[M] The Continued Adventures of Little John and the Siblings Balloch-Chapter Two

[The Lifted Lorax]

[Rated M for sexuality, drinking, violence, blood, general adventuring, poor grammar from the characters, and just in case]

[Chapter 1 Part 1 (http://role-player.net/forum/showthread.php?t=33885) (RP owned by Lox) Chapter 1 Part 2 (http://role-player.net/forum/showthread.php?t=34510) (RP owned by Charvi and Evelyn)]

Fenny ran from the house, past the hops, through the barley field toward her husband. Little John closed the gap between them and put his hands on her arms, but it wasn't quite enough to steady her. Fenny's breath came hard from running and her mouth worked as she tried to form words. She held the closed box in one shaking hand.

"I...I dunno who left et...er why...er wha' they wan'..." She shook her head and panted for breath more. "An' there's a note...I canna read et..."

Fenny opened the box and showed its contents to her husband.

The note on the inside of the lid she couldn't read, but the "gift" made the message loud and clear. In the box was an index finger, eaten down to bone now, and a large ring (http://image0-rubylane.s3.amazonaws.com/shops/pastsplendors/179RP.1L.jpg?63) hanging on it which even after a year and a half Fenny recognized as having belonged to the man who'd drunk too much brambleberry wine.

[EvelynWillows]

Little John recoiled from the box. Memories flooded back of the sheer terror and rage he had felt when he saw the men holding Fenny on the ground. He could see the arc of blood off Hamish's sword when he cut off the brute's arm. The taste of iron in his own mouth. He took the box with trembling hands and examined the lid, trying to read the thin words on the inside.

He took a shuddering breath.

"Do you hang or be pardoned? I will contact you. ~R"

John looked at his wife. "Who? Would could that be?" He regretted telling the elders of his crime. He regretted telling anyone. "Whoever knows of this is threatening to tell Sheriff Rainault." His face grew pale and cold at the thought of leaving Fenny a widow. Robert de Rainault was a cruel man; known to jail entire families for unpaid taxes, and for having men flogged for speaking ill against the king's brother. He wasn't a man whose attention you wanted to attract.

He closed the box and wrapped it with his kerchief. "We need to find Hamish. I don't want you alone at home until we find out what this is about." The thought that someone dropped this off at their house terrified him. Loosing Fenny would be the death of him.

[The Lifted Lorax]

Hang?? Fenny's blood ran cold at the word. But the mysterious messenger had given them another option, to be pardoned. Was it to be blackmail, then? They had nothing of use to anybody else. And she had no idea who this mysterious R might be.

"H...How d'we ken et's no' Rainault hesself? There's two R's en hes name." Fenny kept a hold of John's arm but still couldn't hide her shaking. "How could anehone ken?"

The sheriff would hang her husband and brother, possibly even her, in a heartbeat or sooner. The afternoon sun had been warming the chilly September air, but suddenly it felt as though a December night had fallen. She nodded when Little John said he didn't want her home alone anymore. A year and a half ago she'd have called him some name and insisted that Lilith was all she needed. Now, however, she'd grown a little less headstrong when it came to Little John and saw the wisdom and safety in numbers.

"Hamish!" Fenny was suddenly struck with a panic. He was alone, at least supposedly, by the bee hives and was vulnerable to any sort of attack from behind. She grabbed John's hand and started to run. "The elders," she called over her shoulder, not slowing. "We godda tell 'em, John. They kin protect us."

[EvelynWillows]

Little John ran with Fenny to where the hives were being kept this season; near the meadow's edge, where the stream entered the forest. He was afraid that they'd find Hamish missing, or dead. Horrible images of what could have happened to him flashed through the big man's mind.

"But Fenny! No one knew aboot et, 'til we told the elders, and now someone knows who's threat'nin us. Maybe one o' the elders let slip, an' that's why we're in danger." He didn't think that any of them would have purposely endangered the Schnells or Hamish, but a bit of ale or a word misspoke in public, and that would be all it took to sign their death warrants. He hated the thought of hiding something from them, especially after being asked to take Friar Braun's place next year, but he was also terrified of Fenny being implemented in a crime she didn't commit.

As they came round the last clump of hop vines they spotted three people at the hives. Hamish was there with his Adelaide, and there hanging around them was Will Scarlet.

John slowed his pace. "Well, at least he's okay," he grumbled. "I don't know, Fen. I'm not sure I'd trust the elders to know at this point. I'm certain I don' trust Will."

[The Lifted Lorax]

Fenny slowed her pace as well, extremely relieved to see Hamish alive and well. She was breathing heavily and tried to steady it before they reached the hives. She was paranoid about one of these days choking on a bee.

"He woulna do tha'," Fenny said, shaking her head. "'E's stubborn and dunno when ta quet, bu' he woulna do tha' leastwise not ta me. Sides, he dunno how ta write." She understood Little John's mistrust of Will and couldn't blame him. Growing up he'd been her closest confidante, but after his actions at the wedding and when they'd visited her old home, she wasn't entirely certain she trusted him, either. Certainly not with this.

As they approached, Fenny quickened her pace and made Hamish stagger sideways with the force of her hug. After the initial surprise, he hugged her back and looked up to his brother-in-law with a confused expression.

"Sorry Adelaide, bu' I gotta borrow me brother jus' fer a mo'," Frau Schnell said with a smile to the blonde before turning a stern look to Will Scarlet. "Behave yerself, Wellyem," she cautioned before pulling her brother away by the arm to where they were out of earshot.

"Wha's thess all aboot, hey?" Hamish looked concerned. This wasn't like her. Fenny took the box from her husband and unwrapped it.

"Go' a wedden present taday," she said darkly, opening the box to covertly show him, glancing over at the other two to make sure they couldn't see what it was.

"Ya clouna--Bleeden Jesus on the cross, Fen!" Hamish yelped, jumping back as if the finger might of its own accord leap up and pluck his eye out. "Wha' the Hell--?"

"John read the note, soonds like a threat," she said, closing the box and handing it back to Little John. "An' kep yer voice down, hey? Someone kens, Hamish, an' they're looken ta blackmail us er they'll tell the sheriff. He'd use any excuse ta string up a bunch o' foreigners like us." Though Little John's accent was light except when he was emotional, it was there enough for him to likely be branded as "foreigner" by a passing ignorant Englishman.

"Blackmail? Fer wha'? We hanna go' anehthen. Wha' were tha' R en the led aboot?" Hamish frowned and looked up at John.

[EvelynWillows]

He was reluctant to leave Adelaide with Will, but this was so important it was necessary. Little John kept himself where he could watch the scoundrel.

Once he was alone with Fenny and Hamish he began to really feel the possibilities of this little 'gift'. "It doesn't zound like ein threat, et iz un. Und Fenny thinks dat dis 'Are' is actually the sheriff." He swallowed and tried to calm himself. "The sheriff. I don't know what he could vant from us, Hamish. We have nothing that he canna already take. I dun't know."

"Und...I dun know if ve should tell the elders, Ja? Vat if one o'them told aboot vat ve..what we did?"

Will and Adelaide were standing a bit off, wondering what the excitement was all about.

The young girl's eyes lit up. "Do you zink dat a ba-by is coming? Maybe dat iz ze gut news, Ja?"

"Gods, aye hep not." Will muttered. "I ken, they jus' got married, es a little quek yet." He turned to watch them. A baby would keep Fenny there for good. No, a baby would be very, very bad news for him.

[The Lifted Lorax]

"The elders?" Hamish had been about to make the same suggestion his sister had. "They woulna tell, though! No' now tha' the bodies're all..." He gestured weirdly with his fingers, presumably to imply decomposition. "Ef they were ta tell, they'd've done et arready. Unless..." He sighed. "Unless they was en their cups er summat. Aye...bes' not ta tel we ken wha's what. So...wha' do we do, then?" Fenny shrugged.

"Th' note said 'e'd contact us. So I guess we jus' set tigh' tel he do?" She looked up to her men for approval of the plan. "I dun see anethen else as we kin do, less ye two go' a plan?" Hamish shook his head and looked at Little John. "Hamish, I dun wancha aloen tel we ken more, arrigh?"

"Wha'? I'm no' some helpless female, Fen!" Hamish scowled. Fenny rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Aye, I ken. Bu' et dun take much ta catch a man by surprise an' o'erpower hem en numbers. We dunno who thess es, er how many, er e'en wha' they wan'. There's no poin' en taken needless resk." She looked up at Hamish seriously and put a hand on his arm. "Please, jus' have Well weth ya ef ya kinna find another lad, hey? I like Adelaide, bu' ef trouble was ta happen an she were the on'y one as weth ya she'd be more o' a hendrence than a help, and I dun thenk ye could fergev yerself ef anehthen were ta happen ta 'er. Hey?" Her brother swallowed and nodded. He realized now that she knew, but he still wasn't ready to talk about it; soon, though. "Jus' a' leas' one other man. Fer me?"

"Fine," he sighed, annoyed at her insistence. "I'll kep Well er someone weth me."

"There's a good lad." She kissed Hamish on the cheek. "Now ge' back ta work!" She nudged him and smiled, trying to put on a brave face when really all she felt inside at that moment was terror. Once Hamish had walked back over to Will and Adelaide, Fenny glanced at the sun. "I gotta start denner, John," she said, sliding her hand back into his. "Bu' I ken ye aren' done weth the fields. Wha' should we do?"

[EvelynWillows]

Little John was solemn as they walked back across the landscape. "I'm not leaving you alone, Fenny. I almost lost you twice." He shook his head and took her hand in his. "We'll work together. With both of us, well...even if the work doesn't get done we'll be together."

He kissed her hand and then stopped to pull her into a fierce hug. "I don't care if we eat cold dinners for the rest of our lives, Fenella. I'm not going to risk you for a hot meal in the evenings, eh? I'm not loosing you. We'll find out who's behind this and we'll fix it." He raised his eyes to the sky. "Oh God, why is this happening?" He buried his face in Fenny's hair and fought the tears. He wanted to be strong for her, but this was something that scared him to the core of his being.

John showed Fenny how to check the cones and then they spent some of the afternoon pulling weeds and mending the ditches that brought extra water to the vines. After a few hours of hard work he thought that it was enough, and he stood up and wiped off his brow with the back of his arm. "I'd say we earned our rest today Fenny. You're a good help out here." He smiled. "I shoulda had you out here sooner with me."

[The Lifted Lorax]

Fenny hugged her husband back tightly, burying her face in his chest. She bit back tears and simply held him. Tears would do nothing at this point, only show anyone who might be watching that they were afraid. If the mysterious R was indeed watching from afar, she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing her afraid.

"I dunno, John..." she said quietly. Indeed it always seemed that just as everything was getting perfect, some new problem cropped up for them. "Bu' we'll ge' the bastard. I swear we well."

Fenny was a quick study at the work around the fields. She liked the book learning Little John had been giving her in the evenings, but it was difficult and slow-going. Her muscles were still familiar with the hard work of the fields and pastures and she felt more comfortable there than with a book. When her husband said it was enough, Fenny straightened and put a hand on her lower back, stretching.

"Ach! Et's ben a while bu' ya ne'er ferget how ta werk th' soil. Et's easier here, wethoot all th' rocks." She wiped the sweat off of her forehead and bunched her hair up above her neck. She'd tied back her wild mane with the same ribbon she'd bought at the fair where she'd met her husband, but her hair was so voluminous that it still stuck to the back of her neck. It was out of her eyes but did nothing for keeping her cool.

"C'mon." She took his arm, her hand still being sweaty, and started toward the house. "I'll wash me hands 'n start denner. Hamish an' Well'r prolly half-starved ta death by now."

[EvelynWillows]

He sighed and took her hand, pulling her nearer to him so that he could wind an arm around her waist. "I'll help you with dinner, and if any of those lads say a thing about it, they're getting a half portion." He winked a her.

He washed up and helped her cut vegetables for their supper. All night he couldn't figure out what anyone could blackmail them for. They didn't have much. True, they had food in the cellar and a few chickens, and one pushy milk goat who seemed very fond of Fenny, but as far as treasure they had nothing. Well, that wasn't true. Fenny was John's treasure, but he'd never give her up.

As he wiped the table clean to get ready for dinner he frowned. "You know what is the hardest thing for me? Just the
not knowing' of it all. I wish whoever left the note would have just laid it all out instead of making us wait like this."

He smiled thinly at Fenny before wrapping her up in his arms and kissing her forhead. "I think we've already done are fair share of waiting. I'm not a very patient man at heart."

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Thank ye love." Fenny smiled, grateful for the help. "An' I hate ta ask bu' I thenk I'll need yer help 'round the house, too. Keppen et clean an' sich. Dun usually take more'n an hour er two, bu' ef I'm gonna be en the fields weth ye, et kin pile up ef we're no' on top o' et."

While Little John cut up the vegetables Fenny cleaned and cut a couple of rabbits Hamish had shot that morning. Once the meat was off she boiled the carcasses in water for a broth then threw them out. It was rabbit stew for dinner and the skins were drying, waiting to be made into a lining for hats or gloves for the winter.

"Et's part o' hes game," Fenny said with a sigh, brushing her hair out of her eyes as she set the table. "Make us wait. More we wait, more askeered we are. More skeered, the quecker as we'd gev hem wha' he wan's. Wha'e'er tha' es." Fenny allowed herself to be gathered up in her husbands arms and closed her eyes when he kissed her forehead. "Me neither, love." She sighed and gently pulled away from him and walked out to the barn to get Will and Hamish for dinner.

[The Lifted Lorax]

((Accidental double post))

[EvelynWillows]

Little John watched her go out the door. The barn wasn't too far away, and Hamish and Will had gone in there earlier to put away their tools. He took up a broom and swept the floor for his Fenny, wondering how she managed to keep their home so tidy and still take care of her own needs every day.

Out in the yard the chickens had already gone to roost in their safe branches of the apple trees. The sounds of night were beginning to fill the air; frogs in the cool, dark parts of the farm were singing, crickets were serenading each other, and off in the fields the hoot of an owl already swooping low over the crop in search of mice for it's fledgelings. The voices of Hamish and Will were subdued. Before Fenny got to the barn, though, she heard a sound near the wood shed. A tall, dark shadow moved there; taller than Little John even, and in the near dark the silhouette looked like a giant ogre out of one of Grammie's fairy tales.

[The Lifted Lorax]

Fenny walked out toward the barn cautiously, every sound of the outside magnified. Peepers and crickets sang in the night and she heard an owl far off calling out. There weren't any stray chickens cackling about; they'd already settled in for the night. Fenny wasn't used to not having a chicken coop and has at first found it exasperating to try and find the chicken eggs without one. Once she'd learned all the favorite spots, however, she found it charming.

Warm light poured forth from their windows when she looked back toward the house. Safe as houses was the old saying, and it certainly looked safe and cozy. In front of her there was a light in the loft of the barn. Will had been sleeping there and after his week with the Brauns was up Hamish had said he'd join him there. It appeared they'd been waiting for their supper for a while and she could hear their voices, though not what they were saying. Fenny had never been afraid of the dark before, she thought it silly. But as she looked out to the dark fields, then the woods, not knowing who or what lurked out there, she found herself wishing she were looking at it from behind the safety of her own window.

She spun as she heard a noise over by the woodshed and, out of many years of habit, Lilith was in her hand before she'd completed the full turn. She saw a tall, dark, unfamiliar shadow out there. Frowning, she took a step forward to investigate; probably just the woodpile, seeing as it stood even taller than her husband although she imagined it to have the hangman's axe at where a belt may have been. As it moved, though, she felt a thrill of terror in her heart and turned and sprinted the last thirty feet for the barn.

Coward.

[EvelynWillows]

The shadow moved towards Fenny, then took off in a loping four-limbed trot towards her. It huffed and breathed, spittle flying out of it's sharp-toothed mouth. It was quickly gaining on her, but as she got closer to the barn the thing turned and went around a corner. It pushed a few shovels over and startled several chickens out of their stuper.

The chickens cackled and fluttered out of their hiding spots. The goat called out nervously and ran around her pen.

Suddenly it seemed like there wasn't just one perpetrator out there but three chasing after Fenny, and the door was much too far away.

[The Lifted Lorax]

Fenny nearly jumped out of her skin at the clatter of tools and the cackle of chickens. It, whatever it was, was close and she was too far from either door. She swung around and stood her ground, holding her sword out before her.

"Hamish!" she called, glancing briefly over her shoulder with the barn at her back. "Le'l help, please!"

It seemed like whatever was after her had multiplied. Was that even possible? Her heart pounded in her chest as she listened hard for more sounds in the darkness. Her pursuer didn't even seem human!

[EvelynWillows]

"Oi! I think tha' be Fenny!" Will leapt up, grabbed his claymore, and ran over to the window overlooking the door below. He saw a a large shadow coming around the corner at the lass. He yelled over his shoulder "Ge' the damn door 'Amish!" and jumped out the window to land near Fenny.

"Fenny," he breathed as he landed with an ~ompfh!~ next to her. "Ye plannin' on 'aving all the fun, eh?" He took a double gripped stance with his huge blade. "Alrigh' ye fukin' ass! Ye picked the wrong fam'lah ta mess wi'!"

As the huge shadow got closer it became clear that the threat wasn't even human. It was a huge bear.

"Ah..." Will spit. "Nogh' wha' aye expected. Wha' abou' ye?" He grinned at Fenny.

[The Lifted Lorax]

There was a ladder from the loft to the floor below, and even so Fenny had insisted on hay being set below because "ef ye slep break yer neck I'm no' callen the doctor." It was for this reason Hamish felt it reasonable to forgo the ladder this time and jump to the ground below. There had been a sense of urgency in Will's voice and given their situation Hamish wasn't going to be asking any questions before rushing to his sister's defense. Crossing the barn in three strides he yanked the door open in time to see Will fall to the ground in front of him.

"Show off," he mumbled.

Fenny jumped as Will landed next to her, but was grateful for it. As she stood between him and her brother she felt safer. But as the shadow came closer, her thundering heart slowed and she let out a breath. A bear. A big, stupid bear. She should kill it out of spite and make it into a coat for Little John or something, just for making her feel so silly. Hamish at her side laughed and stepped forward, waving his arms.

"Hyah! Go on! Get!" The bear made a grumbling sound then slowly turned and lumbered off. "Stupet bear."

"No' a werd, Wellyem," she grumbled, embarrassed. She sheathed her sword and turned toward the house. "Supper's done. Wash yer hands, both o' ye."

"Yes Ma." Hamish stuck his tongue out playfully, and before he could draw it back in Fenny grabbed it and pinched it tightly between her thumb and forefinger. "Aaahh!"

"Woulna wan' tha' nasteh theng en me heed neither. Dun mean ya godda show et ta the rest o' us." She stuck her own tongue out briefly then let go, wiping her hand on her tartan. "Now wash up an' get enside. Denner's getten cold." Once she was safely back in their warm, cozy house Fenny sighed and shook her head, slumping down at the table. "I'm a arse, John. Jus' a selly, skeered arse."

[The Lifted Lorax]

((Accidental double post))

[EvelynWillows]

Will chuckled at Fenny's expression when the bear came into view. They could be dangerous, and often were, but he'd rather face a bear than a man with a mission any day. It was too bad, though. It would have been nice to have rescued her from a threat.

"Where's tha' mahn ov yers?" he teased her as they walked back towards the house. "Eatin' already?"

John was just finishing washing the cooking dishes and putting them aside when the three came in. He hadn't heard tail of Fenny's adventure with the bear. He nodded at the men and pulled out a chair for Fenny.

"Why do ya say that you're an ass, Fenny? Did you tell one of the women about the Brambleberry Wine man?" He was still trying to figure out how anyone found out about the murders. He put a pitcher of cool well water on the table and then sat next to his wife as they waited for the others to wash their hands.

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Wha'?" Fenny lifted her head from her hand and looked at her husband, but not before glancing at Will. She hadn't told him anything of the incident the previous year and wasn't sure how much Hamish had told him, if anything. The fewer people who knew, the better. "Course no'! I said I'm a arse, no' tha' I'm stupet!"

"There were a bear," Hamish said from the wash basin, barely rubbing his hands in the water before drying them on his tartan. He didn't see how clean hands affected the taste of good food. "Beg skeery bear as et up lettle girrels like our Fen." He grinned and punched her on the arm as he passed and took a seat on her other side.

"Ach!" Fenny kicked her brother under the table with a sour expression. "Et'd take ye quecker enstead, an' good riddance!"

"Yer righ'. Yer too scrawny as fer a bear ta eat." He chuckled and leaned over to tug playfully at her hair. But Fenny wasn't in the mood.

"I though' et were sommat else. Someone else." She gave Little John a knowing look. "Thank ye fer doen most o' the washen up, love. I 'preshiate et."

"Washen up," Hamish chuckled in a low voice. Fenny looked at him severely.

"Aye an' ye'll be helpen from here on oot, too. I kinna bloody well stay by meself an' seein' as tha's how et goes I need help en the evenens."

[EvelynWillows]

"Why canna ye stay alone, Fenny?" Will drenched his hands and then shook them out like a wet dog, splattering water all over the kitchen walls, before wiping them down his kilt. "Ye afeard o' beg bad bears now? Aye cen stay wi' ye." He grinned at Fenny's back as he walked around the table and sat down.

Little John shot Hamish a look. He knew he'd almost blown it commenting about the Brambleberry Wine man, and wasn't sure how much he could trust Will Scarlet.

"There's been a bit of trouble recently," John finally said. "It's not safe for anyone to be alone until the trouble's dealt with." He shook out his napkin and took Fenny's hand in one of his, extending his other hand towards Hamish. "Let's ask for God's blessing over this meal, shall we?" He gave Fenny's hand a little squeeze and smiled at his wife.

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Oi! Watch et!" Fenny wiped off a few water droplets that had landed on her face. "Ef 'ere's water damage yer the one as gonna fex et, Well Scarlet." She scowled at the implication that she was afraid of bears. "I'm no' askeered o' no bears! No' no wolves ner wild boars ner dragons, neither." Hamish made a noise and rolled his eyes, which was met by another kick. "Ye ken wha' I mean!"

"Oh aye. Dun mean I wun laugh atcha fer et." Hamish, however, had caught Little John's look and nodded very slightly to make it clear that he hadn't said anything to Will, either. His sister, however, chose to ignore his comment and focus on Little John.

"Aye, a blessin. Bu' make et queck er Hamish'll et it all while our eyes're closed." She slid her foot around Little John's ankle under the table.

Fenny squeezed her husband's hand back and smiled, though behind the smile was worry. Hamish took his brother's other hand and left an opening for Will to stand between him and Fenny on his way to the other side of the table. The man looked like he felt a little awkward, standing in the middle of what was clearly a family grace.

Once Little John had said the blessing, Fenny stood and fetched the pot of stew which had been kept warm over the fireplace and dished out generous helpings for everyone. Living her entire life nearly starving, she'd learned that whenever there's an abundance of food you eat it because you don't know when your next meal is going to be. She was still used to this and hadn't learned yet to curb her enthusiasm for the amount of food she was given to prepare for her family; if two rabbits were shot, two rabbits were used. If ten carrots were plucked from the ground, ten would be prepared for whatever was being made. Hamish often teased that she was going to make him and Little John fat before they had any right to be. Her usual reply was to tell him to be thankful he had a chance to be fat.

Once dinner was served and everyone settled in their place, Fenny threw Little John a mischievous look before casually remarking, "Ye should breng Adelaide 'roond fer denner sometime, Hamish." Her brother choked on his food.

"I erm...ahem..." He pounded his chest with the flat of his fist and coughed several more times. "I dun thenk Scottesh fare'd set well weth 'er, Fen. Kinda strange 'roond these parts." Hamish's face was turned down, having found his dinner suddenly very interesting, but his forehead and the tips of his ears could still be seen to be bright red.

"Nonsense! Et's no' like I'd make a haggess er anehthen!" Fenny exchanged a sly look with her husband, having hard time not grinning. "She's a nice lass, ye should breng 'er 'roond." Hamish merely mumbled something and continued concentrating hard on his dinner.

[EvelynWillows]

Little John bent his head and paused before asking for the blessing. "Father, thank You for those gathered here, for their love and friendship, and for the abundance You've given us. Please protect us in the days to come and give us Your wisdom. In Jesus' name I ask this. Amen."

He watched her dish out the rabbit stew and felt his stomach gurgle for dinner. John grinned and took a drink of water. With the way Fenny fed them, he'd be Big John before too much longer. "You'll be out-cooking Widow Fallow before too long, Fen." He smiled at her. "I need to build you a proper oven."

He listened to Fenny teasing Hamish about bringing Adelaide over. She was a nice lass. He felt a bit badly for Hamish, but knew that after the riotous life he'd had as far as women were concerned he deserved a bit of ribbing. He took a spoonful of the stew and made sounds of pleasure around the mouthful, when a ~thwap!~ sounded on their front door.

"What the hell? That sounded like an arrow hitting the door." He looked over at Hamish.

Will got up and started to walk towards the door. "Meybe ets another bar?" he said, wiping his mouth with the back of his sleeve. "Unless ets Cupid 'imself."

[The Lifted Lorax]

Fenny smiled as Little John compared her cooking to the good widow's. She had come to have a great deal of respect and admiration for Mari Fallow and tried to learn from her everything she could. She took a mouthful of stew and couldn't help but be quietly impressed with herself; she'd been a good enough cook before but with time and proper ingredients she'd improved.

"Aye, an' hopefully one o' these days we'll have th' bairns ta match." Fenny winked and nudged him with her foot. "We kin as werk on tha' tanigh' ef ya wan'." She glanced over at Hamish, who was still red, as he put his fingers in his ears and started humming loudly. She laughed and hit him on the shoulder. She couldn't help but tease her brother in any way possible; it was her job! "An' a oven soonds loveleh John. Maybe en time fer Chressmess, hey?"

Everyone looked up at the sound at the door. Hamish looked at John then got up and crossed the floor. Fenny rose as well with a concerned look.

"Cupet's as arready go' ta thess hoose, Well. Set doon." Fenny's voice was serious and carried the tone of a mother telling her child to behave himself.

"Oi! Ye too, smart one!" Hamish pointed to her chair. "Dun take bu' half a shaft ta go through ye; ef anehone's as getten shot et's me." Fenny pursed her lips but obeyed.

When Hamish opened the door there was, sure enough, an arrow protruding from about face level. Around it was a tightly scrolled piece of parchment, a red ribbon keeping it in place with a tidy bow. The Scot frowned at the arrow and plucked it from the door, sliding the parchment off and handing it to John without bothering to unroll it.

"Sure et's a note," he said with a frown. He sat back at his place and examined the arrow. It was fletched with eagle feathers.

[EvelynWillows]

Little John looked at the note as if it was a poisonous snake that had just wandered into his home. He didn't want to read the note. Reading meant knowing, and knowing meant doing. Whatever the note wanted from him, he wanted none of it.

He took the thing and looked at it carefully. Red was a significant color both symbolically, and insofar as the kingdom was concerned. A red flag flying from the walls of a monastery meant that the compound was quarantined for diseases or political isolation. A black flag meant the monastery had died. Little John supposed that he should be glad the ribbon was red, not black. He opened the note and red it through, once, twice, and a third time. He cleared his throat.

"Well c'mon, now Priest," Will Scarlet urged. "Tell us wha' the damned note sez!"

Little John glared up at Will. He took Fenny's hand and pulled her against himself, then wrapped an arm around her waist. "The note says: I see Robin on a string; hanging, dying as he swings. Or is it pretty Fenny Schnell? I know your secret, I hold your hell. ~R"

He handed the note to Hamish with a trembling hand. "I'm going to kill the bastard who sent this. I swear it."

[The Lifted Lorax]

Fenny frowned with concern as her husband pulled her closer. She clung to Little John's shirt as he read through the note. She felt sick. She was being threatened. And Robin. Robin! She hadn't thought about Robin in a long time, but still they had parted good friends.

"Et's a threat," she finally gulped. Hamish scowled at the note, recognizing only the letter R.

"Gainst who though?" he asked with a frown, handing the note back to Little John. "Us er Robin?"

"All o' us," Fenny gulped. "He...he's tryin' ta use us ta get ta Robin." She looked up to Little John and patted his arm in a way that was meant to be comforting if only her hand would stop shaking. "Et's me er hem, lads." She looked around the table solemnly.

[EvelynWillows]

"He's a coward," Little John growled.

"Who? Robin 'ood?" Will scratched his chin. "Wha the 'ell's sumon threat'nin' Robin er Fenny fer? Canna jus' tell the sheriff?" He looked at Hamish. "Oi, now, wha's this all aboot? Es concernin' meh as well, an' ye an' Fenny's as dear as me own family."

John studied the floor. He knew that Will hadn't sent the notes, but he still didn't trust him much. Still...with Fenny's life threatened he'd almost make a deal with the devil to save her. Almost.

"It's up to you," he said, looking at Hamish and Fenny. "I trust yer judgement on this one."

The 'this one', of course, meaning Will Scarlet.

[The Lifted Lorax]

Fenny and Hamish looked at each other for a long moment. Hamish's eyes held deep concern. He glanced at Will then back to his sister.

"Fen, are ya sure ye wanna...talk aboot et...?"

"I go' no choice, do I?" She took a deep, shaking breath and looked at Will. "Ferst o' all, whoe'er thess R es, he kens as we're friends weth Robin Hood. Me'n'Hamish. Met hem oot en Sheffield an' he sprung us from gaol. We'd stell be there er swung by now ef he hanna." She rubbed her eyes.

"We was travelen weth hem tel las' year. Spreng fair oot en town, en Nottengham. Tha's where me an' John met." Fenny reached over and took her husband's hand, squeezing it gently. "I were helpen hem weth the cart, keppen a eye on et while he went ta go pay he's taxes. There were...a man. Dun righ'flly ken hes name. He'd ben getten cozy earlier, had ta take a knife ta hes wrest ta gev 'im the proper message as he were en hes cups arready. But while John were gone he uh...came back Seth a friend."

"Lucky fer me Hamish an' John showed up, bu' they went awey better. So he go' a couple more ta go along an' rode ahead o' us. Burrent doon the barrin an' half the hoose. Bu' we go' good neighbours an' they helped us rebuild. I uh...I dun remember much boot tha' nigh', jus' went fer a walk en the woods. Et were night." Fenny looked at her brother for help and squeezed John's hand tightly. This was a night she'd refused to think about in over a year. "All I remember es..." Her voice was choked with tears and she raised a shaking hand to her face, covering her eyes. She couldn't meet Will's gaze anymore.

"Four men en the woods ambushed 'er," Hamish helped, his voice steady and emotionless, but his eyes held rage. "Held 'er doon, tried ta rape 'er. Good theng I taught me girrel here righ'." He reached over and patted Fenny's head. "Heard 'er scream, me'n'Lettle John came runnen." He took a deep breath and swallowed hard. "We kelt 'em. Et were over fast. Buried 'em oot en the woods. Told the vellege elders, jus' en case someone came poken aroond. Less et were one o' them, we dunno who would ken we how."

"They ben en the groond more'n a year!" Fenny said from behind her hand, trying hard not to cry. "Why now?"

[EvelynWillows]

Little John wrapped Fenny up in his arms and kissed the top of her head. "It's going to be alright," he said. "We'll figure it out. No one's going to make us hang for something that shouldn't even be a crime." He shut his eyes and tried to believe his own words.

"Di' eny of 'em ge away?" Will asked. "Mebe his in the woods while yer cut the others dowen?"

John scowled at him. "Does it matter how this 'R' knows? He knows! Alright? And 'e wants us ta help him somehow or he'll turn us in."

Will looked over at Fenny and Hamish. "Aym sorree, truleh. Ah'd like ta skin 'em meself if'n ah could. But the question remahns...why now? Why yew? And why Robin 'ood?"

There didn't seem to be an answer to any of those questions tonight.

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Et matters," Hamish said quietly. "Ef we knew who told 'im, we migh' ken who he es an' how ya deal weth hem. Bu'...no. None of em go' awey, we made sure o' et. One tried bu' Lettle John put a axe en 'im. Any other court'd ken et were self defense...bu' Nottenhem enna a fair court."

"Robin's the mos' wan'ned cremenil en England, tha's why hem. I jus' dunno all tha' other stuff." Fenny sighed. "Now kin we jus' stop? Please?" She was still visibly upset. "I denna make denner as et kin set on the table an' look pretty." She took a mouthful of her own portion, though she was no longer hungry.

When the incident first happened, Fenny would have nightmares and often woke crying in Hamish's arms as he tried to soothe her back to sleep. That night for the first time in a long while, the nightmare chose to visit her again. Hands and leering faces, fetid breath and rage-filled, lustful eyes. This time in the background loomed a tall, dark figure, taller than Little John. In her dream she could never open her eyes fully, but from what she could see of this dark figure he held a noose in one hand, an axe in the other. Fenella Schnell woke screaming and crying in the night, thrashing about in bed to keep her long-dead assailants at bay.

[EvelynWillows]

The rest of the evening went quietly for Little John. He kept hearing Hamish's declaration that it did matter who knew about their 'indiscretion', and it mattered who told. He had only told a few of the elders in the hamlet; none who had any reason to betray the brewer or his family.

He slept restlessly, simply holding Fenny in his arms. It was the first night since their wedding that they didn't come together as man and wife in their bed, and it was long before the first moon of their wedding had passed. Little John knew that the old superstitions would say that they jinxed their future family by doing that. Many midwives and older women believed that the married couple needed to drink honey wine daily and make love nightly, in order for the 'vapors' of their child creation to form properly. John knew that it was all foolishness; plenty of women found themselves with child after a night with a stranger. But still...to have his time with Fenny marred so quickly seemed unfair after they had waited so long.

