Wishing Wells and Well Wishing

[Kate Miller]

Kate shifted in her sleep. There was only so much sunlight a person could take before they woke up, and for Kate now was that time. She stirred and shifted around some more, burying her face in the pile of rags beneath her head. She could sell the already stale ale on them. She wrinkled her nose and tried to hold her breath – never worked.

Her head hurt. It pounded and didn't show any signs of residing any time soon. She tossed again away from the sunlight and bunched her eyes shut. She didn't want to wake up - not today. Last night she'd had a good time, she'd had a fair bit to drink done a bit too much dancing and oh sweet lord above - please say she didn't just remember doing that! She groaned and turned over again - bathing her face in light - today was not going to be a good day.

She ran her tongue over the roof of her mouth - it was parchment dry. Time for a cup of water. She rolled gingerly out of bed, slumping to the floor with an 'oof'. She rubbed her head, then continued to use her bed to winch herself upwards until she as vertical. The world span slightly and she groaned. She would blame Allan for this – she didn’t yet know how but she would. She most definitely knew why!

Slowly she padded bare foot to the barrel that usually housed the family’s water from the well – but as Murphy’s Law would have it – there was little to absolutely nothing left. This made her moan more. Kicking the barrel slightly she returned back to her room grabbing her clean dress and pulling it over her night gown. Pulling on her slip on shoes she headed out, grabbing the bucket from the side of the door outside.

It was far too bright outside – and the village square – from what Kate registered – was a mess. So he was going to throw a party and not tidy up after it? Bastard. Like hell was she going to do it – and she would make sure her sisters didn’t lay a hand on the crap either. They did enough of that around their own house – well Kate did. And once she moved off on her own she knew Sarah and Rachel would get their fair share of it to do.

She veered off from the main area of Knighton down towards the well – she remembered vaguely running down there the night before – something about witches and water. She shook her head of the ideas and headed to the stone wall surrounding the well. She laughed to herself that the mud surrounding the place was still slightly damp – she remembered a lot of water being thrown around.

Winching the bucket up from the stream below she filled her bucket with the water it contained. Cupping her hands in it she brought some of the cool liquid to her lips and sipped it. That was better. Complaining slightly she turned and sat down on the edge of the well looking back up towards Knighton. No self respecting outlaw was going to attack a peasant with nothing but a bucket of water – even if they did, she could always blame it on her father.

She coughed and cupped her hands again sipped more and more water. She was never going to drink alcohol again. It did things to a person. She knew that. Her father had warned her of that he night before. She had also been warned about ‘no boys’ hah, she’d blown that one right out of the water – forget boys though – think Outlaws.

She rolled her eyes at herself and sighed – that was a mistake, allowing that to happen. Why did it have to be the only thing she could remember some what clearly after the alcohol consumption? It was about the only bit she had slightly sobered up for – she never had a chance the amount of ale being passed around. She rubbed her temples and sighed again – no definitely no drinking in such large amount for Kate ever again!

[Allan A Dale]

(OOC: Technically Allan wakes up with Will tied to that tree in that other thread, so I’m skipping ahead a bit XD;; Also, which part are you referring to? I’m vaguely assuming something… kissy >=3 The Sebby bit?)

Allan was still a little embarrassed after the entire “waking up to find out you tied your best friend to a TREE with your belt and fell asleep on him” thing, and after untying Will (which had turned out to be a surprisingly difficult job), he’d run off to try and gain some semblance of dignity. His head hurt a little bit, but he was normally quite good with his liquor and hangovers were rare, but he wasn’t entirely sure he wanted to go back to camp yet (or ever, if the carpenter told them about it).

Actually, the entire evening had been a bit of an embarrassment, if he thought about it. First he’d lost the competition to a kid- no, it was Robin, but that was beside the point. Okay, he’d been daft enough to not realise Robin would find a way round their little deal and still enter the competition, and he’d made Allan look a right fool in the process. He’d then gotten extremely drunk, and there had been something involving Kate, water and squirrels. An odd combination, but not the weirdest thing ever. They’d done some singing (and now he was humming the tune, recalling the words and smiling – that had been fun) and some dancing, and they’d spied on Sebastian-

Oh.

Uh, oops?

Allan lifted a hand and nibbled on a fingernail briefly, but unable to find purchase on the almost non-existent nail, he gave up and dropped his hand again. Well, that could be awkward. Oh, he wasn’t exactly ashamed of what he’d done – kissing a drunken girl, chucking water at her, making her dance and drink; the girl needed it! – plus she’d threatened to use it as blackmail against him later on, when he’d refused to wash. But he did like talking to Kate and didn’t want it to… well, stop their chats. Or have Luke and Will down on him like a tonne of bricks (in that order – Luke had already insinuated he didn’t like the idea of the thief trying anything with his childhood friend, and he didn’t think Will would, either – he’d seemed a little funny the night before).

