Chapters 8 - 10! This one is a little longer than the rest (okay its twice as long) but hopefully worth it!
First the links
https://www.scribd.com/document/3836812 ... HIU4HRYoOw
https://www.scribd.com/document/3836818 ... 1TzcCm0EVT - low quality pdf version
I'd like to take this moment to put out a special thanks to Disciple, whom inspired the creation of Robyn Hood right after the release of the first series of chapters. I went back and forth with him while designing her several times and think that the overall higher quality of said design is a byproduct of that. She has a better mixture of Medieval to 'super' appearance than I could have hoped for. Thanks again Disciple!
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Robyn Hood
Heroine of the People
Maid of the Masses
Two sunrises after the Sword Dancer’s terrible defeat near a crossroads not so far from Mordred’s Rest which was situated on the bank of the East River, an adventurous traveler willing to brave the light wood that lined the roadside might have spotted a naked woman bathing. No ordinary woman was this, for at just the sight of her unashamed form, one could tell that she was uncommonly athletic for a woman in the realm of Camelot. She appeared strong and fit, possessing a slim waistline yet enormous hips atop a set of powerful legs which might well have killed an ordinary man so kicked!
She stood uncommonly beautiful also, for though her skin was fair as was common of the lands of Albion, a ladylike smile set her expression that was betrayed only be the ghost of a few old scars that were only somewhat hidden by the long flame hued hair that draped down along her back,... also she was not alone. Along the riverbanks a motley assortment of a few men could not help but watch their brave leader as she bathed, and she in turn did no longer chide them overmuch for ogling when she did something so brazen as take a bath in the river… yet still it would have made a strange sight to anyone who came looking. Fortunately for Maryon Wood no one could approach quietly enough to fool her.
“Lady Wood,” the Friar whispered from the shoreline, he alone of her merry band would avert his gaze always and even now, when she turned her green eyed gaze on him he was looking away.
“Has John returned?” Maryon guessed, for she last left instructions to be called on under just such circumstances. The Friar nodded and she smiled before she replied, “Excellent, gather the band toward him while I get dressed if thee would be so kind?”
“It shall be done Lady Wood,” the Friar returned and off he went. Maryon stepped out of the water and took up a few towels to dry herself before she bent over to retrieve her gear. Maryon dressed, beginning with a pair of waist high bright green tights which clung so tightly to her powerful legs one could only just still make out some of the musculature beneath. She then pulled on a pair of high topped, high cut, brown leather undergarments over the tights. She proceeded to seal her modesty above the waist with a thin. straight lined, and long sleeved gambeson shirt of a slightly darker green than those of her tights. A particular pattern began to take shape concerning the color scheme of her outfit. She Pulled on a pair of brown leather gloves and boots which she also pulled tight via straps of gold hued leather. Next she strapped on a pair of small gold trimmed brown leather knee pads with green leather straps. By the time she wove a gambeson headwrap around her head and neck to pack her long red hair tightly away and then dawned a cloakless hood over the top of that, there could be no surprise to discover that they were green also. Finally she slipped into a very special armored leather corset with attached stylized shoulderpads, green as well, trimmed in the gold hued leather but most prominently notable was that splashed across the chest of the piece was a gold emblem of a sparrow in upward flight, its tail feathers and wings spread out equally across the bosom so as to preserve a sense of style.
When all was applied Maryion Wood appeared nothing at all as the Lady of standing that she was, and instead appeared something like the highwaymen who occasionally harassed travelers on the road, allowing of course that she appeared an exceptionally alluring highwaywoman. The effect of this allusion was particularly complete once she applied the final piece of her attire, a fitted black mask.
In all truth, Maryion’s purpose was not so far removed from the roadside bandits whose style she emulated, in certain parts she was even known as the ‘Queen of Thieves,’ but where such rabid criminals would rob just about anyone so unfortunate as to cross their path, Maryion Wood was a highwaymen for the people. Her gear, which might have appeared sinister otherwise, was brightly colored, and immaculately cared for exactly as she was taught by the strange benefactor whom had made it all for her. She cleaned and oiled the leathers daily which provided them with a near glimmering sheen and not once had a blade which struck it managed to cut the material. The tights and gambeson, for even that armored cloth was seemingly to thin to act as the armor it was named for, she washed only in warm water… neither seemed ever to rip or tear. Once in a bout of pure uncontrolled curiosity Maryion had attempted to tear the tights, pulling and tugging at them with every ounce of strength she possessed, which was formidable for a woman, yet she had not even so much as reduced the materials elasticity!
The stylistic flair of it all was entirely for the people. While most woman blushed crimson when she walked by, and many a man ogled at her powerful legs and ass, she appeared like the heroine of justice and virtuous morality that they needed her to be, for which they loved her... that... and the generous heaps of local lords wealth she stole and returned to the peasantry likely influenced them positively as well.
For all she did for them, the peoples of the Kingdom of Britannia had sometimes taken to naming her, Maid of the Masses, which Maryion also liked. However that most common name she was known by, the name which she sometimes felt utterly overtake her once she dawned the hood, and that which protected the grave secret of her identity least the other Lords and Lady’s have her hung by the neck… Was Robyn Hood.
That day Robyn was very far away from home. Curiously an old woman had recently contacted her merry band, the very same strange old woman who had provided her outfit as it were, to ask for Robyn’s generous assistance in defending the lands of Camelot from the vile clutches of that most horrid of maladies… Morgana the Black! To this end it was requested that she and her crew ambush Morgana’s supply trains and distribute the spoils out into Camelot and her surrounding lands. Ordinarily Robyn would balk at assisting a ‘Kingdom’ and its lords in such times even as these, only she knew Camelot’s rulers to be not only fair, but virtuous and entirely self sacrificing… moreover, while she had received payment for the job (a donation as it was referred, ‘to the people of Britannia’ where the money would be given ) Robyn would have done the job for free.
