Into the Woods
Posted on Tue Jun 30th, 2026 @ 4:11am by Lieutenant Rynna Csira & Captain Elijah Rutherford & Lieutenant Commander Rafael Montoya
1,878 words; about a 9 minute read
Mission:
A Day In The Life
Location: Medical Lab Deck 4
[Inside the sarcophagus]
Robin/Raf steadied his mount, pulling her up across his legs. Smiling, "We were all here to rescue you, but when we heard of your escape..." A shout went up as they were stopped by the sheriff's men. "Hold tight milady." With a kick the horse started with a bound and together they galloped into the forest.
Marion wrapped her arms around him and held tight. A tiny voice told her there was a problem, but she couldn't remember why. Or what. All she knew right now was that they had to run from the sheriff and she had to hold on. Robin knew these woods better than the sheriff and his men. He'd keep them safe.
The pair dodged and weaved their way from Nottingham, but to reach the safety of the deep wood and his hideout they had to cross the river Maun. They had been joined by Little John, Friar Tuck, Will Scarlet and several other of his men but as they stepped from the shelter of the wood, the Sheriff stood at the center of the bridge backed by eight of his men.
“Surely you didn't expect us to chase you through the greenwood?”
Robin/Raf grinned as he shrugged, baiting the Sheriff. “You were always foolish enough to do so before. Who'd have thought you would actually have gotten smarter since the last time.“
The Sheriff drew his sword angrily and men with him drew theirs.
Robin and Will drew their swords and John brought his staff to the ready. Behind them he heard the soft sound of bows being drawn. A small fight of arrows would thin the Sheriff's forces and better their odds. The rather cocky grin never left Robins face. “You know eleven to five, hardly seems fair...to you.”
""And what do you mean it would be unfair for me? I've got my men and you sir only have five. Though you may have other men, somewhere in the woods. I feel that it is quite fair! besides I have my own archers!" the Sheriff having a confident smile. "I have been studying you. And this time you will not prevail."
"Haven't you learned that might doesn't mean right?" Marian taunted. "You think that because you have no brains and no conscience, you can simply bully your way through life." She kept behind Robin and his men because while she was good at climbing and could shoot a bow with some accuracy, she didn't have the strength or distance of the men. Nor had she spent enough time practicing. But perhaps if she riled them up enough, they'd react out of anger more than thought and give Robin a greater advantage.
Robin listened to her egg the sheriff on with a smile. Luring the Sherriff's men or the Sherriff himself into action from anger should be easy enough. "Study? Me? I'm flattered. Though think, while hard for you and your men I know is vastly different from doing."
Spreading his arms. "I'm the best there is and my men are almost as good. I'd pit Marian's lady-in-waiting against any of your dastards*."
"With one hand tied behind her back," Marian added.
His face twisted in fury, then it calmed down when he raised his hand and gave the signal for his archers to fire. Having a rather triumphant look in his eyes.
The sheriff crossed one arm over his chest, his other hand still holding his sword, as he waited for the expected shower of arrows to soar through the air. He waited, nothing happened.
The Sheriff uncrossed his arm, and looked about especially behind him and his men.
"What in the..." he muttered, under his breath. He heard noises behind him, hearing what sounded like muted cries of someone getting hurt, make that several someones.
Raf/Robin grinned and shrugged and the Sheriff's attempted 'surprise' collapsed.
The men with him shifted nervously, not feeling a hundred percent certain as what they had felt before. They thought that they had him.
Sheriff of Nottingham could hear the stillness of the air punctuated by the sound of the water running beneath the bridge. The trill of a bird broke the silence, and the Sheriff turned his attention back towards Robin and Marian.
With a growl he raised his sword and moved in to attack Robin, his blade glinting in the sunlight.
A flight of arrows was loosed from his own men thinning the Sheriff's lackeys as Raf/Robin's own sword, kissing Marion's hand before he and his men rushed to meet their foe.
The friar stepped to Marian, "Come Milady we should join the others to head into the forest, just in case."
"But..." Marion didn't want to run away. At the same time, she didn't want to be a distraction for Robin. "Just far enough to be out of site. We may still be of help."
Ever the coward, the Sheriff had let his men over take him to have at Robin and his men. Will was dispatching one, and John sent another off the bridge and into the river with a gleeful shout and he moved to another. Raf/Robin's sword had been bloodied after running the first hapless soldier through and now he parried another soldier's thrust and the soldier looked to up as Raf/Robin cocked his head as he landed a solid blow to man's chin. "Good night."
Just a gasp of pain, then the crumpling to the ground.
The sheriff glared at Robin.
Stepping over him he was now approaching the Sheriff, his sword ready. "Ready to surrender?"
