AUTHORS NOTE: There is some gruesome detail within this chapter.. Just a warning to readers that cannot handle what is written.

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~Chapter Three~

The Fight for Life

Sheriff Fredrick Beverley and Evemina rode silently though Sherwood Forest. Her emerald eyes carefully studied the old man before her as he sat tall on his horse. Fear and temptation filled her heart. She wanted to know what her past held but she was also afraid that the truth would be so painful to handle. The woman sucked in a deep breath and continued to follow the Sheriff around a forested bend.

Around the curve, Evemina was met with the sight of a town.

Papplewick.

Her home.

However from her memories of the town was not as exquisite and lively. Hardly any people wandered the main and only road. Not even people who sleep in the streets laid out in sight. Her heart was troubled by the eerie quietness of the town.

"Cover your head with your hood, my Lady." His eyes found hers as he leaned closer, "And whatever you do, child... do not say your name."

Evemina did as she was told without question or hesitation.

Her name?

Why would her name be troubling?

Fear filled her heart as thousands of scenarios flew through her mind.

What happened these past fifteen years?

Was her parents in trouble... or... have they... past away?

The maiden shook those words out of her mind, No... they are fine. She told herself... however she could not fully believe those words. Something within her felt as if she knew that they would not be in the family nest beside the bakery waiting for their daughter.

As Fredrick lead her into town, she could feel the eyes of ones hiding in houses and buildings watching her every move. The woman steered Verity to the side of the Sheriff with swarms of questions rattling in her head, "Where is everyone?"

Fredrick caught the whisper of the woman and his eyes sought out hers. "Hiding, my Lady. The Sheriff's men will be arriving shortly."

"Why?"

"Taxes, punishments, executions... Anyone who disobeys the Sheriff's tax laws and or are thieves will be punished and possibly hanged for a warning to all villagers or visitors. If fortunate some are put in the stockade."

"Stockade?" She questioned with a sense of familiarity. Her eyes than glanced over to a lone stockade along the street. A quiet gasp slipped from her lips as she stared at it, being pulled into a daydream.

~

The night sky hung above the town and forest, luring many to sleep. The townsfolk of Papplewick laid in their beds, resting for the new day to come. All except one. A little figure hurried down the streets, leaving no sounds of her footsteps for ears to hear. The only accompanying the figure was its shadow.

Quietly the figure hugged the buildings, staying completely unseen by hiding in the shadows. Also awake this night was a lone figure bound to the stockade. His hazel green eyes sleepily glanced around the dark town. He had been standing there all day since he lied for the young girl. The moon beams emitted beams onto the boy and the dead silent street.

A small noise of a rock being kicked startled the boy into being wide awake. His eyes glanced over to the general direction of the sound and spotted a darker form in the night.

Carefully the figure sneaked its way towards the boy. His muscles tensed at the presence, never taking his eyes off it. Once the figure stepped into the moonlight did his muscles eased.

He was now face to face with the young girl he had saved this morning. "Why are you here?" He questioned boldly even though he was not quite intimidating from his position. His head was stuck in a hole as was his hands on either side of his head.

The young girl scrunched her nose at the smell of rotten food that the baker threw at the bound boy earlier that day. However her eyes met with curious hazel ones. She was now staring into the face of her savior, "You saved me today."

The boy huffed and nodded his head with a quick roll of his eyes. "Yeah… I know." He wiggled his bound hands as his eyes stared disinterestedly into the small emerald eyes of the girl.

A smile graced itself on her face, "Here." The little girl grabbed a huge chunk of bread from her pocket. The same loaf that she stole into a piece. She carefully brought the piece of bread to the boy's mouth.

Instead of opening his mouth, the boy stared at her questionably. "Why?"

Emerald clashed with hazel, "I want to help you since you helped me. You were very brave." A bigger smile stretched across her face, "And you look hungry too."

The boy was silent, studying the strange girl before him. Most people would never do such a thing even though another performed the same deed as he did. Slowly the boy opened his mouth for the bread. The girl beamed at the gesture and carefully placed the bread inside his mouth.

It was then the boy greedily munched on the bread. The girl would put more pieces of bread into his mouth and he would eat it.

Once the bread was nearly gone and the two had been under complete silence, the girl gazed into the boy's face. "Do you want to be friends?"

The boy stared down upon the girl, startled at the words of the girl. Soon enough, a grin swept across his face and he nodded as she placed the last piece of bread into his mouth.

