Dawn (BBC Robin Hood Fanfic)

Mother

Julia

I sat on the floor, looking the stairs to the sheriff's quarters. It was boring being left to my own thoughts and I had begun to count the number of steps I could see. Dain had been released that morning and I sadly I had no one to talk to. Hours passed, as I twiddled my thumbs. In my mind, I imagined Much and Robin making a plan to save me. Much was always content in my imagination even though I knew he was worried sick about me. My thoughts were interrupted as Leif came rushing down the stairs. He held a small piece of parchment and handed it to me through the thin bars surrounding me.

"What is this?" I asked, curious as to why he was quickly bounding down the steep stairs. "Is it from Robin?"

He whispered and frowned, "It's a note from your mother."

"It can't be, she's dead." I was rather suspicious that it was my mom he was talking about. How could it be? My mom passed away a few days after I was born, and she wouldn't be in medieval times anyway.

"She was in Brighton," he paused, and his voice trailed off, "I'm not sure you want to hear what happened to her."

I frowned, "Are you sure it was her?" Leif nodded.

"Read the letter," He told me, "The sheriff is going to speak to you later, Julia. Be ready."

•○•○•

As Leif left, I gawked down at the letter. Was this even from my mother? I picked it up and opened the fold tenderly, not wanting to be let down. Maybe it was one of the sheriff's tricks.

Julia,

If you get this letter, you must be in the middle ages. You're undoubtedly wondering how you got here. It's a long story.

Your father is a time traveler and met me. When I died in your modern world, I was sent back to the middle ages. Somehow, he must've known I made it here and wanted you to meet me. Maybe that's why you are here now.

I'm writing this letter just in case we don't get that chance. I love you my little girl.

My heart fell. If this letter truly was from my mother, she wanted to meet me. She wanted to see me all grown up. I outlined the letters of the page with my finger, trying to sense if this really was from her. If this wasn't, the sheriff was just taking advantage of my feelings.

I glanced up, watching the stairs to the sheriff's quarters. It was silent and my thoughts were racing. My dad was an accountant, not a time traveler. Often, he had stayed late at work but, told me that he had reports to catch up on. It made me wonder if my dad was actually a time traveler. If so, why wasn't he here too? Why hadn't he told me? My thoughts were interrupted by Allan who had materialized at the cell door. I was so caught up in my thoughts that I didn't see him walk down the stairs.

"The Sheriff wants to speak to you about your mum." Allan told me, trying to avoid eye contact. "He thinks you're a witch too."

"No," I thought back to when Allan and I first met. He thought I was a witch. "Did you tell him that?"

He shook his head, "I tried to persuade Guy that you weren't, and he wouldn't listen. I'm sorry."

I stood back, trying to stay in the cell as Allan softly took my wrist. "What's going to happen? Why are you apologizing?"

The cell door crashed behind us as Allan and I trudged up the stairs. He didn't answer my questions. That made me uneasy. What was going to happen? "Please tell me," I ultimately begged.

Allan stopped at the top of the stairs and let go of my wrist. He confronted me with disheartened eyes. "The sheriff wants you gone."

"Gone?" I gulped. "What do you mean gone? He can't do that to me."

•○•○•

Allan took me into see the sheriff. The sheriff stood with his back facing us. Allan stayed in the room, letting go of my arm. He stayed at the door.

"Why didn't you tell me," The sheriff probed me, "that your mother was a witch? Why didn't you tell me you were a witch, Julia?"

"I'm not." I stated, trying to be fearless. "Was the letter really from my mother?"

He nodded, and quickly called for Allan to return with a locket. The locket Allan came in with looked almost identical to mine except it was silver, not gold-plated. The sheriff stole the locket away from Allan and unlocked it, showing me what was inside. Enclosed was a picture of my father and mother before I was born. "Convinced?"

I was speechless and somehow, I let out two words, "My mother."

"You see, it runs in the family, dear girl. Do you know what we do with witches?" He seemed to taunt me, amused with his reply, "We hang them."

The sheriff turned to Allan, "Tell Guy to get the gallows ready. We're going to have a party."

•○•○•

After Allan left the room, Leif came and got me. The sheriff threw the locket on the floor as we left. The clang sent shock waves through me. How could he be so careless with something that now meant so much to me?

I was led through hallways down to the square close to the town. The gates were open, and people were being let in. I knew what they were there for. It terrified me. My demise would be a show to the people of Nottingham. I looked around trying to find Marian. Of all people, she would be someone who would at least try to help me. I saw her in the corner under the eaves of the castle. She was angrily speaking to Guy of Gisborne who didn't seem fazed at all. He stared at me indifferently, sometimes glancing at the sheriff, possibly seeking a look of approval.

The sheriff meanwhile was on stairs in front of me. He stood delighted and even though I couldn't see his face, I knew he had a smirk on it. "Good people of Nottingham, we have a witch here," the crazy man motioned towards me with great delight, "so, we are going to have a party here in the square."

"I wish I didn't have to do this," Leif whispered, as the sheriff droned on about Robin Hood not being able to save me.

Looking up to the young knight, tears began to well in my eyes. I didn't even try to stop the waterworks because I knew they would keep coming. A rope was being thrown over the beams. I sobbed loudly. Marian stood and attempted to come over and comfort me but, Guy stopped her. She looked down in defeat. 

"Ready, Julia?" The sheriff questioned, as Leif walked me down the stairs. I held onto his arm, crying as I walked closer to the crossbeams until I stood in front of a small step leading up to them. My heart stopped, frightened that this was it for me.