Not sure where to go (Open)

[Amelia Barrowcliffe]

Amelia wandered through the forest lost in her thoughts, she wondered what was happening back home, she suddenly shivered as the thought was too much, she hated her master and was very happy that she got away from them.

She felt her stomach rumble which brought her back to the present. She rummaged through her side bag and found a half eaten loaf of bread and took a bite out of it. She had managed to buy some food with the money she had left but that was running low. She needed somewhere to stay for the night, she had been traveling for days and she was tired and sore, but what would she find in the middle of a forest.

She had walked for what felt like an eternity, if she didn't stop soon she was going to pass out from exhaustion, let alone thirst. Her spirits felt lifted as she came across a small stream. She knelt down and started to drink from it. 'Now i will only pass out from exhaustion' she thought as she quenched her first.

[Tuck]

Friar Tuck had just left the outlaw's camp, beginning his journey to the Priory to talk to Sister Magdalene. Robin Hood had made it quite clear that he was welcome to return to the outlaws when and if he was ready, and had given him one of the wooden badges that signified that he was a member. In order to reach the Forest Road that led to Nottingham he still had to pass through an expanse of Sherwood Forest.

As he traveled towards the edge of Sherwood he came across a flowing stream of fresh water. Tuck, being in no particular hurry, began looking for a narrower part of the stream that he thought would be easier to cross. He had traveled quite a ways along the length of the stream, where he walked around a slight bend in the waterway, and saw a person sprawled at the water's edge. He quickly ran up, and saw she was a young lady, and hoped that she was not hurt or ill. "My child, are you hurt .... can I be of some assistance?"

[Amelia Barrowcliffe]

Amelia looked up and saw the tall man, she was not sure how to react but the truth was she was too tired to react.

"My child, are you hurt .... can I be of some assistance?"

He seemed genuinely concerned about her and a closer inspection revealed he was a man of god.

"I have been traveling for some time and i am exhausted" She said hoping that her Irish accent wouldn't alarm him.

[Tuck]

"I have been traveling for some time and i am exhausted"

Tuck was glad to see that she was well enough to sit up and talk. Perhaps she only needed to rest for a bit until they could travel on and reach a place of greater safety and comfort. He did notice the strange accent in her voice.

"By the sound of your voice, child, you would appear to be far from home ..... Ireland .... isn't it? Are you running from someone or something? Well .... no matter .... I am Friar Tuck and will do my best to make sure that no harm comes to you. There is really no place extremely close by to seek shelter. However, if you have enough rest, and therefore strength, we can travel together to the Priory, in Nottingham. There, Sister Magdalene can provide a dry bed, a good meal, and safety from the outside world, until you are ready to travel again," he said kindly.

[Amelia Barrowcliffe]

Amelia looked at Tuck and smiled.

"I am from Ireland. My name is Amelia" She said as she got to her feet. "I have rested enough for now and i will be very greatful for your help"

She looked around at her surroundings.

"How far is it to Nottingham?" She asked as she rubbed her back.

(Sorry it's short. Early birthday celebration. Hungover. )

[Tuck]

"I am from Ireland. My name is Amelia .... I have rested enough for now and i will be very greatful for your help"

Tuck was glad that she was well enough to be both smiling and ready to move on. "Amelia, my child, it is my pleasure to help a fellow traveler, although I do suspect that you do seem to be running away from something as much or more than you are running towards it."

Tuck knew that Sherwood Forest had been a good place for people to hide for years It was dense enough, and its inner paths unknown enough, that it provided some level of of safety and protection for its inhabitants, whether they be outlaws or not..

"For whatever reason you are here, Amelia, Nottingham is not of a great distance. If you are able to maintain a good pace, I would say that after about a half-day journey we would safely be i in Sister Mags Priory. Are you ready to travel?"

[Amelia Barrowcliffe]

"For whatever reason you are here, Amelia, Nottingham is not of a great distance. If you are able to maintain a good pace, I would say that after about a half-day journey we would safely be i in Sister Mags Priory. Are you ready to travel?"

