Robin Hood | The Stormwhite Between Them

Chapter 1 (Bloody Bandits)

Song: Boyfriend by Selena Gomez

Robin was running through the forest, her heart pounding in her ears. Obscuring the sound of her rushed footfalls crunching on the leaves that lay strewn in her path. 

She had been leaving an obvious trail for her stalkers to follow, leading them away from her people, giving them just enough time to get away and search for Skippy who had been kidnapped by the pirates.

If she had been more focused she would have taken notice of the beautiful grey trees that towered above her shifting in the wind. Their brown mottled branches swayed gently above her like a child being rocked to sleep. 

Robin drove herself over a fallen log, over time moss had climbed its way up the speckled bark of the timber. Her feet crackled on the dry leaves still attached to the forks of the fallen tree.

Something thick brushed against her grey cowl and she roughly shoved the shrub back with the underside of her forearm, the leather of the gauntlet taking on the sharp edges of the plant.

Robin's fingers itched towards her linen liner, pulling back up to her rest just under her eyes, masking her features. A breeze flittered through her cloak, pushing the edges out while she ran, providing her with temporary satisfaction.

Still, Robin ran, her quiver and bow moving on her back with every rushed pace she took. She had been leading the bandits away from her crew's trail for days now. With barely any time to sleep, she maintained her tight self-discipline, swallowing her small bits of bread or jerky down with little amounts of water every time she stopped briefly to rest. Her axe was weighted down on her right side, short swords strapped to the left, metal clinking against her body every time she leapt over rocks or sticks. Fastened on the shoulder opposite her bow and quiver was her thin swag, the bag mostly packed with her consumables and other necessities.

Her northseeker she kept in her hand, except for when she drank, then it was fastened to her belt. Now Robin was still flowing past the trees, springing over an outcropping of bundled roots, that was sticking out of the tree like tentacles. 

The Skandian woman looked down at her northseeker, yep the one she had taken from Halt. But don't worry she would never steal from her friends, more like borrowed it temporarily, he had said it was fine. Back in Skandia she saw it sitting on the table in his private quarters and had picked up and been instantly intrigued by it. When she departed, he had lent it to her, saying that when they met again she could return it. 

Still, it pointed in the right direction ensuring she was still on track, leading the large group of hostiles away.

Robin wasn't sure of how much longer she could keep this pretence up for her mind and body were subtly starting to feel the effects of her long hours moving in one direction. It wasn't a matter of urgency that she needed to double back, after all her 'Merry Band' wasn't expecting her back for a while, she was to move to a secondary group to oversee how they were doing.

 Robin Hood knew well that Fryer Tuck was more than capable. Robin Hood had not only reassembled her band of 'merry men' after the battle in Skandia but had also set up an established network of communication in most countries in the world. If something happened anywhere, she knew about it.

There are segments of mixed people from all over the world who carry the name of the 'Merry Band'. They give to people who are starving and need it and take it from wealthy corrupt warlords. As per her clear instructions, they don't steal from Araluen and Skandia only give to their poor, seeing as they are the least corrupt countries. After the Temujai, Robin Hood went around and rescued a lot of the people in her crew from awful conditions. So these crews are still loyal to Robin, and she makes rounds to see how each segment is going, usually pleased by the results.

Now some people might think that an organisation of people this big, Robin Hood could make some serious money off of it, but that simply wasn't who Robin was. Still, she trekked on only ten more minutes, she estimated until she could break, her legs burning as they pumped.

The mask and cowl made Robin look every part like the outlaw she was, everything but her eyes hidden from sight. The compass tilted again as she moved her hand making her remember the small fishing village she had seen on the map when her Merry Band was planning the heist. She had to be close to it now she started going east she was sure she could get to it. 

Had she been more focused on her surroundings than on her escape plan she would have seen the approaching figures as she turned the corner. Alas, she was so sure the bandits were behind her, she hadn't worried about what was in front of her, or maybe that was the sleep deprivation talking. Robin was roughly snatched out of the air as she bounded around a leafy shrub that was clinging to the grey-flecked bark of a tree. 

Hands clung to her arms pulling her down, she tried to pull away but her captures held her so firmly she couldn't reach for one of her many weapons, let alone bring her head up. Robin kicked out her legs but she couldn't bring them up far enough to hurt them due to the awkward angle she was being held at. 

Once satisfied that their grip was tight enough for no movement her captures who she estimated there were two of them, started dragging her through the forest.