The Way We Were

[Robin Of The Woods]

SETTING: 1187

Robert had been in London for for the whole season. Their had been balls all night full of the best wines, bad jokes and the ladies--Robert liked the ladies. Their were short ones, tall ones, blonde ones, pale ones, old ones, young ones. He never failed to have one on his arm. They flirted and if he played his charm well; he could steal a few kisses under the moonlight.

However when the season ended and nobles left the stench of the city for their country homes, the city grew bored. Robert often made any trips home during this time. Training for a knight required he spent most his time in London but being the only heir to his father's Earldom meant he also had his duties there.

Besides, his favorite girl was his kid sister. While the city girls he could play with, non were as witty or as unfake as his sister. Perhaps it was because she was still too young to play the political games, or perhaps it was because no other woman looked so truly glad to see him.

Robert had traveled most the night to get to his country home and went straight to bed upon arriving. His father had been up but his mother and sister had not. He did not allow the servant to wake them, but instead knew he would see them on the morrow. Taking to his bed, he told the staff to inform his mother and sister when they awoke.

[ella]

The sun was just starting to wake up, shinning bright just over the horizon. Most everyone was sleeping, or they should be sleeping. It was still too early to get up and start the day. But as the minutes ticked by and the sun began to rise, so to would the quiet little town.

The curtains were closed shut tight normally, only today a small crack was left, letting the soft light of the sun, shine into the room. The room was not that large, but it surly was not small. It housed a young girl, maybe thirteen. She was sound asleep dreaming of only good things. The later it got, the higher the rays of sun shone into the room. It reached the girls bed, hitting just below her face. Surly in the next minutes the sun would reach her face an awaken her.

Sure enough a few more minuses pasted and the sun was just over the horizon. The bright light hit the young girl square in the eyes. It was enough to wake her from her dreams. She had always been a morning person, so it was no surprise to hear Ari?nna was waking with the sun. Bad news for the rest of the castle, but Ari?nna woke when she woke, she could not control it.

Sitting in her bed, stretching out a little she looked about, smiling at the crack in her curtains. She stood pulling them back and looking out, with a young smile on her face. What a pretty sight. She was not sure how early it really was, for she was not looking at the sun, no she was looking at a horse she knew well. It was a horse her brother loved very much. It was being walked around the grounds a little. Strange. She though to herself. There had been little to no talk of her brother coming home soon...but his horse was here. There was no mistaken it. There it was being walked. She knew by the markings it held. It had to be his.... Yes... yes it had to be.

So with a small shriek to herself, she dove into her closet pulling out a robe and pretty much shoving herself in it. No man, not even her brother should see her in her gown, unless she was married... which she was much to young for. Once the robe was over her night wear she ran as fast as her little legs could take her down the hall, up the steps around the freak'en estate to her brothers....room. If thats what you want to call it. More like his domain. With out a second though she pushed open the doors and ran into the bottom of his bed. There he was sleeping like a child all snug in his bed.

But Ari?nna was unable to help herself, her eyes wide with excitement and pure joy, she let out a pretty loud shriek. One that carried it's way around the estate. If you were sleeping her noise would have surly woken you up by now. "ROBERT!" She followed with a scream, jumping in her spot at the foot of his bed for a second, before climbing into the bed, and pretty much tackling the sleepy boy with a big old hug. "YOU CAME HOME!" She cried out, not meaning to be so loud in his ear, but she could hardly control her self. She had no idea he'd be home so soon. She did not think she'd see him for at least another week maybe a month. But to see him..now.. today. Well you can't blame her. Her idol is back her one and only playmate came to see her. He was home and she was happy, that's all there was too it.

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[Robin Of The Woods]

Asleep one moment and the next there was screaming. He knew he should be used to it for every time he arrived she got very girl like and high pitched excited; yet every time he found himself jumping at the sound. Lifting his head he looked down at the bundle of kiddie excitement and night clothes climbed up to him. "Who the hell are you?" He asked in a highly teasing tone, knowing very well she was his baby sister.

