An Unexpected Messenger (Robin, Outlaws)

[Isabella]

Isabella rode through the forest, the heavy footsteps of her horse beating a slow rhythm into the ground. The rain pattered onto the faded leaves of the trees around her, and she realised, now that she was in the forest, that autumn had truly begun, and winter was setting in. The hot summer that had seen her arrival at Nottingham was now at an end, and she was about to see her first winter here for twenty years. Winter would bring the hunger that it always did, but the harvest was still to come, and with luck, and the outlaws’ help, the people of Nottingham should be able to see the cold times through this year.
Isabella shivered as a cold breeze embraced her, realising too late that she had neglected to wear a cloak. It was not far until she reached the outlaws’ camp now, so she dismounted and tethered her old mare to a tree, walking the rest of the way. It had been a while since she’d last spoken to Robin, and considering what that conversation had been like, she wasn’t too comfortable with seeing him again. A lot of things had happened since then. She was only going to tell him about a few of them, though; the ones he needed to know. She couldn’t help but feel that Roe had the same mentality when it came to her.
Sighing, she reached the spot where the camp was concealed, accidentally stepping on the tripwire that set off the warning bell. She heard a resonant gong and rolled her eyes at the way she was making her entrance. This was really going to look good, bursting into the outlaws’ camp with no notice and putting them on the alert. Great. Well, at least they knew she had arrived.

[Allan A'Dale]

Allan sat, hidden and warm in the outlaw's camp, whittling arrows.

To be more accurate, he was mucking about with the pile of feathers that had been plucked from last night's dinner for fletching. He'd kept up the pretense of assiduous industry until Much had announced he was going hunting again. Much had been twitchy, quite anxious since Robin had been injured. Maybe hunting would release some of his nervous energy. But what with their leader still recovering at the Inn, Tuck nursing him back to health and Much prowling the forest, Allan found himself alone. And idly blowing feathers about was far more entertaining than stripping arrow shafts.

The warning gong sounded suddenly, and he sprang to his feet, sending a cloud of feathers into the air. He snatched up his nearest sword and put an eye to the spy hole, hoping to see who was out there.

Oddly, it was Isabella. He hesitated for a second, unsure if anyone accompanied her, but there was no-one to be seen. Deciding that there was such a thing as being too cautious, and that it looked too miserable out there to leave a lady outside in the cold, he yanked the lever that controlled the door to their hidden home to reveal himself

"Afternoon, my lady," he said, nodding his head in an almost-bow. "What brings you to Sherwood? Haven't seen you about in a while."

[Isabella]

Isabella, feeling somewhat unprofessional, was relieved to find Robin wasn’t in the immediate area. When the door swung open she was met by the familiar face of Allan, and she smiled, as she hadn’t seen him for some time. She couldn’t help but wonder what the cloud of feathers was doing in the corner of the camp, but decided not to mention it. From the looks of things, he’d been plucking a chicken. Or some unfortunate bird had fallen into the camp and died there.
“I have some information for Robin,” she explained, stepping in to the dry and surprisingly warm outlaws’ camp, “from Nottingham Castle. A lot of things have been going on in a short amount of time, and Roe and I thought he ought to know about them.”
She looked around for the outlaw leader, hearing no sound of other inhabitants to the camp. She saw none, either.
“Is he here?” she asked.
If he was out hunting or on some other errand, she wouldn’t be able to track him down in Sherwood Forest – she would have to wait here, and it could take some time. She cursed her bad luck. She had a feeling it didn’t like being cursed. She needed to tell Robin about Bronte, and she would like to do it before Roe went ahead and killed the man. Alright, killing him would be too rash for Roe, but she didn’t want him to do anything to the knight, especially as they didn’t even know what their leader thought about it yet. There was also the possibility of him running into Thea again. Honestly, she never should leave him on his own. He needed someone to stop him from breaking his neck – and other people’s. Men.

[Allan A'Dale]

Allan didn't really want to lie to Isabella, but he knew how paramount keeping Robin's secret was. "It's just me here at the moment, I'm afraid," he told her lightly. "Robin's on an overnight mission; he's staking out a job we're gonna try and pull. Casing the joint, you know the sort of thing. He won't be back for a long time."

It wasn't a bad story. He'd already had it prepared; someone had been bound to ask after their leader sooner or later and it would have been reckless not to have considered that.

He gestured to a seat by the fire for her; she looked pretty chilly. "You'll just have to tell it to me."

She'd mentioned Roe as well...they were going to need him. "Yeah, what's Roe up to, anyway? He's not been out of the castle for ages as far as I can tell."

