|
|
Post by Robin Of The Woods on Feb 18, 2012 23:38:06 GMT -5
The sound of the horse trotting along; made him smile. Oh this was getting fun for him; the day spend setting up on the road; the waiting; the setting out into the the light and watching the realization of who he was spread slowly over the people's faces. Sometimes it was good old fashioned fear; sometimes it was them being curious before it turned to annoyance. Every now and then he would find a lady that his dashing smile and charming wit would win over; but most the time it was the fear and annoyance.
Stepping out from his hiding place he walked to the middle of the road; so the rider would have to stop. "These here; these be the woods of Robin of the Wood!" He called; a grin on his face at the clear amusement. The name Robin had stuck with him since getting outlawed a few months back. It was a common born name and he wasn't too fond of it; but it helped separate Robert the noble from his family. "I am afraid there is a tax to pass . . . and it's time for you to pay."
Robert knew he was not taking coin from this girl; but merely toying with her. Only a blackguard would rob his own little sister. Besides; the only thing he was taking from his sister was news.
|
|
|
|
Post by Lady Evelyn of Locksley on Feb 18, 2012 23:50:40 GMT -5
Evelyn noticed that her skills had increased in the past few months. Once where she would have been denied access to her gelding, even with an armed guard, she was now awarded time alone to ride. All because she publicly spit on her brother and all that he had done. At first she had barely been able to get the words out when speaking ill of him, as she could only imagine his reaction if he had heard her. But she knew that he must understand that all she did was necessary. She was not only looking out for herself, but for her mother and brother too.
She reined in the animal as her brother popped into view, demanding a tax from her. For perhaps the first time in weeks she found a genuine smile forming. "Do you know who I am, ruffian?" she questioned, deciding to toy with him. She slid down from the saddle, grinning as she held onto the looped reins. "If you harm a hair upon my head I'll have the Sheriff's dog upon you in an instant." She had taken to calling Gysbourne the sheriff's watchdog when alone with her mother, knowing that to speak ill of the earl openly would ruin the facade she was currently sporting. But no harm could come to her at insulting the Sheriff's watchdog.
|
|
|
|
Post by Robin Of The Woods on Feb 19, 2012 1:02:06 GMT -5
"Do you know who I am, ruffian?" Robert smiled at her playing along; knowing it meant that her news wasn't about their mother being sick or anything urgent that he needed to run attend to right this second. "Thhheee queen of England?" He pretended to guess. "Mary the baker's wife?!" No? Nnoooo; she was Evie; his baby sister who was growing slightly too fast. Soon he would be trying to find out how to beat men off her with a stick without seeming close to her. Maybe shooting them from afar?
"If you harm a hair upon my head I'll have the Sheriff's dog upon you in an instant." Dog? "Gizzy?!" He knew that 'Gizzy' hated being called that; which only encouraged him to call him that more and more. "Here, gizzy, gizzy!" he called like one might call a dog. "I don't think his dog is near." After a moment he turned to look around as if he expected the 'dog' to appear.
"You can tel your brush to rest easy; for I am not after a hair on your head. And your dog seems to have found a bone and gone missing . . . I think your fate is resting in my hands."
|
|
|
|
Post by Lady Evelyn of Locksley on Feb 19, 2012 1:30:21 GMT -5
Evelyn wrinkled her nose at being 'mistaken' for the queen. Queen Eleanor? She'd rather be mistaken for Mary the baker's wife than the elder woman. "I see that you haven't lost your wit out here," she commented, straying from her gelding to him. She had no fear of the horse darting off, as he had been the very same horse that she had 'graduated' to after her childhood pony. She had known it for far too long to be concerned with it wandering.
She embraced her elder brother, feeling a pang in her chest at the familiar feeling of his arms around her. Even after weeks of living a lie, she thought that she was still trapped in a nightmare. Any moment she would wake up in her bed at Locksley and find that this had all never happened. But that was not true, as much as she liked to consider it.
She laughed as he called 'Gizzy', stowing away the nickname for later. "Are you and your men well?"she asked, finally stepping back from him. As an afterthought she returned to her saddle, rummaging in her saddlebag until she procured a small leather purse.
She grabbed his hand, placing the pouch inside of it. "It's all that Mother and myself could spare for the month, but I'll try to get you more for the next," she said, folding his fingers over it. Even though Locksley was no longer in her family's ownership, both she and her mother were granted a stipend each month from the crown. After all, they were not outlaws as Robert was. To the crown, they were still the relations of the esteemed, late Earl Thomas.
Evie had taken to managing the pair's finances, not wanting to burden her mother more than she already was. This way she could set aside a few coins at the end of each month that weren't spent on trivial things such as ribbons or additional yards of silk.
|
|
|
|
Post by Robin Of The Woods on Feb 26, 2012 3:25:19 GMT -5
"I see that you haven't lost your wit out here," Never his wit; He hoped he died first. "Not my wit; but my frigging sanity yes," He was still learning to fully live in the woods and not have the simple things he took for granted; though the ears of war had taught him to live like this. It did not mean it liked it. When his sister hugged him; Robert kissed the top of her head lightly and whispered a " Hello, Evie," in greeting to her.