But it had been a lot of fun, he had to admit that. He wondered if anyone would be disgusted with him if they knew – and it was only a kiss, it wasn’t like he’d done anything particularly dishonourable… unless Much really was a bigger pansy than he sometimes suspected and thought kissing stopped you from being a virgin… but then again these outlaws were funny buggers at the best of times and his moral grey area was extremely different to the others (as in, his was entirely grey, and everyone else’s seemed to be made of black or white).

Unwilling to go back to camp, and realising that he probably ought to apologise (although he didn’t really see what for, it was just a kiss!) he decided to head over to Knighton while it was still likely to be quiet and see if Kate was about. If he could do so with fewer people about, it was all that much better. Never let it be said he wasn’t occasionally honourable.

He ended up whistling as he approached Knighton, a lot less careful than normal – he knew most of the guards would be hung over, too, so it wasn’t exactly the most dangerous situation he’d ever walked into. Besides, he was feeling pretty good, all things considered, and if he could annoy anyone by being jolly, it would be worth it. He did quieten his whistling as he got closer to the village, and decided to approach from the area of the well – there were always fewer people about there, everyone met up at the same time to have a gossip. It was the same in all towns. Besides, he could nab a drink while he was there – his mouth was feeling a little bit fuzzy. Figures.

He started reconsidering his idea as he noticed someone was at the well, and he remained hidden badly – world’s worst hiders! in the lush greenery while he contemplated his next move. If he waited long enough, maybe they’d leave, but he wasn’t sure it was worth the risk anyway. Plus the place seemed dead apart from this one bird, so it was unlikely that Kate would even be awake anyway. That would kind of suck, he wouldn’t know when he’d next be coming up to Knighton – with Will better, it was likely he and Djaq would do their runs together (Allan figured he was going to be lobbed with John as errand partner – he hoped that Robin wasn’t vindictive enough to shove him and Munch Much off on one another, with Marian in the camp, because they’d probably end up killing each other). He supposed he could just turn up randomly, but then someone coughMunchcough might accuse him of buggering off to talk to Gisborne again and, well… He just couldn’t be bothered with the hassle of all that.

During his contemplation of life and the Outlaws, Allan had been watching the woman and suddenly realised that she looked a lot like Kate. Not really thinking (he’d later blame the alcohol, though he knew fully well it was more likely stupidity), he stepped out of the bushes, cupped his hands round his mouth and hollered.

”Oi, Kate!”

(OOC: And now, should I go buy a drink or tag someone? *decides to tag*)

[Kate Miller]

Kate sat with her back to the forest and the bucket next to her side – she outwardly groaned one more time. Hoping her ever growing headache would go away if only she could ignore it. Sitting in the quiet with nobody else around wasn’t enough to do that. It just kept sneaking back up on her, each time with a bigger vengeance and determined to kill. She had made the mistake of hitting the palm of her hand against her forehead, it had hurt.

Sniffing she had another sip of water from the bucket and sighed. If she ever saw Allan again she was going to kill him. Bury him, dig him up, and kill him again ((In which Jen quotes Allan)) he was the one who had been in a stupor when she’d seen him. He was the usual drinker and merry man. Well that’s what some people called them – merry men in a forest with no women – well two women to four men – who knew that happened there.

She heard the bushes behind her move – assuming it was an animal, idiotic in this day and age she jumped when she heard someone call her name. A male someone. A male someone who sounded precisely like the outlaw she was trying to blame for her current problems. Allan.

She screwed her eyes shut, and winced – just what she needed. Letting out a short breathe then smiling to herself and turning she laughed a little, and fakely as she saw him in the bushes.

”Morning Allan,” she swallowed the non existent moisture in her mouth and shifted her weight and turned on the stone wall of the well. ”How are you?” she asked, bright and breezy and far too chipper for somebody who felt as rough as she did. Until such times as she had to mention anything that she remembered from last night but would much rather prefer not to, she wouldn’t say a word – unless he really felt it necessary or could use it to get what she wanted – whatever that was.

[Allan A Dale]

(OOC: Ahahaha I love that quote X3 *snuggles*)

Allan ditched his bush the moment he was confident that no one else was about, and then realised it really didn't matter because he was still in his bard-like attire and, really, no one looked past the clothes unless they really had to talk to you. He strutted over, cheesy grin slipping onto his face as easily as a new shirt over his back, and as he reached her he gave an imperfect but noble attempt at a bow. He lifted his head to see if it had made her laugh, and ended up frowning as he saw her up close.