He woke to her cries and screams that night. Try as he did, she didn't seem to be able to be comforted by him that night, and she'd occasionally hit him in her sleep, thinking that his hands were those of her long-dead assailants.

That next morning Little John woke up more tired than he had been when he crawled into bed. He smoothed back Fenny's hair and watched the fear flit across her features as she slept fitfully next to him.

[The Lifted Lorax]

Fenny awoke with the sun the next morning with a frown on her face. A tear had dried on her cheek. Looking over she saw her husband watching her. Groaning she rolled over to face him and scooted closer.

"I'm sorry love. Ded I wake ye?" Fenny remembered dreaming and remembered being terrified, but the actual dream itself was slipping away like fallen leaves down a stream. Leaning up she kissed her husband and smiled a little. "I were thenken maybe we could start the day a bet deft'rent'n usual, hey?" She grinned mischievously. It was still their honeymoon and she felt badly about the previous night; she wanted to make it up to Little John. He didn't deserve to be punished for her criminal affiliations.

[EvelynWillows]

"I think we already started our day off a bit differently," he said, kissing her on the lips. He rubbed the areas that she had pummeled and scratched in her sleep as he rolled towards her and wrapped his arm around her.

"I've been thinking, Fenny, and I think it would be better if you spent the day at Widow Fallow's house while we're out in the fields. We can help you to do the morning chores and then walk you over, and then we can pick you up after."

He sighed into her neck. "Hamish and I should go talk to the elders today. We need more wisdom than I have, and I'm not too sure I can take another night like the last. I'll wake up with a black eye one of these nights and then the rumors will really fly." He said, grinning at his wife.

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Well, et's no' like I dun arready leave a few bruises." Fenny grinned and wiggled playfully then touched Little John gingerly when she realized what he'd been getting at. "Ded I hert ya? Ach, I'm so sorry, love." She frowned and kissed him gently. "I denna mean ta...Et were tha' dream again, hey?"

She remembered from before how the dream went, back when the memory was fresh and the terror vivid, and in the nightmare she was always paralyzed. Hamish always told her, though, that it usually took all his strength to keep her arms pinned in and she wouldn't wake up no matter what he did. Bruises across his chest and shoulders had proven that he wasn't just giving her a hard time about it.

"Why duncha wan' me oot en the field?" Her frown grew deeper. "I kin werk as good as aneh man an' bedder'n some. I grew up on a farrem, y'ken. An'...I though' ye denna trust th' elders?" She kissed her husband's neck slowly, still wondering why he didn't want her in the fields with him. He himself had said she was good at helping.

[EvelynWillows]

He swallowed. "Whoever shot that arrow was an ace. And the fletchings...I didn't want to say anything, but the only ones I've seen shooting an arrow like that were the king's own royal archers. They could pick you out on the field and shoot you before any of us knew what had happened."

Little John blinked back the tears that were threatening to form. "Ah, Fenny, you must think I'm a fool. I can't stand the thought of losing you. I'm so afraid that we'll be standing out there working and laughing together and you'll drop dead right beside me."

"If you were with the widow then at least I'd know that there was a wall between you and whoever wants to hurt you." He sighed. "And I don't trust the elders, but I don't know what else to do."

[The Lifted Lorax]

Fenny frowned into his neck and pulled her face out to look at him. "An' ya dun thenk e'en ef I were at the wedda's I woulna be terrified all damn day tha' someone'd come runnen ta tell me as ye er Hamish go' the same? 'Sides...we're too valuable righ' now. Whoever et es, he's smart. Smart 'nough ta ken as he needs me'n'Hamish alive, an ef anehthen were ta happen ta ye he well as migh' jus' shoot me then fer all the good I'd do hem. Hell, I'd rather et. He kens as ef sommat happened ta one o' us, the other two'd jus' gev et up anehway consequences be damned. Et's wha' makes us strong, John."

The mood was ruined and she was disappointed. Unless Little John drastically changed there would be no love-making that morning to make up for the night before. It was then Fenny silently vowed not to let this R ruin her wedded bliss. They had waited for so long; he wouldn't get to take it away from them.

Fenny's heart was suddenly gripped with an overwhelming fear that if they left this bed she might not ever see him again. She had to swallow back tears that threatened to well in her eyes. Closing her eyes and swallowing hard again she pulled her husband close to her for a crushing, desperate, loving kiss.

[EvelynWillows]

"Alright, Fenny. We'll stay together." he couldn't argue with her logic. Nor with her cute accent. It made him all wobbly-kneed and soft inside.

He was about to get out of bed when she pulled him close and pushed a fierce kiss against his mouth. He felt her great need to connect with him and know that it would be alright. He pushed her back into the bed and bent over her. He kissed her back and then began to push her dress up over her hips. The thought of losing her made him need to love her, to possess her all the more.

Groaning into her body he began to kiss her neck and lick her flesh. His hands touched her skin and rubbed against her body with a fierce passion that was just this side of aggressive.

[The Lifted Lorax]

Well...that hadn't been what she'd meant by the kiss she'd suddenly forced upon her husband, but it was a pleasant surprise and ultimately accomplished what she had wanted in the first place. Fenny's thoughts, of course, weren't nearly that organized as her husband pushed her dress up over her hips and kissed her fiercely. Her mind was blank except for a desperate need to connect and just feel Little John near her. It was panic turned to comfort.

She fumbled with the laces on his trousers as he kissed her neck. She couldn't help but moan and press her body against his as he rubbed against her. It was possessive, almost...aggressive, a trait Fenny had rarely seen in her husband. She liked it. Nipping at his flesh she pressed her nails gently into his hips then dragged them slowly up his back leaving trails of pink behind.

[EvelynWillows]

Little John felt the streaks of fire running up his back and he immediately was ready to be inside his wife. He didn't dive right in, though. He pulled her delicates off her hips and her legs and dropped them on the floor. He slid out of his night pants and then pulled Fenny up towards the top of the bed.

He took her nipples in his mouth one at a time, running his tongue along the hardened tip and nibbling on the tips of her flesh. He pushed her legs apart a little roughly as his hands trailed over her legs to lift them up over his hips. John moved like someone intoxicated; blind to the world and focused on his woman. There was nothing else for him in that moment. The sound of his heartbeat roared through his ears. "Fenny," he gasped as he felt her body move beneath his. "You're mine." His mouth moved back up to hers and engulfed her lips and tongue as he let the desire build in his loins and soul for her.

[The Lifted Lorax]

Little John surprised Fenny further as he handled her a little more roughly than usual. It was, however, an incredibly pleasant surprise. She gasped and groaned at his teeth on her breasts and didn't protest as he pushed her legs apart roughly. Her dress had only been raised to her waist and she pulled it the rest of the way off before crushing another desperate kiss to her husband's lips.

"All yers, John," she groaned, pressing her nails gently into his shoulder blades. "I need ya, John. Make me yers." She made a small noise into their kiss as Little John moved his kisses back to her mouth.

It was desperation. It was blind panic. It was fear. But that was okay, because in the mirky swirl of a dark ocean of desolation and death was this one golden light. A light that, if allowed, would become blinding bright and blot out the terror if only for a little while. As husband and wife they'd sworn to love and protect one another, for better or worse, and Fenny Schnell intended to uphold that vow as best she knew how for the rest of her life. She refused to let the fear that the mysterious blackmailer had instilled in their hearts taint her marriage, and certainly not her marriage bed, to tempt her away from her vows and lose herself in the blackness of the abyss.

"I need ye, John," she groaned again, pressing her thighs against him in encouragement.

[EvelynWillows]

"I need ye, John," she groaned again, pressing her thighs against him in encouragement.

His touch was getting harder. He pushed her legs apart and slid into her in a painful embrace. He didn't look at her face, but simply rutted like some primal beast between her thighs.

"Who th' Hell is John?" growled the man on top of Fenny. He raised his head and looked at her, and it was the partially decayed skull of the Brambleberry Wine man. The fetid stench of long-dead flesh filled her nostrils, and bits of decay fell off his cheeks and onto her lips.

It was hot and suffocating. She couldn't move. She couldn't breath. He was filling her up with filth, putrescence...slimy graveyard worms and maggots moved against her skin.

"Fenny...." the corpse breathed.

"Fenny."

"Fenny!" Little John shook her awake. He was kneeling next to her, holding her in his arms in the darkened room and calling her name. "Fenny! Wake up! Wake up my love! It's just a dream! Wake up!"

[The Lifted Lorax]

Fenny cried out in both pain and pleasure as he slid into her, gripping his shoulders tightly. Putting her hands on either side of his face she tried to tilt his face down so that she could kiss him. He wouldn't look at her.

When he finally did she opened her mouth to scream but no sound would come out. She couldn't breathe, couldn't get away. His putrid breath choked her and she felt filthy as he defiled her body. Maggots and all sorts of other terrible things crawled in her skin, under her skin, in her mouth, behind her eyes. He kept saying her name...

"NOOOOOOO!" Her voice finally came in a ragged scream as her eyes flew open in the darkness. She was barely aware of pushing and kicking her husband away as she fell ass-backwards off the bed, her head making a loud thunk against the wooden floorboards.

Breathing heavily she looked around wildly in the dark, scuttling backwards from the bed until she hit a wall. A few curls fell over her saucer-wide eyes as she stared at Little John in the bed. Fenny's chest heaved with the effort of drawing breath. She saw her husband clearly but other shapes shifted around him in the dark. Whimpering quietly she pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her shins, still staring at him mutely. She could still feel maggots wriggling beneath her skin.

[EvelynWillows]

"Wha' the 'ell was that?!" Will shot up in bed. He looked over at Hamish. The echoes of Fenny's scream still rang in his sleep-fuzzed brain. He wrapped his kelt around his waist. He didn't care at this point about the whole marriage bed and privacy crap. Fenny needed him. She needed them. The three of them. They couldn't protect her from the barn.

In the house John was moving across the bed toward Fenny. "Are you okay? Fenny! What was it, sweetheart? What scared you so much?" He eased off the bed and tried to get closer to his wife. "It's me, honey. Little John. Remember? Please, honey. Just come here. Let me hold you." He reached out to her. Whatever she had been fighting, the dream had her in its grips for a long, long time. He had felt her increased terror as she was swept deeper and deeper into its grip. He felt himself panic when she wouldn't wake up, and then...

Then he had heard her say that she needed him. And soon afterwards she began to fight, as if it was him she was fighting! He felt confused and scared, and inadequate when it came to protecting his wife.

[The Lifted Lorax]

Hamish sat up with sleep in his eyes and hay in his hair, but he was alert and looking around. He too had heard the scream and wordlessly jumped to his feet, wrapping his kilt messily as he strode toward the ladder and jumped down. Throwing the doors wide open he ran across the yard to the house, heart thundering. What if R was in the house??

"No don't touch me!" Fenny put a hand out to ward him off as if he were some sort of demon. "Stay there! Just...don't...touch me..." She pressed her back harder against the wall, terror in her eyes. The dream was still so very real; she could still smell the corpse's putrid breath. She was afraid to close her eyes. "Stay where you are!" Still the dark swirled about in the room behind Little John, forming all sorts of terrifying shapes and monsters.

When Hamish burst in her head snapped in his direction so fast there was an audible cracking sound. Her eyes were still wide with terror as she curled up against the wall. Hamish scowled in confusion, looking between his sister and his brother-in-law. He had heard of husbands forcing themselves on wives before, but that didn't look to be the case and even if it did he highly doubted Little John to be such a man.

"Wha's all thess?" He asked Little John slowly before turning toward Fenny, who flinched. "Fen, wha' happened?" He walked toward her but she went from nearly immobile to scuttling backwards again very quickly, eventually bumping herself into a corner.

[EvelynWillows]

Little John knelt on the floor in front of Fenny. It didn't even surprise him when Hamish burst in. Will followed shortly afterwards, still wrapping his kelt around his waist.

"She had a bad dream," he said, trying to explain. "Something...something terrified her. She won't even let me touch her." He slid back a bit and then stood enough to sit on the bench at the foot of the bed. "I think she might be half asleep still."

Will leaned around Hamish and looked at Fenny. "Fenny, we 'eard ye screamin'. Did John hurt ye? 'Cause if'n 'e ded, we'll 'ave a bit o'a go at em." He grinned at her and scowled at her husband. "Wha? Yoo'd do the sem if'n it were ye."

Little John frowned. "She's sleep-walking!" He shook his head. "Et's almost morning anyway. I'll go heat some water." He looked at Hamish. "Maybe you can talk to her." He looked at his wife one more time and then went out to start up the stove. He didn't understand it. She had never acted like this before. She was the strong one; the one who could handle anything. Why was this happening to his Fenny?

Instead of starting a fire right away he knelt at the heart and bowed his head to pray. He stayed there for a long time, asking God for wisdom, for protection for them all, and for Fenny to come out of this unscathed. At the end of his prayer he still felt a deep yearning for something. He finally recognized it; he needed to ask for forgiveness for killing the men who attacked his then-fiancee. He had never really asked for that before.

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Shut up Well," Hamish growled, not bothering to even look at him. The barbs at his brother were quickly wearing thin. "Et were a nigh' terror." He nodded when Little John offered to heat some water, presumably for tea. When he left, Hamish crept closer very slowly as Will watched on. Fenny had curled her arms into her chest and was scratching vigorously at the inside of her left forearm.

"Fen...c'mere..." He knelt and held out his arms as if to a child learning how to walk. "Et's arrigh'. Et's jus' me. Jus' beg, stupet Hamish. Would I e'er do anehthen ta 'arm ye?"

As he crept closer he saw his sister was trembling. She put out her arms to hold him at bay and started trying to slap at him but he caught first one wrist the the other and held them both tightly in one strong, calloused hand. Hands that had always reminded her of their father. "Fen! Fenella et's me!" He held her wrists tightly until she stopped struggling and started sobbing, clinging tightly to him. Leaning his head against hers he rocked her slowly side-to-side, stroking her hair. "Ssshhh et'll be arrigh lamb. Et's okey."

Once her sobs had finally subsided for the most part he pulled her away from his shoulder and held her out to look her in the eye. "Now, wha's thess nonsense weth John, hmm? He ne'er done nothen ta harm ya, has 'e?" Fenny shook her head and returned to scratching at the same spot on her arm. He watched it with some concern. "Would 'e e'er do anehthen ta harm ya, er let harm come ta ye?" Again she shook her head. Tiny pinpricks of blood started to appear on her skin. "Stop et. Stop et!"

He grabbed her wrists again and sat cross-legged in front of her, resting his hands on his knees and keeping a hold of her so she couldn't scratch. Fenny saw something in her brother's eyes that she hadn't seen since they ran out to meet the war party coming home the day they buried their father and brother: fear.

"Now wha's all thess business weth dreams, pet?" He tried to hide the fear and looked at her seriously. Fenny had to swallow a few times, but finally she was able to speak.

"I had...th' nigh'mare agin. Th' same one as afore."

"Well ye ne'er acted like thess afore!" But Fenny shook her head, tangled curls flopping about her face and shoulders limply.

"I...I woke up an' Lettle John...he were there an' he held me an' we talked. An'...I jus'...I needed...an' we...bu' then et were hem!" The fear returned to Fenny's eyes and Hamish had to pin her hands to his knees to keep her from scratching. Tears filled her eyes again and she couldn't meet her brother's gaze. "An' I coulna ge' hem offa me, Hamish...An' he were all rotted an' deed an'..." She shook her head, unable to find words to accurately describe how putrid the experience had been. "An' I were felled weth felth an' there was maggots an spiders and werrims..." Fenny's head fell to her chest and Hamish let her cry freely for a few moments, careful not to let go of her wrists. He hadn't entirely understood the entire context of her dream and he wasn't sure that he wanted to, but she'd gotten her point across intelligibly enough: John had become the Brambleberry Wine man. He slowly pulled her into a hug.

"Well yer back, lamb. An' John's jus' John sure as I'm me." Fenny sniffled and nodded into his chest.

[EvelynWillows]

Little John had started the fire and put away the dishes from the night before. He brought in more wood. He swept the stoop, all the while eying the treeline for archers and ogres. He almost wished the mythical creatures were real; he'd much rather fight a stupid, witless foe than a man with an agenda. There had to be easier ways to capture Robin Hood. The man was flagrant in his dealings with the sheriff's men. Eventually he'd slip up and be caught. Or...John hoped...the king would return and all would be set right.


He took one last look around. The chickens were calm this morning. They scratched at the dirt and plucked seedlings and insects from the ground. The goat looked towards the house and bleated. She'd need to be milked soon or risk drying up.

He turned to go back inside when he noticed the hole where the arrow had struck their door the night before. He traced the sharp-angled wedge with his fingertip. The arrow had traveled a good distance and struck the door with enough force to bury the tip a half inch deep in the wood. Had one of them opened the door to go outside at that moment, the arrow might have buried itself in their throats. If John had answered the door it would have hit his heart.

In a way, that was exactly where it did hit.

He thought about the way Fenny had looked at him that morning; as if he was some kind of monster. He couldn't get the memory of that out of his mind. He walked back to the bedroom and saw Fenny letting Hamish hold her. She was sobbing, and he was trying to sooth her the best he could.

Will looked over at him. "She's upset," he said. It was the understatement of the year.

"Why don't you make yourself useful and go milk the goat?"

The Scot scowled. "That's women's work."

John took him by the shoulder and guided him out the door. "I'm sure you'll do fine. You've spent enough time around tits to know what to do with them." He turned back to his brother and Fenny. "I'm going to make us some breakfast," he said to Hamish. "Is she going to be alright?"

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Et's honest werk, Wellyem. Ye'll earn yer kep ef yer ta stay here. Now dun talk back, jus' go melk th' damn goat!" Hamish snapped over his shoulder. He had had quite enough of Will Scarlet this morning and was glad his sister had never seen anything in him.

"She'll lev," he said more calmly. "Mayhap et's coz we're kin, bu' we dream th' same. Et's awways more mem'ry'n dream, put tagether weth th' werst theng Ye kin thenk of. Nigh' terrors...Ye canna move, canna breathe...canna scream. All ye kin do es watch. E'en when ye open yer eyes, et's stell there like et were all real. Shook 'em when I were young...mostly." He shivered a little. "Et's ben a few years sence et's ben thess bad fer her." Fenny made to stand and Hamish helped her up. She walked shakily over to Little John and hugged him fiercely.

"I'm sorry, John," she whispered into his chest. "I'm so sorry my love."

[EvelynWillows]

He took her in his arms and was so thankful that she would touch him. "You don't have anything to be sorry about," he whispered to her. He looked over at Hamish. "I can't take much more of this. I need to find out who is doing this and how to get him to leave us alone, or else I should just go to the sheriff and tell him what I did so there's no more fear of the hangman's noose."

Little John didn't let Fenny go. He held her there in his strong arms and listened to the world around them.

The front door slammed and Will's footsteps sounded on the wooden floor, coming back from the barn.

"He can't be done yet," muttered John.

Will came down the hall with his sword in hand. "Hamish! John! Summon hung the damn'd goat en left this on 'er!" With shaky hands he held another rolled note tied with a red ribbon out to the ex-priest.

John's face went white. He had just seen the goat not half an hour ago! He took the letter and slid the ribbon off of it and unrolled the slim letter.

"Join Robin Hood on the morrow or this will be the first of your sorrows." John scowled. "The ass thinks he's a poet. Who is he talking to? Just Fenny and me or all of us? And then what are we supposed to do?"

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Et's all me fault," she said softly, shaking her head. "Ef I hanna took a knife ta hem he'da jus' left us be an none o' thess'd be happenen." Hamish scowled at what both of the Schnells were saying.

"Ye'll do nothen o' th' sort," he insisted quietly, but firmly, in reaction to John threatening to go to the sheriff. "Ef anehone's gonna sweng, et'll be me. I ded most o' et an' I wun letcha leave me sesster like tha'. Ye dun get outta et tha' easily."

"No one es goen ta th' gallows, arrigh'?" Fenny insisted from Little John's chest. His arms around her made the world stand still. "We'll fegger et oot, bu' s'long's I draw breath no one's goen ta th' gallows. Clear?"

Hamish nodded solemnly. When Will walked in, Fenny didn't raise her head from her husband's chest. She didn't want to see, didn't want to know, though she had no choice as she listened to the next note. She took a deep breath when her husband asked what they were to do.

"We...go find Robin, I s'pose..." she said quietly. "All o' us, jus' en case. We'll cut up th' goat an' breng 'er weth us; meat's meat."

[EvelynWillows]

Little John looked to his wife and his brother-in-law and was thankful beyond words that he had such people at his side. He nodded solemnly. "Alright then, it's decided. We go find Robin on the morrow. I can tell the neighbors we had ta go again, a sick aunt or something, and maybe Adelaide's brother can help look after the farm while we're gone." He sighed against Fenny's hair.

They'd been married for barely a week. It didn't seem fair.

"We should pack up and get ready. I think we're expected to leave by the early morning." He gave Fenny a gentle squeeze. "Are ye gonna be okay, Luv?"

Will leaned against the door jamb. He'd heard stories of Robin Hood, and some of them from Hamish and Fenny, but the prospect of meeting the legendary highwayman had his blood stirring. To him, this was more of an adventure than he could have hoped for. He was sorry for Fenny's anxiety, but for himself? Will was thrilled.

"Ay'll cut dewn the goht," He volunteered. "Mabe we'd get a nice pot o' haggis goen afta all, eh, Hamish?"

[The Lifted Lorax]

Fenny nodded. "Aye, I'll be fine. I jus'...we're gonna be pennehless en th' end thanks ta me. Me ma's dress now thess..." She shook her head. Gone for another season, more debts owed, more profit lost. Guilt weighed heavily on her heart. This wasn't fair. "I'll clean an' cook an' get thengs ready. I on'y go' th' other dress, anehway, an me boots. Thenk I'll wear tha' one as ta travel an' sich."

She was referring to the only other clothing she owned apart from her mother's wedding dress, and that was the dress she'd traveled many years in. The dress she'd been wearing the last time she traveled into Nottingham last spring when she'd met her husband. She looked down and wiggled her naked toes.

"Ben meanen ta start wearen 'em anehway. First frost enna far off."

"Aye, a haggis!" Hamish readily agreed with Will before looking at his sister. "Fen?" He hadn't had haggis in quite a while and despite proclaiming to hate the stuff the only other who made it better than his sister, that he'd tasted, was their mother.

"Ach!" Fenny wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Greedy bastards. Ye'll get th' ennards bu' I'll make up th' rest o' et as I see fet, ya ken?" Hamish grinned and nodded before stepping out to help with the goat. Alone in the kitchen, Fenny looked up at her husband and smoothed his hair back away from his face. "Y'know jus' coz we'll be leven en trees an' wha'no' dun mean the honeymoon's over," she said with a wry smile. "Maybe e'en safer. No more nigh's like las' nigh', hey?" After the night terror, she wasn't exactly ready to be with her husband yet, but she wanted him to know that it wouldn't keep her from sharing his bed nor acting as a newlywed husband and wife should. The farther from the dream she was, the more comfort she took in the light of day.

[EvelynWillows]

Little John waited until the other men were gone. "It's not any of it your fault, Fenny. That man attacked you, and you defended yourself. There's no fault in that. And anyway...I believe that God makes everything for good for us eventually. Even if we can't see it while we're in it." He picked up the German Bible on his table. "Who knows? Maybe this was His way of sending us into the wilderness so I'd get off my lazy bum and do what I was supposed to do?"

He took Fenny's hand and kissed the inside of her wrist. "I love you, Fenny. I always will, and if we have to sell everything we own and live like paupers I won't care just as long as you love me too."

He packed up a few things quickly. Like Fenny, he only had a few items of clothing and personals, so it wasn't amounting to much. Aside from his hunting bow and his sword left over from a brief excursions with the crusades, he didn't have many things to pack. Once it was all set aside he found Fenny again.

The sounds of Hamish and Will filtered through the open window.

"I've got to go speak to a few people, Fenny. Want to come along?"

[The Lifted Lorax]

"An' wha' zackly es et yer s'posed ta do, Lettle John Schnell?" Fenny smiled and hugged her husband. "Part frim shave, tha' es?" She giggled when he kissed her wrist, his beard tickling the vulnerable skin. She was glad that even after a year and a half John still hadn't figured out just exactly how ticklish she was; it'd never stop.

"I love ye too, John. Awways well. I jus'...I wan' thess as ta be th' hoose our bairns grow up en, hey? I wan' tha' ta be th' same door ye help me through when I'm old an' bent weth age."

When he left her to go pack, Fenny began the cleaning and cooking. She hummed as she went, trying to banish the memory of R at least for a while and forget that this could be the last time she cleaned or even saw her home. It seemed she'd been in it so very little since Little John had brought her here. But she was no stranger to sleeping in the forest and if she had to build a tree house with her own hands, she would keep a home with her husband. She was determined.

"Aye, I'll go wi'ya." Fenny smiled at her husband and stood on tiptoe, pulling him down at the same time, to kiss him. "An' ye stell need ta make me a damn stool as ta reach ya!"

[EvelynWillows]

When Little John returned to the kitchen he was freshly shaved. He had that wide-eyed, innocent boyish look to him, despite his height. He grinned at Fenny when she stood on tip toe to kiss him and complained about not having a kissing stool.

"But Fen, wouldn't you rather have me just get on my knees every time you wanted to kiss me?" He teased, getting down on his knees in front of her. "It would save on a lot of wood building, and doesn't every woman want a man to kneel to her?" He ran his hands up her waist and then stopped, remembering her dream. He flattened out her apron as an afterthought to clear the mistake from his memory. She'd be in no shape to be a little bit naughty right now. Not after the night terror she had.

"When this is done I'll make you a kissing stool, and next summer I'll build us a bassinet and we'll get a proper oven built, and then when we're old and grey I'll still carry you across the threshold on the anniversary of our wedding. Unless I'm too addled to remember what day it is, then I'll just carry you every day." He grinned.

He pulled on his boots and slipped his sword belt on. "Don't forget Lilith," he said to his wife. He thought it was quite charming that she had named her little claymore, but he never got into the habit of doing it himself. He just didn't have a close relationship with his weapons. Once they were ready he'd swing by the barn to let the boys know where they were doing, and then hand in hand he would walk towards the Widow's house with his bride.

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Ach...there's yer face," Fenny smiled, rubbing his cheek after lowering herself down onto flat feet. She liked him better shaved but would kiss his beard just as readily.

She giggled girlishly when her husband knelt in front of her and ran her hands through his hair. His face was about even with her bellybutton and she was very cautious of any sort of tickling advantage he had. Fenny felt her husband's hands run up her waist and went a little stiff as she remembered how the second part ofher dream had started out. Seeming to catch this, Little John smoothed out the tartan which served mostly as an apron. She felt a rush of appreciation and gratitude for his understanding.

"Maybe tanigh', hey?" Fenny smiled gently. "Oh, a bassinet, e'en! En't ye plannen on bein' a le'l busy, hey?" She winked and grinned. "After all, wenter's commen, gotta kep warm." She grinned and kissed her husband gently as he came up. She liked the idea of them being old and grey and him still carrying her across the threshold of their home.

Fenny laid a hand on the sword at her hip and smiled. Hamish had fashioned a small bow for her too, for hunting, but it was out in the barn with him along with a quiver of twenty or so arrows. She laced her fingers through Little John's hands as they strode across the medow toward Widow Fallow's house.

[EvelynWillows]

The widow welcomed then with open arms. "I didna expect you so soon! Are you taking a little stroll then?" She wiped her hands dry on her apron.

"Well, we're aboot to take a little journey again. I was hoping you could take the chickens until we get back?" LIttle John kept his hand laced with Fenny's.

"Oh, another trip? Well then, Fenny my dear. I have a little gift waiting for you but perhaps we should have it now." She smiled and put her hand out to Fenny. "Come on, John can look after himself for a few minutes while we have ourselves a little girl time."

[The Lifted Lorax]

"A geft? Mari ya done s'much fer us arready..." Fenny glanced at Little John.

She didn't know what the good widow could possibly have for her. She'd considered her help and the veil (which had been returned) a wedding gift. Still, she was curious and didn't want to turn down the good woman's kindness. Kissing her husband on the cheek, she followed Widow Fallow back into the house.

"Wha's thess aboot, Messus?"

[EvelynWillows]

Mari laughed gently. "It's noh about anything, Fenny. It's a gift. I used to be willow-thin like you before all the children came. Now I'm a bit thicker around the waist. I've two dresses I was fixing up for you. One is done, it's nothing fancy, but with you traveling it might be nice to have another to wear." She pulled out a red dress (http://www.dornbluth.co.uk/pix/gr/guinevere-m-brzr-1.jpg) that had some new material around the hem.

"My daughters will need another ten years before they're ready for this dress. I'd rather have you use them now, while you can. And when you start to 'puff up' with your child I have a few shifts might work too."

[The Lifted Lorax]

Fenny could have cried. The dress was gorgeous and looked like it might just fit, if not be a little loose. But with enough time and food, God willing she'd fill it out just fine. She touched the dress gingerly, much the same way she'd touched her mother's wedding dress.

"Oh Mari...thank ye!" She flung her arms around the lovely woman and hugged her tightly. She was quickly coming to view Widow Fallow as extended family, given John's dearth of blood kin. "Thess...et's beau'iful! Ach! Thank ye so much."

Fenny was now the proud owner of three dresses, more than she'd had in her entire life. If people back home could see her now they'd think John was secretly some sort of nobleman or something for all the fine things he had and shared with her. The second reaction would, of course, be scorn but she didn't care. She had a beautiful red dress for celebrations, but she could even wear it just because if she wanted! She held it up to herself and spun a few times, delighting in the way the skirt would flair when she was actually wearing it.

"John!" Fenny called excitedly, moving to return to the kitchen to show her husband her new treasure.

[EvelynWillows]

"It looks lovely against your skin, Fenny," Mari Fallow said. "I'm so glad you like it." She gave her a little hug and wiped a tear from her eye. "Now don't go and hide all your nice things aside to wear 'someday', okay? Wear them often. And use the nice things you get once you get them. My husband and I were given a nice pair of crystal glasses when we married. He kept wanting to wait until something special happened to use them. He didn't want to risk breaking them. Well, when we were married about four years the ground shook and the things fell off our shelves, including those pretty glasses. We only got to drink from them once, on the day we were married."

"I suppose what I'm trying to say is, every day is a special day with your beloved. Don't wait until a special occasion to treat each other nicely."

Little John looked up and smiled at Fenny. "Wha--? Mari! That's so lovely! Are you sure?'

"Pshaw, John. I've got dresses that actually fit me. That one's too narrow. And when you get back, I'll have one more for you, ja? Don't go getting too thick with babe yet. I haven't started to mend my maternity shifts yet?" She gave them both a strong hug. "Now get on with ya. I've got wash to hang, and you've got things to do I'm sure before you go. And don't worry bout them chickens! We'll take care of them."

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Well, e'erone keps sayen as how skenny I am, et'd be a while yet tel I showed anehway." Fenny smiled and shrugged. "John says as he wantsta be builden a bassinet come next summer, so I fegger I dun have much longer ta get on et, hey?" She chuckled and took the good woman's advice to heart. She wouldn't wait for special occasions to do nice things with Little John. "Thank ye so much fer e'erthen, Mari. Ya dun ken how much et means ta us."

Once they had said their goodbyes and were on their way, Fenny held her husband's hand tightly and had the dress draped over the other arm. She couldn't quit glancing down at it, proud to own such a thing. As she clung to Little John's hand she felt like a queen parading around proudly on the arm of her king with such a fine dress.

"Ye thenk we'll actually be able ta come back?" she asked quietly as they came upon the house.

[EvelynWillows]

Little John was deep in thought, contemplating harvest times and drying schedules, and trying to figure out when they'd need to be back by to till the soil before the first frost. He was in his little mental room thinking about safe subjects. For a brief moment, the threats had disappeared.

"Huh? Return here? You mean to our home?" He scratched his newly shaved chin. "I suppose it depends on what God has planned for us. I certainly hope so. I want to have a home with you. A place of peace and love, where nothing more exciting than the first seedling of spring or the sound of new-born chicks graces our lives." He hugged Fenny close to him. "I just want to be with you. That's home enough."

He waved at Hamish at the barn. "Now come on, put your new dress away and let's walk through the fields and then have a talk with the Steinbergs. I'm hoping Gunther can help me with the harvest this year."

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Aye...newborn chicks er newborn bairns." Fenny smiled and bumped Little John's hip with hers. "I canna wait ta get weth yer child, John. I really canna." She wrapped an arm around him as he pulled her closer and gave him a squeeze. "A whole army o' wee lettle curly-headed bairns as runnen an' tumblen aboot en the grass." She could almost see it. Obediently she went in and put her new dress away, slipping on her boots while she was at it. Her feet were cold.

Hamish waved back as his brother-in-law walked by. Once the couple were in the house, he turned back to helping Will Scarlet skin and clean the goat then make other preparations for an extended leave. He looked sideways at Will for a moment.

"So...wha's yer game, Well? Why're ye really here?" He wiped the sweat off his forehead and looked more squarely at him. "Et's not as ta watch Fen bein' happelly marrahd an' have wee bonny bairns as wha' look like Lettle John Schnell an' no' ye, I ken tha' much."

[EvelynWillows]

Will sat back on his haunches and looked at Hamish. "Et's nogh a game, Hamish. Ye ken that. At first Ah cam tae steal Fenny back, ets true. But now...Ah jist want tae make a new haem fur myself. An, ets hard tae see John makin' 'er sae happy, but ahm glad tae see 'er happy, Truly." He scratched his reddish beard. "Ah ken I've bin an ass. I'll be better. Ah promese."

He laid out the meat and wrapped it in the burlap to hang. It was a feast, the goat. Maybe it'd be enough to buy them a place among Robin Hood's men.