Robyn owed Morgana! One day Robyn would defeat that witch, tear off her mask and proudly declare, ‘T’is I, Maryion Wood, she whom thou cursed, witness that which thee thought weakened made only the stronger!’ T’is yet such a mouthful, Robyn lamented, I should hope to have it all laid out properly when the event comes at last.
Having finished gearing up Robyn collected a green dyed wooden bow from where it rested up against a nearby tree, it was the only weapon she required… curiously there was not a quiver in sight. She then hurried back down the riverbank to where the men were waiting for her.
“Lady Wood,” Little John, a very small and sickly young man who could nevertheless walk about in broad daylight without being seen if need be, offered her deference and made to say more, but he was stopped when she held up a hand to forestall him.
“From now till our duties in Camelot are fulfilled,” she announced, “I have become only Robin Hood and such deference as thee would give to me ought be only that ye would offer an esteemed commander.”
The difference in the merry band that these words produced might have seemed astonishing to an outsider. At once the group’s tensions seemed to bleed out, many began talking amongst themselves seemingly no longer interested in what their leader had to say, and Little John nodded his head playfully, “I saw em’ comin’ up this road here Robyn, clear as day!”
“Excellent,” Robyn chirped and clapped him on the shoulder as she would a brother and asked, “Did thou note the number of wagons?” When he nodded she said, “Go on then, show me, as I taught thee.”
John, who did not know his numbers at all carefully uncurled and tapped at his fingers one at a time until there were three extended and then he held it out to her. Robyn beamed with pride for the young man, still just a boy really. It was a long way from arithmetic but he had come very far from the decrepit, half starved urchin without an ounce of education to his name.
“Wonderful John!” Robyn smiled and hugged the man tight, she then held him at arm’s length and asked, “could thee manage a troop count?” This particular question was sometimes tricky. John held up all ten fingers, which meant only that there were as many, or more, as ten men guarding the convoy. Not my favorite answer, Robyn had to admit to herself, but it was as good as she could hope until John learned his numbers.
“Not to ‘any more than those missus,” John told her with confidence, “I only has the… ten… fingers though…”
“Ten?” Will Scarlet asked as he approached the two. He wore a concerned expression; Robyn shook her head at him, “More?” She nodded. Will then shook his head and offered, “I dun’ like it miss.”
“I can handle more than ten men Will,” Robyn assured him, but she could tell by his expression he was having none of it.
Will turned to Little John and asked, “What ‘bout the wagons John, didj’a get count o’ them what were inside?” John was first silent in response to this question, but then his ears burned red and he dropped his head in shame. Robyn fired a warning expression at Will and pulled Little John into a one armed hug and said, “Thou didst well John,” she promised him.
“Has I?” he asked worriedly, “Wut if missus is harmed fer my mistake?”
“‘My’ Mistake John,” she corrected him, “do not worry thyself on matters of battle. Leave such thoughts to me.” She gently pushed him away, “Get thee back to camp with the others.” John did as he was told though if ever there was a more dejected looking man than he at that hour he was oceans away! Once John was far enough away he would not hear the remainder of the conversation she reclaimed her expression of annoyance for Will.
“I make no apologies missus,” Will folded his arms, “Truth is truth. Ye could…”
”Thou couldst,” Robyn swiftly rebuked him, “Thou art not my subjects out here Will and I am not thy lady!”
Will winced and started over, “Thou couldst be facing many as twenty men Robyn! Even Thou ought to pause at such a number? Ye need me for this one…”
“Absolutely not,” Robyn shut him down immediately. She was so unsettled by his ascertain that she did not chide him for returning so swiftly to the honorifics. There had been a time, years ago when she was young and foolish, that she had gone to battle with her merry men, too many bodies have been laid to rest since. It was true that Will was one of the few in her band that was trained to fight if the need arose, but Robyn’s crew were not brought on fight, “Thou know thee art not here to fight Will. That duty belongs to me.”
“Aye,” Will threw up his arms, “My lot is planen’ and I say to thee t’is a bad plan t’ take on so many to battle. We know thou art capable Robyn, ye are our guiding star but thee must at least take caution!?”
“And so I shall Will,” Robyn promised him, “I shall take all the caution in the world…” From somewhere far away, though not so far, she heard the sound of men laughing as they traveled down the road. “They have come,” Robyn lowered her tone and shooed Will off, “escort the others back to the main camp, gather the loading crew and return with all haste.”
Will strangled the air and made such a face of frustration that she had to reach out and touch his shoulder to steady him, “Thou canst fight Will I know thee can, t’is why I need thee to take the others from here, we cannot very well leave them all defenseless can we?”
Will seemed unable to find an argument around this, yet still he did not wish to go. She knew why, she knew all too well how hard it could be to leave someone to danger, it was why she would never ever do so herself again… but in a fight such as this, she and she alone was certain to survive.
“Am I not strong enough to thee Will?” Robyn asked him, perhaps unfairly.
After a long enough pause for there to be some small amount of shame in him Will nodded, “We go. Pray thee be careful milady,” he said to her, “We are all lost boys without thee.”
Ah! They are are all such good men! Robyn thought to herself. She could hardly keep herself from tearing up when one of them touched her heart as Will had just done so she shooed him away with finality and hurried from the wooded riverbank up the hill toward the main road and hid behind a tree where the caravan would be unlikely to see her.