"You alright? Looking a bit peaky there, mate," he asked as he righted himself. Okay so that might have been his fault. He had kept pushing the beer and he wasn't entirely sure how much and how often Kate drank, so she might have been well over her own personal limit. Waiting for an answer (and lifting an eyebrow to make sure she knew he wasn't going to take any bull story from her), he shrugged and informed her of his own health. "I'm not too bad, all things considered. But really, are you okay?"

He was feeling a bit more concerned now - she did look really pale, as if she was about to throw up all over him. The thought made him take a step backwards.

He wondered if he should leave. If she was hung over, and it looked that way, she was probably more likely to appreciate some alone time than have him rabbiting her ear off. Although she might cheer up a bit if he told her about Will being tied to a tree. He'd found it immensely funny, anyway.

In the end, he decided to hop up and sit next to her on the wall, taking the bucket and downing the last bit of water before dropping it back into the well with a loud splash and pulling it up again. He poured a little bit over his own head in order to wake himself up a bit (and it was a perfectly fine day, so no one could complain that he'd likely get a cold or something – the other outlaws could be such girls at times) and offered the rest to Kate.

[Kate Miller]

As he left the bush she saw he was still in the attire he had left her in the night before. She cocked her eyebrow but didn’t question it any further. She chuckled at his strut and bow. She regretted it afterward as the vibrating movement of her laughter shook her brain or whatever that pain was coming from and made her head hurt a little bit more. But she had grown used to keeping on a brave face – she had never let her sisters see hr cry and if she was ill – or hung-over like she was now – she could apply the same means and hide it.

Swallowing the slight nauseous feeling that lurch in her throat she didn’t speak for a moment in fear of whatever she hadn’t eaten that morning came back up her throat. Taking a deep breathes and shaking away the feeling and more pain into her head she smiled. ”A little worse for wear but I’ll be okay.” she considered for a second, as he cocked his own eyebrow back at her, ”So I may be about to throw up the contents of my already empty stomach – but I’m all good."

When he took a step back she stopped herself from laughing again. It really wasn’t good for her. She wouldn’t be surprised if she was tinged slightly green. She needed to clear her throat, to cough a little, but she feared in doing so it would all just go to pot. She swallowed her saliva once again and watched as Allan finished the water dunked the bucket, pulled it up and poured some water over him. That made her smile a little.

”I wouldn’t let the others know the peasant girl wore off on you.” she grinned referring to the fact that he was willingly putting water on himself – in some vague form of washing – even if that wasn’t the intention. She gratefully took the bucket placing it on the wall next to her, the other side this time and cupping her hands once more and having a drink. ”Too much more of this and I’ll be fit to burst”

She had drunk so much water over the last while that she feared for the room left inside – if she was about to spill her insides would it all be clear? The thought was weird and soon pushed from her mind. ”What brings you to this neck of the woods today?”

[Allan A Dale]

There was one lesson Kate apparently had to learn, and that was that you can never trick a trickster. Her attempts to cover up how she was feeling were quite noble and well executed, but she wasn’t quite good enough to fool Allan just yet. After all, this was what he was good at.

Thankfully she wasn’t tinged green, else he would have probably gone running to find Djaq and stayed away from her a bit, lest he catch whatever he suspected was wrong with her. A hangover, he could handle.

”Hair of a dog, or another pint, that always does the trick!” he declared, wondering if there were any dogs around to nick some hair off. Probably not, knowing his luck at the moment. Oh well, Kate would just have to suffer like the rest of Nottingham.

Allan frowned for a moment, then realised she meant it looked like he was washing himself. ”I'll 'ave you know that I do keep myself clean, thank you very much – it was just that I had my monthly bath the day before last and I didn't appreciate being told I was dirty.” And that wasn't defensive at all, Allan, well done. /sarcasm

”Well I ain't cleaning it up!” he declared – he hated cleaning, and he was bad at it, too. Never got him anywhere, trying to clean, he just made it more messy. Plus it was a lot of hard work for little return. It's why he used to bugger off when Djaq or Much decided it was spring cleaning time... in the middle of December, or any other month not deemed “spring”. Scary, that pair were, sometimes.

Getting his own handful of water and having a swig, letting the remains dribble down his chin and wiping them up with his sleeve, he shrugged. ”Just wanted to check if everything were alright, you know? You weren't half a state when we left last night, didn't want to see ya dragged off into the woods by that witch girl.” He wouldn't admit it, but he was still a little freaked out by that entire talk about witches. They weren't people to mess around with, after all...

