Little to say, little to do.

[ladymadeline]

[/i][/color] she heard him speak from somewhere next to her. A small smile spread across her face. "Who says I'm not?" "Now, Madeline don't you go playing coy, it'll get you into trouble. Now you hear me - Maddie. Madeline, are you listening to me?" Madeline had leaned over and was patting the horse lightly on the mane, before she looked up and faced her brother again, her eyes seeing nothing, though she could feel the motion around her. "Yes, yes, I know. Just up the road as far as I feel to going and back. Don't let Marienne stray from her path. I know I know. I hear this every time." she said with a slight shake of the head.

She heard her brother give a sigh of exasperation. "Exactly, yes. But please, do hold to that. And put your hood up for goodness sakes. I don't want to get in trouble with anyone at home because you caught a chill, or because I lost you somewhere in Sherwood Forest with all these outlaws murking about."[/color] Madeline sighed slightly, looking down at where her hands would be on the saddle, though she still saw nothing. "Yes, I know. I promise." she said, turning slightly as she felt her brother kiss her lightly on the cheek. She heard him slap her horses behind lightly, and she urged Marienne into a trot. One hand on the reigns, Madeline reached behind her and pulled her dark red hood up over her even darker brown hair.

She hated it when she was being babied by her older brother - yes, she loved him, but it was horrid when she was being told what to do and when to do it - what she could do, and what she couldn't do. It just made her feel... small. And extremely insignificant. She stared blankly ahead of her, seeing nothing, but wishing that perhaps she could. All she could hear around her was birds whistling, and smelling the scent of pine lightly on the breeze.
[/ul][/SIZE]

[Luke Scarlett]

Luke was feeling decidedly sorry for himself, which was not an unusual state of affairs for him to be in. Working with Jake at the farm was still awkward and, even though Emma was recovering well, he could not shake the guilt that had settled over him. Life was not much better at Kate's home as he'd failed, yet again, to collect the money Jake owed him. Kate's father had said he wouldn't leach off their food any longer. So he'd missed dinner last night, breakfast that morning and it was almost lunchtime so he was getting decidedly hungry.

He knew Kate would probably put something aside for him, just a few scraps, but it would be enough to keep him going until he stopped bumbling about and actually asked Jake to pay him. Instead of heading over to the farm straight away though he decided to wallow in his misery a little longer. He had not seen his brother in a while and so the forest seemed the perfect place to carry out his brooding. It wasn't like he expected to bump into Will, or any of the other outlaws for that matter, they couldn't be expected to cover every inch of the forest all the time, but the chance was always there.

Luke shoved his hands deep into his trouser pockets and kicked up a couple of leaves on the path, watching the way they turned over in the air before settling back on the ground looking as though they'd never been moved. He looked up, surprised to hear the sound of hooves on the compacted earth and even more shocked when the rider of the horse turned out to be a noble. It was rare for nobility to venture into the forest these days and even more unusual to see them without an entourage of guards.

He backed up nervously a few steps, still not quite over his fear of horses (and cows, despite milking them daily at the farm), and only stopped when his back collided with a tree. Luke quickly rearranged his feet, a twig snapping loudly underfoot and echoing through the trees, so that he looked more like he was leaning nonchalantly rather than retreating in terror. "It's not safe in the forest for nobles you know." He informed the young woman, there was barely a waver in his voice at all.

[ladymadeline]

[/i] she heard someone speak somewhere over to her left. Still looking down, Madeline’s face remained blank hidden behind the fabric of her hood, though she was somewhat surprised: she knew that there were stories of outlaws in the forest, but she hadn’t expected to encounter anyone, outlaw or no, within Sherwood.

After a brief pause, Madeline reached up and pulled back her hood, her dark hair contrasting against the red that had been there moments ago. She turned to face the voice, though her eyes were strangely blank, and though were facing the general direction of the voice, they searched as if she could not see him. ”Perhaps. But I should think that this forest should not be safe for anyone who carried any amount of valuables, whether they be noble or not.” she asserted gently, her eyes still searching.
[/ul][/size]

[Luke Scarlett]

The noble slowed her horse, pulling slightly on the reigns with practiced ease that had the smallest flicker of envy burning in Luke's stomach. He'd love to be able to ride like that, like it was the most natural thing in the world, but he didn't think Will would be teaching him any time soon and of course there was the small matter of being afraid of the great hulking beasts. She came to a stop a few feet away, thankfully not too close or Luke probably would have gone bolting into the forest. He really didn't like the idea of being trampled to death by a horse.

