Lady Locksley

Chapter 16

Hostage Situation

Allan woke early, which was unusual for him. He lay in his bed for a short while, listening to the sounds of the forest around him and ruminating on his thoughts. He could hear somebody pottering about the camp quietly - probably Much, who never seemed to sleep in - while Little John snored lightly in the bed above him. The atmosphere in the camp was relaxed and cheerful after the successful events of the previous day, and he found himself in a better mood than he had been in a while.
The past few weeks had been difficult. After the initial high that came from escaping certain death at the hands of the Sheriff, taking to the forest as a member of Robin's newly formed band of outlaws had been a novelty that had kept the thrill alive for a long while. Robin was a fearless fighter, and he lead the gang with a fiery enthusiasm that was contagious.
Only, in recent weeks, Allan's enthusiasm had begun to wane. And when Allan lost his passion for something, it often steered him straight into trouble.
Fortunately, he had managed to avoid said trouble on this occasion, and he had Roana to thank for that. The second chance that she had presented him with, along with the opportunity to redeem himself in his own eyes as well as in Robin's, had reawakened his zeal for Robin's cause. He realised now just what he would have lost if he had become Gisborne's spy, and he felt proud of himself for coming clean. He just hoped his renewed dedication lasted.
Yawning loudly, he pushed his blankets to the side and rolled sideways out of bed. He had discovered the hard way that sitting up before getting out of bed could be quite painful. Will might well be a superior craftsman but he had had very limited space to work with when creating frames for eight sleeping areas. While they were comfortable, they left very little room to manoeuvre, and often resulted in a bruised head.
Mind you, who was Allan to complain? Will's construction was a palace in comparison to the bare forest floor, which was where they had slept previously.
As expected, Much was awake and tending a fire, accompanied by Roana, who was looking tired and deliciously rumpled. Her mid-brown hair was loose and fell about her shoulders in tousled waves.
Allan cleared his throat and dragged his eyes away as he joined them. "Morning, all."
He wasn't quite sure where this attraction to her had come from, but it was like a seed that had engrained itself in his mind, blooming slowly and magnificently. He wasn't entirely sure, not being the most self-aware of characters, but there was a good chance that her presence had contributed greatly to his positive mood on waking.
Roana smiled at him, shyly, while Much stared in mock amazement.
"What?" Allan said, defensively.
"Are you okay?" Much asked, archly. "I mean, I don't think I've ever seen you awake so early."
"Shut up and make me some food," Allan replied, hotly. Roana laughed at them both, shaking her head.
Much sniffed. "You can have eggs or bacon. You're not having both."
"I'll have bacon, please," Roana piped up, keen to defuse the situation.
"You, my lady, can have both," Much said, graciously.
Allan gave him a push. "Preferential treatment, is it?"
Roana muffled another laugh. Seeing Djaq had risen and was beckoning to her, she stood, and, completely unselfconsciously, stretched, raising her arms above her head and arching her back, before hurrying to join her.
Allan, for a brief moment, was captivated, until Much punched him on the shoulder.
"Ow! What was that for?"
Much smirked at him, raising his eyebrows. "You know what that was for."
Allan glared at him. "Nope. I'm clueless. Enlighten me."
Much nodded in Roana's direction, smugly, and pointed a bread roll at Allan. "You like her."
Allan had to give it to him - Much was a lot more perceptive than everybody gave him credit for. There was a surprisingly astute flicker of intelligence somewhere in that head, hidden well behind the inane chatter and the almost constant complaining. But there was no way Allan was going to admit that to him.
"What are you talking about?" He said, scornfully, before wrestling the bread roll out of Much's hands and taking a huge bite out of it.
There was the faintest of movement in the morning air and Robin appeared, striding into camp with a grim expression on his face. He was another one who never slept in; a trait that Allan would never understand.
Robin flung his bow to the side and came to stand by the fire, putting his hands on his hips.
"Gisborne and his guards are going to Locksley," he explained, quickly. "They are looking for the men we rescued from the castle, and their families."
At the sound of his voice, Will and Little John awoke and struggled out of bed. Djaq and Roana hurried back into camp, both looking worried.
Robin glanced at them all, one by one. "We need to keep an eye on the proceedings. Djaq and Roana, you stay here for now. The rest of you, with me."