"Are you and your men well?" His men? Idiots; whore-mongrels; thieves; and the lowest of the low. "Yes, they said hi;" He said sarcastically; knowing she didn't mean them. Robert had two groups of 'men'; one of them were the random lower men. In an army they'd be the under paid calvery. Robert didn't pretend these men were god men. Most had earned the outlaw title.
It was the few who had not that formed in inner band of trusted men. The ones who had done the right thing; no matter the arrogance of a sheriff who claimed them wrong. These were the men he knew Evie would ask after; yet he still did not want her near any of them. No a single bloody one! "It's all that Mother and myself could spare for the month, but I'll try to get you more for the next," "Evie, bloody everlasting hell; put that away!" He did not--would not take money from his family! "The sheriff robs you enough; I wont do the same."
[/quote] |
|
|
|
Post by Lady Evelyn of Locksley on Feb 26, 2012 17:23:52 GMT -5
 Evelyn found a grin splitting her lips as he cursed. Her mother would not approve, despite her brother's age, but the older woman was not present. She had received a few thrashings in her childhood from her mother with a stick from one of the birch trees near the Locksley stables for picking up on her brother's artful language. It seemed that at least one of them hadn't kicked the habit. Hearing the nickname sent a warmth through her chest. Mother normally called her 'Evelyn'. Marian called her "Evie" on occasion, as well as her young son. Otherwise to the court she was "Lady Locksley", which was an insult in itself as Locksley no longer belonged to her family. It was nice to hear her nickname from her brother's voice after so long.
She rolled her eyes at his sarcastic answer. Of course she had meant his inner circle, and not the dregs of society that made up the rest. Why, they were the very reason that she kept a knife in her boot when she went out riding. When he pushed away her money she frowned. "It's not stealing if I'm giving it to you!" she stressed, pushing the pouch back into his hands. "It's extra is all. My gowns are fine; I've stopped growing. Mother rarely ever goes out to court so her wardrobe is still holding up." She tilted her head slight, a jesting smile upon her lips. "It's not as if I need any extra cloth for wimples." She pushed her hair, unbound, over her shoulder to emphasize her joke. She was still unmarried, a virgin lady; she needn't cover her hair with cloth as other women did.
"Take the coins, please. You have more need of it than we do."
|
|
|
|
Post by Robin Of The Woods on Feb 28, 2012 0:37:58 GMT -5
Robert would never curse before his mother. Nor tell her of his NOT-wife; nor of his new found recent and slight fascination with her handmaiden; not of the rumors of the handmaiden's son that was not quite his. His mother was a soft woman; and lacked the courage nor the heart to stand up like Evie and himself. They took after their father; more then their beloved mother.
"The use it to pay mother's servant better; she works in the taverns with dirty men pawing her all night!" He would know; he was one of them! "But I am not taking the coin. Put it away and do not broach the subject again!" He would not take their coin. "Buy your dimples or whilpes or hell; Evie; buy a big damn dog to keep Gizzy away from you." But not him!
"I have coin enough; you'd be surprise but thieving makes a good bit of coin these days." He wasn't starving; and nor where his men--and one girl . . . who was not his wife. "Save it; you never know when you will have enough coin and the chance to get Mother out of here. When you've save up enough coin take her to London and away from these memories and rumors of me. It will be what saves her."
|
|
|
|
Post by Lady Evelyn of Locksley on Feb 28, 2012 0:46:04 GMT -5
True, the coins could be used to better pay Marian. She often wondered how the woman was making ends meet, being the only source of income for her small family. She knew her mother couldn't pay her as well as she had at Locksley, as the stipend given to them was so little. Still, she'd rather see the leftover coin go to Marian and her son than to the silk merchant. Sighing she retracted the pouch of coins, knowing that her brother was right. But she didn't have to verbally admit it.
Wait, what had he said about Marian?
"How do you know what Marian-"
Was he insulting Mother's maid? Because he had enough of his own dirty laundry than to speak of Marian's.
"And when were you going to tell me that you have a wife?" she questioned, knowing that her voice was borderline shrill. "You worry about Mother because of your actions? Your little wife almost bludgeoned me the other day with a stick!"
She had been holding off this portion of the conversation, not wanting to sour her visit. But it had to be addressed. "And she's a heathen! Robert, what did you do?" She sighed, scuffing at the dirt with the toe of her boot as she forced herself to calm. "And you know as well as I that Mother would never leave, knowing you're still out here. And neither would I."
|
|
|
|
Post by Robin Of The Woods on Feb 28, 2012 2:30:26 GMT -5
"How do you know what Marian-" . . . . Robert casually looked off to the side trying to avoid the subject when it changed and his eyes went back to his little sister's. "And when were you going to tell me that you have a wife?" A wifwhat? "Bloody hell." How many people knew?
