Victoria of Sherwood 6

The Girl of Glasgow, Lorna McGregor, along with the latest creatures brought from the fairealm by the Greenman to aid Victoria Robin, rode into the camp of her merry men. Victoria had gone off to try and rescue Maid Caitlin before she was forced to marry Sir Paul, the Sheriff of Nottingham, and save Sister Solsken and Opal before the sheriff had time to execute them. Now it was left to Lorna, Rush and Wisp to convince the rest of the band of outlaws to go to Loxley Hall and help Victoria. The Greenman had explained everything to Lorna, she had had to take a lot on faith, but when you were talking to a face in a tree it tended to be a little easier to do. As she and the others rode into the little village in the forest Billy Scarlet and Big Arianne were the first to react, though Sirena-A-Dale stopping strumming her lute did bring a lot of attention too.

“Who are you?” Arianne demanded as she raised her quarterstaff.

“Looks like she matches the description given by Lina,” Billy added, drawing a knife.

“I am,” Lorna admitted, “but I don’t want trouble, I have enough already.”

“Where’s Victoria?”

“She’s gone to Loxley Hall,” Wisp stated, somewhat disinterestedly, “she thought she could rescue Maid Caitlin before the wedding, she can’t, the wedding will begin and when it does the battle will take place.”

“What happened between me and her was a misunderstanding,” Lorna tried to explain, “but this is something she can’t face alone, she needs her friends, her team, frankly, she needs all the help she can get.”

“This could just be a trap you are setting,” Billy pointed out.

“It could be,” Rush retorted, “or it could be your only chance to save this champion. Honestly, I don’t care if you don’t come, but I’m going. Come on sis, we’re wasting time here.”

Rush turned and began heading away from the group.

“Wait,” Arianne called, “if Victoria is in danger we are coming.”

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Sir Paul had moved the wedding to Loxley Hall, he had worked out that it was the easiest place to defend, offered the best view of the execution of Victoria Robin and gave Maid Caitlin the least chance of escape. Right now he was checking his newest soldiers, Guy of Gilmore was looking after each one, swinging his pendant in front of them and taking them deeper under his control. Svetta seemed the easiest to control, but she also seemed to be the one with the least combat training. She had raw power, but in battle that wasn’t always enough. Marina and Willow on the other hand were skilled fighters with a lot of power of their own, both had taken Victoria Robin to the limit before, now they had the extra focus of serving their new master, which could lead to the end of the outlaw and her friends if she were to somehow get free.

Sir Paul was joined in checking on them by Bishop Fuchs, the man who would be conducting the marriage. They were good friends due to a shared love of power and incredible ambition. There was more to it this time. Svetta had been captured alongside a couple of other members of Victoria’s band. Opal had already been promised to Guy, a plaything for him to break and remake to his own liking, she had shown limited powers, but not enough to be useful to Sir Paul. The other was Sister Solsken, a nun from Sweden, and a long time thorn in the side of Bishop Fuchs, that was why he was going to be taking her to torture once the ceremony was over. Fuchs was looking forward to getting his hands on the nun and as such was indulging Sir Paul’s desires to show off his secret weapons.

Still the guests were arriving for the wedding, half of Nottinghamshire were going to be there, there was even talk that Prince John himself would be there. Sir Paul was even wondering if that would be a good chance to assassinate him, it would be a step in his plan to take power and now he had unstoppable forces to do that. He would see if the chance presented itself after the wedding. Right now he had to go meet and greet his guests.

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Deep in the cells below Loxley Hall, Sister Solsken and Opal waited anxiously for the day to play out. Opal was sat, her head in her hands while Sister Solsken paced the room, trying to figure some way out. To Opal all she’d done was trade one cell for another, at least she hadn’t let her gifts from her god be used for war, she was doing better than Sister Solsken’s charge. She felt sorry for the nun. The nun wasn’t feeling sorry though, she was actively trying to get out of there. Her heart shined, even in the darkness of the cell, it gave Opal hope.

“Is there something I can do to help?” Opal asked finally.

“I don’t know,” Solsken sighed, “I have tried everything I can think of to escape. Unless you have some tricks with your powers that we haven’t seen yet…”

Opal sighed.

“I don’t have much skill with my powers,” she admitted, “I can change the air to mist, but I have other alchemical abilities, I can change things into other things, but I really can’t do much. Nothing bigger than a couple of inches wide.”

“About the size of the lock?”

“I swore to not use my powers in conflict, they are gifts from Allah, he wouldn’t want them used for anything other than peace.”

“I’m also sure no god would give you powers like that and not expect you to use them when you had to, to save your own life and the life of others, even that of a believer of a different faith.”

“Had God willed,” Opal quoted from her holy book, “He would have made you a single community, but He wanted to test you regarding what has come to you. So compete with each other in doing good. Every one of you will return to God and He will inform you regarding the things about which you differed.”

She then placed her hand over the lock and asked her God to help her. Her hand began to glow and slowly the metal bar in the lock holding the door shut melted into water, dripping away as the door swung open.

“Thank you,” Sister Solsken smiled, “now we must rescue Victoria before her execution.”

They slipped from the unguarded prison, all the soldiers were at the wedding above.

_________________

Victoria Robin stood on a gallows, alongside an executioner, her arms tied behind her back and a noose round her head. She had glanced round, noticing a few members of her band, disguised, trying to make it through the large crowd to her. She wanted to warn them and tell them to run. Not that it would have done any good; she had inspired them to play the hero, this was always how it would turn out. She sighed, thinking she was going to get them killed. She could also see the armed guards keeping Maid Caitlin from escaping, they seemed ready to carry her down the aisle if need be. Finally she looked to the other end of the courtyard, Bishop Fuchs, Sir Paul and his hypnotised guards stood waiting for the wedding to begin.

