Summer Rain

Chapter 8: Caught

Why the hell did my head hurt so badly? It felt like Pookah used it for kicking practice. I opened my eyes but quickly shut them again as bright light hit them and blinded me for a moment. I slowly opened them again and took in my surroundings; I was in a small bedroom that was sparsely furnished, with a small table and chair in the far left corner of the room by the window, and a wooden wardrobe closet on the other side of the room. The bed I was in didn't seem to be too ornate as I looked at the four posters from my position.

As my head began to stop pounding I decided to further check out my surroundings. I sat up and pulled the covers off of me and swung my feet over the edge and onto the floor. In doing so I noticed that I was no longer in my own clothes, which meant someone had changed me. I walked over to the window to see if I could maybe get a better idea as to where I was, sadly no such luck. Everything looked the same around this part of England, the farms, the houses, and the forest. 'Forest!' my mind replayed the last events that had happened to me.

I had been in hand-to-hand combat with Guy of Gisborne and the Sheriff of Nottingham, alongside Robin of Locksley and his men. We had won the scuffle but instead of being offered a warm welcome and sincere thanks, I was met with suspicion and chased down like a criminal. Robin, who had always been portrayed as someone who was understanding and gave people chances, had been the one to raise the alarm and set off the chase. I remember being able to outride him for a while and then flying out of my saddle and slamming into the ground on top of rocks. I remember struggling to breathe, and Robin bending over me, seeing his mouth move but not being able to hear any sounds, then everything went black.

Why had he chased me, hadn't I proved myself to be on their side when I helped them fight the Sheriff and Guy? I had given them no reason to think I was their enemy; I just couldn't wrap my head around that thought. As I stood there trying to process everything I came back to reality, I still didn't know where I was or where my clothes were. I couldn't exactly ride out of here in a nightgown, my clothes had to be somewhere nearby. I went over to the closet and pulled open the doors, big mistake, that movement set a wave of pain up and down my sides, enough to bring me to my knees. Before I could catch my breath I heard voices downstairs shouting at each other and getting closer to the room I was in, I decided I needed to hide, and quickly.

"Marian, it's my job as the sheriff's deputy to make sure everyone is kept safe, especially you! There is a murderer on the loose and I am checking the surrounding areas for signs of her."

"Gisborne, this is not necessary! No one has been out there except you in the past few days. If there was someone who seemed out of character I would have alerted you, so you can just move on."

'Shit! Guy's here, and I'm in Marian's house? This is not good. If Guy finds me, I'm dead.' I thought to myself as I tried to move a little more quickly into my hiding spot as Marian and Guy's voices crept closer to the room I was in.

"Gisborne! Do not tell me that you plan on entering my private chambers? That is highly inappropriate and unnecessary..."

"Marian, I will do what I want when I want, I do not have to explain myself to you! Your father shouldn't have raised you so much like a son, you must learn to curb your tongue in a man's presence. I have had men jailed for less before keep that in mind. If it had been anyone else, Marian, I would not have been so linnet. Now move aside and allow me access to your room".

I heard Gisborne open the door and walk into the room, he paused briefly and then walked over to the wooden wardrobe closet and opened the doors and start moving things around in there, he slammed the door apparently frustrated that he didn't find me hiding in there. He came towards the bed, and I held my breath thinking 'Please don't look under the bed, please don't look under the bed'. Then he knelt down and looked under the bed, thankfully he only glanced under the bed and did not take the time to look fully under the bed; if he had he would have seen that the bed had planks underneath it with just enough room for me to fit there.