The girl, for now that she was closer Luke could see that she couldn't be that much older than him, in fact she could quite easily be younger, had shown no indication of seeing him on the path as she approached. When he spoke, however, she turned her face towards him, but her gaze did not meet his, instead it seemed to slip past him to focus absently on a point just above his right ear. For one paranoid moment he thought there might be a bug crawling across the tree making a beeline for his ear (and that would be unpleasant to be sure), but when he hastily checked there was no insect in sight.

"That's not true!" He defended, perhaps a little too quickly. It would not do to reveal to a noble that he sympathised with the outlaws, although he knew that the Sheriff and his men were not foolish enough to think that the peasants were supporting anybody else. He cleared his throat a embarrassed, a pink tint glowing on his cheeks. "I mean to say there is little chance of a person like me having anything of value to the outlaws around here." He corrected a little lamely. "And they never take more than the nobility can afford." Luke added under his breath.

[ladymadeline]

[/i] She heard him protest, and could not quite help but allow a small smile to flicker across her face warily. Yes it was, whether anyone liked it or not. "I mean to say there is little chance of a person like me having anything of value to the outlaws around here." This is when a look of confusion crossed over Madeline’s face. ”… Sir, I could not even begin to guess at something that I cannot see – you could be one of the sheriff’s men, for all I know, or even an outlaw yourself. I’m blind.” she commented, sounded somewhat dry about this, and looking away from him for a moment, if only not to allow anyone to see that she actually disliked her condition – she tried not to let on about it.

"And they never take more than the nobility can afford." Madeline swung her other leg over the side of the saddle, making it look as though she were to ride side-saddle, though she was really just sitting there. ”Perhaps. I never claimed any harsh feelings towards the Outlaws, sir. I simply claimed that you needn’t be noble to be robbed.” she said with a shake of the head. ”I come only to ride. Should I be attacked by any outlaws, I would gladly give them what I have. I thank you for your… well, I don’t know if concern is the right word.” she admitted, folding her hands in her lap.
[/ul][/size]

^{[[Yeuck, suckish]]}

[Luke Scarlett]

Luke's eyes widened in surprise as the noble explained that she was blind; it made sense and went a long way in helping him to understand why her gaze never quite settled in the right spot. "You can't see anything?" He asked, not for one minute thinking that such a question could be considered impertinent. More out of curiosity than anything else he lifted his hand and gave it a little wave; sure enough her gaze did not follow the movement in the slightest. He instantly felt guilty, and slightly foolish, for the movement and quickly allowed his hand to drop back to his side.

"Well, I'm no Sheriff's man." Luke informed her, unable to keep the disgust at the thought out of his voice and off his face, which twisted into an ugly scowl. "And you'll just have to take me at my word that I'm not an outlaw either, I certainly don't intend to rob you." He had to wonder briefly how this had become an interrogation of his honour, he had as much right to be on the forest path as she did. "I'm just a humble peasant, my lady. So you can stop calling me 'Sir' an' all."

Luke was feeling in a dangerous mood, which was perhaps why he didn't censor his next words even though this noble would only have to report him and he'd be hanging. "The outlaws of this forest are far fairer than any Noble of Nottingham will ever be." He was being defensive and no doubt foolish, but it seemed all too easy to rile him up these days. All his anger was flattened as she thanked him wryly. "Sorry," He murmured, again feeling foolish, he was making a right mess of this encounter.

[ladymadeline]

[/i] Madeline blushed a deep red in color and looked to her left again – she couldn’t see him, but as she was the only other one in the forest, she was nearly positive that he was looking at her. She didn’t like being blind. It made her feel left out. And that was the honest truth about it, but of course, she would never say something such as that unless the person she was talking to she trusted absolutely completely. There were times where she had to fight back tears, which, as of now, she was doing her absolute best to do. After a pause, she looked at her lap, then back up at him. ”No…. No, I can’t.” she agreed.

