Partners in Crime {Allan}

[Allan A'Dale]

Allan hefted the heavy bags onto the stallion's back, hoping that one wasn't going to split and leave a silver trail halfway across Nottinghamshire - and that he'd be able to keep hold of them with one arm and ride bareback one-handed with the other. Maybe he'd be able to hand Devon's share of the spoils back to her eventually; when she finally managed to get on the back of the mare he'd brought her. At the moment, she was only having limited sucess; one foot was half-over the horse's back and the other was wavering about three inches above the ground. As he watched, the horse bucked and threw her, and Allan winced in sympathy as she hit the ground with a solid thump.

On her next attempt she did a lot better and actually managed to sit astride the animal properly, although she didn't look exactly comfortable. She finally got the stupid thing moving and Allan capitalised on it, keeping pace a lenth or two ahead of her. "Now, far be it for me to point out holes in your horse threats, but if you try and castrate that one you'll be on to a loser. It's a girl one; there ain't nothing to cut off. I haven't really thought about where to head for now; we could go back to where you found me, there's firewood and fish waiting for us there. Or..." He pondered for a while, then grinned. "Or there's a nice warm cave in Sherwood we could hole up in. Dry, got a ready-built fireplace, might even be some wood waiting for us. The gang's used it from time to time so it's probably still up to scratch."

He laughed as she gave up on her horse in disgust. "Well, we ain't gonna get very far very fast with all this stuff on foot. How do you feel about climbing up here?"

[Devon Creek]

Devon laughed and walked towards Allan's steed. "Well, the threat served its purpose, didn't it? I got this far, which in itself is a miracle." She looked up at him, then sceptically at his horse. "Eh, it's worth a shot." She muttered then scrambled up with a bit more success than the last time. The wine bottle clinked together as she shifted around for a proper seat. Finally finding one, she held a bottle in each hand and wrapped her arms around Allan's middle. The neck of one pressed into his gut jokingly as she realized something.

"This was all just a trap, wasn't it? The wine, sharing a horse, a secret cave all cozy and warm." She nudged him again and laughed. "You sneaky little sod." She let her forehead rest on his back and muttered into his shirt, "I expect to paid for any services tonight, since I know you have the money. If I provide a service - and don't hold your breath on that one."

[Allan A'Dale]

Allan grinned. "It's a fair point. Maybe the horse doesn't know it's a girl, either."

Impressively, Devon seemed to have got the measure of mounting horses now. As she clambered up onto his steed's back, he turned his head over his shoulder to look back at her. "I see it's coming back to you pretty fast. You never really forget how to ride a horse."

He let out a grunt of surprise as she jabbed him with one of the bottles. "Oi!" he said playfully, and slapped her hand. "You've got a pretty selective memory, woman. It was you that didn't want to stay put by the river, and it was you who came up with nicking the booze and all. I'm starting to think that maybe it's you with the devilish plan. I just led you to the biggest stash outside of Nottingham-" the outlaw's stocks notwithstanding, maybe, he thought; "-and now you want extra cash on top? You're pushing your luck, girl. I'm not gonna pretend I'm above paying for it, but not when I've just netted you a small fortune and given you a warm place to sleep for the night. If you're not in the mood, you can please yourself, but you won't see penny one from me."

[Devon Creek]

"Just joking!" She couldn't quite tell if he had been joking, but tried to keep the mood light. "Honestly, I make one little joke about your...extra activities and all of a sudden it's like I'm being strung up for some crime." She laughed loudly and uncurled one arm from his waist to bring a wine bottle to her lips.

"Nothing a little drink can't fix, I'm sure." She said more to herself than Allan. Allan had been right, the stuff was good. Gisborne certainly had good taste when it came to wine. She took another greedy sip before smacking her lips and grinning.

"So, any chance of us running into your friends? I'd hate to cross paths with Prayer-Boy again. Tuck, right? He'd probably have my tongue out before the sunrise." Actually, the dawn didn't seem so far off. Of course it would be a few good hours before the sun actually peeked above the horizon, but the sky wasn't as dark now. The first dark gray hints of morning were just tinting the sky in the East.

East, Devon thought seriously. Lincoln, Norfolk, maybe Cambridge, but that was a bit farther off. But she wasn't wanted there. Although, Lincoln shared a border with York and she'd prefer to stay as far away from York as possible. Then again, York was a big place, surely they wouldn't check the borders for someone like her. Would they? Well, if she was worried about being as far from York as possible, maybe Devonshire would be a better choice. Devon, she thought with a loud laugh. That would be rich. Devon living in Devon. Unable to fight it, Devon laughed until tears formed in her eyes. It probably wasn't that funny, but she was still pumped from their escape, and the adrenaline did little to calm her down.

