Merriment At The Fair

[Lily Waters]

Lily cheered loudly when the flamboyant finished his speech. Free food from Nobles was always a reason to cheer. Maybe this new noble would be more charitable than some. The sudden movement knocked her mask from her face and the girl fumbled to catch it.

It was a simple mask, that covered only her eyes. One of her ribbons had been used to tie it, and she guessed that the knot must have worked free. She quickly tied the red mask back round, careful not to tie any of her hair into the knot. Lily liked bright colours, though could rarely afford the cloth. She had heard of a skilled seamstress in Knighton though, maybe when she'd saved enough coins she could get a pretty dress. For now though, her plain, brown dress decorated with ribbons and her Ma's red scarf would suffice. There was only one of her Ma's belongings that she would even look at, and that was the scarf - she loved it so much.

She turned to her father, about to tell him she was going to look round when she saw him busy in conversation. She grinned to herself and slipped into the crowds. It's not that she wanted to escape from her father, it's just that he was a little over protective at times. Ever since her Ma had gone and not returned he'd kept a close eye on her, especially at events such as this one.

She stared around, drinking in the sights with delight. All the colours provided from the masks made her eyes boggle. Merton was a quite village, with few visitors and even fewer fairs. Lily doubted that she'd ever seen this many people before!

She made her way over to the grand spread of food, she'd definately never seen this much food in her life. She didn't know what to pick! But she knew she had to choose soon else someone would choose for her. She was just reaching for a pear when her hand and another's both grabbed the same pear.

[Kate Miller]

Kate had left her house with Sarah in tow. She joined the back of the crowd in the celebrations. If the Outlaws were going to be any it would be there. Luke would be looking out for them as well. So the least she could do was stay close. It didn’t hurt to see them again after all. Maybe avoiding Allan would be best though. He’s just mention her father some more, and she really didn’t need it.

She wore a simple floor strapping navy dress, slightly worn in colour. She had added some white details around the hems of the skirts and sleeves, and around the waist. Her mask was simple, held to her head using the sinew she’d found the week before in the bottom of the cupboard. It only covered her eyes and her fringe fell freely over it. The rest of her hair was half pinned up, falling down her back. Curly and weaving ever so slightly. In it was a simple hair pin, wooden. Dan Scarlett had made it for her sixteenth birthday. A coming of age present.

After the speech, she joined the clapping and made her way to the free food. She was starving. In every sense of the word. She scanned the table, seeing the fruit at one end she headed for it. She saw a fair few pears and grabbed out of one. As she did she felt the touch of another person.

”Oh I’m sorry,” she breezed sweetly as she drew her hand away from the fruit, reaching over for another a little further from her grasp. ”You take it.” The girl looked as if she could do with it as well. Kate had never seen her around the village; she must have been from elsewhere. And not matter how many people her family knew; this girl wasn’t one of them

”Kate,” she smiled holding out her hand to shake the girl’s. This fete promised to hold a lot of fun. Archery competitions, dancing, music and food. Lots of food. And ale. Her father would murder her, but if it was free for the taking, Kate wasn’t going to complain too much about it.

[Lily Waters]

"Oh, I'm sorry." Lily flinched away from the pear, looking up to the owner of the hand. Her introverted self took over, and she felt an embarressed blush creep onto her pale face as her hand still hovered over the pear. She quietly mumbled her own apoloies while the friendly looking stranger grabbed a different pear.

Lily shook away her embarressment, it was a pear. People were probably fighting over less - or would once the ale had set in. She smiled and took Kate's hand. "Lily." She gave a quick grin before asking, "You a Knighton guest, or do you live here?"

Lily moved away from the food table, before she got crushed by the mass of people wanting the free food. She may regret it later, as there may not be either an oppotunity to reach the table or any food left. Or maybe even both. But she didn't mind too much, she'd got some free food - even if it was only a pear!

"Who'd you think is going to win the Silver Arrow Contest?"

[Kate Miller]

”Oh, I live here, have done my entire life.” she muttered pointing vaguely in the direction of her house. Well the place she called home by any means, it was her fathers house. She smiled at the girl withdrawing her hand and leaning facing the square, her back to the food table. She looked at all the masked children, she spotted Sarah in the crowd, hovering sheepishly near Luke, but not approaching him. She smiled to herself. She girl had always had a bit of a thing for him. But he’d always been to busy chasing the older kids to pay any attention to her.

