrounded the small meadow.

Robin walked towards his friends, three men sat by the campfire. "By all that is holy, are you being followed by an angel, Robin?" Said a man dressed in a burgundy tunic. He rose to his feet, swiftly followed by his two other companions, a tall bearded man, and a monk.

"No angel, Will. This is Lady Nikita. I found her wandering around the woods." Robin said, a smile on his face.

"Honour to meet you, my lady, I am William Scarlet, but you may call me Will." Niki took his hand, his grip was gentle on her, his eyes a rich Hazel.

"Honour is all mine." She stammered, releasing his hand and turning to the other two.

"And," Robin continued, "this is Friar Tuck." He was a jovial man of around average height with short brown hair and a big smile. Niki gave him a bow of her head.

"And I am Little John." He said, his height contradicting his name. However, Little John wasn't as tall as the stories had told. He was said to have been a giant of several feet. The man before Niki stood a few inches taller than Robin.

"Nice to meet you." She beamed, her hands gripped her faded pink dress a little too tight to be normal. "Who is that?" Niki asked, gesturing to the man stood by the tree tuning his instrument.

"Ah, that would be Allan-a-Dale, he's fine, just likes to concentrate. For a minstrel, he's awfully focused." Robin explained with a mock frown.

"Where is Marian and Much?" Robin asked, resting his bow against the nearest boulder.

"Went for firewood, should be back soon." Said John, as he ran a hand through his ragged brown hair. Niki took a seat by the fire, its flames dancing in the light breeze.

"Marian? Lady Marian?" Niki questioned. She had always loved Marian and Robin, how selfless they both were and how much they were willing to sacrifice for one another.

"Yes, you know her?" Robin asked, coming forward as he squeezed in next to John.

"I know of her. Heard stories in passing. The same way I know of all of you fine gentlemen." Niki remarked. The mention of Marian being gone had Niki worrying about her friends again.

She couldn't handle anything else happening to Kalen, she silently promised to herself she'd hug Kalen and never let go the next time she sees him.