burntcopper | fic snippet

Much is standing on the hill, keeping one eye on the sheep, and one on the countryside around. Blue livery and the glint of light on armour catch his eye, and he scrambles for the pasture out of sight of the road.
"John! John!"
Little John looks up from getting a burr out of a sheep's coat. "Aye, lad, what is it?"
"Soldiers! Coming this way!"
John puts a hand on his shoulder. "Just go back to tending the sheep, Much. Keep your head low. We're not wolfshead. Sheriff wouldn't've left it so long if they were after us."
"What if they come up here?"
"You're a shepherd, lad. Not an outlaw. They've got no reason to believe otherwise."
"But-"
"Just go, lad." John says, giving him a shove.
"I'm not a lad." Much grumbles, going back to his lookout post. "Not anymore."
"Aye, I know that." John says quietly as Much strides off indignantly. "Not for a while now."

The soldiers tramp up the hill, scattering sheep in their carelessness. The leader stops, sure of his right to push peasants around. "Oi! Serf! Get over here, now!"
Much walks over unhurriedly, but trying to look deferential as most peasants do in the face of the Sheriff's men. "Yes?"
"You seen any wolfshead going this way?"
Much tries to look even more simple than he's got a reputation for. "Don't know any wolfshead."
The leader sighs at the obvious stupidity of the peasantry. "Any strangers? Christ, the bloody peasants tound here. Thick as pigshit, they are."
Much scratches his head to further embed the impression. "Well, there was a woman and her babby a couple of days ago. A tall man last week. Two lads - one dark, one fair - yesterday, but no-one today."
"You sure?"
"Don't see many people in these parts. That's all, I swear."
One of the other soliders sneers. "You better be telling the truth, serf."
The leader cuffs the back of his head. "Don't be stupid. Look at him. Hasn't got the brains to lie." They move off, following the road. In truth, only the woman and her baby passed through, but he thought he'd add a bit for them.
John comes into view once the soldiers are gone. "Good job there."
"If they'd had Gisburne with them we wouldn't have lasted a minute."
"He's got better things to do than chase after a couple of shepherds. Be glad of that."