~Chapter Seven~
At the enemy's disappearance, Robin leads the group further into the forest. Locksley rode silently in the front as Evemina trotted at the side of the dark skinned man. The forest was silent around them. Her emerald eyes glanced around at the wood, the stranger did not bring her to this part of the forest.
Than suddenly, they begin to hear strange sounds like eerie hollowed breaths of air. The group were at edge upon hearing the sound and began to search the land around them Unconsciously, the group had guided their horses close together as fear rose in their hearts.
So these were the ghost of Sherwood Forest. As they halt their horses, the dark skinned man draws his sword. Evemina stared at the strange weapon, forgetting about the odd noises.
His sword was curved.
CURVED.
Almost like a crescent moon.
"Master Robin?" The blind man mumbled in fear as he trembled.
Robin glanced around before his eyes set upon the source of the strange noises. A cocky grin swept across his face, "There are your ghosts, Duncan." Locksley gestured to wood with holes hung together by a rope in a tree, "Windchimes. A child's toy put to good use." Locksley noticed the dark skinned man skiddishly scrutinizing the forest around them, "You scare easily, my painted Moor."
Moor?!
Evemina began staring not at the sword but at the dark skinned man. His kind is the people the good people of England are fighting against to take back Jerseulum.
The Moor continued to stare at forest as the cocky Locksley strutted by on his horse continuing into the woods, "This forest has eyes, I swear it."
Evemina after hearing those words took her attention off the strange man and his weapon to focus on their surroundings.
Yes... she feels it to. It felt the same when she was riding down the path by herself not that long ago upon arriving to Sherwood.
The Moor and her rode side by side watching the forest with careful precision, "I feel it too." She whispers to the man.
His dark brown eyes sought out the hooded maiden beside him as she met his gaze. They both nodded to each other as if making an unspoken alliance.
As their focus remained on the large trees, the Moor became curious."What would this Sheriff of Nottingham want with you, child?"
Her emeralds glanced over to the painted man, than back to surveying the land. "He wants his unfinished business to be complete for his... feeder of evil intentions."
"And he finds this by killing off a woman?" The Moor questioned with a quiet hysterical tone, almost as if he could not believe the absurdity. "This blasted country has strange, backwards men."
Evemina could agree there and nodded in time with the Moor.
The old blind man had been quiet, listening to the whispers between his two companions. "What is your name, my Lady?" He whispered kindly.
The maiden gazed back to the blindfolded man seeing that he calmly awaited her answer, "Evemina." She whispered to the men.
The painted man stiffened at the name but casually continued to study the forest as on the other hand, the blind man gasped in awe, "A strange but beautiful name, Evemina."
A light blush spread across her pale cheeks, "Thank you."
Silence filled between them as the sense of eyes amoung the trees grew stronger with every step. Evemina could not help but feel mildly uncomfortable. There is no telling where these eyes are watching them from. The Moor and her had even gazed up into the trees but found nothing.
In the distance, the sounds of a babbling source of water echoed and it excited Verity as she gained speed in her trot to the river. A giggle escaped the maiden's lips as the black mare nearly shoved Robin's stallion out of the way.
An angry scowl replaced that smirk, "Handle your horse better, woman."
Evemina lifted her hood slightly to reveal her burning emerald eyes as she glared at the rich boy. "Tell that to a horse that has been traveling for a week with little water because of being chased after." Her voice quickly became venomous, "And if you call me by that again. I will personally seal your loose tongue in your mouth."
Locksley stared slightly wide eyed at the woman before taking back the lead. The maiden huffed angrily at the man. "What a putrid, self-centered toad." She muttered.
"What was that?" Robin questioned calmly but as his eyes set upon the woman she saw the challenging fire in them, "I didn't quite catch what you mumbled."
Evemina smiled sickly sweet, repressing a raging fit. Neither of them realized that they found a path directly leading to the river as they glared deathly at one another. "I said, that you are a putrid, self-centered toad!" Her voice grew louder and louder, as it echoed across the river and forest.
