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Part 3
Drawn with a team of little atomies
Athwart men's noses as they lie asleep;
The pattern followed thus, just as Robin would become use to a dream, it would change. During the long sea voyage Robin saw a life, his life, play out. Long afternoons spent with Marian, sometimes in Locksley, sometime venturing into Sherwood. Evenings talking of village matters; Marian had such heart for people. Nights spent in the bliss of Marian's arms.
Robin dreamed of both these mundane, how could life with Marian ever be mundane, things and the more eventful; the opening of a new mill, a feast at Nottingham Castle, finding out he was to be a father.
By the time the convoy docked in the Holy Land the dream Marian was growing heavy with the child. The day before Robin saw battle for the first time he dreamed of a baby girl with eyes just like her mothers.
The sound of Marian in pain was the worst thing Robin ever had to endure. He had never been able to stand the sight of Marian in pain, one of the first clues he had of his love for her. So to force himself to wait in the hall while the midwife and the other women of the manor saw to his wife... It was a task Hercules would not have the strength for.
"That can't be right. She should not be screaming so. Should she?"
The few men left in the hall looked at one another, but it was the steward Thorton who spoke, "It is not uncommon, sir." Much broke in, "I've heard tell of women who bit right through the wood." Thorton threw the young man a stern glare.
"Wood?" Robin was confused. "How does wood come into it?" Visions of Marian, the midwife, and stacks of planks like Dan Scarlett used for building jumbled in his head.
“Do you remember when Old Thatcher fell off the roof?” Thorton asked.
“Yes.” Robin had been in the village when it had happened.
“And the fairer gave him a stout piece of wood to bit down on while the leg was set?”
Sudden clarity came to Robin’s befuddled mind, “Bit though it!” Oh god! Marian would never allow him near her again. Indeed, he would stay away gladly if it meant she would never have to suffer this way again.
Then suddenly there was a long moment of silence before the sound resumed. But it was not Marian's cry this time, it was someone much more upset.
"Excuse me sir... M'Lady is asking for you."
Robin flew up the stairs, and knocked into the wall in his hast to see Marian.
And there she was laying in the bed drowsy and half a-sleep. "Marian?" Robin spoke softly.
When Marian opened her eyes Robin quickly moved to kneel next to her. Taking a lock of her hair between his fingers he said "You are so brave my love." Robin placed a soft kiss on Marian's forehead, "So wonderfully brave and strong and beautiful."
The midwife came over to the bed with a bundle in her arm, "You must sit up M'Lady. The she needs to nurse."
One word crashed through Robin's befuddled mind, "She?" he asked as Marian sat up.
"Yes, she." Marian said with a smile as the midwife passed the bundle to her. "Robin, met your daughter."
Robin tried to anchor himself to the dream, to the sight of Marian nursing the child. His child. But Much shaking his shoulder was becoming more and more of a reality.
"It is nearly sun rise Master Robin. You need to eat before you see to the men."
Robin ignored Much's chatter as the manservant pulled the lid from the pot that held the leftover stew and dished some into a bowl.
When Robin stepped from his tent the suns rays glared his eyes, and in that moment Robin could once again see the bundle Marian had been holding. "We shall call her Alease."
Part 4
Drawn with a team of little atomies
Athwart men's noses as they lie asleep;
The pattern followed thus, just as Robin would become use to a dream, it would change. During the long sea voyage Robin saw a life, his life, play out. Long afternoons spent with Marian, sometimes in Locksley, sometime venturing into Sherwood. Evenings talking of village matters; Marian had such heart for people. Nights spent in the bliss of Marian's arms.
Robin dreamed of both these mundane, how could life with Marian ever be mundane, things and the more eventful; the opening of a new mill, a feast at Nottingham Castle, finding out he was to be a father.
By the time the convoy docked in the Holy Land the dream Marian was growing heavy with the child. The day before Robin saw battle for the first time he dreamed of a baby girl with eyes just like her mothers.
The sound of Marian in pain was the worst thing Robin ever had to endure. He had never been able to stand the sight of Marian in pain, one of the first clues he had of his love for her. So to force himself to wait in the hall while the midwife and the other women of the manor saw to his wife... It was a task Hercules would not have the strength for.
"That can't be right. She should not be screaming so. Should she?"
The few men left in the hall looked at one another, but it was the steward Thorton who spoke, "It is not uncommon, sir." Much broke in, "I've heard tell of women who bit right through the wood." Thorton threw the young man a stern glare.
"Wood?" Robin was confused. "How does wood come into it?" Visions of Marian, the midwife, and stacks of planks like Dan Scarlett used for building jumbled in his head.
“Do you remember when Old Thatcher fell off the roof?” Thorton asked.
“Yes.” Robin had been in the village when it had happened.
“And the fairer gave him a stout piece of wood to bit down on while the leg was set?”
Sudden clarity came to Robin’s befuddled mind, “Bit though it!” Oh god! Marian would never allow him near her again. Indeed, he would stay away gladly if it meant she would never have to suffer this way again.
Then suddenly there was a long moment of silence before the sound resumed. But it was not Marian's cry this time, it was someone much more upset.
"Excuse me sir... M'Lady is asking for you."
Robin flew up the stairs, and knocked into the wall in his hast to see Marian.
And there she was laying in the bed drowsy and half a-sleep. "Marian?" Robin spoke softly.
When Marian opened her eyes Robin quickly moved to kneel next to her. Taking a lock of her hair between his fingers he said "You are so brave my love." Robin placed a soft kiss on Marian's forehead, "So wonderfully brave and strong and beautiful."
The midwife came over to the bed with a bundle in her arm, "You must sit up M'Lady. The she needs to nurse."
One word crashed through Robin's befuddled mind, "She?" he asked as Marian sat up.
"Yes, she." Marian said with a smile as the midwife passed the bundle to her. "Robin, met your daughter."
Robin tried to anchor himself to the dream, to the sight of Marian nursing the child. His child. But Much shaking his shoulder was becoming more and more of a reality.
"It is nearly sun rise Master Robin. You need to eat before you see to the men."
Robin ignored Much's chatter as the manservant pulled the lid from the pot that held the leftover stew and dished some into a bowl.
When Robin stepped from his tent the suns rays glared his eyes, and in that moment Robin could once again see the bundle Marian had been holding. "We shall call her Alease."
Part 4