Yet still they worry to gravely, she told herself of her merry men, be my enemy twenty or thirty, they shall find Robyn Hood more than their match! She put a big grin on her face and waited quietly, taking only one quick glance back over her shoulder to ensure the merry men were gone. After, She kept her ears focused on the clip clop of horses hooves and the rolling drone of wagon wheels. When she deduced they must be near enough she thought, now the fun begins!
Robyn leapt out from her hiding place and jogged out onto the street, fifteen meters or so from where the convoy was marching toward her. As soon as she was seen someone in the marching order shouted a halt. Robyn took up a slightly suggestive pose, leaning heavily on one leg, her bow held out behind her, she waved with her other hand out over her head.
“Greetings gentlemen!” she called out, “I believe ye have something I want!”
There was a moments silence as the men at the front of the column gawked at her. Then one cried out with astonishment, “It’s the Hood!”
The Shadow of Nottingham
The Hood?” One of the soldiers at the front column asked curiously. He, as did they all, wore the black red-trimmed stylized armor of Morgana’s ‘Queendom’ with the sigil of the bloody rose proudly displayed against their tunics. The commonly held belief that Morgana’s army consisted entirely of fowl creatures and demon spawn really was just a belief, the majority of her forces were still human, and any man or woman willing to sell their souls for a paycheck were always welcome to join up with her. While these particular men wore their mistress’s colors, there was a good assortment of materials all around. The two men at the front line wore full plate mail, while the four men farther down the column were in leather, chainmail and cloth armor. The two directly behind the Plate armored swordsmen each held a crossbow as a weapon, and the men behind the crossbowmen were carrying longbows. For the moment, Robyn could not spot any of the rest but she knew there had to be more.
“Aye the Hood!” the other man in plate mail looked sideways at his fellow soldier with astonishment, “Thou dost not know of the Hood? Maid of the Masses? The Shadow of Nottingham! Robyn bloody Hood!?”
“Oh… aye, Robyn!” the second man nodded though Robyn thought she saw a measure of saving face and not an ounce of recognition from him when he looked back at her, “Well…” he drew his sword, “We had best clear the road…” He took a single step toward Robyn before his partner grabbed him by the arm and yanked him back.
“By the Dark Mistress thou art going to lose thy head walkin’ off at the Queen of Thieves all by thy lonesome!”
The other man glanced around wildly, “Queen of the Thieves!? Where!”
“Art thou bloody joking!” The first man cried out, “She’s standin’ right there!” He waved his hand out at Robyn once more. Robyn smirked, Forsooth I believe I am growing endeared toward these fools! Though well entertained by their antics, Robyn was on a schedule. She cleared her throat so as to draw their attention once more.
The noise drew both of their eyes back to her. The smarter man, as Robyn thought of him, held a hand out at his friend and said, “Look, allowin’ that thee obviously has no mind at all, let me do the talkin’ today aye?” He took one, deliberately nonthreatening step toward Robyn.
“Careful,” Robyn tilted her head, be she playful or threatening none could tell, “Thy steps might provoke me.”
“T’is all in good faith,” the soldier promised, he held both hands out in a gesture of peace, “Now look ‘ere’ Shadow, it may not look it as such, but these ‘ere lands are Camelot ruled and far as I know it, thee generally run about terrorizin’ wealthy folks out of Britannia don’t I know it?”
Robyn smirked and stepped over to one of the nearby trees lining the road before she leaned sideways onto it with her arms folded, “go on,” she offered.
The knight smiled as one relieved and nodded his head as if to say ‘I knew it’, “Good,” he said, “Thou mayest not ‘ave realized, but this supply caravan belongs to Morgana the Black and seein’ as thee are not in thine own lands, an’ all, thee may be forgiven for not realizin’ it. So we shall just be on our way then, we are going to pass on by, if you would be so kind as to leave us be, I promise we shall do the same in return?” The man adopted a pleased expression. He must have felt very good about the content of his speech.
“Thou art speaking in jest surely!” the other knight suddenly chimed in and his friend’s smile faltered. The polite knight shook his head urgently at his fellow soldier but the loud knight pushed on, held a hand out toward Robyn and said, “We ‘avent a lick of ladies bits since Oakridge Harbor! Witness thee not the outrageous legs what stumbled into our lap? T’is enough bottom ‘ere for all of us eh and wif the big un’in the back teasin’ us!” The polite Knight simply stared mortified at his fellow.
Disappointment washed over Robyn, and pushed herself off the tree to walk back toward the center of the road, “I shall not mince words with ye Sirs, I did take a liking to thy silly manner and ignorance when first I heard thine unlearned tongues in laborious cooperation with thy thoughts however,” she unslung her bow and spoke directly to the crass soldier, “Thou hast mortally offended me Sir! I shall take thy honor, the honor of all those who serve with thee, and thy caravan of goods in payment. Ye may lay down thine arms in surrender and depart the way ye came, or I shall leave thee with such a tale of defeat as thy manhoods shall never again descend!”
“Oy now ye done it Harold!” The polite knight groaned.
“Oh shut it,” Harold snapped and shoved the other knight away, “How’s a little lost lamb goin’ to ‘urt us wif a Bow an’ no arrows?” He stepped aside, waved forward and shouted, “Crossbows!” The two men directly behind them hurried forward and dropped to their knees, readying their weapons, “Put a couple through ‘er knees to end ‘er occupation would you kindly?”
Robyn smirked a deadly grin, the dangerous predatory smirk of one who lived and breathed for just this opportunity. She held her arms out to her sides, “Take thy best shot gentlemen!”
“Oh we shall miss!” Harold snorted, “Open fire!”