The little rich boy increased his scowl, trying to bite back his tongue while the painted man pinched the bridge of his nose not paying attention to their headings, "Enough already."
Evemina and Robin continued to glare at one another but kept silent. Locksley than swiftly flicked his reins and trotted faster towards the river, turning his attention to the water. The blustered maiden studied the form of the rich boy with a look of detestment.
The group came upon and halted by the river bed. The painted man stared at their surroundings in awe, "In my dreams alone have I imagined such a place."
Robin glanced over to the Moor with that grin, "Then imagine a way to cross it. "
It was a good thing Locksley got off his horse when he did because Evemina was close brought to slug that smirk away with her fist. Robin ventured off, bounding on rocks to see if there is a way across leaving the other three to sit on their horses.
"You have hatred for Christian I see."
Christian?
Evemina glanced at Robin, He must of meant the rich boy.
Her eyes peered over to the Moor's face, "I suppose so."
The painted man sighed visibly, "This trip will be a long one."
Evemina smirked at his words and began stroking Verity's black coat. Her anger melted away into suspicion. A heavy feeling became thick in her heart, there were eyes everywhere. But where?!
Her eyes wandered the waterline and forest around them, "Is it me or did the feeling of eyes watching us grow stronger?"
The Moor glanced around in thought, "No I feel it too." His dark brown eyes met her emerald ones, "We are not alone."
The two placed their eyes on Locksley as he poked the river with his sword. An excited expression of Robin turned their way, "There's hope!"
All of a sudden a rope is pulled up from the water and Robin falls in, getting drenched. Evemina had to cover her mouth from laughing. A male's voice carried in a sing-song tone,
"There once was a rich man from Nottingham,
who tried to cross the river.
What a dope, he tripped over a rope!
Now look at him shiver!"
"Beg for mercy, rich man!" the same voice echoed. Her eyes studied a particular thicket where she felt that the man was sitting.
Robin, who was staring in the general direction where Evemina stared, bent over to feel around for his sword, "I beg of no man."
Hoots and hollers sounded as nearly thirty woodsmen come out of the forest with farming tools as weapons. Ten of which surrounded Evemina and the painted man, grabbing a hold of the horses.
The men roughly grabbed their arms and pulled them off their horses.
A man with a black scarf wrapped around his neck loosely strolled out of the forest with a mighty grin, "Well, this here is our river and each man that wishes to cross must pay a tax."
I heard that voice before, her eyebrows lowered in thought.
From what Evemina could see from such a distance was that he was young maybe her age and had brown hair that went to the base of his neck. Also that he was the man who sung that little song and pulled the rope.
She would have to thank and praise him later.
Robin, who was soaked to the bone, stared at the speaker, "I'll pay no tax, as you can see I have nothing. Not even my sword."
"Bollacks!" A different voice echoed, causing all to look to a very large man with a bushy beard and hair, "Any man who travels with three servants and claims that he's got no bloody money, is either a fool or a liar."
The young man with the black scarf cupped his hands around his mouth and hollered, "He's a liar!"
Robin stared at this tall man with the beard who approached him with a mighty grin, "Who are you?"
The man grinned, "John Little," He produced a staff of wood and held it out showing his, "Best man of the woods."
John turned to his men and held up his staff, causing the men to cheer for him.
Robin smirked at this as he glanced around to both sides of the river where woodsmen stood watching their leader tax the rich man with delight. "Well... best man. You lead this rabble?"
Ohhs were produced by woodsmen at the insult that Robin produced.
John remained smiling as he leaned against his wooden staff, "Yes I do mate. And if you tosspots want to travel through Sherwood Forrest, it's gonna cost you…" The large man's eyes wandered around the form of Robin before his eyes spotted some thing of worth, "that gold medallion."
Locksley glanced down to a necklace he wore with a cross like medallion hanging by that chain, "This is sacred to me."
