swords and shields | robin hood

Chapter 12

Swords & Shields

Chapter 12

[ quick a/n, i'm sorry that the chapters are so long and stink terribly, that'll change later. sorry again ]

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  When Robin awoke, he expected Genny to be there with him in the cave where the rest of the men were sleeping, but he didn't see her anywhere. Panic struck him. Had she left late in the night? What if she was lost? What if she had been kidnapped by other outlaws or bandits? What if she had been killed? These thoughts raced through his mind at an endless rate and he ran outside the cave, where, even now, Tuck was fast asleep. He looked for her horse but found it wasn't where she had left him and he cursed himself for being so naive to believe that she would stay. She knew that she meant to protect him but it could get her hurt and he would rather himself die before that happens.

He paced back and forth and decided to search the woods, just in case she didn't make it to Nottingham and something happened. There could be a chance that he would be relieved that it would happen, but then a part of him that would be full of pain because she was hurt. He felt that it was most likely his fault for her leaving. He dragged her into this, which triggered Guy, which then led to the chase they were on now. It was an endless chain of events that could have been caused by him.

He kicked the dirt as he calmly strolled through sherwood, waiting to stumble upon Genevieve, hoping that she had failed to make it to Nottingham. He knew that it probably wasn't the case. She was most likelly at Nottingham, getting lectured by Guy about how she shouldn't go after outlaws on her own but he still had the glimmer of hope that she would appear on his journey through the forest.

He heard a twig snap and he strung an arrow in his bow, notching it back and whiriling around towards where the sound came from. He didn't make a sound but he felt someone watching him. He heard the snap again, but from another direction this time. He turned to face that sound as well. He was getting frustrated. He didn't know what was going on and it bothered him.

"Show yourself." He muttered to himself, barely audible.

"You can ask nicely." A feminine voice said from the trees and he looked up to see Genevieve sitting in the tree above him, a few stones in her hand. She had been throwing them in different directions to mess with him.

He shook his head and put his bow away, crossing his arms and looking up at her.

"You're absolutely ridiculous, you know that?" He said with a small chuckle and she nodded, obviously proud of herself, like it was some achievement.

"I would have thought you had gone back to Nottingham." He said, not waiting for a reply to his last remark.

"I was going to, but then I heard you on my heels and did this." She explained, revealing that she was on her way now.

"You don't have to go, you know." He said and she sighed and shook her head, climbing down from the limb she was perched on and fetched her horse from behind the tree, Robin was surprised he hadn't seen that but he did come from the other way. Although, it still was a horse. Its huge. It can't hide behind a tree.

"Yes I do. It'll save me a few hours of lecturing from Guy. He'll have my head if I wait another day." She said and Robin got the feeling that she might not have been kidding or at least thats what it seemed like in his eyes. He saw Guy as a merciless fiend that would kill for any reason he could find. Maybe a peasant was looking at him wrong, his eyes would be guaged out or something terrible like that.

Robin figured that she was probably right but he wasn't letting her go alone.

"Very well. I'm coming with you." He said stubbornly, as if it wasn't up for debate. Which it wasn't.

"You can't come into Nottingham. They'll arrest you on the spot." She sighed and rolled her eyes. noticing how he seemed to have overlooked that.

"I didn't mean follow you into Nottingham. I just mean to accompany you throughout the woods until you get to the gate. But I also need to help you with something else.. You have to make your absence believable. Guy won't believe you if you show up unscathed. Meaning, you have to look like you've been through hell and back." He explained carefully.

"You're right." She said biting her lip and taking pieces of her dress and ripping them, making her look tattered and worn. She messed up her light blonde hair and speckled some dirt in it, giving it a dark and dirty tint.

She rubbed dirt on her arms and face and looked to Robin.

"Am I believable now?" She asked, giving a little twirl as he inspected her.

"Almost. You have to look weary and tired so, when your on the horse, slouch and let your limbs swing as if you have no control over them." He advised.

"Got it." She said and mounted her horse.

"Catch me if you can, Hood." She said with a grin and dug her heels into the horses side and it took off, leaving Robin running to catch up. He was bent on seeing that she was safe all the way through but ended up stopping halfway, knowing that she would be perfectly fine.

-

As Genevieve rode through the open gates of Nottingham, she did exactly what Robin told her to do. She slouched and put her best weary and tired looking face on and let her muscles go limp, barely grasping the leather reigns that helped her steer the horse.

Guy was in the courtyard talking to one of the guards when he noticed Genny riding in.

She wanted to mess around with his feelings for a second so she toughened up and slid off of her horse, landing on her side on the ground as if she passed out and she heard the sound of Guy's boots pounding the ground as he ran to her. She counted down in her head until he said her name.

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"Genevieve!" There it was.

She moaned in response, feebly lifting her weight from the ground as Guy helped her up, putting an arm around her shoulders and helping her to the castle. He brought her to her chambers and helped her onto her bed, a concerned look etched across his features.

Genevieve hadn't seen that look on his face since Marian was around.

It pained her to think about her now that she was gone but she was going to have to face the music at some point and it should be sooner rather than later.

"What happened?" He finally spoke after a while of silence.

"I escaped." She answered shortly. Not giving much information about how she did or where but she knew that escaping would leave him at a questioning standstill and he would ask more questions afterward.

"How?" He asked. There it was again. Predictable SIr Guy.

"I don't want to talk about it right now, Guy, please, just let me rest for a while." She said and closed her eyes for a minute but her heart leapt when she felt the warmth of Guy's lips on her forehead and the weight of his pressence was lifted off of her bed and she heard him leave the room she was in.

She sat up immediately, almost giving herself a headache when she did so.

She liked it when he had kissed her forehead.

Genny began to worry. She loved Robin but could she possibly have feelings for Guy too?

-

Guy left her room and walked into the courtyard to talk to the guard that he was previously talking to about training the new recruits from the towns and villages when he was interuputed by a carriage entering the town and he rolled his eyes.

'What now?' He thought and approached the driver.

"What is your business here?" He asked the man driving.

"We're here to see the sheriff." A voice said from inside the carriage. A voice he knew all to well.

Prince John was in Nottingham.