In the house Little John finished packing up his things. "I've got to go speak to Adelaide's family too. I'd like you to come with me if you're done in here," he said to Fenny. He wanted so much to wrap her up in his arms and kiss her, but he knew that she was still too fresh from her dream to want that yet. He settled for touching her fingers lightly with his own.

[The Lifted Lorax]

"No, I dunno tha'," said Hamish. "I dunno why ye changed yer tune s'queck. Though' Scotland were th' on'y place as ya lev an' we was maken a mestake no' stayen." He sat back and looked at Will seriously. "I'll gev ye the benefet o' the doubt, bu' I get one wheff o' trouble an' I'm kecken yer arse straigh' back hoem."

"Sure, why no'?" Fenny smiled and took her husband's hand. "Why ye need ya talk ta th' Schneiders? No' gonna start bargainen on Hamish's behalf?" She nudged him playfully.

[EvelynWillows]

"Ye wul'nae gie trooble frae me, Hamish Balloch. Nae wi' fenny ur yer lover girrel." He shook his head. "Aam a new mahn. You'll see." He finished tying up the goat pieces and took the innards to be washed for the traditional Scottish sausage they were both looking forward to having.

Little John and Fenny walked across the fields, over the stream, and around the other side of the little church to the Schneiders' farm. Gustav and his father, Gunther, were working on the well. Part of the wall had collapsed, and they were digging it out to rebuild the wall below.

Gunther wiped the sweat off his brow and tilted his straw hat further back on his head. "Vater, Wir haben Gäste." (Father, we have guests.)

His dad straightened up with a bit more groaning and grimacing, but when he saw the two approaching he grinned and hit his son's shoulder with the back of a hand. "Sie sind nicht Gäste, Sie sind Familie." (They're not guests, they're family.) "Hello Schnells! Vat brings you around here?"

"We're taking another trip," John answered. "I was hoping that Gustav would look after the farm for me while we're gone."

Herr Schneider frowned slightly. "There's more to et than you tell us, ja? Come on, let's have a drink and talk." He nodded to Fenny. "Adelaide's inside vit mutter if you vant to visit the vomen."

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Guten tag, Herr Schneider," Fenny said with a smile as they approached.

Living a year and a half among the good people of the hamlet she'd picked up a phrase or two, and asked Little John about others like how to say "good morning" and such. She was aware that her accent was considered an affront to the English language by the British and so couldn't imagine what the Germans thought, but still she hoped to get credit for trying.

When Herr Schneider told her where the women were, however, she was a little chapped and felt like she was being dismissed. Since they were asking for a favor, however, and a big one, she felt it best not to argue and nodded, thanking him. She kissed Little John on the cheek and went inside. It wasn't the first time she'd been in the Schneiders' home, but one of the very few.

"Hullo?" she called out, looking around. "Adelaide?"

[EvelynWillows]

Adelaide's voice called out from upstairs. "Fenny? Come up, ve're qvilting." She ran over to the top of the stairs. "Didja come alone?"

There was giggling in the room behind her. "She mehns to say iz Hamish vit you?" Called out Adelaide's twelve-year old sister.

"Hildegard!" Adelaide scolded. "That's not vat I meant atall!"

"Liebchen, Das ist nicht höflich! Nicht mehr necken!" (Lovelies, that is not polite! No more teasing!) Frau Schneider scolded them both. "Ah Fenny! Come up! Come join us, ja?" She walked over to the stairs and looked out the window to where the menfolk were gathered under a tree. "Ach! I see dat dey have your John tied up in zayr talking und drinking. Come on, Leibchen, ve hab more besser things to be talking ov, ja?" She went back into the second level room where a large quilting loom was set up, and they had been busy tacking a quilted top to the undersheet and the thick, warm middle. She opened up a window to let more air in.

"Zo...Fenny...how've you been?" Frau Schneider poured a cup of warm tea and handed it to the newly wed. "John been keeping you up all ze night?"

Adelaide blushed and giggled. "Muttie!" She exclaimed with mock shock.

[The Lifted Lorax]

Fenny smiled as she climbed the stairs. "Nah, Hamish es back en th' barrin weth Well."

She gave Adelaide a sly look and winked as she reached the top and passed into the quilting room. It was huge and Fenny was envious; any quilting she did was done in either Widow Fallow's sitting room or her own. She sat and accepted the cup from Frau Schneider. They would make lovely in-laws, she decided.

"Aye, talken 'boot getten help fer th' crops an' whatnot." Fenny quietly wished she were down there with them so that she could know what was being said, but if she had to be secluded from the conversation she couldn't think of a better place to pass the time. She chuckled at the mother's scandalous question. "Aye, he's ben doin' wha' husban's do best," she answered with a semi-embarrassed grin. "Should have sex er seven bairns en no time, hey?" The way they had been, she could only hope.

"Hamish seems ta be weshen he had someone 'part from Well Scarlet as hes bedfellow too these days, I'd wager." Fenny snuck a glance over at the elder daughter to watch for a reaction. She had no qualms about teasing the younger girl as much as she would her brother. Well, almost as much; she didn't know yet how thick Adelaide's skin was when it came to these sorts of things and didn't want to overdo it.

[EvelynWillows]

"Will?" Hildegard perked up. "He's sleeping with Hamish?"

Adelaide gave her sister a playful smack. "E's too alt for you! You're jus' a babe and e's almost as old as Hamish!"

Frau Schneider raised an eyebrow and looked over at her daughters. "Ve 'aven't even married off Adelaide yet. They'll be no plotting and planning vitout dein Vater's permission now."

Adelaide giggled and settled down to dart the quilt top to the bottom. She glanced at Fenny and grinned. "Hamish says that he's thinking of buildin' 'is own home across the stream from you. He says 'e has to make sure you and Johan are ready ta kick him out first." She blushed. "I suppose sleepin' in the barn's as good as being kicked out, ja?"

Frau Schneider took a sip from her cup of tea and smiled at Fenny. "Ach, and dun verget vat Vater und dein bruder says, ja? That boy of yours has plenty of hoops ta yump through before 'e can think of courtin' you, mein liebchen."

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Oi now! Watch who yer callen auld! Well's my age, y'ken!" Fenny smiled at them both. Adelaide was three years her junior, five to Hamish, and so she could sometimes make the Scot feel a little older. "Bu' ef he s'much as kisses ye, Hildegard, ye come an' tell me an' I'll 'ave hes guts fer garters." Fenny knew that even Will Scarlet's standards were higher than that; he kept to girls who were at least sixteen. The littlest Schneider at another four years to go before he'd even consider looking at her. In some ways he could be just as bad if not worse than her brother. "'Sides, I dunno ef he means ta stay. We're eh...goen on another trep an' he's comen weth us."

Fenny sipped her tea, careful not to burn her tongue. All of her friends back in Scotland would laugh if they could see her now, but she didn't care. It was a comfortable house with good friends and neighbors in a safe village. Well, safe except for the mysterious blackmailer.

"Oh aye, we e'en go' th' foundation set afore we went ta Scotland," Fenny smiled, knowing the information Adelaide was trying to glean from her. It would have been subtle if she didn't already know their secret. "'Sides, weth me'n'John married proper, 'e's ready ta keck hisself oot." She laughed and exchanged a glance with Frau Schneider. She liked being married in a community like this; it was like being in a secret married women's club with their own jokes and secrets.

"Oh, I dunno, Frau," she said, giving Adelaide a secret, knowing smile over the rim of her teacup. "I thenk et migh' proove easier'n ya thenk. Hamish's ne'er ben thess settled doon en one place afore." She raised her eyebrows in a mild expression, glancing at Adelaide for another second before turning her eyes back down to her tea.

[EvelynWillows]

Hildegard snickered and started to hum the wedding march as she quilted the forest-themed bedcovering. She glanced over at Adelaide and Fenny. "Frau Schnell, do you tink Hamish likes blue und green? This iis for Adelaide's hope chest."

Adelaide threw a skein of yarn at her sister and stuck her tongue out at her. "Well no one vood vant to court you, missy sleep-with-my-dolls!"

The youngest daughter looked to her mother for support. "Make her stop!"

Their mother smiled at Fenny. "This is vat you hab to look forward to, ja?" She glanced over at the two girls. "Vy don't you two take some baskets und go catch those chickens at the Schnell haus und let us vomen have some peace?" She took another slow sip of tea.

The two girls squealed and flew down the stairs.

Once they were out of earshot Frau Schneider smiled at Fenny. "Now...vy don't you tell me vat is really going on? I can see it in your eyes. Dis is not just a trip for pleasure, is it?"

[The Lifted Lorax]

Fenny chuckled. "I thenk he'd love et."

And in all honesty, having been made by his sweetheart's sister he would. Hamish could be sentimental at times, though he'd soundly beat anyone who ever accused him of it. Fenny laughed and shook her head at the quarreling siblings. Having had three siblings herself, though two were much older, she knew what she had to look forward to and she welcomed it. She laughed as the two ran down the stairs and started across the fields, knowing there would be less chicken catching and more gawking as the men worked. Well, as Will worked; Hamish would be too busy chatting up Adelaide.

"Aye. Eh...et's arrigh' boot the chickens; we arready talked ta Widda Fallow aboot 'em. But eh...no, et's no' fer pleasure." Fenny shifted, knowing she couldn't tell Frau Schneider much but trying to figure out what she could say. "We won' be far, jus' en Nottengham. Bu'...we dunno how long we'll be gone. Kinda...personal business. I'm sorry, bu' I canna say more'n tha'."

[EvelynWillows]

Frau Schneider nodded and smiled at Fenny. She spent the next few minutes chatting about non-essential things; the coming winter, planning for the spring, how lovely the wedding was...all the things women talk about while they're simply letting time pass. Soon the men's footsteps could be heard in the house, and it was evident that they had finished their business.

Herr Schneider hollered up the stairwell. "Hey Missus! Your man is needing his hourly kiss, ja?"

His wife smiled at Fenny and shook her head. "That von never grew up." She set her quilting aside and picked up her cup to go downstairs. "If you need to talk, Fenny, anytime, I am here vor you."

Little John was smiling at Fenny when she descended the stairs. "Thank you, Herr Schneider. You are a gut friend to me." He put out his hand for Fenny when she got back down. "We will be back as soon as we can." The elder Schneider waved him off with a ~pishaw!~ and sent them both on their way with promises to keep the hops dry and the grain harvested on time.

On the way back home John kissed Fenny's hand and glanced at the brilliant woman at his side. "I have a gut feeling about this, Fenny. Even though the reasons we are going are not happy ones, I know that Gott will make this all good for us somehow. I know it."

[The Lifted Lorax]

Fenny exchanged a smile with Frau Schneider and stood. "Men ne'er do, do they? Thank ye, Frau Schneider. Et's a blessen ta have sich good neighbors." And family, she thought to herself. God willing.

She descended the stairs lightly and stood on tiptoe to pull Little John down and kiss his cheek affectionately. On the way back she gave his hand a gentle squeeze and looked up at him with a small smile. She walked closer, enjoying the feeling of warm comfort he gave.

"Aye, God'll provide. An' we'll make the best o' wha' He sees fet ta gev an' come oot stronger on t'other side." She jogged a couple steps to catch up with her long-legged husband. "Adelaide an' Hildegard're at th' hoose, jus' as so's y'ken. So...wha's Herr Schneider hafta say? Normal 'look after th' crops' stuff, er ded ye do a bet o' bargainen on Hamish's behalf while ye were at et?" Fenny smiled and nudged him gently in the ribs.

It was nearly noon and Fenny's stomach was starting to make noises. She looked a little embarrassed. "I'll make us some lunch when we ge' back," she volunteered. "Weth any luck I'll et fer two afore too long. An' speaken of...methinks we go' some maken up ta do tanigh' fer las' nigh', hey?" She looked slyly at John and winked. The barn was in sight now.

- - - Updated - - -

Fenny exchanged a smile with Frau Schneider and stood. "Men ne'er do, do they? Thank ye, Frau Schneider. Et's a blessen ta have sich good neighbors." And family, she thought to herself. God willing.

She descended the stairs lightly and stood on tiptoe to pull Little John down and kiss his cheek affectionately. On the way back she gave his hand a gentle squeeze and looked up at him with a small smile. She walked closer, enjoying the feeling of warm comfort he gave.

"Aye, God'll provide. An' we'll make the best o' wha' He sees fet ta gev an' come oot stronger on t'other side." She jogged a couple steps to catch up with her long-legged husband. "Adelaide an' Hildegard're at th' hoose, jus' as so's y'ken. So...wha's Herr Schneider hafta say? Normal 'look after th' crops' stuff, er ded ye do a bet o' bargainen on Hamish's behalf while ye were at et?" Fenny smiled and nudged him gently in the ribs.

It was nearly noon and Fenny's stomach was starting to make noises. She looked a little embarrassed. "I'll make us some lunch when we ge' back," she volunteered. "Weth any luck I'll et fer two afore too long. An' speaken of...methinks we go' some maken up ta do tanigh' fer las' nigh', hey?" She looked slyly at John and winked. The barn was in sight now.

[EvelynWillows]

Little John paused and wrapped Fenny up in his arms. "Did I ever tell you how much I love you?" He buried his nose in her hair and breathed deeply before letting her go. "Herr Schneider the younger and I worked out a partnership for this next batch of brews. He's going to tend the bees and the crops, and when we get back I'll take him on as an apprentice with a quarter cut on our profits. That's profits, mind ye. Not sales. Still, I think he's a good head on his shoulders, and he's likely to make a good partner one day if Hamish doesn't decide to join me. Even if he did, it would all stay in the family so I'm sure it will work out." He smiled down at his petite wife. "See? If we didn't have to go, I'd not have asked him to help, and he was thinking of leaving for the next town to see about apprenticing himself to a cobbler. I'd take brewing over making shoes any day."

The homestead never looked so wonderful. Their little cottage (http://www.rivercottageperthshire.co.uk/070.jpg) next to the stream seemed ready to face the oncoming autumn, and the hearty barn (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0e/Pastoral-barn.jpg) seemed able to weather any storm. Four people stood outside the barn in the shade of a nearby tree.

Hamish and Adelaide seemed to have eyes only for each other, while Will, bless his soul, was looking extremely uncomfortable. He seemed relieved to see Fenny and John crest the hill and come into view. He stuck his hands in his pockets and grinned at the two. "Ahm glad ta see yer back. Haggis don' make etself, y'ken."

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Mmmm a couple times," Fenny grinned, her voice muffled in his chest. "Me beg bear o' a husbin'." She wiggled contentedly and hugged him tightly. She never felt safer than when she was in Little John's arms. "Er es et jus' coz I kep ya up all nigh' en all the bes' ways?" Fenny giggled and bumped him a little with her hip.

"Tha's luck endeed, then," she said when he'd released her and explained what he'd worked out with Gustav. "Specially keppen et en the family. I thenk Hamish'd werk weth ye; he dun have n'other trade. Bu' I duno the deffrence twixt sales an' profet."

As Fenny looked at the house and the barn, she already missed it. She hoped desperately that whatever business their mysterious malefactor wanted with them wouldn't take long. She wanted to be back in her home before winter's first frost and she was stuck indoors most of the day. It was almost perfect; it would be perfect when at least two or three curly-haired little children were running around in the front yard.

"Ach! Go boil yer heed!" Fenny shot back playfully, pushing at him with her free hand but not letting Little John's hand go. "Th' haggess be fer th' road. Lunch now, s' breng somma tha' goat weth ye." She looked over to Hamish and Adelaide and called over, "Adelaide dearie, ye an' yer sesster stayen fer lunch?"

Adelaide didn't have much time to answer, however, because as soon as she did Hamish took her hand and started tugging her toward the far side of the barn.

"Addy...I gotta talk te ya a mo'," he said quietly.

This girl confused Hamish. Addled by Adelaide, he often thought to himself. There were never any thoughts of--well, there were. But not until he'd made an honest woman of her, and he intended to. He, Hamish Balloch, wanted to get married. Their parents would die of shock if they weren't dead already. Though that wasn't his purpose for calling his sweetheart away. Not yet, anyway.

[EvelynWillows]

Little John had started to explain profit versus sales but he saw the look in Fenny's eyes and realized that it really wasn't what she wanted to talk about at the moment. He grinned sheepishly and grunted slightly when she bumped him with her hip. He was looking forward to more of that hip bumping tonight, if she was up to it.

Adelaide had blushed furiously when Fenny asked if she and her sister would stay for lunch. "We'd luv to, Frau Schnell!" She saw her sister grin wider than a Chesire cat and shook her head at the kid. She was way too young to be making cow eyes at Will. The Scot had the good sense to rush off to fetch down some goat before Hidlegard figured out what he was doing and followed. As it was, the young girl simply followed Fenny into the kitchen.

"Can I help?" She asked, opening the door. "I know how to cut vegetables and roll out biscuits." She blushed slightly when Little John walked by. "Father John," she said, curtsying.

"Hey now, where'd that Father John business come from?" he asked her playfully.

"Father Braun says that you'd be taking on the parish next year. It seems more polite 'n Herr Schnell, but if you vant I can call you tat until then?"

John laughed and went to wash his hands. "Call me whatever you want to, Liebchen."

Outside Adelaide smiled at Hamish and raised an eyebrow. "Sure, Hamish luv." She let him lead her around the barn, hoping for stolen kiss as a remembrance. "Vat is it?"

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Ach, the lamb!" Fenny smiled fondly at Hildegard, putting a hand on her head for a moment. "'Course ye kin help, dearie. We dun have no besket makens yet, bu' we go' some onions 'n taters 'n carrots fer choppen."

She reminded her of herself at that age; though the Scot had had more cares, far more than a twelve-year-old should, she too had been the starry-eyed little sister running about after everyone else. Hamish had been her protector even then, but in his burgeoning puberty she tagged along more often than he'd liked. Mary, who'd been about as far from Fenny as Adelaide from Hildegard, had treated her with much the same regard.

"Jus' dun cutcher fengers off," Fenny warned as she handed Hildegard the knife, "er I'm no' runnen fer the doctor an' I dun wan' no lettle girrely blood en me pie." When the younger Schneider took the knife she blinked for a moment and looked at her husband. "John...bein' ordained an' all ye kin do exorcisms, righ'? Coz tha' were me Ma' come back from th' grave righ there, I sweer!"

"Addy...Adelaide..." Hamish's mouth was suddenly very dry. He stared at her lips...those perfect, pink little lips he'd never even kissed. Addled by Adelaide. "Look ah...there's been some trouble, hey? An' ah...an' we gotta go awey fer a bet..." Had she ever been kissed? He found himself jealous of men he who he didn't even know if they existed. "Bu' et's jis' ta Nottengham, no' ta Scotland er nothen like tha'...An' er...I jus' wan'ned ta tell ye...tha'...I promess." He nodded firmly, as if that explained everything. What if she'd never been kissed? As far as he knew John had been Fenny's first kiss, after all, and she was older than Adelaide. "I promess I'll be back. N'matter wha', come Heell er high wa'er I'll be back fer ya..." Was that...butterflies??? "I jus'...jus' wan'ned ye ta...Ach! Bugger!"

Hamish leaned forward and kissed Adelaide gently, cupping her neck, and the world seemed to stop. The birds, the wind, his heart, everything froze. With such a simple gesture he'd repeated thousands of times before with other beautiful women, Hamish Balloch could no longer deny that he'd been hooked. He was beyond a shadow of a doubt in love with this girl. Slowly, regretfully, he pulled his lips away from hers and everything started to move again. He was suddenly very self-conscious of his beard.

"An' erm...yeah." Hamish nodded, turning very, very red, and turned to walk away. He wanted to hide his flushed face before she laughed at him.

[EvelynWillows]

Hildegard nodded eagerly and began to carefully and slowly cut the vegetables. She looked up when Fenny asked John about exorcisms.

He laughed. "Well I'm glad to meet you, Fenny's Ma!" He kissed her and smiled. "You'll be the most wondrous mother, Fenella. And if each and every one of them turned out like you I'd be the happiest Father in the land. Hopefully they'll get yer looks; mine would make any little girl want to ask God for a do-over!" He snapped the towel at her hip and went to start the fire for lunch.

"Aye," he muttered to himself. "I need to make you a proper oven. Then we can have bread every day and I can keep you so busy in the kitchen, round with babes and cooking for all twenty of our children that you'll rue the day you set eyes on me." He grinned at his wife.

Out in the yard Adelaide was trying to understand what Hamish was saying. "Nottingham's nogh too far..." she tried to follow his eyes but they seemed to dart all over the place. "Of course you must come back, I--"

She was stopped by his kiss. It was soft, and ticklish, and perfect. Her eyes flew wide for a moment before closing and relishing the perfect, blissful moment of being kissed by Hamish Balloch. She gave a little moan against his lips and almost cried when he pulled away from her.

"An' erm...yeah." Hamish nodded, and turned to walk away.

Adelaide put her fingertips to her tingling lips. Why was he leaving?

"Didn't you...didn't you like kissing me?" She asked quietly. Maybe she hadn't done something right. Maybe he thought she was a horrible kisser. All she knew for sure was that he was leaving her. "Hamish? Did I do something wrong?"

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Twenny now?" Fenny's eyes widened. "John Schell dunchee dare!" She made a noise of surprise when he snapped her hip with a towel. "Ye bedder no' hope they're all like me. I were a le'l devil. Pray they're all like Mary, she were th' good one. An' dunchee go kessen me Ma like tha', neither." She grinned as she pointed a scolding finger at him. "I'm arready ruein' th' day, dun need bairns fer tha'." She winked and began a simple dough.

They hadn't had a proper oven back in Scotland, so she'd learned how to make meat pies over an open fire. It took longer, but they were good for journeys like theirs as well as a good, hearty lunch. And she could cook them by the dozens so she could send some home for the Schneiders after everybody had eaten their fill.

Hamish froze when Adelaide spoke. Something wrong? It had been perfect! Immediately he felt horrible for turning to walk away.

"Addy no! I jus--Ach!"

There was nothing for it. Hamish turned back around and in less than a full stride was back to his sweetheart. In one swift movement he put his hands on her waist and pinned her gently against the back of the barn, kissing her more deeply this time. He couldn't find the words to tell her how much he didn't not-like kissing her, he'd never been good with words. All he could do was show her.

[EvelynWillows]

"Alright, I'll hope they all act like Mary and look like you. I'll be beating the boys away with a hammer if they do though...so maybe they should look like me after all." He smiled. He caught Hildegard's grin and gave her nose a dusting of flour. "Now don' go telling me yer parents don't tease like that?"

She wrinkled her nose. "Ma und Vater kissing? No! Ew!" She laughed and set the chopped carrots in a bowl for Fenny. "My parents 'ave never kissed. They found all of us in a cabbage patch!"

Little John grinned. "Speaking of which..."

Will opened the door and walked in with a goodly sized portion of meat. "We'd best enjoy et before we 'ave ta share the lion's port wi' the 'ol group, eh?" He sat the meat down on the table and went to wash his hands in the basin. Fenny had trained him well in the short time he'd been there. "Wha' ken aye do ta 'elp, John? Canna bring in sum wood er summach?"

John looked over at Fenny. He was impressed; something had changed in the Scot. "Ja, a load o' wood in the haus would be a welcome sight when we get back. Thank ye, Will."

He nodded and left to get started on his chore.

"Well, what do you think got into him?" John asked his wife.

Adelaide, on the other hand, wasn't wondering anything at all. She wrapped her hands around Hamish's neck and kissed him back as best as she could, what with it being only her second real kiss in her whole life. When they finally came up for air she looked at Hamish and smiled. "I luv you, Hamish. Don't get hurt while you're aveh, promise? I'll pray for you every day your gone until you come home."

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Cabbage patch, hey?" Fenny raised an eyebrow and glanced at John. It was around Hildegard's age that she'd been on that awful, horribly awkward hunting trip with her father and hadn't been able to look at Hamish the same way for a good long while. She caught Little John's grin and gave him a look. "There'll be no cabbage en thess ketchen, John Schnell," she warned, poking him in the chest and leaving a floured finger print. "Least no' while ther're folk here," she added in a quieter voice with a mischievous grin. She was feeling much her old self, the night terror of that morning having been left behind. She didn't forget it, but it was less real now in the full light of day with a kitchen full of family.

"Aye..." Fenny said slowly as Will set the meat down. Something had changed in him even since that morning. She didn't know if seeing her that morning had scared him out of being an ass or if Hamish had had a talk with him or what, but it was definitely a change for the better...and that made her wary. She shrugged when her husband asked what had gotten into Will Scarlet. "Canna say..."

"I love you too, Adelaide," Hamish said quietly, looking into her gorgeous blue eyes and getting lost for a moment. He was an honest rogue and had never said that before to anyone apart from Fenny, and rarely even to her. Only when they'd thought they were going to die. "I promess I'll come back fer ye." He brushed a lock of golden hair from her face before running his thumb along her cheek. "Promess."

[EvelynWillows]

Little John waited until Hildegard was preoccupied washing potatoes in the sink with the hand pump. It was one of the nice things about the house; he had installed the water pump inside where it was most useful.

He slid an arm around Fenny's waist and pulled her in for a gentle kiss. "Frau Schnell, I'll be glad to till as big of a plot for your cabbages as you want." He nuzzled her neck and grinned as he kissed her again. "I'm glad your feeling better my love."

Hildegard had finished with the vegetables and blushed at the two hugging in the kitchen. "No, Mutti und Vater must have gotten all their hugging out of the way before we were born." She made a little face and looked out the window. "I vunder if Adelaide und Hamish are out there hugging?"

Adelaide was actually standing on a cloud, a few inches away from heaven. She felt dizzy and wonderful all at the same time, and her heart...it was beating so loudly that she was sure they could hear it in the house. She leaned her cheek into his hand and smiled. She was in between pure joy and agony. On one hand Hamish loved her. He loved her! And then...he was leaving. She wiped the tear from the corner of her eye. She leaned against him and wrapped her arms around his waist. It felt safe to be so close to him. Safe and dangerous. She wished she could stay there forever.

The sounds of Will walking towards the wood pile interrupted their moment, though. He didn't say anything to them, just filled up his arms and then walked back towards the house, but it was enough to remind them that people would be wondering where they went off to.

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Me too." Fenny smiled and hugged her husband tightly. "Jus' s'long as et's on'y my lands yer plowen, tell all ye wan', love."

She couldn't help but smile warmly at the child's innocence. She wondered just how she would explain to her own children the facts of life, and how many times she would have to. Perhaps at some point the elder children could take over explaining to the younger ones? No...no good. Or else the younglings would wind up believing something ridiculous like Fenny had for the first five or six years of her life, when Hamish had told her that one of their cows had given birth to her. Her parents weren't her real parents and only kept her because the cow would stop giving milk if they got rid of her. No, that wouldn't do. They'd have to tell each child themselves. She was pulled from her inner deliberation by Hildegard suggesting Hamish and Adelaide were off somewhere hugging.

"Ach! They be'er no' be!" Fenny scowled. "There'll be no huggen en my barrin lessen et's me!" She exchanged a glance with John. "I'll ask Well when he comes en ef he's seen em."

Hamish didn't feel as if it was actually him experiencing all of these feelings and emotions. Good things like Adelaide never happened to him. When she leaned against him, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. Paradise was in Adelaide's arms, and anyone who said otherwise was sadly mistaken. When Will walked by he kept his nose buried in his girl's hair, but looked up with his eyes silently daring the younger man to say something, anything. When he didn't, though, Hamish sighed and lifted his head.

"C'mon, pet. Folk'll be wonneren where we go' off ta." He gently pulled away from her and slid a hand down her arm until he found her hand.

[EvelynWillows]

Will came into the house with an armful of wood. He shut the door with a practiced foot and made a bee-line around the hugging John and Fenny to the hearth.

Hildegard blushed and watched him walking across the room. She let out a little yelp and stuck her injured finger in her mouth, smiling with embarrassment. "It's jus' a nick," she insisted, going over to the sink.

Little John went over to check it. "You should keep your eyes on your knife." He gave Fenny a look and rolled his eyes towards Will. It didn't help that the man was dark-haired and well-defined in his arms. To little Hildegard, used to blond and light brown-haired men, Will's darker colors probably seemed exciting. They both knew Will well, though, and this afternoon's quiet compliance was not the Scot's normal behavior.

Adelaide smiled shyly at Hamish's nickname for her and took his hand. She smiled all the way back to the cottage, thinking that this was both the best and the worst day of her life.

[The Lifted Lorax]

"There ye are! Well, ha' ya seen--" but Fenny cut herself off as Will passed them and went straight to the fireplace. There was being helpful, then there was being weirdly out of character and Will was definitely falling into the latter category. She exchanged a frown with Little John, then looked up when Hildegard made a noise of pain.

"Eyes on yer werk, girrely," she said sternly as John checked her cut. "I tolja, ye cut yer fenger off an' I'm no' runnen fer th' doctor." Fenny didn't mind the gawking so long as no one was hurt by it and everything got done on time. She went to the sink once the younger Schneider had washed her cut and filled the pot with water to boil the potatoes.

Hamish held the door open for Adelaide with his free hand and followed behind, not letting go of her hand. Fenny looked over and noticed the quiet affection. She smiled, but didn't say anything. She didn't want to discourage any sort of displays of affection from her normally stoic brother.

"Kin we help?" he asked, looking around the room as if daring them all to say anything. This was still strange and foreign to him.

"Ye kin sweep an' clean th' table. Cookin's taken care of mostly."

[EvelynWillows]

Will had stacked the wood neatly and then got one more armful. If they came home in the middle of winter, the wood would be enough to keep them warm for at least the night and a good part of a day. He wiped the sweat from his brow and glanced over at Hamish. He was about to say something regarding the hand-holding but them clamped his mouth shut. Seemed everyone was getting all soft and mushy; it might be something in the water.

Adelaide wrapped her other hand around Hamish's and gave him a squeeze before going to fetch the broom. She had a small, gleeful smile on her face. Suddenly the Schnell farmstead was her favorite place on the planet.

Hildegard sat down and held her cut finger in her hand, slowing the blood from her little cut. Out of the blue she announced that their dog was going to have puppies soon. Her older sister blushed all the way up to her ears.

"What do you know about puppies?" She asked her little sister.

"It's true. I saw her stuck tail-to-tail with the Hansen's dog. Vater says that they'll be pups running around the yard in no time now. Is that how it happens with people? I mean, do you get stuck together and then go look in the cabbage patch for your babies? Can people have ten babies all at once like dogs can?"

Little John swallowed hard. He looked over at Fenny. "Umn...I think that's one of those questions that your Ma might be best to answer," he started to answer.

[The Lifted Lorax]

Hamish looked confused at the double-handed grasp on his hand, but gave a gentle squeeze back. Since Adelaide had grabbed the broom he decided to be useful and dampened a cloth to wipe down the round wooden table (http://ts4.mm.bing.net/images/thumbnail.aspx?q=4935218785290419&id=b481f3db3aa06b20b910896e7eea3a86) that occupied the middle of the kitchen, far enough away from the counters for someone to be able to cook without guests in the way. It was a cozy kitchen, he decided, and he liked it. Perhaps his own would be like this. He knew a little about cooking, enough to fend for himself, but Fenny had always done the majority of it whenever they were able to eat if they hadn't gotten scraps from some tavern. He looked at Adelaide and wondered how good she was at cooking.

Fenny gathered up the potatoes Hildegard had cut up in her makeshift apron. That old tartan had seen everything and she was glad for a chance to wash it regularly. Holding the ends of the cloth with one hand and plucking out potatoes to drop them into the boiling pot with the other, Fenny smiled and made some mild comment when the younger Schneider had announced suddenly that their dog would be having puppies. The last of the potatoes slipped out of her hand and hit the floor, however, when Hildegard told about how she knew the dog would be having pups, and started asking far too many questions.

"Well ya see," Hamish started, "ye go' a ram an' a ewe, righ'? An' the ram, he--"

"Hamish Wellyem Balloch dunchee dare!" Fenny snapped.

Hamish recoiled as if a snake had bitten him. They'd never spoken of it, but apparently their father had given Hamish the same lecture and it had resounded more with him. Must have been a man thing. She cleared her throat and bent to pick up the potatoes, cussing quietly for a few moments. When she straightened and looked at Hildegard her flush still hadn't receded, but fortunately it was John who'd take up the torch.

"Aye, Lettle John's righ'. Tha' seems a queshin best fer yer Ma," Fenny nodded. "Bu'...no, lamb, bairns as on'y come en ones an' sometimes twos." She deserved to know that much.

It stunned Fenny how ignorant and innocent the girl was. Even before The Talk, she couldn't really remember asking foolish questions such as that. But the girl was twelve, womanhood was nearly upon her if it wasn't already! Surely she knew something about how things worked? She looked over at her husband with this very question on her face.

[EvelynWillows]

Little John cleared his throat and set a pitcher of water on the newly wiped table. He wasn't sure how the conversation had gotten to where it had so quickly, but he figured he had better rein it in quickly. Otherwise he'd have a very upset Herr und Frau Schneider wanting to know what they talked about in the Schnell household that had their daughters blushing for the next month!

"So if we're back by the time the pups are ready I want you to save us one, okay Hildegard? A boy." He pressed his lips together and hoped that she wouldn't start asking how to tell the difference. Hopefully living on a farm taught her that much. "It would be gut to have a dog around," he said to Fenny. "They bark when strangers come about."

Hilde sat at the table and smiled up at John. "Of course!" She whirled around to look at her sister. "You think Vater will let us name them? Hey, vat are you looking at Hamish like that for?"

Adelaide snapped her eyes around and shook her head. "I wasn't looking at anything. Silly girl." She walked over to Fenny and asked if she could help with anything.