John's smirk grew strong, "It's sacred to us to, matey. That there will feed us for a bloody month."
"You'll have to fight me for it." Robin challenged, creating excitement throughout the bandits.
Their leader leaned back from his staff with a gleeful smirk, "Love to mate!" John tosses Robin the wooden staff he was holding of which Robin easily catches.
Locksley stared at the staff before turning to Evemina and the painted man. The Moor shrugged at the questioning gaze of the rich boy as Evemina shook her head not interested whatsoever. The maiden stared over to the preparation of the duel to see a familiar face. The ten year old boy who was being chased by Papplewick guards.
A smile appeared on her face in relief that the boy is fine. She watched curiously as the boy runs up to John and hands him another staff and takes the large man's cloak. "Be careful father, he won of twelve of the sheriff's men."
Father?! Her eyes surveyed the two's faces before nodding in acceptance. They had remarkable similarities that Evemina could not deny of them having any relation.
John chuckled, leaving a bemused Locksley staring at the little boy, "Is that so? I reckon I'm gonna enjoy this." The large man walks by the bewildered Robin, heading towards the middle of the river.
As the boy walks away to the other men, Robin calls after him, "Hey!" The boy's walnut brown eyes met with Robin's, "That’s your father?"
The boy smiled brightly and nodded. Robin on the other hand was not so happy as he mimicked the boys nod follows by a scowl.
Behind her, the woodsmen pushed her forward. She gave one a glare before closely walking beside the painted man. Robin mouthed words to the man at her side that she could not care less to decipher.
Whack!
John snapped Robin's hand, earning laughter from their captors.
Things seem to be evenly matched as two grown men hit each other with great big sticks while standing in a river. Evemina had to suppress her tongue from saying words that may slip at this sight. John gets the upper hand by smacking Robin in the back with the staff than using the end of the staff to knock Robin into deeper water over a small falls.
Cheers filled her ears as she watched amusedly Robin getting soaked again. The woodsmen pushed them further along the river up a hill to a cliff.
"He's drowning!" The man with the black scarf hollered causing laughter.
Robin sat in the water, feeling around for something. John stood over Locksley as he looks around for something, "Lost something?" John teased, wiggling the medallion that was hanging from his staff in front of Robin. The rich boy reaches for it, but John was to quick for him. "Thanks for the taxes!"
"Looks like the little rich boy is lost for words, eh?" The man with the scarf teased.
Robin gazed up to the dark skinned man, "Any great ideas?"
"Get up! Move faster!" The Moor yelled to the rich boy.
Robin mumbled, "Move faster, great idea."
John was walking proudly away towards the riverbank when Robin comes up behind him.
A frenzy raged through the bandits, "Watch it, John!" The young man hollered to the large man.
Robin knocks John down in the river, making the large man fall to his hands and knees.
"We're not through yet!" Locksley retorted.
John, who was already standing up glared at his challenger, "Already, my old cocker. You want another good whacking? You should have one!"
The fight continued and once again it was evenly matched.
Whack.
Whack.
Whack.
Whack.
Bam!
Robin brought John to the ground with a mighty hit to his back.
"It seems like I've made it passed the gate, John Little. Or should I call you Little John?"
Anger brewed in John's expressionist the taunt. His son, a few ways behind him, rallied. "Hit him father! Whallop him!"
Motivated by his anger and his men that included his son, John gets in some good hits knocking Robin down.
"Swimming time again, old chump!"
He knocks Robin over a small waterfall into much deeper water by smacking the rich boy in the face. Locksley tumbles over the falls into the deep river. The dark skinned man tensed beside Evemina as there was no sign of rich boy. Even the maiden herself loses her smirk as a troubled expression took over.
John climbs down to locate Robin in the rapid moving river, sticking his wooden staff into the water. The men of the forest crept to closer to help spot any sign of the rich boy.
"Where is he?! Do you see him!?" The boy questioned to his father.
