The Eternal Shadow

Chapter 40

XL

If they thought she was going to talk then they could think again.

For one, one of them had held a knife to her throat and dragged her to this godforsaken place.

Not really a good starting point for an informal 'getting to know you' type chat eh? and she was not one for being impolite either but from what she could gather, this band of misfits had just been about to rob Guy and his guests so they didn't count as people with whom she cared to converse.

It didn't matter as it turned out because nobody demanded that she speak; their leader was off elsewhere and the rest of them were so worked up after what had happened at Locksley that they were just talking for the sake of it more than anything else. It was interesting to observe them she had to admit and something she was keen to do because it kept her mind off Guy.

Well, actually it didn't.

Her thoughts returned to him constantly but she kept trying to steer them elsewhere because what she had seen of him had her terribly confused.

He was so... different... so cold... and yet for a moment there, as he'd taken my handkerchief, he'd been him; the man I remember.

Wait.

Stop.

What is that man doing with that... thing?

Good lord... is that a squirrel!?

"I don't blame you for not talkin' to us, I mean; we must look like a right motley crew eh?"

You're not wrong there.

"I, for one, just want to say that despite what you might think, we are not barbarians!"

You do realise that you have a knife and a butchered squirrel in your hands don't you?

"You and whatshisface, are you mates with the sheriff then?"

No. I'm not even mates with 'whatshisface'.

"Not if the look on Vaisey's face was anything to go by." This came from the dark haired one, who, for the most part, had been silently sulking.

"Yeh, he had a right face on 'im - weren't the only one neither – I mean, what the hell was going on with Gisborne?"

Good question.

What was going on with him?

I wish I knew.

There was once a time when I knew exactly what was going on with him but those days are gone and now he's... well... he's another person. Somebody I don't know.

"Didn't seem any different to me." This came from the big man who'd contributed so little to the conversation that Francesca had forgotten he was there. Her eyes widened in shock because her thoughts on the subject were so far from what he'd just said she could hardly believe it.

"Yes, well, we all know him to be horrid."

What? What are you talking about?

"Horrid? Can't you think of a stronger word for 'im than that Much? I mean we are talkin' about Gisborne here yeh? Torturin', Murderin'..."

"Baby abandoning..."

The list went on and on, each outlaw adding another horrific adjective but Francesca couldn't hear anymore, her brain had tuned out and she was finding it hard to breathe.

"Shit! You alright?" It turned out that the chatty one was not only talkative but observant as well, for he'd noticed her distress immediately. All she could do was shake her head in answer whilst desperately struggling to get air into her lungs.

He rushed over to her and in her panic she flinched away from him. "Hey... it's alright, I'm not gonna hurt you..." worried blue eyes were upon her but she didn't pay them any heed for she was more concerned with the fact that her vision was greying out. "John! Grab us some water will ya? I think she's about to keel over!"

He wasn't wrong.

She hadn't been eating or sleeping properly since her father had told her she was to marry Winchester and then there had been the distress of knowing she would see Guy again, as Winchester's intended...

Then came the carriage journey from hell, which culminated in learning of Guy's engagement – a detail that ensured her nerves were shot before she'd even seen him...

then she had seen him... and he was so... altered... it troubled her to the depths of her soul...

and now she'd been kidnapped and these men were saying those things about the man she loved.

Was it any wonder that it had all gotten too much for her?

*

When she came to, the first thing she noticed was that she was being held up by strong arms.

She squirmed to get away and found herself looking into kind brown eyes. It was the big man. He smiled shyly as he took a canteen from his belt and passed it to her, "Here, you should drink this."

She looked at him warily before taking a sip of water. It was then that she noticed that her wrists and ankles were no longer bound. This, coupled with the concerned glances from her captors made her wonder who exactly these men were.

"Looks like someone's back with us!" That was the chatty one.

"Oh Thank God! Had me worried there for a minute!" This came from the one who'd been 'preparing' squirrel earlier. He offered her some berries, which she tentatively accepted.

"Your first kidnapping too I gather?" This was from the one who'd been sulking but now seemed better disposed towards her.

She nodded and smiled weakly.

Then his words sunk in. Wait... What?

"Believe it or not we're not ones for this sort of thing either."

Excuse me?

"Nah, it's not like we go draggin' fine ladies to our humble dwellin' every Friday or so..."

Oh come off it, you'll be telling me you're regular stand up fellows next!

"We're just ordinary blokes y'know?"

Ha!

"We do it for the poor..."

What? Kidnapping people!?

"...with the sheriff and Gisborne, they need whatever help they can get..."

Wait... Are you trying to tell me that what happened this evening was some sort of 'good will gesture'?

She shot them what she hoped was a dubious look but it must not have come across that way for the men were looking very worried again.

The last thing she heard was the chatty one telling the big man to go fetch someone called Robin.