Wil sat at the table opposite Hilde. "Tha's a fyne idee, John. Aye think tha'll 'elp everyone sleep be'er at night." He seemed restless. "Mayhaps Aye cen cut sum more wood fer the shed, ay? Keep a set 'o eyes outside." He stood back up again and glanced over at the others. His eyes lingered on Fenny for a moment. "Unless ye go' sumthin else fer me to do that'll 'elp more?"

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Aye, good idear love," Fenny said quickly, nodding in agreement. "Do a boy make any def'rence, though? Dun wan' 'im..." She trailed off and glanced at the girl, trying to avoid the conversation they'd just barely had to explain. "Well, pups es a burden, en't they? Specially ef we're wanten a pup o' our owwin soon? Bu' I s'pose et takes two..." She just needed to shut up now. She was only making things worse. Fenny was glad when Hildegard said something to her sister. "Aye, good eye Hildy. No cow eyes en th' hoose!" She teased the both of them, brandishing her wooden spoon playfully before setting it down and taking up a fork to prick the pie dough.

"Hmm?" Hamish had been glancing over at Adelaide, but hadn't caught any overt staring back.

He looked at her, wondering if the topic of puppies had set her to getting any ideas. Not that he'd be adverse to hearing those ideas, but he'd decided long ago that she was different. So long as her fingers were bare of any sort of ring, kissing was as far as he'd go; she deserved that. After all, Fenny had waited--despite what everyone said, he knew his sister and knew that was one thing she'd never lie about--and she seemed ecstatic with her choice, if not a little openly over-enthusiastic.

"C'mere an' cut the meat, lamb," Fenny said with a concerned look, holding out the handle of the knife for Adelaide to take. "'Bout thess beg," she formed her fingers into a circle about the size of a silver dollar, "an' dun cutcher fengers off. I'll letcha bleed jus' like I ded yer sess." She patted the girl on the shoulder and looked at Will. "Kin I talk te ye fer a mo', Well?" she asked with a little concern in her voice, starting towards the door.

"Wha's yer game?" she asked once they were outside, looking hard at him. The question was less accusatory and more confused. "Yer...real deff'rent. An' I dunno why. Ya ne'er ben like thess, Well, et's unsettlen."

[EvelynWillows]

Adelaide seemed glad to have something to do, and she enthusiastically started to cut the meat for the meal. She giggled at Fenny's promise. "I won't loose any part of me, promise."

" 'Sides," piped up Hilde. "She's already lost her heart!"

Addy's jaw dropped. "Hildegard Gertrude Schneider! Shush yourself!"

"You know I hate my middle name!" The younger sister nearly burst into tears.

Little John put a calming hand on the girl's shoulders. "We should not be hurting each others' hearts. There are enough people in the world eager to do that without doing it to your own family, ja?" He watched Fenny leading Will out the door.

Will Scarlet followed Fenny out the door.

"Wha's yer game?" she asked once they were outside, looking hard at him. The question was less accusatory and more confused. "Yer...real deff'rent. An' I dunno why. Ya ne'er ben like thess, Well, et's unsettlen."

"Hamish asked me the exact thing, Fen. Aye 'ave no game. Aye jus'....Aye saw 'ow skeered you were today, Fenny. Aye saw the look in yer eyes, and Aye wanna make what skeered you go aweh. That's all." He shook his head. "Aye ken ya love 'im, Fenny. Ahm dun tryin' to nose in where Aye dun belong."

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Aye, true 'nuff," Hamish agreed, nodding at John. He was conveniently overlooking the fact that he often poked fun at his own sister. Perhaps it was because the former priest didn't have siblings that he didn't understand it entirely. "'Sides, dun feel bad. Fen's meddle name es Eugena." He couldn't help but snicker. Most of the time, Fenny hated most of her name. Some of the time she liked Fenella, but she'd always avoided Eugena as much as possible.

"An' wha'e'er Addy gevs en't lost, jis' en a deffernt place fer safe keppen. T'were a feer trade, anehway." There was a bit of a sparkle in Hamish's hazel eyes when he turned them to Adelaide. It was one he'd seen many times in his sister whenever she looked at Little John, but never quite understood til now.

Outside Fenny stood looking at Will cautiously. "Okey..." she said slowly. "Et's jis'...weird es all. Bu' I 'pershiate th' butten oot. Really I do." She stepped forward and hugged her childhood friend. "Thanks, Well," she said before letting him go. "Ye kin do as ya like. Ef ya wanna help ye kin chop more firewoot, bu' yer more'n welcome at th' table, too." She turned to go back inside to finish making their lunch.

[EvelynWillows]

Adelaide looked at Hamish and her face slowly spread into a bigger smile. She'd never heard anything so romantic in her life, and he was saying those words to her! That was three; first the kiss, then the I love you, then telling her that he had her heart for safe keeping, and she had his. She felt her heart do a flip in her chest.

Little John shook his head at Hamish and smiled knowingly. He'd have been justified to tease his brother after all the grief he'd gotten from him while courting Fenny, but he didn't have the desire to say a single negative thing to them. Instead he adjusted the flue on the stove and tried not to grin at the love-struck couple. This would be their last hot meal in the house for a while. He wanted nothing to mar the memory of the place.

Will hugged Fenny back and then stepped away a bit. He was now, finally, aware of the fact that she belonged to someone else. And that she was happy that way. "Aye'll jus' get a bit more readah fer winter. Et'll prob'ly be me doin' most ov the cuttin', anywehs." He gave her a little smile. "Ah'll be in fer lunch then, eh?"

He walked off to the barn and picked up the axe and maul as he passed them. Right now good, hard work seemed like the perfect thing to keep his mind off the task that was to come. They were going off to a dangerous task and this might be their last night of peace for a while. Will had come to the shire with the hopes of winning away Fenny's heart, but now he just wanted to keep it from breaking. If Little John was going to be the reason Fenny cried, he'd have to do it on his own.

[The Lifted Lorax]

Hamish grinned stupidly and held Adelaide's gaze for a moment before suddenly finding the table very interesting. The flush went up to his hairline and he was acutely aware of both his brother and her sister watching. It had been a long time since he'd had a real relationship, if he ever had, and no woman had ever made him feel this way. It was a strange feeling, and embarrassing to someone who liked to keep his affections under wraps...but it was nice.

"Aye, I'll call ye," Fenny smiled and nodded. Finally there seemed to be some sort of understanding pushed through Will's thick skull. She came back inside and found Adelaide grinning and Hamish staring intently at the table. She smiled and shook her head. "En't love grand?" she quietly asked her husband, rhetorically of course, before kissing him.

"Ach, lovely Adelaide," she said with an approving smile at the girl's work cutting up the goat meat.

She took the water off the fire and carefully fished out the chunks of potato, putting them in the wooden bowl that had been their wedding gift then mashing them. Large circles were cut out of the dough on the counter and Fenny kept both Schneiders busy helping her doling out potatoes, chopped pearl onions, diced carrots, and goat meat into each one before pinching them closed. After that they went on the fire a dozen at a time with Fenny keeping a careful eye on them. An oven would have been preferable, but given what they had she made do. Finally, lunch was ready and Fenny called in Will from the yard to eat with the rest of them. Well, everyone except her. She set two pies out for herself and packed away the rest, a good portion in a basket for the girls and the rest for the road and also Robin's men.

[EvelynWillows]

"You spoil us," Little John commented. He shook his head at the wonderful meal she had made;and plenty more for the days ahead too. "Nellie was a good goat. She provided for us even with her death, that she did."

Will came in and washed up. He found himself stuck between the Schneider sisters, and hesitated a moment before sitting down. He was painfully aware of Hildegard's little girl crush on him and it made him extremely self conscious. There was just something different about the girls he had met in the hamlet. He was hoping to meet some 'normal' girls on their adventure, just to remind him that the world hadn't all gone and flipped over on its ear.

John gave Fenny a quick hug before pulling a chair out for her. Once they were all seated he offered a prayer of blessing over their meal, and asked God to protect them and to give them wisdom in the days ahead, and to also look after their loved ones while they were apart.

It felt good to have the girls over, and even Will's presence was peaceful that afternoon. It felt like a family.

John looked up from his blessing. "Let's eat!"

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Well, I dunno who would ef I denna," Fenny said with a shrug and a smile. She'd never been good at receiving compliments. "'Sides, anyone as I kin stand fer more'n a few mennits deserves ta be spoilt." She nodded solemnly and sighed when Little John commented that Nellie had been a good goat. If only she hadn't had to provide for them this way until the natural end of her life.

Fenny hugged her husband back and took the seat that he pulled out for her between himself and Hamish. On Hamish's other side was, naturally, Adelaide and Hilde had deviously left a space between her and her sister on purpose. She couldn't help but smirk at this as her friend sat between the two looking uncomfortable. It was funny to see Will Scarlet off-kilter for once. She took her brother's and her husband's hands and bowed her head for the blessing, then squeezed their hands gently and smiled when John looked up.

Fenny had a brief vision of the future, perhaps of Christmas or Easter or some other family holiday. Or maybe just a normal Sunday after church. When Hilde was grown and had found herself a husband who wasn't more than ten years her senior, and Gustav also had a wife and children, when the Schneider parents were perhaps a bit greyer, she could see the ten of them and maybe even Will and any sort of wife he chose sitting around an enormous table with a feast the women had been making for several hours. She imagined many copper-haired and strawberry blonde children running about in the yard and through the legs under the table, maybe a dog or two playing along. The thought made her smile and she hoped with all her heart that it might one day be true. Under the table she slid her foot around the back of Little John's ankle and slid it slowly up and down his calf affectionately. Perhaps it was the thought of children but she was very suddenly in a mood for planting cabbage.

"How es et?" she asked the table in general after a few moments of eating.

"Mmfffmm."

"Swalla fearst!" She cuffed Hamish in the back of the head. "Bu' thank ye. I had good help." She winked at the Schneider sisters.

[EvelynWillows]

Lunch was divine. Little John enjoyed Fenny's secret little touch under the table and the warmth of her leg against his. "How big of a table do you think we'd need to fit all twenty of our children?" He asked Fenny. "Perhaps we'd need to build a bigger cottage for all of them?" He grinned and speared a little chunk of meat that he fed to his wife's perfect lips before giving her a kiss.

"It's so nice to be able to kiss you without worryin' about Hamish giving me a black eye." he teased his brother.

Hilde watched the lovebirds at the table with rapt eyes. She could see the little secretive glances between Hamish and Adelaide and knew that something was up. It just wasn't crystal clear.

As the lunch began to wind to a close Will volunteered to walk the girls back to their house, since he was going to check on the beehives on his way back. Adelaide had already began to gather up the empty dishes for washing.

Little John put a hand on his stomach and smiled at Fenny. "You're bound to make me fat, dear wife. I hope you don't mind helping me exercise some of this off later."

Hilde gave him a little gasp of shock. "I know what that means! It means you want her to help you split the wood! That's what Vater und Mutti say all the time!"

John couldn't help it. He laughed out loud. "Remind me to have a little talk vit your Vater when I get back, ja Liebchen?"

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Ach! Yer stuck on twenny now, en't ye?" Fenny rolled her eyes, but smiled. "Wha'e'er happened ta a roond half dozen er so, hey?" She took the meat with a smile.

"Kep as yer goen an' I well," Hamish warned, half-teasing. It was difficult to watch others, particularly his sister, lay together every night when he wouldn't with Adelaide though he very sorely wanted to. But it wouldn't have been right. He gave Adelaide's hand a little squeeze under the table.

"Oh aye, et'd be me pleasure," Fenny chuckled when told she'd have to help Little John work off his lunch. Hamish very nearly had his old glower back.

"Pushen et," he said with a warning tone.

"I know what that means! It means you want her to help you split the wood! That's what Vater und Mutti say all the time!" the little Schneider said with a wide-eyed look. Fenny choked on her last bite, half with surprise and have with laughter.

"Aye," she coughed once the food had been dislodged. "Splet wood...er...aye." She looked at Will and said to him in Gaelic so that the sisters couldn't understand, "Ya migh' wanna tell her folks ta have a le'l set-doon weth 'er afore she goes o'er ta other neighbor's houses." Hamish nodded in agreement.

"I kin walk o'er there weth ye," he volunteered, not wanting to let Will be the last one who saw his Adelaide.

[EvelynWillows]

Little John had to wipe the tears from his eyes. "Aye, why don't you walk the girls back, then? I'll help Fenny with the dishes." He gave her a knowing wink. There was much more he'd like to help her with, but it might have to wait until that night.

The pies had been a lovely treat for their last day at the house. He made sure that the girls had the basket of pies Fenny had packed off for their family. "Oh, and so you know, Widow Fallow'll be taking the chickens, so don't worry about them. Just make sure your brother tends the crops and bees." He gave them each an uncle-ly hug and sent them off with the Scotsmen.

"They're a lovely family," he said to his wife. He put his arm around her and pulled her in for a long hug. "I suppose we should make the kitchen nice and tidy. It will make coming home much nicer to have a clean kitchen."

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Aye, tha' they are," Fenny agreed, watching the four of them through the window walking over the field. Hamish once again had a firm hold on Adelaide's hand and she wondered if he would keep that up even in the presence of her father and brother. "Et'll be nice ta have 'em roond more. I dun thenk Hamish coulda pecked someone bedder."

Fenny swept the crumbs off of the table onto the floor to be swept up once the washing had been done. Standing at the sink she began to scrub the plates Adelaide had collected, then the knives and the pot. She grinned and shook her head.

"Twenny? Johan Schnell I'd stop letten ye touch me after ten!" She elbowed him gently. Then, after a few moments, "Nah, tha's a lie. I wanchee touchen me all the time, all o'er th' place." She grinned up at him and stood on her tiptoes, pulling him down for a kiss. "Mmm...I could kess ye all day long, ye ken tha'?" she said softly before pulling him into another, deeper kiss. Washing dishes indeed! Maybe since it was the last time he'd see her for a while, Hamish would take his time walking Adelaide home...

[EvelynWillows]

Little John was busy being distracted by the way Fenny's hips swayed when she started to wash the dishes. He slid his hands along her waist from behind her after he swept the floor and began to muzzle her neck. When she turned around and kissed him, he groaned happily against her lips and pulled her closer.

"It's a good fifteen or twenty minutes to the Schneider's house," he breathed against her neck, "could we...?" His hands pulled her closer and ran up along the curve of her body, drinking in the way she felt. He bent down and kissed her neck and shoulders.

He was almost to.the point where walking would be difficult, but he wanted nothing more intensely than to scoop her up and bring her to their bedroom.

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Ach, I though' ye'd ne'er ask," Fenny said against her husband's lips. "All tha' talk o' bairns an' spletten wood..."

Fenny wrapped her hands around Little John's waist, pulling him closer. She didn't care anymore if they even made it past the sitting room. Hungrily she kissed his lips, chin, and neck. Before he'd even picked her up she was tugging at his shirt. She nuzzled her face into his neck and nipped at his skin gently.

"Take me John," she whispered in his ear, shivers running through her body everywhere their bodies touched.

[EvelynWillows]

Little John chuckled at her eagerness and kicked the door shut behind them once they were in their room. He had no desire to be walked in on in the middle of his time with Fenny. His mouth found hers and kissed deeply. His hands roamed her dress until they found the buttons and ties to undo, and then he unbound her and lifted her dress off her body.

God, he loved her body. He kissed each breast and ran his hands down over her waist and hips, then up her strong and lean back. His hands traced over her shoulders and then cupped her face as he kissed her again, more gently.

His mouth traced her neck and chest as he pushed her towards the bed, his hands on her waist lifting her up and then dropping her on the soft mattress. "I'll take you wherever you want to go," he said as he crawled onto the bed and threaded his knee between hers. He pressed up with his leg, putting pressure on her sex and kissed her again, pinning her down to the mattress.

[The Lifted Lorax]

He'd insisted on going all the way to the bedroom. But Fenny hadn't stopped kissing him all the way there, her lips finding any exposed skin she could. As soon as John set her down she pulled his shirt off and her lips and teeth traced a pattern across his chest. Her husband finally relieved her of her dress and her fingers fumbled with the fastenings on his pants briefly before pulling them down over his hips.

Fenny groaned appreciatively into John's gentle kiss. She pressed her fingernails gently into his hips when he pulled her close before pushing her toward the bed. Since their wedding night they'd both become bolder and she moaned gently when he pressed his leg against her. She was gradually coming to know what she did and didn't like and decided when her husband pinned her that things could definitely stay that way for a bit. Wrapping one leg around him she pulled him closer and deepened his kiss.

"Take me to the moon," she murmured when their lips parted before leaning up and nipping gently at his ear. Fenny pressed her hips against John and moaned softly in his ear.

[EvelynWillows]

Little John was aching in his readiness to be in her, but he held back for a bit. He had found that when she was wet and swollen her finale was much stronger than when she wasn't. His manhood lay hard and warm against her hip as he held her down and kissed her. There was something about controlling her for that one moment before he let the wildcat in her go that thrilled him. If he thought about it too much it might scare him, but right then it was wonderful to have her permission to ravished her as he desired.

He devoured her mouth and neck, then worked his way down to her breasts. One day they would nourish their children, but right now they were Kia to enjoy. He cupped their pert roundness and ran her nipples between his fingers before kissing them one at a time. He nudged at her sex with his, but refrained from entering her yet. It was something to savor.

He moaned her name into her skin as he explored her body, writhing underneath his.

[The Lifted Lorax]

Fenny kissed her husband back hard as he ravished her, taking pleasure from the control. She had been afraid that maybe her nightmare would give her inhibitions about such a thing, but his actions weren't the wild, animalistic ones of her dream. His flesh was warm and inviting and she wanted to beg him for it, but she was too proud; somewhere deep inside of her, a part of this particular instance was about winning.

"John..." she moaned as she felt first his fingers then his lips on her breasts.

He'd let her go but instead of trying to take any sort of control her hands remained up near her head; she was content for now to surrender to him. Fenny writhed and moaned beneath her husband, aching for him but not yet begging. In a way she was enjoying how he seemed to want to savor it; it was wonderful and painful all at once.

[EvelynWillows]

John grinned to himself as he felt Fenny's body relaxing beneath his. He brought his mouth down to her stomach and breathed on her, sending tingles down her limbs. His hands followed her thighs down to her knees and then back up again as he slid down between her legs and kissed the top of her hips, then her thighs. He gently nipped the inside of her legs and licked her skin, then eased himself so that his face was level with her sex.

He looked up at her to see if she had started to panic, or if she was still letting him have his way with her.

[The Lifted Lorax]

Electricity shot through Fenny's body everywhere John kissed. Her breasts, her stomach, her hips. Through the painful ecstasy she wondered what exactly he was doing, but was certain it would feel wonderful. She moaned and arched her back as she felt her husband slide down her body, and even more when she felt his lips in places they'd never been before. She breathed in sharply at feeling his teeth on the insides of her thighs and looked down at John, reaching down to run a hand through his hair and finally understanding what he was getting at...she thought.

"Oh God..." she moaned in anticipation, letting her head fall back onto the pillow. They could do that??? That was a thing??? Or had they just made it up? She didn't know and didn't care, she just wanted to know what it felt like. Her knees trembled in anticipation and her entire body seemed to be waiting.

[The Lifted Lorax]

Found the lost page!!

[EvelynWillows]

Little John licked the crease between Fenny's thigh and her pelvis, his hands running up her trembling legs and feeling her strength in them. He used his fingers to open her up to him before beginning to explore the mysteries of her innermost secrets with his tongue and mouth. He used his freshly shaved chin to rub against parts of her while his mouth kissed and licked, sometimes sucked, on her flesh. He tasted her excitement and found that he quite liked it. His fingers ran along the slick folds of her womanhood, finally understanding how she was put together. It was wondrous.

After he had spent a good amount of time exploring and probing her, holding her trembling legs against his head and feeling her hands in his hair, he began to move up to her again. He laid his hardness on that same crease that he had licked earlier as he revisited her breasts. Then his mouth traveled up to her neck and his rigid readiness slid down into her opening and finally joined with her in her deepest, warmest regions. He groaned into her neck and nearly died with the pleasure of being inside of her. "Oh, God...Fenny..." He gasped. Her trembling legs next to his own nearly drove him over the edge.

[The Lifted Lorax]

Everything was blotted out of Fenny's mind. She tried to keep still as John explored her, skillfully, with his tongue and mouth but it was difficult when he kept finding all the right places. Unintelligible sounds of ecstasy came from her in short bursts and for fear of hurting her husband she had to remove her hand from his hair and grasp the pillow at her head instead. Her fingers were clenched so tightly around it that her knuckles were white and her hands hurt, but she didn't feel it. All she felt was this new, wonderful incredible sensation that blinded her to everything else. She was almost grateful when he ended this painful but amazing new feeling when he began to slide back up her body.

Fenny wrapped one arm around John's ribs while the other hand returned to his hair as he kissed her neck. Her eyes opened wide when he finally slid into her. Even more her undoing was her husband saying her name...that way. That particular way she could never describe but always recognized. Already she was out of breath and barely able to gasp her husband's name in return, slowly pushing her hips up to where they met his completely. And at that moment one thought only came to her mind. This is true love.

[EvelynWillows]

John wrapped his hand around her thigh and guided her leg up around his waist, so that she could lock him into her legs. He pushed deeply and slowly into her body, the feel of her breasts against his chest intensifying the fact that they were completely exposed to each other. Nothing was between them; nothing separated them. There was no shame or taboo in anything they were doing, and that was sweet nectar to his lips. He groaned into her neck as his body seemed to wake up even harder at her hips rising up to meet his.

He ran his other hand through her hair and then brought her lips to meet his and kiss her. The soft creaminess of her desire was still on his lips, but he didn't care. He was making her completely his; he was taking her to the moon.

John groaned into her kiss as his tempo began to increase slightly. There was only so much he could hold back. His legs felt both powerless and powerful as he pushed deeper into her. It was like a drought-ridden man drinking water. His gulps of the cool liquid both soothed and hurt as he swallowed down to much to quickly. In the same way, John was feeling the build up of the pleasure and pain of his pending orgasm building up in him.

[The Lifted Lorax]

Fenny let John guide her leg up around his waist and soon the other followed, though weakly on its own. Feeling his tongue in all of her most sensitive spots had left her legs weak. When he guided her lips to his she kissed him hard, lacing her fingers behind his neck. The kiss tasted different for obvious reasons but she hadn't the presence of mind to work out whether it was pleasant or not. It was him, and that alone was enough to cause her to die of happiness.

She moaned as John sped up slightly, bringing her hips up to meet his like the tide rising up at the will of the moon. Fenny felt even more fulfilled as he pushed deeper, feeling like she was missing a part of herself when he wasn't inside her. Her breath came in short gasps and she had to unwrap her legs from John's waist as her lower back arched off the bed. Her fingertips dug into her husband's shoulders as she begged breathlessly for more.

[EvelynWillows]

John moved his mouth to Fenny's ear as he took her more forcibly. His hand moved down to her breasts and began to stimulate her nipples, rolling their hard nubs in his fingers as he moved inside her and began to give out little gasps and grunts with each stroke. "Fenny," he whispered as his shoulders began to feel the tingling sensations that usually started in the sides of his head and then shot down through his core.

"Open yourself to me, Fenny. Spread your legs and pull me in." He panted into her neck and kept up the deep, hard thrusts. His other hand found her wrists above her head and grasped them, holding them up so that he was forcing her to give herself up to him even more than before. He had waited for his entire life to love someone like this, and now that he was married to this incredible woman she had become everything he desired. He arched his head back as the orgasm started in his brain and shot down through his loins and then out his fingers and toes. A cold streak exploded behind his eyes.

It was the most exquisite death he had ever felt. He kept pushing into her until the wave was finished washing over him, then he panted against her chest as he slowly drifted back to the earth.

[The Lifted Lorax]

Fenny could barely breath as her climax built up inside her, blossoming from her stomach and rising into her chest before sliding back down through her core. She tried to hold off but John's breath on her ear as he whispered her name and told her to open herself to him made her lose control over her body. With his fingers on her nipples and her wrists clasped in the other hand, each successive gasp for breath was a little higher pitched than the last.

Finally she was blinded just by the strength of her orgasm as she lost all control only moments before John. All her life she had waited, despite urgings and expectations from everyone else, and had found this man waiting for her. This man who knew her body inside and out better than she did, this man who could do to her things she didn't even know possible or even existent. In that single moment of pure pain and pleasure her heart stopped, the world stopped, just for him.

When her husband had stopped moving in her and dropped his head to her chest, she lifted her head briefly to look at him, then let it fall back to the pillow. Fenny was grinning widely even though she was struggling for breath.

"Wow..."

[EvelynWillows]

Little John kissed the corner of her mouth as he leaned to the side and took his weight off of her. He laid his leg over hers and grinned at her though his happy exhaustion. He ran his fingers through her hair and smiled. "I'm not done with you Frau Schnell. They won't be back for a while if I've judged Hamish right."

He pulled Fenny into his arms and kissed her all over her face, ending on her mouth. He rested his face against hers and sighed. "A good meal, a good woman...life is as perfect as I can imagine it to be."

Across the glade Will was trailing the trio as they walked towards the Schneiders' farm. He kept scanning the treeline nervously, looking for strangers or movement of any kind. He watched Adelaide as she laid her head against Hamish's arm. She swayed when she walked, and her eyes were trained on him. Will sighed to himself. He supposed that it was good for Hamish to finally have a special girl, instead of all those temporary women he'd bed. Will smirked to himself. He'd see how loyal Hamish was once they got out of this little Hamlet.

[The Lifted Lorax]

Fenny grinned back at her husband, breathing heavily. As John kissed the corner of her mouth she turned her head to kiss him fully. She giggled when he promised he wasn't done with her and kissed her all over the face.

"Mm...gimme a mo', love," she said tiredly. "Tha'...tha' theng ya ded...et were me undoen..." She chuckled a little and rolled to nuzzle her face into his neck.

Hamish walked between the Schneider sisters and was a little surprised when Adelaide laid her head on his arm. He rested his head on hers, but only for a moment. The tilt made him lose balance and stagger a little. When they reached the Schneider homestead Hamish let go of his sweetheart's hand and cleared his throat when faced with her parents.

"Er....Herr Schneider? Kin I talk ta ye an' yer son a mo'? Privately? "

[EvelynWillows]

Little John nodded and closed his eyes. A moment sounded good. Just a moment to rest, to hold her...maybe a little nap. He sighed against her hair and fell asleep.

At the Schneider household Hildegard ran ahead to show her mother the little pies she had helped make. Frau Schneider was overwhelmed with the gift from Fenny. She smiled and invited the others in. Hamish's request made her raise an eyebrow at her husband.

Herr Schneider nodded, but his son frowned. "Vat 'ave you dun to my sister?" he asked Hamish suspiciously.

Adelaide scowled at her brother but followed her mother obediently. She gave Hamish an encouraging smile. "Don't listen to Gunter; he's a sourpuss."

Will sat on the steps and waved Hamish off with the two male Schneiders. "Aye'll jus wait," he said. "Dun mind meh."

[The Lifted Lorax]

"What?!" Hamish yelped. "Nothen! I sweer!" He was used to the answer being something, so it was strange to be able to honestly say he hadn't done anything to the lady. He nodded a thanks to Will and stepped off to the side with the Schneider men.

Apart from his sister's wedding, Hamish couldn't remember the last time he'd been this nervous. There were two of them, taller than he and each probably about as strong. He could easily be taken care of if he said the wrong thing, or something they didn't like. He'd never asked permission to do anything he'd done with other women, not from brothers, fathers, or uncles, but it was time to step up and be a man. Hamish's heart thundered in his chest and his tongue felt numb as he took a deep breath and finally found a place to start.

"Herr Schneider...Gustav...er...I ken as ye prolly heard sommat 'boot me er...sordid past..." Well, that certainly wasn't the best way to start. "Bu' th' Schnells kin vouch fer me as tha's ben behind me fer a while." Did Scotland count? "An' no' jus' coz I'm 'er brother, neither. Ef I was a lout she'd tell ye, trus' me. They both would. Eh...Aneyway, I ken as I dun have much, bu'..." Hamish's face flushed deeper and he had to take a breath. "Bu' I love yer Adelaide, an' I came ta ask yer permeshen ta court 'er jus' soon's I'm back from thess mad trep we're taken. Proper-like."

Never had Hamish been so intimidated. Blood rushed in his ears as he looked Adelaide's brother and father in the eyes and he felt like he was about to fall over. The younger Schneider had implied at the wedding that he approved of Hamish's interest in his sister, but had he changed his mind? The Scot had to remind himself to breathe as he stood waiting for an answer, which seemed to take forever to come.

[EvelynWillows]

Gunther looked at his father. Herr Schneider looked at Hamish. "Wie heard a thing or two," he said. "Et takes a lot for a dog to change is bite, ja? Und how do vie know you hast become a noo mahn?"

The younger Schneider glared down at Hamish. "You know Vater das you canna tell the measure ov a mahn oontil you've hunted boar wit 'im."

"Hmmm, find out who es the peeg, ja?"

"Ja." Gunther looked over his potential brother. "I suppose ve can see how he doz ven he is aveh? Und if Johan says he has been gut, then perhaps?"

"True, perhaps then ve can take 'im on a peeg hunt to see how he measures up." Herr Schneider smiled. "Und dan you can court my Adelaide, 'proper like'."

Gunther smacked Hamish on the shoulder. "Ah, you fool! She seems nice now, ja?--but when she gets 'er hooks in you!"

Herr Schneider grinned and gave Hamish a hug. "So veddy gut! Und if you hurt my Adelaide..." he drew a finger across his throat, "eh? Wie understand each other? --Gut!"

[The Lifted Lorax]

When Herr Schneider confirmed that they'd heard a few things about his prior reputation, Hamish's heart sank a little. There went any chance of his approval. And who could blame him? Hamish would think the same thing if it were his daughter.

"Well sir, ef ye ken yer daughter a' all ye ken as she's more'n nuff amazen ta change any man fer th' bedder," Hamish said after the father commented on how a dog couldn't change its bite. "I ne'er felt thess wey fer no one sir an' I ne'er well, an' tha's th' God's honest truth, I'll sweer on th' Bible etsself."

Hamish listened as the Germans solemnly discussed the measure of a man. Hunting boar? He could do that! That was easy! He was confused when their attitudes suddenly changed and he was hit playfully and pulled into a spine-cracking hug. He staggered when he was released.

"Herr Schneider, herten Addy's th' vurrah las' then I'd e'en thenk ta do," he said earnestly. "I'll do anehthen ye ask o' me ta prove tha' to ye."

[EvelynWillows]

"Das is gut," Herr Schneider said. "Adelaide is verah smitten vit you. Und she ist mein oldest daughter, so I vant her to have the best, ja? Und so you muss become the best for her." He thumped Hamish on the back. "Ven you get back ve vill work on dein Haus."

"Ja," Agreed Gunter. "Unless it's vinter."

The father laughed. "Ja, unless it's vinter." He nodded at Hamish. "Don't let mein daughter down, Herr Balloch. She only has von heart, und she's given it too you." He put out his right hand to Hamish to shake. "Gut luck den, ja?"

Gunter grinned and pushed Hamish hard on his shoulder. "Et's aboot time ya red-headed Scot! Now vie just 'ave to get him to wear proper pants!" He chortled at his future brother and strode back towards the house.

Will still sat on the steps, waiting for Hamish. When he saw him he sprung up. "All set then? Let's geh, mornin's not ta long afar." He nodded at the Schneider men, eager to start back across the glade.

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Well, Herr Schneider...bes' I fegger, I'm no' th' bes' man. There's plenny o' gallant knights an' kengs as could swep 'er off 'er feet, an' she'd deserve et. She deserves th' werrild. Bu' s'long as she'll le' me call 'er me own, I'll be th' bes' man as I kin fer 'er." Hamish coughed when he was thumped heartily on the back and shook Herr Schneider's hand firmly. He scowled a little when Gunter repeated his determination to get Hamish to wear pants; it was a conversation they'd had many times.

"Ne'er worn troosers a day en me life an' I ne'er well," he insisted, glad for the levity as they walked back toward the house. "Et's un-Scotsmanlike es wha' et es." Although Hamish had found a wonderful new life and a second chance here in the little German Hamlet, he always stuck by the family mantra taught to him by his father and brother: "Ef et en't Scottesh et's crap!" He'd repeated the sentiment many a time in the little village when caught in a discussion with one of the others about Scottish traditions, mostly his lack of proper pants.

Hamish nodded when Will stood and insisted they get back. He turned to shake hands one more time with each of them.

"We'll try no' ta be too long," he said, "An' eh...tell 'er I wun fail 'er. I promess." With a final goodbye, he started back across the field with his countryman.


Back at the Schnell farmstead Fenny woke slowly, in the middle of rolling over but unable to. She turned and smiled gently when she saw her dozing husband laying on her hair. Scooting closer to him, she kissed his lips gently, then his forehead, nose, lips again, neck, then down his chest. Hopefully that had been enough to wake him pleasantly.

"Though' ye said ye werrin' done weth me?" she said softly with a grin when he opened his eyes to look at her.

[EvelynWillows]

Will walked most of the way in silence with Hamish. He finally couldn't stand it and had to ask. "So, yer thinkin' of marryin' the lass, eh? Aye men, yer really goen ta settle dewn and start a fam'ly? A proper fam'ly?" He looked sideways at Hamish. "And ya look so happy tah. You an' Fenny 'ave found a noo life 'ere."

He glanced around at the early evening landscape. "We Scots are a stubborn lot, eh? Scraping an' scrimpin' in the rocks when there's a besser life jus' a wee bit aweh."


Back at the Schnell household Little John smiled sleepily at his wife. "Aye, you're right. I'm not done," he said, kissing her back. He pulled her closer and began to make love to his bride, this time much slower and calmer than earlier in the day. Tomorrow they'd be on the road, hopefully doing whatever needed to be done to get their blackmailer off their backs, but this evening was for Fenny and for him.

