a time to run

[Robin Of The Woods]

"You don't need your mouth to get cleaned up." He warned; a reminder of his threat to gag her. Had he threatened her that? He was sure he had but if not then it was coming very soon. He was waiting for her to follow him; or take off running. Either way it would not end like last time. His horse was with his men; and he could out run her.

Once caught he would drag her back! Surely the little fool could see that even if she got away from him that she was in his bloody camp! His men would find her and she would not get far. "Bloody hell, woman; either run for it or come on. Either way I don't actually have all night to wait on you to make up your bloody mind." He demand; "Do you want to be clean or do you want to spent whatever time you have left trussed up like a gift waiting for the sheriff to unwrap?"

[Marian Cooper]

Marian rolled her eyes at his very not-subtle reminder that he didn't want her to speak. She would have said something...except that standing up hurt too much for words. But she wasn't going to admit that to him, or let it show on her face, so she steeled herself and showed nothing on her face, following him into the cave. Or...she meant to. But after just one step, she realized that she couldn't walk and keep her face blank at the same time. She bit her lip, letting him get ahead of her. Running wasn't even an option at this point.

And then he was yelling at her. She looked at him incredulously; what was wrong with this man? One minute, he was promising that he wouldn't let this happen again, and the next, he was screaming at an injured woman to hurry up. Marian's eyes narrowed to a glare, but she didn't say anything. What could she say to a crazy person that might make him change his mind? So instead she took a deep, painful breath, and braced herself as she slowly walked over to him, unable to keep the pain off her face. "So are we going to go, or would you just like to stand there getting all red-faced and sweaty for the rest of the night?"

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[Robin Of The Woods]

Robert watched her for a moment before muttering something under his breath that sounded an awful lot like 'castrate' and something about feeding a horse; as he walked over angerly to her. He took a hold of her arm and pulled it around his neck while lifting her into his arms. "I am just going to help you get there." He told her sounding slightly annoyed.

He waited to make sure she would let him before taking her to where he wanted her. The caves were dark; but he knew which paths were safe; which one to walk down and which ones that were open to run down. When he was younger; he'd taken to playing in the caves; using a torch. It was dangerous to do so without one; but he could manage it.

The area he took her too; had a small hole in the top for light and a few larger boulders that could be used as sets. Some stolen chest were stored here filled with things that he could not give the poor and men would not want. Silks that could keep no one warm; shoes that were too thin to walk on the uneven ground with; and clothing that would get a farm girl arrested for wearing. "I need to go talk to my men," He told her while putting her down; "The caves will get you killed if you try to walk them. Don't. Use what you will to clean up. I will bring a medicine man to check you."

[Marian Cooper]

Marian might have fought against him when he picked her up...if she could have. But honestly, by this point, she was so tired of fighting, and it hurt far less to let him carry her than trying to do it herself. As they got further from the entrance and it got darker, she couldn't tell where they were going, and she knew she wouldn't be able to find her way out once they got...wherever it was they were going. That was probably why he'd chosen to bring her here, and not just tie her up in their camp somewhere; here, she wouldn't need to be guarded all the time.

She glanced around in the dimly lit room before he put her down, then turned to face him. "Give them my regards." She told him sarcastically when he told her why she was going, but other than that, she didn't say anything. She was tired of fighting, she just wanted to curl up in a ball and go to sleep. She turned away from him as he left, looking around and waiting until his footsteps had faded away and she was sure he was gone before she started removing the heavy leather gear she'd donned that morning. It was uncomfortable, and it chafed, but more importantly, she wanted to see how bad she looked underneath it all.

It wasn't pretty. Even just in the moonlight, she had marks rapidly darkening into ugly bruises patterned over her abdomen, painful to the touch. When she was done admiring the bandits' handiwork, she put the light cotton shirt back on, keeping her leather pants and boots but leaving the rest off. Looking through the items gathered, she raised an eyebrow at the startlingly large collection of women's clothing, before she found what she wanted; a skin of water. She drank some of it, then rinsed the dirt and grime from her day in the woods from her face. Figuring that was the best she could do, she found a relatively comfortable place where she could sit and wait, but she was so tired that it wasn't long before she'd fallen asleep right where she was.

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[Robin Of The Woods]

Robert returned an hour later with his hands aching; and his mind a bit more at ease. He knew that he'd made a point to his men now and that this would not happen again among them. The two who's touched her; weren't left among them. In an army they would have been lashed; but here you had to have a more dangerous and pointless mode of maintaining command or you'd be over taken and killed by your own men. One that often non-navel ships used; and he's judged at idiotic until he was outlawed.

When he did return; he found her sleeping. He'd sent for one of the medicine women but they would not arrive until later; if they could at all. The sheriff's men were flooding the edges of the woods looking for her. His ransom note that was left for them would have already been found. They were to push the trunk of gold into a sink hole ten miles from here; and let it sink. Once it was seen that this was done; then they would leave and she would be returned. The outlaws could get to the sunken gold in an month when the dry spell got a bit worse and the sheriff had forgotten about the gold; leaving whomever job to wait in ambush for them to be removed.