It would be handy if he could send a message to Roe through Bella, but he felt uneasy about spreading the news of Robin's injury around too far. If Roe was the only one in the castle who knew, he'd have no-one to discuss it with. Unless he was a fan of talking to himself, the plans would never get overheard.

He sat down on another of the makeshift seats that had been pulled up near the fire. "I suppose since I'm hosting such a noble guest I should offer you something. We've got..." he looked around speculatively, "...oh. Well, pretty much nothing really, unless you're interested in my secret stash of wine I nicked off your brother."

After having so much silver stolen Gisborne had installed guards outside his bedroom. Unfortunately for him, he'd neglected to do the same to his kitchen. Allan had got a taste for the good stuff now, and he was careful enough never to take more than would be noticed.

[Isabella]

Isabella sighed. Robin was out, and wasn’t going to be back for a while. She sat down by the fire and warmed her hands, glad that Allan had offered the seat. She shrugged when he suggested she tell him her information.
“I was meant to tell Robin,” she explained, “We need something of a plan of action, and fast.”
Allan asked what was Roe was up to. Her first response would have been: he’s been developing his talent for acquiring enemies; he’s fallen out with Thea Linnet, Liam Bronte, and more recently, me but that was a bit harsh. It wasn’t as if they’d fallen out – she just wasn’t sure if he trusted her so much any more. Was that so bad? Yes.
“He’s been arguing a lot,” Isabella replied, “Mostly with the lovely Thea. I’m surprised he’s still able to stand, given what a little hellcat she can be, and I’ve experienced it firsthand. I count myself lucky to be alive. Then again, he’s survived being her friend and then some – I guess he’s pretty much asking for it by now.”
She realised that Allan probably wouldn’t understand what she was going on about, but she wasn’t in the best of humour and she was still angry with Roe for the way he looked at her, like he was weighing up her character, looking for some sign of infidelity to Robin and the outlaws.
“Sorry,” she muttered, “Not my best day.”
She raised an eyebrow at Allan’s offered refreshment.
“Oh, so it was you who stole his wine, not to mention a few other things,” she realised, smiling with grim satisfaction, “He did mention it to me.”
Her last sentence was the understatement of the decade. Mention it? He’d been banging on about it ever since it happened. He said he would make the thief pay. (In the form of slow and painful torture before being hung, she believed.) Allan had better be careful he didn’t get caught, but Guy never had discovered the secret position of the outlaws’ camp.
“None of the wine for me, though, thankyou,” she declined, “I’m riding home.”
She took a breath and realised that she was going to have to tell Allan what she knew. At least he would be able to tell Robin the moment he got back from his stakeout mission. If only he would case the stupid joint faster. Did joints even need casing? What did that even mean?
“Alright,” she began, “Seeing as Robin’s away, I’ll tell you my information. You’ll be able to tell him when he gets back from casing the stake – staking the joint – or whatever. There’s been a new arrival at Nottingham Castle. His name is Sir Liam Bronte and he’s working for the King – so he tells us. He says he’s here on the King’s behalf, to look for someone who’s trying to steal the throne. Now I think Prince John or even Morgan Fitzroy more likely suspects, but Roe thinks that Sir Liam himself is the one after the crown. They were getting on quite well, doing manly things like harassing women together – oh, don’t worry about that, she asked for it – then they had a raging argument, and it turns out that Thea Linnet and Bronte are previously acquainted. More raging arguments ensued. I think now Roe’s made two enemies for himself inside the castle; Bronte and Thea. Neither of them are that keen on me, either. Roe had Bronte locked up in the dungeons, to check out his credentials. He doesn’t even think the King sent him from the Holy Lands – he thinks he’s an impostor. We thought it was best for me to come here at once to tell Robin what was happening, and to decide on what to do next. Roe can’t leave the castle, unless he wants to blow his cover, so it was far easier for me to. So you see, we need a plan, before Roe starts issuing death warrants or something.”
She didn’t really think Roe would go that far, but she did have a suspicion that he might do something behind her back. This wouldn’t exactly be the first time.

[Allan A'Dale]

Isabella sat and got straight to the heart of the matter. His eyebrows raised when she urged haste. Why did it have to be urgent now, when Robin was still out of action?

"Thea," he answered contemplatively. "That's a name I've heard a lot and never put a face to. Bit fierce is she?"

Friend and then some, eh? He'd thought that Roe and Bella had been...walking out together. Things changed fast in the castle, it seemed. And Bella wasn't too happy about the. turn of events, apparently.