”I dunno, if Robin shows up, he’ll get it. But I dunno if he’d risk it. Not after the recent events.” Kate didn’t mention it in detail. She wasn’t meant to know after all. But everybody knew that he’d infiltrated the castle again, saving one of his own. ”If he does show up mind, it’s and un fair disadvantage to those who really tried. I know a few people who are petty good with a bow, but fail to come up to his centre of the target every time, skill.” she said looking in Luke’s direction. As much as he really hated wielding weapons, she’d seen the boy shoot. He was pretty good, but not the perfect shot.

”Anyone from your family entering? Any friends or anything?” in honest truth, Kate didn’t know where the girl was from, but knowing most families in Knighton, Locksley and Nettlestone, she gather the girl was from Clun or Merton at least. Kate started to bite into the pear, chewing on the crunching flesh and swallowing. The thing was sharp, just the way she liked them, but it didn’t half make her wince at the taste.

”I know my father wanted to have a go, and the boy that’s living with me. The kid’s not half bad.” she dare not mention him by name just in case the girl knew him and had a fit that he was back. Not that Kate was overly protecting or unwilling to have others liking her friends, but she didn’t want him to be put in more danger. Her father had already threatened to hand him over, once. He’d do it again, given the chance.

[Lily Waters]

Lily chewed her mouthful of pear, listening to Kate's reasoning as to why Robin shouldn't come. It was true that he probably shouldn't enter, and a very good point that it'd be unfair - but since when did making a mockery of the Sheriff stop him from doing it again. And rumour has it he won the Silver Arrow Contest last time for a boy from Locksley, or Nettlestone... or somewhere.

To be honest, Lily was a little envious that Kate lived in Knighton, it was one of the outlaw hotspots. And she'd heard all the lastest adventures, and how one had been captive. Nothing happened in Merton, nothing. Agruements could occaisionally be heard from Merton Maner, but not much else.

”Anyone from your family entering? Any friends or anything?”

"Oh no. My Pa can't aim to save his life, and the closest thing I've come to a weapon is a kitchen knife!" Lily said, a smile creeping over her face as she thought of the one time she'd seen her Pa hunt. He missed the bird competely - the arrow never made it to the tree! It had embedded itself in the ground just off the base of the tree where the bird had been sat.

”I know my father wanted to have a go, and the boy that’s living with me. The kid’s not half bad.”

"Oh, I presume some of the more ambitious Merton lads will enter, maybe even m'Lady if women can enter. I hear she's a fair shot. I haven't been officially told anything though."

She took another bite out of her pear - it was a good pear. Ripe, but still crispy. Lily hated it when pear juice trickled down her arm, she always missed a bit and then her arm would be sticky.

"You have a boy living with you? Is he like, your betrothed or somthing?" Lily asked, before she even knew the words had fallen out of her mouth. She could be such a social clutz sometimes. With the boys it was easy, cover up her blunders with a grin or 'cute' smile - there wasn't that option with girls. Lily just hoped she didn't take offence to the assumption.

[Kate Miller]

Kate choked on her bite of pear. "You have a boy living with you? Is he like, your betrothed or something?" Kate shook her head before letting out a small giggle as she recovered from the piece of fruit embedding itself in her wind pipe. She grabbed one of the goblets of ale from the table, taking a sip of the vile liquid.

”No. He’s a couple of year younger than me. More my sister’s than mine.” Kate laughed to herself, before placing the goblet back down, ”He’s a friend of the family. And uh, his parents passed away, so he, uh, he needed somewhere to stay.” not strictly true. He could have been living with his Aunty Annie. But Kate was just housing him until Robin, or rather, Will, let him into the outlaw gang.

”He’s more of a brother, I guess.” she summerised picking up the drink again, taking a few sips of the stuff before grimacing slightly at the taste and putting it back down again. She took another quick bite of pear, wanting to shallow it before Lily said anything else. Just incase she had a little episode just like the one she had had.

Kate looked over the crowd a few more times, picking out the faces she knew. A few of them, like the Knighton carpenter’s son, Jon, was queued for the Archery Sign up. More of the girls were huddled around in groups, looking at the queue, making their mental bets of who they thought was going to win. Kate just hoped somebody did beat Robin. Or if Robin and the gang did show up that he would ‘disguise’ as somebody else. Like he had done before.