[Allan A'Dale]

"Yeah, well, you'd better be, you cheeky mare," he replied, letting the amusement creep back into his voice. "Women!" he lamented loudly, unsure if he was talking to the horse or the stars. "Give 'em an inch and they take a bloody mile. And don't pass you the drink," he hinted shamelessly.

He barely had to even think about Devon's question before giving the answer. "No, it's well late, the boys'll definitely have got their heads down I reackon. Can't see Prayer Boy taking a liking to wandering the forest in the dark, nor any of the rest of them for that matter. I reckon we're pretty much safe...though I got to admit, I don't really think you've got anything to fear from Tuck. He like to talk formidible, but I think he was just putting the wimd up you that day. He's a bloody monk, after all, not the sheriff!"

Devon seemed suddenly lost in thought, and at the moment they were just sat exposed in the countryside, on a bright white stallion under a lightening sky. They'd be pretty damn visible soon if they didn't get a wriggle on, and he knew Gisborne was an early riser. Whilst his companion was silent, it was a good idea to begin their journey, so gently he urged the beast forward, not wanting to dislodge his passenger. They were up to a brisk trot when Devon broke into raucous peals of laughter. He looked over his shoulder, amused but confused. "Good God, have you just flipped? What's so funny?"

[Devon Creek]

Devon tipped the bottle back and drank from it deeply before passing it to Allan. There was still a good amount left, but she'd managed to make quite a dent in the first lot of wine.

"Yeah, well past experience has taught me to never take a threat lightly, whoever gives it. Can never be too careful about your own neck. Besides, I happen to like having my tongue still intact, and I'd rather not get shipped back to York."

Devon managed to get her breath back before responding, and laid and hand on Allan's shoulder to steady herself. "Well, I blame the wine for my behaviour. But I was just thinking where I should head after this. You know, some place new. And I thought if I wanted to as far from York as possible, why not head to Devonshire? It's easily across the country and Sheriff will never go that far for me." She paused to giggle again then, noting his face continued. "Devon living in Devon. Get it?" She leant forward and placed a hand on the top of his head.

"It's a good thing your attractive, mate." She joked, seeing the forest on the horizon. If they got there soon, she'd be able to get a bit of sleep before running off.

[Allan A'Dale]

Allan shook the bottle as she passed it and let out a snort. "Yeah, no wonder you're laughing like a drain, you've put paid to a fair amount of this already. Looks like I'll be playing catch-up all night." He helped himself to a few generous mouthfuls and let out a sigh of satisfaction. He hadn't tasted anything this fine since he'd been working for Gisborne.

"It's a fair point," he replied to her next statement. "If you don't heed your warnings, you've only got yourself to blame."

She leant on his shoulder and he grinned. Tipsy already. For a woman who drank so much, she definitely still got value for her money. "Yeah, well I find it an advantage," he teased, leaning back a little into her. "Being so outrageously good-looking means I don't have to laugh at your terrible jokes."

He nudged the stallion with his knees, urging it faster. Devon was definitely a good enough rider to handle the extra speed, and he was eager to settle down in the warmth of the cave with a roaring fire and a drunk, giggling girl that laughed at her own jokes. The forest would soon be upon them and he didn't want the journey to take any longer than it had to.

[Devon Creek]

"It was funny! Just because you have no sense of humor..." she joked, poking his shoulder lightly. The forest came upon them rather quickly at Allan's encouragement. Once inside the thick walls of green, Devon let go of a breath she'd been holding. Old habits, she supposed. There was almost no chance that she and Allan were going to get caught, but once she knew she was out of sight she felt instantly at ease.

"Have you ever been to another shire? Or are you Nottingham, born and raised?" She asked, making light, albeit ever-so-slightly slurred conversation. Despite years of 'training', Devon always forgot how strong wine was compared to ale.

"Are the guards here as...um...effective as your prayer friend?" She wondered if she would be able to stay in Nottingham, just keep away from Morgan. If the guards were useless, maybe there was a chance for her. "I guess your lot wouldn't take kindly to the likes of me if I decided to stay." She took a long drink of wine and shook her head. "That's thought for tomorrow," she said quietly, but smiled despite herself.

[Allan A'Dale]

It wasn't long before they were deep amongst the trees of Sherwood. He felt Devon relax a little against him, and grinned. She probably felt a bit better now they were off the plains and into decent cover. It hadn't bothered him, really. It was still dark enough.

"Hah, no, I wasn't born here. Far from it. I've been moving about ever since I was old enough to. I've probably stayed here longer than anywhere else since I was grown. Before I joined Robin I lived pretty much like you do."

