Summer Rain

Tattoo Part 3

D'Jaq watched as the sheriff inspected the acid she had used to melt the iron hinges away from the cell door. The sheriff asked her if she had made it herself, she didn't answer him but just reached for her bottle. The sheriff grabbed her hand and looked at the bottle and looked at her hand again. He muttered something under his breath and poured a few drops onto her arm and watched in fascination as it ate away at her flesh.

The jailor who was not amused by any of this turned toward the sheriff "Shall we hang him now?"

"Don't be stupid, if he can make more of this I might even kiss him." The sheriff answered smiling and walking away humming a melody of some sort, he had a plan forming and he was certain it would put him in Prince John's good graces.

~/~

Aria and Much stayed behind to keep an eye on Robin and Gisborne. Not that either party could do anything to each other at this point, seeing as both were tied up.

Much turned towards Aria, wanting to know more about the conversation between her and Robin, "What did you mean earlier when you told Robin 'We've had this conversation and we agreed you wouldn't ask me for information.' What are you not telling us?"

Aria sighed Robin had made a fine mess of things now. She'd let him figure out how to clean up this mess when he awoke and came to his senses. "You don't need to worry about it Much, it's something between Robin and me at this point. It's his decision if he wants to explain it or not." She tried explaining it the best she could without revealing anything else. Thankfully she was saved from further explanation by a groan coming from behind them, Robin was coming around. Both she and Much turned around to face Robin.

No one spoke for several long moments; they just kept looking at each other. Robin kept looking at his binds and then back at Aria and Much, almost as if he couldn't believe that he was tied up.

Much, uncomfortable with the silence, finally spoke up "sorry" he said rather sheepishly looking at his master. Robin looked at him in disbelief causing Much to ramble on.

"This is awkward...John said...Little John said to wait until they get back. Yes! That's what we will do, we will wait for them to come back." Much finished.

'Gollum much' Aria thought to herself and let out a soft snicker that she turned into a cough when both men looked at her.

Robin was getting extremely annoyed at this point in time, how hard was it for people to understand he just wanted to kill Gisborne? Robin knew though he could probably trick Much into letting him go, he wasn't sure that Aria would fall for it though.

"Water?" Much offered breaking the silence once again, not caring for the look his master was giving him.

"Much, untie me. That man is a traitor and the war in the holy land continues because of him. The others wouldn't understand, how could they? They weren't there like we were, they don't understand that sometimes you have to kill one person in order to save thousands." Robin said to Much, in a tone that was suddenly calm.

Aria had to give Robin credit; he knew how to play on people's emotions to get them to do what he wanted.

"Then you must make them understand" Much responded as he looked torn between what he had been told by John, and what he was now being told by his master.

"Exactly! But I can't do that tied up. I just want to talk to him, please Much?" Robin pleaded.

'Son of a bitch! Much actually fell for it, he's going to untie him.' Aria thought as she watched Much look around as if John would jump out at him from behind a tree at any second. He then looked at Aria almost begging her to say this was the right decision. "Do what you want, I want no part in this. I'm Switzerland."