Robber Royale: Fairytale of a Thief and a Scoundrel

The Hollow

The Hollow was a cave in the side of a shallow hill, thankfully not too far from where they were. After laying Gaelian down gently and re-camouflaging the opening, there really wasn't much to do but wait in the dark and the silence. Fox dug through the small satchel of supplies stored there, handing Gaelian the drink first which, luckily for her, was alcoholic; there was no use trying to store water in such a place, it would just go stagnant before they would use it.

He took a drink after her then sat back gratefully, both of them with their backs against the cold rock wall, listening. He was pretty sure they hadn't been followed, but best to be careful until Clyde came with the 'all clear', just in case. After a minute, his ears did pick up on something. It took him awhile to figure out exactly what it was he was hearing, when suddenly, it came to him - it was the heartbreaking sound of muffled crying, coming from Gaelian.

At first the weight of wretched guilt he felt left him immobile, then it was the unsurety of what to do, but finally, he simply scooted over, closing the distance between them, and hesitantly put his arm over her shoulders.

It must have been the right move, as she melted right into him, curling her head into his chest.

Apparently, they fell asleep like that, as the next thing he knew was waking up to someone removing the camouflage at the entrance.

"Fox? You in there?" Clyde called, poking his head in at the opening he'd made, finding the two of them curled up together, peering at him with sleepy eyes; the sun streaming in a little too brightly for them.

This time Clyde retrieved her, lifting her as gently as possible, though Fox still saw her wince, gritting her teeth and shuddering in his arms; he held her as though her weight were nothing. Truthfully, Fox was relieved, for though he was plenty strong and she plenty light, he had carried her quite a long way, in a hurry, and he could feel a weakness in his muscles when he moved his arms. He followed Clyde out to see a brown horse with a black mane, no saddle, and only rope for a bridal.

He nodded his pleasure and thanks to Clyde, asking him how the battle ended up, how the men fared.

Clyde smiled with pride. "Us? We're fine o'course, not lost a one, though Beck took a pretty good slice to the arm, the idiot. But...can't say the same for them soldiers, they're lost all over the place now, scattered to the wind. If they didn't fall today, they will soon. Serves 'em right for trying to take us on out here, right where we lives. Idiots."

Fox smiled, proud and relieved, though also well aware that if it weren't for Clyde, things wouldn't have turned out so well. He'd lost his head today, first time that he could recall ever doing so, and it would have been a very expensive mistake, costing many of them their lives; including Gaelian, the one he had lost his head over.

It was Clyde who had held him back when she'd first been discovered, when she'd first gotten hit, when they'd strung her up...

Fox looked over at her. As much as it hurt him to see her suffer, today it had been her leg or all their lives, and that wasn't a call he had been prepared or able to make, it had taken Clyde.

Thinking of her leg reminded him, "Uldien?"

Clyde's face clouded, "No sign of 'im, and we combed the place right careful before coming to you, ta make sure it was safe."

Fox nodded, lost in thought, then looking over at the horse he came back to the business at hand. "If we leave now we should make Quarters by dark." Though a lot had already happened that day, it had all started early and happened quickly, leaving a lot of daylight yet. "You're in charge while I'm gone, just stick to the usual until I get back."