"I'm Evemina Levaincois. What's your name?" Her head tilted to the side like a puppy.

The boy genuinely smiled at the innocent look of her face, causing the girl to beam even more. "Mine is..."

~

"My Lady? Are you alright?"

Her emerald eyes blinked several times before turning towards the worried face of Sheriff Fredrick. "Oh yes. I'm fine." The woman smiled at the old man.

"You were staring at the stockades for a good amount of time, my Lady."

Evemina nodded, "I was just remembering something. I guarantee you that I'm fine, Sheriff."

The old man nodded seriously before letting go of Verity's reins to continue down the street to a safe place for the two to talk. "Follow me, my Lady and make haste."

The woman nodded firmly before continuing on after the Sheriff. Although before they could get out of sight, a thunder of hooves gallopped into the town.

Fredrick muttered a curse under his breath before glancing over to the stiffened, cloaked Evemina. "Stay close and go along with what I say."

She slowly nodded, showing the old man that she was very timid and frightened.

Evemina mirrored the Sheriff Fredrick by guiding Verity around facing the incoming guards. They all wore silver armor with black cloth, symbolizing the colors of Sherriff of Nottingham. At their hips were swords securely fastened and ready to spill blood. Placed on their heads were silver helmets, keeping Evemina to not see their faces clearly.

The woman gulped as the leader of the soldiers came into view. He wore no armor, just heavy clothing but he wore a gleaming sword on his hip nevertheless. His grizzly, greasy black hair was short about to his shoulder blades. His chin was prickly with stubs of hair growing in for a beard. The man had to be not that much older than herself. Perhaps nine years. However the feature of this man that frightened her to most was his cold eyes. They held darkness unimaginable to the young maiden.

It was not long when the leader spotted the two and grinned. Shivers of fear trembled down her spine. "Ahh... Sheriff Fredrick, the man I was seeking."

Another shake quaked within her, she was stand corrected his voice was equally dark. It was a strange voice she never heard in her entire life. This she was sure of. His voice was so gruff and... Oh she could find any other words to describe this strange vocal sound. Nonetheless his voice gave her the creeps just as his eyes did now when he eyed her suspiciously.

"My, my, Sheriff... what have you been doing as of late."

A dark facade contorted the once genuinely nice expression of Fredrick. "This?" He gestured over to Evemina. "She's my little tart. I was just making my rounds before I lead her out of the forest safely, isn't that right?"

His dark eyes met with the hidden emerald ones as a smirk appeared upon her pale pink rose lips, "Of course." She replied sweetly.

An evil grin swept across the face of the guard leader. "My... I see she's quite... eh... devoted to you, Sheriff."

"Quite so." Evemina answered with a silky sweet tone.

The cold eyes of the guard leader stared at the maiden with a mixture of suspicion and lust. However, lust was winning in his eyes. Evemina began to shrink back slightly at the sight before Fredrick's booming laughter echoed throughout the town.

"Guy of Gisbourne, I have a recollection that you have duties to carry out."

The leader of the guards, now having a name to a face, startledly glanced over to the Sheriff before nodding. "Yes... Yes... But first my cousin would like a report."

A questioning look appeared on the Sheriff's face, "A report? I already sent a written report of the crimes and everyday life this month."

Guy shook his greasy head side to side, "No, a report on the whereabouts of the..." His cold eyes glanced over to the hooded maiden.

"Anything you must say to me can be said in front of Buttercup." The Sheriff Fredrick intervened with a dead serious tone.

The leader eyed the Sheriff before continuing, "About the whereabouts of Ivan and Myla Levaincois's daughter."

Fredrick laughed at those words as Evemina's heart trembled inside her chest. "That pest was killed years ago. She hung on the gallows, your Sheriff knows this. He was the one who did so."

What?! Evemina's mind went into a frenzy.

Guy of Gisbourne nodded but a serious gleam resided in his cold eyes, like black ice. "However news of a woman by the name of their daughter Evemina has been used. It has been said that the woman has a striking resemblance of her father."

"Had... She is dead as is her parents. Who went to report such folly?"

Evemina choked at those words, trying to contain her facade. Her dark thoughts entering this town were spot on. Tear began to fill her eyes as she lingered on the thoughts. Little did she know that Guy of Gisbourne from the corner of his eye, caught a barely audiable sniffle.