Robert pulled out some of the dresses and draped them over her before building a fire in the center; so the smoke could go out the whole. Pulling his shirt off he balled it up to use as a pillow, and layed down across the entrance so she could not get out with out over stepping him. He was a light sleeper on most nights; and knew it would wake him.

[Marian Cooper]

Although the men searching the edges of the woods were still busy at work, the Sheriff had selected one bold young man to deliver a message to the outlaws.

The crown will not negotiate with outlaws.

Meaning that there would be no payment of the ransom, regardless of what that meant for the captive. It might make some nobles angry, that a lady could be taken by such bandits and left to die, but the Sheriff had that all planned out: he was showing that they would not cater to these bandits, and that while it may cost his lovely bride her life, it would serve to show these bandits that there was no point in further such hostage-taking, because they would not be paid for. And he would be rid of the damned woman.

Marian woke up when she breathed in the acrid scent of wood smoke, blinking against the darkness. Slowly, she sat upright, surprised when something soft and silky slid down to collect in her lap. By the firelight, she could see that it was some of the dresses she'd noticed earlier; was he trying to keep her warm, or did this mean he wanted her to change? She glanced around to find him, figuring that he wouldn't go to the trouble of making a fire if he didn't plan to stay. She found him, spread out in front of the entrance to the cave; probably so he could stop her if she made a run for it.

Not that it was very likely anymore. No, she was not in any condition to be making a run for anything, so as much as she hated to admit it, she was just going to have to wait for the Sheriff to pay the ransom and the bandit king here to take her back there. She looked down at the soft dress she was holding...it would probably be a lot better for her if they didn't think she was running away when she was taken hostage. And that would probably be more believable if she was wearing a pretty dress, rather than men's clothing, when they found her. Glancing at the inert form on the ground briefly, she turned her back towards him and changed from her dirty cotton shirt and leather pants into the noblewoman's dress, pulling her boots back on when she was done. No point in going around barefoot.

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[Robin Of The Woods]

Robert woke slightly when he heard movement and peeked open his eyes to see her changing. He shut them for a moment and did not move. Blllooooddddyyyy heeellllll the woman was changing clothes and he shut he friggin' eyes?! Robert opened them again; staying still in hopes she would think him sleeping. Anytime it looked like she might look behind her at him he would close them again for a few seconds; letting himself pretend to be sleeping.

Finally he gave up even pretending; silently rolling slightly to his side and propping up his head. When she was done and putting on her boots he spoke; "I was wrong, love; I know why men would want you. If they can keep your mouth occupied they might get some enjoyment." He had gotten enjoyment from her show. She was beautiful; he'd give her that. Enough so that he rolled once more to his belly to let the cold ground remove evidence of his approval.

[Marian Cooper]

After her initial check to make sure he was sleeping, Marian didn't bother looking over her shoulder again, instead getting dressed as quickly as she could and trying to be quiet enough that she wouldn't wake him. So she looked up abruptly when she heard him speaking, only to see him watching her and looking far happier than she would have liked. She felt the heat rise in her cheeks at his words, but instead of responding right away, she finished lacing up her boots, staring at her foot.

"Don't be indecent," she warned him, looking up finally to see that he had rolled back onto his stomach. That seemed...odd, but not the most important thing on Marian's mind at the moment. "And I told you before, don't call me love." She was a good noble girl, and she knew that his overt familiarity was just an attempt to annoy her...and it was working. It might work better if she just pretended it didn't bother her, but that wasn't in Marian's nature. Besides, maybe if she said it, he'd actually stop? Yeah right. He probably thought he was just so hilarious.

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[Robin Of The Woods]

Annddd; they were back to bossing him around. He laughed at her attempt to tell him to behave and just shrugged it off. "Boys will be boys, love;" He told her; leaving off that shews will be shrews; in her case. Once the coldness of the ground had seeped into his pants he pushed up to a stand; pulling his shirt up and over his head.

"I liked you better when you were sleeping; all silent and . . . . not bitching at me." Robert rather hoped he was annoying the hell out of her; for it return the favor of her annoying the bloody hell out of him in return. "Do you want to stay here while I check on your random; or would you like to come along and get home faster?" He knew she didn't want to go back; but he liked reminding her where he was going to send her.

[Marian Cooper]

Marian rolled her eyes at his excuse. "I couldn't agree more...I've never seen a grown man who behaved so much like a little boy." Playing out in the woods, thinking himself free of consequences, all of it smacked of the childishness of youth. Not that she was really any better...but she wasn't about to admit to that. She was already standing when he got up, her eyes following him as he rose to his feet, distracted for a moment by the sight of his bare chest before he pulled his shirt back on, blushing and looking away hurriedly. With any luck, he would think her blush due to his earlier lewdness. She bent slightly to brush some of the cave dirt from her skirts, inadvertently showing more of her cleavage in the lower-cut dress in her attempt to look busy.

