Lady Outlaw

Chapter 9

Malton Castle, Malton, North Riding of Yorkshire

Malton Castle was a large stone castle situated on the north side of the River Derwent, on the outskirts of Malton village. Built on the site of an old Norman motte-and-bailey, the castle's substantial round tower stood tall and proud and in full view of all in the vicinity. Although nowhere near as big as Nottingham Castle, it nevertheless struck an imposing sight as the group approached along the main road leading up to the castle gates.
Marian, Robin, Much, Djaq, Eve, and Averey were on horseback, bringing up the rear of their small convoy as the carriage lead the way into the castle's lower bailey, through the open and surprisingly unmanned gates. Inside, there was a bustle of activity with people hurrying back and forth, carrying possessions or tools of their trade, or stood chatting in small groups. There were few guards to be seen, and those on duty were lounging against the inner wall, talking amongst themselves. The whole castle had a very laidback feel to it, a sharp contrast to the ominous feel of a normal day in Nottingham.
Making their way through the crowd, they passed into the upper bailey and came to a halt outside the main castle keep, from where the tower rose in all of it's glory. It was deserted, yet the great double doors stood open, and, at the sound of hooves, a slight man, pale as milk and dressed in red silk which clashed terribly with his ginger hair, appeared in the portal flanked by two large guards, who both seemed to be inebriated.
"Stusi!" Walter declared, loudly, descending from the carriage with his arms outstretched.
"Wally!" The slight man bellowed in response, arms outstretched in greeting.
"Stusi and Wally," Robin murmured to Marian with his eyebrows raised in amusement as the two men approached each other and embraced.
Marian stifled a smile as Robin dismounted, and the rest of the small group followed suit.
"To what do I owe this pleasure?" Stusi exclaimed as he stood back, holding Walter at arm's length.
"I've brought companions." Walter flung an arm out, dramatically, to gesture in the direction of the outlaws. "We need a physician, and a bed, or beds, for the night."
Dropping his arms, Stusi stared at the group, his sharp, sparkling, little eyes lingering a touch longer on Marian than was appropriate, a delighted look on his face. "Why, of course! Any friends of yours are, of course, friends of mine. Do introduce me, Wally."
"Well, naturally, my dear Stusi." Walter clasped his arm, graciously, and turned to the group with a flourish. In the brief journey from meeting Robin, Much, and Djaq, to arriving at Malton Castle, he had quizzed the three outlaws at length and had already formed his own opinion of each member of their small convoy.
He lead Stusi towards the Nottingham contingent, stopping before Much, who eyed both men, suspiciously.
"This is Much Miller. Formerly companion to nobility, Much fought in the Holy Land alongside the king," Walter introduced him, gallantly, and Much's expression softened into a pleased smile. He nodded to Stusi.
"This," Walter continued, drawing him onwards, "is Djaq, real name Saffiya." Djaq smiled, shyly. "She is a Saracen, and somewhat of a medical expert. However, she is lacking in the tools of her trade right now, hence the request for your physician."
Stusi's bright green eyes swept over Djaq in awe and he took her hand warmly between his own. "How fascinating! A Saracen, here in Malton! Very nice to meet you both, I'm sure."
Moving on, both Walter and Stusi looked upwards into Averey's stoic face. "This mountain is Averey, strongest man in Nottingham, and one of very few words," Walter said, succinctly.
Stusi gazed up at Averey in awe, and Averey gazed back at him, unblinking. Giving him a nervous smile, Stusi moved on to Eve, where his gaze softened.
"Eve," Walter said. "Softly spoken and delightful little Eve, who fights with daggers."
Stusi gasped yet his eyes sparkled with excitement. He bowed a head to Eve, who curtsied, lowering her eyes, demurely.
"Next, we have Lady Marian of Knighton," Walter continued, his tone one of pride.
"Ah." Stusi's tone was admiring as he took in Marian. "A beautiful name for a beautiful lady. Tell me - why are you here in Malton, my dear Marian?"
"My lord." Marian inclined her head, her hair a shining, raven wing in the late afternoon sun. "I am passing through with my friends, on our way to visit family in Filey. Walter kindly stopped to assist us."
"Family in Filey?" Stusi was aghast. "Whoever has family in Filey? Are they fishermen? The sea air will not be good for your skin, my dear. You must stay here in Malton for as long as you need."
"Ahem," Robin interrupted, holding up a hand. "That would be my family, and no, they are not fishermen, as far as I know. Is such a trade to be ridiculed now?"