It tickled him to know he'd riled Gisborne that much. As long as Guy never found out who was behind it, he'd be ok. But he had enough to answer to on that score already. If he fell into Gisborne's hands again and the man knew where his carefully stashed savings had gone, he'd probably not walk out alive.

Thankfully Isabella didn't seem to have any qualms about telling him the information, rather than Robin. He relaxed at first when he heard Bronte's name. He'd already come into contact with that particular individual and the man seemed fairly harmless, if a little contentious. And the King Richard thing had been already mentioned. But when she mentioned Roe's intimations to him, he almost fell off his seat. Surely it was proving difficult enough for John to appropriate the throne, and he at least was next in line for it. But some noble, out of a field of hundreds suddely setting his heart on being King of England? He probably wasn't the first but Allan couldn't see any way that he'd be able to succeed where John had so far failed.

And, oh dear, of course there was a woman involved. No wonder Roe hadn't taken kindly to the newcomer, if it turned out his latest squeeze had been entertaining Bronte of nights before him. But throwing him in the dungeon? Roe always seemed so laconic and laid back. Allan supposed that when women were involved it was a different story. What a bloody mess. He shook his head and searched for the best way to tackle the problem.

"Well, I can definitely help you on at least one score," he offered; "for a start, I've actually met this Bronte bloke. And - get this, he claims to know Robin. He gave me some leather thing to show Rob that crusaders supposedly get, to prove he was with the King. But Robin hasn't had a chance to look at the bloke yet. He says he knows a Bronte, but whether this guy is the same one Rob knows I've got no idea. I didn't want to bring some stranger to the camp but I told him to meet me...wait, tonight, actually." Had two days really passed that quickly?
"Was gonna fix up a meeting between him and Robin. Suppose if he's sat in the dungeon that ain't gonna happen. But he gave me some leather thing that Robin recognised. Says crusaders all have one. So that confuses matters a bit further I suppose. But if Robin knows his face as well as his name then it's got to be a help.

[Isabella]

The side of Isabella’s mouth twisted upwards in a somewhat bitter lopsided smile. Thea – a bit fierce?
“You have no idea,” she replied, “I never believed the myth that red-headed women were hot-tempered, but from what I’ve seen so far of her, I’m starting to change my mind. Maybe it’s as well you don’t put a face to her – she might bite it.”
That girl was really annoying her now. She saw Allan’s face when she mentioned how Roe and Thea had been more than friends – he, like Carter, must have known about that time between Isabella and the knight and was probably wondering what had happened there. She didn’t really know herself. She’d told Roe how she felt about him after his marriage to Thea, and she’d thought that it was mutual. But now he’d said what he had, and was still chasing after another woman who she knew he had a history with, she wasn’t quite so sure. Well, actually, she was completely bewildered. She liked to be in control in her life, but Roe made so many things run haphazardly around her mind. She didn’t think they would ever just be still and content.
Isabella saw Allan’s reactions to what she said and realised that the situation was both highly unusual and maybe even slightly ridiculous. After all, how could Bronte, an ambitious but otherwise unremarkable noble, hope to gain the throne? When she told him Roe’s opinion, Allan’s sudden jerk made her think he was about to leave his chair for the forest floor, which he had suddenly decided to be more favourable. He seemed to change his mind halfway through the movement, however, and remained seated. At least she wasn’t the only one who thought Roe had gone too far with Bronte. They had one argument, and suddenly he was thrown into the lockup. Was it an alpha male thing? She was seriously starting to despair over the opposite sex.
Allan, however, seemed to deserve more credit than the others on this occasion. What he knew about Bronte was very interesting. They’d met – though how she wasn’t too sure, probably in the tavern – and Bronte claimed to know Robin from the Crusades. Well, if Robin did know the knight, Roe wouldn’t be in the best of situations. It might serve him right, though. “Er, Roe, you’ve just thrown one of Robin’s old comrades into the dungeons. He’s a little bit annoyed.”
“Bronte told me he was in the Crusades,” Isabella said, “He mentioned Robin as well, actually. I thought he was onto me, he’d realised I was a spy. Maybe he was trying to find a way to get into contact with Robin. He might have something important to tell him.”
She shrugged.
“I don’t know,” she sighed, “We hardly know anything about him. It would be helpful if Robin could meet him – then we’d know more. But if he’s away for a while, we’re stuck. I can tell Roe to hold fire until he’s back – he’ll be suspicious but I can’t really do much else. When do you think Robin will return?”

