Chapter 6
"Huh...These don't look so bad if you ask me~" Lance said as he admired himself in the water. Pidge scoffed. Lance and Allura were changed in the Merry Men's clothes.
"Of course they don't! I made them!" Lance looked at her, surprised.
"You did??" Lance asked. She chuckled.
"Yup. And as Shiro and Keith are teaching Allura how to fight, I'm teaching you how to fight properly, princey." Lance frowned.
"What could you possibly teach me--" Pidge swept her foot on the ground, taking Lance down. He fell on his back and groaned. Pidge looked down at him.
"What do you say now?" Lance frowned.
"That you're quite rude." Pidge snorted.
"I get that a lot. Get up." She gave him a hand and pulled him up. She tossed him a bow and some arrows. She laughed at him as he almost dropped them and didn't know how to hold a bow properly. Pidge whistled at him and pulled back he string of the bow to show him. He frowned and tried to do it as well. Pidge took the point of his bow and tapped his chin, making him look up a bit. She poked him under his eye and he closed it and she tapped his feet to hold them apart a bit. Pidge put her hands on her hips, cockily.
"There we are! Now shoot!" he let go and the arrow went in a tree, marked by Pidge. She hit the hat on her head with her finger, making it move from her eyes to take a better look. She crossed her arms.
"Not bad, Princey. You have some good potential." Lance smiled at the praise.
"You're a good teacher, Katie." Pidge looked at him surprised by the use of her old name and smiled softly.
"Heh...Missed ya too, Lance." She said as she walked to get his arrow. Lance smiled proudly at that. Pidge rolled her eyes.
"Come on. We barely started." Pidge stated as she pulled her own bow back and shot her arrow right through the middle of Lance's. The prince's eyes widened at how easy she managed that.
"Woah..." he said impressed. Pidge felt a small feeling of pride overcome her at that. She missed Lance...
Lotor was sitting and watching the money pour in slower and slower as people were getting taken to jail thanks to his father's cruelness. He missed Allura. She was good at calming him. Zarkon was growing irritated by the day as his men failed to catch Pidge. King Zarkon sure made good his threat, and his helpless subjects paid dearly... for his humiliation, believe me. Taxes, taxes, taxes. Why, he taxed the heart and soul out of the poor people of Nottingham? It was obvious. But it hurt Lotor to watch this. It needed to stop. Nottingham was in deep trouble. He decided to seek help from the only ones who could help. Packing his stuff he left through the window at night and decided it was time he joined the good side. He adventured through the forest and started walking. That's when he saw a light and realized he was where he was supposed to be.
Pidge was on guard that night. They all trained hard that day and her mother has barely gotten any sleep these last few days so she decided it will be upon her to be guard this night. That's when she heard some rustling from the woods and both Bae Bae and Kosmo started growling. Her eyes searched for the source of the sound when a purple figure jumped her. She rolled on the ground with that person and was taken by surprise. She managed to find an opening and pushed the person off with the help of her two companions. Her eyes widened as she saw the galran prince.
"What the--" She muttered to herself. Lotor drew out his bow to stop her from saying anything. Bae Bae and Kosmo growled louder. That's when Lance woke up.
"Huh--??" He asked, confused by the noise. Pidge and Lotor both turned to him. Lotor gasped and accidently let go of the bow. Pidge's eyes widened.
"LANCE!" She lounged forward and pushed the prince out of the way, as the arrow hit her shoulder. She groaned as blood was now dripping on the ground.
"PIDGE!" Lance drew out his blade and Lotor dropped his bow.
"WAIT! I DIDN'T MEAN TO HURT HER! I ACCIDENTLY LET GO!" Lance and Pidge both paused, attention solely on the galran prince.
"...You have only a few ticks to speak. Got it?" Pidge said as she pulled the bow out of Lotor's reach with her foot and sat up, taking the arrow out of her shoulder. Lance winced and scrunched his face up but his attention was still on Lotor. The galran prince had to admit, she trained Lance well. Not as well as she was trained, Pidge was a talented fighter but it was better than almost all of his father's troops. It said a lot about her potential and how he was doing the right thing.
