I just wrote a story plot. Usually when I write a story plot I just shove it into a certain folder and then leave it there to gather dust for a bit. But this plot… Well, I think I just might post it. Brief background, I borrowed some of my brother John’s music CD’s and downloaded them into Itunes and then returned his CD’s to him. Anyrate, everonce in a while a song, for some strange reason(I do say that a lot, for some strange reason “For some strange reason” is used often by me to explaine the unexplainable, or for what I feel too lazy to explaine) one song, wich was an old Irish folk song, appleaded to me and joined the ranks of my five star collection.
The gists of the song is this, oh wait. Just Google search “Whiskey in the Jar Irish Song” and you’ll be able to find a page with the lyrics. I suppose the reason I like it is because of the way that it is done audio wise, and the reason that the singer has a very good Irish accent and the tune is nice.
But enough about the song. I was listening to it and this is what I typed… It is amazing how something can be inspired by something and then be quite a bit different from what inspried it. Enjoy and if no logical sense can be gathered from what is below… just blame it on the song and the fact that I seldom knew what would happen next. I wasn’t trying to be very funny but just typing but something amusing might have crept in. Reading “The Prisoner of Zenda”(Recomended reading if you like a good swordfight/mystery/romance etc , it isn’t a fantasy medieval tale but set more in the late 1800’s I would say. Modern conviences with fencing still being a popular sport.) probably helped a bit in making this plot what it is. Enjoy(I hope…)
For some strange reason I feel like writing a story inspired by the song, “Whiskey in the Jar”. Which means that the hero will probably be either an officer or a highwayman, the highwayman more likely. Despite the fact that I don’t want crime to pay he may be a bit like Robin Hood. There probably will be a young girl in the story, I think she’ll be the daughter of an officer or law official:) That should make courting a bit interesting. And when he asks her father for permission to marry her.
Probably there is a nice, regular, young officer who is very interested in the young lady, but he doesn’t get her:)
More about the gentleman, Richard or Dick, will be his name. I think he’ll probably be English, Scottish, or Irish. Or likeabouts. Probably he was a son of a noble, got embroiled in quarrels and left. He joined up with a band of disbanded soldiers turned highwaymen. The particular place they are is rather isolated and the lord over the place is charging unfair taxes. There are two different bands, the one with Richard and the bad guys, who will show that crime doesn’t pay. Primarily Dick’s band plunders the bad guys and so long as they have enough supplies to live fairly comfortable in the ruins of an old castle they don’t bother too much. Richard probably meets Elizabeth(for the fun of it) while she was traveling home from her aunts, probably in company with others as it would not be proper for a young lady to go about by herself. The other band, under their fearless leader Red Douglas, might attack and Richard’s band, hearing screams, decided to interfere. They successfully chased off Red Douglas’s band, all though they did bring most of the travelers and their gold with them, but they didn’t get Elizabeth. Richard quickly offered himself as escort to her home and as the carriage horses had been taken too (Red Douglas had been thorough and quick) he quickly swung her into the saddle while his men took care of what was left of value in and on the carriage. Elizabeth’s luggage, which Richard had her point out, however was taken with her and Richard, with two men, took her home. Since was a bit of a long ride the two of them had ample time to get acquainted.
Finding out her father was the local equivalent to a sheriff made him not go to close to the house but once they were in sight of it(and fortunately there were woods very close to the back of the house) and he had helped her down and carried her luggage for her to the edge of the woods he tipped his hat and told her that this was about as far as he ought to go as her father probably would not welcome him favorably. She smiled at that and took her luggage and he watched as she went to the house. Then turning she told him that maybe, if he wanted to come again, he could come in the kitchen and maybe, she might be there or maybe Nora the maid could take a message. Or maybe he asks instead of her inviting him. Probably that is what happens.
Now that there is a young lady in the story things speed up. The battle between Red Douglas and Richard somewhat increases, for Red Douglas also had his eye on Elizabeth, but he definitely was not invited inside the kitchen to court. Now the taxes going up again Richard decided to play Robin Hood, since he did enjoy reading when he was a lad, so he began borrowing from the tax gatherers and giving tax refunds. Since the tax was not about a war or something important for national defense but merely so that the court and the nobles could live in a bit more luxury and have more to spend on lavish extravagances, it didn’t bother his conscious much.
Things went on like this for a bit, he regularly visited Elizabeth, and so far her father was unaware of it, and Red Douglas and he had some skirmishes and a lot of people were very grateful to Richard and his band and much to his satisfaction he was being called “a second Robin Hood” which pleased him greatly, especially when Elizabeth called him that.
Then, since something must happen to continue the story, two things of importance happened. Richard’s father, who, as I said before, was a noble, came to visit the nearby lord. And he brought with him the news that his oldest son had just died in a hunting accident. Richard being a second son this was very important information as it made him a Lord when his father died.