What happened next transpired very fast. The crossbowmen fired their weapons, such was the range that Robyn could not reach them even if she were to sprint at full stride and yet so near as to be almost impossible for trained men to miss their mark. Yet miss they did… or so Harold thought. One moment they fired their weapons, the next two crossbow bolts stuck in the ground a ways past the green garbed heroine.
“Ye missed!” Harold barked.
“I did not!” One of the crossbowman stood so fast one would think he saw a ghost. His features ran pale and he stumbled backward. He pointed at Robyn, “I put one right through her knee! I did!” He had, in fact. Though no one but the two men, their weapons trained on Robyn Hood, could tell the bolts had flown true to their mark… and passed directly through her. It was only Robin who knew why.
“Well obviously thou didst not!” Harold snarled and smacked his fellow swordsmen, the one who had been polite earlier, on the arm, “Baker, he missed you saw it?” Yet Baker was not speaking to his fellow arms men any longer, he took a step back as well. Harold took note, “Oh ye superstitious dogs! Fine then! Archers!” The two men at the back of the column stepped up at the call to arms, they each looked somewhat bewildered by all the excitement, but they nocked an arrow each anyway. Without much preamble this time Harold cried, “Fire!”
The arrows flew true, Robyn twisted so that one was poised to enter into her shoulder, she briefly traded her mass with her shadow, which allowed the projectile to pass harmlessly through her. Robyn restored her own mass quickly enough after so as to reach out and snatch the other arrow directly out of the air. She strung it so swiftly the soldiers could not recover before she let the arrow fly. Harold dropped, howling, the arrow stuck in his knee. It was a career ending wound. Robyn pulled back her bowstring a second time, a slim sliver of rolling shadow materialized in the margin between the bowhead and her fingers that took on the shape of an arrow which she also let fly. It passed through one of the archers who cried out in shock before flopping senselessly to the earth. Robyn pulled back her string again, and let fly another arrow of shadow that struck the archer’s partner, he fell abruptly as well.
“Sound the alarm!” Baker shouted and shoved one of the crossbowmen away from him. To his credit the stunned soldier sprinted off around the front wagon and out of sight, and to Baker’s credit, he unsheathed his blade to charge. Robyn also charged, she fired a third shadow arrow over Baker’s shoulder where it struck the remaining crossbowmen, taking him from the fight. All too easy, Robin smiled to herself.
Just as she and Baker finished closing the gap with one another he swung his sword in a tricky diagonal arc, but at the last instant she switched up her footwork, hopped backwards so that his blade found only air, then surged forward and kicked out with her right leg so that the flat of her foot nicked the pommel of his sword. Baker was stunned to find himself summarily disarmed. Without taking her foot off the ground, Robyn kicked her knee forward and hammered her foot twice into the side of his head. She stepped back one last time, switched her footwork again, then when the punch drunk and unfocused soldier took a wild swing at her, Robyn spun the other way and roundhouse kicked him in the other side of his head. Baker grunted, swayed at the impact, and collapsed to the dirt.
“Pray thee forgive me,” Robyn said, looking down at the unconscious man whom, at the least was somewhat polite, “but thou didst bring a sword to a fist fight.” Robyn tittered at her own joke.
“B-itch!” Harold moaned where he lay in pain clutching his bleeding leg.
“I’ve nothing to say to thee pig!” Robyn told him disdainfully and fired a shadow arrow point blank between his eyes. The projectiles were not deadly, though they could put a large man out to dreamland for several hours and could pin them to a surface for several minutes before they dissipated and rejoined her shadow.
Harold dealt with Robyn took a few steps back and then two bounding strides toward the nearby caravan. She leaped and caught the roof with both hands, then with a mighty tug and her leftover momentum she sprung up more than her full height to land, feet first, on the roof of the carriage.
The climb was not a moment too soon, five swordsmen rounded the wagon with the remaining crossbowmen. From her vantage point Robyn could see that no one else was set to protect this supply caravan on foot. Eleven soldiers outside then, Robyn was mildly annoyed by the outcome. After all Will’s fuss she had hoped the merry men might return and find two dozen foes at least littered unconscious in the wake of her.
The soldiers were confused that their prey was nowhere in sight. When Robyn cleared her throat however, their heads whipped up toward her. There wasn’t much they could have done after that. Heavy as most of their armor was, climbing up on top of a wagon was a significantly greater effort to most people than it was for Robyn, and she already with the advantage of being up to. Robyn began letting loose shadow arrow, after shadow arrow into them which additionally ignored their armor anyway. The first was reserved for the crossbowmen, but after she downed one, then two, then three and four of the swordsmen. When she drew back her bow a sixth time however, nothing materialized.
Robyn glanced back over her shoulder and down. Her shadow, which was spread along the roof of the wagon under the noonday sun, was impossibly faint, only visible really to one who was trained to look for such things. She tsked, I shall need to pay more mind toward ammunition in the future. It was no matter in the end, she would not have enough shadow to access her powers for at least a few minutes, but they would return, T’is only the one left anyhow!
Robyn Hood jumped down to take the last solder on. He shouted, “Die witch!” then he stabbed directly toward her. Robyn leapt high, having anticipated the attack ahead of time, and landed on the flat of his protruding blade. The soldier gasped with astonishment at the sight of her standing unhindered and flawlessly balanced upon his own weapon. Before he could wrap his mind around it she aimed a kick right between his eyes. He fell over backward, out cold, and Robyn lightly stepped off of him onto the dirt.
“‘Die witch,’” she scoffed at the unconscious man and shook her head, “T’is somewhat an ironic insult for one who serves an actual witch do not thee think?”
