An Irrational Fear of Heights

By: Emmithar

Rating: K+

Summary: The end result when boredom hits Robin and his men in Sherwood Forest

Disclaimer: Not mine, sadly…

A/N: Just a short idea I came up with, hope you enjoy it :) Thanks to Kegel for the beta

An Irrational Fear of Heights

It was the kind of day he enjoyed the most. Nice and warm in the midst of summer where the trees and flowers were in full bloom. The array of fruits and delicate berries were more than abundant and food and game were plentiful. The change could even be seen within the villages, for they were flourishing and not even the demands of the sheriff seemed to change the jovial atmosphere the land had held for the last week or so. It was a good day.

For the first time since becoming an outlaw, the man had been able to properly rest. To cook a delicious meal, to rest out in the open under the trees, the sun warm on his face and the air sweet to breathe. A little bit of cheese, a slice of bread…maybe two, just for a bit of a snack. In fact it felt so inviting, he might even end up taking a nap.

They deserved it, Much thought happily. He deserved it the most. Day in and day out all they seemed to do was run and fight, fight and run. And when all the running was done, they turned around and gave away their coins, as well as the food they worked so hard to get. They gave it all away, away to people who were all but grateful for only a few short days until they were demanding more. Robin might enjoy that demand, but Much didn't care for it.

For now, Much was content to lay where he was, stretched out on a fur, his belly full and the edges of sleep inviting him to join for but a short rest. With the shires flourishing so well, he and the others had been able to find a bit of a respite. John and Allan had spent their days hunting, drying meat for when winter would be here. Djaq had been busying herself with making potions and draughts. A collection of jars and experiments had allowed her to discover what ones she could safely make now and store for times that they were needed.

Will had taken it upon himself to fletch arrows, his knife moving quickly and effortlessly over the wood. As to Much, he was using this time to full advantage. It was not often he was able to rest like this. He could hear the slight rustle of the wind in the trees above, and the quick melodic chirps of the birds that flew overhead. Was it possible for things to get any better than this?

No sooner than he had thought it, it happened. It came from above, a mass of something wet and slimy, striking him on the side of the face. He lurched upward, wiping it away with his hand. "That is revolting!"

"That is why you should not sleep under trees. A bird is bound to shat upon you at any moment."

He could hear Robin above him; the man had scaled the tree earlier that morning, seemingly content to reside in the branches for the entire day. Using his sleeve, Much wiped away the rest of spittle, turning to face the grinning man. "That was no bird!" he argued, knowing full well what the other man had done. "Besides, we are in a forest, we are always under trees!"

It was unnerving; he was always this way. If there was no trouble about, the man just had to brew up some of his own. There never could be rest, or peace, for those things seemed too simple for him. If it was not some suicidal mission, then it was some other trickery that made you wish that you were on one. Staggering to his feet, Much moved out from below him, not willing to give the man another go.

"What are you even doing up there?" he wondered, "You've been up there all morning."

Robin shrugged his shoulders, his face void of any real expression. "I can't get down."

"What do you mean you can't get down?"

The man was on his stomach, stretched across a branch a fair ways up. It was not the tallest tree in Sherwood Forest by any means, but nor was it short in stature. Robin was resting easily, and made no move to even attempt to get down.

"I'm stuck."

The explanation served to cause even more confusion. There were no visible signs of him being entangled, nothing up there that would prevent him leaving. Yet he had been up there for hours, and only now admitting to being trapped.

"Stuck?" Much questioned. "How?"

Robin shrugged, pursing his lips as he thought. "I have an irrational fear of heights."

"An irrational fear of heights?"

"Are you going to repeat everything that I say?"

"Well…" Much grunted irately, "that doesn't even make any sense. You climb…trees and scale walls, and all sorts of other high things. It's never bothered you before."

"I had reason to climb them before," Robin argued, "didn't have time to think about my fear. Now I do, and I'm coming to realize that I'm truly terrified of being up high."

"If you were terrified of heights, then why did you even climb up there in the first place?"

"Well I didn't know I was until I got up here. You think I would have done so if I thought of it beforehand?"

Much stared at him for a moment, the man's face was passive, showing no hints of true emotion. Robin was always good at hiding his feelings, and Much let out a sigh. "So…you really are stuck then?"

"Why else would I stay in a tree for hours?"

"He does have a point, Much," Will told him, his concentration focused on the wood in his hands.

"Right then…Will, grab that blanket, we'll stretch it out and Robin can jump down."

"I'm busy."

"Busy?" Much frowned at him. "You're whittling a stick!"

"Well…they're not going to whittle themselves."

"My master is stuck in a tree, and you would rather whittle a stick…than help him to get down?"

"It wouldn't work, Much," Robin called to him. "I have an irrational fear of heights, remember? I can't jump."

"What do you mean you can't jump? You've done it before."

"That was when I had reason to," Robin explained to him, stressing his words as he spoke. "I'm too afraid to jump now."

"Getting down. That's a good enough reason."

"Not when you have an irrational fear of heights."

Much wasn't even sure if that made any sense. But Robin was absolute in his decision. The man was not going to jump, not even if they had something for him to fall in. He bit his lip, trying to think, and smiled as the idea came to him. Quickly he turned, running over to where Djaq was busy working to collect a rope that was lying on the ground.