John turns around to answer his son, "It's a bloody shame. He was a brave lad." A smile appears as the large man held up the medallion that hung around his neck.
Suddenly Robin pops up out of the water and flips John with his wooden staff to the large man's groin.
"Help!!" John screamed.
Robin grabbed the man by his collar and dunked him into the water than brought him back up, "Do you yield?"
John thrashed around in fear, "I can't bloody swim! Help!"
Again Robin pushes the large man into the water than pulls him to the surface, "Do you yield!?"
"Yes!"
Robin lets go, "Good, now put your feet down."
John does as he is told and puts his feet down. The water is only thigh deep, causing a grin to be made on his lips, "I'll be buggered!"
Both men were out of breath as they set their hands on their knees, "The medallion."
"Give me your name first." John replied.
"Robin of Locksley."
John smiled, "Well, Robin of Locksley, you've got balls of solid rock." The large man set a hand to the rich boy's shoulder, "Come on."
It was then the woodsmen gave Evemina, the dark skinned man, and Duncan some room now no longer captives. The maiden immediately strolled to her horse Verity and mounted her. Carefully Evemina maneuvered around the curious spectators of the woodsmen who had been around them since Locksley tripped on the rope.
Swiftly Verity ran across the shallow river, causing the other men standing by the bank Evemina was heading toward to stare.
Even Locksley glanced back smirking at the form of the woman, "Afraid to get wet?"
Her hidden emerald eyes set themselves onto Robin, as Verity climbed onto the bank. "Of course not. I just decided that I did not want to look like a drowned rat like yourself."
Laughter stirred among the men, even stirring a slight grin upon the angry expression of the man with the black scarf who silently strolled along the side of Verity. The group started to walk into the woods, that made their laughter echo.
Locksley grimaced at the negative attention, as John chuckled loudly. "I like'er"
Evemina grinned before she stepped off Verity on the opposite side of the young man and grabbed the mare's reins.
"You have some tongue, my Lady." Robin remarked.
A gleeful smirk appeared brighter upon Evemina's face, "Thank you."
The boy studied the figure of the maiden joining her side, which caused her to glance down. His walnut brown eyes caught the sight of the familiar emerald ones that made the boy grin, "Father!"
John glanced back to his son, "Yes, Wulf?"
The boy was smiling triumphantly as he pointed to Evemina. "It's her father! She's the one who gave me the silver pieces!"
Her heart thumped loudly in her chest as all the men stare at her hooded form. The maiden swallowed down a frog in her throat as John's eyes studied her, "Yer the one who gave my son silver and protected'im from guards?"
Silently the maiden nodded slowly, unsure how his reaction would be. Whether he would order for more silver or oh God only knows what else.
However John smiled at the quiet, frightened woman as she huddled close to the black mare. "Come on, lass. You have no need to be scared. You saved my boy and that grants you a lot of respect for helping a thief."
Evemina bobbed her head at his words, slowly relaxing as Wulf smiles proudly at the girl, "My name is Wulf Little! And yours is Mina, right?"
She smiled at the boy, "Yes but my full name is Evemina Levaincois. Otherwise known ... to very few as Mina."
Wulf' s eyes sparked at the confirmation and glanced over to the other side of Verity, "I told you that I wasn't lying, Will! She's the one who gave me the silver pieces!"
Curious on who he was speaking to, Evemina leaned forward around the black mare's head to see the young man wearing the black scarf. His face showed anger as his shaggy brown hair swayed with every step. His stormy eyes glared daggers into Robin's back, not even remotely focused on anyone else but the rich boy.
Will?
Evemina thought as she stared at his face. Every corner and every detail of his face seemed familiar. It felt like forever as she stared openly at him, before his eyes connected with hers.
Hazel eyes.
Brown shaggy hair.
Her mouth parted in a gasp, but her face was hidden not allowing Will to see her expression as he broke the eye connection to stare forward. The man took off
Her world turned dark as memories crashed into her mind.
