Just passing (Allan)

[Imogen Frewer]

Imogen was on her way back from an uncomfortable visit to her parent’s home in the small village of Clun. Since she fled the boredom of the family home to become the new bar maid the Trip to Jerusalem Inn her family was less than pleased with her. Imogen hadn’t minded at first but then she agreed to these weekly get to gatherings with her parents and her older sister who went no where with her new husband. Imogen wasn’t a commitment person and these gatherings where usually every one suggesting possible husbands, not exactly Imogen’s idea of a good time.

The only good thing she had gotten out of the trip home was a small role of fine fabric that her father had given as a late birthday present. It was bay far not the finest fabric she had ever seen but the gesture was nice and Imogen was sorely in need of a bright sash to where at nights at the bar, keep the punters interested.

As she walked she sang quietly to her self one of the old tunes that some of the drunken men has been singing in the inn the previous night when the snap of a twig snapped her out of her dazed state. Great, she though disgruntled, some territorial outlaws or thieves steal what they could from her.

“I have nothing, just passing through allright” she said her tone sharp as she stopped in her tracks waiting to be pushed to the ground with her small basket ripped from her grasp.

[Allan A'Dale]

Allan shook his head at his clumsiness. He'd just been keeping an eye on the girl; 'nothing more,' he told himself sternly; after all, there were far worse than Robin's men in the forest. But what sort of gentleman would leave a woman completely undefended if he came upon her in the forest?

He'd hoped to just keep his distance, make sure she got safe passage and then leave her to get on her way, but a moment's distraction had been enough for him to step heavily on a dead branch. She was obviously already on edge because she jumped like a startled rabbit when the sharp crack echoed through the trees.

When she stopped and turned, he blinked, unsure of what to do. It was the barmaid from the Trip, the once who used to take his messages...

Oh, God, what was he going to say? This was awkward beyond words. He couldn't just sit here, hiding like an idiot. Poor girl was certain she was about to get robbed, or worse. He balled up his courage and stepped from his hiding place.

"It's Imogen, right?" he asked softly, not wanting to make a bad situation worse. "Don't worry, I ain't gonna hurt you."

Maybe she wouldn't recognise him, after all.

[Imogen Frewer]

Imogen spun round now grasping her basket with both hands in case she was right and would have to defend herself. Her eye met the eyes of a man she had not seen in over a year, a man she was sure was dead. She had heard rumours that Sir Guy’s man had been killed that week all the mercenarys where in town but apparently not as he was stood a short way off this very second. Unless… a Ghost maybe? That was ridiculous, Imogen reassured herself, feeling stupid she had even thought of such a thing.

“Well well looks who’s come back from the dead” She said holding the basket with one hand and placing the other on her hip. ”Been a while since I seen you, not working for Sir Guy anymore?”

Imogen’s mood had brightened significantly at the sight of him not only because he wasn’t bad to look at but because he was some one to talk to who wasn’t an old slobbering drunk. Allan had used to come in to the Inn all the time even before he began feeding Gisborne information but that was over a year ago and Imogen hadn’t seen him since.

“What you doing sneaking up on a girl like that. Nearly gave me a heart attack”

[Allan A'Dale]

“Well well, look who’s come back from the dead!”

Bollocks. That was that hope out of the window.

"No, me and Guy are done. Turns out I didn't have the stomach for it." He didn't know how much she knew, if she was aware he'd been one of Robin's men before working for Guy. There was no point in letting her know if she didn't already. A few of the villagers around Nottinghamshire had got to hear of his betrayal, and he'd coped with his fair share of whispers and dirty looks. He didn't want to have to go through all that again. Wasn't it enough that he'd come good in the end?

“What you doing sneaking up on a girl like that? Nearly gave me a heart attack!”

"Yeah, sorry about that. I didn't mean to fright you, I just didn't want anything to happen to you. I was sort of...keeping an eye on you, as it were. Just to make sure you was safe, you know."

[Imogen Frewer]

"No, me and Guy are done. Turns out I didn't have the stomach for it."

“Shame I missed your little visits” She smirked but it was true. No one visited her any more apart from a small group of friends and the sleazy plump ale brewer an she tried to avoid him where ever possible. Imogen was one of the town’s folk who wasn’t on a side unless paid, so when Sir Guy had approached her with a pouch of coins to keep her mouth shut she happily agreed. Those days where gone and the fine dresses she had bought with the coins where now old and faded looking.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I didn't mean to fright you, I just didn't want anything to happen to you. I was sort of...keeping an eye on you, as it were. Just to make sure you was safe, you know."