[Kate Miller]

Hair of a dog? What was he on about? She inwardly groaned and complaining a little about it. There was no way she was touching alcohol for a while. It hurt too much.

Laughing a little t his reaction, she raised an eyebrow, ”You’re an outlaw Allan. No matter what you do you’ll always be dirty!” but seriously a month? He lived in the forest surrounded by dirt; Kate would be inclined to wash more than that if only to rid herself of the dirt accumulated from a days work as an outlaw. But she had always hated being dirty.

”I wouldn’t make you. As long as I don’t decided to use the well as my aiming spot everything and everybody is okay.” Who wanted to drink puke water? That wouldn’t be nice. Even if it was running water it was still slightly disgusting. She turned her nose up slightly at the thought before ignoring it had ever entered her mind. She would just scuff the dirt around a bit. She hated cleaning at the best of times and had to do it far to much for her own liking to keep her temperamental father happy.

”Well you don’t need to worry about me. I’ve been in worse situations.” being told she was a state was what every girl had ever dreamed of being told, she hit him around the shoulder before laughing slightly, ”I blame you.” she stated simply. No reasoning behind it. ”Isabel? She’s hardly going to drag me off. She’s only after the good looking men remember. She wouldn’t want me – being of the female inclination and all that.” she smiled to herself . Teasing Allan was far to fun. HE was so superstitious it was ridiculous.

”I think I’d be more in danger of my father getting in a mood with me for being so off my face then Isabel trying something, to be perfectly honest.” and that’s exactly what she was being. Honest. The thing was, Allan knew it. He’d seen the outcome of her father’s anger – and hadn’t been all that happy when she vouched to do nothing about it, and not wanting to tell Luke was almost blasphemous.

”So if I was a state, what the hell did you get up to?” she asked, half expecting some drunken tale of him and Will getting lost on the way back to camp – but will hadn’t been that drunk on account of his hand. But if Allan was still in his costume then what the hell had happened?

[Allan A Dale]

(OOC: How come I can never remember what I wrote last?)

Allan scowled a little – okay so it wasn’t actually a monthly thing (he was lying, again, but he thought it might impress her a bit – apparently not, by the look on her face) but he did do his best to stay clean. Was it his fault he had to hide under tree roots and piles of leaves? Well, yes, but that was beside the point.

He had to agree, vomiting in the well was probably the most important thing to avoid. That would be quite disgusting, especially if she hadn’t eaten anything because then it would be that weird orange liquid-like vomit… Never pleasant, it burned your throat more than usual.

”Me?” he asked, grinning. He tried to pull a nice, innocent pout but it wasn’t really working at that moment – he found the thought amusing. ”You oughta know your limit, mate. Don’t blame me for you not being able to hold your liquor!”

Female inclination… Allan couldn’t really help where his thoughts went with that particular comment, it was fairly typical of a man to think such things (or, it was amongst his normal companions, anyway – seriously, the people of Nottingham were a strange bunch!), but he dismissed the thought quickly too. This was a possible witch they were talking about. That was kinda creepy. He felt a little affronted by the fact that so few people he’d talked to around Nottingham were so easy going about things such as witches and demons. Robin had been a nightmare during that entire mask episode a while back – Allan had been positive that the thing was going to unleash a demon. Sometimes he thought the only sane one around was Little John, because he’d been afraid too. Some things you just didn’t mess with. For everything else, there’s Mastercard… Don’t ask… Allan slipped off the wall and settled down on the still slightly muddy ground. If he was filthy anyway, he might as well get a bit more dirty. It’d all fall off eventually.

Focusing on Kate’s next comment instead of contemplating the witch girl and his potential doom, Allan frowned. ”I reckon you should get married or something.” It was a pretty random comment, so before Kate could protest to the idea, he elaborated. ”Not for real or whatever, if you don’t want to, but maybe you and Luke could ‘get married’, maybe by John or something, and then you could move over to Locksley, back into the Scarlett house and keep yerselves away from him.”

”Although,” he mused, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, ”What on earth Luke’d do for a job, I dunno…” He sighed a bit, dropped his head and turned it to look back up at Kate. ”Run away to a convent? I could help you get in. I’m good with nuns,” he added, waggling his eyebrows as he sat back up straight.