"You worry about Mother because of your actions? Your little wife almost bludgeoned me the other day with a stick!" WHAT! "Alright; one: I was going to tell you about my wife the day I got one--but I don't have one to tell you about! Two: She hit you with a stick!?" There was a story there; he just wasn't sure he wanted to know. "And she's a heathen! Robert, what did you do?" "Nothing!" Well; "I was a little drunk! But NOT that drunk!" He hoped. "She's not my wife; she's a liar!" . . . . . "Does mother know?"
"And you know as well as I that Mother would never leave, knowing you're still out here. And neither would I." There was going to come a day; when Evie was going to have to place their mother over him; and he knew it. One day; Evie would too. "Just make sure you are ready; one day you are going to need to disappear." Be it from getting caught helping him; or to hide from an marriage the sheriff would use to hurt her with; or from Gizzy himself.
|
|
|
|
Post by Lady Evelyn of Locksley on Feb 28, 2012 22:32:28 GMT -5
Evelyn, had she not been focused on the fact that he had a wife, would have noted that he had dodged her question about Marian. But too caught up with the thought of an unexpected sister-in-law, she let the lack of an answer pass. "Then why does she insist upon calling herself your wife?" she accused, wondering how her brother had gotten himself into this mess. His 'wife' was pretty, but she had to be damn beautiful for him to marry her without thinking of the consequences. "Damn it, Robert!"
Maybe her mother hadn't beaten all of her bad language out of her.
She tried to not throw a fist to his shoulder as she would have during her youth, but found it rather hard to resist. Why hadn't he been thinking with his head and not his lower region? "Of course Mother doesn't know!" she insisted, not being able to fathom the thought of her mother finding out. "She'd faint!" Her mother didn't have the same consitution as herself and her brother; such a shock might keep her abed for days.
Evie rolled her eyes at his suggestion that she may have to leave one day. Not without him. She knew he had spoken of Ireland before....she'd rather live in the woods! "Just fix this little...problem and then we'll talk about leaving."
|
|
|
|
Post by Robin Of The Woods on Mar 3, 2012 3:02:59 GMT -5
"Then why does she insist upon calling herself your wife?" Because the woman had a strong mental affliction? "Damn it, Robert!" "Oy!" He called out as she ranted on! That wasn't lady like! She was his sister; not some tavern doxy! "You kiss your mother with that mouth?" She was going to be praying in church for a week speaking like that!
"Of course Mother doesn't know!" Good! She'd faint. "She'd faint! He was aware! His mother wasn't a stupid woman; but she lacked the courage to stand up and face people. She hid in her rooms because of her being poor; her son's actions; her husbands odd death. She hid away from the world; and he wished like hell Evie would take her to London with the coin she was saving up. His mother; herself . . . and Marian. Get the group of them away from this place!
"Just fix this little...problem and then we'll talk about leaving." Problem? "She's a woman; Evie; not a falty bow or dress. I can't just send her back! I've tried being mean to her; making her feel unwanted; ordering her; and pushing her onto other men. She'd dead set on staying; and even more on claiming to be my wife--which she's not!"
Besides; she was wanted now too; for being his wife. Even that hadn't made her leave.
|
|
|
|
Post by Lady Evelyn of Locksley on Mar 4, 2012 0:54:37 GMT -5
Evelyn ran a hand through her hair instead of sending it into her brother's shoulder. Or worse, his face. He was really going to criticize her language when he had married a heathen? Without telling their mother? That he wasn't sending her back on the first ship to the Holy Land only further aggravated her. "You have to get her to leave!" she insisted, knowing that she might prove not only a danger to Robert and his men, but to herself. "God forbid one of your men takes advantage of her. Or worse; one of the Sheriff's men get to her. What would happen then, hmm?"
"You have to get her to see that she isn't your wife." How he would do that, she had no idea. She shifted her footing, her mind scrambling. "Maybe we can send her to a nunnery, if she'll convert." That would get his 'wife' out of their hair. "If she does not leave, does she know of your future plans? Ireland?" She wasn't too thrilled with going to that country, but it was a better option than waiting for the Sheriff or Prince John to do something.
|
|
|
|
Post by Robin Of The Woods on Mar 6, 2012 22:08:42 GMT -5
"You have to get her to leave!" Evie hit him with so many words that he felt the immediate need to reply too; but before he could even open his lips she was spilling more and more. "God forbid one of your men takes advantage of her." Or she of them! Yet he still did not have time to reply to that; "Or worse; one of the Sheriff's men get to her. What would happen then, hmm?" THAT was why he'd not sent her away. That fear of what they might do to her.
"You have to get her to see that she isn't your wife." Yes well; he had tried. He didn't WANT a wife! "Maybe we can send her to a nunnery, if she'll convert." "Bloody hell; Evie!" "If she does not leave, does she know of your future plans? Ireland?" "Stop!"
His head spun with everything she spilled out at him. Thought he knew this was just who Evie was; and that she was trying to take care of him. "She's not going to convert; I will not ask it of her any more then I would of you had we not believed the same." Yet he was aware of everything else she'd said. "No one knows of Ireland." No one would. He would tell everyone his plan. "I will deal with this; I just need time." That he did not have!
|
|
