Deep in the Forest (7/?)

[charlottemay.livejournal.com]

Title: Deep in the Forest (7/?)
Author: Charlotte May
Email:charlottemay43@hotmail.com
Rating: PG13 (will be NC17 in later chapters)
Pairing: Dom/Billy, Orlando/Elijah, Karl/Miranda
Disclaimer: Not mine, never will be. I intend no disrespect to Dominic Monaghan, Billy Boyd or anyone else mentioned in this story.
Warning: AU
Feedback: Always welcome!
Summary: There are some very familiar faces running round Sherwood Forest. Yes, folks, it’s a LOTRPS Robin Hood story! Do I really need to point out that it’s an AU? ;-)
Author’s notes: A little note for my local readers – I know the most direct route to the castle from the Market Square is to go up Friar Lane, but you try writing about the Friar going up Friar Lane… it just sounds silly. So, in this story, they went up St James Street. ;-)

Huge thanks to canciona for stepping into the breach with the beta. :-)

Part One - Part Two - Part Three - Part Four - Part Five - Part Six

Cross-posted to monaboyd, fellow_shippers and my lj.



Deep in the Forest

Part seven – in which Dom gets angry and Elijah discovers he has no sense of direction.


“They did WHAT?” Billy flinched at the anger in Dom’s voice, and it wasn’t even directed at him. They’d just provided Sir Ian with the fresh horse he wanted, and seen him off on the road to Welbeck, when Dom had realised two of the outlaws were missing. To say he wasn’t happy to hear that Elijah and Sean had gone to Nottingham would be the understatement of the year.

Little Liv stood nervously in front of them and twiddled her bow in her hands. “The Friar said he’d stop Elijah getting into trouble.”

“That’s like saying he could stop a stampeding bull.” Dom began to pace up and down. “They’ll both be in the castle dungeons by now.”

“They wouldn’t throw the Friar in there, would they?” asked Liv.

“The Sheriff thinks he can get away with murder. So why would incarcerating a man of God bother him?” snapped Dom. “And if Elijah’s caught, he’ll be hanged. He’s a wanted man, remember?”

“I saw them,” murmured Billy, suddenly remembering the incident in the Market Square earlier that evening.

Dom swung round to face him. “I remember. You said someone that looked like Friar Astin was heading up St James Street… straight towards the Castle. And you said there was another man with him.” Dom sat down abruptly and dropped his head into his hands. “I said it couldn’t be… that the Friar was keeping an eye on Elijah and couldn’t possibly be in Nottingham. God… how wrong I was. I should have believed you. This is all my fault.” He sighed, and Billy’s heart went out to him. Dom suddenly looked up, a determined expression on his worry-lined face. “We have to go back.”

“Don’t be hasty. Perhaps they’ve rescued Orlando and are on their way home,” suggested Billy, trying to look on the bright side. Dom just looked at him, the usually sparkling blue eyes dull and lifeless, then slowly shook his head. He wearily got to his feet and began walking towards Merry and Pippin, who were tied up nearby. Billy put a restraining hand on his arm. “No, Dom. You’re exhausted, I’m exhausted. It’s the middle of the night, and it’s the best part of twenty miles into town. Get a few hours’ sleep, and we’ll head back at dawn.”

“He’s right, Dom,” said Liv gently. “You’ll be no use to them if you’re too tired to think straight.”

Dom’s shoulders slumped. “Well, I suppose a few hours won’t make much difference.”

====

“Do you think we ought to lose the disguises?” asked Elijah as they raced down yet another torchlit passageway.

Orlando shook his head. “Don’t you think we’d be even more conspicuous in our underwear?”

“But they won’t be looking for men in their underwear, they’ll be looking for two monks,” protested Elijah.

“But if they see two half-dressed men they might decide to arrest us anyway.”

“Why?”

Orlando grinned. “Because you look cute in your underwear?”