~
A grin was plastered to his face as he stared at the little girl's face. Bis head and hands were stuck in the stockade but that did not stop him from shaking hands with the little girl. "I'm Will."
~
"Will!"
The boy turned his head to his name being called to see the little girl running after him. "Mina? What are you doing here?"
The black haired girl huffed, "I wanted to play!"
A serious expression crossed his face, "The forest is no place for little girls."
The innocent green eyes of the child stared into hardened hazel ones, "But you will be here to protect me."
At the moment his serious look crumbled into a smile, "That I will."
~
"Mina, here..." The boy handed her a pair of daggers, causing the little girl to gasp at the sight.
"Will?"
He stared into those wavering emerald eyes, "These are for your protection, Mina." His hazel eyes glanced down to the hilt of them, "These were mine... but I want you to have them. See, here are my initials.."
Evemina squinted her eyes at the letters, "William?"
The boy blushed as his full name was used, "Just Will."
The girl giggled at the sight of the blushing boy and began squeezing his cheeks with her fingers earning a protest from Will.
~~~
Will sat quickly on a stump with a troubled expression. His eyes were clouded in memory to a place in his past he resented. The little green eyed girl stared up at the boy, saddened that he was upset.
"Will?"
His hazel eyes glanced over to the concerned face of Mina, "Yes?"
"Why are you sad? I don't like it when you're sad." Evemina replied before wrapping her little arms around the boy.
"Mina..."
"No! You are going to tell me this time! You threw rocks at Lord Locksley! I want an answer!" The girl stubbornly said giving him a challenging look.
Will stared at the girl before sighing, "Fine."
A victorious grin flickered on her face as she made her seat on Will. His face turned red at this but his voice kept level.
"Do you remember me telling you about how my mother past away and o never had a father." Evemina nodded anxiously, "Well I do have a father." His hazel eyes hardened, "Its Lord Locksley."
"What?!"
"He fell in love with my mother when he had been lonely for a few years after his wife past away. He got her pregnant with me and that's when that brat ruined everything."
"You mean Robin?"
"Yes." Will hissed, "He caught the Lord and my mother kissing and made a huge scene. How it wronged his dead mother to be with another woman and that he never truly loved his mother. The Lord loved that brat so much that he rejected my mother and left her on the streets."
Sadness and anger were in the emerald eyes of Evemina, "I'm sorry, Will. I didn't know."
"I tried to be with my father many times... But... He turned me away every time. I hate him and Robin for ruining my life."
Evemina blinked several times before hugging the boy, "Well I'm going to make it all better, you'll see!"
Unseen by the little girl, a radiant smile formed on the boy's face. "Thank you Mina."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thunk.
Wulf glanced down to a collapsed Evemina who fell face first onto the forest floor. "Father!"
John spun around and immediately approached the maiden. He quickly turned her over, in doing so her hood slipped off. Revealing to the men of the forest, the beauty that hid under the cloak. All except for Will who glared deathly at Robin before storming away from everyone else.
The maiden began mumbling incoherent things that none of them could decipher. Worried for her well being, the painted man lifted the woman into his arms and quickly followed John to camp.
It was nightfall when the young maiden fluttered her eyes open. She stared up toward a wooden ceiling and her body laid in hay. She moved her head to the side, realizing she was in a small hut made out of sticks, moss, and hay foe bedding. The hut hardly fit her inside as her knees where brought up close to her chest. It was warm and her aching bones had no motive to move however she could hear the men just outside. Instead of getting up, Evemina shuffled herself to the opening of the hut and made a tuft of hay her pillow.
She thought about the memory and realized that was a damn good reason why she hates Robin.
Just three meters way, the men were all sitting around a fire as a jug was being passed around. John and his son sat on a sturdy branch that hovered over the men sitting near the trunk.