With the outer guard force defeated the Shadow of Nottingham stepped around the first wagon so she could see the side doors of all the carriages before she called out loudly, “Here here! I am Robyn Hood of Britannia, come to relieve ye of all thy goods and gold! I have defeated thy guard force, if there are any still who would challenge me and my claim to these supplies, let him come forth with all haste to stop me!”
She waited… and waited. There was not a sound or even a wagon shuffle to indicate she was heard. After a half minute longer she shrugged and said aloud, “I suppose that means the lot is mine!” She stepped up to the front wagon of the caravan and opened the door. The interior was piled with gold knickknacks, jewelry, and what looked like keepsakes, spoils of raided villages in service to Camelot most likely. We shall see to it that all is reclaimed by those who were robbed of this!
She left the valuables and came to the middle wagon in the road and opened it as well. Inside were rations. A wagonload of food in a three wagon train, even two such wagon loads really, was not worth all that much to an army. T’is cruel only, to take the winter stores of those who have need of them most when such stores ought not even feed thy forces a single sunrise!
With greater disapproval than ever, Robyn hopped back down onto the dirt and started toward the third carriage. She thought it most likely to be rations also. Yet, just as she was reaching for the handle, it twisted. Robyn gasped and took three well executed steps backward and readied her bow to assess the threat.
“Such a mighty racket! I suppose I ought come and see…” a husky, yet unmistakably feminine voice uttered from inside the carriage. What stepped out however caused Robyn to take a few more steps in retreat. A blonde haired woman, if she could be called such a thing, clomped out onto the road. She was so large that she had to bend low to get out the door and when she rose to her full height, she towered two heads and a half above Robyn herself.
“Light! Thou art a giant!” Robyn could not keep the words from her lips. The mammoth of a woman was adorned in dark violet, light leather armors which covered some, but not most of her skin, however what was unhidden by the Giant’s lack of protection or modesty only served to cause greater alarm. The woman’s body and limbs seemed built like the roots of an oak… and yet there was a curvaceous shape to her as well, lacking a musculature that seemed overly large or overworked for her frame. By glance alone, the giant seemed natural, as though she were born enormously as intended and not at all an enormous mistake.
“Only little minds see something larger and more powerful than they and assume them to be Giants,” the woman chuckled. She tilted her head and looked Robyn up and down like she was sizing a morsel but she paused most curiously at the sight of Robyn’s muscular legs, “Oh my? Thou art a powerful specimen are thee not?” She smirked, “For a human.”
“What art thou?” Robyn asked, she had heard tales, only legends really, of giants in the high mountains to the west possessing of great strength and who spoke in unusual patterns of speech, but she had never seen, nor known one who had seen, these creatures in actuality. “Have thee come from the mountain?”
“Ah powerful and knowledgeable… delicious young thing, thou art worthy of my appetites,” the giant licked her lips and seemed almost to strip Robyn with her eyes in a way that made it seem very much like she wasn’t looking to eat what she described as delicious. Robyn felt her ears turn red and she took another step back.
“Listen here my lady…” Robin began to say but she cut off and took another step in retreat because the Giant took a step toward her.
“Thou hast a fancy way with words, little green lady, not like the blundering buffoons I have traveled with,” the giant said, Robyn was becoming very cross at the way the giant seemed only to be analyzing her, however before she could protest the giant said, “I think there is a Lordling’s girl under that hood. I should very much like to know who thou art underneath… as shall my Mistress also.”
“Oh I think Morgana would like that very much!” Robyn clenched her fists, that tore it! The giant of a woman, intriguing though she was, stood in league with Morgana, yet if thou believeth thee shall take my mask from me, prepare thy heart for disappointment!
Secrets Overwhelming
Do not flee from me little Green Lady,” the giant took on a sultry grin as she advanced, Robyn tried to keep pace with her retreat as she assessed the threat but she required two steps to every step the giant made, “Pray tell me, whom I have the pleasure of observing?”
To save time and perhaps a fight altogether Robyn answered her, “I am known throughout Albion as Robyn Hood, though my enemies call me the Shadow of Nottingham, a name well feared. Thou wouldst do well to fear it also!”
The giant of a woman actually laughed which further angered Robyn, “Very well Lady Hood, I am called Hrist Maidenbreaker, but let not my earned surname fool thee, I promise to take very good care of those legs. Tell me, art thou a virgin?”
Robyn’s eyes widened with alarm and she clenched her fists. “T’is enough! I ought not to have expected anything less from a servant of that witch!” Saying no more Robyn stopped retreating, ran at Hrist and fired a powerful straight kick at her foe!
“OH!” Robyn grunted, her attack impacted, then seemed to bounce off of Hrist’s stone hard abdominal muscles. How? T’is impossible! No one can withstand my legs!
Hrist, for her part had stopped her advancement and chuckled, “Powerful for a human is as saying, ‘powerful like a flea’ to one such as I Lady Hood.” She took on a suggestive pose, pushing her abdomen out further as if to say ‘give it your best shot.’
Robyn gritted her teeth, If it is how thee wish it, I shall not disappoint! Robyn didn’t know why her first attack had met with so little effect, but she was certain that she could break through the woman’s thick muscle. “HA!” Robyn called and fired off a powerful series of kicks with her right leg aimed for Hrist’s side. She put everything she had into the attacks but each blow rebounded, and by the third kick Robyn’s own leg was beginning to feel sore! Inconceivable! Robyn balanced and uttered aloud, “How… how can this be?”
“HURK!” Robyn unfortunately did not have the time to contemplate her impending peril. For the precious instants of astonishment she oft utilized against her foes was in this instance used against herself. Hrist gripped her by the throat, which resulted in the guttural noise previously indicated, but then slammed Robyn up against the carriage. “NGHH!”
