A hidden cave (Manjusha)

[Marian]

((Thought it'd be less confusing if we start a new thread!))

Marian lay with her eyes closed, trying to ignore the pain in her side that she had told Robin had gone off. The pain never really went; not even now, when she was half alseep. But she couldn't tell him that; he worried too much. Having realised just how much she loved him, she couldn't bear to see him in pain. She also knew that he would want revenge for the way Gisborne had hurt his wife. Whislt she didn't care if he did hurt Gisborne, she did not want to see him hanged.

Feeling someone watching her, Marian's eyes snapped open, and she spotted Manjusha. Unlike Robin, who would have been suspicious, Marian wasn't. She smiled. "Hello..." she murmered quietly, partly so as not to scare the little girl, and partly because she didn't have enough energy to speak any louder.

[Djaq]

(occ. seeing as Manjusha told me she wouldnt be that active, and seeing as you need to be healed, i'm here )

Djaq ran stelthily into the hidden cave, her short hair brushing past her ears and her sword clanging against her hip. Eventually she stopped running, and as she got deeper and deeper into the cave, and started to walk brisky. Her eyes flicked around the cave as she tried to find Marian. Marian was hidden behind a large rock, and as Djaq spotted her, she rushed to her side urgently. She knelt down beside her, took hold of her hand, and squeezed it. "Marian, it's me...Djaq," she said in a soothing but worried voice. She was glad to see that her friend was still alright, and Djaq knew that with her Saracen abilities, she would be able to help her friend, but with quite a lot of difficulty.

Djaq inspected the large sword wound that Gisbourne had created and shook her head. The wound had been cleaned up to some extent, possibly due to Robins help, and it was showing small signs of healing, but Djaq new a way that things could be sped up. She reached into the small pouch sling bag that Djaq always carried around with her and brought out two herbs. One was the traditional green, but the other was an unusual deep blue colour. She had made sure in the Holy land that she had purchased all the sufficient herbs and remidies that would combine to be a help in any situation. She produced a small bowl from her bag, and picked up a rounded stone from the ground. It was not in a clean state, so Djaq produced a water pouch from her small bag also, and cleaned up the stone. She then tipped a decent amount of both herbs into the bowl, and started to grind them together. She added a few drops of water to give the mixture more texture, and then dabbed a tiny amound of the mixture onto Marians wound.

[Marian]

((I should so be doing homework...yet here I am! haha. Apologies for the little bit of god-modding, I think it's necessary for this to actually work!))

Marian was surprised when the little girl seemed to disappear, but then again she could have just been imagining her. After all, she was severely wounded...her vision had been playing ticks on her lately. She closed her eyes briefly, then opened them once more when she heard Djaq's footsteps, and Djaq speaking. She had no reason to believe this image was real...Djaq wasn't here, she was in the Holy Lands, with Will. She remembered that much. Still, she looked so real...

"Djaq?" Marian murmured softly, no energy to speak louder. "What...this isn't real, is it..." she sighed, accepting that Djaq couldn't really be there. Why would they have returned? She closed her eyes once more, not wanting to feel the disappointment that would follow her hopes being raised. She was happy, here with Robin, but she missed Djaq, who'd been her closest friend before they'd all gone off to the Holy Lands. Before she'd been stabbed.

As she put the liquid on her wound, Marian winced. Pain like that had to be real, right? If you were imagining things, if things weren't real, they didn't hurt like that. Marian was sure. She opened her eyes again, and stared at Djaq, feeling the pain in her wound but ignoring her. "Djaq? Are you really here? Are you back? Why?" The questions spilled out in her soft, hoarse voice; she felt as though she'd been weak a long time.

[Djaq]

Djaq smiled as Marian opened her eyes. "Yes, it's me," she said, continuing to dab the mixture into Marians wound. She smiled when Marian refused to believe it was really her, it must be terribly confusing for her. Djaq was gushed with a torrent of sympathy for Marian, but then again she knew that the wound would soon heal using her special substance.

