At A Cross Roads (Open)

[Roe]

Roe could see in his eyes the various calculations that Luke was making in his mind about his present situation. He thought it boiled down into the old fight or flight question, or given the frustrated look, whether Luke would just give up. He could see the pain and the slow drip of blood was apparently wearing down his obstinate attitude. He could slowly see a defeated look overwhelming Luke's features, and then he said a word .... a strange word, at least from someone so young.

"Metaphorical?" ..... where did that word come from. "That is not something that you hear in normal everyday conversations between peasants, would you say, Lady Thornton? Where do you come up wit that one, boy. Well .... wherever you came up with it, I guess its as close as I'll get to you telling the truth when it comes to your brother, without lopping your head off, eh? So, your brother, Will Scarlett, is as if dead to you."

"What in God's green Earth could make you have that opinion of him.
Now, I could see if you had that opinion of Allan-a-Dale. He could turn his back on you for a shilling it would seem at times. However, there's nobody more dependable, other than Robin Hood himself, than Will Scarlett. So, explain this metaphoric death to me, if you would."

Roe withdrew his two swords, wiping the little blood there was on his cloak, before he re-inserted them in their proper places in the sheaths on his back. He then folded his arms, after taking a quizzical look at Isabella, turning back to Luke, awaiting a response to what he thought was a quite reasonable and logical question.

"Although, who knows how long until he gets buried in the ground. Not that I care. In fact, I can’t wait. Will serve him right .... what do you want to just leave me alone anyway? I don’t have any money though. All I have are the clothes on my back.’’

"Good grief Luke, what would, I, a knight want with your money or your clothes, excepot to give them to the poor and downtrodden, which would be a waste of time .... you know .... stealing from the poor to give to the poor. Just answer the simple question .... what did he ever do to yoou to make you act like this? If you don't come clean I'll just haul you over my shoulder, take you tyo Sherwood and have you explain it to him and Robin, fce-to-face. What's it to be?"

[Isabella]

Isabella was glad when Luke, after some deliberation, told the truth. Still, she thought it odd for him to use the word metaphorical to describe Will's death, and evidently, so did Roe. However, he sheathed his swords, to the relief of both Isabella and Luke. His cut did not look to serious, but it had been sufficient to scare him into talking. Isabella found herself wondering just how many times Roe had done this. Enough to be good at it.
When he asked what Will had done to deserve such detest from his little brother, Isabella remembered what Luke had said earlier - that his brother had abandoned him. Yet when she spoke of Djaq and the child, he had clammed up. Isabella was fairly sure what the cause of the rift between the two brothers was.
"I think I know what the metaphorical death is," she began, as Roe looked quizzically at her, "Will has another family. His wife, the saracen woman, Djaq. Now they have a child. A boy, I think. He has a name from the Holy Lands - Shaffiq, or Saffik, I'm not too sure which. Either way, it means that Will has left his brother to live with them. Am I right?"

[Luke Scarlett]

Luke stared at Roe blankly for a moment as he asked why he had that opinion and why he was using the word metaphorical. He did not like this man doubting his intelligence like that, he vaguely thought. If he wanted to use large, fancy words then he would and would gladly use more... even if he didn’t know anymore. Well, there was the word resplendent he had heard from some noble before. He had got that into a conversation before and the person who he was speaking to had just stared at him as if he had gone mad, using words that only a lord would. It was pretty insulting really, but he said nothing. People thought he was stupid and that was that.

When he asked about why his opinion was like that of Will, he just shrugged. He didn’t have to tell the man who had just gave him a sword cut to his cheek and had threatened to throttle him. This man to him was nothing more than a spiteful, horrible excuse for a man who didn‘t merit any sort of respect. The only kind of civility he would get would be because Luke was afraid of him, but not scared enough to not try to want to flee when he got the chance.

Watching closely as the swords were sheathed, he listened to Isabella’s explanation, scowling slightly. That was the one, but he didn’t want this man knowing it. Never the less, he had far more important things to consider such as his getaway. He couldn’t stay around with him when he was now threatening to take him to Sherwood. For all he knew, he would never see the light of day again. A thought occurred to him, and suddenly he kicked Roe in the shin, before running off down the road.

After about two minutes running, he stopped, before going into a small little alley which was by him. Bending down slightly, he panted, hoping to catch his breath. No doubt he would be annoyed at that, but he had no other choice.

[Isabella]

Isabella watched Luke glower as she explained what she thought had happened between him and Will. So she was right; it was Djaq and the baby that had driven a wedge between the two brothers. Then the expression on Luke’s face changed quickly, as if a thought had just occurred to him, and she realised with a growing certainty that he was planning something. Suddenly, he kicked Roe in the shin, then darted down the road like a scuttling rat.
Sighing slightly, Isabella looked after him. Maybe she and Roe had gone too far to find the truth. Either way, Luke was gone, and she could not help but feel a pang of regret. He’d seemed like a nice enough lad. And when Roe had threatened him, he looked so young and scared and unsure of himself.
“We should let him go,” she stated.
He was now little more than a blurry figure scurrying into an alleyway. Isabella blinked, and he disappeared from sight, eaten up by the darkness. She tore her gaze from the town and looked at Roe.
“I’ve got to get back to the castle now,” she said, reminding herself as much as him.
Despite this, she did not move. She stayed rooted to the spot, waiting for some cue, though what she didn’t know.

