Robin, Chapter 8
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Few of Lance's fellows stayed on with Robin. There was general agreement amongst the deserters that bear attacks, little girls, and fires were ill omens in a forest. Those who remained were loyal, if not to their new leader then at least to their hunting grounds. They were further united by their somewhat conflicting emotions of love for Robin's theatrical displays and fear of her long sword.
Down from a high of thirty scoundrels, Sherman now held six thieves, Robin; the three Wills: Will Scathelocke, (a wrestler of some repute), Will Scarlet (Robin's wayward cousin, it turned out), and Will Stutely (a former derivatives trader who had decided he should be more honest with himself), none of whom would agree to go by 'William'; the one Bill, Bill Mayer, who guarded his singular given name with wit and a tongue as sharp as his knife; and John Jack Johnson, whip quick, just as thin, and the last person anyone would have expected to stay around after Lance had gone.
Johnson and Bucskin had worked in several gangs together, becoming great friends, but when Lance lit out this time, he said it was to find a city, a job, and a girl. These notions were so entirely foreign to John, he never even considered accompanying his long time chum.
JOHNSON-- Better to stay a thief in familiar ground and have the chance of tending a pony than to trot off who-knows-where in search of things no one needs. But Lance always was hard hard to figure out.
BILL-- Sure, hanging around sharing carrots with a midget horse is fine for John, but what about the rest of us? We can't survive on Grandma's vegetables alone. What about meat? What about beer? We are out of beer.
ROBIN-- [making a face] I don't know how your guys drink that stuff.
STUTELY-- It puts hair on your chest!
ROBIN-- I'm fine without, I think. But, I do know a place that serves ale and meat. It's just outside of Knottsburry.
SCARLETT-- Oh, the Boor's Head?
ROBIN-- Best lamb patties in the realm.
BILL-- Ooh, lamb patties.
And so they all headed to the Boor's Head, which just so happened to be Sheriff Harold Wulf's favourite pub.
Previous Chapter
Few of Lance's fellows stayed on with Robin. There was general agreement amongst the deserters that bear attacks, little girls, and fires were ill omens in a forest. Those who remained were loyal, if not to their new leader then at least to their hunting grounds. They were further united by their somewhat conflicting emotions of love for Robin's theatrical displays and fear of her long sword.
Down from a high of thirty scoundrels, Sherman now held six thieves, Robin; the three Wills: Will Scathelocke, (a wrestler of some repute), Will Scarlet (Robin's wayward cousin, it turned out), and Will Stutely (a former derivatives trader who had decided he should be more honest with himself), none of whom would agree to go by 'William'; the one Bill, Bill Mayer, who guarded his singular given name with wit and a tongue as sharp as his knife; and John Jack Johnson, whip quick, just as thin, and the last person anyone would have expected to stay around after Lance had gone.
Johnson and Bucskin had worked in several gangs together, becoming great friends, but when Lance lit out this time, he said it was to find a city, a job, and a girl. These notions were so entirely foreign to John, he never even considered accompanying his long time chum.
JOHNSON-- Better to stay a thief in familiar ground and have the chance of tending a pony than to trot off who-knows-where in search of things no one needs. But Lance always was hard hard to figure out.
BILL-- Sure, hanging around sharing carrots with a midget horse is fine for John, but what about the rest of us? We can't survive on Grandma's vegetables alone. What about meat? What about beer? We are out of beer.
ROBIN-- [making a face] I don't know how your guys drink that stuff.
STUTELY-- It puts hair on your chest!
ROBIN-- I'm fine without, I think. But, I do know a place that serves ale and meat. It's just outside of Knottsburry.
SCARLETT-- Oh, the Boor's Head?
ROBIN-- Best lamb patties in the realm.
BILL-- Ooh, lamb patties.
And so they all headed to the Boor's Head, which just so happened to be Sheriff Harold Wulf's favourite pub.
I like your little backgrounds for the Wills...
ReplyDeleteI like names that seem off the top of the head too and are more for the sound, and that's how yours seemed to me...
"Sure, hanging around sharing carrots with a midget horse is fine for John, but what about the rest of us? "
I'm kind of like John...setting his aims very low...'s probably why this made me laugh...
I should say...setting his aims very low in other peoples' eyes...
ReplyDeleteThe Wills are all original Robin Hood characters, which I always liked. As to 'low' aims, simplicity isn't as simple as most make it out to be.
ReplyDelete