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Post by Robin Hood on Jul 9, 2009 15:17:04 GMT 1
"I am grateful for your trust, Marian. Misguided though I think it is."
Taking the needle and thread, Robin paused at her words, looking over the garment she wore.
"I can't particularly see any way around it, Marian." A faint shadow of his usual smirk found its way back onto his face. "I promise I won't look."
He gestured to the spot beside the tree they had previously occupied. "I suppose you should sit down, or something." This sort of thing was not where Robin's expertise lied. Apparently he was more able to hurt people, than help them.
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Post by Marian Fitzwalter on Jul 9, 2009 15:21:39 GMT 1
"It is far from misguided, Robin."
Marian bit her lip at his smirk, but she knew he wasn't the type to take advantage. After a moment, she made up her mind. She could either be in agony, or just let Robin sort her wound and be done with it. Loosening her dress, she let it fall to the floor, her underdress just about covering her, clinging to her almost like a second skin, furthering her embarrassment. Of course, where her wound was there was also a small rip in the underdress, blood surrounding it. Keeping her eyes on the floor, not wanting to look him in the eyes, she settled on the floor against the tree.
"I trust you," she said quickly, but without looking at him.
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Post by Robin Hood on Jul 9, 2009 15:34:58 GMT 1
"I do not mean to belittle the trust you place in me, Marian."
Moving to kneel beside her, Robin did his best to not allow his eyes to linger on the material that clung so closely to her body. Taking his dagger from its place hanging at his belt, Robin used it to widen the rip in the material, further exposing Marian's wound whilst, hopefully, allowing her to maintain some more dignity.
He prepared the needle and thread, and began to stitch the wound as best he could.
"Had you thought much about where to take your father, once we have taken him from the castle?" Robin spoke as he worked, hoping to distract her from what was being done.
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Post by Marian Fitzwalter on Jul 9, 2009 16:31:43 GMT 1
Marian could feel his eyes on her whenever he allowed himself to sneak a peek, resisting the urge to hit him. She gasped a little as he ripped her dress more, exposing a lot more of her side and stomach, whilst keeping some of her body covered. For a moment, she forgot that they were in the forest and could probably be spotted by his gang at any point, and if they could not see the blood then it really did not look innocent.
"He has some friends still loyal to King Richard, about an hour east from Nottingham. I am hoping they would be able to help."
She could feel the needle pierce her skin, but soon got used to it. After all, it was nothing like the pain of having the stitching ripped apart.
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Post by Robin Hood on Jul 9, 2009 16:44:54 GMT 1
Robin nodded at her words, trying his best to keep his eyes firmly fixed on her wound as he tied off the last stitch, not wanting her to see his eyes, if they strayed.
"If they are still loyal to the King, then that sounds as good a plan as any."
Sitting back, Robin looked at his efforts with a critical eye. "It occurs to me now that perhaps I should have woken Djaq. She might have done a better job."
Staring at the harsh contrast of the thread against her pale skin, Robin winced, worried that perhaps this was going to be a mistake. Living in such close quarters, she would be finding out more about him than he was comfortable with her knowing.
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Post by Marian Fitzwalter on Jul 9, 2009 16:55:33 GMT 1
"Well they should be able to keep him safe, and it's close by so I can see him occasionally, just to make sure he's fine."
Marian noticed the sheer concentration on his face, and wondered why he wasn't joking as much. Normally he'd make some comment about the situation they were in, and it was confusing to think why he wasn't taking the opportunity to do so now.
Glancing down at the stitches, she smiled a little. He had made an attempt at least, and they were holding the wound together enough to stop the bleeding.
"I'm sure I can let Djaq take a look later, see if there's anything else she can do."
Pausing for a moment, she looked at her stomach. Dried blood was starting to surround the now stitched up wound.
"Don't suppose there's a river near by, so I can clean up?"
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Post by Will Scarlett on Jul 9, 2009 17:40:48 GMT 1
Will had left Robin and Marian alone to the private conversation that he believed he had interrupted. He had gone back to camp to do a few things, and be careful not wake anyone else up. Finally, he decided to go into the forest and collect some wood for some small projects he had in mind for later in the day.
He assumed that Robin and Marian would be done with whatever they were discussing by the time he would be returning with the wood. To his surprise, they were basically still talking, but Robin looked liked he was sewing Marian's side. And Will dropped his load of wood in shock!
