The Most Wonderful Gift
Author: Rochvelleth
Title: The Most Wonderful Gift
Words: 652
Genre: Fanfiction (gen)
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or anything :(
Summary: Written for the WAR competition. I trotted it out very quickly, so sorry for any typos! This is set during 3x12 and has season 3 finale spoilers.
“Wait!” Much said suddenly, catching Robin’s arm. “I left the... er the thing back at the camp. I’ll have to go and-“
“Much, what are you talking about?” Robin asked.
“We haven’t got much time,” Guy added. “Isabella could find the tunnel, and lay a trap if we’re not quick.”
Robin nodded, but Much put his hands in the air. “Just a minute! I’ll catch you up!” With that he turned and ran all the way back to the camp, then stood panting in the entrance.
“Much!” Allan said, a mixture of surprise and hope showing as his blue eyes widened. Behind his back, he stopped sawing at the ropes tying his hands and slid the knife back up into his sleeve. “Have you changed your mind?”
Much shook his head, but came closer.
“You haven’t changed your mind?”
“I don’t know!” Much cried. “I didn’t think you would... but then I didn’t think you would last time, and you did!”
“I was an idiot,” Allan said, every muscle in his face straining to give his best innocent look. Of course, usually when he gave that innocent look he was lying - but this one time he wasn’t, and he needed to make it count. “I’m so sorry for what I did, and I’d never do it again. I swear!”
Much was shaking his head again. Finally he picked up a meat cleaver from the table and headed over to Allan, who wondered whether Much intended violence but dismissed the thought immediately.
“We shouldn’t just leave you tied up,” Much mumbled, moving around Allan. “I mean, what if Isabella remembers where the camp is? She came here, after all. And she’s just the sort to look over the top of her blindfold when she shouldn’t...”
Allan frowned, wondering what his friend - if he still was his friend - was getting at. But when he felt his bonds slacken as Much severed them, he was only relieved. “Right then!” Allan exclaimed. “I’ll come with you to Nottingham!”
Yet again, Much shook his head. “I don’t... I mean I’m not sure... No, you can’t come along.”
“But you need me! This is the big fight!”
“Nobody trusts you!” Much said. “And even if I do, then it doesn’t mean everyone else will. Best you wait here until we get back, then we might be able to prove it.”
“So you trust me?”
Much shrugged. “I don’t think you’d betray us again... But just wait here until we get back. Look, I’ve got to go, the others are waiting!”
This time Allan shook his head. Before Much could move away, he pulled him close and hugged him. “Thank you,” he whispered.
Much nodded, and left, picking up a small bag from the table as he went. From the doorway to the camp, he looked back, just for a moment, and saw Allan rubbing his sore wrists. That image always stayed with him.
When he finally caught them up, Robin asked what Much had gone back to the camp to get. “You weren’t talking to Allan, were you?”
“Just getting this,” Much insisted, holding up the cloth bag. Inside it was some bread and cheese that he had packed earlier. “We might get hungry, with all the fighting to do...”
Robin just laughed, and didn’t think of questioning the story, and they continued towards Nottingham.
But by the end of that fateful day, as the sun was setting, Much’s heart was heavy with guilt. If he had not severed Allan’s bonds, would his friend have been able to leave the camp and get himself killed? What he never realised was that Allan was not the sort to be contained and would have freed himself if Much had not done it. So in fact all Much had given him was the most wonderful gift - the knowledge that not all his friends had given up on him at the end.
Title: The Most Wonderful Gift
Words: 652
Genre: Fanfiction (gen)
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or anything :(
Summary: Written for the WAR competition. I trotted it out very quickly, so sorry for any typos! This is set during 3x12 and has season 3 finale spoilers.
“Wait!” Much said suddenly, catching Robin’s arm. “I left the... er the thing back at the camp. I’ll have to go and-“
“Much, what are you talking about?” Robin asked.
“We haven’t got much time,” Guy added. “Isabella could find the tunnel, and lay a trap if we’re not quick.”
Robin nodded, but Much put his hands in the air. “Just a minute! I’ll catch you up!” With that he turned and ran all the way back to the camp, then stood panting in the entrance.
“Much!” Allan said, a mixture of surprise and hope showing as his blue eyes widened. Behind his back, he stopped sawing at the ropes tying his hands and slid the knife back up into his sleeve. “Have you changed your mind?”
Much shook his head, but came closer.
“You haven’t changed your mind?”
“I don’t know!” Much cried. “I didn’t think you would... but then I didn’t think you would last time, and you did!”
“I was an idiot,” Allan said, every muscle in his face straining to give his best innocent look. Of course, usually when he gave that innocent look he was lying - but this one time he wasn’t, and he needed to make it count. “I’m so sorry for what I did, and I’d never do it again. I swear!”
Much was shaking his head again. Finally he picked up a meat cleaver from the table and headed over to Allan, who wondered whether Much intended violence but dismissed the thought immediately.
“We shouldn’t just leave you tied up,” Much mumbled, moving around Allan. “I mean, what if Isabella remembers where the camp is? She came here, after all. And she’s just the sort to look over the top of her blindfold when she shouldn’t...”
Allan frowned, wondering what his friend - if he still was his friend - was getting at. But when he felt his bonds slacken as Much severed them, he was only relieved. “Right then!” Allan exclaimed. “I’ll come with you to Nottingham!”
Yet again, Much shook his head. “I don’t... I mean I’m not sure... No, you can’t come along.”
“But you need me! This is the big fight!”
“Nobody trusts you!” Much said. “And even if I do, then it doesn’t mean everyone else will. Best you wait here until we get back, then we might be able to prove it.”
“So you trust me?”
Much shrugged. “I don’t think you’d betray us again... But just wait here until we get back. Look, I’ve got to go, the others are waiting!”
This time Allan shook his head. Before Much could move away, he pulled him close and hugged him. “Thank you,” he whispered.
Much nodded, and left, picking up a small bag from the table as he went. From the doorway to the camp, he looked back, just for a moment, and saw Allan rubbing his sore wrists. That image always stayed with him.
When he finally caught them up, Robin asked what Much had gone back to the camp to get. “You weren’t talking to Allan, were you?”
“Just getting this,” Much insisted, holding up the cloth bag. Inside it was some bread and cheese that he had packed earlier. “We might get hungry, with all the fighting to do...”
Robin just laughed, and didn’t think of questioning the story, and they continued towards Nottingham.
But by the end of that fateful day, as the sun was setting, Much’s heart was heavy with guilt. If he had not severed Allan’s bonds, would his friend have been able to leave the camp and get himself killed? What he never realised was that Allan was not the sort to be contained and would have freed himself if Much had not done it. So in fact all Much had given him was the most wonderful gift - the knowledge that not all his friends had given up on him at the end.