Allan laughed a bit. Yeah, he wasn’t exactly straight and proper himself, was he? But it hadn’t been his fault – he’d managed to convince himself that it was Will’s fault for all of it. Realising he’d have to tell Kate something but not wanting to embarrass himself too much, he simply opted for replying ”We decided the camp was a bit too far away, and slept in this hole under the roots of an oak. I weren’t half a bit drunk, and Will wasn’t really sober enough to be dealing with me. Or, that’s what he said.”

Well, it had involved a tree. And it had involved sleeping near one. And Will hadn’t been sober enough to deal with a paranoid and slightly crazy Allan, so technically he wasn’t totally lying for a change.

[Kate Miller]

Kate swung her legs slightly – although her legs were short her feet barely touching the ground they still scraped the top soil. ”Yes, you!” she replied with a slightly laugh, tempted to poke him in the ribs ”In case you hadn’t noticed, I’m eighteen years old – I’ve hardly had much in the way of experience with alcohol growing up in this day and age – I was only twelve the last time we could actually afford the luxury!” It was the truth. The only person in there family to ever allow themselves to the local public house was her father – yet he frowned upon women drinking it themselves. Had he caught Kate going in the house last night, aided by Luke who was slightly better off than her, then he would have had her guts for garters.

As he slipped away and sat on the floor, she did not follow suit. She’d only have to try harder the next time she washed her clothes. And it was the only clean dress she had left so one she felt better she’d be doing the washing. Them and floors… it was always what happened. When he fell over, and pulled her down, and after they’d kissed. Both times she had been in a ‘sensible’ situation to be close to him and it had ended up that way – best not make it three times in less than two weeks. He may start to get a little to comfortable with the idea.

Now what the hell was he talking about? Marriage? Was he kidding? At least she could have a bit of fun at the idea, she protested slightly before stating a simple ”You offering?” before he continued over her.

”I am not marrying, or even ‘marrying’ Luke.” remembering something from the night before – a sober something – she laughed slightly, ”What is it with people and wanting to marry me off with Luke Scarlett?” The idea wasn’t preposterous. She just didn’t want to. As much as it would stop her father from doing whatever to her, it didn’t stop him from going after her sisters. ”Besides, I see the joyous look on my father’s face now. ‘I’m just gunna go marry the guy who stole from you, okay?’” she said, getting up and walking around a bit acting out the scenario.

He was considering this far too seriously. For the last time, she was not engaged to or ever marrying the best friend she had from childhood. Not chance in hell – the world in which she lived in constantly. His next comment however was far more ludicrous.

”A convent?” she said, all humour gone. A stunned expression on her face, which soon turned to a wring laugh. ”You have got to be kidding? Do you honestly she me, in a habit, in a convent?” she asked raising her eyebrow. The thought had passed her mind once or twice – but she never considered actually going. Pretending maybe, but never actually going. ”And I bet you are.” She said cocking her head to the side slightly before shaking it. He was unbelievable. Totally, one hundred percent, unbelievable.

After that little episode, she really couldn’t understand that the camp wasn’t too close. The others must have made it back? ”I don’t believe that for a second! Why would Robin continually travel too far to see Lady Marian? Even if he is oh so deeply in love with her – no man is ever in love enough to do that.” She had seen Robin countless times sneaking up to it. Never run into him or anything like that – but all the villagers knew he was there – how the guards didn’t she had no idea.

[Allan A Dale]

”Well it’s about time you got some experience in the world of alcohol!” Allan declared. Not afford alcohol? That never stopped the patrons of places like the Tripp and The Hound and Horse. And it had certainly never stopped women before. He suspected some intervention from her father. ”Tell ya what, next time I go down’t pub, I’ll drag you along, okay?”

Allan had to admit, he hadn’t realised Kate was that much younger than him. He often forgot that Will and Djaq were, too – they just acted so grown up, it was easy to forget that they weren’t older than him. Maybe it was just because he acted like such a child. Oh well, he wasn’t about to let that start bothering him!

Ah, Kate didn’t sit on the floor alongside him. Fine, then, he’d just have to figure out how to drag her down to his level. Maybe in a minute, though – he was just starting to get comfortable. It was becoming a game to him – see how long it takes to get Kate to sit on him. He wondered if it bothered her, but decided it probably didn’t – she seemed the sort who’d tell him if it was starting to annoy her.

”You offering?”

Allan laughed openly at that. Allan A Dale, settling down? Not bloody likely… Or at least not any time soon. He was still young enough to play the field, and he wasn’t going to tie himself down, even to help out a friend. Instead of admitting this, however, he shook his head.

