Robin Hood and Merida
Somewhere in the woods of Camelot
Robin crouched low to the ground, stalking through the woods. He had left Aussigris back at his small camp, he couldn't let the horse spook and ruin tonight's dinner. They had sent a deer running not to long ago and Robin had every intention of tracking it down for dinner. However, along that trail he was tracking came some bigger game. His head turned quickly at the sound of a far larger snap. Too big for a person... So, it seemed like dinner might last his entire stay in Camelot. Then again, who really knew how long he was staying. He heard that the Pendragon fortune was quite large, it might take some time to properly uproot, at least, without getting chased out of town.
Hearing the breaking of twigs growing closer, Robin climbed his way up into a tree, not wanting to be too close to whatever creature came his way. Leaning against the tree trunk, he pulled an
arrow from his quiver and nocked it. He saw the creature pushing through the brush, a giant bear. His mouth twitched a little, bear meat smelt something cruel if it wasn't done right.... Robin had yet to perfect it but there was certainly enough meat on that bear to try. Pulling the string back, he felt the fletching brush up against his cheek as he took aim. The sun peered through the leaves, illuminating the world around them but he didn't mind, the bear had no idea he was there.
The sharp pain that suddenly spread through his arm was one that was all too familiar. He grunted slightly, it certainly wasn't the worst blow he had suffered thanks to an arrow. It had, however, caused his arrow to fly completely off course and going sailing into a tree trunk. He cursed and threw his bow over his shoulder before jumping down into the brush below, he had no interest in being in an open space if someone was so keen to shoot him.
"It's no fun when you're the one being hunted, is it..?"Narrowing her greyish-blue eyes slightly, Merida held the bow tight, the fletching pressed up gently against her cheek as she stepped out from the shadows, the piercing metal of the arrowhead aimed fast and squarely at the base of the back of his neck- so this was where Mordu had roamed off to... of course that big lug had managed to walk right into a dangerous situation without even knowing it...
"I suggest you leave well enough alone- get on your way before I give you another wound that'll match the one you have on your arm." Pressing the tip of the arrowhead against his bare flesh as though to prove her point, she took a single step closer to him, her gaze flicking over to make sure that her beloved childhood pet was well and unharmed before she turned her attention back over to the man who had almost slaughtered him,
"The choice is yours- but you only get three seconds to make it...""Three seconds?"Feeling the cool metal tip of the arrow head he reached round himself and grabbed it before yanking it out of her hand. He held the weapon in his hand and spun it around his fingers and smirked,
"Long range weapons don't do too well up close," his French accent draped his words eloquently as he turned to look at her.
Robin dropped the arrow to the ground before ripping the first from his arm and allowing it to join the second. He smirked,
"My apologies, where I am from bear are food and threats... not pets."Blood started to run down his hand, dripping off of his fingers,
"Some of us do not have the luxury of not hunting and if you do... Well, you can't blame me for thinking your pet was prey."This woman... She was interesting. Her aim, her anger, her attire...
Lowering her bow slightly, Merida quickly took a couple of steps back from him as he turned to face her completely, her now free hand slipping back and over her shoulder, threatening to grab hold of another one of her arrows in case he chose to do something that he was going to regret,
"Mordu has done nothing to you; yet you still choose to hunt him down. Seems a fair fight to me... even if he wasn't in my care, bears are a sacred animal; one that should be respected."Seemingly satisfied that he wasn't going to be doing anything against her, or her beloved pet bear, Merida lowered her arms back down to her sides, her shoulders physically relaxing before she turned and wandered past him, her hips swinging lightly from side to side and in time with her step as she made her way over to the creature, her touch soft... loving as she reached out, her body crouching down beside it as she began to run her fingers gently through its fur, her Scottish accent clear as she spoke out again.
"Had you hurt him... I give you my word you would have suffered more than just an arrow through the arm.""He may be sacred animal to you... but all I see dinner. But I'll respect that this one is your pet and I won't hurt him," Robin said, lifting his hands in mock defeat. He kept watching the woman as she walked to the bear. Interesting that the bear was calm with her... There was a bond there and although he wouldn't admit it to her, he was glad she had stopped him from breaking it. At the mention of making him suffer, Robin couldn't help but laugh,
"I believe you... But then again, I could list many people who like to make me suffer more than an arrow to the arm... and yet here I stand."He looked down at his bleeding arm and sighed, it would kill to flex that muscle which meant that he wouldn't be able to hunt. Which meant that he would be going to hungry. Unless... Robin pursed his lips and smiled,
"You know, as much as you were protecting your bear. You have injured me in a way that I can no longer get food... I believe that it would only be fair that after you have robbed of any meal tonight, that you provide me one."Turning her head back so that she was able to look at the man from over her shoulder, Merida narrowed her eyes slightly- as much as she hated to admit it... he was right... Sacred or not; she had robbed him of a meal, and any chance of hunting one down now that she had taken away his shooting arm... the only decent thing left to do was provide one for him.