Her father... Her mother... dead... and supposedly... she was too. In a way she could agree... she did not remember a thing about this night or about that boy. Deep in her heart... she knew... she knew that they would not be on this good earth. If they had been alive they would have done everything in their power to find their daughter. It became a sort of relief to her that her parents were in a better place besides on this horrible world. Although that solace did not settle the torment of spiraling sadness within her heart.

"A spy residing in Dubois Manor. Sheriff, you knew we have spies everywhere."

A spy?! Her heart sunk further. She realized perhaps of her oddness of not remembering her past sparked interest in a Sheriff of Nottingham's follower.

Honestly the maiden could care less about herself... But Marian on the other hand. Her Lady is the King's cousin and therefore someone like Nottingham would like to keep an eye on her for any threats. Evemina knew she had to return to both her Lady and her friend to spread this warning. The good of the great family even the sake of England could seriously be in danger.

Sheriff Fredrick nodded seriously, "I know. But it is impossible. I saw her hang... I was the one to bury the child. I'll show you her grave!"

"A grave means nothing, Sheriff. My cousin wants to see the body."

The Sheriff glanced over to the cloaked woman, "This kind of talk is unfitting for a woman to hear."

Guy scoffed, "A woman like her has heard a whole lot worse than we speak of."

Evemina swallowed the insult against women who have resorted to or were stuck in prostitution. It was hard blow against all women alike. She did not like his words one bit. "Whatever I am does not matter what I do hear. I'm still a woman. It is not like a choose to hear such filth."

Guy of Gisbourne was taken back by the sharp tongue of the prostitute. "A woman should learn to keep her tongue behind her teeth."

Anger brewed in her heart as she was about to open her mouth, a gloved hand slapped her against her cheek. The pain was sharp and her cheek throbbed as tears whelled into her eyes. Her hand went to her cheek, petting it tenderly.

"Guy... I think it's time for your duties." The Sheriff venomously pronounced as his dark eyes, full of anger, stared at Guy of Gisbourne.

Quietly the leader nodded before turning his horse towards his men. "Round them up!"

The Sheriff bent down to the woman with eyes full of sympathy, "Are you alright? I sincerely apologize that you had to hear all of this by such manner."

Evemina nodded before staring up at him, "Bring me to the graves. I wish to see them."

Sheriff Fredrick was taken back however he nodded, "As you wish."

The old man lead her towards the group of guards. Guy of Gisbourne nodded towards them as they trotted by. Her eyes could not believe the sight unfurling before her. The guards were pulling men out from their homes and beating them up by kicking, slashing, punching. Her heart sunk low to the people. Never had she known that this kind of evil was happening as well in the good land of England. Evemina steered her horse close to Fredrick as they rode away from the town.

Her emerald eyes glanced back to Guy pulling aside two guards on horseback to his side, whispering while looking directly at her.

Silence hung between them as they rode along the forested path. Evemina glanced back very often, searching for any sign of being followed. "Sheriff, do you think he would send someone to follow us?"

"I have no doubt that he would. How is your cheek?"

Evemina tilted her head abling the Sheriff to see her pale, swollen cheek. "Oh, Buttercup... that will be a large bruise."

The woman nodded and slowly turned away. "About... m-.... those parents... What charges was held against them and their... daughter for such horrid deaths?"

A dark shadow fell across the man's face. His eyes avoided the emerald gaze, before parting his lips. "Ivan Dorsey was a well known thief in his hay day back when King Richard ruled. Ivan stole for his own benefit stealing as much as three thousand gold coins of merchandise in his reign. He resided with other men much like him in these woods. Staying perfectly out of the grasp of the King and the law. A very high price was set on his head of the same amount of gold coins he stole."

Evemina's mouth hung by its hinges. Never had she heard of her father as such a greedy man. However she was far to young to understand when they were still living as a family.

"The price lured the Sheriff of Nottingham to this town for the money. Rumors spoke of a witch at his disposal..."

"A witch?" Evemina gasped. "I have heard such rumors."

The Sheriff nodded, "She ordered him to kill off the family of Ivan Dorsey. Both his wife Myla Levaincois and their little daughter Evemina. His cousin, Guy of Gisbourne, who at the time was quite young and so was Nottingham lead the hunt." The old man paused, "It was not long till they found the young couple... He... did... horrible things to them. Torturing them to  the point of... death."

Evemina drew in a deep breath to control her emotions.

"However... the little daughter was not to be found. The Sheriff was furious and so he sent his men on a wide-spread mans hunt after the girl to finish his duty to his witch. I searched for the girl... however I did not find her... instead I found a boy... A boy found by the Sheriff of Nottingham getting beaten. The Sheriff was mad on finding the girl and he believed that particular boy knew where Evemina was." Fredrick leaned over to the maiden, "He was right." He whispered.