”Come on, now, isn’t the man supposed to propose? Alana stays single till Karl asks her to marry him, and even then you’ll have to ask Daddy Luke and Mummy Will.” Well, both the boys had already made it clear that they were a little uncomfortable with how friendly he’d been getting with Kate (not that he had any intentions of the sort they were thinking about… Or, at least, that wasn’t his main objective, anyway – what was wrong with having a friend who was a girl and it being non-romantic?), so they were officially the parents.

Allan shrugged as she dismissed the Luke idea. ”Just a thought.” He raised an eyebrow, giving her room to elaborate – who wanted her to marry the Scarlett kid? Not her dad, obviously. He chuckled as she enacted a possible scenario where she told her dad – he was sure it would be a bit different.

Allan made it very obvious that he was now eyeing her up, as if judging her and picturing her in the attire of a nun. ”I dunno,” he replied, leering. ”Some people like that sort of thing. Reckon you’d look alright – I know a few blokes who’d probably think it was sexy.” He was determined to make her blush, because he wasn’t sure if he’d done so yet. Plus it was just so much fun to wind her up.

Allan snorted. The camp wasn’t exactly close to anything – it was sort of just off the main road, so they could easily hear passers-by, and closer to the castle than any of the villages so they could make a quick escape. Of course, he wasn’t about to tell her that in detail. He liked her, but Robin would have his neck.

”Hey, maybe he just liked her a lot? Honest, mate, he would do anything for that bird, and I don’t think she always realises it, ” he replied, rolling his eyes at his understatement and feeling a bit uncomfortable talking about Robin’s love life. ”Not being funny, but I come all this way to see you, don’t I? So obviously a man does a lot more than you’d think.”

Er, had he just insinuated he was in love with her?

Oops?

[Kate Miller]

”I’m not drinking ever again.” she stated simple, rubbing her temples slightly. Now she was able to ignore her hang over a little she didn’t feel as bad. The nausea was slowly going away and the fresh water was helping flush her out as well. All in all, now she felt better. ”Take me all you like. I’m sure my family would love that. There eldest daughter getting drunk with an outlaw! If only they knew!”

If only they did, she certainly wouldn’t be in the shape she was now – her lip would probably be re-split – only just having healed from the last week when her father had decided she’d deserve it for answering back. She’d have another bruise on her cheek, and a few more scattered everywhere. Allan wouldn’t be currently making comments about taking her out drinking; he’d be making her tell Luke what her father was like. Will too perhaps. They wouldn’t be talking about her getting away from her father; they would be getting away from her father.

Kate raised her eyebrow. For starters Luke was younger than her. ”So not only are they brothers, but both male and one of them is younger than me, and now they’re my parents or yours, which is even weirder because they are both younger than you. Care to explain that nugget of information?” She guessed it did make a little sense – they were the over bearing ‘you can’t do that’ or Sense Sayers.

Either or, it was none of their business anyway. Apart from Allan being Will’s best friend, and her being his little sister he’d never had. Of course they were being protective, but that didn’t mean she needed protecting – at least not from this particular male.

”Somebody mistook Luke for my ‘betrothed’ last night.” she explained, ”I have nothing against the guy, but he’s seventeen, and like my kid brother. It’s just too weird.”

She attempted at giving him a withering look when he blatantly looked her up and down, but it soon turned to a half smile – I know a few blokes that would probably think it was sexy.”[/i] - a slight reddening of her cheeks. Desired effect, achieved. She couldn’t let him win though – not yet, ”Like you, you mean, Mr I’m-good-with-nuns?” She smiled at him mischievously and let out a small laugh. She was most definitely feeling better.

”Robin and Marian’s story is stuff of legend. He followed her to the Holy Land. I mean that’s not just a case of ‘liking her a lot’.” Oh how she loved the gossips she saw near daily in passing. They had the most interesting stories. Like how Sir Guy’s Man had double crossed him and come back to Robin. She just so happened to start liking that story a lot more than the others.

”Ahh, but you are no man, Alana.” she said quickly raising and lowering her eyebrows. He was the one that had brought it up. ”That or you love me,” she started flippantly, ”But I think you’re more of a woman, so…” She grinned. If there was one thing her week lacked during the time he wasn’t there – it was the banter – the laughs, everything fun.

[Allan A Dale]

”Never?” Now that, Allan did not believe. She might be feeling a bit worse for wear now, but to vow off drinking altogether? That was just absurd! Was she really English, or was she a spy, sent to live amongst the English and figure out the best way to take them down? Of course, that idea was a little silly, but amusing all the same.

And she always got it back to her dad. He was trying to take her mind off of the despicable man, but it didn't seem to be working. Then again, it hadn't last time, either, had it? Maybe he'd thought too soon, though, because she seemed utterly confused by his logic on the basis that the Scarletts were parents to the two of them. ”Well, Will's a girl and Luke just fits, y'know?”