The second thing was an increase of strength of Red Douglas’s band. His brother has his own band and the two brothers meeting they decided that if they joined bands they’d be strong enough to have the countryside at their mercy. This idea being pleasant to both Red Douglas and his brother joined thier forces. Deciding to announce their new merger in a bold way they decided to attack the Lord’s castle, kidnap him and his guests, and then on the way back stop by the sheriffs house and pick up him and Elizabeth. This they very nearly carried out. They got the lord’s castle and it’s owner all right, and Richard’s father, a lot of gold and jewels, and they made it to the sheriffs house all right. He, and a young officer who was attempting to court Elizabeth and couldn’t understand why she spent so much time in the kitchen, were in the family room having a smoke after supper and were quickly captured, for they were caught by surprise.
However, Red Douglas had called on an evening when Richard, and one of his band who had found Nora, the maid, charms irresistible, were calling and as they never came near the house without several of the band nearby(for it was the sheriff’s home and many soldiers were there). Suffice it to say that Red Douglas and his band did not get Elizabeth but as Richard’s band was outnumbered greatly they decided that for prudent reasons they should take Elizabeth, and Nora, back with them to camp and rescue the others later.
The new additions to Red Douglas’s band worried Richard, and Elizabeth who was worried about her father. Richard didn’t know that his father was also captured but he soon heard that news when one of his band scouted out town. A large ransom was being demanded for all of the prisoners and Red Douglas seemed to not count at all that he had taken the chief treasures of the castle.
Several of Richard’s fathers men-at-arms were left behind at the castle, and that may or may not play an important part later on as I have no idea whether it will or not yet.
Richard decided that he must rescue his father and Elizabeth’s father and finally defeat Red Douglas. Richard’s band was well trained but would it stand up against Red Douglas and his brother’s bands who were all composed of tough disbanded soldiers, all much used to war fare. Then it was that the men-at-arms came to mind as I was sure they would. Richard decided that in the emergency, and since he was fairly sure he couldn’t take down Red Douglas and his men without their help, he would use his authority as their next lord and get them to cooperate with his band, if that was possible.
Quickly making contact with the Captain, who was an old friend and overjoyed to see
him(Richard didn’t have a younger brother and the next of kin was an irritable old uncle of Richard’s father who was not a very desirable lord). Quickly plans were made and as they carried out well at precisely the same time on the next day Red Douglas’s band was attacked on two sides.
The large epic battle of the story being here I think I can safely say that this story won’t last much longer. With the battle raging a certian band, led by Richard(just so you know, Elizabeth and Nora were left behind at the castle) went to rescue the prisoners.
Cutting their way through Red Douglas’s men they finally reached the prisoners. Shock was rather evident on Richard’s father’s face when he saw his son but it was nothing compared to what Elizabeth’s father’s face looked like when Richard, as he was cutting his bonds, asked if he could have his daughters hand in marriage. It was a custom to ask the father first before asking the daughter and if he said “No” it was a “NO” while if the daughter said “No” it meant something more like “I think either you aren’t rich or handsome enough or I want to keep you in suspense or I just felt like saying no at the moment so would you ask again?”
Any way the battle was still raging and after the prisoners were escorted back(Richard did get permission to marry Elizabeth, especially when Richard’s father was introduced) Richard joined the main battle. But not for long for since there really ought to be an epic, final, sword-fight I think that Red Douglas, seeing his men nearly beat and his brother already down, decided to run now and fight later. However Richard seeing him flee the scene of battle gave chase and upon catching up with Red Douglas the climatic Sword Fight started!
Of course, since I want the sword fight to end in a certain way, it is probably very easy to guess the outcome since Richard is not defeated and Red Douglas does not escape. However instead of killing Red Douglas, Richard merely knocked him out, tied him up, and brought him back so that they both could enjoy a nice hanging, though Red Douglas would not be a spectator to it.
So Richard returned triumphant to his men, who were now Victorious and binding the remainders of Red Douglas’s men. Richard turned over Red Douglas to the Sheriff and then all of them rode back to the castle were Elizabeth was and Richard did not lose any time in telling her that he had her father’s permission and asking her to marry him. Of course she said “Yes” and the she was very surprised and pleased when Richard’s father was introduced to her and she found that she would be a Lady some day.
Therefore, with a happy ending in view, I’ll probably end the story with a grand feast at the castle and bright hopes in the hearts of all, even Red Douglas who hoped to escape from prison, or be rescued by his men. But whether he did or not, or whether Richard and Elizabeth actually got married, or whether Richard’s older brother unexpectedly showed up alive, or whether the irritable old uncle ended up outliving them all, will be left up to the readers imagination… and mine. Finis, Ethay Endpay, or The End
For some strange reason I have used the phrase “for some strange reason” rather frequently in this post. And for some strange reason I don’t know why…