The Eternal Shadow

Chapter 33

XXXIII

"I wasn't scared!"

If there was one statement that pretty much summed up how things were for Will Scarlett of late, it was this one.

And not just Will Scarlett.

Horrific things were happening and as brave as the people of Nottingham were trying to be, as much as they might deny being afraid in the face of the strange, terrible and new, all was not well that much was clear.

Be it death trap mines, carts bringing slaves to do the dirty work in them or Vaisey making merry at archery contests after sacking the entire mining workforce, there was much to confuse and confound, one could try to turn a blind eye but sooner or later even the hardiest of souls was confronted with something to fear.

Bearing this in mind, was it any wonder that Will was so wary? Turk flu might just be an invention of ignorant and superstitious minds but then again it might not. Who could you trust these days? Nobody seemed to be who they said they were. Nuns were not nuns, taxmen were not taxmen, and a boy from the holy land who had agreed to help them was not a boy. Indeed, based on what he'd gotten an eyeful of before being hit in the face with a branch she wasn't a girl either.

Quit thinking about it you perv.

If only it was that simple.

Was it possible, as carpenter, to invent some sort of device to force lewd images and thoughts from the mind?

A mallet to the head might do it...

Allan or Much would oblige...

not John though, Christ I only want some sense knocking into me not my head caved in.

He sighed. It always came down to that didn't it? At the end of the day, it didn't take much to get a man excited and he doubted that the others were much better. In fact, if the looks on their faces whilst Robin was getting some action with that so-called nun were anything to go by, then his reaction to seeing the newest member of their gang in all her womanly glory was perfectly normal. And Much could protest all he liked about that sort of thing but he'd hardly been looking the other way whilst Robin was canoodling either.

That got him to wondering what she must make of it all, what she must make of them - a ragtag band of outlaws with their hearts in the right place but blood not always flowing to the brain. She could not think so unfavourably of them for she'd accepted Robin's offer to join the gang but then again what were the alternatives? Perhaps she'd been willing because she'd thus far known nothing but unkindness from people here in England, first and foremost as a slave but also as a saracen.

He swiftly dismissed the idea; she didn't seem like the type of person who would do anything she didn't want to, even when faced with hostility from ignorant and clueless sorts. She surely craved acceptance as did every man (or woman) but he couldn't see her settling for somewhere merely because she'd had a hard time elsewhere.

So perhaps it was their cause after all that had inspired her acceptance. The desire to go some good and help those in need. He admired her all the more for it and it was clear that she was going to be a great help to them.

Now he would just have to keep his mind out of the gutter and on the job.

I'll err... see if there's anything needs fixing.

**********

If there was one thing Djaq could say for herself, it was that it had certainly been an interesting introduction to life in England and it's people.