"Here, I'll use this, throw it over the branch. Robin can hold the other end, and then we'll lower him down!"

"I need that," Djaq snatched the rope from his hands.

"Need it?" he could only stare at her. "What do you need it for?"

"Tie the potions up, so they don't get lost."

"What? That doesn't even make sense."

It was unbelievable. Here Robin needed their help, and no one was willing to lend a hand. He found himself frowning as he heard his master speaking once more.

"That wouldn't be a good idea anyway. I'd have to let go of the branch to catch the rope. I might fall."

"Never thought of it that way before," Much confessed, scratching his head. This was starting to prove rather complicated after all. Robin would not jump, nor swing, nor climb down. What option was left?

"We could chop the tree down," Allan offered up with a shrug.

"You are not chopping my master down!"

"I was just saying…"

"No!" Much shook his head. What kind of ludicrous idea was that? Robin could be killed that way! Much let out a sigh, turning to glance at the tree. "One of us will just have to climb up there and get him down."

"Good idea, Much," Will nodded with approval.

"Right then," Much nodded, "John?"

"I don't climb," the man answered.

"Of course not," he replied sarcastically. "Allan? You can go up and get him, can't you?"

"Sorry, friend, but I'm not much of a tree person."

"Not a tree person? All you have to do is…go up there…and get him down."

"Not being funny, but if it's that easy then why don't you go up there and get him down?"

"Because…" he started, only to stop. What could he say? That he, too, was afraid of heights? Much found himself swallowing, turning to glance at Robin once more. The man had not moved, watching instead the entire ordeal unfold beneath him. Frowning Much shook his head. If no one else was to help Robin, then it was left up to him. Apparently no one else cared as much as he did.

"Right…Robin…you stay there. I'm…I'm coming up for you."

He moved to the base of the tree, taking a breath as he reached up for the lowest branch. It took a moment to compose himself, and then he jumped, clinging tightly to the trunk as he pulled himself up. It was a slow, maddening pace, each inch taking him higher and higher. Twice he paused, catching his breath, and forcing himself to not look down. As long as he didn't look down, he would be fine.

It wasn't that he couldn't climb; just rather he wouldn't if given the choice. He did not care for heights, especially heights he could easily fall from. He pushed the thought from his mind, scaling up the last few feet, coming to the branch that Robin was on.

"Now…just take my hand…I'll get you down…"

He stopped, in mid-sentence, upon seeing the sight before him. The branch was empty, wavering in the air as the thud sounded below him. Much turned quickly, glancing down with apprehension, worry that Robin was hurt from such a fall.

But the man was on his feet, hands on his hips as he watched Much from below.

"What happened?" he cried, clinging to the branch tightly.

"I jumped," Robin said with a simple shrug.

"But…but…you said you couldn't jump!"

He shrugged again. "I overcame my fear. I decided it was too irrational."

"What? Too irrational? That's….you….you let me climb all the way up here, and you were never stuck in the first place?"

Robin only grinned, giving another small shrug. It caused Much to let out a groan, holding the branch even tighter as he caught his breath.

"I hate heights," he stated matter-of-factly. "I hate trees…and I hate you!"

"Oh come now, Much," Robin pleaded with a smile. "Surely I can't be that bad."

Slowly he was beginning his climb back down, his feet staggering against the trunk as he tried to move slowly. The bark bit into his hands, sap clung to his skin where he happened to touch it, and leaves fell from above, sticking to the accumulations of sap as he moved.

"I hate the forest," he complained, "I hate heights, I hate the wilderness…when I get back down, we are going to Nottingham. We are going into the castle, and we are robbing from the sheriff."

"Why?" Robin questioned, a slight laugh coming from him.

"Because, if we do not, then I shall never be able to rest. You seem to like causing trouble; maybe we'll get lucky and the sheriff will throw us in the dungeons, sentence us to hang. At least I'd be able to sleep then…"

"Aw, Much…" Robin pitied him quietly as he reached the ground.

"You, out of all people, should know that I don't like heights."

"I know," the man only grinned at him, stifling the laughter that was threatening to come forth.

"That…that is not very nice."

"Why do you think none of us went up there?" Will questioned him, looking up from the arrow he was currently working on.

"You knew?" Much questioned in disbelief. "You knew, and you let me climb up there?"

Will shrugged, turning back to his work.

"Ah," he nodded, "I see how it is. You're all against me."

"Much," Robin shook his head, patting him on the back as he walked by. The man bent over to retrieve his bow, sliding his quiver on his back. "You're right though."

"Of course I'm right," he nodded, then paused. "About what?"

"About going to Nottingham, of course!" Robin grinned at him.

"Oh no," he shook his head. "I wasn't serious…"

"We've been stuck in the forest too long, the trees are going to our heads. Come on, lads, let's see what our sheriff friend has been up to."

Much watched as the others gathered up their things, more than content to stop now and follow the man towards the forest road. He found himself sighing, and with a shake of his head he threw his hands up in the air.

"Why me? Why is it always me?"

He only waited long enough to gather his things, and then ran to catch up with the others, wondering what the day would bring, and sorely missing the nap he had been planning on taking earlier.

TBC