Title: Fighting the Cold
Fandom: Robin Hood (BBC)
Rating: G
Length: 800
Summary: Much is taken ill, so Guy determines to find somewhere sheltered for them to rest.

Two days into their journey the weather took a turn for the worse.  They hid as best they could during the heaviest rain, not wishing to be soaked through, for they knew they would be unable to dry out after.  When they moved on a cold wind blew and seemed to chill them to the core, despite the heavy cloaks they were both wearing.

A short while after the sun should have passed its highest point Guy realised Much was starting to drag behind.  Guy turned towards him, wondering if he had been injured, perhaps having hurt his leg when they’d had to scramble over some rocks to avoid being seen by a passing patrol.  They were far enough from Nottingham to know these weren’t Vaisey’s men, but it had seemed wise to avoid all contact with the lords of the area.

But when Guy looked at Much he saw his face wasn’t white with pain, but flushed.

“Much,” Guy called.  “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I’m just cold.”

Guy felt Much’s face and neck.  “I think you’ve caught something.”

“I’ll be okay.  We’ve got to keep going.”

Much was insistent and there was little alternative.  They would need to find shelter before nightfall; Much could not spend the night in the open.  They had money, and Guy toyed with the idea of finding an inn, but he was still reluctant to draw attention to themselves, they needed to be further away before they could do so safely.

They made slow progress, stopping regularly for Much to recover his strength and walking, so far as was possible, in between the heavy showers.  Eventually they saw a few small cottages dotted around the side of a hill.

“Wait here,” Guy said.  “I’m going to see if I can find somewhere we can rest for the night.”

Guy saw a man splitting logs and approached him cautiously.  “Please, sir, can I do some work for you in exchange for shelter and a little food for the night?”

The man raised his axe and Guy took a step backwards.  “You sound too posh to be begging for work.”

“It’s easy to fall on hard times these days.  My friend is ill.  All we ask for is somewhere out of the wind and a morsel of food.”

The man appeared to be considering Guy’s request.  He took so long Guy was about to retreat when he spoke.  “I could do with a bit of help.  There’s snow coming,” he pointed towards the hills in the distance, “when those hills take that shade of grey this time of year, it’s never long before it snows.  And there’s stuff needs doing before it arrives.  Work hard and you can stay.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“But if you’re friend’s ill, he ain’t coming in the house.  And you neither.  See that shed over there,” he pointed to a small wooden structure, “we’re not using it at the moment.  It’s pretty sheltered.  You and he can sleep in there.  Get him in there and then meet me behind the house.  There’s stuff you can help me carry.”

Guy did as instructed.  He helped Much into the shed and made him a bed in one corner.  Although the shed only had three sides, it had clearly been put up so the opening was sheltered from the worst of the weather by the main cottage.  It wouldn’t be warm, but at least Much would be out of the wind and the rain.

Guy spent the rest of the afternoon carrying, pushing and pulling as instructed.  By the time they had finished it was growing dark and the rain had turned to sleet.  As they made their final journey back down the hill he thanked the man and said they’d be off in the morning.

The man laughed.  “I suggest you wait and see what it’s like in the morrow before you talk about departing.”

When they reached the cottage Guy turned to go to the shed.

“Hey, I thought you wanted food as well,” the man said.  “Wait here.”

The man went inside and Guy heard him calling out.  A few minutes later a woman appeared at the door.

“Come no closer,” she said, “until I’ve shut the door again.”

She put down two mugs and a plate with a couple of hunks of rough bread and a small piece of cheese.

“Thank you,” Guy called.

He carried the food back to the shed.  There he helped Much to drink the thin broth, and eat some of the bread.  Once Much had said he wanted no more and lay down again to sleep, Guy finished the rest of the food.  It was now almost completely dark, but Guy could just make out a slight covering of snow at the end of the shed.