[Roe]

“We should let him go.”

Roe nodded his head in agreement, although he didn't want to. "I have a feeling that I'm going to regret letting him get away. I think we should have returned him to Sherwood and ave the lads deal with him or send him back where he had been living. I'm just afraid that the lad will get so deep into trouble that he won't be able to get out himself."

“I’ve got to get back to the castle now.”

"Well then, would you like a ride back on Sherefore, or am I too untrustworthy of a knight?"

[Isabella]

Isabella nodded at Roe's words. Maybe they would regret letting Luke go. She, at least, regretted that it had come to his running away. But at Roe’s worry that the lad would get himself into deep trouble, she frowned seriously.
“Blood is thicker than water,” she said, “And Will is still Luke’s brother. He’s a good man. I’m sure he won’t abandon him if he’s in need of help.”
She paused, remembering her own experience of such matters.
“I of all people should know that,” she added.
Her mood lifted when Roe asked her if she would like him to take her back to Nottingham castle on Sherfore. So he was always offering assistance, then. She wouldn’t be surprised if half of Locksley ended up travelling on his horse.
“That’s fast becoming a habit,” she smiled, “But one I could get used to. And no, you aren’t untrustworthy. Not by my standards, at least.”

[Roe]

Isabella seemed to agree with at least a part of what Roe had. The nodding of her head seemed to affirm that. This time Roe was the one who shook is head negatively. "The question is not whether Will has abandoned Luke, but has Luke abandoned his brother over an imagined offense. And how is Will to know there is even a problem. How can he help if he does not know? Word needs to be sent to him so that he is not caught unaware."

Roe noticed that she seemed to like the idea of an offer of transportation. He laughed, "Does that mean you object or question it," somewhat sarcastically. "All you you need do is summon him and your knight will appear. One might then ask what your standards are if you are accepting of a knigtr such as I .... Let's be off."

[Isabella]

Isabella thought on what Roe had said about Luke and Will. He was right; if the situation had got this far, it was highly likely that Will did not know about it. Once he did know, hopefully, he would be able to help his little brother - if he was willing to accept his help, that was. Luke had convinced himself of Will's treachery, so persuading him otherwise would be difficult.
"You're right," Isabella agreed, "Will needs to know. Do you know where he's living at the moment? I could pay a visit."
She climbed off Lucy. The poor old mare whinnied happily; she certainly looked like she needed a rest. Isabella walked her towards Sherfore and, with some spare lash, she swiftly tied her to the other horse, enabling her to be led that way.
“Of course I don’t object,” she said, “I try at all times to practice what I preach. And as to my standards, I’ve never had any problem with them before. You’ve just become Lucy’s best friend, at least.”
She finished tying Lucy, and turned to Roe, ready to leave.
“Shall we?” she asked.

[Roe]

"No, I don't know anything specifically. I thionk he could be anywhere between Locksley and Clun, but I don't have any imformation about precise locations. Robin or Allan would be the most likely candidates to know and for us to contact. I'll leave a message for them at the Tripp, and then maybe in a day or two you or we can ride out there."

The two of them were quite a pair on their horses. Bell's old more looked like she had seen better days, and Roe's was still a battle-ready charger.
They quickly attached the mare, Lucy, to Sherefore and Roe and Bella turned back toward the castle. As they began their slow journey back Bella rode behind Roe on Sherfore and held on tightly. Roe listened to her amusing comments about keeping up standards.

Finally Roe asked, "And where to milady? Do you have any desires to go anywhere in particular. You should take advantage of the freely given transportation when you can. If your greatest wish could be fulfilled where would you want to be taken?"

[Isabella]

Isabella nodded in agreement to Roe’s plan about leaving one of the outlaws a message asking them the whereabouts of Will Scarlett, even though she was sitting behind him and he couldn’t have seen her.
“Good idea,” she said.
When he asked her where she would like to go, the answer came to her at once – it seemed obvious to her.
“I’ve got to go to the castle,” she replied, as if the question was odd to her.
Then she caught onto a more serious note when he added: “If your greatest wish could be fulfilled, where would you want to be taken?”
She thought about it, but it was hard to focus her mind on what it was exactly that she wanted most in the world. She wanted a time of peace, as did everyone in England, and their King returned to them. She wanted a Nottingham that was not ruled by Sheriff Vasey. That was what Robin and the outlaws were fighting for – but not just there; all over the country. But for herself? A world without Thornton, where she could be free. Where Guy apologised for the suffering he had caused her, and let her be. She could be happy then. But that could never happen. She just had to make the most of what she already had.
Isabella held onto Roe a little tighter as she replied:
“A free England. The one Robin Hood and the outlaws are fighting for. With our King returned to rule his country. That’s where I’d like to go.”
Then she checked herself, adding:
“But it’s probably best not to dwell on that.”