Copyright 2000, by Rebecca Lee

THIS STORY IS WRITTEN FOR PLEASURE AND IS NOT INTENDED TO INFRINGE ON ANY PREEXISTING COPYRIGHTS THAT MAY BE VIOLATED.

FEEL FREE TO SHARE WITH FRIENDS, BUT NOT FOR PROFIT.

THIS STORY IS FICTIONAL, A WORK OF THE WRITER'S IMAGINATION. THE CHARACTERS AND INCIDENTS USED IN THIS STORY ARE PURELY FICTIONAL AND ARE NOT BASED ON ANY PERSON AND/OR PERSON'S ACTUAL EXPERIENCES.

Title: The Sheriff's Daughter

Fandom: Robin of Sherwood

Author: Rachel Roquelaure aka Rebecca Lee

Part: Complete

Time Period: The Michael Praed Timeline

Rated: G

The Sheriff's Daughter
by Rachel Roquelaure aka Rebecca Lee

The morning was beautiful as a black steed with a dark cloaked rider with a hood entered Nottingham and headed straight for the castle, but suddenly a tavern maid screamed as she ran from a nearby tavern pursued by soldiers, the rider instantly dropped her cloak and leapt from her steed as the soldiers caught the maid.

"What has this woman done?" The Rider asked as she walked toward them.

The soldiers immediately stopped and a blond soldier threw the maid into the mud as they studied this new woman's bold dress as she helped the maid up. She was a beautiful bronze complexioned, statuesque woman of about nineteen with raven black hair and almost black eyes. Even her clothing was strange a short black dress with a golden breast-plate and black boots. On each of her arms were a set of golden greaves, a black scabbard with a broad sword in it and crossbow hung across her back, a dagger was sticking up from the middle of the breast-plate and two silver circular weapons with golden designs hung each side of her waist.

"Go home now, before there is trouble." The Rider said and the maid raced away.

"Surround her!" The blond soldier ordered.

The strange woman didn't flinch as she was surrounded.

"Who are you?" The blond soldier asked as he approached her.

"Atia, and you must be Guy of Gisburne." She replied in a strong voice.

"Gisburne," The Sheriff shouted as he pushed his way through the gathering crowd. "what the hell- Akila?"

"No, I am Atia... Daughter of Akila." Atia replied, quickly. "My mother sent you a scroll, my Lord... May I retrieve it from my horse?"

"Of course." The Sheriff replied.

Atia instantly walked over to her black steed and quickly returned with the scroll.

The Sheriff quickly took it and unrolled it.

*My dearest Robert, I write you this in the hopes of righting a great wrong before my death... After you left Egypt, I discovered that I was with child* The Sheriff read the scroll silently. *I wrote you many times with the news of your daughter and then stopped myself, I wanted her to grow up in my country... I did not keep you a secret from her, she knows that you are her father... Upon my death I will have her to come to you in your Britain, what happens then is up to you and her* He quickly rolled up the scroll. "You'll stay at the castle." He said.

"Yes, my Lord." Atia replied.

*****************

Several days passed as Atia learned how her father helped to bleed Britain dry.

Early one morning Atia was awoken by the ranting and ravings of her father.

"Gisburne, I want him dead... Dead!" The Sheriff shouted as Atia crept down the stairs to listen. "I'm sick of Robin Hood, catch him or kill him."

"How?" Gisburne asked.

"Don't bore me with you stupidity, Gisburne... Just do it!" The Sheriff shouted, angrily.

"I suppose we could put some soldiers in Wickham, under the disguise of peddlers... We know the villagers are in league with him, my Lord." Gisburne said.

*I've got to warn him* Atia thought as she raced back to her bedchamber and quickly dressed, she instantly sneaked out of the castle and into the stables to her steed, she rode out of Nottingham and straight to Wickham. "Who in charge here?" She asked a young lad as she leapt from her steed.

"That would be my father Edward, my Lady de Rainault." The lad replied as he pointed out a middle-aged man walking toward them.

"Tom, tend to her ladyship's horse." Edward said as he joined them.

"Yes-"

"That's not necessary... Let him go play?" Atia interrupted Tom with a smile. "I came to warn you... The Sheriff wants Robin Hood captured or killed."

"The Wolfhead, my Lady?" Edward replied as if he had no ideal who he was.

"Yes... Gisburne, is planning to place soldiers in your village under the disguise of peddlers." Atia explained, quickly. "Tell your people to trust no one."

"Why tell me this-"

"I don't know why I came here, you have every reason not to believe me... I'm that leaches daughter and a Egyptian, but I'll prove myself to you all in time." Atia promised as she mounted her steed.

"My Lady, your back!" Tom gasped as her long hair flipped over her shoulder and revealed part of her scared back.

"The punishment for runaway slaves in Rome." Atia replied. "I'll be close by if you need me."