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Aye, ef they'll let me," Hamish answered, looking across the landscape. "Gotta come back an' I guess hunt some ruddy peg er sommat afore they'll e'en let me court 'er." He smirked a little when Will commented that Scots were a stubborn lot. "Aye...bu' we'll figh' fer wha's ours an' tha' le'l patch o' rock an' maybe some day et'll e'en be ours."

Will was right, they did have a new life and they were happy. It was weird, being happy. They'd never had something like that before. Hamish silently prayed that whatever this R wanted from them wouldn't take long and they'd make it back safely before the winter. Soon enough, they arrived back on the lawn. The windows were dark and Hamish frowned, wondering if perhaps Fenny and John had gone to bed early despite the sun just beginning to set.

"Sommat en't righ'..." he said slowly.

Walking into the house, he saw the kitchen in disarray. The floor was swept, but the small pile of crumbs was still by the broom which was leaned against the table. Most of the dishes were washed but there was a puddle under the drying rack. Fenny always insisted on the dishes being dried or the water would ruin the wood counter. There was something very not right here. Was...had...was R in the house?

Fenny!

Panic and fear gripped Hamish's heart. Wordlessly, he started going through the house room by room. The house was only dimly lit by the setting sun and R could be hiding anywhere ready to get him too, but he didn't care. He needed to find his sister and make sure she was alright. Without knocking, he threw open their bedroom door.

"Hamish!" But by the time Fenny had shrieked in alarm, Hamish had closed the door quickly again.

"Er...ne'er mind me..." Hamish shuddered and closed his eyes, but the image of his sister sprawled on her back across the bed was burned into his mind. And John...oh dear God. "I'll just er...go...scrub me eyes out now." The awful moaning he'd heard in the brief second he was in the room kept echoing in his ears. No amount of alcohol would ever make this okay.

[EvelynWillows]

Will was, thankfully, in the kitchen still when Hamish made his discovery. He looked up when Hamish hurried out of the back of the house. "Es ev'rything alrigh?" He was lighting a lamp in the darkening kitchen. "No one's hurt, are they?"

Little John started to chuckle. He buried his face in Fenny's neck and the chuckling turned to laughter. "Well now that we've gotten that out of the way..." He kissed her. "I suppose we have to either finish cleaning the kitchen or let your brother do it as penance, ja?" he propped himself up on one elbow. "So...I suppose you'll need a bit of time before you're willing to try that again without a lock on the door." He grinned.

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Yeah..." Hamish said, blinking hard. "Aye, e'er'then's...fine..." he shook his head. "I need a drenk." Instead of going out to the cellar, however, he instead grabbed a towel and mopped up the puddle on the counter and put the dishes away. No amount of clawing his own eyes out could ever fix this.

As Little John began to laugh, so did Fenny. That was all they could do, was laugh. She let her head fall back and shook it slightly. The moment had been completely ruined, but she almost didn't mind. Of course Hamish had earned himself a beating later, but still it was funny.

"Well, see, tell we go' bairns o' our owwen we dun need no lock. Hamish's oot en the barrin, we'll fenesh hes hoose when we're back, an' af'er tha' he opens tha' door a' hes owwen resk." Fenny giggled and kissed her husband. "We'll jus' hafta make up fer et when the sun goes doon en 'e's en the barrin fer the nigh', hey?"

[EvelynWillows]

Little John nodded. He kissed her forehead and sighed against the warmth of her skin. "Well, there's no way to avoid it. Life awaits." He sat up in bed and began to get dressed. "I certainly hope that we get back home before the snows hit. It's not any fun trying to sleep when you're cold, as I'm sure you well know." He reached over and smacked Fenny playfully on her rump when she got out of the bed to get dressed.

He stretched happily and waited for her to be ready before opening their door. "Let's go see if Hamish has any eyes left in his head, shall we?"

Will had wordlessly helped Hamish clean up the kitchen. He had an inkling of what had happened but wasn't sure if he should say anything. Finally he couldn't resist. "Well then, eh? Didja think that they'd be marreed all this time and nogh' 'ave a go at it once we were out of the house?" He chuckled. "Aye could pu' a pot 'o tea on fer ya then, if'n yer needin' a drink still?"

[The Lifted Lorax]

Fenny let out a little yelp of surprise when Little John smacked her on the rear. She turned and cuffed him gently upside the head. "Aye, well...I'm sure we kin find ways ta kep warrim, hey?" She grinned and winked before sliding back into her dress. "I dun thenk 'e do though," she laughed, crossing the room to her husband and giving him a final kiss before he opened the door.

"I though' tha' R fella were en th' hoose," Hamish snapped back testily. "Kinna blame me fer bein' worrehed. Ye may wanna see me sesster nekkid, bu' I dun! An' e'en a' tha' I dun thenk ye'd've wan'ned ta see tha' much o' Le'l John." He squeezed his eyes shut again and shuddered. "An' there en't 'nuff tea en the werrild as kin fex tha'. No' lessin ya pour et straight enta me eyes."

"Ach! Thanks!" Fenny teased, stepping into the kitchen. "Make me feel real good boot meself, hey?" She grinned and stuck her tongue out before helping finish up what had been abandoned in the kitchen.

[EvelynWillows]

"Well I suppose the secret's out now," Little John teased Hamish. "You'll have ta start calling me Big John now." He grinned and smacked Hamish's shoulder. "That'll teach you to walk into our bedroom ya crazy Scot!"

Will blushed slightly. "Well...ah thought pr'haps, bu' didn'a think that et was wha' really 'appened." He chuckled. "Well now's Herr Schneider gave ye permission ta' court 'is Addy you'll be thinkin' of putting locks on yer doors, aym sure." He finished drying the last of the dishes and put them away.

"You got permission to court Adelaide?" Little John's eyes grew wide. "Well, congratulations you cad! Why didn't ya tell us?" He reached up on the top most shelf of his pantry and took down a dusty bottle. "It deserves a drink," he said. "Here, peach mead." He nodded at Hamish. "Let's toast you and yer lovely girl, ja? It's gut reason to celebrate!"

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Ach! Johan!" Fenny hit Little John's arm and blushed deeply. She was sure that once the initial hubbub had died down this would go right under The Sheep Talk on their unspoken list of things never to mention between them ever again. Fenny grinned when Will mentioned that Hamish had gotten permission from Adelaide's father, glad both for him and for the change of subject.

"Ach! Ye denna tell us!" She hugged her brother and kissed his cheek. "Congrats, Hamish."

"Ye was a le'l busy," Hamish grumbled, turning pink. He didn't want to think of where those lips had been while they had been out, or even possibly moments ago. "He denna gev me...permeshen, ezackleh. More like...conditions. 'E said they'd see when I come back, ef ye say I were honorable." He inclined his head towards Little John. "Then sommat 'boot hunten a wild boar. Bu' I kin do tha' no problem." Hamish opened the cupboards and pulled out four glasses anyway. "I'll stell have some o' tha' mead, though. Stell need a good drenk."

"So ya mean ta marry 'er?" Fenny asked, very interested. As far as she knew Hamish had never asked the families of the numerous girls he'd bedded if he could even court them. She wanted to know more about this unusual and clearly very special girl in his life.

"I eh...I thenk so...aye..." Saying it out loud made the Scot's heart beat fast. Too fast. It was real now...He did intend to marry Adelaide Schneider, and he'd just said it out loud.

[EvelynWillows]

Little John laughed at Hamish and poured them four ample glasses of the mead. It was strong and sweet, just the thing to celebrate the news. "To Hamish and his new ways," he said as he raised his glass.

"Ay!" Will took a sip and then raised his glass as well. "Ta new beginnings, then." He nodded at Hamish. "Yer'a lucky rogue, Hamish. Dun evah ferget it." He took another long drink. "Es nogh' bad, the swill." He looked over at Little John. "Ye make this?"

John nodded. "Ja. Yer drinkin' bee excretions, Will. Enjoy." He slipped an arm around Fenny's shoulders. "Now drink up, yew. This is the last night fer a while I'll have a proper bed fer my wife, and I was a little bit interrupted taday, so drink your poison and git ta bed, why doncha?" He grinned at Fenny. "Having them here is gut practice fer when we have our own children, ja? Ahm thinkin' now meybe tweenty-two might be a better number."

Will leaned back and finished his glass with a flourish. "Well then, ay'll see y' in the mornin'. Brigh' an eareah, eh? The sooner'n we git dun the sooner we cen git this 'R' off our becks." He set the glass down and stood up. "Good noch, then. 'Amish? Ye comin'?"

[The Lifted Lorax]

"An' ta long, happy marriages," Fenny added, beaming at her brother before taking a drink. She was proud of Hamish and glad he'd finally found someone to convince him to settle down. Hamish turned red and mumbled some sort of agreement before drinking his own mead. He was grateful for the good spirits John brewed.

"Bairns es more trouble," Fenny said as Little John put his arm around her. She smiled and drank deeply from her cup again, leaning on her husband. "An' ef ya kep et up ye'll get nothen a' all! I put me foot doon at ten, John, an' tha's pushen et!" She pursed her lips and nudged him, knowing that at least right now it was more the process of making children than having children that interested him. Still, whenever God saw fit to give them a baby he would be a wonderful father. "Ye eh...ded come en a' kinda a moment though..." she added to Hamish, who said nothing but proceeded to drink deeply and gratefully.

"Yeah, I'm commen," he said to Will, rinsing both their glasses in the sink before kissing his sister on the forehead. "G'nigh'. I dun wanna hear no complaints en th' mornen boot how tired ye are." Fenny smiled and gave Hamish a little hug.

"G'night." As soon as the door was closed, she crossed over to lock it more for protection than anything else, then turned and strolled back over to her husband, downing the rest of her mead before setting the glass on the table and kissing him. "So...where were we?"

[EvelynWillows]

Little John picked up both their glasses and rinsed them out, then the empty bottle as well. "We can't have Hamish being cleaner than we, can weh?"

He took her hand to lead her back to the bedroom. "I think we can figure out where we left off, now that our guests have shoved off." He grinned. "I mean...gone to bed." He kissed her deeply and shut the door behind them. "Just in case, you see."

As he pulled his wife towards the bed Little John covered her face in kissed. He smiled down at her and began to help her undress. "I think we started here somewhere," he murmured. "I'm sure we can find the spot." He was glad to have this one last time to hold her in the comfort of their bed before they took off for the wilds of Nottingham forest. As he laid down with Fenny again that night, John thanked God for the blessings they had, and the friends as well. He thanked Him for his Fenny, and then he put away his thoughts and just enjoyed his night with the only woman who mattered to him in the world....

[The Lifted Lorax]

Fenny waited for Little John to finish rinsing out the dishes then took his hand as he led the way back to the bedroom. She grinned when he lifted her dress over her head and pressed her body against him.

"Well, I'm glad Ye remember s'well," she grinned as she pulled his shirt off.

There was a time for worry. There was a time for fear. There was a time to think about R and Robin and this whole awful ordeal. Tonight was not that time. Tonight was the time to lose herself in her husband's arms.

Morning came too early. Fenny moaned as the first weak lights of a grey dawn crept under the curtain. She rolled over and wiggled closer to Little John, pulling the covers up over her chilly shoulders and nudging out a more comfortable nest in her wild firey mane, which always tended to get everywhere in her sleep.

[EvelynWillows]

Little John wanted to rest in his wife's arms longer, to stretch out the minutes of the morning until it was hours, but he remembered the warning in yesterday's message. They had to be on their way first thing this morning or Fenny would be at risk for hanging. He kissed her lips and ran his fingers through her tangled hair, careful to not pull the knots.

"Father Almighty," he breathed, "please watch over us, keep us safe and wise, and may Your will be done. Amen." He smoothed back Fenny's hair. "There's nothing to do for it, morning has broken. It's time we were on our way." Slowly, reluctantly, he got dressed and smoothed out the covers on the bed. He belted on his sword and dagger before taking his small pack and slinging it over his shoulder.

In the barn Will pulled bits of straw from his hair and then rolled out of his makeshift bed. He rolled up his blanket and then wrapped his tartan around his waist, securing it with the belt and sporran (http://image.shutterstock.com/display_pic_with_logo/517840/517840,1300138772,3/stock-photo-a-scottish-kilt-with-its-sporran-the-traditional-purse-73170118.jpg) most men wore. He buttoned up his boots (http://img1.photographersdirect.com/img/19827/wm/pd1048575.jpg), the one luxury he owned, and checked his claymore.

"Well, Hamish, oyer fete awaits." He reached under a hen and stole her eggs, handing Hamish one and cracking the other into his mouth for a quick breakfast.

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Amen," Fenny murmured to Little John's prayer, keeping her eyes closed. She sighed when he told her that morning had broken. All she had ever wanted was right here, right now...why was she not allowed to keep it?

Groaning, she slowly rolled out of bed and tugged the covers up neatly before John smoothed it out. Before slipping on her dress she strapped the scabbard for her dagger (http://ts2.mm.bing.net/images/thumbnail.aspx?q=4628459367236661&id=51035dedf6da884fe4144890114ad4ea) around her thigh. What had fit easily on stocky Alastair's calf had to be slid nearly all the way up Fenny's pale leg. She slid on her dress then wrapped her tartan around her waist, throwing the excess over her shoulder, and buckled Lilith to her hip. Crossing to the corner she slung the quiver and bow (http://ts2.mm.bing.net/images/thumbnail.aspx?q=4870197309080573&id=2b124404bd52abd592f14c8b6d510698) Hamish had made for her last winter for hunting.

"God send me no need o' ye," she murmured, patting the sword at her hip. Sliding her feet into her soft rabbit-skin boots and slinging her own small pack over her shoulder, she took John's hand with her free one and took a deep breath before stepping out the door.

Hamish scratched his scalp furiously to shake out all the hay, then wrapped his own kilt. Reaching over he belted on his claymore and patted his calf to check his own dagger. Wordlessly he nodded to Will's sentiment and took an egg. Cracking it into his mouth he shuddered as it slid down his throat. He hated the texture of raw eggs, but it was better than an empty stomach. He was sure Fenny would control rations of yesterday's pies quite tightly, seeing as they could be a bargaining chip in gaining the trust of the so-called Merry Men. It wasn't Robin that worried him; he was a good soul who would welcome them back with open arms. It was these men he didn't know.

"Aye, less go," he said at last, walking over to the ladder and climbing down carefully.

[EvelynWillows]

They took the cooled, dried pieces of goat and a few sacks of flour with them, slinging them over Will's horse and using the beast as a pack animal for their trip. They'd be walking this time, but it was good to have a beast of burden along for the hauling.

The little hamlet seemed to shrink as they made their way across the hops one last time. John plucked a cone from a vine and nibbled on one of the bitter leaves. He stuck the rest of the cone in a pocket to remember the farm by. The forest followed the road for the first eight miles before tapering off and giving way to more farm lands and open fields, dotted with cows and sheep. A heavy mist hung in the air for the first hour of their walk. John remembered the trip home nearly two years ago. He had Fenny and Hamish at his side, and good old Brandy ahead of him. Life had changed much in that time. Near noon they crested the rise where they had first smelled signs of the fire that had taken John's home from them for short while.

Will enjoyed the chance to stretch his legs. He was thinking of how the neighbors all seemed to pitch in whenever there was a need in the hamlet. Somehow the easy communal sharing of the community had seemed a natural way to manage their resources and help each other out. It probably helped that most of the people there were cousins to each other or had immigrated from the same southern region of Germany.

Little John spotted a nice shady area off the side of the road and suggested that they stop for lunch. "I'm hoping a few of those pies were saved for us," he teased Fenny. "My stomach gets as hungry as Robin's does, I reckon."

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Aye, but two each. On'y. I dunno how many 'e go' weth hem." There were a good two and a half or three dozen.

Fenny walked over with them to the side of the road. It felt strange but at the same time familiar to be on the road again, walking and not knowing where their feet would take them or when they'd eat next once the pies ran out.

She sat in the grass and handed them each their portion of lunch. If it had been under normal circumstances, she would have allowed more since none of them had had a proper breakfast.

"When we ge' ta Sherwood Forest," Hamish said through a mouthful of pie, "le' me'n'Fen do all th' talken."

"Aye," Fenny nodded in agreement. "We go' lotsta account fer, least o' whech es runnen off wi'out a werd."

[EvelynWillows]

Little John bit into his pie appreciatively even before he took a seat on the cool grass. "You can do all the talking," he agreed with Hamish. "I'll just stand around and look good."

Will laughed, the first honest gut-gurgling laugh he'd had since he got there. "Aye, you kin be the muscle 'n Aye'll be the entertainment, and Hamish'll be the brains. Tha'll do it." He looked at Fenny. "You jus' be yerself; no'un'd care wot ye werds were so's long as ye smiled et dem." He grinned at her. "Enyweh, ain't et enoug' tha' ya got yerself marreed? Wot other explanation doz the Hood need?"

John raised an eyebrow and nodded. "He's got a point. But...I'll still keep my mouth shut."

[The Lifted Lorax]

Fenny rolled her eyes as she sat in the grass. "Ef yer looken fer a black eye, yer goen th' righ' direction, Well Scarlet," she said only half-joking. "We went aboot weth Robin nigh on two years, then desappeared wethou' s'much as a 'good luck.' An' ef ye hanna noteced, I jis' go' marrehed las' week. We ben gone o'er a year an' a half, I thenk." It was spring when they had parted company with Robin, and now the second autumn was on its way. Hamish nodded.

"She's righ'. He's the one as sprung us from gaol oot en Sheffield. Mighta swung otherwise." But Fenny scoffed.

"En't a lock I e'er met as kinna be pecked." She pushed her chest out a little with some pride. She had almost forgotten she and Hamish were criminals. They didn't feel like criminals. "An' they'll lessen ta all o' us less they wanna get poked en th' nose by a girrel."

[EvelynWillows]

Little John listened to the quaint roll of words off their tongues. The Scots' words were musical. He wondered how his children would sound; a bit of Scot, a bit of Deutsch, and a lot of English. He supposed they'd be perfect.

Will nodded sagely. "Aye s'pose ye shoulda made mohr pies, then. Tha's nough' near enough ta 'pologeze fer bein' gone. Heck, ye didn'a even invite Robin te yer wedding! If'n Aye were 'im Aye'd be a bit put out, Aye would if'n ye didn'a invite me. Oh weht...ye didn'a invite me. Tha's right." He grinned. "No hard feelin's tho. Aye understand."

Little John chuckled. "That's the Will I know. Just don't go getting yerself in any fights, okay Will Scarlet?"

[The Lifted Lorax]

"An' kin ya blame me?" Fenny demanded, turning a little pink. "Ya lev a month's ride aweey an' ef tha's how ye behaved a' hoem how could I spect ye ta behave here?" She pursed her lips and shook her head. "Robin's a easy-goin' sort. Dun hold grudges long, 'cept 'gainst th' sheriff an' Prence John." Fenny took another bite of her pie.

"'Sides, woulda ben a massacre an' we coulna let tha' pass," Hamish put in. "Preddy sure Sheriff's go' eyes all o'er th' place, 'cept th' forest. Tha's Robin's land. Bu' a unarmed vellege like ours weth Robin Hood setten en a pew, no' a sengle proper soldier 'mong 'em? Et'd 'ave ben a blood bath. He coulna come anehway."

"Aye," Fenny nodded in agreement. "An' John's righ'; dunchee go pecken fights, Well. We got 'nuff trouble weth thess R on us." She scooted closer to Little John as if for protection. "'Sides, Robin'll be too busy laughen hes arse off at me bein' marrehed as ta be sore fer too long." She looked at Hamish. "Mayhap we should tell 'im boot Adelaide, jus' fer good measure."

"No!" Hamish's ears turned red and he took a savage bite of his lunch. He still had his pride and it wouldn't be wounded by Robin Hood poking at the stoic man for finally getting his heart stolen.

[EvelynWillows]

Will grinned to himself and finished his pies. "Ah then, Ahm gonna talk ta a mehn aboot a dog." He stood up and went into the trees to relieve himself.

John leaned against Fenny and rested his head on her lap. "Hmm...I could take a nap about now." He smiled. "But if we want to be in a good place to camp tonight we'd better get going." He reached up and gave her a kiss before rolling to his feet and standing up. He reached down to offer her a hand up.

"What do you say, Hamish? We won't mention Adelaide if you don't mention Fenny's bear." He winked at his wife. "I'll be the only bear in your life."

Will walked out of the forest and waved a hand in front of his face. "Dun go back there, if'n you ken wha's gut fer ye."

[The Lifted Lorax]

Shoving the last bite into her mouth, Fenny with her cleaner hand ran her fingers through Little John's hair and looked down fondly at his head in her lap. He was right, though; they needed to be going. She kissed him back and took his hand when he stood up and allowed herself to be pulled to her feet.

"Arrigh' then," Hamish said. "Et's a deal."

"There's a lad." Fenny turned and hugged her husband tightly. "Aye, me beg, warrem, cuddly bear," she said happily, wiggling a little. Hamish made a face and shook his head. He nodded approvingly and Fenny made a face when Will came back. "Oh tha's loveleh," she said from John's chest.

"Cummon," Hamish said, going over to the horse to start leading it. "Le'ss go. Sence we started oot s'earleh, maybe we kin make et there afore too late at night."

- - - Updated - - -

Shoving the last bite into her mouth, Fenny with her cleaner hand ran her fingers through Little John's hair and looked down fondly at his head in her lap. He was right, though; they needed to be going. She kissed him back and took his hand when he stood up and allowed herself to be pulled to her feet.

"Arrigh' then," Hamish said. "Et's a deal."

"There's a lad." Fenny turned and hugged her husband tightly. "Aye, me beg, warrem, cuddly bear," she said happily, wiggling a little. Hamish made a face and shook his head. He nodded approvingly and Fenny made a face when Will came back. "Oh tha's loveleh," she said from John's chest.

"Cummon," Hamish said, going over to the horse to start leading it. "Le'ss go. Sence we started oot s'earleh, maybe we kin make et there afore too late at night."

[EvelynWillows]

Will grinned as they walked down the road. Every since they had been kids he would tease Fenny mercilessly. It felt good to tease her again. It was as if nothing had happened between them. Sadly, in a way, nothing had. He sighed and kept on walking.

Little John was content to walk next to his wife and brother.

He glanced over at Hamish. "Just so you know, brother, I think you'll be a fine husband to Adelaide. She's a gut girl, sweet and pure and trusting. She loves you dearly; any fool can see that, and if you were to hurt her she'd be devastated. No one's told her about your past. Despite all of the rest of it, you know, I think you can go on from here and live a life to be more than proud of. A man can be renewed. Reborn; made new by the blood. Do ye know what I'm talking about, Hamish?"

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Um...I thenk...?" Hamish frowned in thought. "I arready ben baptized ef tha's whacha mean," he said slowly, though he wasn't entirely sure that's what John meant. "She's made me a new man, John. She deserves more'n me, better'n me...bu' sence she's a bet addled an' I'm, well, hopeless, Imma be th' bes' man as I kin fer 'er." He sighed. "Et's jis'...she needs ta ken some time," he said after a pause. "Boot e'erthen."

"She loves ye, stupet," Fenny said, taking Little John's hand. "Th' number o' bar figh's ye go' en an girrels ye boffed wun madder. Et'll bother 'er fer a bet, sure...bu' love kinda makes ye o'erlook th' bad s'long's y'ken as there's nothen but good." She looked up at her husband with a smile and bumped him gently with her hip.

"Ach...well...we'll see, hey?" He scratched the back of his neck. "I jis' dunno how ta tell 'er. I dun wanna hurt 'er like tha'."

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Um...I thenk...?" Hamish frowned in thought. "I arready ben baptized ef tha's whacha mean," he said slowly, though he wasn't entirely sure that's what John meant. "She's made me a new man, John. She deserves more'n me, better'n me...bu' sence she's a bet addled an' I'm, well, hopeless, Imma be th' bes' man as I kin fer 'er." He sighed. "Et's jis'...she needs ta ken some time," he said after a pause. "Boot e'erthen."

"She loves ye, stupet," Fenny said, taking Little John's hand. "Th' number o' bar figh's ye go' en an girrels ye boffed wun madder. Et'll bother 'er fer a bet, sure...bu' love kinda makes ye o'erlook th' bad s'long's y'ken as there's nothen but good." She looked up at her husband with a smile and bumped him gently with her hip.

"Ach...well...we'll see, hey?" He scratched the back of his neck. "I jis' dunno how ta tell 'er. I dun wanna hurt 'er like tha'."

[EvelynWillows]

Little John shrugged lightly. "Well, baptism's good if there was a reason for it in your heart. Otherwise it's just a really quick bath. If you put your trust in the Lord and let him lead you, then you'll be on the right path for a new life." He gave Fenny a smile. "But yes, eventually he should let her know at least that there was a bit of history. You wouldn't want some young man or woman to show up in twenty years looking like you and have Adelaide not realize that it was a possibility you'd had a child before her. You don't have to tell her names and how many," he said. "Just that there have been few during your wilder years, but you've quit."

"Enyweh," Will added, "Aye dun think Hamish even kens 'ow many there were, or what they're nemes were, righ?" He grinned. "Weh mehr than twenty or thirtah, Ahm thinkin'."

[The Lifted Lorax]

Hamish shrugged at Little John's comment about baptism. "Ask me parents. Bairns dun really have a choice en th' matter, do 'ey?" He colored a little at Will's comment and cleared his throat. "Surely no' tha' many..."

"Hamish..." Fenny arched an eyebrow at him.

"Wha'?!"

"By my coun' there was a' least five er sex afore we sold th' farrim. Tha' were wha'? Eight years ago now?" She put her free hand on her hip. "An' we ben all o'er Hell'n'gone 'n back, an' there were e'er time ye were off yer face, e'er tourney, e'er faire, I'm surprised there weren't one weth e'er meal!"

"Oi now!" Hamish punched Fenny lightly on the arm.

"I go' th' sheep talk coz o' ye!" she said shrilly, pointing an accusing finger at him. "I'll be damned eff I dun ge' back some o' me owwen!"

"Ma knew the sheep talk?"

"Ach!" Fenny cuffed her brother upside the head. "Ya thenk Ma'd thenk up sooch a 'orreble theng? Bampot..."

[EvelynWillows]

Little John shook his head as they walked. "Being baptized as a baby don't count. You have to know what it means and want it because you're walking in the footsteps of Jesus." he thought for a moment. "Maybe that's what this is all about; maybe I'm supposed to go convert Robin Hood and his men." He grinned and looked at Fenny. Then a thought crossed his mind. "What about you Fenella? I never even thought to ask, but do you have the Lord in your heart? Do you put your trust in Him?" He seemed very concerned about it all of a sudden. He was terrified that if they were attacked and his beloved died she wouldn't be in heaven waiting for him to return to her.

As they walked and Fenny and Hamish teased each other Little John felt like he was missing the punchline of the joke. "Okay, okay, you have to tell me now. What's this sheep talk you keep referring to?"

[The Lifted Lorax]

Fenny was startled by Little John's question. "Well 'course I do," she said, looking up at him. "I mean weth th' baptesm theng, y'knen, same's Hamish. Bu' all four o' us was raised up good Creschins. Father McKaffey said as we ben saved, Cherch e'er Sundee, ne'er ben told no deffernt. All o' us en th' vellege, Well too." Did it bother him she hadn't been baptized since she was a baby? If he would be taking over the congregation next year, was it okay for his wife to be that way? She would have to ask John all about this later. She was distracted when Little John asked what the sheep talk was and turned pink.

"Ach...dun ask..." she mumbled, putting her face in her free hand. Hamish, however, squared his shoulders and looked at John.

"Well y'see, ye go' a ram an' ye go' a ewe, righ'? Then--"

"Ach! Once were enough!" Fenny kicked at him. It was the same speech she'd prevented him from giving Hildegard in their kitchen the previous day. She took a deep breath and pushed her hair out of her face. "So, we all ken as Hamish en't ezackly unpopular weth the lassies..." Hamish stuck his chest out proudly. "An' when I were twelve I wen' oot ta th' barrin ta fetch sommat, I ferget wha' noo. An' there were Hamish stark nekkid en th' hay weth Iona McCormick. Well, I gave 'er a frigh' an' she gets up an' grabs 'er clothes. Starts sayen sommat boot how he promessed no one'd bother 'em."

"Ye remember thess bedder'n I do..." Hamish interrupted, looking impressed and a little frightened. "I fergo' all boot Iona."

"Yeah well et were scarrin' fer me, arrigh'?" Fenny snapped. "Now shut up an' lemme fenesh. Anehway, Iona leaves an Hamish es beet red an' I go' no clue wha's goen on. So, sence Da knew e'erthen boot e'erthen, I went an' told 'im wha' happened an' jus'...asked wha' were goen on." She shrugged a little. "Well, Da he gets all red en th' face too an' says he wan's ta take me on a hunt th' next day, jus' hem an' me. Well, stell bein' lettle I weren't allowed oot on hunts much so I fegger wha'e'er Hamish were doen et mus' be sommat good." She sighed and shook her head, laughing a little.

"So...we go oot on th' hunt, righ'? No horses coz ye dun wanna skeer th' deers off. So he starts by talken boot rams an ewes an' how lambs're made an' well...Well Ma were the one gave Mary the wha's wha', so he denna ken how ta talk ta a girrel aboot et. Peckchurs was drawn en th' dert...Et were terrible." She looked up at John. "An' 'e made et soond s'aweful an' gross an' painful as I went ta Ma cryen aboot et coz 'e said I'd do et too one day when I were growwen!" She laughed a little. "Well, Ma straightened e'erthen oot. There was stell drawens, bu'...bedder ones. No' usen sheep."

"An' tha's th' sheep talk," Hamish closed with a firm nod. "Alastair'n'me go' et...guess Fen go' et...dunno wha' th' Hell Ma told Mary though."

"Prolly th' same theng as she told me! Ma were much bedder a' et."

[EvelynWillows]

Little John laughed. "I suppose it's better than 'two dogs stuck together' and the old cabbage patch." he winked at Hamish. "Hopefully that will be straightened out before you get married, otherwise she'll have some interesting ideas about what you'll be doing that night."

"Although," he said, grinning mischievously, "corned beef and cabbage is a great meal!"

Soon they reached the spot where they camped the first time through, the spot by the creek off the road. Little John missed Brandy. She was a good mule. Will wandered down to the creek and began to strip down for a wash.

"Do ya mind?' John called out. "Step behind a bush or something. There's a lady about."

Will smiled. "What? Are you worried she'll feel cheated by what you've shown her?"

John chuckled. "No, but I am concerned that you'll feel forever humiliated when she sees you and asks you if you got part of it cut off."

At that Will flushed, but he stepped behind the shrub to bathe.

[The Lifted Lorax]

Fenny made a face at John's comment about corned beef and cabbage. "Well thankee love, I'll ne'er be able ta et tha' agin."

They arrived at the spot where they had camped their first night on the way back home. It felt surreal to be back in this same spot over a year later. So much had changed. With a wistful sigh Fenny realized how much she missed Brandy. She twisted the gold ring on her finger, reminding herself of why Brandy was gone and that she went to a good home and was likely very happy. Still, that didn't keep her from missing her.

"Brandeh were a faithful ol' gal," she commented softly, looking at the spot where the mule had grazed last spring. She didn't notice Will getting naked on his way to the creek and looked up when John shouted over to him. She laughed at the both of them and shook her head as Will stepped behind a bush.

"Es et awways aboot yer knob weth ye men?" she asked, rolling her eyes.

"Aye." Hamish's tone was very matter-of-factly. "Yer jus' feggeren thess noo an' yer how old?"

[EvelynWillows]

Little John built a small fire for them to stay warm with, and rolled out a blanket for himself and Fenny. He had no doubt that they'd be the warmest two of the bunch. He missed the comfortable bed he had in the wagon, and remembered with a smile their first night 'together' in the back of that, and Hamish's rude awakening of them the next morning. He had nearly had his jaw broken that day.

He wrapped his arm around Fenny once they were settled and looked across the flames at the Scotsmen. "So, just so I have an idea of what our story is...what's our story? Why are we spending the harvesting months with Robin Hood and his boys?"

[The Lifted Lorax]

"No harvest," Hamish said with a shrug. "No' our problem, hey?"

"Aye," Fenny agreed, settling down in John's arms and unwrapping her tattered tartan to pull it over the both of them as a makeshift throw. "Coulna seddle, farrimen life weren't fer us. Too much standen stell, no' 'nuff threats ta life lemb an' eyesight. Et's boren!" Hamish nodded.

"Ye remember wha' Jemmy said. The roven way dun leave a body too easileh."

"Honest thieven, tha's th' life fer us. An' look! We brough' friends!" Fenny chuckled, then sighed. "Bu' I kinna wait ta ge' back ta our boren life o' farrimen an' brewen." She laced her fingers between Little John's. "Mayhap we could steal 'nuff ta buy ye a proper wedden band," she added absently, looking at his left hand in hers.

[EvelynWillows]

Little John snuggled up to Fenny and wrapped his arms around her. "I suppose I'd follow you if you couldn't stand the farming life," he said. "but I don't want any stealing. Not for my wedding band, not for nothing. If we have to, to convince Robin Hood and save you from the hangman I will, Fenny, but I can't see doing it for anything else." He watched the fire dancing in the night.

Will piled up branches and leaves to make a warmer bed. "Dun worree, John. Ay'll do eny steelin' tha's needed. Aye 'ave no qualms aboot that." He settled himself into his little nest and wrapped his tartan around himself. "Aye wonder'n if'n they have eny lassies travelin' wit them? Maybe Ay'll find me own Adelaide there, 'eh Hamish? We ken all have a nice little life wit our wives and bairns, an' it'll be jus' like old times."