"Listen...I never wanted this- This barbarian to rule like this! He is a heartless monster and I want to address the fact that I hate being his puppet!" Pidge and Lance eyed each other. Pidge nodded and Lance lowered his blade. It wasn't surprising how the others were still asleep after the training that day...What was surprising was that Lance was up. But she realized he was a light sleep a few days ago. They had been growing quite close the time she had trained him. But what was more important was the threat at hand.
"I want to join you, Pidge Gunderson. And fight for what is right for the people of Nottingham, just like King Alfor. I had admired him and his daughter for a long time." Allura gasped. Apparently she was awake as well.
"Me...??" She asked. Lotor nodded, looking away with a slight flush. Lance looked away as well. Pidge knew why. Lance has tried to get close to the princess for a long time. He however gave up after they met Pidge again. Everyone soon enough was awake and Pidge was just listening to Lotor complain with a bloody shoulder. While he was talking, Lance had enough.
"EXCUSE ME?! WHAT ABOUT PIDGE?!" She raised a brow. Lance pointed at her shoulder and she made an 'o' with her mouth in realization.
"Oh, i'll be fi-...hine...Oh shit..." She said as she started to sway a bit. Her eyes rolled back and she was falling.
"PIDGE!" Her brothers called out to her and Lance immediately rushed to catch her. Kroalia rushed to Lance's side.
"Don't worry, dear. I will take care of her." Kroalia said. Coran rushed to their side as well to help the galran woman. Lance nodded, worriedly. God damn it- He can't lose Pidge again and he REFUSES to lose her to an accidental arrow aimed at him! It was just- IDIOTIC! She always called him an idiot. And he would have accepted and idiotic fate. But Pidge was way more intelligent and worthy than a dumb untreated wound!
"She will be fine in the morning...However...In the meantime. Welcome to our group." Kroalia said kindly. Lotor looked at them with teary eyes and thanked them. And soon enough, the whole town knew of the role of a puppet he played and everyone forgave and forgot, being thankful they had another ally so strong. The next morning, after everyone was informed that night, Pidge woke up. Lance was sleeping next to her, against a tree. Pidge blushed as she realized he was waiting for her and chuckled. She poked him.
"Come on, princey. You have training." The boy with darker skin smiled.
"PIDGE! YOU'RE OK!" He hugged the girl and she gasped in surprise, flushing pink. She giggled and hugged him back.
"It's good to see you're in a good mood..." She said, amused.
"It's good to see you're good. Let's go!" Lance grabbed his bow and arrow as Pidge got up from the ground and they both started walking to their usual training place. Bae Bae and Kosmo, following.
Everything just got worse. The prison was full. Otto, the mother of Alan, and so many more civilians have been arrested. These were dire times. And on that rainy evening it just seemed to keeping going that way... But the priest believed in hope and in Pidge. So the bell still rang. And he still pulled the string to let it bring hope to the poor people.
"Friar Tuck, I don't think anyone is coming..." Said priest Sexton as he was still playing the empty tune on the keys. The preacher sighed as he was walking in the empty church towards the alter and the other priest, his steps ringing and leaving a heavy echo behind. Empty...
"You're right, Sexton, but maybe the sound of this church bell... will bring those poor people some comfort. We must do what we can to keep their hopes alive..." The man said to the other.
"Oh, how can there be any hope with that tyrant Lord Zarkon... taxing the heart and soul out of the poor people?" Said Sexton's wife as she walked in from their home.
"Yes, those poor people. Look, our poor box is like our church-- empty.." Friar Tuck opened the box and looked at it with a sad look. The sister bit her lip and opened the door taken to her and her husband's home.
"Friar Tuck, we've saved this. It's not much, but please take it for the poor..." The woman said, as she came out with something. The priest gasped.
"Your last farthing?" Tuck asked. The woman smiled and nodded.
"Aw, little sister, no one can give more than that. Bless you both..." Tuck said as he dropped the golden coin in the box. Sexton chuckled.
"Oh, we were just saving it for a rainy day." He said, trying to crack a joke.
"Well, it's raining now. Things can't get worse." Tuck said. But he was wrong.
"Howdy, Friar. Well, it looks like I dropped by just in time.!" Sendak called. The woman gasped and Sexton hit the wrong keys by accident.
"What does that big-bellied bully want?" The younger man said to his wife as he crossed his arms. The woman went over to her husband in fear.
"Father, shh!" She said, panicked.
