Scarlet

The Girl

Several years have passed since Robin and Marian's wedding. Robin sends Will and a couple others to Sherwood Forest to collect a payment. When they arrive, they find the carriage of gold waiting for them. They walk up and Will says, "we are friends of Robin Hood, and are here accompany you to the castle."

"Of course, of course. Come on up," said the driver as Will made to climb up next to him, and the rest in the back. Before Will had a chance to climb up, the driver siezed his staff, and hit Will hard on the head; knocking him unconscious.

He awoke in the back of a hay wagon in an unfamiliar city. Confused, he runs around the city asking people where he is, but know one answers. Will reaches a large square and sees a soldier holding a piece of parchment onto a post in the center of the square. Reluctantly, Will walks up to the soldier. However, before Will has a chance to ask him anything, a knife, about the size of his own, found its spot at the top of the parchment. The soldier tried to pull it out, but couldn't. The knife was lodged in too deep. He looked around to see that everyone in the vicinity was looking at the silloette of a very skinny young girl. She wore black boots, black pants, gloves, and a gray cloak. "What is the price of my head today, dear captain," called the girl.

"Five hundred gold pieces."

She scoffed and said, "I feel insulted."

"I shall inform the sherriff of your feelings. That is, only if you survive the next 24 hours."

"I look forward it. Oh and please be sure to give him my regards."

"I should have left that knife in your gut, but mark my words; I will personally see to it that your scrawny little neck is stretched before the end of the month!"

"I'd like to see you try, old man!" Will laughed under his breath. When he looked back up, the girl was gone.

"YOU!" The soldier yelled at Will, "You're in league with her! That girl starts causing trouble, and then you show up."

"What the bloody hell. I dont even know who she is!"

"You're lying!" The soldier unsheathed his sword, but before he landed the blow, another knife secured the soldiers sleeve into the post. Will and the soldier looked over to the origin of the knife and found the girl jumping off the roof of a building.

When she landed, she stood and said "No way am I going to let him kill you. I've waited too long for this." The soldier pulled the knife out of his sleeve, stood still for a few seconds then ran towards the castle. "If you fancy seeing tomorrow's weather, I suggest you follow me, right now." The girl said as she picked up her knives and placed them in their sheath.

"Wait, why. He just left."

"Captain Bayers is a coward, but he's no fool. He knows he can't take on me alone, let alone the both of us. He's gone up to the castle to get reinforcements. I say again, if you want to live, come with me."

"Ok. So do you have a hideout nearby or something?" Just as he said that, a dozen soldiers shot into view.

"Something like that," with that she ran towards the wall. She jumped on top of several boxes, using them as stairs. Then grabbed the side of the roof and pulled herself up in one smooth motion. Will followed close behind.

As they ran along the rooftops, Will said, "What did you say your name is?"

"I didn't, rich boy." Out of nowhere, the girlthrew her arm out to stop Will. Just after she did, an arrow flew right in front of their faces.

"Go" She took off. "We're almost there."

After jumping over a few more buildings, Will said, "uh, isn't that the city wall."

"Excellent observation, that is a wall and we're going to jump over it. The city is in the middle of a lake. Once you jump, dive down, then follow me."

Will did as she said, and they swam under what seemed to be the island itself. They neared a wall of solid rock. The girl placed her hands on the rock, positioned her legs to be vertical with her shoulders but bent. She pushed off the lakebed, and shot up toward the surface.  Will followed. The girl was already out of the water, and wringing her hair dry. Will looked around the cave astonished. He pulled himself out of the water as she said, "So, whats your story?"

"What?"

"Well, every rich boy who comes to the capitol city claiming he has no idea where he is has a story. So whats yours?"

"First of of all, I'm not rich." She scoffed disbelievingly, and Will continued. "And my brother sent me and some others to collect a payment, but it went bad. The driver knocked me unconscious, and somehow, I ended up here."

"You seem kinda hostile towards this brother of yours."

"I used to be but now I respect him. He returned from the crusades a few years ago, but before I was born, he ruined my life. My mother replaced his dead mother for a time. It was his anger that drove my parents apart. When he returned from the war, he immediately put himself at the top of the chain of command. He proved me wrong, and finished what he started. But you haven't even told me your name yet."

"Neither have you, rich boy," she countered with a friendly smile.

"Well, tell me your name and I'll tell you mine."

"Nicole, and you are..."

"Will Scarlet. Now you Nicole, whats your story."

Her face went straight. "Not much to mine. Father died in the crusades, Mother was beheaded, and my two brothers were hung by our, merciful sherrif. And here I am. The only one of my bloodline still breathing."

"Your brothers, how old were they?"

"Their nineth birthday would have been in three weeks time."

Will looked away in disgust. He looked back and said, "They were eight!? And the sherrif had them killed!"

"That about sums it up, yeah."

"Where were you? You helped me today, why couldn't you have helped them?"

"I," she stood up, "was chained up in the sherrif's castle scheduled to be stretched the next day." Nicole said with hostility.

After a short moment of silence, calmly said, "Why didn't you leave?"

"What?"

"You obviously escaped. Why didn't you leave this place? Why are you still here?"

Nicole sighed. "I dont know why. I guess it's because have nowhere else to go. No other family to run to."

"Well, why dont you come with me?"

"Huh?"

"Why don't you come with me. Back to my home."

"I dont know. I mean, this is the only place I've ever known."

"Nicole, there is nothing here for you except pain and suffering. Come with me."

Nicole laughed and said, "Why not."