Fifth day in Nottingham Castle

[stuck_mynock]

Atton's not been having fun.

The guards aren't imaginative, but they do take a certain delight in their cruelty, and Atton's been given barely any chance to rest over the past almost-week. His arms are aching from being chained up, and his face and torso has a constant, burning ache from the abuse its been through over the past five days.

He's waiting, though, for an opportunity.

Comments

[will_scarlett]

"I do, yes, thank you."

[stuck-mynock.livejournal.com]

"Good. If he asks any of the traders in Nottingham who sold them his jewels, he'll just hear that it was a big, dark, poor man, not a small, rich woman." Atton grins. "You are going to play the role of saviour of the Sheriff's day - People need to see me steal the jewels and escape. So, when I tell you, scream for the guards."

Beat. "Not yet, though. When I say."

[will_scarlett]

"Of course, I'd be glad to do that."

[stuck-mynock.livejournal.com]

"I'll visit London, at some point. Check up on things, make sure the Sheriff's off your back, okay?"

[will_scarlett]

"Thank you, I'm Helen Fairchild."

[stuck-mynock.livejournal.com]

"I'll keep that in mind." He finishes up filling up the second leather pouch, attaches it to his belt, and picks up another one, half filling it with jewels. "Now. Call for the guards. You've just woken up to find a strange man stealing the Sheriff's prized possessions, remember."

[will_scarlett]

She nods and gives a rather loud and shrill scream that starts the sound of boots running along the corridors.

[stuck-mynock.livejournal.com]

Atton grins, and waits.

[will_scarlett]

The guards rush in with their swords drawn,

"Who's there?!"

[stuck-mynock.livejournal.com]

"'Tis I, Doran the Diabolical! Mine is an evil laugh."

He laughs, diabolically, to prove this point. One hand tightens around a chair.

[will_scarlett]

That confuses the guards a lot and they come at him swinging.

[stuck-mynock.livejournal.com]

Atton tosses the half full leather bag of jewels at them, letting the scattering jewels hold them off for the second he needs to pick up the chair and swing it with great force into the heavy wooden shutters over the window, smashing through them, and breaking the chair in the process.

The window open now, he heads for it, squirming out (it's small, but Atton's surprisingly good at gettig through small spaces) and falling.

Falling.

One gauntletted hand snaps out to cling to the castle wall, claws digging in and leaving trails of sparks as they scrape down. The other hand comes out to drive the knife towards the wall, scraping it down, too.

The friction slows him down, enough that when he reaches the ground, it's a bit of a jolt, but he doesn't hurt himself.

[will_scarlett]

He's now also outside the castle walls and in the town of Nottingham as the woman yells and is generally hysterical and distracting.

[stuck-mynock.livejournal.com]

Atton laughs, pulling the hood of his cloak up and heading towards the edge of the town.

[will_scarlett]

The town is fairly busy since today is market day so no one looks at him too carefully.

[stuck-mynock.livejournal.com]

Fortunate. Atton keeps moving, head down, gauntlet and sword partly concealed under his cloak, and heads out of the town, towards the forest.

[will_scarlett]

Its easy enough to move out of the gate along with the market crowds though along the road, people stick closer together and he as a stranger is given a questioning and wary look.

[stuck-mynock.livejournal.com]

Almost there.

If he gets to Sherwood, it's just a matter of finding Will to take him back to Milliways.

He continues along the road towards the forest.

[will_scarlett]

A family with a cart walk beside him and finally the young boy asks quietly,

"S.sir, ye're na goin' to 'urt us, are ye?"

[stuck-mynock.livejournal.com]

"Nah, of course not."

[will_scarlett]

The boy nods and his father pulls him back over,

"Forgive the lad for disturbin' ye, sir, 'e's an un'ealthy curiosity."

Then their voices get quieter as they go deeper into the forest and start looking around apprehensively.

[stuck-mynock.livejournal.com]

Atton just nods, casting a glance back at Nottingham before continuing onwards down the road.

[will_scarlett]

The family turns off on a side path and soon its just Atton alone in the quiet, snowy woods.

[stuck-mynock.livejournal.com]

Atton keeps going. He'll wait until he's deeper into the forest to call for Will.

[will_scarlett]

There's a clatter of hooves on the road behind him and a couple of guards come into sight,

"There 'e is!"