The large man was smiling, pointing out men as he named them, "That's Max, the miller's son, Harold Brownwell and that stumpy one there is David of Doncaster, but the lads all call him Bull."
Robin chuckled, "Because you're short?"
Bull stood up with a smile, " No, because I'm so long!" Laughter sounded around the campfire as he tried to show Robin how long he was by staring to undo his trousers.
Locksley waved his hands towards Bull while laughing, "No, Bull, save it, save it. Save it for the ladies."
With that, Bull sat down with a grin as John's eyes glimmered at the careless laughter of the men, "Give the man some mead." The large man proclaimed with a hearty grin. Robin takes a drink before passing it to the man next to him. "Now I made that myself." John mentioned to rich boy with a proud grin.
The man next to Robin takes a swig and passes the jug past the dark skinned man without offering him any. "Has English hospitality changes so much in six years that a friend of mine is not welcome at this table."
His words created an unsettling silence as all eyes watched this play out.
The man glanced over to Robin to the painted man back to Locksley, "But he's a savage, sire!" He whispered.
Robin nodded, "That he is." The rich boy glanced to the Moor and the man, "But no more then you or I. And don't call me Sire."
Sheepishly, the man offers the jug to the dark skinned man but he rose his hand to the man. "With regret I must decline." His finger pointed upwards to the dark heavens, "Allah forbids it."
"You bloody lost me." John chuckled at the Moor's words.
Small chortle of laughter reverberated from some of the men of the forest. Robin surveyed the line of men gathered by the fire. "Why is it that so many of you are hiding?"
John and Robin made eye contact, "Well, we are all outlaws. We have prices on ours heads. Even that young lad there." Little gestured to his son as Wulf took a swig of the jug of mead. "The blasted sheriff, he says we owe him taxes."
Robin nodded at John's words, "Well, your ghosts will only keep the sheriffs man at bay so long."
"Well, they’ve worked so far. Do you have a better idea?" A new voice piped in. Evemina than noticed the man with the black scarf standing away from the fire. Will... that's his name. He perfectly hid himself in the darkness as he leaned back against a tree. His arms were crossed as he sent Robin a challenging look.
The rich boy had glanced back to the man than back to the fire, "You can always fight back."
The men chuckled at those words, shaking their heads at the absurdity of Locksley's words. John's was greater than the rest as he stared down at rich boy, "I reckon I must have cracked that noble our of yours. Well these are all good lads here. They have hearts of oath but they are farmers. It would be lambs to the laughter." He leaned closer, "They say the sheriff was raised by a witch."
"A witch?" The painted man echoed with a sense of familiarity and shock.
Wulf nodded excitedly as he laid down on his stomach on the tree branch, "She knows every man's thoughts, you can see her eyes fur and she flies."
John shook his head at his son, "That's a load of codswallop, Wulf."
"What does a rich son of a devil worshipper care about a bunch of outlaw pheasants?" Will remarked but was quickly cut short by Duncan.
"My Lord was a kind and generous man. Who among you dare to believe…"
Robin set a hand on the blind man to calm him down before gazing back to Will. "My father was no devil worshipper. And I'll have words with any man who says otherwise." The rich boy faced toward the fire as he began to nod, "But he's right. I was a rich man's son. When I killed the sheriffs men, I became an outlaw like you."
"You are nothing like us." Will sneered before storming off into the night.
All eyes watched the retreating figure of the man, John was the first to speak. "That there’s Will Scarlet. Take no notice of him, he's full of piss and wind. Come on lads, drink up. Don't talk about so much bloody rubbish. This here is the best that we simple men can expect. Here we're safe. Here we are kings!"
Will Scarlet.
Will... Scarlet...
~~~
It was a long ride before she could hear the yells and smell the putrid smell of feces. She was back in Papplewick, hiding under the cloak of the Sheriff of the town.
A familiar man's voice echoed, "Hang them up, you imbosals!"
"Sheriff!" Fredrick hollered. Evemina peeked her eye out between the cracks of cloth to see what was going on.