John shook his head and nuzzled into Fenny's hair. He was having a hard time figuring out that Will Scarlet, but he thought that the the one having the hardest time figuring out Will was Will himself.

[The Lifted Lorax]

"We'll hafta, John," Fenny said sleepily, laying down with her husband and yawning widely. "An' wha' share we ge' we'll hafta spend, y'ken, er et'll look weird. 'Sides, et's hard no' ta steal when ye en't go' food." Fenny stared at the fire, her eyes getting heavier as she watched the flames licking at the darkness.

"Aye..." Hamish's voice came from yet a different side of the fire. "Maybeh. I dunno, though. Dun see too many lassies choosen a life like Robin Hood's. Hell, we denna e'en peck et. Et jis' sorta...happened." He yawned audibly. "I mean, I hate th' sheriff much as the nex' bloke, an' e'en Prence John. Bu' et's a futile figh', hey? A' least while he's goen at et th' weey he es."

"Mmm," Fenny grunted in agreement, her eyes closed. She rolled over onto her other side to face her husband and hide her face in his chest.

[EvelynWillows]

The night was cool and calm, and luckily for them it didn't decide to drizzle. Still, even with the blankets their bottom halves felt icy cold against the ground. John shook his head and buried his face deeper in Fenny's hair. "I promise you, when this is over I'm going to stay in bed with you all day long, Frau Schnell. We'll only get out of bedf to eat."

"And piss," added Will.

John grumbled and stretched under Fenny's tartan. "It's like having a teenaged son. He's as full of piss and vinegar as the next guy. Just ten times stinkier." He crawled into the cool morning air and yawned. "Well, we'd beter start scoutin te woods. No telling where the Merry Men will run to next."

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Well weth any luck we'll have a actual teenage son soon 'nuff an' Well kin grow up er leave us 'lone," Fenny mumbled, her eyes still closed and face still hidden against her husband. She squealed in protest when he got up, however, leaving her very, very cold. Sighing, she stood and wrapped her tartan back around her body, using the excess this time to wrap around her shoulders like a shawl to protect against the morning chill rather than just throwing it over.

"Aye...we're gettin' close ta Robin's lands," Hamish agreed, grunting as he pushed himself to his feet.

"Kep an eye oot fer traps an' th' like," Fenny warned, shaking the grass and twigs out of her hair. "He weren't no cremenil when we left 'im, bu' ef he e'er paid a leck o' attention ta us he's go' tripwires all o'er th' place so's ta take money from folk while they're doon. Jis' s'long's they can afford et, o'course."

"We were honest thiefs," Hamish put in with a nod. Indeed when roaming the lands they'd made sure only to pick the pockets and cut the purses of those who could afford it. They'd always stayed away from tax offices and markets selling food, although clothiers were always fair game.

[EvelynWillows]

Little John didn't like it. Stealing was wrong, but like they said, if the new group didn't do what the others did it would raise suspicion. He wasn't very content with the idea of trading Robin's life for Fenny's. Not that he didn't love Fenny, because he did. He loved her more than air. But he felt like it was murderous turning in the highwayman knowing that he'd most likely not get a fair trail.

"I don't even know what we're supposed to do. Just join the group and hope for the best?" John looked over at Hamish. "Are you comfortable baiting your old friend to appease a blackmailer?"

Will had been walking behind them, and though he said nothing his ears perked up.

John sighed and looked at his brother. "It feels wrong; like we're sinning on purpose." He squeezed Fenny's hand. "I just don't want to try to save our lives and loose what really matters in the meantime," he tried to explain. "If we live but have to compromise what we know is right, what happens to our souls?"

Now Will had to do something. He quickened his pace and smacked John on the shoulder as he walked past him. "Ya thank too much, priest. Jus' play the role and dun worree. Isn't that wha' prayer's fer? Ta ask fergivness afta ya do wha' ya have ta' do?"

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Who would be?" Hamish replied when asked if he was comfortable with what they were having to do. "Bu' et saves our skens...I ben tryin' ta fegger oot sommat ta kep us all safe. Bu' I dunno."

"Aye, I ben thenken too," Fenny said. "Bu' I'll tell ye once we're there. Some time tanigh', prolly. Ne'er ken as who's watchen, less we're weth Robin. I fegger ef thess R could ken as wha' Robin does en th' forest he woulna need us."

Little John was scaring her with his talk about the condition of their souls. It was something that had been weighing heavily on her mind; it wasn't just theft. It was betrayal, too. They would be Judas to save themselves rather than die for the greater good...but wasn't it natural to want to live? She tried desperately to work out the details of the compromise she'd thought of and squeezed her husband's hand tightly.

"He's righ', John," Fenny said quietly. "Ef we pray hard 'nuff perhaps He'll gev us fergevness? I mean...ef we dun do thess et's a short walk, a queck drop, an' a sudden stop...fer all three o' us."

[EvelynWillows]

Will smirked to himself as he walked off. Fenny had sided with him! She said that he was right.

Little John nodded at Fenny's assessment. There were some things he hadn't figured out yet, but with the little book tucked in his pack he hoped he'd get wiser as he went on in this life.

Their little road branched off, and late in the day they came to an older path that led through Nottingham Forest (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/05/Tryon-marshall_forest_path.jpg), or as some people had begun to call it, Robin's Forest. The woods seemed alive with birds and squirrels. Small ferns hid in the niches of the great trees, and occasionally they would walk around a bend and startle a young doe or a pair of coneys. Had their task not been such a dire one it would have made for a nice holiday stroll.

It wasn't long afterwards that they began to feel the presence of unseen eyes upon them. The forest was growing more quiet. They came to a place where the path crossed a small stream (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8c/Creek_and_old-growth_forest-Larch_Mountain.jpg), and the feeling was becoming more undeniable by the footstep.

[The Lifted Lorax]

Hamish and Fenny breathed in deeply. Every forest smelled different, and Sherwood was no exception. It was familiar...but something about it was fundamentally changed. Perhaps it was the nature of their mission, but the forest seemed more hostile to them. Carefully they picked their way across the stream and a few paces away they each put an arm out to stop Will and Little John. Fenny quietly pointed to a tripwire and carefully stepped over it before continuing. Both of them were very quiet and very alert.

Soon, Hamish broke the silence by beginning to whistle. He wasn't a whistler, usually didn't even hum, so it was very out of character for him to do so, especially now. Fenny had been startled when the first piercing notes broke the silence, although she'd been expecting it. The tune was an easily recognizable English folk song called Early One Morning (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nd1tSv7p16A). Even more strange for Hamish.

"C'mon Robin," Fenny whispered, looking up into the trees while Hamish kept an eye on the path for boobie traps. "Where are ye?" The song wasn't just a song. It was a code.

[EvelynWillows]

A sharp series of whistles cut through the air and several people stepped out from behind trees, their bows at the ready and pointed at the four intruders. A tall man with shaggy blond hair pulled the hood off his head and narrowed his eyes at them.

"Tell me now why we shouldn't plug ye full o' holes and send ye back where ye came from!" He called out. "yer not travelers and yer not the sheriff's men, so what're ye doing in Robin's Forest?"

John nearly stepped in front of Fenny to shield her when he realized that the archers surrounded them completely. No matter where he stood she'd be vulnerable.

[The Lifted Lorax]

Quicker than the eye Hamish's bow was out and an arrow knocked, pointing at the nearest archer. Fenny had drawn her claymore and kept an eye on several of them at once. A sword wasn't much use against an arrow, but she could rush them and an arrow was more difficult to aim the closer the target.

"Et's no' hes land, we're free ta roam where we please," Fenny said to the blonde man, not taking her eyes off of the closest three on her side.

"Hush, Fen. We come seeken Robin o' Locksley. We're auld frien's an' I dun thenk he'd greatly preshiate th' hospitality yer showen." Hamish kept his voice calm but didn't put his weapon down.

"We go' pas' yer traps, denna we?" Fenny pointed out. "An' ef ye thenk we'd do aneh derty werk fer Prence John check yer ears, boyo. Scots dun take too kindly ta haven our land burned an' pelleged. So where es he an' who th' Hell're ye?"

- - - Updated - - -

Quicker than the eye Hamish's bow was out and an arrow knocked, pointing at the nearest archer. Fenny had drawn her claymore and kept an eye on several of them at once. A sword wasn't much use against an arrow, but she could rush them and an arrow was more difficult to aim the closer the target.

"Et's no' hes land, we're free ta roam where we please," Fenny said to the blonde man, not taking her eyes off of the closest three on her side.

"Hush, Fen. We come seeken Robin o' Locksley. We're auld frien's an' I dun thenk he'd greatly preshiate th' hospitality yer showen." Hamish kept his voice calm but didn't put his weapon down.

"We go' pas' yer traps, denna we?" Fenny pointed out. "An' ef ye thenk we'd do aneh derty werk fer Prence John check yer ears, boyo. Scots dun take too kindly ta haven our land burned an' pelleged. So where es he an' who th' Hell're ye?"

[EvelynWillows]

"Aye, you passed our traps..." the blond man sized up the four intruders. "Put down yer weapons and we'll let Robin decide wot ta do with ye." He motioned to a few of his men, who moved closer, their arrows still pointed in.

"Go on now, take off yer weapons and let us have a look at you." He seemed to be eying Fenny intensely. "Yer starting ta look familiar, Lass. What's yer neme?"

Little John didn't like the way the tall skinny man was looking at his wife. Hamish and Fenny had said to let them do all the talking, though, so he kept his concern to himself. He did, however, wonder if they shouldn't have left Fenny's ring at home. According to Fenny, Robin was an 'honest' thief, but that that wasn't saying much in John's book.

And that, of course, would be the Good Book.

He sighed inside and said a silent prayer for wisdom and safety.

[The Lifted Lorax]

"No business o' yers less ye tell me yers like I asked," she said sharply.

Fenny didn't recognize the blonde man and was unwilling to give her name until they'd been brought to Robin. Given that the last time they'd been in town she'd broken a man's nose and Hamish had picked a fight with a tax man, she wasn't going to be too friendly too quickly.

"How boot ye kep yer eyes offa me sesster," Hamish growled, swinging his arrow to aim at the man who seemed to be the leader of this group. Several of his men tensed. "Then maybe I'll put et doon."

"Put et aweey," Fenny said, sheathing Lilith but keeping a hand on the hilt. "We'll no' be taken our weapons off, bu' we'll put 'em up. Won't we?" She looked at Hamish, who slowly lowered his bow and returned the arrow to its quiver, but made up for it by placing his hand on the hilt of his claymore. "We trust ye boot as much as ye trust us. Why should we leave ourselves a' yer marcy?" she pointed out.

[EvelynWillows]

"Alright then," the tall blond jerked his head towards the others and they lowered their bows. A few disappeared into the forests to their positions watching the outskirts of the camp perimeter. The blond drew a wide hand through his unruly mop and waited for the others to put their weapons away. "Let's go," he said, turning to lead the way.

Will took up the back of the foursome. His eyes darted to and fro, searching for more of the ghost-like archers. Scottish warriors were good honest folk; they'd attack you straight on with no surprise awaiting you. This business of sneaking up on a group and pointing arrows at them had the Scot nervous. He watched Hamish walking ahead, and Fenny with her hand back in Little John's clasp. The priest had simply stood and watched the men ebb from the forest. When Fenny and Hamish drew their weapons, John had stood fast and simply waited. The man's seeming calmness both impressed Will and irritated his liver.

Little John was not feeling as brave or as calm as he looked. He was worried that they were walking into a trap. He wondered briefly if Fenny would stand a chance if these men turned out to be 'real' bandits, and they led them into an ambush and killed the men, but he decided that he'd have to take Will Scarlet's advice and give it to the Lord.

As they walked into the camp Little John was struck by the level of security they seemed to have in place. He glanced at Fenny and hoped that she and her brother knew what they were doing.

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Much obliged," Hamish muttered with a nod of his head when the archers disappeared. He had been used to Robin doing something like that, but it was unsettling to see a whole troop of men fade like ghosts.

Fenny walked with one hand across her middle, ready to draw her claymore at a moment's notice, and one hand tightly clasped in Little John's. She gave his hand a little squeeze and looked up at him to give him the tiniest of smiles. She wanted to let him know that things would be alright; she knew he was worrying. Both she and Hamish kept their eyes to the trees as they walked, knowing their guide would lead them over or around any traps that had been set.

"So who're ye, then?" Fenny asked at length, addressing the stringy man leading the way. "Secon' en charge er sommat? Robin weren' s'famous when we ken hem."

"Denna travel weth sich a beg group, neither," Hamish added, eying the man suspiciously. He hadn't liked one bit the way he'd been eyeballing Mrs. Schnell and would keep a close eye on him from here on out. Men who gawped at his sister generally didn't have the best of intentions.

[EvelynWillows]

The tall, blond man glanced over at Fenny and grinned. "Well one is not ah pincushiohn soh you can stop thinking soh haaard about that sword of yours." He eyed her claymore. "I'm Ghost." He smirked at Little John's scowl. "So who are ye and yer big protector here? I ken guess the skirt-wearin' brothers; they're yer kin, righ'?"

Little John looked sideways at Fenny to see if she was handling this well. His natural tendency was to interject himself physically between the stranger and his wife, but once again he was trying hard to do what he thought Hamish and Fenny wanted. He glanced around the emerging campsite and noticed carefully camouflaged tents (http://www.iwillgetready.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/natural-shelter1.jpg) It was easy to see how they were able to blend into their surroundings and escape from the sheriff's men when their homes (http://georgiaoutdoorsurvivalskills.com/images/Shelter%20327.jpg)were literally part of the environment.

Slowly they saw more people; men with bows dressed in the colors of the forest, or with serious-looking daggers in their belts, but soon they saw others as well. Women and children watched them warily from their hiding places, and in once instance an small group of children who looked like they had no one but each other to call family.

"I didn't expect to see children here," John said quietly to Fenny.

Ghost laughed at his comment. "What do ye think we are, a bunch of rogues out fer a bit o' sport?" He led them to a small clearing near a series of natural shelters. "Wait here whilst I fetch Robin." He nodded to one of the archers. "If they so much as squeak, put a shaft through their feet," he ordered before disappearing into the forest thicket.

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Oh, I dunno...ya seemed keen on poken holes en us jis' a few menets ago," Fenny said, unimpressed. "Aye, me kin. An' 'e's me husbin'." She inclined her head toward Little John. Ghost hadn't given them a proper name, and she was aware of the risks of their being taken to a fake Robin Hood out to capitalize on the name, so she kept their own names to herself for now.

"Et's a kelt!" Hamish and Will insisted at the same time. Fenny couldn't help but snicker.

"An' he en't me brother," Hamish added with a grumble.

Fenny was surprised when they got to the clearing to see all of the little huts in the ground. She wondered if they lived in pits beneath the little tents and pulled out the support to hide underground when the sheriff came with his me, or if they merely covered the entrances to their homes with leaves and branches. It was a smart move and Fenny was quietly impressed.

"Our Robin's ben getten smart," Hamish murmured, looking around, and his sister nodded in agreement.

Seeing armed men walking around camouflaged with the forest had been expected. They nodded casually to a couple of them as they followed Ghost to the camp, but soon they started to see other people. Women hugged their children protectively to them as they watched the strangers progress through the camp. Fenny's heart broke a little when she saw the group of children who appeared to be orphans ("Ach! The lambs...") and made a note to get to know them better. Perhaps they wanted to be adopted? Fenny was just as surprised as John to see the women and children, and nodded when he said something about it.

"More th' greater good than sport," Fenny shrugged.

"Denna thenk o' Robin as a fam'leh man," Hamish interjected. When told to wait and upon hearing the archer's instructions, he folded his arms across his chest defiantly as if daring the man to even try to knock an arrow.

[EvelynWillows]

It wasn't long before another man (http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6041/6428630011_cc4804ce78_z.jpg)came out. He was slim, with dark hair and a gaunt face. His clothing was dark brown and practical in design, and he wore bracers on his arm. Like most of the men he slung a bow over his shoulder. He looked at Fenny and Hamish, then the other two, before bringing his eyes back to the siblings again. He was vaguely familiar to them but it was hard to remember where they might have seen his face.

He nodded at Ghost, who followed close behind him, then turned to speak with Hamish. "You must be the siblings Balloch; Hamish and Fenny," he looked over them one more time. "We heard you went back teh Scotland."

Ghost grinned at Fenny. "I'll let Robin know," he said to the newcomer and disappeared back into the thicket.

The slim man took a deep breath through his nose. "We've got plenty of mouths to feed," he said. "I hope you mean to bring that meat to the family."

[The Lifted Lorax]

Fenny narrowed her eyes a little when the gaunt man who had joined them knew their names. He looked vaguely familiar, but it was very hard to place him. Perhaps he'd been a customer at the fair last spring. She didn't like the way he'd only addressed Hamish, though she knew that most men had a problem with women capable of speaking for themselves.

"Aye, tha's us..." Hamish said slowly, wishing he could say something about Ghost eyeballing his sister again. "We ded bu' we came back. How'd ye hear 'boot us an' our whereboots?" He didn't like this one bit. It felt like an ambush.

"Schnell noo...fer me..." Fenny added right before Ghost left. "I'm curious 's'well. We dun make a habet o' maken our names known 'mongst men as we dun ken. How'd ye ken our names?" She looked back at the horse when the thin man expressed that he hoped the food was for them.

"We ded...ef ye'll have us stay," she said. "Pies, meat, an' fleer. Bu' we denna ken there'd be s'many. I dunno how many mooths et'd feed."

[EvelynWillows]

The thin man nodded and seemed content. "Well, if you're really the Balloch's you'd have remembered me, though I carried a few more stones a few years ago." He patted his stomach. "Friar Tuck (http://essentialscafe.com/forums/storage/24/17630/Friar-Tuck_Painting-252kb.jpg) ring a bell?"

He had the same brown hair but the difference in weight made it hard to tell. Gone was the brown habit and bowl haircut. This man was much more serious than Friar Tuck had ever been. Had the year and a half since they had parted ways truly made such a difference in the man? Had Prince John really done so much harm to his people?

Little John shifted his feet and looked over the man standing in front of them.

Will had stepped a bit closer to Hamish. "If'n they don' bring Robin out' soon Aym aboot ta kick a few arses, y'ken? This makes mah belly roll."

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Frer Tuck...?" Hamish said slowly, squinting at the man. A hard life and having seen too much had changed his face, but it was indeed the fat friar they'd met last spring. "Aye...et es ye...Wha' happened ta ye?"

"Hush Wellyem!" Fenny snapped, scowling at him. "We're lucky they denna kell us." She looked over the man and eventually found the soft friar in his hard eyes. "Tha' Ghost fella...he said I were familiar-looken. S'pose he were someone as we ken too?"

A pang of guilt struck Fenny for what life had done to the once big man, when in the same year and a half she'd been pleased to notice that she'd finally been putting a little bit of weight on. The other day she'd found a little padding between her skin and her hip bones for the first time ever, and her curves and angles weren't quite as sharp though she still looked like she could blow away in a strong enough wind. She reached behind her back and tugged on the ends of her hair nervously. Surely they'd all get judgement from the camp for being fat, at least compared to those who had been living under Robin's protection.

"How'd ye hear we wen' back ta Scotland?" Hamish asked eventually, still curious as to how their whereabouts were so well-known.

[EvelynWillows]

The gaunt man smiled. He started to speak when a hearty voice broke the silence behind Fenny and the others. "Alan! Are ye tellin' people yer me agin? That's a sin and a lie and who'd believe that you, with yer sour face, could ever be mistaken fer me?"

The real friar tuck came into view. He was a tad bit skinnier than before, but not by as much as the fellow named Alan. "I see you've met my good-fer-nothin' brother, eh?" He peered at Fenny and Hamish. "We'll I'll be a rotten apple, it is you! We heard you went to Scotland and got yerself marreed!"

Alan Tuck crossed his arms and grinned. "I never did say that I was yew, Brian. Jus asked 'em if they ever heard or ya."

"A lie by omission is still a lie," the rotund man replied. He looked Little John over. "Didn't you used to wear a habit?"

Little John nodded. "I see you still do."

"Well aye, you could say I 'ave a habit of wearin' it!" Friar Tuck laughed and rubbed his shaved head. "Ah..never get tired of that one. So yer here ta see Robin? What, the easy life get too easy fer ya?"

Ghost stepped out of the thicket. "He'll see them," he informed the others. "Says they're friends."

[The Lifted Lorax]

Fenny jumped at the voice behind them. Spinning around she saw the real Friar Tuck and, though if one didn't know any better the honest mistake could be made, she felt sheepish for mistaking the friar who was apparently his brother. Hamish gave her an uncomfortable glance that read the same. They were both surprised when he repeated what others had said, that they'd heard of their travels and of Fenny's wedding, though if they knew it was to John they gave no indication.

"How th' Hell do folk ken boot our travels 'n sich?" Fenny demanded. Both siblings were getting irritated with not receiving an answer to this. She stepped a little closer to Little John and squeezed his hand gently when Friar Tuck observed that he no longer wore a habit. She couldn't help but chuckle a little at the friar's pun, if nothing else for how bad it was, though Hamish looked unamused.

"Farrimen life weren't fer us," he replied with a shrug. "Roven wey ne'er really leaves ye." He rolled his eyes when Ghost came out and announced that Robin had said they were friends. "Well we coulda tolja tha', coulna we?"

Fenny threw Hamish a look and waved goodbye to Friar Tuck as they were lead through the thicket to see Robin. (http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_qSP3lcvzol4/TT79k7G36OI/AAAAAAAAAGA/hqdAZNrcyFI/s1600/Gary+Oldman+19.jpg) He sat around a fire with several other men and looked up when the stepped through. Immediately his face broke into a grin (http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?id=I.4995386996294360&pid=15.1) bordering on stupid and he stood, crossing to meet them.

"Hamish!" He thumped the Scot heartily on the back as they embraced in a brotherly bear hug. "And Fenny! It's good to see you again!" He hugged Fenny around the middle and picked her up to spin her around. She made a noise of surprise before being set back down. "How've you been? Who're your companions? Tell me everything!" One thing the Ballochs had always liked about Robin was his sincerity.

"Thess's me husbin' Lettle John," Fenny's hand remained clasped with John's as she brought it up to show Robin her ring, "an' tha's our frien' Well Scarlet." She inclined her head over toward Will.

"An' from th' soonds o' et, ye ken e'erthen arready," Hamish pointed out.

[EvelynWillows]

Robin laughed. "Well, I have to keep track of my friends, don't I? And anyway, we heard that someone was out to do you harm so I had a few friends check up on you. When we heard you had left for Scotland..." he shrugged. "I thought you were going back to marry some Scottish sweetheart, though. Never thought it was to hook up with this brewin' beast!" He thumped Little John on the chest. "Congratulations you brute! If I didn't have my own heart already tangled up, Fenny'd be the first on the list."

He invited them to sit around the small table and map that was in the hidden clearing in the thicket. There were logs and stumps around the table set up as makeshift chairs. "So tell me really...why are you here? It's a long way from being a farmer to running away from the sheriff, struggling to stay alive. You can see the camp...we are barely surviving in our battle to bring the prince to justice. Our only hope is that the king is truly on his way home. Otherwise...I'm afraid that eventually it'll be the gallows for all of us."

"Even the little ones," Friar Tuck said softly.

"I'll kill him in his sleep first," Ghost spat. "The prince is calling himself King now. I say we go in and put him to the sword. Why wait for Richard? He and his crusades have drained us half to death!"

"We already agreed," argued Robin. "This isn't the kind of talk to have in front of guests."

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Ach! I woulna be an' y'ken tha'!" Fenny turned a little pink. She'd never born a torch for Robin and was certain he was just being flattering.

"We was hopen ta help," Hamish said, keeping an open and honest face. He was better at selling outright spoken lies and it had always been he to con their victim. Fenny's job was sneaking behind their backs to cut their purses, or else acting a victim somehow. "Canna grow 'nuff ta kep up weth th' taxes an' our neighbors're th' same. 'Sides...a honest leven dun set too well after a while. Boren, y'ken?"

"I'd kell aneh man as tries ta touch 'em cheldren," Fenny said softly when Robin and Friar Tuck mentioned that they'd all be hanged. "An' we're hopen ta stay 's more'n guests." Although, she agreed with Ghost; the Crusades had drained England dry and the best thing for it would be to just outright murder Prince John. She leaned forward and looked intensely at her friend. "Bu' Robin...ye heard tha' someone were oot ta cause us harrem. Dedja hear who?" She furrowed her eyebrows a little, as if this were the first time she'd heard about someone intending them harm.

[EvelynWillows]

Robin smiled at Hamish. "It would be good ta have you with us, Hamish. You were always a good man. I'd take the others on your word, then, friend. If you say they're good to trust it's alright by me." He looked over Little John and Will Scarlet. "Pray you don't let us down. It means a lot to be let in here. Anyone of us could betray the rest, and there would be a lot of blood on those hands."

He looked at Fenny when she asked if he knew who had meant to do them harm. "I heard that someone at the fair was asking after the pretty redhead with the brewing cart after the tournament. We tried to get a hold of you, but you'd already left. A few months later some people came around the marketplace asking after Little John here and his redheaded wife, said that some people had come up missing. That's when we sent a few people to check up on you, but you were already headed to scotland. I don't know who exactly it was that was asking after you. I could check around the camp and see if anyone knows anything."

He looked up as Friar Tuck's stomach rumbled. "Ah...dinner. Care to join us and meet the rest of the family?"

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Much obliged," Hamish said with a nod when Robin offered to check around for them to see who was asking after them. Perhaps the one of the ones who had been asking after the missing people was this R who haunted them. He wished they could tell Robin why they were really there...but surely that would get them all killed.

"We'd love ta," Fenny responded with a smile when Robin offered dinner and to introduce them to the rest. "Eh...we brough' food. Dunno ef et's 'nuff ta feed e'erone bu' we kin try hey?" She smiled sheepishly, gesturing to the laden horse. "Them cheldren, John," she said quietly, turning to her husband, "th' ones as looked like orphans...d'ye thenk...ef they wan'..." She looked up at him hopefully. She didn't like the idea of leaving the children to fend for themselves after they had finished their business here.

Fenny and Hamish rose and followed Robin Hood into the camp proper. It seemed busier now that the strangers weren't quite as new, and some of the littler ones ran about playing. Fenny's heart ached for children of her own and she squeezed Little John's hand as she watched them. They'd only been married a week and already she longed for a baby.

[EvelynWillows]

The dinner was simple, and mostly soup with old, grainy bread. The wonderful pies Fenny had brought had been cut into threes so that everyone could have some, and the cooks started with the littlest ones first, feeding the children before the adults. The small group of women who served the camp as cooks gratefully took the goat and flour from Fenny, and one hugged her and said "Oh, God bless you miss! Thank you!" Through her tears. She hugged Fenny so hard it whooshed the breath out of her.

Robin Hood showed them around and introduced them to a few key people. It turned out that Alan Tuck, or Alan a Dale, as many called him, was a minstrel of sorts. He pulled out a little lute and entertained the children with a few naughty but not so risque songs. They were designed to make the kids laugh and forget, for a moment, that they were so bad off.

Little John put his arms around Fenny's waist and looked at the children. "If you want, Fenny, We'll take them all home when this is done," he said quietly to her ear. "Every last one."

Will had set back a bit and was surveying the group. He counted forty adults and about twenty children in all, though only about eight seemed unaccounted for insofar as parents were concerned. Of the adults, only about six were women.

[The Lifted Lorax]

Fenny had been surprised by the hug. It was so strong it knocked the wind out of her for a few moments, and she hugged gingerly back as she struggled to find it again. Before she'd come to their village with John, it had been a long time since she'd hugged anyone apart from Hamish. All of their neighbors were well-fed if not outright fat, and so the teary woman hugging her felt frail and wispy to her. She was afraid she'd break her.

"Eh...dun make sense no' ta share wha' we kin," she said softly.

Fenny smiled when Little John said that they could take home the children when all of this nonsense was done. She leaned up for a kiss that was more passionate than she'd originally intended. She made a mental note to start getting to know the children, figure out which ones would actually want to be adopted. She and Hamish had met plenty of orphans in their travels, some looking for families but many not. Street life made one hard after too long. She recalled one in particular from Hollyhead named Peter Panning who'd been an artful thief indeed and had expressed zero interest in any sort of family apart from the little gang of boys he ran with. He always insisted that he didn't have a mother or a father, nor did he want or need one.

"'Course...tha' dun mean I dun wanna quet tryen fer a few o' our owwen," she murmured gently into his ear with a wink, kissing that ear gently before turning to settle herself better in his lap as they sat to eat.

"Reminds ye o' Scotland, dun et?" Hamish asked, sitting beside them and looking out at the camp. "Wee barefoot cheldren runnen roond, no' nuff ta eat bu' wha' they do go' es nigh on holy." His sister nodded in agreement.

"Aye. Ben feelen a wee bet like a child 'gin meself. Wha' boot a game o' knights an' dragons, hey Well?" she teased, nudging Will with her foot. She looked down at her soft, rabbit fur-lined boots (http://ts4.mm.bing.net/th?id=I.4795829941306071&pid=15.1) that Little John had made for her the previous winter, then around at all of the barefoot children and even some adults. She didn't like shoes, but had gone too many winters without them. She quietly resolved to go out with her bow and arrow tomorrow to find at least a deer, that the camp might have some meat and leather to make shoes at least for the children for the coming winter.

[EvelynWillows]

Will looked up at Fenny and smiled. "Yud jus' beat me as us'ul, Fenny darlin'." He dipped his bread into his soup. "Still, Aye suppose et reminds ye tha' people are the same everywere. Weh all wan' our bairns to be fed an' healthy. Weh want ta hold the womeyn we luv in ahr arms, and we wan the damn tax man ta leave us alone."

Robin nodded at Will's words. "Exactly. I don't mind a fair tax. A little bit to help fix the roads or pay the soldiers a wage, but what Prince John is doing is crazy! There was word about six months ago, probably right after you left fer Scotland, that the king had been kidnapped and was held for ransom. Everyone was taxed twice that year, and still the prince wasn't happy. We stole the taxes and gave them back the people, but the she-ite fer brains sheriff had his men come out and pull more taxes from everyone, even more than before."

"How did you make sure to give the people the right amounts back?" Little John asked.

Robin shrugged. "The boys took care of that, but that's not the point. The point is that the prince has no right taxing the people for King Richard's crusades. How do we even know that the money went towards his ransom? Heck, he could be dead for all we know, and Prince John is just using him as an excuse to squeeze us harder!"

"Don't say that," Friar Tuck said. "That would be the worst thing that could happen to us."

"No," interjected Ghost. "The worst thing would be if the prince became king. He'd burn the forest to get us out."

[The Lifted Lorax]

"There're records, prolly," Fenny put in after Robin admitted to not knowing how he knew all the people got the right amount back. "An' Robin's righ', Frer. Fer all we ken, th' righ'ful keng's deed."

"No," interjected Ghost. "The worst thing would be if the prince became king. He'd burn the forest to get us out."

"Who's ta say he enna?" Hamish said darkly before dipping his bread in his soup. "Et's werken weth Scotland. Woods takes ta flame be'er'n rock."

"Hamish, dun skeer 'em," Fenny scolded with a frown, nodding over to some children nearby. "Enna no one as gonna bern th' forest. He'd wan' Robin alive, anehway. Make a example o' hem, show wha' happens ta any as stand 'gainst 'im." Fenny shivered and glanced up to her husband then over to her brother. She was certain that was what they were there for. "Bu' nuff o' thess unpleasant talk. Bad talk duren denner'll make et hard ta set right when comes time ta sleep. Ghost, ye said I were familiar-looken. Where ya thenk ye seen me? An' wha' manner o' name es Ghost, anehway?"

[EvelynWillows]

The blond man grinned at Fenny. "I'm ghost because I've been killed several times and yet here I am. Hard to kill, I am. I practically rose from the grave." He finished off his bowl of food and set it down. "We met at the tourney a year or so ago. I bought some ale from you and you touted it as the best this side of Scotland. It wasn't too bad." he smiled. "I'm sure you had a lot of customers. Anyhoo...I joined Rob and his boys a bit after that. But I never forgot your pretty face."

Little John was watching the man carefully. So far he hadn't said anything bad, per se, but it was his way of looking at Fenny that made him nervous. He made a mental note to talk to Hamish about it later that night. "Well, it's getting late in the day," he began to say.

"I've a couple of empty shelters you can use," Friar Tuck said. "Old Manny's lean-to," he clarified to Robin.

Robin nodded. "God rest his soul. Yes, I think that'd be best."

"Es 'e ded?!" Exclaimed Will. "Aye dun wanna stay ehn a ded mahn's lean-ta!"

"OH, Manny's place is fer Fenny and Little John, here," quipped Friar Tuck. "You can have the one nearby that we used to keep the chickens in."

Will rolled his eyes. "Great...chicken coops."

[The Lifted Lorax]

Fenny nodded. "S'posed 'smuch. Jis s'long's ye weren' th' one as whose nose I broke." She shrugged nonchalantly but her ears reddened at his quip about her face. She shifted in Little John's lap and leaned against him a little more. "Ye'll hafta tell me sometime boot how ye come ta die s'many times. An' whaddya mean, et weren't too bad? Et es th' best thess side o' Scotland an' I'll figh' aneh man as says otherwise. Watered-doon gnat's. pess. Tha's wha' I thenk o' yer Englesh brews." She nodded seriously before finishing her soup. The fine art of getting sloshed was not something Fenny had ever taken lightly.