He laughed outright at the notion that the castle guards could be effective. "Nah, not really. Not at all, in fact. They're pretty thick, as it goes. Tuck could probably wrap the lot of them around his little finger if he felt like it. Occasionally they get a lucky shot in, but unless we're properly outnumbered it's not something to worry about. And I wouldn't be in such a hurry to assume you wouldn't be welcome. You might have got off on the wrong foot with them but I didn't make such a good impression on Robin at first either. We're always on the lookout for people that can help us, even if they don't join the gang." He couldn't really see her wanting to actually start living with them. Something told him she'd prefer a little more freedom.

He pulled on the horse's reigns to encourage it down the overgrown path - well he couldn't really call it a road - that led eventually to their destination.

[Devon Creek]

Once inside the cover off Sherwood and a path became visible- well, sort of visible- Devon dismounted clumsily from the horse.

"I should stretch my legs," she said with a wave of her hand. Wine still in hand, she walked alongside Allan astride his horse, stumbling not nearly as often as she would have thought.

"See, that's strange," Devon noted. "The guards in York are annoyingly smart. Not so strong, but they know all the hideouts and passageways in and out of the castle. Makes it impossible for less professional thieves to get away. We, the more seasoned crooks always know a way out." Her chest puffed out proudly as she took a swig or wine.

"I guess that's good for me. That your guards aren't the sharpest tools in the shed." She smirked at Allan and rolled her eyes. "And what makes me think I would want to help you?" Although, the idea of having some people to work with again did have it's pros. It'd be like life before her family'd had a change of heart. A group working together. Of course, it would a strikingly different goal, but she'd be working alongside people again. And, she thought, looking up at Allan, someone who knows what she might be going through.

She shook her head suddenly, dispelling any serious thoughts. "Besides, I'm heading South by sunrise. No hesitation." But the idea of working with a gang wouldn't leave her mind. She wouldn't see Morgan, at least not directly, and she'd still be stealing, not attempting to work honestly. It would take a lot of work to get rid of her old habits, and a lot of time to get the others to trust her...

What was she thinking! No, she was going before she dug herself another hole. She did not want to help the poor of Nottingham, she did not want to risk her neck for someone else, she King Richard could stuff it for all she cared. And she certainly wasn't going to waste her time getting a bunch of saps to like her.

"No, I'm definitely leaving." She nodded once, and drank slowly.

[Allan A'Dale]

Since Devon had dismounted, he followed suit. There was no fun in lording it over her on horseback if she was on foot, and it made conversation a bit of a nightmare too. "It's not a bad idea," he agreed as he swung his leg down over the back of the horse. Plus she had hold of the drink, and he didn't fancy the awkwardness of passing the bottle back and forth whilst one of them was riding. He took the open bottle from her hand and had a deep drink; he was determined not to let her finish this one off by herself. Even though they had a few more bottles, he didn't want her getting too far ahead of him and just passing out while he was still sober. He passed it back to her anyway; there was no point in being outright greedy.

"Obviously the sheriff of York's got a bit more of a brain in his head than our sheriff," he commented wryly. He was glad Devon had let him know that little tidbit. You never knew when you were going to suddenly have to try and outsmart a different set of guards. He'd never been to York before.

"Nothing makes me think you want to help us," he laughed; "at all, trust me. I know you're not really one for helping out of the goodness of your heart. I also reckon, though, that you'll help someone out if it means you get something worth having out of it. Just a thought, that's all." But he could tell by her next reply that she hadn't changed her mind anyway. "By sunrise, is it?" he asked, surprised. "So you'll be in full view of everyone all day? If you ask me, you're better off enjoying your last night in Nottingham, sleeping the day away and leaving at nightfall. You can even have the horse if you want, and you don't wanna be seen riding that around in broad daylight right now, considering we only nicked it an hour ago."

[Devon Creek]

Devon laughed and shook her head. "Obviously, I didn't think that plan all the way through. Oops?" She offered with a little shrug. "Sure, the Sheriff's got a fine brain in that pretty head of his, but it's not helpful at all. I'd rather have any other one than him. It bloody hard to be a thief there. Of course," she said, inflating with pride, "I managed to last for quite a while. And that takes some skill. It takes some thinking." She tapped her temple with a small grin, but it faded as something occurred to her. "And a lot of luck. And maybe a bit of money to bribe a few people, but other than that, it's the easy street." She drank slowly, looking sideways at Allan.

"A night like tonight calls for stories. You got any? What crazy heists have you and the gang pulled off? Come on," she nudged him. "A guy like you must have stories."