"..then I hope you have a liking for fish..."Standing herself up straight, she slipped her bow over her shoulder, keeping her gaze locked on him for a few moments longer before eventually, she gave her back to him once more, her fingers lifting up and slipping between her lips so that she could let out a quick, loud and rather sharp whistle, the sound gaining not only the attention of the bear but also a large steed as it came galloping out of the tree line and over to her side from somewhere not too far away,
"Mordu... Angus... we're setting camp..."Robin was slightly shocked with how quickly it was that she had agreed to actually providing him with dinner. Of course, he had said it all with the utmost confidence but he had never expected it to actually pan out for him. He rose his own finger to his mouth, letting out a rather high pitched whistle three times before lowering his hand and wiping it off on his jacket,
"I haven't a problem with fish. Can't complain when you'll go hungry otherwise."The sound of hooves drumming against the dirt filled the air as Aussigris joined the party. He walked over to his horse and patted his back before reaching into one of the saddle bags and pulling out a length of cloth. Put a piece in his mouth, he managed it rip it quite nicely. It should be enough for his arm. Before he made his way back, he removed his coat and tossed it over the saddle bag. He made his way back toward the woman and took a seat on a stump before fumbling a little to wrap the bandage around his forearm.
Reaching her hand out, Merida took a few moments to run her fingers through Mordu's long and soft fur, her nails lightly scratching before she used her free hand to motion towards the river opening up in front of them, the action causing the bear to run off ahead of the group, the water splashing underneath his paws as he got to work looking about for fish beneath the surface, swimming among the rocks.
Satisfied with what was going on, Merida turned her attention back over to the man she had been threatening not moments earlier with an arrow, her soft pink lips parting ever so slightly as she watched him struggling to wrap the wound she had been the one to inflict upon him- the outcome of the situation was her fault... though they both knew he had brought it upon himself with his actions...
Tearing her gaze away from him for a few moments of thought, her eyes closing and a gentle sigh falling out through her lips before she crossed over to where he was sitting, her body crouching down and her legs folding up underneath her as she knelt down in front of him, her touch soft... gentle as she reached out, taking the makeshift bandage from him so that she could wrap up the wound she had inflicted upon him,
"..here; let me..."Robin watched her as she removed the cloth from his hands and began to wrap it,
"The forearm is tricky with one hand," He commented before relaxing a little, allowing her to do the work for him.
He looked around them as she worked to bandage him up. This was a bit of an odd scenario. She had just moments before been telling she would most likely kill him if he didn't leave. She was an odd one. He cleared his throat and looked at her,
"I was not expecting your accent from those in Camelot. From those that I have met, you sound very different. So, I am not wrong in assuming that you are not originally from here?""..you would be correct in your assumption... I hail from across the seas- from the Kingdom of Dun Broch..."Pausing for a few moments of silence, Merida let her gaze flick up to meet with his for only a moment before she returned her attention back down to his arm, her touch remaining soft as she continued to wrap the material firmly though gently around the wound,
"I-... I come to Camelot on business..."Robin looked at her and squinted slightly, he couldn't really think of any occupation that would require a bear. So, he was mainly just left confused by the whole thing. Especially her. He merely nodded his head though to the comment. He continued to watch her as she stared at his arm and waited until he was all bandaged up to speak again.
"You are quite skilled with a bow... At least from that shot," He ran his hand gentle over the hidden wound,
"When did you learn?"Merida remained silent, her eyes focussed upon what she was doing before finally, she was finished, her hands returning back to her sides as she lifted herself once more to her feet, turning herself around so that she could make her way down to the water's edge before she crouched down, washing away his crimson blood that stained her hands as she helped.