“If Lady Hood is finished?” Hrist asked, “Perhaps it is my turn?” Robyn struggled madly in the undignified position, and kicked wildly at Hrist’s stomach but her blows met with no more success than before. Hrist seemed only to laugh the attacks off and tilted her head. She reached up with her free hand and caught one of the heroine’s legs just under the thigh, which she began to rub up and down with her hand, causing the hairs on the back of Robyn’s neck to stand on end. The tights protected her modesty somewhat, and her skin from cuts, but against this they afforded no protection! “Mmmm,” Hrist purred as she felt up her foes powerful legs, “Thou art so fit… thee might survive me.”
“Stgh-stghop… thaght!” Robyn choked. She thrashed all the harder enough to dislodge her leg.
Soon Hrist’s expression turned more serious. “I do not like calling thee Lady Hood,” she announced, “I wish to see who I am breaking today.” She reached out toward Robyn’s face.
My Mask! Robyn felt a powerful surge of heat travel through her chest and thighs. Fear mingled with astonishment. No one had ever dared reach for her mask, yet none had ever had her in such a position as to try either! A wild expression overcame her and to Hrists own surprise, Robyn’s lower body rose up with alarming acrobatic grace, she wrapped one of her mighty thighs around the arm pinning her to the tree, and with every last ounce of strength that was being choked out of her, Robyn fired three kicks from the other foot directly into Hrist’s face.
“HRAGHH!!!!” Hrist roared and as she recoiled she threw Robyn away from herself. The Maid of the Masses impacted painfully with the road several feet away and rolled still several more.
RIIIP
“Unghhhh,” the heroine moaned and did not immediately stir. Her head remained light from lack of oxygen, yet she knew she had not much time. That tearing noise terrified her also.
On the other end, despite her injury, Hrist did not appear overly angered where she rubbed at her bleeding nose. If anything her eyes drank the sight of Robyn’s collapsed form with more intense concentration and a faint pinkness overcame the giants cheeks. Robyn’s hood was still dangling from her hands, “Thou hast spirit Lady Hood!” Hrist laughed with mad desire, “I like spirit!”
Light this is madness! Robyn thought, she sucked in as much air as she could via controlled breaths and pushed herself onto one knee. With one arm she reached up to her head and felt her hood. As she feared, it was gone, but the underlying headwrap was still tight and secure. This has come to far! She realized. She needed to end this!
Luckily, in all the excitement she still had her trusty bow, and enough time had passed for her shadow to regain at least some of her power. I should have dematerialized and freed myself from her grasp, Robyn realized but hindsight was always flawless. Hrist began walking toward her, so Robyn raised her bow as she stood to her full height; “Mountain born or not thee shall not overcome me with brute force alone!” she said and fired. Hrist anticipated the attack and leapt, with alarming quickness for one so big, away to dodge the attack!
“NO!” Robyn cried and strung her bow a second time….. But no arrow presented itself. T’is yet not enough time has past! She realized in horror, Light! I have wasted all my arrows on those soldiers! My shadow has gone… I am powerless!
Before she could fully realize her situation Hrist charged at speed. Robyn stumbled several steps away as quickly as she could, but Hrist’s strides were so long… and at the last moment, too far away for Robyn’s muscle memory concerning ordinary foes to accurately predict, Hrist dove at her. The giant caught Robyn unprepared, hands clamping down on the heroines shoulders and then forced the Shadow of Nottingham down into the dirt back first where she grunted, “UNGH!”
Hrist then got up on her knees with her shins laid out over Robyn’s lower legs to pin the heroine to the earth and she said, “Got thee again,”
“Like hell thou hast!” Robyn cried and swung her bow like a club for the giants head, but Hrist snagged it from her before she hurled the weapon away from them.
“NO!” Robyn cried again, she tried to hold onto her weapon but such was Hrist’s strength that it was torn from her grasp and sailed off to land between two of the wagons. Robyn turned her struggles toward violence and slammed punch after punch into Hrist’s rock hard abs, but she met with much less success even than her mightier kicks could muster.
Once Hrist had amused herself a while longer with her prey’s antics she reached out with one hand and shoved against Robyn’s chest, driving the woman back to the ground. “Thou shalt have no luck with those scrawny arms,” Hrist told her, which greatly offended Robyn who trained her body greatly, and though her arms were no doubt lesser in strength than her legs she considered herself no weakling! “I am much more interested in those shapely thighs.”
“AH!” Robyn gasped when she felt the hand Hrist wasn’t using to pin her down begin to fondle and feel her legs, beginning around the outside of the thigh, they would slide up and over to pinch and squeeze the inner leg. The mixture of Hrist’s rough motions and the smooth tickling of her silky tights against her skin caused Robyn to blush.
“O-oh! Stop that!” she demanded, reaching out with one hand to grasp at the arm pinning her down while the other gripped Hrists wrist where it took free advantage of her, but Robyn’s strength was not up to match. “Ah! Stop this at once harlot!”
“Hush pleasing one,” Hrist barked at her, “know when thou art defeated!”
Defeated? Robyn thought such a thing was impossible and yet, in her present position, spoken by Hrist as things were. The word caused her to shudder. She was made so uncomfortable for this that she steeled her resolve.
“Robin Hood! Defeated! NonsEEEK!” Robyn’s defiance was cut short. Hrist moved the arm pinning her down so that she could grip Robyn’s leather corset over the breast where one of the wings of the sparrow emblem covered and squeezed!