"I could have sworn there was no ladies in this house. Just my mother and a baby girl." He held up his hand a few feet from the mattress, "She was about this tall last I saw." It never failed to amaze him how she grew up fast when he only saw her a few times a year. Every summer she had almost doubled whatever he had last seen her. Robert got the feeling that the next few times he saw her would be some of the last childhood summers they had.

Goodness! He was getting old if his baby sister was getting to be an adult. "Before you climb up here, you might want to look in the bag by the end of the bed." He's tossed it there last night but whenever he came from London he always brought gifts. This time he had brought a bunch of random jewelry for his sister and mother. Some pretty cloth for them as well for new dresses. It was hard to get things in the country, but in London. "Take your pick then we will let Mother raid it."

[ella]

"Ari?nna silly!" She shrieked bouncing up and down at the edge of his bed, wanting to climb up there. Though she would let him wake a little before rushing into his personal space. "You should know such things." She said poking his forehead for a moment. She knew he was teasing her but, she'd play along for the time being....until it got really annoying. Which is almost never did, but they had to stop it some point. But yes, she'd mess with him right back. If he could mess with her she could mess with him too. It was only fair that way.

"Well she must have grown very big and tall." She said standing up as tall as she could while still keeping firm to the ground. "She's been listening to her father and eating lots of good foods." Ari?nna informed her brother. "So she must have grown very much." She added prod of her little dialog. She had been very good while he was gone this time around. So she could report good things. Normally her father would have something bad to report to Robin, like helping to watch her manors or something. This last few years she has been known to act out in one way or another but these past few months have been pretty good.

Ari?nna was just about climb onto the bed when she was told not to. She looked down to see a bag off to the other side of the room. she took a few large steps over to that side, and reached down pulling the bag up. "Heavy." She said with a small grunt as she shoved it on top of his bed so she could spill it all out. When she did a bunch of shinny glittering things reached her eyes. She let out a small gasp as she began shifting through the very pretty things. She did not say anything as she put a few things over her head, hanging on her neck, taking some off....just shifting through everything he brought home. It always amazed her, the pretty things he got for them.

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[Robin Of The Woods]

Robert laughed at how his sister told him he should know her. When they were younger he used to think she believed him but now he wondered if she was just humoring him by playing along to his teasing. He rolled from the bed while she started going though the bed and pulled on a shirt since he was already wearing pants.

Robert had learned long ago not to sleep naked while in his family's home; since his sister (and on occasion his mother) would walk right in, to tell him something to drag him up to visit with him or take him hunting. He walked over to where he put another beg down and pulled something special out before walking up behind his sister and putting a sliver band around her head. it wasn't a crown, but it held green stones and diamonds in patters all around it.

"Soon, Papa will have to hold a come out for you. I thought you should have this in case London keeps me from joining you." As a knight he could not come and go as he pleased but at a king's whim.

[ella]

All the pretty gifts kept her distracted. She did not see her brother get up or anything. She was much much to busy shifting through the amazing gifts he brought with him. What wonderful things he had. Things she's never seen before, things she was very happy to call hers...well her mothers. But she was sure her mother would not mind her using whatever she was given. Of course Ari?nna got first pick of the lot, but still she wanted it all. Whatever she left for her mother, would soon find their way back into Ariannas greedy little hands. No no, she would not steal them, but she'd ask to barrow them or see them again for just a little. They would never be missed. If her mother loved the item so very much Ari?nna would respect that, but still, she liked stuff her brother got for her.

She could feel something being placed on her head. She did not move fearing it may fall. Robert began to speak and she reached up to feel the metal slated with some jewels. She let her fingers run over the crown as she searched for what it might look like, feeling her way around it. She did not want to take it off her head, but she'd like very much to see it. If it was anything like these treasures split out on the bed, she'd scream her very loud and very happy scream.

Turning she smiled at her brother still touching the thing on her head. But she did not stay put for long, she bounced her way over to a mirror, and when she saw the glittering thing upon her head she let out a little shrill scream. So typical for Ari?nna. Waking the whole darn town. But thats why everyone loved her. She made up for being such a brat by being so very cute. Ari?nna just looked at her most favorite gift in the mirror. She had nothing to say, which was a good thing at the moment, for if she had words she'd scream them. She just looked at the pretty thing on her head in the mirror, running the tips of her fingers over the brightly colored jewels.