The bridal march began and Maid Caitlin was brought down the aisle. When she reached the end of the line and was face to face with Sir Paul she spat in his face. This earned her a slap across the face. The crowd winced but they knew how ruthless he was.

“I will never marry you,” Caitlin told him in no uncertain terms.

He laughed a little, he had expected this.

“I believe you care somewhat for Victoria Robin,” he told her, “marry me and I will spare her life.”

Caitlin looked from Victoria to Sir Paul, she knew she couldn’t trust him, but it seemed like the only way to buy the outlaw she had fallen for any time. She nodded sadly. The wedding began, the merry men moving all through, making their way closer to Victoria. Fuchs finally reached the point where he asked for objections and the Hall doors opened. The royal carriage of Prince John rode inside. A lot of chattering led to people wondering if Prince John was here to stop the wedding.

“Sorry,” Prince John announced, “I hope I’m not too late for the wedding.”

“No sire,” Sir Paul struggled to hide his irritation at the timing, “you are just in time.”

“Oh good,” he smiled, “carry on.”

There were no further objections and Sir Paul pronounced “I do.” Bishop Fuchs asked Caitlin the same question, but as he did Lorna fired an arrow from the roof of the hall, slicing through the noose, freeing Victoria Robin as the others reached her. The murmurs of the crowd revealed quickly that she was free.

“I do not,” Caitlin declared as Victoria kicked the executioner from the gallows.

“You may be free Victoria of Sherwood, my Robin Hood,” Sir Paul called up mockingly, “but do you expect to defeat all my guards alone with your hands tied?”

“Whoever said I was here alone?” as Victoria said those words Billy Scarlet, Big Arianne and Lina, the Millar’s Daughter, hopped up onto the gallows, casting away their cloaks.

At the same moment Sister Solsken and Opal burst through the doors of the hall and Wisp lowered the Girl of Glasgow and her adopted sister, Rush to the ground.

“One arrow to cut you down Victoria,” Lorna said with a grin, “I’d like to see you top that.”

“You have powered creatures too,” Sir Paul laughed, “they will be no match for mine.”

The crowd screamed and began trying to get away as Svetta, Willow and Marina stepped forward. Suddenly the battle began. Guards were charging at the merry men but they were nothing compared to the battle that raged in the sky. Willow was trying to pluck the fairy out of the air with roots and vines bursting from the ground, even in her hypnotised state she recognised her old enemy. Rush ran at superspeed and tried to knock her away, but she was intercepted by Marina.

Rush was able to avoid many of her attacks, but was unable to land a hit back either, she was nowhere near as skilled as Marina in combat. It seemed like a stalemate on the ground, that was until Opal raised mist once more, trying to stop the fight by stopping the forces seeing one another. Rush was able to use this cover to dodge round Marina and hit Willow square in the jaw. Caught off guard like that Willow was suddenly getting pummeled but Rush was left open to Marina attacking from behind. Something prevented by Wisp, she swooped in, picked Marina up and carried her high above the hall where clouds started to gather thanks to fairy magic and lightning struck the hypnotised seafolk.

Wisp dropped her off as Rush stepped from Willow. The sisters hugged, knowing neither would let the other get hurt. That was when they both got hit at once by Svetta. The blow was powerful enough to knock them both out.

Victoria had had her hands cut free quickly and found a sword, leading to her and Sir Paul dueling. It was clear that Sir Paul was skilled with a blade but it was also clear that Victoria was at least his equal. When Lorna came to join them, having freed Maid Caitlin, Sir Paul knew he was about to lose. That was why he ordered Svetta to kill Prince John. Naturally Victoria Robin and the Girl of Glasgow abandoned the fight with Sir Paul to save the Prince. And they were not alone.

Sister Solsken was first to defend him, she and Opal were working together, using mirrors to shine light into her face, disorientating her. She looked unsure for a moment, trying to block the light from her eyes, but finally she plowed on regardless. When she realised this was not stopping Svetta, Opal changed her mirror into a block of steel. She held it in front of herself, taking a full force punch from Svetta that was meant for the royal. Opal was thrown back, over the original target, the steel block dented and her stunned but the Prince was safe. Lina moved in next, her arrows skidded round Svetta, she was angry for how Opal had been hurt, which meant her aim was better, but she still missed her target. It was distracting Svetta however, keeping her off guard and off balance. She was distracted enough that Billy Scarlet and Big Arianne could tackle her. They pinned her to the ground for the moment, but she was still strong enough to quickly throw them aside. The truth was that Svetta was confused now, and that was leaving her weakened. Weakened enough for Lorna to throw smoke bombs that began choking her. Coughing she staggered from them, trying to get some fresh air into her lungs. Her focus was totally broken now and she was almost as vulnerable as any normal human. That was when Victoria Robin fired a special arrow, one with a blunt end designed to render unconscious rather than kill. The arrow hit Svetta’s jaw, knocking her out, she crumpled to the floor. The fight was over, it had taken all of them working together to put down Svetta, letting Sir Paul, Guy of Gilmore and Bishop Fuchs escape, but the Prince was safe.

“I thank you for your acts of bravery,” Prince John declared, “Sir Paul may have gotten away, as did his entourage, but he will be stripped of his title and land. And I have a new sheriff, one whose bravery and sense of self-sacrifce saved me this day and has forever earned my respect.” He held a hand out to Opal, asking her name, he then presented her to the remaining crowd, “meet Opal Seyad, the Sheriff of Nottingham.”

A cheer went up, Victoria Robin knew her adventures weren’t over, but this would go down as one of her greatest victories she thought as she cheered her friend, her arm round Maid Caitlin’s shoulders.