”Well, I’m no Sheriff’s man.” Madeline shrugged. ”If I honestly had thought you were a Sheriff’s man, would I be talking to you right now?” she asked rhetorically, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. ”And you’ll just have to take me at my word that I’m not an outlaw either, I certainly don’t intend to rob you.” Madeline gave another small smile. ”I figured that. For you would have already. And considering that you have not yet moved from the spot in which you were first standing since I had arrived, I can say that it’s safe to rule that out.” she admitted.

"I'm just a humble peasant, my lady. So you can stop calling me 'Sir' an' all." Madeline raised an eyebrow. ”I…. as you wish.” she said, changing her mind halfway through speaking.

"The outlaws of this forest are far fairer than any Noble of Nottingham will ever be." A frown spread across her face. ”Again, sir, I am blind. I do not see what is around me. Therefore I do not see things such as ranks, or anything that is to be put to it to differentiate nobility from the working class – anything other than money? Or titles? What is a title? Something given to you by the ruler of a monarchy, and to me, that is still a nobody. You are as much a sir as I am a lady. We’re all the same. Some just happen to be more cruel and tyrannical than others. While others have better intentions – it is not the difference between outlaw or noble, sir. It is the difference between the people. Not their titles.” she said rapidly, before blushing again and looking away. ”Sorry.” she bit her lip. ”Me to. I’m sorry.” she admitted. She could apologize much easier than most nobles.
[/ul][/size]

[Luke Scarlett]

Anybody with half an ounce of sense could see that asking her so bluntly about her sight, or lack thereof, had been a bad idea. The young noble looked for a moment as if she was on the brink of tears and Luke felt bad that he had upset her. He hadn't meant to be so rude, her admission had just caught him off guard and he had no prior experience when it came to the blind and how to act around them. He would have to keep in mind that asking stupid, insensitive questions was not something he should be doing. It was a lesson Luke should probably apply to other areas of his life. "Sorry, I didn't mean to pry." He bumbled awkwardly through the apology, blushing just as fiercely as the noble.

Somehow she seemed to have the knack for making Luke feel stupid, of course she didn't expect him to rob her, she would hardly have stopped to have a chat if she thought that. In truth he probably would normally have moved a little closer, the rough bark of the tree was starting to dig into his back as well, but stepping away from the tree meant stepping closer to the horse which was not something Luke was planning any time soon. A sudden movement on his part could spook the beast or something and Luke was rather fond of his torso without hoof prints.

Luke was a little startled when the noble launched into a speech effectively reprimanding him for making judgements based on title. She was right, of course, what mattered was the people behind the title not the title itself, which Robin had proven when he gave up his lands to help the peasants of Nottingham. But Luke had spent his whole life being reminded that he would never get anywhere without money and title and in times like this it was difficult to find the line between the rich and the villainous.

"It must be easy," He started hotly, forgetting his fear and pushing away from the tree to come over. "To set aside money and title when you can take them for granted." His accusation was clear; he thought she was a spoilt little noble with delusions of treating the peasantry fairly. Luke crossed his arms and glared up at her, riled up but not enough that he wasn't softened a little by her apology. Again this young noble had managed to surprise him; he was completely thrown off guard.

[ladymadeline]

[/i] girl. And she hated that. "Sorry, I didn't mean to pry." She couldn’t quite keep the blush off of her face, not in that situation. “It’s alright… I’m used to it by now – should be after sixteen years.” she said with a slight sigh.

She was used to it by now. People treated her like that all the time – each different in their own way. They either pitied her, or they were relentlessly blunt with questions about what it was like – if they wanted to know so badly, she would gladly trade her blindness for their ability to see. It was the most… well, not annoying. She could say it was annoying. She could say it made her mad. All it really made her want to do was lock herself in her room, cry and never come out, if only to avoid people poking and prodding her when it came to the subject of her site.

"It must be easy," she heard him begin. "To set aside money and title when you can take them for granted." A look of annoyance crossed her face. ”I take neither for granted, one. And two, the only reason I have either is because I was born to privilege. And with that privilege comes… specific obligations. However, I resume my point that those obligations differ from person to person – I have both my title and my money only because of my father. It is not mine. It will never be mine. I am a trophy on a shelf to be awarded to the highest bidder, and while that may allow me to live in comfort, it will never make any difference for me to have my opinions heard or acted on. I am sorry if I seem outspoken. But I think you have judged me too harshly.” she said softly – her voice held no anger, but it was quiet and gentle – still, the importance could be heard.