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[Robin Of The Woods]

He liked that his sister seemed pleased. It was rare that merchants came this far out to the country so he made sure to bring London to the family. Robert could never understand how his father liked the country home but he assumed finding a woman and having a family changed things. Right now he was young and loving London.

He loved all the stuff to do; and how it was filled with friends. The girls--Oh the girls were so damn pretty and Robert did alright with the ladies. He knew that his kid sister would break a few hearts in her day but he would worry about beating men off with a stick later. Right now their father had her tucked up and away int he country and he was the only man in her life.

"So I am going to guess that you like the gift.' He said knowing the answer; "Maybe even don't want to take it off for the whole day!" But he was going somewhere with this; "Which would be a shame since I was planning to go out to the local market for some bow strings and then go hunting." Which she could not wear THAT hunting. "So I guess you would rather stay here . . . . . "

[ella]

Ari?nna nodded her head so quickly the crown almost flew off her head, but she was able to catch it before it left the top of her head. It was a pretty close call. "I'm never gonna take it off!" She responded still looking at herself in the mirror. She did enjoy the looks for the crown very very much. She would want to wear it forever and ever! She'd totally sleep in it. Oh yes, she did not have even think about taking it off, like it was glued to her little thirteen year old head. Ah she could get used to having such a thing on her head....but... of course he had to go ruin her moment.

The smile was gone and she was looking up at him. Hunting...he really wanted to go hunting...now? That was for sure her most favorite thing.. but the crown... Well it would be here forever... so, without a second glance she tossed the thing off of her head and onto the bed. It would be pretty safe there... well not really. But she was much to excitd to go play with her brother. Sitting and looking at herself in the mirror would be fun for sure... but after a while she'd get bored, not like anything would change. She'd look the same for many many days...she just did not have time to look that long. But she could always put the crown on later. It's not every day her brother takes her out hunting.

"Ohhhhh!" She said jumping where she stood, before running out the door full speed. Her little feet hammering on the floor as she made her way to her room to change into more appropriate clothing to wear on a hunt, and to get her most special bow and her arrows. It did not take her very long... a few minutes at most, before she found herself standing outside her brothers room, her bow in hand and bag of arrows flipped over her shoulder, She wore a dress that was more suited for the outdoors, for hunting, one that would not show many stains for it was the color of the outside, greens and browns. When Ari?nna put her mind to it, she could really get things done...and quickly.

((Sorry midterm week is the next three weeks. Midterms are really in three weeks, but the teachers are all freaking out about them, so they are cramming in last minute tests and stuff before midterms so they can have a more accurate grade for well midterms...sooo the next three weeks will be hell on earth for me. No more skype dates! haha at least not for a while.))

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[Robin Of The Woods]

Robert laughed as she bolted out of the room with even telling him if she was going or not. It seemed eve as the baby of the family was growing up she still liked to do some non-girl fun stuff. He knew that one day soon she'd care more about the jewels he brought her rather then the sport he could take her to. Pity; he rather liked his kid sister all bouncy and full of fun.

Robert used his time alone to change into his hunting trousers; a dark brown sort of color and a very dark green shirt that let him blend in with the green of the woods and lacked any frills or ties. Pulling on a leather vest for warmth in the sunless woods he readied his gear. Taking only his bow and some survival things in a sack that could be tied to his back he opened his door to find her waiting for him.

"In London it would take a lady an hour to just get out of her dress; much less change into something suitable." He told her; "Thank the bloody hell your not one of them." Because it was annoying to have to wait on their every move. His sister was fast. "I will speak with father and mother and then meet you by the horses? You can stop by the kitchens to gt some something light for the road?"

[F*&^ Ella! Next time I don't reply to your threads in a few days kick my ass, Boo! I didn't see you'd replied until I was looking at them to see something! Other posts covered it up! Dude, next time just text the hell out of me and make me get my ass on the effing ball! Sorry about the LATE ass reply!]