Stusi's head shot around to stare at Robin, who gave an ironic smile. "Robin of Locksley? What on earth are you doing dressed as such? I almost did not recognise you!"
"Eustace de Vescy," Robin replied. "I see your tastes still veer to the, uh," he took in Stusi's attire, "colourful, shall we say?"
"This," Walter said with relish, his expression one of indulgence, "is Robin Hood."
Excited to host a famed outlaw in his castle, and one he had known formerly at the Earl of Huntingdon, Eustace de Vescy immediately summoned the physician to see to Robin's wounds as well as Walter's attendant's mild concussion. He then ushered them all into the Great Hall, while firing out orders for food and rooms to be prepared. His staff, having been somewhat relaxed, leapt to attention straight away. Stusi was clearly well-liked and respected, and, before long, a fire was burning merrily in the large hearth, and a selection of meats, cheeses, fruits, and bread adorned the long table in the hall, along with huge flagons of French wine. The horses had been taken to the stables to be fed, watered, and bedded down, and the outlaws were able to be at ease, if only for a short while.
Wally and Stusi, close friends of old, were a riotous double-act with a thirst for gossip, and a shared hatred of Sir William of Bridlington and his father, Devereux, the Sheriff of Yorkshire. Both seemed extremely enamoured with Marian, and Stusi bombarded her with questions which quickly turned to her marriage status once Robin had been ushered out of the hall by the physician, followed closely by Djaq.
"But, my dear, I just do not understand," he proclaimed, flamboyantly, waving a goblet of wine at her and splashing most of it on his scarlet tunic. "Why is such a beautiful lady still alone? 'Tis a travesty, I tell you."
"Well, I'm not entirely..." Marian began, but Stusi was already carried away with his impromptu speech, spurred on by the wine.
"Take my friend, here; Walter. He seeks a wife, and he would treat you very well. He is experienced in romantic pursuits." Stusi grinned at Walter, who attempted to interrupt. "No, no, Wally. Leave it with me. I've got your best interests at heart."
"Marian is with Robin," Much interjected, firmly, munching on a huge chunk of cheese. "Everybody knows that."
Stusi looked at him in surprise, then back at Marian. "You and Locksley, my lady? Then, why do I see no ring? Outlaws do not believe in betrothal, is that it? I thought he stole from the rich."
"We don't keep it!" Much exclaimed, his expression suddenly mutinous. "We give it back to the poor."
Marian and Walter exchanged glances, and Walter said, "Whether she wears his ring or not, Marian's heart belongs to Locksley. And he is a very lucky man."
Marian smiled at him, gratefully, and Stusi shrugged. "Very well. But it is your loss, my dear Wally. Will we ever get you married off?"
"Maybe I don't want to be married off just yet," Walter replied, mildly. "There is still so much fun to be had as a single man."
Stusi waved a hand at him, helping himself to more wine. "I suppose there is, and dare I say, you already have more than enough illegitimate offspring wandering around the shire to carry on the family name. Who needs a wife?"
Walter choked on his wine and Marian burst into gales of laughter. Much and Eve exchanged wry glances as Robin and Djaq re-entered the room, catching the tail end of the conversation.
"Illegitimate offspring? Nothing to do with me," Robin declared, winking at Marian as he took a seat beside her.
"Ah. Locksley," Stusi said, now quite inebriated. "We were just discussing the impending nuptials between yourself and Lady Marian. When are you going to set a date?"
Robin and Marian both looked shocked, and Marian turned to Robin, shaking her head, intently. "I said nothing of the sort," she told him, quickly. "Ignore him for he is quite drunk."
Robin smiled at her, bemused, and raised his eyebrows. "I mean, we aren't even betrothed yet, are we?"
"Well, maybe you should ask," Stusi cried, even as Walter attempted to quieten him. "Before somebody else snaps her up."
"Maybe I should," Robin mused, smirking as he looked deep into Marian's eyes.
With a dimpled smile, she dropped her eyes first, a blush infusing her cheeks as she turned back to the group. Beneath the table, her hand found Robin's and squeezed, her fingers entwining with his. He laughed, delightedly.
"I fear you are embarrassing the lady, Stusi. Enough." He plucked a grape from the fruit platter with his free hand, rolling it between his fingers. "You will hear of our nuptials when the time is right. We may even send you an invite." He popped the grape into his mouth and chewed, enthusiastically.
Stusi grinned, broadly, pleased with his attempts at matchmaking, and placed his goblet precisely on the table before him, sobering quite magnificently. "Well, now that is sorted, we must discuss Bridlington and his evil machinations, and decide exactly how we are going to stop him."