"..when I was young; my father taught me to use a bow. Unlike my mother, he always encouraged me to do whatever it was that I wanted to do... even if it meant I wasn't like the other girls around me...""I wish my father had been more like that with my sister. She is strong now because someone saw it in her. But I believe she holds loyalty to the wrong people because of it..." Robin lowered his head little. It was true, he might not have seen Belle in quite sometime but he had heard whispers of her. The people wanted him to sneak into the castle and steal from the King and in turn his own sister and he didn't know what to do about it. He had thought to get in contact with her, to tell her what had happened to him and get her out before he robbed Gaston blind... But right now, she had made something of herself and he was at a crossroads with what to do. Which was why he had headed toward Camelot, promising his people bigger rewards from the Pendragon fortune.
He had a sister..?
Frowning slightly at the new information, she kept her head down, watching as the blood trailed off and became diluted by the waters running away from where they were situated on the bank- so he had a sister; it was more than obvious by the tone of his voice that he missed her, but then she wasn’t going to press for more than what he had already told her.
“Loyalty…” Scoffing slightly at the word, Merida kicked herself back into gear, pulling her hands back into her body and wiping them dry on the fur she wore before she stood herself back up, keeping her back facing him as her attention was drawn over to where Mordu stood pawing at the fish in the river,
“..that’s what got me into this mess in the first place.”Robin looked at the woman for a long moment, trying to assess the situation. There was the question of choosing to prod and see if he couldn't find out a little more about her or if this was something better left as a passing comment. He began to play a little with the bandage in silence, waiting to see if she might add more. When she eventually didn't, he decided to ask. After all, she seemed to want to talk about it... maybe.
He cleared his throat,
"And that mess, would have something to do with your business here?"Pulling herself back to the present as his voice once more hit her ears, Merida turned her head so that she was able to look back at him from over her shoulder, her eyes meeting and lingering on his own for what felt like a lifetime before eventually, she nodded her head lightly in response to what he had asked her.
“..yes…”Whelp... Her business here was clearly wasn't something she was interested in talking about. Which he supposed was fine, gave him more reason not to talk about his own intentions in Camelot. He stood and wandered over to her before he crouched next to the stream, rinsing his own hands of blood and dirt before looking at her and smiling,
"I see."He straightened a looked at her,
"Well, is there anything that I can do to help?"“..you want to help..? Then help me to change my fate; it’s the only thing in this God forsaken world that I want…”Sighing softly, she kept her gaze on the brown bear as he continued to fish, a small pile of them building up on the bank not too far from where the both of them were stood at the water’s edge, her arms both coming up to cross over her chest as she shook her head, causing her long and messy bright red locks to bounce back and forth over her back and shoulders,
“..but then we can’t always get what we want now, can we…”Robin pursed his lips while he looked at her,
"Well... I meant with dinner... but um... I'm not too sure about the fate thing. I'm not too sure that I believe too much in fate. You create your own with the choices you make."He thought for a moment about her final words and smirked,
"Maybe... But that's what makes the world interesting. Fighting for what we want."She fell silent, her eyes lingering on his for a few moments longer before she tore her gaze away, allowing it to instead once more come to a rest upon the water in front of her- they chose their own destiny..? Gods, how she wanted to believe that. No matter how hard she tried, no matter how many times she spoke to her mother about what it was she actually wanted, it never helped… nothing was ever going to change the arrangements that had been made.
“I fight with my mother almost every day, but it doesn’t help. Things aren’t going to change, and I just-… I don’t know what to do from here to make it change.”"Well, avoiding a fight is simple... Don't fight. It's an active choice... it's a hard choice but it is a choice. If you think about how you fight... with raised voices, for example, and avoid those circumstances or try to resolve things in a calm manner... You'll find far more even ground than you would with a shouting match," Robin stared out to the forest on the other side of the river and sighed,
"A lot of people feel they can't change their fates because they don't try. Because it is hard and allowing things to remain as they are is easiest..."Robin stuffed his hands into his pockets and pulled his gaze from the trees to look at her,
"But back to helping with dinner."She fell silent, her head turning and her eyes once more meeting with his for a few moments as she thought over his words- she should change the way she was fighting..? Her mother and her argued like night and day… each of them forcing their point by yelling their opinions, but whether or not the message got through was more than obvious by the current result. Her mother was winning the battle; and if she wanted a chance to follow her own path, then she had to change her approach, and win the war.
“..enough, Mordu… Come on; we can split the work. You can clean them; I’ll get a fire started.”"Sounds good to me," Robin said before following her back to where they had left the horses.