Amelia was glad that he would not ask why she was here and what she was running from because she didn't feel ready to go into detail about it.

"I am ready" She said as fiddled her feet around the pain had subsided for now but she knew it was only a matter of time before they hurt again.

[Tuck]

Tuck assumed that when she was ready she would tell him, or perhaps Sister Magdalene the reason for her travels and why Tuck had found her in Sherwood. For now, her cooperation on their journey to the Priory would be enough.

"I am ready", she responded to him.

"I think that we will take the more beaten path. even though it will lengthen the journey somewhat, it will be an easier path to take I think," and Tuck extended his hand to help her up so that they could begin their journey to Nottingham. Tuck hoped that it would not be too great of an adventure.

[Amelia Barrowcliffe]

"I think that we will take the more beaten path. even though it will lengthen the journey somewhat, it will be an easier path to take I think,"

Amelia accepted Tuck's hand and pulled herself to her feet. The beaten path would take longer but he said it would be safer and she trusted him. She stretched to release her tightened muscles and looked around at her surroundings.

"After you" She said with a smile.

[Tuck]

At least, Tuck thought, she seemes to have an agreeable personality.

"If you don't mind me asking, did you decide to take a nap in that creek-bed or did fall there and have trouble getting back up, my child? Whatever the case was before just concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other, and before you know it, we'll be in Nottingham. Is there anything that you would like to talk about .... something that might make the time pass a bit."

Tuck remembered the many times in his life that he had been running away from things or people. Sometimes it seemed as the most minor events or people allowed him to look at his problems in a new way. Hopefully, this would be the case for this young woman.

[Amelia Barrowcliffe]

"I lent down to get a drink and my body collapsed" She said feeling embarrassed. Something about him seemed different then the other clergymen she had encountered and she was not sure what it was and was unsure how to ask.

For a minute or two she was completely silent, she was deciding whether she could trust him with why she was here. Then she thought if you can't trust a man of god who can you trust.

"I ran away" She said with her head down waiting for a reaction, whether good or bad she waited.

[Tuck]

Tuck could easily see by her body language and the unsteadiness of her voice the tension that she felt. "My child, there is no need to feel any embarrassment over such a thing. After you push the body beyond its limits it can only last so long. It is merely fortunate thatit happened in such a location that I could easily come to your aid."

Tuck now sensed that there was even more that she wished to say. He knew, though, that it was not to be something that he could easily coax out of her. It would have to be something she was entirely prepared to do on her own. "You ran. Well .... that is not something that I find unusual or totally unexpected. Sometimes we run away from responsibilities, sometimes we run from people we shouldn't, and sometimes we run away from truly evil events and people. Which was it for you, my child?"

[Amelia Barrowcliffe]

Amelia heard what Tuck said and felt a little better.

"I was a servant" She said feeling really uncomfortable "My master was an evil man who kept his people miserable and hungry"

She looked around, she was paranoid that they were being watched, but they were completely alone.

"I ran when he decided he was going to take advantage of me" She said, the memory made her skin crawl.

[Tuck]

Tuck could see that Amelia seemed to be a bit more relaxed, at least enough that she seemed to be a little more comfortable in talking about herself with the Friar Tuck.

"It is a shame that men who have the opportunity to do so much good in the world, would take advantage of the vulnerable. It is obvious that he was responsible for your your welfare, even with you being his servant. To those who much is given, much is expected."

"You mustn't blame yourself, child, for something that was his problem. You should go on from here, with an open and pure heart, or at least as good a one as you have the right to expect."

[Amelia Barrowcliffe]

"You mustn't blame yourself, child, for something that was his problem. You should go on from here, with an open and pure heart, or at least as good a one as you have the right to expect."

Amelia couldn't help but smile at this. But them something occurred to her why was he alone in the forest.

"If you do not mind my asking, why are you traveling in the forest alone to be at the mercy of outlaws?"