Rescue Operation Is A GO! XIII

[Luke Scarlett]

Luke rubbed his lower back as they trotted down the road, one arm clinging firmly to Djaq’s waist (and wasn’t he feeling uncomfortable about that?) and staring always steadily at the looming castle, so black against the reddening sky. He bit back a whimper at the thought of what he might find beyond its dark walls. What if they were too late, after all? What if Guy had tortured all he wanted out of Will? What if Will was de-

No. He wouldn’t, couldn’t begin to think like that now. It was just the approaching night that was tainting his thoughts in such a way. He shifted his loose hand to the axes he’d left hanging from his belt, rubbing a thumb idly against the edge where fine wood met well-crafted metal, and the contrast between warm and cold soothed his nerves a bit. Under his other hand, he could feel the cold links of Djaq’s chain mail, stolen from guards trapped back in Knighton, as it shifted with her body, and the movements of their horse. He looked over her shoulder, studying the figures trotting before them; Robin at the head of the group, the usual sight of his bow an aching gap as it hid amongst the satchels of his steed. To his left, the Maid Marian, looking as womanly as ever as far as Luke was concerned – how would they fool the guards into thinking these two women were anything but women, even under the ill fitting tunics and chains.

If he had enough courage, he could turn around and see Much trotting at the tail end of the group, not that far behind but far enough, but Luke was already terrified enough of falling from the horse, thank you very much. He’d managed to topple off when he first tried to perch on the blasted thing, and had discovered that chain mail, while good for protecting you against blades and other weapons, was really not a very comfortable cushion. Instead, he fiddled with the hatchet at his side, arm tightening around the Saracen he sat behind, and whispered in her ear.

”D’you think we’ll be there soon? Do you think this will go alright?” He so desperately needed it to go alright. Better than alright, even. Secretly, and foolishly (he knew), he was hoping to get down to the dungeons and find Will had yet to be touched, smiling to see his friends and brother there breaking him out, taking him home so they could all laugh over the escapade as if it were nothing more than a stroll through the forest.

In his head, he began to go over the plan – go through the kitchen entrance, hand over some wine (had anyone remembered to pick it up, he wondered), follow Djaq to the dungeons while Marian and Robin went and did... whatever it was they were doing, grab Will, flee to the courtyard and Much, jump atop a big horse (and here he suppressed a small shudder – he wouldn’t have time to get on with someone else next time. It had to be quick) and get the hell out of there.

Simple, right?

He shook his head and thumped it against Djaq’s back lightly. If he didn’t get them all killed, it would be a miracle.

(OOC – hope this is alright guys, and dear absent Ann – Luke’s head = hard to get into ;; )

[marian]

Marian was riding steadily, just to the left of Robin, her new sword hooked onto her belt; it felt odd hanging there, and she felt uncomortable, was this what it was like? To be a Sheriff's guard?
She felt uncomfortable because the people around her were almost unrecognisable in the chain mail, but they were her friends under there, her fiance being among them. Real people, with feelings and hearts and minds.
Soon they'd be facing clones of what she saw around her, chain mail bodies, all apparently empty creatures who serve the coldest man alive, but they were still people, surely? Men who had wives and children and mothers and fathers, they could be uncles or cousins. She's never given them a second thought when she had stormed in, with a few swishes of her sword they were on the ground, faces hidden in the shadows of their sins. This chain mail felt like a curse weighing heavily on the Lady's body, and she couldn't get her head around the fact that maybe, just maybe, these men they were cutting down, perhaps they didn't want to be fighting on the Sheriff's side, did they have a choice? She had killed these men, Robin had, they had killed a good handful of these men... so did this make them as bad as those that stood between her companions and the castle?

”D’you think we’ll be there soon? Do you think this will go alright?” she heard Will ask, ripping through her thoughts and she looked up and replied with a smile "Shant be long now." She realised she didn't reply to the second question, because what could she tell him? It could go alright, of course it could, but she had enough experience of these things to know that it would never go perfect, it would never go as they hoped it would.
And then she looked at Robin, and that was where her strength came from. But she'd never admit it.... would she?

[robin]

So far so good getting in to Nottingham was the easy part. All they had to worry about was getting out in one piece and alive. Hearing Luke ask how long it would be Robin simple nodded "Luke just stay with Djaq once were inside". Coming up to the gate Robin made sure not to make any eye contact with the Sheriff's other guards. Even if he was in uniform the other guards would surely know who he was. Last time he checked the Sheriff's other men were more stocker then himself and the others. Speaking of the others Robin couldn't help but shift his glance over to Marian. Even in all the chain mail that was covering her he could still see the woman he loved clearly as if she wasn't the wearing the guards uniform.

Once they made it to the court yard Robin turned his head for second to catch eyes with Much. He gave his head a little nudge to the left telling his friend to go to the left and start with the diversion. "Djaq, Luke make your way to the dungeons. But wait till Much throws the black powder then make your way down. Grab Will and get out as soon as you can" the outlaw leader said with a lowered voice while looking at the young Scarlett boy and the Saracen woman. Turning his head to Marian he gave her a tiny nod before climbing off his house.

[Anni]

Djaq could feel Luke's grip around her waist as they were riding to Nottingham and she wondered he must feel. First to be carried there almost like a baby, and second to be getting closer to the possibility of Will … no, she would not think of it. Djaq had to be strong and she would not let her wonderings jeopardize the mission. She tried to make the ride smooth for Luke's case and several times wished she could show him that she sympathized with him and that everything was going to be alright, but she could not.

Finally they got to the gate and Djaq followed Robin's horse into the courtyard. She waited for him to dismount first before she signaled for Luke to get off. She followed suit and nodded when Robin told her to go to the dungeons. She then turned to look at Luke to see if he understood before nodding at Much that she was ready to go down to where Will was.

At that moment she felt weak, like all her strength was drained out of her small body, but it was like that every time they went on a mission. It would only be until the last minute when she suddenly drew on the strength she didn't know she had to be able to make it through. She would fight like a tiger and run as fast as a rabbit, like she had an endless supply of energy. She was hoping today would be no exception as she might have to assist Will in walking.

[Much]

Much fiddled. His fingers twitched nervously as he rode along. He was dropping behind. So he kicked on his horse, a little behind the girth, just like he had been taught by Robin all those years ago. He was too busy thinking to make any noise. What if this all went horribly wrong? What if they were too late. They didn’t know their way around the castle. Or at least, Djaq and Luke didn’t. Not as well as Himself, Robin and Marian anyway. Even then, he was worried that he would get lost on the way to the courtyard. He’d mess it all up. He knew that he would, he always did! It was always his fault, whether it really was or not.

Now he was panicked. Not that he hadn’t been panicked already.

Marian was endangering herself to distract Gisborne. Djaq and Luke were both endangering themselves by being the ones to take Will out of the danger. Robin was for the sheer fact that he was in the castle. And him? Well he would mess up and blow himself up instead of part of the courtyard. He knew he would. He knew it would all rely on him. And in turn if it all went wrong, undoubtedly it would be all his fault.

As he caught up with the gang, he saw Robin look at him, throwing his head left. That was his cue. ”When I get to the courtyard. I’ll stand ‘guard’ for a few minutes. If I hear anything before the time is up, I light and throw the black powder. If I don’t hear anything, I wait to see Luke and Djaq pass with Will. Then I throw. If I don’t see them after ten minutes, I throw it. Anything I missed?