"Hmm. Well, what have we got here?" Sendak said as he took the box and turned it upside down, the lid opening and the coin slipping out. The woman let out a horrified gasp.
"Now, just a minute, Sheriff! Th-Th-That's the poor box!" The preacher said. Sexton and his wife, nodded. Sendak clicked his tongue.
"It sure is, and I'll just take it for poor Lord Zarkon with a missing son. Every little bit helps..." Sendak said, pretending to be sad. The priest was growing irritated by his attitude.
"Oooh, you put that back!" The sister said, stepping forward. Sexton held her back, with a saddened look.
"And His Majesty also blesses you, little sister." Sendak said, looking down at the human. The father didn't like the way he was looking at his wife.
"You--" But Friar Tuck cut him short.
"You thieving scoundrel!" The preacher said, throwing his hands up in exasperation.
"Now, take it easy, Friar. I'm just doin' my duty." The galran said, putting his hands up, a bit thrown off by the priests attitude.
"Collecting taxes for that arrogant, greedy, ruthless, no-good Lord Zarkon?!" The priest said. The sister covered her mouth in shock at the attitude as Sexton slowly smirked.
"Listen, Friar, you're mighty preachy, and you're gonna preach your neck right into a hangman's noose--" The priest frowned. How dared he?! First he took the loveliest people: The Holt's and then they started taxing and taxing, ruining sweet Pidge's life. Oh how he remembered the smile of that little girl as he helped her make a bow for the first time. The proud grin when she brought back the taxes he paid...He won't let her down. Pidge was their only hope. He started shaking in rage as this man was technically taking everything Pidge had ever did for them as a joke. She was a better King than that Lord would ever be and a greater fighter than all his troops combined! It was time he stood up to this clown! And he will do it with pride! Just as everyone did, thanks to Pidge Gunderson and the Merry Men!
"Get out of my church! - Out! Out! Out! Out!" Tuck said as he pushed the galran outside. Sendak couldn't believe it as he was being taken outside by the priest himself!
"Oh, dear me!" The sister said. The two young adults rushed to the door as the preacher and the sheriff exited the building, the sheriff falling on his bum. The friar eyed a stick he saw and took it. He looked at the sheriff and frowned.
"You want taxes? I'll give you taxes!" The Friar lounged forward with the ferocity of a bear! Sendak barely had time to stand as the stick hit him and was getting beaten up violently. Sexton nodded and started encouraging this.
"Give it to him! Give it to him! Give it to him, Friar!" But the triumph didn't last long as the bear had been overpowered by the hunters. The sheriff didn't come alone. Zethrid and Ezor were right at the door and chained the priest up.
"You're under arrest for high treason to the crown!" Ezor called out as a bubbly giggle escaped her. Zethrid scoffed in triumph and patted the other galran woman's head. Ezor puffed her chest in pride. Sendak got up and spat the blood out of his mouth. Tuck looked up and closed his eyes.
"Perdonami, Katia...ti ho deluso..." The sheriff scoffed.
"Get him out of here! He is delusional!" They all started walking away. The sister started weeping in her husband's arms.
"Oh, no!" The woman said, through broken sobs. Her husband patted her on the back, letting her cry. It was a sad day indeed. And things were only getting worse.
"Oh, there, there, Mother..." The man said. The only sound apart from the sobs being the rain hitting the ground. The bell won't chime the same again as the Friar has been taken away as well as the money for the poor...
In the castle, Zarkon was sitting on his throne, alongside his wife. Honerva or Haggar as she was sometimes called, was looking rather bored as her husband? Was filled with rage. The tiny galran Morvok was pacing the room in a panic.
"Sire, if I may-- may venture an opinion, you're not your usual cheerful, genial self today. I-I-I know. I know. You haven't counted your money for days, hmm? It always makes you so happy. Sire, taxes are pouring in, the jail is full. And, oh, I have good news, sire- Friar Tuck is in jail--" His talking had been interupted by the king violently sitting up.
"FRIAR TUCK?! IMBECILE! It's Pidge Gunderson that I want, you idiot! I'd give all my gold if I could just get my hands--" He was interrupted by a cough. All three galrans turned to the princess in the door-way. It was Michelle.
"Your majesties." Zarkon sat down and nodded in respect.