In the next moment Robyn received the biggest shock of her life. Hrist leaned down over her then, as she mauled and groped the heroine’s breasts with one arm, the hand pawing at the tights slid all the way up and pressed two fingers just hard enough against the leather panties over where they covered her maidenhood to make Robyn gasp, then just as Robyn opened her mouth to protest Hrist seized forward and kissed the green garbed maiden full on the lips.
The mighty muffled ‘Mpphh!’ of protest did nothing to end the assault. This… this cannot be happening!? Robyn despaired. Her wide eyes glossed over with a film of tears, her arms fought with Hrists but could save her not even an inch of leverage, My strength... t’is nothing compared to her… my powers. They are my only hope! Yet she had used them so heavily at the start of the robbery she was essentially tapped out. Some time had passed still surely? Perhaps she had some power yet!
Knowing this Robyn did her best to drown out the barrage of sensation. Then with determination Hrist might have noticed if she wasn’t so busy pleasing herself, Robyn shut her eyes tightly, she concentrated and put everything she was worth into herself and willed her mass to switch with her shadow. If she could only get free of Hrist now, she could flee until she had enough shadow arrows to put the giant down…
But nothing happened.
No! No! Light save me! I’m still powerless! B-but wait… no I am not…
“Mmm-mmmmppppphhh…” Robyn mewled into her foes lips. She could no longer will herself away from her foes assault. Thought toward resistance began to crumble as Hrist began to rub her palm up and down over the Shadow of Nottingham’s sex, the pool of heat building there both frightened and overwhelmed the heroine… she needed to try something… anything to fight back, instead her arms flopped back against the dirt. Hrist’s tongue penetrated her lips and sloshed around her mouth. Robyn tried to bite down on the intrusion… and found it thick, unyielding like the rest of her indomitable foe. All the while she began to feel warmer and warmer.
Why is it like this? Robyn lamented, I… I am yielding… I m-must not… yield! despite herself, despite the resistance of thought, her body seemed to melt, and her hips began to gyrate in time with Hrist’s efforts, Yet… she is… strong… unyielding…
“Well done Lady Hood,” The giant broke the kiss long enough to say, “Thou knowest that thee are beaten. I shall lay claim to Robyn Hood as she thought to lay claim to our ladies supplies.”
“Please…” Robyn mumbled meekly, the mention of ‘our lady’ brought out some last bastion of resistance, “Let me… gmmmmmmmm…” but she was silenced shortly by another kiss. Robyn’s eyes shut once more, though not in concentration this time.
Cannot… give up… the last bastion of herself struggled, must… not… submit. “Mmmmmmhmmmmm,” Robyn whimpered submissively. Her body was practically aglow with inner fire. Hrist finished her foreplay and slipped two fingers beneath the lip of Robyn’s panty, and then pressed deep into the heroines sex, forcing both her enormous fingers and the flexible silken material of Robyn’s tights up inside as well. Finally it became too much for the humbled Shadow of Nottingham. Robyn Hood’s thighs trembled, then opened, her hip bucked upward mightily, and with a quieter sound than most, she came. The spread of cum spurted forth, coating Hrist’s fingers and created a dark wet stain in her tights that overcame her inner thighs.
“N-oh,” she practically whispered when Hrist broke the kiss and leaned back up all the way to her knees. Robyn remained lain spread out. Hrist licked her fingers of the wetness and ‘mmmmm’ed, then with a knowing expression she glanced down and stroked Robyn’s cheek. The helpless folk heroine’s head turned mildly into the gesture.
“So it is that the ‘mighty’ Robyn Hood has another secret?” Hrist chuckled, “enjoy my conquest did thee, oh helpless Lady?”
In answer Robyn could only turn her head away in shame. She could not deny it was so… in her powerless state, made so helpless by her enemy, Robyn’s arousal was maddening.
“By the dark thou wast made for one like me,” Hrist chuckled again, “I shall admit it was pleasing to dominate the ‘Lady Hood’ and so much more pleasing that it be she… yet I should say that in conquest thee now owe more of thyself to me?”
“What?” Robyn gasped. She was slow to come around, Hrist unclipped the fold at her head wrap that kept it secured and fully unwound the object, allowing Robyn’s flame red hair to fall out like a halo around her shoulders, “I… need that…”
“My Lady thou art a beautiful prize,” Hrist told her breathlessly at the sight, but still she reached out, “Surrender to me thy last secret… let it bind thee to my service forever” Hrist still wished to rob her of Robyn mask! The thought shocked sense back into her. Reminded her that, no, she was not defeated while still she wore her mask, that despite the humiliation she felt damp across her thighs she was not weak of body… and that without the heat of shameful lust to affect her, she was very clear of mind!
Hrist reached slowly down toward Robyn’s face, her fingers brushed the lip of the mask. Robyn could not count on her shadow. There might yet be power there but she could not be certain of it after all she had endured, instead she thrust her palm out toward Hrist’s face and tried the only thing she thought might work.
It was not actually much, nor so bright or wondrous as she remembered causing in the past… yet so near to Hrist’s eyes the bright, though small, flash of light nevertheless seared her retinas.
“WHOAAAA!” Hrist roared and leaped backward almost comically off of the prone warrior. Perhaps she expected some burst of lightning or otherwise, instead she would be embarrassed to remember the near pathetic flare which had stolen her prize!
T’was so weak… why? Robyn thought of the power, but it did not truly matter. She had to MOVE. Robyn got back up onto her feet. She needed to fight smarter if she was going to survive this!
“I am beginning to grow weary of this!” Hrist growled then turned an angry expression on Robyn.
That is well! Grow angry! Robyn strategized, let it make thee foolish!