Imogen’s lips curled in to a smile and she raised an eye brown while examining his face. Maybe living in the forest had done him some good it certainly looked like he had learned some manners. She had to admit she was flattered It wasn’t every day she fallowed by some one who just wanted to make sure she was ok usually it was by less than savoury folk.

“Well aren’t you the gentleman, what’s happened to the old Allan?” She teased “be a darling and walk me back to Nottingham saves you skulking in the shadows behind me”.

[Allan A'Dale]

She'd missed his visits, eh? Nice to know. He smiled. She was a nice girl, he'd often chatted idly with her whilst waiting for Guy to turn up; maybe it was worth getting to know her a little better...

"What's happened to the old Allan?"

He laughed. "Oi! I've always been a gentleman, me! Well known for it in fact. There's many young ladies around here who'd speak highly of my manners." He winked.

When she invited him to walk with her, he was relieved without knowing why. Probably just because he'd be better able to watch out for bandits without having to stay hidden.

"Well, since you asked, it'd be rude not to," he answered lightly. "So, you live in Nottingham, or you just work there? Are you still at the Inn? I've only been in there a few times, to be honest."

[Imogen Frewer]

"Oi! I've always been a gentleman, me!"

"Is that so” she said with a small laugh and hit him in the chest with her basket to prove her point ,“Well you wont mind carrying this then will you”.

What was the harm in some playful flirting? Was it really wise for her to invite Allan to walk her back to Nottingham now that Gisborne was back and poking around for information? No probably not but this time Imogen didn’t actually no anything or she thought she didn’t know anything she could be proved wrong. Imogen wasn’t about to pick sides she’s was one of those people that just did what she had to do to get by and avoided getting sucked in to this war unless paid.

“Well known for it in fact. There's many young ladies around here who'd speak highly of my manners."

“Im sure there is” she laughed again “, An ill bet there are many young women with there hearts broken to”.

It was a nice day and the road had been reasonably quite so far so Imogen wasn’t too worried about running in to some…old friends. Jenny grimaced as the conversation turned to her.

“Yes still at the Inn with all the low life an scum Nottingham has to offer but it has its perks. Now that you and Sir Guy don’t come round anymore I must confess its not ass fun as it used to be. Though have seen some of the commotion you lot have been stirring up Its bad for business” she said with mock annoyance.

[Allan A'Dale]

"Is that so? Well, you wont mind carrying this then, will you”.

"Cheeky!" he laughed. "Take advantage of men often, do you?"

"An' I'll bet there are many young women with their hearts broken too."

"Broken hearts I don't know about," he started, "but I'm not gonna lie to a barmaid who's seen it all anyway. I'm not really the settling down type, but we all need a bit of companionship from time to time. And who knows, the right woman might even be able to tame me!" He winked again, and cursed himself. That sounded cheesy, and a tavern girl knew all the lines that men tried.


"Now that you and Sir Guy don’t come round anymore I must confess its not as fun as it used to be."

"Now fun, fun I know about."

"Though have seen some of the commotion you lot have been stirring up Its bad for business” she said with mock annoyance. "

"Yeah! Of course! Fun, I said, right? Tell me the truth, you'd get bored without all our commotion."

[Imogen Frewer]

"Take advantage of men often, do you?"

“Its part of the job, keep them happy take there money,” Jenny said shrugging her shoulders before realising what she had just said made her sound and offal lot like a prostitute. She should really start thinking before opening her mouth it was comments like this that would give her a bad name.

"but I'm not gonna lie to a barmaid who's seen it all anyway. I'm not really the settling down type, but we all need a bit of companionship from time to time. And who knows, the right woman might even be able to tame me!"

“That would be terrifying I hope I never have to meet such a woman” Jenny laughed but she had to agree with his view on commitment. Family wasn’t Imogen’s thing they only got in the way and confused things. She was independent and liked to do her own thing so having some one else following your every move and questioning your actions was her idea of hell.

"Yeah! Of course! Fun, I said, right? Tell me the truth, you'd get bored without all our commotion."

“Well as much as I love my job spending every night with a bunch of old farmers does get tedious, so yea seeing you lot gallivanting about is rather amusing” she admitted. ”But come on can you see your self living in Sherwood for the rest of your life? I cant imagine winters much fun”.

[Allan A'Dale]

“It's part of the job, keep them happy take their money,”

He couldn't help but laugh at that. "Spoken like a true businesswoman!" he said, still grinning.

