One Shot Wednesdays -Brynn's Opinion of Robin 'Hood' (Patreon)

OOPS this technically got posted on a Thursday I'm so sorry!

Anywhoo I rewatched Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991) last week and fit in my mind a simply developed OC into the narrative and how she might be displeased with Robin and his actions.

So I wrote a little thing for it for our One-Shot Wednesdays! I hope you enjoy it was done with speed writing and minimal editing just to get something down on 'paper' and get my writing flowing :)

My impression of Robin of Locksley is that he is a self-righteous man born to privilege with the idea that his virtues outweigh his lack of proper judgement. He went on the crusades with King Richard and whilst that was a noble thing to do it does not entitle him to return with his experiences making him any sort of leader or expert on how to pull together a group of people and fight oppression or end injustice. While he may have learned and experienced much in The Holy Land it is my opinion that he views himself not just capable but morally entitled to end the injustice here in Nottingham.

No mistake we have many troubles here in this place –what with the corrupt and terrifying sheriff and his terrible cousin Guy of Gisbourne. Yet I do not believe this Robin should or can be the man to help us all.

For a very long time we had a sense of our lives and the injustices. And while it was not ideal at least those who were forced to escape into Sherwood Forest were able to live away from the law and we who were left kept our day to day relatively unscathed knowing that those we knew and loved were safe from punishment.

I myself helped them when I could –going into the forest every so often to help with delivering of small necessities like bread or sewing needles or new clothes if need be. 

This was how I came to know Will. The stories he told of how he came to be an outlaw in the forest changed with every telling and I knew he was just teasing and using a bit of wonder and wit to lighten things a touch. And yet besides his way with storytelling and the occasional song I heard him humming Will Scarlet was a very serious man.

He became even more serious when this Robin showed up in Sherwood and then all but declared himself the leader of the band of outlaws in the forest. To make matters worse this stranger; this former nobleman began encouraging the outlaws to arm themselves and oppose The Sheriff and his men’s hold over our shire.

This only led onward to trouble. With more of a resistance and with the absolutely ludicrous robberies that the outlaws began to commit we in the villages suffered. The hammer fell hard from The Sheriff. He did not like to be made a fool of nor would he stand for such blatant disrespect to his rule.

Will tried to stand against Robin too; tried to point out that his ideas would lead to trouble and ruin. But the arrogant man refused to listen to a young man of no older than four and twenty. In fact, he shot an arrow right through Will’s hand when Will attempted to take matters into his own hands and toss a knife to stop Robin “Hood” from arrogantly creating further ruin to us all.

I was never so angry than when I was sewing Will’s hand after the incident. “He had no right,” I muttered as Will bit down on the leather strap and I carefully stitched the wound closed. My hand was shaking from frustration and anger and the task took me longer than necessary –to poor Will’s detriment. “The Sheriff’s men harmed the children all because this man thinks he can play ‘outlaw’ for awhile whilst actual lives are in danger and being affected!”

“The men listened to him. Why would they listen to me when it’s clear his experience in fighting is superior to ours? You saw him today he shot my hand clean through without blinking. Can you imagine if anyone else tried to do anything more serious? He’d kill us,” Will guessed, “People are too afraid to challenge him and they figure with his time on the crusades that he knows something important that we don’t that will lead to victory. But he’s so reckless...”

I nodded slowly with agreement. “And yet,” I countered slowly, “as I recall I do know a certain knave that got himself outlawed long before any of this for his recklessness...”

He smiled at me. “Brynn you don’t even know the half of it...”

“Then tell me,” I teased.

He took my hand with his good one and gave it a squeeze. “Someday. I promise. Thank you for this—” he held up his crudely bandaged hand. “I ought to go...”

With that he was gone back out into the trees leaving me to my simmering anger over Robin “Hood”.

But what could I do against this arrogant older man? A girl of seventeen can only do her part in taking care of those around her as best she can in this new ‘home’ in the forest from that day on and upon occasion listening to my dearest Will when he needs an ear.

And maybe one day God will answer someone’s lowly prayer and let some peace come to Nottingham so that we may go back to our village and our humble, simple lives.

I pray every night that it will be soon.