Evemina blinked a few times at the pain of her head as memories crashed through her mind.

~

Laughter filled her ears, "Wait up!" She cried with a smile.

The boy glanced back, running faster than the girl could. "Slow poke!"

Evemina pouted, "Am not!"

He grinned before gaining more speed. The two children crashed through the forest, laughing and enjoying each other's company.

Suddenly the boy stopped in his tracks as did his laughter. His face held a serious gaze that the young girl hardly ever seen. In the distance, hooves pounding against the earth could be heard as well as yells.

Find the girl...

Find the girl...

The boy frantically glanced around for what the girl sensed an escape route... however the yells were coming from all sides. His eyes spotted a large space underneath a root that could shield the girl in.

His hazel eyes met with emerald, "Mina." He grabbed her hand and lead her to it. "Hide under here, Mina... Do not speak or make any noises. No matter what happens you need to stay there ans stay quiet."

Her little black haired head nodded at the boy, but stared at him. "But what about you?!"

"Mina... I'll be okay... Trust me."

The girl stared at him before quickly crawling under the root. From her spot she could see the boy's boots, however that was obscured by the boy placing moss over the hole to further protect the girl.

Horses hooves approached closer and closer till she heard the struggling huffs of the creatures. "Boy! Why are you here alone in this forest?"

It was a man's voice... or barely a man. Perhaps in his early twenties.

"My father is a logger. I just strayed off the path chasing a rabbit."

There was silence before there was a loud thump and a gasp. "Have you seen a little girl with hair black as night and eyes like emeralds? She would be the age of five."

"No sir. Little girls do not travel in the forest alone." The boy retorted.

A loud slap echoed throughout the burrow, "You do not speak to me with such a vile tone. You have been seen with the girl countless times. You know exactly who I speak of... Tell me where she is."

"I told you I do not know or have seen her today."

SLAP.

"Lies! You were seen with her this day! You know exactly where she is."

There was a silence as the girl held her breath. "She left the forest. I was fishing and the next moment she was gone. I have been looking for her as well."

Another quiet session began as she felt the man studying her friend.

"Good." A clinking sound before a soft trot of hooves, "My men come with me... Sheriff Fredrick..." A long pause spawned as if to say 'you know what to do', before a thunder of hooves sounded away.

Although there was still a presence of men just outside. A whipping sound echoed as well as the screams of the boy. Tears threatened to spill from her emerald eyes.

It seemed to take forever as the boy repeatedly got beaten. The sound of flesh ripping and blood splattering... worst of all the cries of her savior.

The sounds finally ceased... nothing could be heard besides the hooves trotting away.

The young girl waited patiently for the right time to crawl out...

Once she felt it was safe, the girl emerged from underneath the root. Her hand slipped into a puddle of warm red blood... the boy's blood. Panic set in as she realized... the boy must be dead. She remembered her mother telling her that a person can handle so much blood loss till... they die.

Her friend.

Her savior.

Dead.

The girl's tears streamed from her eyes.

However she was not alone.

Her terrified green eyes spotted the Sheriff Fredrick gazing down upon her from his horse.

Terror raged through her body at the sight.

Instead of evil in his dark eyes that she had seen before... they were full of kindness... "Evemina, you are in grave danger."

"What happened to my friend?!"

"He was beaten badly for not coming clean... but he will be alright."

Relief filled the little girl, but suspicion rose. "Why are you being nice?"

Sheriff Fredrick sighed, "What Nottingham is doing is not right. You are innocent... You do not deserve to die."

"Die?" Evemina croaked.

"Yes... I must get you out of here... And bring you to a place where you will be safe."

The girl whispered, "Will I ever see him again?"

A frown appeared on the Sheriff's face, "I have no way in telling, my dear." Silence fell upon the two, "Now, hurry. I must bring an imposter of you to the Sheriff."

The man held a sack that quickly caught the little girl's attention.

"What's in there...?"

"Nothing that concerns you, child. Now quickly!"

Evemina hurried to the Sheriff Fredrick before he lifted her onto his saddle in front of him.

"Hide under my cloak. You are small enough to not cause suspicion."

