Part 1
It is a warm summer day in England. Or in Nottinghamshire, to be precise, in the forest of Sherwood. This is the home of Robin Hood, together with his bunch of outlaws, where they have lived for a few years now, since Robin came back from the fightings in the Holy Land finding his country rotting from the inside out. The Sheriff of Nottingham is dead, but the problems of his lifetime are far from gone... There are new evils hiding in the midst, just waiting for the right opportunity to strike!
Robin of Locksley, Much the Millner's son, Little John, Allan a Dale and friar Tuck are out scouting in the woods. When the traps are checked and they are ready to return to camp they suddenly hear a noise as coming from a traveling carriage. They quickly hide to see what kind of a catch it might be for them on this day! On the carriage sits a young girl with an easy hold of the reins. She has a pretty orange dress with long, grey sleeves and her hair is also long but golden-colored. Behind her there lies another woman in the hay, smiling to herself. She is older, perhaps around forty years, and wears a blue dress with her brown hair put up like a boll. Around the woman it lies a couple of sparkling boxes, which immediately awaken the outlaws interest. Robin sneaks closer to them and sees that behind the carriage a man is traveling on horseback. He looks normal, although his clothes are also in bright colors and give him away of being a wealthy man. Robin shows a sign to act.
The horse rears as the outlaws run down the hill, firing arrows to the wagons sides. The woman in the hay screams and picks up a sword to defend herself. As she takes a swing at Robin she shouts:
"We are no enemies of the King!"
The man on the horse kicks Much in the head with his left leg and continues on her track of speech.
"We are nothing but common people! We have nothing of value except our honest souls!"
Robin stops as he realizes they have nothing to gain here. The girl in the front of the wagon, who has picked up a stick, fights passionately against John.
"Alright, lads!" Robin shouts. "I think they are telling the truth!"
Allan, who had his target on the man with the horse after Much went down, protests.
"His clothes says otherwise!"
"He is just a simple worker." the woman says. "I'm his wife and that is our daughter."
She turns against Robin and looks at him with sparkling eyes.
"Are you by any chance Robin Hood?"
Robin gives away a big grin.
"Yes, last time I checked."
The woman sighs as if she has been saving air for a long time and smiles. The man laughs and sits off his horse.
"Oh, my dear Mary, we are in luck today!" he exclaims. "It is you that we are on our way to see."
Much arises from the ground, holding his nose.
"What?"
The woman answers.
"Yes! My name is Mary and this is my husband Robert."
They shake hands, gently.
"And my name is Lizzy." the young girl adds, who is still standing on the carriage with the stick in her hand.
Robin crosses his arms.
"What is it you want from me?" he asks. "I take it is rather important when you search in the forest all by yourself's?
Mary nods.
"It is. We want to ask for your permission to let us join you."
The whole gang seem surprised.
"How's that?" John comments.
Robert takes a step forward.
"We are actors!" he exclaims. Robin sighs out of realization. He can now see why the adults clothes are so spectacular, they are costumes! "And we want to put on a play about you and your Merry Men!"
"His merry what?" Allan says, unconvinced.
Robin looks seriously at the couple.
"Well, you do not need me to do that! Even if I'm not tempted by the idea, people can do as they please around here."
Now Lizzy jumps off the carriage to join her parents.
"But that's just it!" she says, getting everyones head turn towards her pretty face. "They can't really, if you think about it. But that is not the point here; we want this play to be special and cling true! And for us to be able to seize that, and you as characters, we must be around you. We must see what you are seeing, breath the Sherwood air which you are breathing and here your stories from your own lips."
There is silence for a moment, with everyone taking in what the passionate young lady just declared.
"I'm not being funny, but that sounds like a whole lot of poppycock to me." Allan says, breaking the silence.
She did not see that coming. How rude of anyone to say! she thought, looking at him. But she did not reply that way.
"Well, it's the truth."
"Funny!" her mother exclaims. "That's just what we want it to be! A comedy."
Robin shakes his head and is about to say something when Robert interrupts.
"A lot have happened these past few years that has brought misery and despair to the people of England. And it still does by one merely thinking of it! The men with powers many actions, that often were made in a not even human way, has made almost all the peoples hope of a better future disappear. We want them to laugh and remember the good things too!"
Robin seems quite taken with the humble mans speech. The others as well, but not even close to how taken sentimental Much is, who's eyes have become blank by water.