“Well, as much as I love my job, spending every night with a bunch of old farmers does get tedious, so yeah, seeing you lot gallivanting about is rather amusing. But come on, can you see yourself living in Sherwood for the rest of your life? I can't imagine winter's much fun”.

He had to take her point. Whilst he'd been working for Guy his future had looked certain; a roof over his head, money in his pocket and the hope of a comfortable old age. You didn't see many outlaws past forty, and it wasn't because people took pity and pardoned them.

"Yeah, you're right," he answered. "Winter is unpleasant, and that's putting it mildly. Winter is a bloody disaster if I'm being honest. But what else am I gonna do?"

[Imogen Frewer]

"Winter is unpleasant, and that's putting it mildly. Winter is a bloody disaster if I'm being honest. But what else am I gonna do?"

“Mmmm hard question, next…” The easy answer to that question was to settle down and start a family but as Allan had already stated commitment wasn’t his thing. If she had been Allan she would have stuck with guy where there was always a roof over head. Living in the cold dark damp shadow of the forest did not sound very appealing.

“What is it that made you leave Gisborne if you don’t mind me asking, your conscience catch up with you?”

This was maybe a topic that Imogen should have a voided but stick with an overly curious nature she couldn’t help herself.

(sorry for the pretty rubbish post there )

[Allan A'Dale]

(haha it's not rubbish!)

"...your conscience catch up with you?"

He grimaced. "Yeah, something like that. He was gonna kill some of my friends...well, sort of friends anyway. They didn't really like me at the time. Anyway, I had to make a choice. Let them die and stay with Gisborne, or save them and get outlawed."

Again, he thought grimly. He sighed, thinking of feather-stuffed beds and roast duck. "I chose to save 'em."

[Imogen Frewer]

"I chose to save 'em."

“A Gentleman and a hero, quite the catch you are” Jenny said trying to lighten the conversation a little from the uncomfortable talk of the past. Allan seemed perfectly happy talking about it but Imogen felt uneasy she was not one for reminiscing there here and now was what she was concerned in. It was a pity, Imogen thought vaguely, if he was not so much trouble she could have liked him.

“And here you are an outlaw once again well I can’t say I envy you” she sighed glancing up at the thick clouds that where accumulating over head.” I do like my head attached to my neck”.


Something cold and wet dripped on to Imogen’s forehead sending a shiver run down he back. Great rain, nothing like rain to brighten up one day now the Inn floor would be covered in thick mud as people stumbled about and Imogen would have to mop it up.

[Allan A'Dale]

“And here you are an outlaw once again well I can’t say I envy you” she sighed glancing up at the thick clouds that where accumulating over head.” I do like my head attached to my neck”.

He breathed an internal sigh of relief; she seemed satisfied by that answer. He didn't mind admitting as much as what he'd already told her, but he didn't really know how she'd react if she'd found out it was Robin Hood he'd sold down the river.

"Yeah, true. I'm a bit impulsive sometimes, I know. Friendship is all well and good but sometimes I wake up with rain in my ear and fox crap in my shoe and I think; 'was it all worth it?'." He shook his head. It was starting to rain now in fact, and the poor girl was shivering. He was probably depressing her with all this self-indulgent moaning. He forced himself to brighten up.

"Still, what's done is done, eh? You've got to make the best of things the way they are, not sit on your arse wishing they were better. Come on, let's hurry up. I don't want you catching your death on my watch. I'm supposed to be looking after you."

[Imogen Frewer]

"Yeah, true. I'm a bit impulsive sometimes, I know. Friendship is all well and good but sometimes I wake up with rain in my ear and fox crap in my shoe and I think; 'was it all worth it?'."

“Impulsive, I would say reckless” she said with a shrug crossing her arms around her middle for warmth.” Yes my life definitely looks much brighter than I thought before, thank you.”

She spoke to soon the rain had begun to fall down hard upon there heads, its smoothed out the waves in Jenny’s golden hair making in look lank and dull. The mud and leaves under there feet quickly turned to thick muddy slush which splattered in every direction as they walked. On a happier note the forest around them smelled lovely in the rain, very fresh and clean very different from the smelly streets of Nottingham.

“Come on, let's hurry up. I don't want you catching your death on my watch. I'm supposed to be looking after you."

“Your not doing a very good job are ya’ “Imogen said looking up at him through her damp eyelashes. She had never realised how much shorter than Allen was he seemed a lot taller out in his natural habitat. They where coming to the edge of the forest know and as Jenny approached the tree line she stopped.

“Im not gonna try and convince you to come have a drink” she said with a teasing smile “No doubt you will be shot down before you even reached the town gates.”