Stretching his legs out in front of him, he added, ”Besides, it ain't no fun if I'm not older than at least one of 'em. I act like a big kid, right? So that's why!” Well, she had asked...

Allan laughed at the thought of people already mistaking the younger Scarlett as her betrothed, but it did prove his point. They would totally get away with it if they tried. He could understand, though, he supposed... Well, no, not really, but he could try, he figured. He just wasn't so good at the entire empathising thing.

Aha! There it was, he embarrased her! Score one to Allan A Dale! He did a little mental jig in celebration before resuming attention to the rest of the world, and pretended to consider Kate's statement. ”Can't say it don't hold a certain appeal, if you know what I'm saying?” In truth, Allan probably wouldn't sleep with a real nun because he'd be damned (even more than he already was). He did know it was possible to find ladies of certain disrepute who would don the garb of the holy order and perform acts that most certainly didn't occur in the church (unless it was behind closed doors, and then it generally involved choirboys more often than the nuns, but that was beside the point). But he wasn't that sort. Usually.

”Legends?” Allan shook his head and laughed a little. ”Not so sure they're gonna make it as far as legends, but I 'spose they might get themselves known about the country. How'd you hear about the Holy Lands, anyway?”

Allan wasn't going to answer that. Mostly because he didn't think saying “I love you” was fair, because he probably didn't – he liked her, yeah, but that was fairly normal. He laughed as, once again, she insinuated he was a woman. Under other circumstances, he might take it as a slight to his masculinity, but as it was, it seemed like it was becoming a running joke between them. It was kinda nice, having an in joke. ”Does this mean next time I'll wait by the well and you'll traipse through the forest to visit me instead?” he asked, fluttering his eyelids.

[Kate Miller]

Well, maybe not ‘never’. Just not for a week or so. Or well tomorrow when I no longer feel like a thousand soldiers are stamping over what remains of my brain.” Although it didn’t quite feel like that now – but she was certain that was because she wasn’t alone – continually thinking about the fact she was in pain and the moment Allan left her to her own devices the pain would return in force – and with back up.

”So both you and Will are now girls, I’m of the male persuasion and Luke’s just Luke.” her brow knitted, it was all too long winded and confusing for her baffled mind to considered properly, ”Because that makes sense!” She finished breezily. She was standing close again now, so she turned and leaned against the wall of the well once again. She kept a bit of distance though – she knew what he was like with her and floors.

She could not believe she was even having this conversation. Sexy nuns? Good lord above, what was the world coming to? ”So if I was wearing a habit and in some nun attire I’d look considerably better then some weirdo who makes better clothing?”

”Robin Hood is already getting himself a pretty big legendary status. And the love story always makes it bigger than the actual truth behind it.” ”Everybody knows about the Holy Lands. Well not the actual truth – just that The Sheriff went away – had Marian with him – they went past on the Great North Road and one of the Washer Women saw them. As much as those people annoy me, they don’t half have some good stories to tell – truth or not. ”And the other bit from Nettlestone – with the Mercenaries. Sir Guy’s Man ordered into the barn – coming out fighting the crowds of gits around it – with Robin. That bits got some truth in it hasn’t it.” it wasn’t a question – it didn’t need to be. The look on his face said it all.

”Is one insinuating that these visits are going to be a common occurrence?” She pushed off the world as she spoke and turned to face him again a few feet away. Raising her eyebrows slightly at the suggestion. ”I wonder what Mummy and Daddy would have to say about that. I can’t imagine they’d like it very much.” she pretended to think about before smirking down at him slightly. She wasn’t on the floor yet – score.

(Jen fails at posting)

[Allan A Dale]

(OOC: Jen does NOT fail at posting! *snuggles*)

"I knew you couldn't resist," Allan laughed as Kate admitted she probably wouldn't not drink forever. Djaq didn't drink, something to do with her religion, and he thought she was absolutely nuts. The alcohol was generally cleaner than the water, which was his excuse for drinking it like it was water. It wasn't a very good one, and not many people bought it, but he tried at least, and it amused a few people.

"All the better for us to gossip about you boys," Allan replied, waving his hand in a feminine fashion and fluttering his eyelashes again. He lifted his hand and pretended to inspect his nail, fully aware of the fact that she seemed to be keeping her distance. What was wrong now? He couldn't possibly smell, she'd drenched him last night so that was just an impossibility. What else could she be trying to avoid? There wasn't any excessive amount of mud on the floor, so it wasn't that either (well, it could be, but he hoped she wasn't that fussy).