[Lily Waters]

Lily almost jumped when Kate started to choke on her pear. Now that was a reaction she wasn't expecting. She had to join in a little on Kate's laugh - but she did notice that she kept reaching for the ale. Was that a habit, or just a means of washing down the pear?

"Sorry. It's just you said that you were living together." Lily said between giggles. She let her mind breifly wonder to the boys she knew, not that the list was particularly long. She knew the ones that regularly came to the bakery, though they were still perfect strangers to her. Much like Kate, but all friends start at strangers - they have to don't they?

Lily quickly searched for a drink that wasn't ale - her Pa wouldn't be best pleased if she drank ale - and saw a group of children taking what appeared to be fruit juice. She grabbed a goblet and took a sip, enjoying the sweet liquid that trickled down her throat.

She wasn't really too sure where to go with the conversation, it had sort of ground to a halt after the betrothed assumption. The silence, for her anyway, was getting more awkward by the second. But all she could think of was what her stomach wanted - cake. Normally the sight of it made her stomach turn, baking it and tasting so many did that to a girl, but fairs always made her hungry for cake.

She tried to steer her mind away from the food, but free food to a peasant was like talking gold to a noble. "D'you have any idea where all this food came from?" Lily asked, barely able to keep the amazement out of her voice. "It was very kind of the new Lord to provide such a feast."

[Kate Miller]

”I’ve known the boy forever, it would be so strange to marry him. Kind of Robin and Marian-esque though I suppose” Only, he went to war and screwed it all up! she thought with another quick sip to wash down the remains of the pear and putting the goblet down. Her father would most probably murder her for touching the stuff, and her skin was only just unblemished for the last time he’d been annoyed with her. It probably wasn’t in her best interests to be annoying him again any time soon. But she knew one drink would be okay, she’d not get too drunk on that. She vowed to stick to the juice afterwards.

When Lilly mentioned the whereabouts of the origin of the food, Kate merely shrugged. She had no idea. ”It wouldn’t surprised me if he had all of this stashed away in the Hall storeroom. I wouldn’t mind a peek around the house I have to say. But it’s not a peasant’s place is it. Unless I became his maid. And with a reputation like his, I don’t want to be doing that if I want to marry as a decent woman.” she smiled at the girl. She didn’t appear to be the gossip type. Kate wasn’t either not really. But she heard things, and this ‘news’ was too good not to share The man was a ‘scoundrel’ a ‘no good son-of-a-bitch’ but he gave the village, and the surrounding area enough food that there would be some left over for the taking at the end of it.

Kate glanced around the crowd again. The children, obviously all warned by their parents, we refraining from playing ‘Outlaw’ or ‘Robin Hood’ in the presence of the Sheriff – and were all participating in a huge game of chase. One which Kate was certain she would probably get dragged into at some point. But in this dress, she wasn’t running anywhere. Not if she didn’t want to fall flat on her face.

”You got any siblings running around like a mad thing?” she asked. Lily was a stranger and the easiest way to find out more, and make her a friend, was to ask simple, open, guiding questions.

[Lily Waters]

Lily sighed at the romance in Robin and Marian's tale, every girl dreamed of their very own Robin - someone who has always and will love them no matter what. But it seemed that love like that only lived in legends - and Robin was certainly becoming one.

Lily wondered why Kate spoke badly of a seemingly nice man. But then she remembered the hushed conversation between her father and the Merton housemaid a few days back; her lady certainly thought ill of this newcomer. But then again, her lady never saw anyone in good light. Lily decided to give Lord Mannering the benefit of the doubt, until he showed his true colours.

Lily smiled as the children dived in and out of her, almost made her miss Kate's question. She shook her head sadly, wondering that if her mother hadn't left she'd be answering this slightly differently. "No, just me and my Pa." She tried to shake her sadness, Kate was obviously making an effort to be friends, and Lily was never one to turn down a friend.

"What about you?" She asked brightly. "Any real siblings, other than the boy-you-live-with-but-aren't-betrothed-because-he's-like-a-brother." She spoke rapidly before making her smile it's biggest. She'd made a fool of hersef before, as she often did, and she found it best to make a joke of herself - sometimes. Kate seemed good natured, maybe she'd laugh too.