"Aye, Well'll be righ' a' home where checken shite b'longs," Hamish said with a laugh. He thumped Will on the back to let him know he hadn't meant it seriously, but he couldn't have passed up the opportunity.

"Thank ye kindly," Fenny said with a grateful nod. She was glad Robin had seen it more appropriate to put her alone with her husband than for the four of them to sleep in the same dwelling. Things could have gotten rather tense.

"We pershiate yer taken us en," Hamish said, "we ken as ye denna hafta. Ye go' nuff mooths ta feed as et es. Bu' we kin pull our own weight, hunten an' thieven. Ye ken as we're good at both, Robin," he added, looking at the head of the organization.

"Er jis' a con er two," Fenny added with a shrug. "My favorite es 'betcha me le'l sesster kin drenk ye unner th' table.'" She grinned and wiggled happily. "E'erone wens!"

She'd always felt better about a good old-fashioned con as opposed to outright stealing. Drinking and fighting were two things nobody expected the waif to be capable of beating a man at, so Hamish would start smack-talking some dullard too deep in his cups at the tavern to recognize a ploy when he saw one, question his manliness, then bet money that his little sister could fight better or drink more than said dullard could. Fenny had always preferred drinking contests because in the end everybody was drunk.

[EvelynWillows]

"You broke someone's nose?" asked Robin. "Well I'm sure he deserved it!" He chuckled and patted Hamish on the shoulder. "That's your sister all right; all fists and vinegar. I'm sure glad you're back."

Little John adjusted Fenny on his lap and glanced over at Ghost. The man did look familiar, and something about his story didn't ring true, but John couldn't accuse him of just 'feeling wrong'. He kept his arm around Fenny and then looked over at Friar Tuck. "So brother, what kind of services do you hold here?"

The portly friar chuckled. "Services? Every day's a sermon, don't you know? I don't need a building or a service to do God's work."

John nodded, but he wasn't convinced. However it was late, and he felt the need to hold Fenny in his arms and sink into her embrace. He yawned. "Well, there'll be time for talk tomorrow. Robin? Thank you for taking us in."

Will sighed at the chicken coop shelter they'd been given. "O-key, but ye take the dowenslope," he said to Hamish. "Aye dun like cheeken piss in my 'air."

[The Lifted Lorax]

Fenny sensed Little John's uneasiness and patted the arm around her gently. She felt like Ghost and Friar Tuck were lying or at the very least hiding something, but it'd be a breech of hospitality indeed to say so out loud in their company. Normally she had no qualms calling a man on a lie, but there were forty more around them all armed. She didn't know arithmetic but she knew that forty versus four was a most unfair advantage.

"He ded!" she insisted when Robin expressed that the man whose nose she'd broken had deserved it. "Toasted Prence John as th' keng, called 'em a good man, an' said sommat boot me. Dunoo wha' bu'..."

"Boot yer vertue," Hamish said in a low voice with a scowl on his face. "Tha' figh' ye stopped, 'member Robin?" He was still irked that he'd been the only one not to land a blow in that fight. "Bu' et's good ta be back, boyo." He smiled and it was almost true. It was nice to be with Robin again, but things had changed so much over the last year. He was a different man and the honest life he'd always yearned for had come and found him, then was torn away by this R.

"Aye, et's late," Fenny echoed, catching Little John's yawn before standing and extending her hand to help up her husband. "An' we've 'ad a long journeh. Thankee all." Once he was on his feet she kept a hold of her husband's hand and led the way over to the shelter that had been indicated earlier.

"Have et yer wey," Hamish grumbled. "Bu' we're swetchen off nigh's, go' et?"

[EvelynWillows]

Will chuckled. "Aye, we're switchin' off nights, but if'n aye remember ye well, et won't be but a wee bit till ye fynd yerself some bonnie bosum ta be warmin' yerself against at night." He shook his head at the other Scot. "Dun worree, Hamish. Wha' happens en Sherwood Forest stays en Sherwood Forest, eh?" He tethered his horse next to their lean-to and took his warmer blanket out of it's pack. "Et's as gud as mum, Hamish. Ye got mah werd on et."

Little John took a few softer ends of the Pine trees and made them a layer of cushion and insulation from the cold ground. He put the blanket down, and then made sure that he was between Fenny and the lean-to opening. As they snuggled into the bed he sighed against his wife's hair. "Father, let it come soon, and give us wisdom, please. Amen." He whispered against her. He thought about the little children and the camp in general and wondered if this was the ministry he'd been called to. Soon his eyes were closed, and the large man was fast asleep.

[The Lifted Lorax]

Hamish frowned. Had he really been that bad? He knew he'd bedded a lot of women, he remembered most of their faces if not their names...but it seemed like it had been a lifetime ago. Adelaide had made him a new man and it was hard to imagine himself ever having been anyone else though he knew he had been.

"No Well, et dun stay here," he said solemnly. "Et'd follah me fer th' rest o' me days an' I'd lose th' one wemin en me life as e'er I wan'ned ta wake up ta e'er mornin'. Ye wan' room, ye'll hafta find et yerself coz I kinna hert Adelaide like tha'. E'en ef she ne'er foond oot th' Laird'd ken an' et'd weigh on me soul fere'er." He did something similar to what his brother-in-law had done and laid soft pine branches over the caked chicken feces and feathers. "There's bonny lassies a-plenny en Nottengham an' I wesh ye th' best o' luck...bu' et's no' fer me. No' n'more. En't a wemin alive as kin measure up to me Adelaide, an' certainly no' one werth losen 'er o'er." He laid down on the branches with his back to Will, red-faced and unwilling to have to face his countryman should Will so choose to take the piss out of him.

With the large swath of cloth that was her father's tartan, Fenny was able to cover the entrance of their new little dwelling to keep out both light and cold. This way also, should they choose ever to exercise their rights as man and wife, it wouldn't be too unusual that the entrance to their lean-to had been covered and announce to the whole neighborhood just what they were up to. With a sinking heart Fenny realized that this would now be three nights of their honeymoon she and John would go without making love and she buried her face in his chest to hold back the tears of disappointment. This had to be fixed and soon, if not for the superstition then at least for the principle of the matter! She would not let R ruin her honeymoon, she refused.

"Amen," she whispered after Little John had whispered a short prayer into her hair. She wondered what "it" was, but would ask him in the morning. "I love ye, John Schnell," she whispered, tilting her head up to kiss his neck gently before bringing it back to his chest.

[EvelynWillows]

Will laid in bed for a long time, thinking of Hamish's words. His fellow Scot seemed sincere enough, and Adelaide was nice enough, but it just seemed so out of character for Hamish to be talking about being faithful and that the Lord would know if he stepped outside of the promised bounds. Heck, it wasn't but two months ago when Hamish was banging all the lasses in Scotland. What had changed?

"Sumpthin' happened ta yew, Hamish Balloch. A few mo's agin ye were traipsin' about an' raisin' Cain wi' the girrels, an' now....yer different." Will's voice was quiet. "Ye mus' reallah luv this one. Er maybe there's more ta et than that, but...yer nogh' the seme." He pulled his tartan around his body and curled up in the little grubby shelter. One thing he'd do for sure the next day was work on making it a bit more wind-proof. This little hole in the ground was barely adequate to sleep in, and Will hadn't noticed any bonnie lasses he wanted to share his warmth with in the night.

Little John's last thoughts that night before going to sleep was of how lucky he was to have Fenny with him. He woke up with the same thoughts. He pulled her closer and kissed her lips, then her cheek, and then he buried his scratchy face in her neck and kissed her where he knew the bumps would raise up on her arms. The camp was still quiet, and only a faint blue light shone through some of the cracks of their little hovel. He drew his warm hands over her waist and around her back, pulling her body tight against his awakening one, and smiling at her through the darkness. "Mm, guten morgan, Frau Schnell," he murmured into her skin as he planted ore kisses into her body.

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Aye, Well, sommat's happened ta me," Hamish agreed with a shrug, still not facing his countryman. "Adelaide's made me a deffernt man, an' I do love 'er. More'n life." He wondered if Will thought this was a bad thing.

Was it a bad thing? After some serious thought Hamish decided it wasn't. After all, look at how happy his sister was with Little John, how happy she'd always been with him even before they'd married. Granted, she hadn't been a run-around like him before, but she'd been content enough on her own and happier than he'd ever seen her even the first day they'd met. Hamish Balloch decided that being in love was a good thing, and that even if it changed a man it could only change him for the better.

Fenny awoke the next morning to her husband's lips on hers. "Mmm..." Then her cheek. "Mm?" Then her neck in that secret place only he knew about. "Mmm!" She finally opened her eyes when he pulled her against his body and grinned. "Guten morgan, Herr Schnell," she said quietly, running her fingers through his hair then sliding that hand down to cup his neck as he kissed her more. "I guess I dun hafta ask how ye slept. Musta had vurrah good dreams endeed." She chuckled quietly, stretched her arms and legs and in the process rolled onto her back. "Er I dun sommat wonnerful en me sleep an dun ken aboot et." She grinned and started kissing her husband back.

It felt good to be able to have this one comfort of home come with them. She was now in the same living situation she'd been in a year and a half ago, but now she had a husband to keep her warm and night and comfort her in any way she needed. It felt good. It felt right.

[EvelynWillows]

"My dreams aren't nearly as good as my reality," Little John murmured as he rolled towards Fenny and began to kiss her back. The camp was still very quiet, and he wanted to take advantage of the peaceful morning to reconnect with his wife. She was his home; his everything. "You do something wonderful all the time." He sighed against her and let the rest of the world drift away from his awareness as he turned his mind to making love to his wife in the quiet of Robin Hood's camp.

Slowly the camp seemed to wake up. A dog barked, and somewhere a child woke up grumpy from a bad dream. Early morning hunters took their bows to go out and look for game, and those slated to guard the perimeter went out to relieve the night watch. Friar Tuck was busy making his rounds and checking on the wee ones in the camp as the meager porridge they had to share was being boiled by the camp cooks.

Will Scarlet crawled out of his makeshift bed and shook the dirt off his clothing before going out to the wood to take a piss. He noticed soft sounds coming out of Fenny's lean-to but decided to let them be. There was only so much irritation the wildcat could take before she hauled off and hit him, anyways. When he was done he noticed Ghost coming back to the camp and gave him a nod before going to check on his horse.

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Mm...Well good coz I dun wanna lose ye ta some dream girrel, have ye sleepen all th' time ta go ta her," she teased.

Fenny groaned softly as Little John rolled over on top of her and pinned her down. She wasn't used to having to stay quiet when her husband made love to her and on the one hand it was a little irritating...But on the other the risk of someone pulling back the tartan that covered their doorway at any moment to discover them made it feel dangerous and was that much more appealing. Heavy breathing and only very soft moans were allowed to escape, though in the back of her mind Fenny feared even this might be too much. As they lay together, gasping for breath in the aftermath of their love-making, she could hear the sounds of the camp stirring to life. She wondered silently just how many had passed by their lean-to that she hadn't heard.

"S'pose we migh' hafta get dressed soon..." she said quietly, turning to kiss Little John's neck and trail a hand down his still sensitive body.

Hamish had woken shortly after Will and had also passed by Little John and Fenny's hut on his way to relieve himself. He rolled his eyes and shook his head, mumbling something about rabbits. He came back and had a small portion of the porridge that was being made for the camp, then went to go find Robin.

"So wha'm I ta do?" he asked. "Well, any o' us, really. Bu' Fen'n'John're haven a bet o' a lie-en."

[EvelynWillows]

Robin was gathered with Ghost and Alan, discussing the newest information from Nottingham. Will was seated on a log a little distance away with a few other men. They seemed to be talking quietly about patrols and shifts.

The leader of the band grinned at Hamish. "Well, we're just discussing a few options here," he said. "We've heard word that there's to be another tax collecting in town, and that the sheriff's right hand man is due to be in Nottingham in a day's time. We're thinking of kidnapping him and demanding that the sheriff stop this taxation." He leaned back and looked at Ghost. "We're just not sure how to go about it."

Little John kissed Fenny a few more times before untangling himself from her and dressing in the cramped quarters of of their lean-to. "Maybe next time you can be on top," he suggested with a smile. "You might be able to breath better then." He pulled his belt tight and pulled his boots on. Once Fenny was ready he took down their makeshift door and crawled out of their new home.

A scattering of the camp's inhabitants were standing around, and when Fenny and Little John peeked out of the lean-to a round of applause and whistles rang out from the crowd. John blushed and pulled Fenny into an embrace at the friendly but too embarrassing attention.

Friar Tuck was chief amongst the applauders. "Now I understand why you left the priesthood, Brother John!" He put his fingers to his lips and gave them a low whistle before tossing the couple a small apple and walking off, grinning to himself at the little trick he had played on them.

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Well, we'd hafta stop 'im on th' road enta toon," Hamish said slowly, thinking. "Mayhap we could ge' Fen er one o' t'other wemen on th' side o' th' road, blind beggar wemin as spelled 'er wares er sommat?" He knew that Robin had an affinity for disguises. He'd always been the theatrical one. "Ge' hem off hes herse er a' leas' ge' hem ta stop, then take 'im?" When he heard the sound of applause, Hamish looked over, then rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Mayhap," Fenny grinned, sliding on her dress and re-attaching the weapons she'd taken off the night before. She'd never been on top before. She pulled on her boots and kissed her husband once more before he pulled down her tartan for her to put back on.

Much like on their wedding day, Fenny hid in Little John's chest as they poked their heads out to a round of applause. They were married and she wouldn't be apologetic for doing things married people do and she knew they were only being friendly, but it was mortifying to step out after being intimate with her husband and the entire neighborhood knowing what they'd been up to. She was glad when Little John wrapped his arms around her and felt her face burn hotter when Friar Tuck said he knew why John had left the priesthood.

When the flush had finally faded from her face enough to stop hiding, Fenny stood with her husband and walked over to where Hamish stood with Robin and the others. As they walked she wondered if perhaps she had been louder than she thought. Because how did they know the couple hadn't just slept in a little?

"S'wha's th' plan?" she asked, trying to be business-like despite the recent embarrassment.

"Kednappen th' tax man," Hamish said plainly with a shrug. His sister had been mortified enough, he wouldn't give her more of a hard time about it.

"Ooh! I like et!" Fenny grinned. "We ken as how?"

[EvelynWillows]

Robin Hood shook his head, but Ghost spoke up. "It'd be good to take him from his home; really scare the sheriff and his men." He stood up. "Look, we're always ambushin' their men on the road. Then the sheriff says we're common highwaymen." he spat. "If'n we take this Lord Dorchester from 'is own home, then they know it's personal. We didn't jus' luck into him."

Robin hood frowned. "What about his family and such?"

"What about them? Do you think they care when the run their hounds through the woods ta round up the squatters?" Ghost gave Robin a sour look. "We can't win this war by defending what we have. We gots ta advance. Take the ground and make the sheriff shake in his boots!"

Several of the people seemed excited about the prospect, but Robin still looked unconvinced.

"Excuse me," Little John interjected. "I don't understand what we mean to gain by kidnapping the tax collector. Why are we doing this again?"

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Kep 'im from collectin taxes?" Hamish explained, adding a questioning tone as if it were obvious. "An' send a message."

"Aye, I'm weth Robin though," Fenny interjected. "Th' man's stell go' a famileh, an' ef we take 'im from hes home we're th' bad guys." She took a bite of the apple Friar Tuck had tossed to them then passed it to Little John. "Ef we advance like ye say, suddenly we're th' ones as starten et, no' jis' protecten ourselfs y'ken? Th' nobles thenk we're common highweymen anehway an' the locals thenk Robin's a hero, an wha' the sheriff says en't gonna change tha'...unless we star' doen wha' ye say." She nodded at Ghost. "Ef we take 'im from hes hoem an ennisent folk get hert, we're en th' wrong. Coz maybe they denna keer when they put their dogs on th' squatters en the woods...bu' tha's wha' makes 'em th' bad guys. Keeren es wha' separates us."

"Aye," Hamish agreed slowly, unable to think of anything more to add. Personally he liked the idea of taking this nobleman from his own home, but he wasn't going to undermine his sister. It was a quick way to drive a wedge between them in a situation that was already life and death for them both.

[EvelynWillows]

Little John dropped his gaze and listened to the others discussing the merits of kidnapping the tax collector on the road versus in his house. John felt like the tax man was simply an instrument of their real enemy, the prince. He kept his thoughts to himself, though. Hamish's answer seemed too much like a reprimand, and John didn't want to jeopardize their mission to save Fenny from the blackmailer.

Will leaned back against a tree. "Ayed be glad ta help catch the fiend. Fenny an' another lass can dress like beggers or the lot, and we'll nab them lickety-split!" He grinned. A few of the other lads seemed happy with his idea and nodded along with him. "Jus' tell us when 'es suppose ta be oot there. We'll get him, then boss."

Robin looked at Ghost and then at Hamish. "Well, I suppose it makes sense to stay the good guys, huh Fenny?" He smiled. "Let's get him on the highway, then. He's supposed to come by tomarrah. Let's scout the route today and get our plans werked out."

[The Lifted Lorax]

Fenny smiled back at Robin, glad she'd won in a sense against the man who looked at her inappropriately. She didn't trust Ghost; something about him didn't feel right. She looked at Will and was surprised when he spoke. He was awfully eager and seemed downright chipper about kidnapping the tax man.

"Aye...et'd be be'er ef I was on me owwen, though," she said. "Ye see two, could be more somewhere. Jis' one lass aloen on a road..." she shrugged. "Who's ta say she's dangerous, hey?"

"Aye...bu' we'd be close by," Hamish interjected. "Vurrah close by. Dun wan' a...incident." He exchanged a look with his sister and she nodded. She knew he meant the incident that had happened last spring which had gotten them in this mess in the first place.

"Aye, righ' ye are." She shivered a little and took Little John's hand. "Well, wha're we waiten fer? Le's ge' to et!"

[EvelynWillows]

Little John shook his head. "No. No, you're not going to risk yourself," he said to Fenny. "If we want disguises so much we can dress one of the man up as a woman." He looked at Will. "How about him? He's used to wearing a skirt."

Will scowled. "We'll keep 'er safe, Priest. Better'n yew can, apparently. Dun worree, Fenny and we've been doin' this kind a thing fer longer than you've knoewn 'er." He glared at the priest.

"That may be so, but she's my wife, and it's too dangerous." He gave Fenny a quick double squeeze of her hand. What it was intended to mean she could only guess.

[The Lifted Lorax]

Fenny opened her mouth to respond to her husband when Will cut in. She scowled when he took a jab at Little John's ability to protect her. "Oi!" But she was cut off again, this time by John himself. She wondered what the little double squeeze had meant but didn't care at the moment.

"She kin speak fer 'erself!" Fenny interrupted before anyone else could talk over her. "An' she kin decide fer 'erself wha' ta do. Standen righ' here, I kin hear ye. Ye!" She pointed a finger sharply at Will. "Ye'll have a bet o' respect fer me husbin, go' et? Quetcher haven a go at 'im. And ye!" The finger swung around to Little John. "I kin decide jis' fine fer meself, thanks. I done thess plenny o' times afore an' et's no' like I'll be aloen er unarmed. I'll have me sword an' fefteen er twenny men boot ten feet off, hey?" Her lips formed a hard line; she was set on this. "I'm a beg girrel, take care o' meself."

Hamish had no input, but only sat back and watched with amusement at the two men who thought they could decide what was best for Fenny. Obviously neither of them knew that the more his sister was pushed in one particular direction, the harder she would resist and go her own way, just for the sake of being stubborn and contrary. The best way to get her to do what you wanted was to work at her over time to make her think it was her idea. He considered taking his brother-in-law aside to tell him this later, but would be content for a while to watch Will struggle to figure this out.

[EvelynWillows]

Will Scarlett grinned at Fenny. "Tha's my girrel. See, Johnny boyo. Nothin' ta worree aboot. Fenny cen take care of herself, and we'll proteckt her. No worrees atall." He nodded to Fenny. "Yew were always summon we could depend on, ye were." He gave Ghost a nod. "So, let's go bait us a trap, eh?"

Little John simply gave Fenny a flat look.

He released her hand and said quietly "Well, Fenella, if you can decide just fine for yourself, and you can take care of yourself, why'd you bother marrying me?" The edges of his lips twitched in irritation and he shook his head slightly in disappointment. "All it took was for you to spend one day with your old cohorts before you fell back into your old ways." The look in his eyes was one of resigned sadness. "I'll let you handle the thieving and the kidnapping then. I'm sure there's plenty of things for an ex-priest to busy himself with." He gave Robin a nod and turned to go into the main part of the camp.

If Fenny tries to follow John, Will would intercede and try to stop her, but otherwise he'd turn to Ghost and the others and start planning their strategy.

[The Lifted Lorax]

Fenny listened to what her husband had to say with a confused and hurt look on her face and a sick feeling in her stomach. What exactly was he saying? She tried to follow Little John, fire in her eyes, but Will caught her up in his arms and held tightly.

"Well le'ggo! Wellyem!" She struggled against him but Will Scarlet had a weight advantage on little Fenella. Hamish, who had been scowling at his brother-in-law, nodded at Will to let him know he was doing right then turned to follow Little John himself. "Hamish, where're ye...? Ge' back here th' both o' ye! Johan Schnell! Wellyem I'll poke ye en th' nose I sweer I well!"

Hamish followed Little John and put a hand on his shoulder. With a force he hadn't used on John in a very long while he turned the bigger man around and resisted the urge to punch him. He scowled at him and kept a firm grip on his shoulder, letting hm know that if he tried to walk away there would be blood, and Hamish Balloch didn't intend for it to be his own.

"Wha's yer problem, hey?" he demanded angrily. Looking around, he led Little John to a more private area just outside the encampment. "Whachye thenk we're here ta do? Have a peckneck? Ye thenk she--either o' us--wan' ta be doen thess? Thess es wha' we ded afore she met ye, John, an' thess es how et goes. Et's no' nice bu' et's a leven fer folk as dun have anehthen else. We weren' all bairn weth a fertile farrim. I ken as ye go' yer morals an' ye stek to 'em an' tha's fine; ye dun hafta steal. Some o' us aren' s'hard-nosed when et's steal er starve." Hamish studied John's face with a hard, angry look but it was clear he wasn't finished speaking.

"Et's ben a week an' yer arready queschenen why she married ya when she's doen wha' she hasta jis' ta kep from th' gallows? How es tha' feer? Jis' coz she thenks she kin as take keer o' herself dun mean she kin an' jus' coz she decides fer herself wha' ta do dun mean yer thoughts dun matter ta her." Hamish's red face very nearly matched his hair and the hand that wasn't keeping John's shoulder firmly in place was balled into a fist at his side. His voice wasn't raised, however, and in fact was quieter than usual...which was even more worrisome. "Ye mean th' werrild ta her, John Schnell, more'n me e'en. Et's plain as day. Bu' thess es our life righ' noo, an' et's no' sommat we wanna do bu' et's sommat we gotta do ta servive. Ef ye kinna tell th' deffernce an' ye kinna see tha' yer her whole werrild, have ben sence th' day she metcha...then Well's righ'. Et en't too late fer an annulment."

The livid Scot finally let go of the ex-priest. He opened his mouth to say something else, then closed it and shook his head. His hand slid to the hilt of his sword and his fingers curled around it in a white-knuckle grip in what seemed like an inner struggle for self-control. He turned on his heel to walk away, but stopped after a few paces and turned his head over his shoulder.

"She feels bad 'nuff boot haven ta sneak an' steal agin as et es, an' she thenks et's her fault we're all back here en th' ferst place. She dun need ye tellen her she's righ'." He sighed. "Ye said fer bedder er werse, John. Noo et's time ta decide ef ye really meant et." Out of things to say, Hamish walked off to rejoin the others.

When he came back to the circle he took his sister from Will Scarlet and put an arm around her, pinning her arms to her sides. She still put up a token struggle, but was now mostly trying to avoid crying in front of the men. How could John have said that to her? He wasn't being fair!

[EvelynWillows]

Little John had seen it in some of the men's eyes; the men who knew Hamish and Fenny in the past. They didn't trust this 'new' version of the Ballochs, and a lot of it had to do with his presence and Fenny's new status as his wife. She wanted to put herself out as bait for the tax colllector, and if John were to stand aside and let it happen without a word of protest it would seem more than suspicious. It would be a death kneel from within the camp if things went awry. The newcomers would be the first to be blamed, and old friend of Robin's or no, they'd be in danger of losing their lives. Little John had to distance himself from Fenny and Hamish if the Merry Men were going to trust the Scots again.

He had hoped that Fenny would have understood his impromptu signal to her, but he couldn't risk explaining it to her right then. Was it worth it to hurt her for a short period of time if it meant her longer term safety? It killed him to look at her and say those things, but he felt like this morning was a test. Either the siblings would be accepted or they wouldn't.

He was jerked around by Hamish. "Wha's yer problem, hey?" The Scot asked.

Little John started to answer him once they were out of earshot but the Scot tore into him with a low, dangerous tone. When Hamish paused to study Little John's face he started to answer, but his brother-in-law began to hammer at him again. John waited for him to finish, being too polite to interrupt. Finally Hamish let him go and John tried again to interject, but Hamish started to say something, then stopped again and started to walk off. John thought about yelling after him but then stopped himself. An argument would be the best way to make this seem real. It would have been better if Hamish would have punched him, but John didn't get a chance to ask the Scot to oblige him. He watched the man walk away, fuming. John hoped that he had made the right choice in his hunch.

He ran his hand through his hair and then walked into the main camp. Alan Tuck nodded as Little John walked past. "Family problems, huh?" He spat out the glob of tobacco he'd been chewing.

John paused, then scowled at the dark haired minstrel. "Yeah, no thanks to Ghost and his group of motleys. Es yer brother around?" He sighed. "I need a drink."

Alan nodded off to the left. "Down in the glade there." He chewed on a long blade of grass and watched the tall man walk off alone. Interesting, he thought to himself, before going to join his own men.

[The Lifted Lorax]

Plans were discussed and preparations made. Fenny was to play a crippled blind beggar woman staggering about in the road. She'd stop the tax man's horse, begging for money, long enough for him to be snatched up by Robin and his men. Her tartan would have to be put away and her fiery mane hidden beneath the hood of a cloak to prevent identification in case things went awry, and a piece of cloth was produced for such an act. It was clear the smelly thing had been used numerous times for numerous occasions, but it was perfect for playing a blind woman; the cloth was thin enough to functionally see through though not so thin as to show her eyes.

The rest of the day Fenny was quiet. She spoke only when spoken to, and even then used only as many words as would suitably address whatever had been put to her. She went out to hunt with Hamish in the early afternoon, and the only reason she hadn't gone by herself is because her brother had insisted on accompanying her to prevent any snatching that might happen. They brought back a doe and Fenny asked the woman in charge of gutting and cleaning the creature if she could keep the hide so as to make winter shoes for the children. Any time she knew her husband was near she would neither look at nor speak to him, and Hamish kept throwing Little John meaningful glances. He was clearly uncomfortable with the stony silence between them perpetuated by his sister and only wanted things to be back to normal again.

[EvelynWillows]

Little John spent most of the day telling the children stories and helping Friar Tuck with some of the sicker kids. It was difficult to see them suffering so much from things that could be prevented; lack of clean water, wounds that had been left unwashed, sleeping in fouled and filthy clothing. He thought about Widow Fallow and her children. That woman did a lot of laundry. The problem here was that laundry was done upstream of where they got their drinking water, and some of the kids urinated or defecated wherever they pleased. If there was one good thing that John learned from his brief stint helping the crusades it was to keep your garbage away from everything else.

He caught sight of Fenny a few times, but her body language told him that she was off-limits. He waited until Hamish's hovering presence was not around Fenny before approaching her. "Fenny, come walk with me," he said quietly. "Just' for a moment."

[The Lifted Lorax]

Fenny looked up at her giant husband with a stony face and lips forming a hard line. Her arms were folded over her chest and it was clear she didn't feel like talking to him. Still, she followed Little John anyway. Once they were an appropriate distance from the camp, she stood like a pillar against a storm, arms still crossed.

"Johan Gunterweiller Schnell ef thess es ta ask fer a anullment yer en fer one Hell o' a figh' fer et," she said icily. "I fough' too long an' too hard ta kep ya as ta jis' gev ye up now coz ye wanna run a' th' ferst sign o' trouble. Ye wan' one ye'll hafta drag me doon kecken an' screamen fer et coz God kens I love ye more'n you seem ta thenk I do. Though' ye knew me be'er'n tha', John." Her lips tightened and she held eye contact intently, her gaze cold but still deep in them flickered the flame of her love. It hadn't died one bit, but she had hidden it behind a wall of ice to try and protect herself from what she thought was coming. If she didn't the barrier would weaken and crumble and she'd fall to her knees sobbing.

[EvelynWillows]

"Fenella, you don't know me very well." His voice was low and steady.

"I don't want an annulment. Or a divorce. I want you to trust me. Most people here aren't gonna trust you and Hamish; they'll accuse ye if anything goes wrong. So let them believe that we're mad at each other; they'll trust you more." He took a breath and looked to the side to make sure that they weren't being spied on. "I love ye, Fenny. But I need you to keep being mad at me, and maybe punch me a little bit, like we 'ad a fight."

He put a finger on his jaw. "Right there, but not too hard. I wanna keep my teeth." He nodded at her. "Okay? Ye can hit me later and we can have another fight where people can see it."

[The Lifted Lorax]

Fenny stared. He wasn't...what? She blinked, her brain working hard to put the pieces together.

"Ye...yer no' mad? Ye denna mean whacha said thess mornen?" The ice in her eyes melted and left tears in their wake to drip slowly down her cheeks. She sniffed and nodded when he told her to hit him, wiping the tears away. "I'll jis' slap ye, then. I ne'er pulled a punch afore...dunno how. Bu'...bu' yer no' sleppen ootside!" She pointed a finger at him and from a distance it might look accusatory. "We'll jis' hafta do all our wood spletten when e'erone's asleep, hey?"

She turned as if she'd gotten frustrated and tried to walk away, but then turned back for more angry words. "I mess ye, John. An' I love ye more'n life. Arrigh'? So...do I hetcha noo?"

[EvelynWillows]

Little John almost laughed at the wood splitting comment.

"So hit me now, and convince me that you're mad," he said, waiting for it. He already decided that he'd slap her back if she didn't hit him hard enough. He wanted to have her in his arms, though, but he had to make sure that their uneasy truce seemed realistic to others so that the Scots cold dig in deeper with those who might be conspiring against Robin Hood.

He made sure to close his teeth. Biting your tongue when you got punched wasn't any fun, no matter how cute the woman was who punched you.

[The Lifted Lorax]

"I love ye," she whispered before storming back toward him. "Ye great barmey edjet!"

Fenny pulled her arm back and slapped him with an open hand. Though it was loud and left a red hand print on his face, complete with wedding band imprint, it definitely wasn't as hard as she could have hit him. She put her hands over her mouth as if shocked momentarily at what she'd done.

"Ye arrigh'?" she asked quietly through her hands, staggering back a few steps. "Ded I hertcha too bad?"

[EvelynWillows]

"Love you too," Little John said quietly. "And you didn't get me hard enough." he had staggered back a bit, but now the took hold of Fenny'd dress and pulled her forward to smack her across the face. He hit her harder than she had hit him, but not enough to break her skin.

"Now do it like you mean it," he said, pushing her away. "And I'm not an idiot!" He had to fight hard to not grin at her. Despite their reasons for pretending to fight, he was quite enjoying the slight rough and tumble of what they were doing.

[The Lifted Lorax]

Fenny stared at her husband in shock and staggered back for real. "You hit me!" Her jaw dropped. Her face hurt and though he hadn't hit her hard the betrayal of it made her feel like she'd been knocked in the jaw with an anvil. She curled her hand into a fist and hoped she pulled the punch enough to spare Little John his teeth but she secretly hoped she'd hurt him at least a little.

Hamish had been watching their fight from a distance. He winced when Fenny had landed a blow, but she'd done him a kindness by keeping an open palm in her emotional state. When Little John hit back, however, something in Hamish broke and his rage threatened to boil over. What cowardess is this? He didn't see his sister punch her husband. Didn't see much of anything except red and tunnel vision with John as a target. There were very few circumstances in which it was acceptable to strike a woman, even fewer when that woman was his sister. His claymore was out and he had Little John pinned against a tree by the throat before he knew he'd moved.

"There had be'er be a damn good explaination fer thess, Schnell," he growled, moving his hand and pressing his blade against the man's neck hard enough to split the skin and draw blood.

Hamish wasn't naive, he'd seen Fenny cornered or just drunk and knew that there were a good many women in the world who'd had a hard enough life that they could take care of themselves or even start fights. But any man who struck his woman out of anger was less than a man and to that end Hamish felt Johan Schnell should have been grateful he hadn't already been relieved of his genitals.

"Hamish!"

"Dun ye dare, Fenella, no' thess time. I wun abide by et."

[EvelynWillows]

"You hit me!"

When Fenny finally wound up her fist and punched him, Little John's eyes watered and he had to suppress his grin. "That's better, Fen. That's believable." His eyes sparkled at her as he brought his hand up to touch the spot she decked. "I'll owe ya a lot of makin' up when this is over, love." He had caught sight of Ghost walking through the woods and pausing to watch the couple fight. The tall blond stepped back into the shadow of a tree and paused in his traveling to see how it all panned out.

Little John started to walk away when a bull hit him and drove him against a huge tree. "There had be'er be a damn good explaination fer thess, Schnell," growled Hamish. John cleared his vision and felt the blade against his throat.

Damn, forgot about the brother.

"Hamish!"

"Dun ye dare, Fenella, no' thess time. I wun abide by et." Hamish's expression was murderous. He was just on the sane side of unreasonable, and he had every reason to be. He'd just seen his brother-in-law hit Fenny, a tiny woman easily half the man's weight.