"Not to the likes of you." As the Sheriff dashed towards Robin his sword arcing downward, as if to cut the head of Robin.
Such wild momentum... Raf/Robin could have easily ducked under and finished off the Sheriff but instead he side stepped the swing and the Sheriff's eyes went wide knowing he side was defenseless. Hitting the Sheriff with the flat of his sword. "You're making it too easy for me."
"And you are stepping into my trap." As the Sheriff suddenly became just a bit sharper than he had before, making a move to try to disarm Robin. Doing a circular motion to entangle Robin's sword.
Marion/Rynna slipped away from Friar Tuck and moved closer. She had no intention of letting the sheriff use her to hurt Robin, but was also not going to watch him hurt the man she loved. Whatever she did--if she did anything at all--she had to be careful.
She looked at the trees and wondered if she could get above the fight. Or if there would be time to do so. What she really needed was a shepherd's sling and five stones...
Raf/Robin slipped the Sheriff's attempt to disarm him easily. They circled and clashed again and again . He dodged playfully from time to time, and even pressed the sheriff, binding the sheriff's sword to the bridge. "Had enough yet?"
Eli/Sheriff just flashed a smile all filled with confidence, "I've not yet to begun to fight."
Springing back Raf/Robin parried a thrust that left the sheriff wide open. With a hilt punch the Sheriff staggered back.
Ryn/Marion couldn't help smiling as she watched the fight. The sheriff was clearly outclassed, and she enjoyed watching him make a fool of himself. At the same time, she kept looking around the woods, half expecting some of his men to come to his aid.
He staggered back, from Robin's blow. It looked like he was heading for a fall. The Sheriff scooped up some dirt and flung it towards Robin's face hoping to blind him. As the dirt flew the air, the sheriff took off running. He hadn't heard anything from his men and decided that a tactical retreat would be most wise to do.
Adrenaline definitely made him fleet of foot, still clinging to his sword.
The Sheriff's men watched their leader. Then they turned and looked at Robin. To a man, they all turned and followed the sheriff calling, "Run away! Run away!"
Having had turned away at the dirt Raf/Robin looked back to see the Sheriff flee to be followed shortly by his remaining lackeys as Will and John joined him. John propped himself on his staff. "Cowards...should we get the horses and run them down?"
"No. A coward remains a coward and will reap a coward's death in due time. Let's gather the weapons for those in Sherwood that only have bows. In the meantime..."
He turned and headed back down the road, belting his sword, to where Marion was emerging from the wood along the river. His arm took her around the waist. He leaned closer but the friar cleared his throat to keep them from doing anything improper.
His forehead dropped to hers for a moment.
Several horses were brought up and after securing their new arms they climbed into the saddle with Marion across his lap. Together they all crossed the Maun towards Sherwood, and safety.
[Med Lab]
Once the pod had been returned to the lab, Raf had reconnected it to the ship to allow for monitoring. He had managed to keep the terminal away from the others so they didn't see him being represented in her fantasy. it had continued to play out has he worked on the pod to get it open.
Working at the rear of the pod he finally encoded the correct sequence and triggered the cycle to easy the occupant back to reality. the mental images faded and the seals hissed open. As the pod opened Raf moved to scan Ryn with his tricorder. Seeing that she was no worse for her experience and was waking up he smiled and pocketed his tricorder.
The back of his hand brushed her cheek. "Rynna?"
Her eyes slowly opened. For a moment, Rynna wasn't sure where she was--or who she was. Then her gaze focused on the doctor and she smiled. "Rafael." She took his hand and held it to her cheek, needing the contact as she tried to remember.
Slowly she recalled the forest, the sheriff...and Robin. She let go of his hand and looked around, recognizing the crystal sarcophagus and the room. Then she sat up. "I came to check on the lab before meeting you. I...don't remember what happened after that."
She wanted answers, but those could wait. Right now, she wanted to get out of the sarcophagus and thank Raf properly for rescuing her. "Help me out?"
Scooping her out of the pod he turned. Walking, with her in his arms, out into the corridor towards sickbay. "Someone tried to steal the pod. But for now, let’s get you to sick bay."
She wrapped her arms around his neck, her head on his shoulder. She knew better than to argue with him about going to sickbay. She had been knocked out before being put in the sarcophagus--and she did want answers. "Okay. But then, I just want to be with you."
A post by
Sheriff of Nottingham
(Played by Elijah Rutherford)
Robin Hood
(Played by Rafael Montoya
Lieutenant Commander Rafael Montoya
CMO
Marian/Lieutenant Rynna Csira
Chief Operations Officer
USS Orcrist
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