Welcome!

I'manachred,  a YA and Juvenile fantasy writer. This is a project to do a retelling of Robin Hood, creating an alternate Dark Age for the outlaw band to live and make mischief in.

Because I'm posting regularly as I write it, instead of drafting, and doing a couple revisions, the way I work on most novels, there will be a certain amount of roughness to the writing. Feel free to comment on problems you notice! Just be relaxed about it - thanks.

To see a table of contents, go to The Tag Page, where I'm keeping the chapters and sections in order.

I've friends-locked earlier chapters as I go to limit access: if you friend me, I will friend you back and you'll be able to see everything.
To start the story...

 

( Pain in Post-Industrial America: Chapter 1, Part 1 )
Go to the next part...

Continued from Chapter 4, Part 1. Find the beginning here...


“You're a little cuter than I realized. I'd take you for my girlfriend, if you like to.”

“Sorry,” Riley said. “You give me the creeps.”

His appreciation for boldness didn't go that far. He shoved her back down, and she cracked her elbow on a stone in her landing, since she couldn't catch herself.

“That's fine. I don't mind taking in people, but if you're not going to be one of the gang, you're going to turn me a profit—I'm done with you. If you change your mind, I may reconsider.”

He left with another of his men. After a while, Rev Grub began talking about the last wedding he'd gone to, where he'd been heading again. The town was making it's trade in chickens, primarily, so when he'd asked the couple when they wanted the wedding, they had said, “Dawn. But with the roosters no one could hear you. Let's have it at noon, after everyone's back in from their chores.” He had a lot of stories, and Piper had a lot of questions, so they talked as if no one was listening.

The day passed, eventually. They were put in a particularly shabby shed with only a couple of mats, and locked in for the night.

Riley waited until it sounded like no one was up and about anymore, before rolling even closer to Piper and whispering, “I still have my knife.”

He moved so their heads bumped a little. “Where?”

 

( Chapter 4, Part 2: hidden knives and disguised blessings )

 

I'm going to go back and friends-lock the earlier chapters, just as a safe-guard against "publication" status.

If you've friended me, you've been friended back: you'll have the same access.
If you haven't friended me, go ahead and do it so I can let you into the lock!

Continued from Chapter 3, Part 2. Find the beginning here...


She woke up in the morning to the sound of Piper shouting. Adrenaline shot through her like icy water, and she sat up just as a man corded with muscle, as if he moved rocks for a living, walked up to her and held out a hand.

He put it around her throat and grinned.

 

4 – Outlaw Encounter

 

“How fun. One of each kind. Probably not innocent anymore, in that combo, but that's not the only thing we can get money for.”

The words coming out of his mouth so evenly were disgusting, not really aimed at the four other men with him, all long-haired and grimy at the neck.

Despite the half-light, Riley had a clear view of Piper being wrenched up so his shoulders creaked toward coming out of their sockets. He closed his eyes against the pain and stopped struggling. Riley felt a surge of hate, at seeing that done to him, but she didn't fight about it yet.

 

( Chapter 4, Part One: the gang and their visitor )

 

Piper woke up when she was wrestling a roasted piece off an awkward skewer-branch. She smiled at him, and he grimaced.

“This is taking forever,” were his first words.

“Getting to the Ozarks?”

“Finding a truck to take us, getting out of this county.”

 

 

 

“I got something.” Piper shoved a hand into his pocket. He was wearing an ancient pair of jeans that were probably a little too tight, and he had to work to get whatever he was going for out. “Maybe they have lots of these where you come from, but you may be able to sell them...”

It was an old bag of plastic, the narrow sealing type. In it were white squares—paper. Thinner paper than Riley had seen outside an old Bible. The trucker took it. He began to close the door on them then, but Piper had the firearm out of his jacket first.

3 – Getting to the Middle of Nowhere

 

“Drop that,” he said, in a voice Riley was startled to recognize. It was the voice he had when threatening the men at the blockade—a completely different sound from usual. “It was offered as payment, but I'll have it back if you're unwilling.”

 

( Chapter 3/Part 1: crazy men and empty roads )

 

Poll #1457635 Serial Release Timing Poll
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 0

How is the timing working for you?

Since it's been 2 weeks, I thought I'd give any readers a chance to give me input on whether the way I'm posting it is inconvenient.

I've been (arbitrarily) posting on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Please feel free to weigh in with any suggestions, comments on when you're more likely to get to reading (weekends? middle of the week?) and anything else you've been thinking about.