"Princess Michelle. Pleasure. What is so important??" She smiled.
"You see, your highness. There is something- or rather someone- I seek. And there is someone your majesty seeks- But I have a plan on catching her. And I will share it if I may have Prince Lance's hand in marriage." Zarkon perked up.
"It shall be granted to you! Now what may this plan be...??" Honerva said, intrigued. Michelle smiled and bowed down.
"You see, your highnesses. The Holt family, I believe, is still in your custody and power. It's the perfect bait to rule that 'Pidge Gunderson' into a trap. They will be led to the gallows in the village square, don't you see? And 'Pidge' will come running to save them!" Zarkon sat up with wide eyes. Honerva smiled.
"And when our elusive hero tries to rescue... the corpulent family, my men will be ready! Genius!" Zarkon said. The princess smiled cruely.
"Thank you, Your Highness...Now I shall take my leave." Michelle said. Zarkon smiled.
"You shall." Zarkon said, tapping his chin satisfiedly. He will get his hands on that girl. She will ruin his plans no longer.
It was cloudy and rainy just like the feelings of the poor people of Nottingham. The sheriff and the two galran captains were out in the village square building up the trap for tomorrow.
"Well, Zethrid, everything's rigged up and all set." Sendak said as he tapped onto the wooden crafting.
"Yep, it's one of the prettiest scaffolds you ever built, Sheriff." Zethrid said.
"Sheriff, don't you reckon we oughta give that there trapdoor a test?" Ezor asked as she tapped her foot on the trapdoor. Ezor falling right through. Zethrid face-palmed.
"Criminently. Now I know why your mama called you the way she does..." Sendak said as the galran hoisted herself up and back on the wooden scaffolding. That's when an old man with a cloak, dark glasses and a stick came, holding a tin cup.
"Alms. Alms for the poor. Do me old ears hear the melodious voice... of the sheriff?" The old blind man asked as he was hitting the stone in front of him, to check of any obstacles.
"That's right, old man." Sendak said, puffing his chest up in pride. Both galrans behind him rolled their eyes.
"What be going on here?" Asked the poor man as slowly hit the legs of the scaffold with his stick. He raised their brows in surprise.
"We're gonna hang The Holts." The sheriff said, the two captains chuckling. The man's eyes widened underneath the glasses. The man being no other than Pidge.
"No! Hang The Ho-- Hang The Holts?" Pidge said, her voice almost cracking and giving her disguise away.
"You betcha. At dawn. And maybe it'll even be a double hanging." Ezor said. Zethrid turned to her like burned.
"Shh, shh. Dummy up, you dummy." She said to the other girl, trying to shut her up.
"A double hanging, eh? Who'll be the other one who gets the rope?" Pidge asked, curious. She had a feeling she won't like the answer. And she had a feelings she already knew the answer.
"Sheriff, he's getting too all-fired nosy." Zethrid said with a snarl. Pidge didn't do anything, pretending she didn't see it. Since she was posing as a blind man.
"Oh, I didn't mean nothing. But, um, couldn't there be trouble... if Pidge Gunderson showed up?" Pidge asked. The three galrans looked unphased.
"Well, wouldn't you know, Sheriff, he guessed it." Ezor said with a shrug. The other two galrans narrowed their eyes at the third.
"Ezor, button that mouth of yours!" Zethrid said, this time smacking the smaller one over the head.
"Ah, no need to worry. The sheriff be too crafty, too clever and too smart... for the likes of him, says I." Pidge said, trying to shift their skepticism away.
"Ya hear that, Ezor, Zethrid? For bein' blind, he sure knows a good man... when he sees one, says I." Sendak said, proudly pointing at himself and puffing his chest forward again.
"Sheriff, I still got a feelin'... that that snoopy old codger knows too much." Zethrid said as Pidge started slowly walking away.
"Oh, shut up. He's just a harmless old blind beggar." Sendak said, waving her off. Pidge took the opportunity to trip. Then she started calling again.
"Alms. Alms for the poor. Alms. Alms for the poor." As soon as she managed to take the corner she took off her glasses and dolted towards the forest. Her family was in danger and she needed to do something! It was time to do what she was supposed to have done years ago! Break them out of jail! And it couldn't wait any longer. It was tonight, or never!!