[Kate Miller]

Kate chuckled. ”Yeah, apart from the boy-I-live-with-but-aren't-betrothed-because-he's-like-a-brother. I’ve got my two sisters. One’s infatuated with him; the other’s only just a teenager.” Kate smiled, placing the reminds of the pear core onto the waste tray, and looked up and down the table. Her eye caught on something at the forest edge, and she smiled. She knew they would come. They had too after all. Sheriff’s orders. Everybody in Nottinghamshire. And they were apart of the everybody.

Turning her attention back to Lily, Kate smiled at her and threw her head gently in the direction of the crowds, indicating for the girl to follow. She made her way past the peasants and nobles alike, joined for the time in a come one come all situation. All eating the food whether they needed it or not. All taken a part in the competition. A little unfair in Kate’s view. If they won they just added to their riches, if a peasant won it would change their life for a fair while. That or the Sheriff would hate them more for stealing from him.

”Whereabouts you from then? I don’t recall you saying. Though with my memory you’d never tell!” she laughed, leading the girl to a seat at the edge of the clearing prepared both for the competition and the party afterwards. The villagers had taken their slashers (OCC: grass ones not us lot!) to it and cu the long grass down. Mounds of the stuff lay at the forest’s edge. Kate took a seat and watched as her sister played chase with the other children, some of which she didn’t recognize, others such as Daniel and Mark, she did.

[Lily Waters]

Two sisters, Lily wondered what it would be like to have sisters. She had this image of everything being smiles and laughs, though life was never like that - no matter how much she wanted it to be like that. She knew with all familys came arguements, no matter how close you seemed to be.

Throwing away all thoughts of her mother, Lily followed Kate to the open area - discarding her pear core and grabbing a couple sandwiches while she could. There was movement at the edge of the forest, but she didn't catch who it was having diverted her attention to a small girl who'd ran beneath her feet. She helped the small child up before sitting beside Kate and handing her a snadwich she'd swiped.

She took a deep breath in whilst dropping the cut grass which hadn't been picked up through her fingers. She'd always loved the smell of cut grass, especially after rain. It just smelt so fresh and reminded her of lazy summer afternoons. Before her Ma left, they would all sit in the garden after the shop had been shut and Pa would cook their dinner on an open fire. While it cooked, she and Ma woud play chase or other silly games. When dinner was done, they'd all sit on an old blanket until the fire had died out and the sun had long sunk below the horizon.

It was one of the few memories of her Ma that Lily cherished. Even the toxic thoughts that her Ma had left them couldn't poison those days. And she wouldn't let them either.

Releasing Kate had asked her a question, Lily dragged herself out of her reverie and swallowed her mouthful. She laughed at little with Kate before replying.

"I'm from Merton. It's not very exciting, not much happens. And I doubt there'll ever be a fair there like the one here." Merton may be the more secluded and forgotten village of Nottinghamshire, but Lily loved it. It was quaint and peaceful. Everyone knew everyone and there was a time when that extended to the inhabitants of Merton Maner, though not anymore.

Her eyes glazed over as she saw children dying to play Robin Hood, it made her smile. "I also doubt that there'll ever be outlaw activity in Merton. Have you ever seen them here in Knighton? Whispers around the market say that Robin certainly visited Knighton a fair few times when the Lady Marian still lived here."

She sighed wistfully, imaging that one day someone would scale her wall, just to talk to her.

[Kate Miller]

Merton. Made sense. It was a little far off the Knighton radar for the villages to mix. ”Nothing normally really happens here. I mean, granted Edward always tried to make it easier for us. But look where that landed him? Anyway, this Mannering bloke seems to be a bit of a party animal, if you get my jist.”

Kate laughed when she mentioned Robin’s continual visiting whilst Lady Marian was in residence. Truth be told, Robin had been seen at least once a week, sneaking up to the Hall. And many other times after she’d jilted Sir Guy of Gisborne at the altar.

”Well, they come around once a week with provisions. They’re regular drop-off. But on occasion they’ve been known to have come t the village. Like when the Sheriff had Lady Marian’s stable boy, and there was something about black diamonds. Robin and his entire troop pitched up then. It was quite exciting. But nothing really happens here either, as I said.” she finished what it was she had been muttering on about. In short nothing really happened in Knighton. It was a lie. But Kate’s couldn’t turn around an openly admit that she had collaborated with outlaws, and had them in her home on more than one occasion in the last week. Let alone that the boy she was ‘the boy-I-live-with-but-aren't-betrothed-because-he's-like-a-brother’ but he was the younger sibling of the outlaw who had been caught in Knighton the week before.