The girl did as she was told and slipped under his cloak. Fredrick quickly tucked in his cloak securely to conceal the child. Than suddenly, he brought his horse to a run into the darkness...

~~~

Her memory was going to continue when a loud crash startled Evemina. Her emerald eyes blinked back into reality to see the origin of the rude awakening from her day dream to her past. Two Nottingham soldiers stood before them with their crossbows armed and pointing to the Sheriff and her.

"Sheriff you have a fugitive in your presence."

Fredrick stared at the soldiers baffled at such words, "I have a fugitive? Do you not have respect for women in Buttercup's position?"

The guards' expression turned into that of sympathy, "Sir, this woman has been lying to you. Her true name is not Buttercup nor the other name she uses."

Both crossbows turned to aim at the cloaked woman, "Tell me, Sheriff Fredrick, does she remove her cloak when she... performs?"

Sheriff Fredrick glanced between Evemina and the armed guards, "I'm afraid she does not."

Evemina stared at the Sheriff with wide eyes. Is he on her side or theirs? If the Sheriff of Nottingham finds out that she is alive... Gods... She would be hunted down like a white stag. This is her doom. How was she supposed to retreat from this threat?! In front of her stood guards with armed weapons ready to kill her at any second... behind her was a group of guards including Guy of Gisbourne. The forest was her only option. However she would have to do so... without Verity. The trees would create an obstacle for horses that would better her chances if she wasn't on her beloved horse.

The only escape is to run into the forest and pray to God that the guards would give up. Yes... She would somehow just take off into the forest and hope their weapons would miss her. Evemina shifted on her saddle to ready herself for this run for her life. But a fire brewed in her. It stopped her from moving an inch.

This was a start... a chance for revenge against Nottingham. Revenge for her parents... it began coursing thickly through her veins at the mere thought.

Her eyes quickly traveled to the forms of the guards and began to study their form. "Sheriff Fredrick Beverley, you have been intimate without knowledge of the daughter of Ivan Dorsey."

"Pardon?" The Sheriff questioned his eyes bugged out of his head. "She is dead! How can the dead daughter of a dead man assault me in such way?"

"She is not dead." The guard simply put as he maneuver his horse towards Evemina, going in between Fredrick and her.

Her unseen left hand grabbed the wooden handle of her dagger, waiting for the time of her escape. The guard carefully approached the woman, watching her carefully for any quick movements. His left hand snagged her left shoulder into a death grip as his dark amber eyes burned into her hidden ones.

"You're coming with us, Evemina Levaincois."

The maiden swiftly jabbed her dagger into the heart of the guard and pulled him to her, using him as a human shield as the other guard fires his arrow.

Her fast hands grabbed the already armed crossbow from the guards' dead hand.

She heard a thunk of an arrow striking the guard she had just slain, before she dropped him. Without hesitation, she fired the loaded arrow into the head of the other guard.

Sounds of horses and yells sounded from behind her.

Guy of Gisbourne had planned on baracading her in to kill her or worse... bring her to the Sheriff of Nottingham.

Evemina stared at Sheriff Fredrick who looked mildly surprised at her actions. "I have to make it look I struggled against you too."

He nodded and awaited for her to do what she had to. With a swift kick, Evemina knocked Fredrick to the ground and quickly she dismounted as well.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, before she stabbed her dagger into his leg. He cried out in pain, holding onto his wound. Her emerald eyes stared deadly into Fredrick Beverley's dark ones, "Tell him that I give Nottingham a message of my revenge... and that he will be dead just the same as my parents."

The maiden glanced back to Verity and swatted her mare hard on the rear with her hand. The horse reared back and took off down the dirt road out of Sherwood, sending all her hope that Verity will make it safely out of the forest.

Evemina than sprinted out of the path into the brush, leaving behind the most horrible thing she had ever done in her entire life.

Murder.

It ran cold through her veins as she thought of it.

She killed two men.

Two men.

Her eyes teared up as she began to be convinced that she would certainly be destined for Hell.

Her long legs carried her swiftly through the forest of Sherwood. The maiden had no idea whether or not the guards were going to chase her or not. Whether the Sheriff make Guy follow her horse or her.

ThumpThumpThumpThumpThumpThump.

Her heart rattled against her chest.

Her adrenaline rushed to its peak as she bounded over logs and swerved around trees.

Her breaths became erratic as she continue to run, desperate for some purity into her after doing such a sinful, soul destroying action.

Yells sounded behind her, causing her to quickly glance back in fear. The guards were not in sight but she could hear them. She muttered a curse under breath and gained speed.

But before she could turn her head forward, Evemina's sprint ended with a smack.

(End of Chapter Three)