Sometime later, when the food was done, they both sat next to each other enjoying the warmth of the fire. He turned his head and looked at her. He enjoyed her company, she wasn't like the women he had met. Not so much by the way she held herself or acted as that differed with every person... But there was something, something that drew him in. He chuckled,
"To think an hour or so ago... You were yelling at me after shooting me in the arm... And now. I seem to have cast quite the spell on you," he teased.
“..do not flatter yourself; though I shall admit, your company is welcomed compared to that which I would have found myself in should I have continued on my journey…”Curling her body over slightly, she reached down to pick up the large stick that lay by her feet, using the end of it to poke at the flames, causing them to flair and for embers to spark and travel over the soft breeze before disappearing completely,
“..do not get me wrong; the company is enjoyable enough, however the expectations lain out… I can’t stand the restrictions, and in my life, there are many…”Robin looked at her as he leant forward, resting his arms on his legs,
"You know... You seem to talk a lot about the difficult things in your life.... but I don't really see you taking much control over your life. This company of yours seems to be in charge or fate is... I really think you ought to start making more decisions for yourself."He smiled, nudging her gently with his elbow,
"You are a incredibly strong woman, I can tell you that without even really knowing you... It is an admirable thing in someone. Deep down you are a leader... but leaders are never really good followers and maybe that is why you struggle with your mother and your fate... You are trying to follow a path when you should be forging your own."“Things… are not as simple as that.”Unable to help the small smile that crossed over her lips, she shook her head lightly, taking a few moments to herself before she met with his eyes, her own body leaning forward so that she was able to rest her elbows over her bare knees,
“But enough of such talk. You think me strong..? There are far more out there who are stronger than I am… though I thank you; you flatter me.”Robin chuckled at her comment and shook his head,
"In some ways, maybe, but here," he pointed to his chest as he leaned in close, his voice lowering to a near whisper,
"I don't think there are many... There is something about you... Something that demands attention in the best of ways... Something that draws you in. Your fire and desire to be something people don't expect... It is very..."Robin's words fell short as he stared at her, in their close proximity. He sat there a moment before gathering his words again.
"I... want to kiss you... and I have no clue why. I don't know you... I might never see you again... but I do..."He wanted to-... Wait, what..?
Frowning in confusion at his sudden confession, Merida’s soft pink lips parted ever so slightly from one another, her eyes drawn… fixated upon his own and no matter how much she tried, she just couldn’t seem to tear them away from him. What was it about this guy..? No more than an hour ago, she had been threatening his life- shooting him fast in the arm with an arrow, and causing damage that would take more than a day’s time to heal properly; and now…
Her breath seemed to waver, her heart picking up the pace of its beating as the close proximity of the both of them finally began to dawn over her- when had they gotten this close..?
Why had they gotten this close… She wasn’t quite sure whether or not she cared…
Hesitating a few moments, she shifted slightly over the trunk of the tree they were sat on, her arm once more lowering back down to her side and after a few moments, the long stick she had been using to poke the flames fell back down to the ground at her feet. They were never going to meet again… each of them had business they had to see to in Camelot; but she had major doubt that anything he had to do would take him anywhere near her, or those she knew…
“..okay…”Robin looked her in the eye as she stared at him. He wasn’t exactly sure where the confession came from or why… The words had just spilled out of his mouth and once they were gone, he had no way of taking them back. She didn’t seem to mind though… Which he had to admit, surprised him a little. He smirked at her simple answer before leaning a little closer, one hand coming up to hold the back of her neck,
“There’s a spell, I swear,” he teased before he gently pressed his lips to her’s.
“..I wield no magic… you have my word…”Her voice trailed off as she felt his lips pressing against her own, her heart seemingly unable to make up its mind as it slowed… skipping a single beat before beginning to race once more; the pounding of it against her ribcage loud and fast, and by the Gods she was more than sure that he was going to hear each and every single ‘thump’.
Turning her body just that little bit more, she lifted her hand up from her side, her touch soft… light as she pressed her palm gently against his chest, holding it there for only a few moments before she slid it up, her fingers curling ever so slightly as she allowed it to settle upon his collarbone and shoulder as she pressed her lips back against his, her own lips soft… gentle… and for some reason, wanting more as she kept them against the warmth of his own.
Robin wrapped his other arm around her waist and pulled her in closer to his body, leaving no space between them. Now, Robin hadn’t exactly been practicing any form of abstinence for sometime but there was something about this girl, not in the way she kissed, rather in the way he felt when he kissed her. It was something different… He just wasn’t sure why.