"You're not going home, my Lady?" Edward asked.

"I have no home." Atia replied and rode into Sherwood.

***

Atia rode as deep as she could into Sherwood and realizing that her steed could go no further, she released him.

"It's time we part ways old friend, now go." Atia said and slapping the horse's rear, she watch him run and then hiked even deeper into Sherwood.

***

Meanwhile in another part of Sherwood, Edward was sitting down with Robin, Marion, Will, Tuck, Little John and Much.

"The Sheriff's daughter rode into Wickham this morning, she said Gisburne's going to put soldiers in Wickham under the disguise of peddlers to catch you or kill you." Edward said.

"She can't be trusted." Robin replied.

"I'm not so sure," Edward said as he looked at him. "Tom saw scars from lashings on her back and when he said something, she said it was the punishment for runaway slaves in Rome and she said she would be close by if we needed her... When ask about returning home to the castle, she said she had no home, than she rode into Sherwood."

"It could be a trick." Marion replied.

******************

Meanwhile Atia was watching as the first of Gisburne's men made his way toward Wickham, he was fully attired as a peddler complete with a rickety old wagon.

Atia was just about to send the soldier on his way, when someone grabbed her about the mouth.

"Shh, let him pass." A familiar man's voice said.

Atia remained quite until the wagon was out of site.

"Nasir, it's good to see you again." Atia said as she turned and hugged him.

"It's good to see you again, too." Nasir replied with a smile. "Tell me, what brings you to Sherwood?"

Atia spent an hour filling Nasir in on everything and then another hour catching up with each other as Nasir led Atia deep into the heart of Sherwood.

"Robin, Nasir's coming and he got a girl with him." Much called out as he ran into the camp.

"A girl... Nasir, with a girl." Robin stuttered in surprise as he and the others stood up.

Suddenly they heard Nasir's laughter.

"What's so funny?" A feminine voice asked.

"I was just thinking about the look on your father's face, when he discovers that you've joined us." Nasir replied with a hearty chuckle as they entered the camp.

"Nasir, you fool!" Will shouted as he stormed up to them. "You brought the bitch right to us!"

Nasir immediately pulled his sword and placed its point against Will's throat.

"Hold your tongue or I'll cut it out." Nasir warned.

Robin started to get up to referee the fight, but before he could. Atia reached out and pulled the sword's point from Will's throat.

"Your friends are right to be concerned, and I've been called worse." Atia said with a smile and Nasir put away his sword.

"He could be less crude." Nasir replied as he gave Will a hard stare.

"True, but as I recall so was you the first time we met ... Or don't you remember?" Atia said with a smile.

"I remember, but so were you." Nasir replied with devilish smile and they both laughed.

"Tuck, has Nasir been bewitched?" Much whispered, accidentally drawing Atia's attention.

"No, Much." Tuck replied, wisely.

"I'm sorry, Nasir's never been much on introductions... I'm Atia, daughter of Akila." Atia said as she turned to face the group.

"Welcome, Atia, please have a seat?" Robin replied with a smile. "I'm Robin, this is my wife Marion, Friar Tuck, Little John, Will Scarlet, Much and Nasir, you've already met."

"Robin, I thought she was the Sheriff's daughter?" Much asked as he looked at Robin.

"That rabble bleeds his own people dry, while he sits high and well fed in Nottingham Castle." Atia said as she sat down amongst them and Nasir quickly joined her. "My mother used to tell me stories of my father, she said he was a Knight, he didn't care that she was a slave or that she was Egyptian. He wanted to buy her and make his wife, but the war came and his duty to England came first."

"What happened?" Much asked.

"While he was gone, her owner discovered that she was with child and sold her to a Greek for a serving wench, she never saw him again. If she had knew what kind of man he became, it would have broken her heart." Atia replied, quickly.

"Something must have happened over the years to make him so cold and hateful." Marion said as she looked at Atia.

"I'd think that losing his love would be enough." Robin replied as Marion took his hand.

"Indeed, but discovering that he has a daughter should have done something." Tuck said. "My child, have you talked with your father?"

"No, the minute I heard the plan to capture your group I left." Atia replied.

"Robin, for a long time now, we've needed a spy in the castle." Tuck said as he looked at Robin.

"Atia, how would you feel about being our leak in Nottingham Castle?" Robin asked.

"Robin, I won't have it. That cut throat Gisburne's liable to kill her." Nasir argued.

"Nasir, you know fully well that I can fight as well as any man-"

"Yes, but-"

"No, but's. They have a point," she interrupted Nasir. "I can be more help by staying in the castle and passing messages."

"Atia-"

"Nasir, don't argue with me on me on this. We're not married and you'll lose anyway." Atia interrupted him with a smile.

"What will you tell your father?" Much asked.

"I'll say I went riding and the horse threw me." she replied.

THE END