Elijah giggled, then stopped suddenly. The passageway they’d been running down had come to an end at another, slightly wider corridor which stretched out to both left and right. “Which way is it?” Elijah asked desperately

“How the hell should I know?” Orlando replied. “I’ve been locked up, remember?”

“Yes, but you’ve been in the castle before,” Elijah pointed out.

“Not this part! This place is huge… and all the bloody passages look the same.” Orlando was close to losing his temper with his lover. “You’re the one who just got here. Can’t you remember which way you came?”

“No. The friar kept telling me to keep my head down.”

“You’re fucking hopeless.” As soon as he’d opened his mouth, Orlando instantly felt guilty as he noticed the stricken look on Elijah’s face. “Sorry, I didn’t mean that. I’m just kind of stressed at the moment. Let’s go this way.” He turned left and began striding purposefully down the passage.

“Orli?”

“Yes?”

“Can you hear footsteps?”

They both stopped. Orlando’s mouth went dry and he could feel his heart hammering in his chest. Elijah was right. At least two people – two big, heavy-footed people – were heading in their direction. They both looked round desperately for somewhere to hide. Orlando had just begun to push a nearby door open when two guards turned a corner and confronted them.

“Stop right there!”

Orlando looked at Elijah. “Run, for God’s sake!” he hissed. “They only want to me to marry Miranda… they’ll want to hang you!” When the shorter man didn’t move, Orlando gave him a firm shove down the corridor. “Go!”

“I’ll be back,” said Elijah quickly. “I’ll get help.”

“I love you,” said Orlando.

“Love you too,” replied Elijah as he turned and ran down the passageway.

Orlando stepped forward to meet the guards. “Looking for me, gentlemen?” he said, holding his arms out in supplication. He could hear the sound of Elijah’s footsteps disappearing down the corridor. He smiled wryly to himself. He could put up with anything – even marrying Miranda – if Elijah got away.

====

Billy looked across at Dom’s tent and wondered what to do. The night before, he’d slept in the open by the fire, but tonight… well, tonight he wanted something quite different. Should he go to Dom? Would he be welcome after the news about Elijah and Sean? If that was what Dom wanted, wouldn’t he have asked? Billy sighed. Tired of second guessing, he turned back to the fire and stared into the flames, allowing himself to be hypnotised by their flickering movement.

“Penny for them,” said a soft voice. Startled, Billy swung round to face Little Liv, who was sitting to his left.

“I… I’m…” No, Billy decided, he couldn’t say it. The thing with Dom was too new, too different. He hardly knew Dom, let alone Little Liv.

“You’re wondering whether to go to him,” she stated, matter of factly.

“Yes,” said Billy, without thinking. He frowned. “How did you know?”

“I saw the way the two of you looked at each other earlier. I’m not stupid.”

“So what do you think I should do?”

Liv smiled, then glanced over at Dom’s tent. “Go on. He needs you.”

Billy smiled back at her and got to his feet. “Thanks.” He walked over to Dom’s tent and carefully lifted the flap. He could see the hump of Dom’s body hidden under a pile of blankets, illuminated by the flickering light of the campfire. If the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest was any indication, Dom was fast asleep. Billy quietly stepped inside and closed the flap behind him. “Dom?” he said, his voice hardly above a whisper.

“Yes, Billy?” The Scotsman jumped. Dom wasn’t asleep after all.

“I… er…” Now it came to it, Billy wasn’t entirely sure what he was doing here.

“Come here.” In the dim light, Billy saw the blankets lift in invitation. Billy lay down and shuffled his body until he slid underneath, and found himself cocooned in welcoming warmth. An arm wrapped itself around his waist and pulled him forwards until his body was pressed up against Dom’s. A soft kiss was placed on his cheek.

“Dom,” said Billy nervously, “I haven’t a clue what to do… I’m kind of new at this.”

Dom laughed softly. “To be honest, mate, despite anything I might have said and done earlier, I think I’m too knackered and wound up for sexual gymnastics tonight. How about we just stay like this and get some rest? Let’s save the fun stuff for a time when we can enjoy it without worrying about bloody Elijah.”