"Will and I have returned, we were getting bored in the Holyland," Djaq laughed, "Plus we missed all of you. Now this may hurt a little..." She added a larger amount of the mixture onto Marians wound, now confident that it was working sufficiently. She could tell Marian was in a lot of pain, but the speed in which the mixture helps to heal is worth it. "With this special Saracen mixture, you should be up and about in a few days," she said, a frown of concentration on her face. She could already see the wound healing up, and she beaming with delight at the success of the potion.

[Marian]

She smiled a little, but the look of sympathy she could see in Djaq's eyes scared her. Would she heal from this wound - or not? Was that why Djaq looked sympathetic? Marian didn't know, and it hurt to think too much; despite being back a little while, she still felt almost as bad as she had done that first day they'd been home. She hated being like this; weak, defenceless, unable to go out and fight for the poor. She wondered if Gisborne knew he'd only wounded her, and not killed her - well, not yet. She'd once thought she'd been warming to him -- not romantically, that place in her heart would always be filled by Robin -- but asd a sort-of friend. But he'd destroyed that when he'd decided to string them all out to die; when he'd stabbed her.

"Not enough mis-treating of the poor over there for you?" she asked, with another brief smile. If this wasn't in her imagination, then she was glad; the camp had not felt the same without Djaq and Will. "We missed you, too," she answered, and winced as Djaq put larger amounts of the mixture on her wounds. She didn't make a sound, however; she trusted Djaq with her life, and knew that the pain was surely just a product of whatever Djaq was doing to try and help her.

"Really?" she asked, surprised, happy and shocked at the fact that she would be up and about soon. She felt like she'd been lying around for ever. The thought pf being able to sit out in the spring sunshine, and to find out what was going on in Nottingham - Robin kept any worrying details from her - was a happy one. "Does Robin know you're back?" she asked.

[Allan A'Dale]

Allan smiled to himself as Djaq's tracks led him to the cave deep in the forest. She was obviously eager to see to Marian; she'd made next to no effort to hide her trail.

He wasn't sure whether or not to just wander in unannounced, but he could hear Marian's voice, so she was evidently awake enough to know what was going on around her.

He cleared his throat loudly, just to let them know someone was there, and stepped in.

"Afternoon, ladies. Need a hand?"

[Marian]

She moved her head just a fraction, already some colour coming back to her cheeks. Djaq's remedies really did seem as though they worked liked magic. She smiled slightly as Allan entered the cave; Allan's easy humour always cheered her up slightly. She had never really known Allan that well until he turned on Robin, and began spying for Gisborne; then, as she was under house arrest, she'd found herself speaking to him regularly. She'd always known that he'd come back in the end; he was a good guy, really.

She glanced to Djaq, unsure if she needed a hand. She looked like she had it under control. "Allan, what's going on in Nottingham at the minute; do you know anything?" she asked, reverting more to her slightly demanding self. "Robin keeps everything from me. Apparently so that I don't worry," she sighed slightly, but the love for her husband was clear in her eyes, "but I'm bored in here, not knowing anything!" She smiled slightly, wincing silently in pain.

[Allan A'Dale]

He smiled. Always trying to ferret out information, that one. Even when the knowing would make no difference. If he told her the castle was on fire, what would she do about it?

"You're out of luck, I'm afraid. At least at the moment. We're sniffing around, but you already know pretty much all of it. The Sheriff's licking his wounds for now, but whatever's brewing, we'll find out."

He moved a little closer, slightly nervously. He didn't want to crowd Djaq while she was working but he wanted to see if Marian was actually getting better. Keeping her alive was one thing, but healing her wounds safely, out in the forest? Not the easiest thing in the world.

"Is the pain getting better?" he asked awkwardly. "Are you feeling any stronger?"

[Djaq]

Djaq smiled at Marian's bravery as she continued to dab the mixture onto her wound. "Yes, Robin knows" she said happily, "The whole gang knows."

Djaq frowned as Allan entered the cave. She didn't really want his help, and she knew someone like Allan would only end up making things worse. But it was still great to see her old friend again, being in the Holyland for so long she had missed every member of the gang. Allan was someone that was always able to make her laugh, and for that they were very close friends. "We're fine thank-you Allan" she murmered as politely as she could.

