Thrown into a no-ham forest

Posted on Sat Aug 31st, 2024 @ 6:38am by Lieutenant Commander Savin & Ensign Ornaht

Mission: Into the Qniverse
Location: Nottingham forest
952 words - 1.9 OF Standard Post Measure

One second he was at a party, the next Savin found himself alone in a forest. Next to him was a tall, light brown horse and when he examined himself he discovered he was wearing a tan and green outfit which matched the surrounding greenery. Obviously, this was meant to blend in with the woods. Additionally he was wearing a quiver full of arrows and a longbow was resting across his chest and shoulder. "Good thing I practiced with Ryan," he said to himself as he glanced around.

What was this place, he wondered as he started to make out additional people hiding away between the bushes.

Ornaht blinked, sunlight filtering through trees near blinding him, something he was atop swaying and rocking beneath him. As he regained his alcohol addled senses, whatever he was perched upon lurched suddenly, throwing him to the side. Someone grabbed at him - and in that moment he realized he was dressed in finery and had almost just been tossed from some sort of creature.

The man who had grabbed at the security officer steadied him, pulling him back to sitting position, "Steady, Sheriff."

Head throbbing, Ornaht glanced around, realizing suddenly he was nowhere near the party he'd been at mere moments before. He focused his somewhat fuzzy gaze at the man, "... sheriff?"

Turning, Savin scanned the forest as people approached him. "They're searching for you Robin," a young child spoke, tugging at his tunic to get his attention.

Robin? Savin crouched to be level with the child. "Are they?" He queried carefully, while glancing up at the surrounding adults, trying to see what was said.

"The sheriff," the boy elaborated before a woman pulled the child back.

Savin got back to his feet to meet the woman's eyes. He said nothing, only reaching for the reins when the horse nudged him.

"You need to hide, you brought us what we needed, but the sheriff will just take it again and raise the taxes until we can't pay anymore. All because of that rotten wannabe king." The woman smiled sadly. "You and your merry men can't keep taking from the rich forever. This has to stop, the sheriff needs to stop."

Still not certain what was going on, Savin did come to the logical conclusion that the sheriff, or even this king, needed to be spoken to. "I will take care of it," he promised, "I will keep him away. He will not take what few resources you have remaining." He got onto the horse, realizing he had never done this before, and gently touched the creatures neck in hope of reassuring it. Gently he spurred the magnificent horse on and to his surprise, it broke into a run, nearly throwing him off in the process.

The gentle back and forth of the horses was doing no favours to Ornaht - nor was the incessant chatter from his companion, whoever he was. He tuned back in briefly to the man's tirade, "- and don't forget, Sheriff, that Prince John has ordered us to triple the taxes until the peasantry give up that scroundel, Robin Hood."

The security officer blinked, "Robin Hood?" He'd heard that name somewhere before but couldn't quite place it. He tilted his head to the side, searching his memory. There was a story he'd heard -

"Robin Hood!" the other man shouted suddenly, pointing ahead of the pair to another approaching horse. "Ready yourself, Sheriff!"

As he neared a group of people, one wearing a large star on his chest, Savin tried to slow the horse down by pulling the reins. He seemed relieved when he recognized the person portraying the sheriff, but the hostility on the faces of his companions threw him. Especially when a name was spoken while they pointed at him. A name the people in the forest had called him too. Not quite sure what was going on, or what was expected, he slowed his approach, watching the others carefully. "I am looking for a sheriff... It seems that the people here are being extorted and deprived of what little they have."

Almost as soon as Savin spoke, the assortment of individuals around Ornaht drew weapons - swords, bows, clubs, all primitive devices in the eyes of the security officer. Ornhat glanced between each of them, still not entirely sure of what - exactly - he'd landed himself in the middle. If this was what senior officer parties were like, he'd have to make sure he was uninvited from the future ones. He looked back to the counselor, "Commander, am I ever glad to see you."

The eyes of the man riding at Ornaht's side widened in shock, brandishing his thin blade in the direction of the Romulan, "That's Robin Hood! Surely you can see that, Sheriff!"

Ornhat sighed, "Right, right... Robin Hood."

The counselor's eyes narrowed a fraction as he tried to keep his horse under control when all around him weapons were drawn. "You are familiar with this scenario?" He queried carefully, "I have just been told a sheriff has been extorting the residents, stealing what little they have under the pretense of taxes. They call me Robin and seem to have certain expectations of me."

The horse whinnied and was restless, dancing around in the center of a circle of primitive weapons. While he too had a sword, Savin didn't draw it as he was vastly outnumbered and he didn't know the expertise of these people. "It seems, I am not your friend in this," he commented dryly.

He watched the sheriff intently, not certain what he would do. However, before he could do anything else himself, he felt he was blinded by a bright flash.