A man with black hair and dark black eyes approached them wearing an evil grin. "Ahh, Fredrick... You came for the enjoyment."
"I brought you the missing daughter."
The man was shocked but soon dark glee filled his eyes. "Excellent. Hand her to me."
Evemina stiffened.
This was the time of truth.
Was Fredrick being true to his word or will he hand her over.
To her relief, her protector handed over the sack.
"What a gift." The Sheriff of Nottingham mused. "Men! Hang this one with the family."
A chuckle sounded among the Sheriff's men. Evemina's eyes followed the men as they carried the sack towards a gallows. The young child was dead certain that the structure did not exist in the town before.
Sheriff Fredrick steered his horse closer to the gallows.
Her eyes than spotted two bodies were already hanging silently by a rope around their necks. Both were bludgeon badly by whips, knives, and by men. One was a man... the other a woman...Their faces were bloodied and bruised as their silent pleas of help vanquished along with their souls. As she studied closer, her eyes widened.
That red hair... those wide brown eyes of the woman... and that black hair... and emerald eyes of the man. Their eyes stared lifelessly into hers.
Her parents.
Silent tears leaked down her cheek.
So much horror... It only got worse.
Nottingham pulled a tiny body from the the bag... A little girl... who was already dead... with black hair... and green eyes much like her.
The Sheriff and his men went into a frenzy... beating the already cold body.
A scream of terror echoed loudly throughout the town and forest. But not enough to stop the men from retreating from their sinful act.
Her already frightened eyes spotted the boy, her savior, struggling to reach towards the gallows. The boy was held back by a guard gripping his brown hair. An evil grin was plastered to the man's face, enjoying the horror the boy was going through.
"Mina!!!" The boy screamed, "NO!"
His body was badly beaten up and bloody. Clothes was tattered, ripped, and nearly had a shirt on. His back was marred with wounds caused by whips. He was almost like a replica of her parents' condition only that he still was breathing. His wounds stopped him from fighting, but the pain... the pain in his eyes was unbearable for the young girl to witness. She wanted so desperately to scream to the boy that she was alright and safe, but that would put her life and the Sheriff Fredrick and the boy's lives in extreme danger.
The guard holding the boy answered down to the suddenly, "Shut it Will Scarlet. That's going to be you if you keep up your pathetic life."
The boy's screams for Mina continued as tears streamed down his bloodied face as darkness took over the girl's sight.
Never would she remember... till now
~~~~~
Evemina's heart thumped wildly in her chest. Her eyes spotted his dark figure marching further away from the camp. She needed to see him... and talk to him. Like an interview to see if he is truly who she thinks he is.
The maiden silently worked her body out of the small hut and silently crept away into the darkness before anyone could notice her. Evemina quickly jogged along the path of the angered man and followed it out of the camp into the darker forest.
Crickets sang their nightly tune as Evemina's pace slowed to a walk when her eyes caught the dark form of a man brooding as he sat on a overgrown root of a tree.
"Are you alight?" She questioned, earning a hardly audiable gasp.
She could feel his eyes on her as he carefully scruntinize her the best he could in the pitch darkness.
He gave her no answer as he continued to stare.
"Your name is Will, correct?"
Her emerald eyes caught the movement of his nod before she heard a huff, "Why did you follow me? The forest is dangerous at night." His voice was low in a grumble.
"You seemed upset so I came to see if you were fine." The maiden stepped closer, "And you seem to dislike a certain companion of mine. I could not help my curiosity."
"That's none of yer business."
Evemina smiled, "I fear you misunderstood me... I do not like Locksley either... I... I feel this hatred for him that I never remembered having."
The man listened quietly, "Why are you with him than?"