So she had to be avoiding him. But why? Inspiration struck him - he'd pulled her to the floor both times he'd met her before. Now why would he go and do that again? The first time was a laugh, he didn't think he'd ever see her again, and the second time was to get Sebastian off their backs. Oh well, if she was going to be funny about it, he was going to do it. At some point. He'd wait till she least expected it.

"I dunno, makes sense to me," he shrugged.

Kate seemed really disturbed by the nun thing. It made him laugh quite heartily. Oh, her face! She seemed really freaked out, he felt a little bit bad but it was so worth it. Trying to calm himself down but still grinning madly, he replied "Naw, I didn't say that did I? Don't put words in me mouth. I was just pointing out that there's some funny gits in the world." And there were.

"Well don't let it get so out of hand that Robin hears about it - we'll never hear the end of it, he's already got a bit of a big head as it is..." He shifted a little as Kate relayed the last part and shrugged, a little moodily. Yeah, he'd done that, so what? If he hadn't left in the first place, they might not have gotten into that mess... But no brooding now. Now was not a broody time.

"They might be, they might be," Allan replied, copying her expression. "Someone has to see how Luke's doing, 'cause you can be sure he's not gonna be left alone, so why not have some fun while we're at it?"

Without warning, he lunged forward and grabbed her skirt, pulling her forward and toppling her over on to his lap.

"What they don't know can't hurt them, eh?" He leered for a moment, scooped her up in his arms, and shifted her to sit beside him on the warm, dirty floor instead. He dropped his head onto her shoulder and closed his eyes. "Now, I'm gonna get some kip, so you just stay right there, alright?" he declared, yawning. "I'm shattered and you make a good pillow."

[Kate Miller]

”Well, I can resist. I just might not want to. You never know.” Besides, if push came to shove she may just need to escape the world – or rather her father. And maybe drinking herself into a complete stupor would be a good way to do that without much in the way of effort – it would cost a bit though – money she didn’t have. It was a good way to make herself feel better about the world, even if it was just for a little while.

She raised her eyebrows, he really was a complete girl, ”You scare me sometimes, you know that?” she laughed. There weren’t many males that she would think would do what he was doing – especially not in the day and age they lived in – men were paid to be manly and if they weren’t they were frowned upon. But hey, if he was Alana, she was Karl – she was the man, it was all so very stupidly confusing.

”Everything weird makes sense to you – like how not washing is good for you.” to be fair, being an outlaw it probably was good for him. Washing meant going to get water and too many times and he may have gotten caught.

Well she didn’t particularly fancy being a nun. If she was she couldn’t have been here having this conversation with him now. It would be frowned upon and she’d be banished to hell. Putting them in your mouth from your brain cell, more like! she thought to herself, simply laughing at the statement he made and shrugging. He could deny it all he wanted, he was the one that said he was ‘good with nuns’. Yes, there were funny gits in the world – he was one of them.

”Coming back and helping isn’t something to be ashamed of, you know!” He didn’t appear to like that she knew that bit of the story. He’d helped – she didn’t know what he’d done or said – but she knew he’d come back and helped the gang out and gone to the Holy Land with them. She didn’t get what was bad about that, maybe he had misunderstood her. Maybe she should learn not to tread on un-chartered territory.

She was standing closer to him again – forgetting completely about his little habit. Luke, right, she nodded. A small smile on her face. ”And this fun would be what exact-“ she was cut off by her own shriek as he pulled her to the floor. How could she have been so off guard?

She scowled and hit him on the arm. Not hard, or intended as such, but she did it all the same. ”Maybe not, but I’m starting to think spending too much time with you will cause me further injury!” if he kept bring her down one day she was going to hit into something that wasn’t him. Especially at the well, there was a big stone wall behind his head.

She wriggled slightly as he lifted her over to his side, into the mud luckily for her it didn’t look like the sort of mud that would get on her clothes too much. Less washing for her. She frowned slightly and looked at him – his features a little fuzzy this close up – now he was abut to sleep on her shoulder? Good pillow or not. She was not about to be slept on. If the wrong person looked the wrong way. That wrong person being her father shaped – she didn’t stand a chance. ”Are you completely insane?” she whispered so not to draw attention by doing what her instincts told her to do and shouting at him for his simple stupidity.

Obviously it wasn’t the most predictable thing in the world – but bearing in mind she had already been gone thirty minutes without word of where she was going if her father did decide he needed to search her out, this was not a position she really wanted to be found in. She prodded him in the arm trying to make him move before rolling her and not bothering any more. He’d move if he wanted.