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Post by Robin Hood on Jul 10, 2009 1:46:50 GMT 1
Robin raised an eyebrow at Marian's words, some of his good humour returning, with his trademark smirk. "A bath, Marian? Perhaps you would like some company?"
Hearing a loud thud behind them, Robin spun in surprise, hand moving to grab his sword from where it lay on the ground. When he saw who it was, he laughed in surprise.
"Will, I thought you had returned to sleep." Robin moved so that he blocked Will's view of Marian with his body, knowing she would not want an audience.
"Marian was...hurt, but everything has been taken care of, now. In more ways than one." These last words were said with a suggestive grin, Robin unable to help himself, even though nothing untoward had happened.
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Post by Marian Fitzwalter on Jul 10, 2009 1:55:01 GMT 1
Marian raised her eyebrow at his question, resisting the urge to hit him. After all, he was being rather suggestive.
"I am quite capable of cleaning around my wound myself."
Marian jumped at the sound of wood hitting the forest floor, partly scaring her, but also sending a rush of embarrassment throughout her at being found in such a state of undress. She glanced around Robin, glad to have his body covering her as much as it could.
"Yes everything's fine..."
She finally realised what he said, and this time she couldn't help but hit his back, making sure he knew she didn't appreciate such comments, particularly in front of others.
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Post by Robin Hood on Jul 10, 2009 2:03:11 GMT 1
Feeling her thump his back at his words, Robin simply laughed harder, turning his head to look at her.
"What was that for?"
Of course, he knew exactly what it was for, but this whole situation was far too much fun.
"Perhaps we should think about that bath now, Marian?" His face conveyed his complete delight at this new turn of events, enjoying knowing how outraged she would be with him saying this in front of Will, as if they had planned such a thing.
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Post by Will Scarlett on Jul 10, 2009 2:05:01 GMT 1
Of all of the things that Will had come to expect in the Forest, this one was not on the list. He had come to expect the unexpected, but this was almost in the area of the unimagined, at least in the open. Quickly, Will looked down, careful not to look up for an instant.
"I thought that I had given you more than enough time to finish your .... conversation. I guess it would not be wise to ask for some help in picking up my load of wood here, eh," he said cracking the smallest of smiles. "I hope you're feeling better, Marian," and he picked up the rest of the wood in a disorganized stack and prepared to hurry back to the camp.
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Post by Robin Hood on Jul 10, 2009 2:13:57 GMT 1
At Will's words, Robin's laughter became even louder.
"There's no need to rush off, Will. Honestly."
Turning back to Marian, he winked. "Maybe you'd prefer some assistance from Will, if not me."
Robin picked up her dress from where it lay on the ground, handing it to her.
"There is a small stream not far from here, Marian, if you will permit me to show you the, uh, way to get there." Robin was having trouble holding in his laughter. Even if these two could see no humour in the situation, he was not going to let that stop him.
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Post by Will Scarlett on Jul 10, 2009 2:37:11 GMT 1
Will wasn't sure if laughter was the best thing that Robin could be doing, especially given the expression on Marian's face, and her slightly scarlet color.
"If you say so, Robin," but Will turned around so his back was facing Marian, to give her the most privacy. He had known her a long time, but he was always a peasant compared to her noble status, and he didn't feel comfortable at all right now. With his back turned he kneeled down and started to arrange the wood into a moremanageable stack.
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Post by Robin Hood on Jul 10, 2009 2:42:56 GMT 1
"Oh, I insist Will. Marian is one of us now, after all. You are in good company."
Robin watched him rearranging the stack of wood from its disorganised state.
"I would offer to help you, Will, but I fear Marian's wrath if I move at the moment."
He decided these two were far too boring if they could not see how funny this all was. Was there really such need for Will to act so respectfully? It was not as if he had stumbled across Marian naked.
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Post by Will Scarlett on Jul 10, 2009 3:24:14 GMT 1
Of course what Robin said was quite true. And Robin was their leader. However, he thought, it would not be a deal if she was a boy, but she most definitely wasn't, and that made all of the difference.
"My experience would be that that wrath is one that you have to fear greater than all others," he said with a wide and knowing smile.
The problem was that Will simply didn't know how much of Marian was uncovered, and he wasn't exactly anxious to find out. Finally, though, he finished stacking his amount of wood, and he asked, "Marian is it all right if I come forward, or would you rather me not?"
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