Billy smiled to himself. “Fine with me.” He looped his arm over Dom’s shoulder and gave him a squeeze. “Cuddling I can do.”

“Glad to hear it, Billy.” Dom’s voice was heavy with tiredness and the next moment, Billy heard a soft snore.

Shifting into a slightly more comfortable position, Billy took the opportunity to reflect on his situation. It qualified as bizarre by any stretch of the imagination. He was sharing a bed with a man he’d only known two days, but those two days had probably been the most exciting of his life. He’d been kissed by Dom twice, and in his admittedly limited experience, kissing a guy had turned out to be much hotter than kissing a girl. Together, they’d rescued Sir Ian, an operation that he was sure was highly illegal, and tomorrow, when they went back to Nottingham, he just knew they’d be doing something else that could get them locked up… or worse. Before he’d met Dom, he’d always been a good, law-abiding citizen. Dom had corrupted him. Then he remembered the feeling of Dom’s body pressed hard against his and shivered…. Yes, and he’d like to be corrupted a bit more, please.

He smiled to himself and listened to Dom’s breathing, letting the warm glow of contentment envelop him until his eyes drifted shut and he was claimed by the creeping oblivion of sleep.

=====

Down… he had to go down, thought Elijah as he hurried through the castle. He was pretty certain he needed to go down another floor to get to ground level. He’d tried peering out of a couple of arrow loops, but they’d looked out over the cliff, so they hadn’t been any help. Then the smell of cooking wafted past his nose. The kitchens! Of course. When he’d arrived with Friar Astin, he’d smelt the exact same aroma just after they’d come in through the door into the castle from the courtyard. All he had to do was find some stairs, go down another floor and look for that huge oak door that led outside. Then it would be a quick sprint down across the courtyard to the gatehouse, hopefully picking up his horse on the way.

He couldn’t help smiling when he turned a corner to be faced by a spiral staircase. As he raced downwards, the smell of baking bread got stronger. Yes, definitely the kitchens, thought Elijah. He got to the bottom of the stairs and looked around quickly, trying to get his breath back. Sure enough, he saw exactly what he was expecting – a large oak door. He walked over to it and turned the handle. It opened with a loud creak.

When he stepped through, Elijah’s mouth dropped open in horror. He looked at the two guards… Miranda…. Orlando… and Lord Bean, Sheriff of Nottingham.

Oh shit. Wrong door.

The Sheriff’s eyes glinted malevolently in the candlelight, as he stood up and smiled at Elijah. “Goodness me, another insomniac. You know, I’ve never had so many visitors in the middle of the night. Thank you so much for coming. I assume you’re Orlando’s bit of rough from the forest?” Elijah found himself nodding as he stared at the Sheriff like a deer caught in headlights. Lord Bean looked down at a piece of paper on the table. “Ah yes,” he said, holding it up and reading, “Elijah, the miller’s son. Wanted for sixty-nine counts of theft and thirteen of fraud…” He looked up from the paper and leered evilly. “And I believe we can also add stealing the King’s deer to this little litany of misdeeds.”

“You said your name was Sam!” protested Miranda.

“Should I add impersonation of a man of God as well?” asked the Sheriff.

Miranda shook her head violently. “I could have misheard him.”

Elijah looked across at Orlando. His lover’s face was horror-stricken. “I told you to go!” he hissed.

Elijah shrugged helplessly and mumbled, “I got lost. I’m sorry.”

The Sheriff turned back to Elijah and frowned. “How gloriously inept. One wonders how you managed to survive as a thief for so long. But we are digressing… As I was just saying to Orlando and Miranda, their wedding will be at noon on Friday in the Castle chapel. And now you’re here, I think we will have a double celebration on Friday… at eleven o’clock, you will be hanged in the Castle courtyard.” He turned to the guards. “Throw him in the dungeon!”