She listened silently as Marian and Allan discussed matters with the Sheriff. She wanted to concentrate on healing Marian at the moment, she knew what good she did with the poor. Her work as the Night Watchman was of a fantastic help, and she knew skill like that would come in useful. She knew she would have to get up to date with what was happening with the Sheriff, but she would do that later.

[Marian]

It didn't matter if she couldn't physically do something; Marian hated not knowing what was going on. She felt out of control, laying here...and, as well as that, she was bored! She wasn't used to lying around for days at a time, not doing anything, not helping out, not plotting.

She sighed, as Allan spoke. She would have liked some more knowledge, but it seemed Robin, for once, wasn't keeping anything from her in order to stop her worrying. They actually didn't know any more! Her sigh was followed by a wince of pain, but she kept quiet. She could cope with this; she'd coped with worse.

"Djaq's working wonders," she replied, her voice still weak, but more colour filling her cheeks. "She says I'll be up and about soon." She smiled slightly. "You said Will's here, too?" Marian asked, moving her head slightly to face Djaq. However, as she did so, she caught sight of her wound, and the sight turned her stomach. She glanced away again very quickly, focusing once more on Allan.

"Robin's agreed to go and meet the daughter of some old friend of his," Marian told Allan, "they're meeting tomorrow. Will you do me a favour?" She winced for a moment, and then continued. "Will you go with him? I'm not sure she can be trusted." First of all, she wasn't sure the woman was telling the truth. Secondly, she had a feeling that that woman had eyes for Marian's husband...

[Allan A'Dale]

Allan grinned. Marian and Robin had fought long and hard to be together, and he didn't think Robin's head would be turned with something as simple as a wink and a comely bosom, especially when his wife's health was still so shaky. But he didn't waste his breath telling her that, knowing as he did that she would brook no disagreement.

"I'll go along, no problem. Who is it though? What's her name, and who's her father?"

[Marian]

It wasn't that Marian didn't trust Robin, she knew he would never go looking elsewhere - but there was something about that woman she hadn't trusted. The women would, in Marian's mind, be likely to try to attract Robin, and she did not want that happening. Not while she was laid up in a cave. The woman was not unattractive, and Marian did not want her using her feminine wiles against Robin. She just hoped she didn't on Allan, either.

"Lady Rosetta, I believe her name was. Daughter to Lord Andrew Court?" She paused, wondering if Allan knew the name. "Robin seem to recognise her father's name - I believe they fought in the Holy Lands together." Even mentioning the Holy Lands sent a cascade of bad memories through Marian's mind: being tied up in that desert, being stabbed...the only good memory she had was of her wedding to Robin. That had been perfect.

"They're to meet by the largest Oak tree, just off the main road," she informed him. She felt a little more comfortable about the meeting knowing that Rosetta would not be alone in close proximity to her husband.

((A little OOC rant: No, he would never go looking elsewhere - although, according to the BBC, if Marian's died he'd be with someone else in the space of 5 episodes! Grr. Anyway, the thread with Rosetta and Robin is called 'our meeting' and is on the main road board. I love the way you play Allan, by the way!))

[Allan A'Dale]

Good God, her? Lady Rosetta wasn't half causing a stir in Nottingham, and he still wasn't sure what her game was. Did Marian know that Rosetta had been promised to Prince John? He was damned if he was going to be the one to tell her. That was one thing she definitely didn't need to know.

"Yeah, I've met her. She's on our side, as much as I can tell, but if it'll make you feel better then I'll tag along. Be nice to see Rosetta again. She's...a little unusual, but I like her." He paused. Djaq was still busy and he was picking up on her not-so-subtle signals. He needed to stay on her good side, it might be him lying injured next. "Look, I'd better be gone, leave you two to it. I don't want to get in the way of all the doctor stuff. Should I tell Robin why I'm along, or keep schtum?"

(OOC: I totally agree with you about Isabella, and I don't even really ship R/M (I'm slashtastic, LOL). Robin should definitely be sadder. And thanks!)