As carefully as she could, Madeline slid off of her horse and onto the ground, her slippers making soft padding noises as they hit the ground. ”And I would happily and gladly trade both money and title for your sight.” she added gently.
[/ul][/size]

[Luke Scarlett]

"I’m used to it by now – should be after sixteen years.” Despite her insistence Luke wasn't entirely convinced. As far as he knew nearly crying and being fine didn't really go together all that well, in fact he'd go so far as to say they almost never occurred at the same time. He didn't push it though, because he'd already put his foot in it with an inappropriate question once and he was relatively certain that anything else he said on the matter would end up sounding equally insensitive. Will would have known what to say, his brother always knew how to deal with everything.

"I'd happily pay those obligations if it meant a proper meal every night." He grumbled, still annoyed enough that he hadn't backed away from the horse in fear yet. Luke was thinking with his stomach, which was probably a bad move but unavoidable when he'd skipped so many meals recently. He felt a little foolish arguing with a noble, her education alone gave her an advantage over him. He didn't understand all the words she was using, but at least he had a general idea.

"And I would happily and gladly trade both money and title for your sight.” That shut him right up and he lowered his gaze for a moment embarrassed then remembered that she wouldn't be able to see it anyway. "Well," Luke said awkwardly after a moments hesitation. "I guess we both want for something then." He allowed his shoulders to slump and with the loss of tension came the predictable return of fear about her horse. He knew it was irrational, especially since the horse was being perfectly well behaved and had bent it's head to chew absently on a patch of grass not littered with leaves or trampled into the path.

[ladymadeline]

[/i] Madeline sighed. "You would allow for someone to marry you off at age sixteen, to someone that you've never met, and that is probably about thirty years older than you? Well, you might do it, but trust me, you wouldn't do it happily. There are some obligations I would rather swing into the nearest river and watch drown." she said, folding her arms and leaning back slightly against the side of her horse - obviously also a touchy matter. She had heard her parents discussing it, but she wasn't sure if they had made any desicions yet.

"Well, I guess we both want for something then." She heard him speak. She looked at the ground for a moment, then nodded. "I guess so." she agreed. Not that there was anything that either one of them could do about it exactly. Even if they did want to.[/size][/ul]

[Luke Scarlett]

Luke felt rather like he was being told off by this young noble. Which, he thought grumpily, was rather bratty of her. She looked to be around the same age as him and as far as he was concerned the nobles had it easy; they had food and comfort and they didn't get hung nearly so often by the Sheriff. So what if she had to marry some stuffy old lord, it seemed a small price to pay to him. But then Luke would never really understand what it was like, he was an outsider looking in, a biased one at that.

He had never really considered marriage in any great detail before. He took a step back from the horse a little gingerly and cocked his head to one side thoughtfully. Of course he wanted to get married... some day. It hardly seemed important, there was so much going on what with the outlaws and working at the farm with Jake. Both of those were more of a priority for him at the moment than trying to find a woman that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. He had no idea how to talk to girls anyway, as this conversation proved without a doubt. It wasn't like he really had a motherly figure he could ask about these things and talking to Will about it was an embarrassment he wanted to avoid.

However, even having reached this conclusion, Luke was still stubborn by nature and he was unwilling to concede the point just yet. Yes the life of a noble wasn't all roses and sunshine all the time, but it was easier than being a peasant. "For some grub I'd marry an old biddy and do it with a smile." He contradicted defiantly, the argument was rather circular and neither of them seemed willing to give up. He didn't think he was doing very well holding his own either, she was confusing him with her long sentences and flashy words. It was much easier to bicker with Will or Allan, they spoke in ways he understood.

"So," He piped up, suddenly remembering the few manners he'd had drilled into him by his mother had gone right out the window. "I'm Luke, what's your name?" He was going to stick his hand out to shake but it wasn't like he could without getting closer to the horse. Plus he wasn't sure how she would see the gesture, so he would have to grab her hand and that might scare her. Despite her precarious balance sideways on the horse (seriously how did ladies ride side-saddle it didn't seem natural) she seemed to be in control of it and so frightening her might spook it in turn.