"Now Hamish," John said quietly. "It's not like it looks like. Give me a moment to explain." His eyes studied the other man, wondering which words would convince him the quickest. John didn't have to be stellar, just quicker than Hamish's rage and the flash of his claymore's blade. "I needed to put some space between Fenny and me so's people would trust her. There's no one's going to believe we left the farm for adventure, 'specially anyone knowin' Fenny and all that she's ever wanted when you were roamin' the countryside was a home. No one's going to believe I'd let Fenny put herself in danger either; no man's worth half 'is salt who'd put his bride out there like that. They'd think we were here gatherin' information for the sheriff, or the prince himself. Something goes wrong and they'll all look to us."

John shook his head slightly. "If I need a black eye and Fenny a slap ta convince 'R' that we're trying to get in deep with the group then it's a small price to pay. I jus' didn't have time to tell you this before I needed to start the ruse." He swallowed and glanced over Hamish's shoulder.

A slight movement in the forest signified Ghost's return to the shadows.

Little John looked back at his brother. The cold of his blade was still pressed against his neck, and John had a flash of wondering if he'd made a huge mistake in thinking that his plan would work.

[The Lifted Lorax]

Hamish kept Little John pinned to the tree with his sword-free forearm across his chest, shoulder-to-shoulder. He kept an even pressure on the claymore in his other hand as John talked. One part of him believed the usually gentle man, but a large part was still in a murderous rage. It took Fenny's hand on his shoulder to stay his hand.

"Et's true, Hamish. Leave 'im be!" She looked up earnestly at her brother. "Ye e'er thenk John'd really e'er het me?"

"After thess mornen I dunno as wha' ta thenk," Hamish growled, not taking his eyes off of Little John.

"Well I were awways be'er at th' thenken anehway s'let me do et fer ye. An' et makes sense, hey?"

There was a moment of pause, then Hamish lowered both hands to his sides before sheathing his sword. His eyes still spelled murder.

"Yer thess close, mate," he said in a dangerous, low tone. "Ye be'er pray she's there ta talk me doon nex' time, ye jis' noo barely 'scaped as a whole man. Ye touch me sesster like tha'...e'er agin, an' acten er no' she'll jis' hafta seddle fer adopten." His florid face was very serious. Fenny's brother jerked his shoulder out of his grasp and he turned to walk away. Fenny herself stepped forward and scowled at John as if it were his fault he'd just been attacked.

"I'll talk ta hem," she said with a much gentler voice than her face would have indicated. "An' I'll see ya tanigh'. Ya do have a lodda maken up ta do, y'ken." Fenny very nearly smiled, but after gaining control of her twitching lip she turned away. Already her cheek was a hot red and individual fingers were visible.

[EvelynWillows]

Little John didn't feel like pointing it out to Fenny, but he had hit her, acting or no. He nodded imperceptibly and let Fenny go to follow her brother. Then he released a long, slow breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

He went back to the center of the campsite. Aside from being near the children, which John enjoyed, it allowed him to keep an ear open for what the women were talking about. They seemed to know the pulse of the camp and all the comings and goings in the little neighborhood of outlaws.

When Hamish and Fenny returned to the small glade in the thicket that Robin used the saw many more men in the area,s tanding about and listening to Ghost giving them last minute instructions. "Ah, there's the star of the day!" He exclaimed, looking at Fenny. "Ready luv? We've got a good twenty men here to look out after you when we grab the taxman." He gave her a crooked smile.

The men looked lean and hard; not just their bodies but in their eyes. Some merely acknowledged Fenny's presence, but others looked at her soft feminine form with appreciation. Some of them already had her naked in their mind's eye. A couple looked over at Hamish, and one man, Tom, grinned at him familiarly. "Hey Hamish! I heard you were back."

Tom had been a cobbler in his 'previous life'. He'd lost his shop due to taxes and his wife ran off with the butcher soon afterwards, but Tom still had a good outlook on life. He'd always been up for a game of dice or a tricky scam in town to make a few coins off the foolish.

[The Lifted Lorax]

"Jis' go weth et," Fenny murmured after having caught up with her brother. Now that she knew John hadn't meant anything he'd said that morning, she was going from missing him and holding it back out of spite to really missing him and allowing herself to feel it. "Hamish, he denna mean et." She resisted the urge to rub her stinging cheek. She was glad that her husband was a gentler man or else she may have been in for a very rude awakening further into her marriage.

"I dun keer. He hetcha, he e'en left a mark, an' tha'ss no' righ'."

"An' he kens as et en't! I het hem, too! Closed fest an' e'erthen!"

"No ye denna. He go' teeth left an' I denna see aneh blood."

"Et's called pullen punches, Hamish." Fenny pursed her lips in annoyance. It turned to a pleasant smile, however, when they came upon Robin, Ghost, and the rest. Twenty men to look after her. She looked over them and though some were appropriate and she made a mental note of this, many others were ogling or very clearly undressing her with their eyes. "Jis' watch me back an' no' me backside boyos an' we'll do jis' fine, hey?"

"Tom!" Hamish stepped forward with a grin and shook the cobbler's hand heartily. The two had met in a tavern via bar brawl; each had been trying all night to con the other out of his money and things had gotten out of hand. It had, eventually, ended in drunken laughter and Fenny rolling her eyes so hard they hurt and the two had become good friends. "Good ta see ya lad. Stell hangen roond thess lo'? Ach!"

"Ach...young love," Fenny teased as she took off her tartan and began folding it neatly. She had always teased the two about their closeness, but they both knew she never meant anything by it.

[EvelynWillows]

Will Scarlet was busy talking ropes and knots with some of the archers. "Now, wha' aboot eny guards 'e might 'ave? Well we be aboot tyin' them up, or..." His eyes darted at the men in question.

Alan Tuck shrugged. "Quite honestly, mate, we neveh had to warry ourselves with that type of thing, wot? We simply bonked them over the melons, took their money, and left them on the road." He wound up the rope he had just mended and shoved it into a sturdy sack. "I suppose we could take them along for the sport ov it."

Ghost shook his head. "That'll just' be another mouth to feed. That's nough' our goal, here. We go in, get the tax man, and get out. Of course if he has a pouch of coin it wouldn't do us badly to take it along too." He grinned across the glade at Will. "We all need a little bit of compensation, don't we?"

Robin returned to the glade and rubbed his hands together. "Alright! It looks like everything is going as scheduled." He looked over at Fenny and the costume she was beginning to slip into. "Everything alright with you, Fenny?" He shook his head in the direction of the main camp. "With you and Mister Fenny, that is." That elicited a few chuckles from the others in the group. Robin smiled and chuckled. "No offense, Fen. It's just..." he lowered his voice. "How'd you ever wind up with a wet rag like John Schnell? He's just not very exciting, and you, Fenella Balloch, are an exciting kind of woman." He gave her a wink.

Ghost elbowed Robin. "Hey! You got Marian!" He grinned at Fenny as well. "Don't worry, Miss. Not everyone here's as big of a flirt as our own Mister Hood."

[The Lifted Lorax]

An arrow whistled briefly through the air before sticking in a tree right next to Robin Hood's head. Fenny was already wordlessly putting up her bow, heedless of what the silent threat would do to her reputation. She'd known the Hood longer than any of them, and looked evenly at Ghost as he nudged Robin.

"I ken as who Robin o' Locksley es," she said coolly before turning her gaze to Robin. "Bu' he's cleerleh fergot me, er he woulna say sich thengs."

Hamish had winced a little when he'd seen her knocking an arrow to aim at Robin, but hadn't made any motion to stop her. When it came down to it, Little John was if nothing else her family and hers alone. He may not have liked what John had done but at the end of the day it was Fenny's business to take care of anything said against him if Hamish were unwilling and at the moment he certainly was.

"Thengs'll blow over en time," Fenny continued, "an' ef yer gonna take a toen like tha' then do us a favor an' leave me marriage ta me." She handed the tartan to Hamish for safekeeping then swung a borrowed, ratty old cloak from someone. Ratty old cloak, ratty old dress, ratty old life. Reaching into an empty purse at her hip she drew out the ribbon she'd bought at last year's fair where she'd met her husband and tied back her hair. "Le'l John es anehthen bu' a wet rag, an' 'no offense' es sommat folk say jis' afore they offend someone on perpose. Ye used ta ken as hoo ta look 'neath wha' ye saw, Robin. Er have ye fergo' coz ye go' yer men ta do et fer ye noo?" She looked at him icily before binding her eyes tightly but not too much so with the cloth and pulling the hood up on the cloak.

"An' et's Fenella Schnell, thanks vurrah much." Fenny marched over to the tree next to Robin and pulled out her warning arrow, pulling her hood down briefly to replace it in its quiver.

[EvelynWillows]

Robin grinned at Fenny still as he was ribbed by his men over being put in his place by a woman. They offered him backwards consolation while poking fun wherever they could find it, and some made a show of nodding to Fenny and making sure to address her as Missus Schnell when they had reason to speak to her. Robin spoke briefly to all his 'lieutenants' before they set out for the crossroads ambush site in small groups of four or five.

Each group passed by Friar Tuck, who sprinkled water over their heads with a pine bough, and then they faded into the forest like smoke. Will walked over to Hamish and Fenny just before it was their turn to go. "Exciting, hum? Aye nevah had reason ta respect the Engleesh afore, but now as ay've seen them at werk aye cen see they're a gud lot of men an weymen. This be a gud lot ye chose ta run with, Hamish." He nodded at Fenny. "Ye ready ta play the part? Ghost'll be leadin' us in a few minutes here, eh?" He wipe his face off with his tartan turned to wait for Ghost, who had just been sprinkled and was sliding his narrow woodsman's cap on over his blond locks.

"Let's go," Ghost said to the threesome before taking them down a deer path towards Nottingham.

[The Lifted Lorax]

Fenny was quickly growing irritated with Robin's men and their taunts. They were clearly making fun of her wish to be known by her married name and just wished they would all stay out of it. Robin most especially. She said nothing, however, and stood with the others as they all filtered out in small groups.

"Aye, they're a good lo'," Hamish said with a nod. "Bu' back then were jis' Robin an' us. Dunno where th' Hell most o' these other folk came from. Maybe ye mean ta stay here?" he added as an afterthought with a wry grin.

"Aye, no' s'wholesome 's th' vellege...no' s'poor 's hoem," Fenny added. "Aye, I'm ready."

Fenny kept her blindfold down around her neck as they walked so that she could better see any tripping hazards in her way. Halfway through the forest she picked up a dead branch (http://ts2.mm.bing.net/th?id=I.5015229754705633&pid=15.1) to use as a walking stick. Who would believe a blind woman on her own with nothing to help her on her way?

[EvelynWillows]

The crossroads (wanderingwomanwondering.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/crossroads.jpeg) occurred where the road to Nottingham crossed the road to the farming communities in the east. The Merry Men had hid themselves well. Some laid beneath the leaves, still as death until they were called to rise. Others hid behind natural screens built to mimic small shrubs and dead fall. A few had even found their way up into the trees and were suspended high about the average line of sight, their bows readied but hidden until they were needed.

Ghost hung back with Hamish, Fenny and Will. "The word we have is that he's traveling in a carriage with a few of his personal guards attending." He looked at Fenny. "Do you want to wait in the road or hide with us until we think he's coming?" He looked over her disguise and reached out to tuck back a strand of her fiery, corkscrew hair. "I trust your judgement in this one."

Will, squatting behind Ghost but where Fenny could see him, rolled his eyes and made a heart shape (http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2010/130/a/0/love_hands_by_sarahbarah93.jpg) with his hands.

[The Lifted Lorax]

"I'll wait," Fenny answered, surveying the road. "Dun wan' some do-gooder traveler comen by an' striken up a conversation so as I mess 'im."

She resisted the urge to smack his hand away as he reached out to fix her hair. For all she knew, he was genuinely just fixing her. But still...that was John's curl. All of them were. No one else was allowed to touch it. Catching Will's look behind the blond's back Fenny raised her eyebrows in agreement. Will had no room to talk, of course, but he'd at least finally given up. She moved back into the underbrush between him and her brother.

"Whaddya thenk hes game es?" she asked quietly. She spoke the rolling tongue of their ancestors but kept her voice low in case Ghost, for some reason, knew Gaelic. The siblings had learned the hard way that you never know who speaks what until you wake up one morning with a hairy Turk in your bed and a hung-over Irishman demanding to know where his dog was.

"Randy bastard," Hamish said with a shrug, spitting. "Dun trust 'im. Tha' bet boot th' cart were a lie, he saw ye somewhere else. Bu' stell...randy bastard." Fenny looked to Will for his opinion.

[EvelynWillows]

They waited for about an hour and half as normal traffic passed by. A farmer with an empty cart and a barking dog in the back, a pair of young men on prancing horses, and a group of priests from the nearby monastery pulling a cart of corn. Several carriages passed, but they were either empty or had a handful of fancy-clothed ladies sitting inside, cackling and laughing over some shared remembrance.

Finally a pair of guards on horses rode by. A few moments later one of the prince's carriages could be seen coming down the road. Blue and yellow flags flew from the corners, announcing that someone of import was in the vehicle, and three guards on horses followed behind.

Ghost looked over to where Fenny was waiting. If she wanted to 'wander out' and slow the carriage down, now was the time to do it.

[The Lifted Lorax]

When Ghost looked at Fenny she nodded, tying the blindfold back around her eyes--and catching any stray curls in the process--and putting her hood up. She felt naked without her tartan and she was suddenly quite aware of how thin and thread-bare her old dress was. Even so she wrapped her cloak around herself and climbed up from the ditch before starting to slowly amble out into the middle of the road. Leaning heavily on the branch she walked with a limp and made very slow progress. Her youth she wouldn't be able to hide, so she needed an excuse for being so slow as being bent with age wouldn't work.

"Alms fer th' poor?" she groaned in a small, wavery voice, holding out her hand.

Through the blindfold Fenny watched the carriage coming down the road and planned her aimless meandering accordingly. It wasn't long before the horses were upon her then drawn to a halt by the driver. She felt his eyes on her, assessing the situation, and worked hard not to look up at him in defiance.

"Ho there!"

"Eh?" Fenny raised her head and turned her face to one of the horses. "Alms fer th' poor, Ser?" she asked, pushing out her hand and causing a horse to make a noise of perturbation when her fingers met its nostril. "Och! Beggen yer pardon."

"Move, wench! We're on important business."

"Important business?" She looked at the other horse. "Wha' migh' tha' be?"

"Driver! Is anything the matter?" a voice called from inside.

"Uh...no, melord! Just a belligerent beggar woman. We'll be on our way in a moment, sire."

"A laird?" Fenny said with a small gasp. "Ye dun say...No' eh...no' Keng John es et?" She wanted to scrub the words off of her tongue as she gently tapped at the horses' hooves with her walking stick to see that it was, indeed, a carriage drawn by four horses. "Dun worrah laddie, ye kin tell ault Bessie. No' like anehone as lessens ta th' beggar weth th' clap aneh how, eh?" She laughed a thin, wheezing laugh that ended with a hacking cough.

Fenny wished they were back home because she knew she'd later be wanting honey to soothe her throat from the theatrical hacking. She hocked an impressively sized wad of phlegm a good distance before it landed in the dust. Secretly she was a little impressed with herself but she saw the disgusted look on the driver's face.

"So es et?"

[EvelynWillows]

"It's none of your business who's in the carriage, wench! Now get off the road before I run you down!" The driver (http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5144/5651602567_ff552a9b5f_z.jpg) raised his whip and flicked it near enough to Fenny to make the air crack. "Be off with you!" The horse shied away from the whip, dancing against its partner with it's large, feathered hooves.

One of the mounted guardsmen (http://us.123rf.com/400wm/400/400/james63/james631109/james63110900108/10650069-medieval-knight-on-his-horse-galloping.jpg) rode his horse around to where the begger woman was. "Shall I remove her, m'lord?"

The carriage door opened slightly and a man leaned out (http://www4.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Harry+Lloyd+Olivier+Awards+2012+Arrivals+kfHY4w3o3 OWl.jpg), surveying the situation. He saw Fenny there and waved his hand in a shooing gesture like someone scattering flies from a corpse. "Just...send her off. She's nobody."

"Aye m'Lord." The mounted guard rode up along the carriage and reached down to grab Fenny's arm. "Come on, woman, move aside lest you get trampled 'neath the horses for your insolence."

In the trees, ghost looked over at Will Scarlet (http://images4.fanpop.com/image/photos/22200000/Will-Scarlett-will-scarlett-22255090-1024-768.jpg) with a start. Hamish noticed it too, having known Will for most of his life. The two men looked identical. Ghost took his own hat off and pulled it over Will's head. "You stay here unless we really need ya," he whispered to the Scot. "Stay out of sight, hear?" He made a quick hand signal to his left and the right, and a bird whistled on the other side of the road.

It had begun.

[The Lifted Lorax]

Fenny skittered away from the sound of the whip in much the same way the horses had. Where were they? If the men waited too much longer, she would either have to move or be forcibly moved and fighting back would give everything away. They'd have lost their chance. She turned her head toward the voice and through the cloth, though she couldn't see clearly, she saw what looked to be Will Scarlet poking his head from the carriage. Must be a trick of the blindfold.

"Eh? Es tha' yer laird then?" she asked, sidestepping the guard in a way that could be mistaken as staggering. She stayed in front of the horses, however, as she put her hand out. When she spoke next her voice was raised so the man in the carriage could hear. "'E's go' th' voice o' a hansim man. Penny fer th' poor, m'laird?"

Hamish raised his eyebrows at the similarities. He nodded in agreement with Ghost and set Fenny's folded tartan next to him.

"Do's yer told, fer once," he said absently as he followed Ghost through the trees.

[EvelynWillows]

Will Scarlet scowled at Hamish but stayed put. He had enough respect for his friend to not push the issue too much. He notched an arrow and waited in case things got out of hand.

The man in the carriage recoiled slightly at Fenny's presence. "Go on! Be gone, woman, I have nothing for you." He shut the door and drew the curtains. "Guards! Let's get on with it!"

The mounted guard turned his horse around and was approaching Fenny from behind when an arrow sprouted from the carriage. "We're under attack!" He shouted.

Suddenly there seemed to be a hundred archers surrounding the carriage. The guards pulled their swords and turned to single out an opponent.

"If you value your life put down your swords!" Shouted Ghost. His arrow was pointed at the main guard nearest Fenny. "Back away from the carriage, Sir, or prepare to breath your last."

The guard scowled at Ghost, but seeing the overwhelming odds, returned his sword to his sheath and backed away from the carriage as instructed.

[The Lifted Lorax]

"We're under attack!"

Fenny took this as her cue and as the men were surrounding the carriage she pulled the blindfold down to hang around her neck and drew the sword she'd kept hidden beneath her cloak. She looked at the branch in her left hand curiously, not sure how she felt about dual-wielding at the moment. She looked up at Ghost with a hint of irritation.

"Took ye long 'nuff," she scolded. "Damn near go' meself run doon. Noo..." Fenny stepped out of the way of the horses, lest the driver get any bright ideas, and around to the side between Hamish and Ghost, looking at the window through which this mysterious lord had spoken. "No' e'en one penneh fer th' puoor, yer lairdshep?" She asked the carriage. "Though' ye noble types liked ta lead by example. Oh wait..." She sneered at the carriage, wanting to see the man more clearly. "Oot the carriage noo, doon ye get. There's a dear." She looked to Hamish. "Where's W--"

"He'll be 'long," her brother cut her off with the slightest shake of his head. He kept his arrow trained on the window of the carriage where he approximated the nobleman's head to be, just for insurance.

[EvelynWillows]

The guards had backed off, leaving the taxman and his driver to their fate. They were surrounded by Robin Hood's men, though, and didn't dare try to ride away. Robin's men pulled them off their horses and began to truss them up, wrenching their arms behind them tightly.

"Out now," Ghost said to the carriage. "Let us see your hands as you come out," he cautioned. "We don't have to have you intact for our needs." He winked at Fenny. "We can put an arrow in your knee just as easily as in your heart, Tax Man."

After a brief moment the door opened and the man's hands appeared. He glanced at Fenny as he climbed down, then drew his eyes to Ghost. "I suppose this is the famous Merry Men of Sherwood Forest, eh? You look more like a bunch of thieving criminals to me."

[The Lifted Lorax]

Fenny's eyebrows arched when the man stepped out. She looked at Hamish, who shrugged, then looked back at the tax man. This...Lord Whoever.

"Ef we was cremenals ye'd be deed arreadeh," Hamish said coolly, keeping his arrow head trained on the tax man.

"Aye. Bu' yer eyes weren' tha' good en th' ferst place, I guess," Fenny added. "Y'see, there were a puoor wemin en th' road, blind an' creppilt, an ye coulna speer 'er th' time o' day ne'ermind a bet o' shiney fer some food." She stepped forward and placed the tip of her sword lightly against his chest. "Musta ben a bet hard o' hearen, s'well, as she were beggen. I mean...ye kin afford et ef ye kin as afford all thess," she nodded to the carriage and the guards, "s' I says ta meself, I ses 'wha' sor' o' a man as kin help 'is fellow traveler like et say 'e should en the Good Book, like hes preacher tell hem e'er Sunday, wha' sor' o' a man es he as kin bu' wun?'"

"No sor' o' a man a' all," Hamish answered the rhetorical question with a face free from expression except for perhaps that of contempt.

"Aye, righ' ye are. So...maybe et's time someone as taught 'im ta be a man, hey?" Fenny looked from her brother to the tax man. "Yer commen weth us, boyo."

[EvelynWillows]

The tax man clamped his mouth shut and kept his hands raised. He glared at Ghost and then at Fenny as one of the Merry Men tied his arms behind his back. He gritted his teeth and grunted in pain as the ropes were jerked tight and he was walked towards the forest edge.

"Tie 'em up and take their coin," Ghost instructed the others. The guards muttered unhappily, but figured it was better to be bound and left in the street that to fight and be full of arrows.

One of the Merry Men peeked into the carriage and laughed. "Look here Ghost!" He reached in and pulled a lady (http://www.digitalimagemagazine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/greenhat_orig.jpg) out by her wrist, as she struggled to pull away. The woman was young, perhaps not more than eighteen or twenty, and had the wide-eyed, frightened eyes of a doe.

"NO!" Yelled the tax man. "You have me! Let her be!"

[The Lifted Lorax]

Fenny was surprised to see that there was a girl in the carriage as well. The girl was younger than herself, though not by much, and looked terrified. A pang of sympathy struck her heart and she walked up to her, letting Lilith hang at her side but keeping alert in case one of the guards tried to pull anything.

"Gev 'er ta me," she said quietly to the Merry Man holding her. Without waiting for him to hand the girl over, she pushed away his hand and wrapped her strong fingers around the girl's thin wrist gently but firmly. She wanted to let the girl know there was no use in trying to get away, but she wouldn't be harmed either. "S'yer name?" Fenny kept her voice low and gentle, knowing what it was like to be terrified and much smaller than everyone else and having them all yelling at once.

"M-M-Morgan," the girl stammered.

"Aye? Well Morgan, tha' man o'er there loves ye vurrah much as ta offer hesself en yer place no' e'en knowen ef we entend ye harm." Fenny's eyes were soft as she searched the girl's face. "Bu' I dun won'ner ef he'd show the same marcy ta a man as beggen fer hes famileh an' livelehhood. I seen weth me owwen eyes men jis' like hem cut doon ennesent men, wemin, an' cheldren wi'oot a sengle though' ta their owwen."

She pursed her lips in disapproval, hoping she'd planted some seed of doubt in the young woman's mind. She knew that noblewomen didn't have the freedom to do what they pleased and so any sort of rebellion she could start from the inside she would be satisfied with. Fenny turned to look at Ghost, hand still firmly around the girl's wrist.

"We keppen 'er?"

[EvelynWillows]

There was a round of chuckling among the men. They had finished tying up the guards and emptied all their pouches.

"Of course we're keeping her," Ghost responded. "If one noble-blooded piece of garbage is worth a good ransom, then what's two but more of the same?" He shrugged. "Fenny, give her over to Gerald over there," he motioned towards a large, sharp-featured man near the edge of the road.

Gerald came forward to tie up Morgan. "Will ya hold her arms behind her back then?"

Will scowled at Ghost's back. He caught the man calling Fenny by her name and felt like loosening an arrow in the man's spine. He hesitated, though, as another of the Merry Men stepped around and inadvertently got in between Will's arrow and his target.

Ghost nodded to one of his lead men. "Give them a nap, won't cha?" The man grinned and smacked the pommel of his sword across a guard's head, sending him sprawling to the ground. As the Merry Men set about knocking out the prince's guards, Ghost and his crew were fast disappearing into the forest with their prey.

[The Lifted Lorax]

"They'll be at 'er front an' I mos' certainly well no' hand 'er o'er!" Fenny scowled. If there was one thing that irked her it was an unfair treatment of women who'd done nothing to deserve it. She snatched the rope from Gerald's hand to tie Morgan herself. "Gi' us yer han's then, love. There's a good lass," she said gently, crossing Morgan's wrists and tying them securely though not tightly enough to cause any sort of serious damage. A little rope burn perhaps but nothing more.

"Where are we going?" the girl asked timidly, her eyes still wide and round as Fenny started leading her by the ropes off of the road and into the forest.

"Gonna go met a legin' es wha' yer gonna do," Fenny said, cracking a small smile. "An' maybe open yer eyen a bet, too. Dunchoo thenk o' runnen, neither," she added more sternly. "Be brother here's a crack shot; ye'd have a arrow en ye afore ye go' ten paces. Neither o' us wan' tha' s' jis' do as we tell ye, hey?"

"A-a-alright." Morgan swallowed hard and nodded and it was clear she was trying to keep from crying. Fenny felt sorry for her, but still she had a job to do.

[EvelynWillows]

They traveled for about a half an hour before Ghost stopped them. "Alright, let's bind our guests' eyes," he said. "No need to let anyone know how to get where we're going." He handed Fenny a strip of cloth to tie around Morgan's eyes, and he tightly bound the lord's eyes personally.

Once they were secure they continued through the late evening woods, arriving back at the camp just as it was starting to get dark enough that the colors red and green were no longer discernible from each other.

The camp quietly watched as not one, but two, prisoners were taken through the middle of their neighborhood and brought before Robin Hood.

Little John watched from a distance, but Fenny could see a flicker of relief cross his face when he saw Fenny returning intact to the camp.

[The Lifted Lorax]

Fenny bound the girl's eyes then led her along carefully. Every now and then Hamish, who walked ahead, would call back a root or fallen branch they needed to watch for. Fenny was irritated that they were going so slowly and falling behind, but she wouldn't treat the girl roughly. Morgan had done nothing wrong that she'd heard and so didn't deserve what the tax man was getting.

"Daughter, sesster, er wife?" she asked the lord being pushed in front.

Fenny looked around for Little John as soon as they got back to the camp. A flicker of a smile twitched her lips but then she remembered she was supposed to be mad at him. Fenny couldn't wait until the camp wound down for the night and she could talk to her husband again.

[EvelynWillows]

Morgan stumbled along, despite Hamish's care of the path's obstacles. Other than a few frightened whimpers she didn't complain about their treatment of her. Her long, full dress snagged on the underbrush and the fine fabric soon had rips along its hem.

The tax man wasn't getting such care in his walk through the woods. His handler shoved him forward roughly, sometimes seeming to purposely guide him along the tougher side of the path instead of the flatter side. Whatever the handler did, however, it didn't compare to treatment the commoners had received from the sherriff or his men.

Many in the camp were gawking at the Merry Men's captives once they reached the fires set in the main clearing. The tax man shook his year at Fenny's question. The man gripping his ropes smacked the lord across the head.

"Answer her question, you lout!"

"She's none of those. She's just a woman who wanted to see the province!" He turned slightly as if trying to speak in the direction that he thought Morgan was in. "She's no one of import!"

About this time, Robin and Friar Tuck joined them. Will Scarlet had moved up next to Hamish. He hadn't gotten a good view of their captives, though he did see a lot of Morgan's pretty green dress from the back.

[The Lifted Lorax]

"I dun like liars," Fenny scowled. "No' tha' yer tongue's a stranger ta lies. Migh' be a wee bet strange ta ye, bu' th' more honest ye are th' be'er off ye'll be. Well...be'er off she'll be." She looked at Morgan. "Do he do righ' by ye?"

Fenny noticed when Will walked up with her tartan tucked under his arm. She handed Morgan to Hamish for a moment, telling her who was handling her, and reached out to take her tartan from him.

"Thankee kindly," she said wrapping the cloth around herself again in a way so familiar it was automatic. "Felt damn near nekkid oot there."

[EvelynWillows]

"Well, ye didna look nekkid," Will said. "Ye deed a gud thing, Fenny. Braver'n most would be." He gave her a smile and looked carefully at the woman in the green dress.

The woman had a firm line to her lips as she frowned behind the blindfold. "The sheriff will have you all hanged for this!" she finally exclaimed.

"Morgan! Be quiet! Tell them nothing!" The lord, Mister Tax Man, turned his blind face towards his companion.

"Well!" Robin Hood grinned at his men. "Well done, well done indeed! Let's have a looksee at our new guests, shall we?"

The blind fold on the tax man was removed. A soft hush fell over the group.

"Interesting..." Robin walked to the trussed up man and looked him over carefully. "So, what is your name, good fellow?"

The man shook his head. "You'll get nothing from me. You must be the self-styled Robin of the Hood. Thief extraordinaire." He frowned and looked Robin and his men over. Then he raised his voice and spoke to the crowd. "This unlawful act will only bring the wrath of the sheriff down on you. Release us now, and perhaps I can get him to pardon you."

[The Lifted Lorax]

Fenny smiled back at Will. He seemed to have changed after all; the Will Scarlet she knew would have jumped at any comment about her being naked to make inappropriate suggestions. She turned and looked to the girl as she insisted that they'd all hang.

"Ach! Well tha's unkind, Morgan!" Fenny's tone was more hurt than it really was, but logically what had they done to her? "We hetchee? Cutchee? Ben anethen as weren't nice ta ye?" She folded her arms and looked at the girl who couldn't see her. "I denna hafta be s'nice, y'ken. An' ef ye en't keerful I wun be."

She and Hamish turned their attention as Robin began to speak. Even up close the man did indeed look the spitting image of their own Will. They exchanged glances, then looked back at him.

"Ennet though..." Hamish said slowly before turning around, agreeing with Robin that it was interesting. He laughed, however, when the man said he might be able to get them a pardon. "A pardon from the sheriff o' Nottengham, er John Softsword, er anehone as sides hisself wi'em, es werth less'n a whore's promess."

[EvelynWillows]

The man narrowed his eyes at Robin. "I'm Sir Guy of Gisbourne ," answered. "If you paid your taxes like every law-abiding person should you'd know who I am." He struggled in his bindings. "I could have your penalty reduced to a flogging if you release us unharmed, but if you dare harm Morgan or myself the wrath of both Prince John and the Sheriff of Nottingham will rain down on you."

Robin. laughed and was quickly joined by his men. "And why is that, Sir Guy of Gisbourne? Tax collectors are a dime a dozen! He can send out any of his dogs to harass the people; what makes you so special?"

Morgan flinched when Hamish insulted the prince. "How dare you call Prince John that?! He's holding our kingdom together in the absence of his brother! What do you know about the cares of those who were God-ordained to govern our kingdom?"

"Morgan! Shush yourself!" Sir Gisbourne cautioned.

"I will not! You're cowards, all of you! My brother will send his man to find us, and if need be Prince John will send all his man to burn out your forest to find me!"

Robin's eyebrows raised and he looked at Ghost. The tall blond man smirked. "Well, I think we've caught more than we had hoped for. Fate has smiled upon us this day." He walked over to Morgan. "Would that make you Morgan de Rainault?" He asked, taking off her blindfold before he looked over at Robin and chuckled. "It seems we have Sheriff Robert de Rainault's very own sister in our midst."

[The Lifted Lorax]

Guy of Guiseborne? Why did that sound so familiar? Hamish didn't think much past that, though, because the stupid girl demanded to know what he knew about the ruling class. He stepped very, very close to her and though they were roughly the same height he was much wider and more intimidating.

"I dun ken much boot yer prence nor yet shereff er hoo they lev. Wha' I do ken es no God o' mine made 'em me master. Wha' d'ye ken, lassie, boot how yer precious prence envades peaceful lands? Ta watch yer crops burren an' cattle die. Ta put both parents an' two seblens en th' groond afore twenny. Ta help bury bairns as died from starvation er plague er bernt ta death en their crebs when Englesh soldiers set their hoose on fire an' locked their families ensure. D'ye ken anehthen boot tha', prencess?" Banish's voice was low but his eyes were aflame with anger and hatred.

"Tha'll do Hamish." His look had been scaring his sister. "Least we go' a chep's werth bargainen weth."

[EvelynWillows]

Morgan startled at Hamish's glare. Her breath was quick; fearful, but her eyes were defiant. Her hands were tied but her legs were not, and she lifted her knee in a sharp jerk to try to land a blow on his family jewels.

Ghost reached out to pull the lady away from the Scotsman. "Whoa, Nellie! Let's take it easy on the men, eh?"

Robin was listening to whispered words from Friar Tuck. He nodded. "Ghost, let's water and secure our two guests before we make our plans, shall we?" He looked over at Fenny. "Would you mind being in charge of our lady friend there?"

Sir Gisbourne watched the Merry Men closely, but his eyes lingered on Fenny. He stumbled forward when one of the man pushed him towards a small oak tree about the girth of a man's leg. It would be a sturdy stake to hold the lord by without giving him a place to hide. The lord looked at Morgan and Fenny to see what was going to happen to his ward.