We're Almost Free

Chapter 4

Author's Note: This and Chapter 5 were going to be one long one but I split them to try and make it less fast moving. I really suck at character development, I was never good at creative writing in English and I'm such a perfectionist, it's not even partly a good trait as I never submit anything because I'm never happy with it. (I'm going through a bit of a wobble at the moment so I sometimes just need to vent to no one in particular, please bear with me.) I have a sort of plan for what I want to happen immediately after this, but further than that I'm a little stuck so if anyone could give me a helping hand I'd really appreciate it :)

After that initial sleepless night, the stable dreams occurred less often. They still happened fairly regularly and it hurt more every time she saw Daniel merge into Robin then her mother rip his heart out, but she had no more days where she was horribly grumpy from lack of sleep. Though her courses had started, the cramps were better than they usually were; she'd learnt to be grateful for small mercies. It did afford her an excellent opportunity for teaching Roland how to ride properly though, instead of always being held on, and to practice the skills she was learning from the other men.

Unfortunately for her, Robin guessed immediately what was up when she suddenly stopped riding for long periods of time. The one time he mentioned it, she successfully shut him up with a glare so ferocious he actually looked scared, but she was touched that he was still concerned enough to notice when the cramps got exponentially worse one evening.

"Massages always helped my wife when she had this," he commented as he sat down behind the tent, where she'd crawled to avoid the enquiring looks. She heard the unspoken question and wordlessly nodded, in too much pain to summon the energy to speak. They were out of sight of the camp so she didn't feel too worried about shifting to let him sit behind her, leaning against his chest as he released the tension in her shoulders. She was pretty tired already from an unusually difficult stretch of forest, and Robin's strong fingers and the warmth radiating from his body relaxed her just enough. The last thing she remembered before succumbing to sleep was being laid down and a tender kiss pressed to her forehead.

***

The next morning happened to be particularly sunny, and Regina woke before anyone else was up, even Robin who was usually awake first. She looked at him sleeping on the other side of Roland, feeling a pang of guilt as she realised his early risings must be from sleeping on the hard forest floor and getting soaked by the dew for the best part of a month. He'd definitely got up later since the showers drove him back to the tent.

Picking up the bow and quiver he had given her she made her way over to one of the wide trees just outside the camp and carefully drew the concentric rings on it. The dawn chorus seemed to hold its breath as she drew the arrow back, taking aim and letting go. It just missed the bullseye.

Not to be deterred, she drew another back, and another. Each one gradually forming a ring right around the bullseye, but never quite hitting it.

"Focus on your actions, not the target." Regina almost jumped out of her skin, caught completely off guard. She whipped round to face the owner of the voice, her plait coming round behind her and hitting her right in the face. Disgruntled, she flicked it back over her shoulder.

"What are you laughing at?"

"I'm not!" he protested, trying desperately to hold in his mirth. There was a single moment of silence before he ran out of self-control and snorted, making Regina's annoyance melt away and she ended up laughing too. She smacked her palm to her forehead in mock despair as Robin clapped her on the shoulder, laughing with her.

"I wish you could have seen your face when your hair got you right on the nose!"

"I wish you could have seen you trying to hold your laughter in. Funniest sight I've seen in months."

"Come on. Have another go."

She pulled yet another arrow back, focussing this time on everything her body was doing and shutting out everything else. Feet shoulder width apart; body side on; left arm straight out; right hand by her ear... The arrow struck the target dead centre.

"Well. Pardon me for saying this but I was not expecting that. Shot of the day, Regina!" He reached round her; she thought he was going to pull her into a celebratory hug but no, he picked up the end of her plait and booped her nose with it, bringing up her still bubbling laughter.

"What's so funny?" an indignant Roland stood nearby, hands on hips. The defiance radiating from the little hunter was so adorable, especially followed by a massive yawn. Robin swept him up into his arms so he didn't feel too offended.

"We're not laughing at you, Roland, we're laughing with you." Regina ruffled his hair, and eventually he smiled. "Come on, how would you like to steer Jerry?"

His little face lit up like the sun as he nodded furiously. Taking him into her arms, she promised not to go too far.

"You know, I do trust you with him. You don't have to ask just to take him a little way off." The look in his blue eyes disconcerted her. It was the same look he'd had after that rainy afternoon... She knew her self-control wasn't great at the best of times so she simply nodded, smiled and carried Roland over to Jerry who was tethered near their tent. She felt his eyes on her as she heaved the saddle on and coaxed the bit into his mouth, the back of her neck suddenly uncomfortably hot.

"Right, hold your hands out like this..." she tried to thread the reins through his fingers, but he was so tense even her strong hands couldn't prise them open. One sudden movement from Jerry and he would tumble off.

"Relax. You're quite safe. He can sense when you're scared, so you have to be confident. If you're scared, so is he and that's when he goes fast."

"OK." He nodded, mouth set in a grim line of determination. She was now able to open his hands enough to show him how to hold the reins properly.

Like in everything else, he proved himself to be a quick learner and soon he was riding by himself and she could let go of the bridle.

"I'm hungry," he complained as she lifted him down half an hour or so later. Settling him on her hip she led Jerry back to the camp where Robin was watching them.

"Nice work, he's become a great little rider."

"He's a quick learner. Soon he'll be giving me a run for my money," she jested.

"Mm." The sound was non-committal and Regina wasn't sure whether it was even a comment on what she'd said.

"Is breakfast ready yet?"

"Just about." Roland scrambled down and ran towards the campfire, as usual the first one to be served.

She involuntarily clutched her stomach, the niggling pain returned.

"Are you all right?" His face now had concern etched into every feature.

"Yeah, I think so. Thank you for last night, by the way."

"It's my pleasure." He held her gaze for a second before turning and walking over to get food.