[Allan A'Dale]

Allan was surprised. He'd only met Isabella a few times, really, certainly hadn't had a huge amount of time to chat with her since the two of them and Carter had extricated Djaq from the castle when she'd been hellbent on bumping off the Sheriff. When it came to opinions on other people, she tended to be the soul of discretion normally. If she spoke so strongly against Thea, maybe it was for the best that Allan had never met her.

The fact that Bronte's story to Bella matched the one he'd been given was heartening too. Someone hanging about the castle was unlikely to be telling people that he'd fought beside Robin if he hadn't. Surely it couldn't really go in anyone's favour when it came to the Sheriff and Gisborne.

It was such an awkward situation. Bella was right, if Bronte did have something important to tell Robin then they needed to get them face to face. But if he did turn out to be dangerous, they couldn't deal with the truth about Robin's situation becoming known. Still the problem hadn't changed since he'd talked it over with Robin. It was just something he was going to have to deal with.

"So is Bronte still in the dungeons now? If he is, there's no point in me going out to meet him, I might as well wait until he gets out."

[Isabella]

Isabella thought about what they should do about Sir Liam Bronte. The story he’d given to Allan matched the one she’d received, and if Robin did know a Bronte, he was starting to be quite creditable. After all, why would he say that he’d fought with Robin if he hadn’t? He was putting his neck on the block seeking out an outlaw, so he must really want to see him. And that would make sense if he did, as he said, know him. It was looking more and more like he was telling the truth, but there was no way to know for sure until Robin had met him. He was the only one who would know if Bronte really was a friend or a foe, and he would be able to find out what his intentions were.
“Bronte was only locked up just before I left the castle,” Isabella explained, “And I gather that Roe’s planning on keeping him there until he hears word from Robin.”
She sighed. The situation couldn’t be altered until Robin returned.
“Until he comes back, Bronte stays where he is,” she surmised.

[Allan A'Dale]

Allan frowned. He'd probably have had to go and talk to Robin again anyway before the meeting with Bronte actually happened. This was an extra bit of awkwardness, but he'd have to think his way around it somehow. Then he brightened. Maybe if he left Roe a message from Robin in the secret spot, he'd let Bronte out so Robin could make up his own mind. He needed to get word to him anyway about the other thing...smuggling Robin out of the Trip would have to come first, anyway, before the meeting with Bronte could happen. It was still a total mess.

"So has Roe just gone totally nuts then, chucking people in the dungeons? I dunno why he's suddenly so edgy, what the hell's going on? I appreciate you coming all the way out to tell us, and all. Can't have been easy to get away. Or to come through the forest by yourself. You should be careful; there are outlaws about, you know."

[Isabella]

Isabella could see why Allan was questioning Roe’s actions – she had been doing the same herself. He’d become far more impulsive recently, and throwing Bronte in the dungeons was a step further than the normally composed Roe would take. Isabella, however, had more of an insight than Allan into what had brought about this change.
“Roe’s been like this for a while now,” she told him, “And I think it has something – well, a lot – to do with Thea Linnet.”
She leaned conspiratorially towards the outlaw. She wasn’t normally a gossip, but it would be a relief for someone else to know about what had been happening with Roe. Besides, it wasn’t as if any of this was secret, and his strange behaviour needed some kind of an explanation.
“You see, they were friends for a time, but then things spiralled out of control,” Isabella began, deciding not to go into details on that one, “Then something happened to make Lady Linnet decide that she loathed Roe more than anyone else on this Earth, a position he once held with me. The two have been fighting like cats ever since. And now, it turns out that Bronte is an old friend of Thea’s. Roe was tolerant of him at first, but that didn’t last for long, and he ended up in the dungeons very quickly. He now looks upon him as a personal enemy. If there’s anyone to blame for Roe’s brashness, I think it’s himself.”
Isabella could have gone on. She could have told Allan how the man was a walking contradiction, how he said he found it hard to love a woman again, and then string one along who’d trusted him not to hurt her whilst being unable to stay away from another, little more than a girl, who should expect better men than him. Isabella knew that although she had forgiven Roe – at least partially – for what he had done, she had certainly not forgotten it. What had he been thinking with Thea? It was obvious that it had always been more than just friendship, as he would have her believe. At least that girl had saved herself from him now.
She shook her head when Allan said it couldn’t have been easy to come to the camp.
“It’s not any trouble on my part,” she said, “I think I should get out more, really. I need the fresh air. The trouble was getting Roe to let me come – when I told him Bronte might not be the villain he thinks he is, he looked at me like I was betraying him somehow.”
She shrugged.
“Oh, I’m always careful about the outlaws,” she assured Allan, smiling, “I know from experience that they can be very dangerous.”