1 | master of arms [gisborne]

Twenty-five

It was a normal day in Locksely; the people were going about their normal rutines, working in the fields, just normal stuff. Kate and Rebecca were in their little pottery shop, making pots and chuckling at one another. Just then, Vaisey, Linda, some guards, and Rufus stormed into Locksley on horseback. Scrope was also there, riding with Linda. He got off and walked next to the Sherriff.

"All right, everybody, listen up!" shouted Rufus, getting off his horse and walking around, close to the pottery place. "You don't know me. You don't know what I'm like. So I'm going to give you a little example of the kind of tax collecter I am and what happens if you don't pay up."

Intrigued, Kate and her mom walked out from the shop. "We pay our taxes. We don't need his example," muttered Kate boldly.

Rufus whiped around. "I think I'm going to be the one who decides that," he said dangerously.

By now, Linda and her father had ridden up near Rufus. She winced, fearing what was about to happen. Rufus walked past Kate and Rebecca and pointed to the pottery place.

"This yours?" he asked, taking down a pot and examining it.

Kate nodded. "Yes,"s he said.

"It's our livelihood," explained her mother.

Rufus looked to the two of them. "Remember it fondly," he said, and dropped the pot to the ground with no remorse. The boy arrived. "Edmund."

Edmund grabbed Kates mother, holding her in double arm lock. He then dragged her backwards and went next to Vaisey.

"Let her go," ordered Kate.

"I can't, sorry," he said blankly, and Linda sensed that he really was sorry.

Rufus continued to break pots and vases. "Don't apologize, Edmund," said he.

"Don't apologize? You're just hurting an innocent woman," said Kate to Edmund.

Rufus swung a little swing type shelf and the rest of the pots fell to the ground. "Don't tell me you're hurt!" he yelled. He proceeded to knock over another swing type shelf. "If you're weak, hope is pointless The world is hard on the little people!" He knocked over a shelf. "You'd agree with that, wouldn't you, Sheriff? The small exist to be stepped on."

"There is a pleasing logic about what you say, yes," said the Sheriff with a hand to his chin, leaning on his horse.

"It'll take take us months to put right," pleaded Rebecca, and Linda sighed. She said the wrong words.

Rufus walked around once more, examing the messed up little shop. "You don't say," he said, and started knocking off the wood that hung above the shop. Going to a pillar in front of of the shop, he pushed. The whole shop fell in a domino style, toppling over one another. It hit the furnace, and the furnace fell down. Fire erupted, and Linda made her horse go back.

Vaisey chuckled. "Very good," he said, patting Scropes on the shoulder. Scropes chuckled in delight.

Kate marched up to Rufus. "You didn't need to do that! You didn't have to destroy everything!" she exclaimed.

"Kate, stop it," warned Linda.

"She's right," said Rufus, looking straight into Kate's eyes. "You want to keep you mouth shut."

"No, I really don't," Kate said defiantly, and Linda ran her palm down her face.

Rufus and Kate stared each other down. "I tell you what I'm going to do," he said menacingly. "Just this once, I'll play nice. I won't make you suffer for disrespecting me." He glanced at Rebecca. "I'll make her suffer instead."