Evemina averted her eyes into the dark forest as she spoke, "I worked in Dubois Manor and when Robin was young, he would come over to play with Peter Dubois. Maid Marian has been taking care of the people of England in King Richard's steed. She sent me to my hometown for a time recently to see my family. However not only did I not see them but I learned about a past that I had forgotten." Her emeralds glanced over to Will, "I've been wanted by the Sheriff of Nottingham for a decade and a half. My family was slaughtered... and he found it in himself to exterminate the entire bloodline."
"I'm sorry." Than Will froze, he heard this story before. Now that he thought about it, her voice sounded familiar.
She nodded, "It's fine. I had forgotten the memory for fifteen years. Yes, learning about it a few days earlier devastated my entire world... but it gave me a fire to get their revenge and I mean to do so." She took a breath and gazed around the area, "Also during my journey I had learned that my whereabouts was leaked by someone living in the Manor. I'm terrified that they would hurt Marian in some way so I rode with haste to her. Upon my arrival, none other than Locksley was there and Nottingham soldiers were just outside the walls going for Robin. I did not want to endanger Maid Marian for housing a wanted person under her roof so I left with Locksley."
The man nodded seriously before pondering his thoughts. Now he knew it is her. The woman he helped escaped not even a few days ago. He kept his cool though, curious on what else she would say.
Also he was not in much of a good mood for introductions or listening.
He did not like the fact that someone followed him out here.
This was his time to cool off his anger like the air around him when the sun hid waiting for a new day.
But this company... of a woman he guessed it was alright.
His thoughts were interrupted by a question that sparked curiosity in him, "Do you use daggers as a weapon?"
It was a strange question that was asked by a girl by all means. Why would she care to waste a breath on such a question. "Yes..." Will replied uncertainly to the oddity of the woman. "That had nothing to do with anything at all."
Evemina blushed heavily and was thankful that it was dark out for the man could not see. "Well I saw the other men wielding farming tools and you did not."
Will nodded at this, he guessed it made some sort of sense now. "I do use daggers."
Evemina mentally crossed that off her list and wondered the next question. She was afraid of saying the wrong question in the worse wording that would either upset him or she would have to come clean. Then her mind lot up as a questioned came across her mind, "Were you always hiding in this camp?"
Will swallowed deeply at the question, it had struck a nerve but he knew that this woman did not know what was okay and not. "No." He muttered loud enough for her to catch it.
"Wher-"
"Why are you asking so many questions?"
Will stared defensively at the woman, as he became more and more uncomfortable with her questioning. He was afraid she would ask the right question to knock him off into memories he so desperately yearned to forget.
Evemina froze and stiffly swallowed. How is she going to explain to him.
Hey I'm your best friend that supposedly died fifteen years ago and you supposedly saw my death but I'm alive! Surprise!
The maiden was considering that but she remembered the daggers in possession. Maybe if she gave him this little proof that indirectly says that she was Mina than... perhaps he would make the discovery himself.
She grabbed the dagger on her hip than from her boot, "I had these in my possession for as long as I can remember. It was recent that I found initials near the hilt. W.S ... Your name is Will Scarlet so I thought maybe these daggers were yours."
Silence hung in the night, however there was no such thing existent in his body. His mind was raging on a fury of questions.
Could these be... the exact daggers that he gave Mina so many hears ago?
It was too dark to tell and he decided not to accept them afraid it was some sort of hoax, "Perhaps there are... or not. You better get back to camp before they notice that you escaped from the hut."
Evemina was stunned, but mentally hit herself in the head. It was dark outside... such a bad idea to give something over that had to be seen. "Right." The woman slid the weapons back and turned to the way she came... or she thought she did. "Uhh..." She mumbled as her emerald eyes carefully studied the dark land.
A sigh sounded behind her, "I'll lead you back." His heavy steps came to her side and swiftly past her. Evemina hurried to keep up earning a groan from the man, "Keep up and stay close these forest are not suitable for a woman." He warned her as she reached his side.
A grin bubbled up on her face as his words took her back to a memory she had seen earlier, "But you will be here to protect me."
(End of Chapter Seven)