No. Kate had the right to withhold any information. That would be part of it.

[Lily Waters]

"I can't believe that not a lot happens in Knighton." Lily scoffed, thinking of all that she could remember had happened. But in all fairness, Locksley did seen more outlaw action than Knighton. Even so, nothing ever happened in Merton so just one episode in Knighton was exciting to Lily.

She took a bite out of her sandwich, a mixture of tastes tickling her tongue. Through the mass of people, Lily could see her father - still talking to whoever it was he was talking to before. Or was it someone else? She didn't know, when you knew so few people in a crowd they all started to look alike.

She looked at Kate as she finished muttering, wondering why she'd trailed off. Lily knew she was lying about the lack of attention Knighton got - an outlaw was captured there just last week! Maybe Kate had her reasons, but Lily knew better than to pry. Also, the excess of people meant more guards and any peasant caught talking about outlaws wasn't treated in the best of ways.

Deciding to take the topic away from outlaws, Lily said, "Who'd you think is going to win the Silver Arrow contest?" She thought of all the people entering, mostly peasants who wanted to be heroic and show off their 'bow skills' - even if they'd never lifted a bow before. Peasants weren't supposed to have bows. Robin would win if he turned up, but if not then it'd be one of Gisbourne's men. "I hope that a peasant wins, beats out one of Gisbourne's trained men. That would be good."

She'd lowered her voice, in fear of someone over hearing and not liking what she said. She hated living in fear, but she'd rather be living in fear than not living at all.

[Kate Miller]

”As long as it’s not one of Gisborne’s goon’s, I really don’t care. A family, or even more than that, would be so much better off if they didn’t. As much as I want a peasant to win, if Robin does, then everybody’s is better off. If a singular peasant does, then they get the chance at a better life. If only for a while. If it’s one of their men, then they get it back again. Nobody really wins. Not really.” did she normally ramble this much? Probably not. But on the subject of the Sheriff and the harshness of life, she normally got a tad carried away to say the least.

Kate readjusted her mask. She really hated the thing. It was uncomfortable, and restricted the movement of her upper face. It wasn’t a good thing. It made her slightly itchy as well. Which was just what she needed. A rash was the most attractive thing she could think of to be bearing on a day like today. Oh well, at least people wouldn’t see it. Especially when the sun came down.

”You think you’ll be dancing with anybody later?” Kate asked, seeing the clearing, she only assumed as meant to such an occasion. She looked around a little more. She saw the target for the competition, and streams of people wielding bows and a single arrow. No practise for the competitors today.

[Lily Waters]

Lily had continued to play with the grass as Kate expressed her opinion on the whole contest winner. She seemed to have a lot to say. Lily guessed that Kate wasn't too fond of the Sheriff's ways, especially after that last comment.

The girl watched as Kate adjusted her mask with a look of distaste* on the section of face on show. Lily guessed it was the mask, and didn't understand. It was so exciting. She could have walked past half of Merton and not realised. The mystery of it all, it just screamed romance to Lily.

Had she been drinking, Lily would have squirted it all out in surprise after Kate's question. She hadn't even thought of dancing with anyone. Well she had, but not seriously considered it. She tried to wipe the startled chicken look from her face before answering. Though, nobody could see her face so it didn't really matter whether she looked shocked or not.

"Urm, well. I hadn't really thought... I don't know." She finally gained some compusure. What was it about even just the mere thought of boys in that way made her get all flustered? Had her father sheltered her too much? Or did she need a mother to tell her how to cope? She didn't have the answer to any of those questions, but she did have one for Kate's.

"I guess I'm just going to see what happens. I don't really know anyone here though." She looked around at all the people. And by people she meant the peasant boys, searching for potential dance partners. It was a difficult task as people kept moving into her view and most of the guys were hanging around the stage for their chance to compete. "What about you? You going to dance with the boy-you-live-with-but-aren't-betrothed-because-he's-like-a-brother? Or you leaving him for your sister?" Lily grinned, a small laugh escaping at the same time.





*(ooc - not Godmodding is it?)