"Well I liked you better when you were yelling obscenities while I rode away on your horse." She retorted, reminding him that she had gotten the better of him; the famed thief lord. For however long it had lasted, it had to be a blow to his swollen pride. But her smug expression was quickly replaced when he mentioned her ransom, and returning to the castle. The Sheriff must have paid it by now...and she was weary of sitting on the cave floor. Her ribs still hurt, but the pain had dulled to an ache. "I wouldn't want to deprive myself of your charming company for so much as a moment. Shall we?" She said with a daft sort of glee that would make it obvious she was being sarcastic, but she'd go with him nonetheless. Get this over with.

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[Robin Of The Woods]

Robert wasn't sure what she was bitching at now; something about a horse; but when he looked from from putting on his shirt he saw right down her dress; and his ears turned off. Hell; he might even be able to get around her big mouth; and let her bitch the whole way though.

He tucked in his shirt and walked little closer to her; "If it's my company you crave then you only had to say so; we can stay here a while longer and I will teach you a few tricks to make me yell some more of them obscenities you were so fond of." He was being crude and he knew it; but he was enjoying the moment.

When he grew closer to her; he gave pause. "The caves a dark and filled with peril." Mainly him; but she didn't know that. "I will carry you to the opening." If she didn't kick up a fuss.

[Marian Cooper]

She noticed he was looking at her very strangely...and even more annoying, he didn't seem the slightest bit perturbed by her barbs. She straightened up when he came closer to her, holding her ground and refusing to back up, even when he got uncomfortably close. "I doubt it would be very hard, but I'd hate to keep the Sheriff waiting...not that I imagine it would take very long." She returned impudently, she could be crude too. She just preferred not to be. In this case, to insult him, she'd do it anyways.

"The most dangerous thing in here is probably you. I'll take my chances walking, thank you." She was most certainly going to kick up a fuss. She'd only let him carry her last night because it hurt too much to walk, and since she was feeling somewhat better, she'd prefer to walk on her own two feet. Less chance of getting dropped.

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[Robin Of The Woods]

Doubt it would take very long? Was she trying to insult him? It was working; damn her but it also meant he was going to have to try to prove her wrong. Ignoring everything else she bitched about ---and he was growing more certain she didn't know how to speak unless it was in complaint--he decided to let his short attention span focus on that insult alone. He wasn't even sure why it bothered him; he was certain the little block of ice knew nothing about how to please anyone much less a man.

"Are you sure it wouldn't take every long? Would my touch excite you too much?" He taunted; moving closer to her. "If you are worried about not lasting long in my arena I can of course teach you some tricks to help stall the burst of euphoria that would other wise finish you off. . . . Though to be truthful, I didn't think women even had that problem. Maybe I am just better then I thought?"

[Marian Cooper]

Marian gave a laugh, rolling her eyes and hoping he didn't notice the blush rising in her cheeks in the dim light. "I'm certain that stalling the euphoria is hardly the concern of any woman you take to bed, but rather getting there before you do." She amended her earlier statement, making it clear that it was his ability to please a woman that was in question. She wasn't sure what he was prattling on about; the courts were full of lewd tales of promiscuity and affairs, and she'd never once heard a woman complain about a man lasting too long.

"Robert of Locksley...you know, I knew that sounded familiar! And not from the wanted ads. You know how women at court talk." He had been at court while she was there, although she'd been too young to worry about his advancements then. "Maybe you can help me out, I never really understood what they meant when they said that you disproved what they say about big hands?" She gave him an innocent look, as she glanced briefly down at his large hands, a devilish smile playing on her lips that meant she knew exactly what they said, and what they meant. Of course, she was lying about having heard this from anyone at court; she'd not heard much about him at all, or at least, not much that she remembered.

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[Robin Of The Woods]

"I'm certain that stalling the euphoria is hardly the concern of any woman you take to bed, but rather getting there before you do." He was going to fucking kill her. These words around anyone else would have gotten her beat, or proved wrong with some sort of force. She was damn lucky there was rules he didn't break; but he was damn sure going to make her learn a lesson.

"Robert of Locksley...Maybe you can help me out, I never really understood what they meant when they said that you disproved what they say about big hands?" They did not talk! They didn't! Did they? No. Not about disproving anything; for he had known better then to cross THAT line with a unmarried lady; and only a few married ones. Most the girls he had enjoyed in London were not the ones in her circles and if they were he'd be impressed.

He moved his hands that she was mocking to her shoulders and started forcing her to back up; til her back hit the cold stone behind her. He forced her hands to be pinned over her head; but make sure no other parts of them touched. "You really need to learn when to tease man; and when to keep your little mouth busy with something else."

He knew she was a fighter; and he was ready for her struggling; just as he was ready to make sure her knees didn't do any damage. There were two organs she was not getting close to the one of them he didn't think she was above trying to knee. "Are you sure you wish to know, love? Because I am a stone though from showing you."