Indeed Hrist’s method of attack had not changed. The giant charged her. Robyn turned and sprinted for the nearest wagon, she leapt up, kicked off the wall then used the full force of her strength and gravity to spin kick the charging giant. The blow struck Hrist in the side and this time it did not bounce off. The giant was shunted away. “That… actually hurt Lady Hood?”
Hrist stumbled with her back turned, Robyn did not wait, but ran toward the giant and kicked as hard as she could into her heel. Hrist cried out and fell to her knees.
“What!? What is happening?”
“Retribution!” Robyn snarled. With the giant downed the Maid of the Masses sprinted to where her bow had fallen and picked it up. By now she was sure her power would have returned. Hrist was back up onto her feet looking bewildered at the green figure.
“Thou art mine?” she demanded, “Thou didst surrender to me?”
“Thou dost only wish!” Robyn snapped and pulled back the string, she saw the shadow form willed it to become more arrows until three such projectiles were nocked and then fired. Hrist tried to dodge again but this time was caught by one of the other arrows which fired out to the sides. She yelped where it stuck into her shoulder.
For an instant Hrist stared thoughtfully at Robyn. “Captivating,” Hrist mumbled, her eyes rolled up into her head and she collapsed.
Robyn spent several seconds gasping and catching her breath… and took stock, I… I must cleanse my tights before the Merry Men return and witness me so humbled… She was gravely unsettled by the battle, but ever thoughtful that her secrets remain so. Will might never again stay silent if he knew all which transpired with Hrist. To this end she headed back toward the woods, intending to find the river, but just as she reached the tree line she heard the sound of massive sprinting footfalls behind her.
It cannot be!
Exhausted from the battle and all else, Robyn’s reflexes were too far behind. Before she could react she felt a powerful pair of arms wrap around her waist. She immediately tried to phase but found that firing the three arrows had again depleted her store of power…
“UGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” She groaned when the powerful set of arms squeezed tight and lifted her completely off the ground so that her back went up against a large pair of breasts.
“Shadows cannot harm those blessed by the Mistress Lady Hood,” Hrist hissed into Robyn’s ears, this was news to Robyn. “Yet otherwise thou wouldst have bested me.”
Light… Robyn despaired, that means my powers are… useless!? With only strength to combat this brute… Robyn’s hopes were dashed.
“Yet that thou might turn certain defeat into near victory after all?” Hrist squeezed tighter and licked the side of Robyn’s neck, causing the heroine to both groan and shiver simultaneously. “Thou art a foe worthy to conquer, yet I see now that I shall have to completely break thee if I am to claim thy servitude!” She squeezed harder.
“Nooooouughhhh!” Robyn moaned. She knew what was happening. Hrist would crush her to impotence… she could not allow that to come to pass! Robyn kicked her feet wildly for purchase, but found only air, she managed to kick one of the nearby trees but it only served to make Hrist take a step back.
Robyn was growing short of breath! I cannot breath! I need air! For the next minute or so, they remained as such. Hrist ever so slowly tightened her old whilst Robin’s struggles ever so slowly weakened.
“I…. shall never… gaaaah… give up!” Robyn gnashed… yet tears of effort were streaking down her face. She ought not have spoken for there was precious little oxygen left in her. Her arms began to go slack while her shiny tights covered thighs trembled more than they could kick any longer. No… I must…. breath… I feel so… weak… Yet still she managed to say, “I will not… surrender… my… mask!”
“So I seeghhh!” Hrist growled as she squeezed even tighter. Robyn’s eyes bulged, “I shall just have to take it then!” Despite her intense effort, she emphasized the threat with a light nibble at Robyn’s earlobe.
It was the nibble perhaps more than anything that finished Robyn. The gesture expressed so much power in their situation that Robyn felt her body tingling once more, and not solely with need for oxygen.
I… I have nothing left… Robyn Hood finally went slack. The Shadow of Nottingham was finished, Maid of the Masses subdued. Hrist dropped her and let her flop limply onto the earth. Robyn’s eyes looked up at her conqueror, their usual green spark and ferocity dulled. I… cannot… move…
“Art thou finished at last?” Hrist asked, she set a boot down over the sparrow emblem on Robyn’s chest and rocked her a few times, when this brought out only a light whimper the giant grinned to herself. “At last!” Slowly Hrist leaned down beside her defeated adversary.
This is it… Robyn realized, She will have my mask! I cannot do anything to stop her!
“Once I know who thou art,” Hrist said to her while she stroked at a cheek “I think that I shall take thee with me to Britannia and take all the wealth of the common folk there. I shall let them witness their beloved heroine as she now is, utterly within my power…” Hrist licked her lips and took the lip of the mask between her fingers. She paused with curiosity when Robyn’s eyes focused somewhat on her.
“I… shall never… follow thee…”
“I believe,” Hrist whispered and held her gaze, “that thou knowest as well, once I have thy secret, thy face alone shall surrender all thy power and freedom to me ‘Milady’.”
Hrist was right of course… there was nobody who would not recognize Lady Maryion Wood in Britannia or otherwise. If she did not wish to be hung a traitor by her own father for all the trouble she had caused, and to protect her friends and beloved family members from Hrist… the Giant would have a slave of her!
No… It cannot end this way! Robyn felt true tears falling down her cheeks, the lip of her mask was peeled upward, Light… by all that is good and merciful, that I might yet do some good in this devilish world… preserve my secret! LIGHT PROTECT ME!
Was it coincidence? Is there such a thing?
“Unhand that maiden!” A high commanding voice cut through the air. Hrist froze where she was and glanced up toward the voice. She released the mask. Robyn’s head tilted sideways in time to see a dark haired woman in a pure white gown that was literally glowing like the first embers of dawn, “Do so now Barbarian or I shall burst thee to cinders!”
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