"There is never to late to share a good-hearted laugh." Mary finishes.
There is silence once more, but this time Much is the one to break it.
"I must say I feel rather intrigued by this!"
Mary, Robert and Lizzy were aloud to stay. They did not make much of a fuss around themselves, but worked quietly in their observations and stayed most of the time at their own side of the camp. Lizzy, on the other hand, has a habit of mingle around and did so all the time. She took an early liking to the "Merry Men" of Robin Hood and spent almost as much time with them as with her own mother and father. But the outlaws did not seem to mind.
Lizzy is both loving with a happy spirit and interesting in conversation. She is very nosy, which Allan finds very irritating, and is good-humored. With Little John she talked about simple, though important things, like handy work and family. With Tuck she talked about religion and she fully admitted that she found the Christian church captivating, although at the same time capturing. They had very deep going talks about it that the others also enjoyed listening to.
Robin and Lizzy often talked about the rights and wrongs of the world. How people with absolutely no sense of justice or humility became the one to rule, etc. Much on the other hand was very eager to talk to Lizzy about pretty much anything! Even though the most occurring subject was, of course, drama and acting.
One day, on an early morning, Lizzy asks Much about Robin. Different perspectives, you know- always good for something to be truthful!
"What do you think about him, honestly?"
"Oh, I love him!" Much answers. "He is everything that should contain in a good man and a master. He has saved my life more times than I can remember!"
Lizzy smiles and looks very thoughtful for a minute or so, watching Robin's sleeping body over by the fire.
"Let me guess, his biggest flaw is vanity?"
Much smiles, amused.
"No, that is not entirely true! But I understand why you would guess that." he says. "He can be a bit stubborn and sometimes, more recently, he only focuses on the bad things... But otherwise he is clean all through!"
Lizzy looks at Much, now even more thoughtful than before.
"Maybe you ought to perform in the play, Much?"
Much's eyes widens.
"What?" he exclaims. "No, I couldn't! I would just spoil everything!..."
"No you wouldn't!" Lizzy insists, taking one hand on his shoulder. "I want you to do it!"
Much's face gets a red-blushed tinge.
"Well..." he starts. "Who would I play?"
Lizzy looks shrewdly at her new friend and opens up her black notebook.
Allan wasn't as easy to talk to for Lizzy, or perhaps it was the other way around. Allan was reluctant to the idea of having him portrayed in a play, while Much on the other hand was nothing but buoyant! Sometimes the two, Lizzy and Allan, were completely numb in each others presence and other times the others had to put up with brief disputes between them.
Later, on the afternoon, Much and the actor family went out in the woods, away from camp. When they returned he was fully dressed in costume- green tights and a pointy, green hat with a feather in it! The others looked chocked and wondering at him first.
"What the heck are you wearing?!" Allan exclaims.
Everybody laugh. Much is shining out of complete joy as he walks among them, showing off.
"What does it look like?" Much answers, proudly. "These are called tights!"
"You are not going to be a part of all this, are you?" Little John asks as he is leaning against his big wooden staff.
Much smiles.
"No, I'm not. I'm going to play a part in all this!"
Lizzy comes up behind him.
"From now on you may call him Robin Hood!" she exclaims and everyone laughs again. Even harder this time.
"You can't be serious!" Allan points out. Lizzy looks at him with a face showing her growing annoyance towards him.
"Why do you say that?" she asks, correcting Much's hat. "Jealous?"
He snorts out of pity.
"Hell no! Look, I'm not being funny, but if you insist on doing something like this you can at least do it proper!" he says. "Why embarrass yourself more than necessary?"
Lizzy takes a step forward, closer to him.
"It you haven't noticed yet, Mr Dale, acting is all about letting go of ones strings." she contradicts. "And of not caring whether you look silly or not!"
Much seems to be saddened by her words. Does he really look silly? Mary puts a hand on his shoulder as to reassure him that is not the case. Lizzy puts her hands on her waist and Allan looks almost a bit intimidated by her coming forward that way. But he is stubborn, just like her, and keeps on talking in the same unwilling tone.
"It's Allan a-Dale, for your information."
She does not pretend to have heard his remark and continues.
"...When playing a comedy, like we shall, you shouldn't be afraid of taking it all the way! Right dad?"
Roberts head is turned up to meet his daughters sudden gaze. He did not see it very likely, by looking at the present discussion, that he would be joining his daughter and therefor he was chocked by the sudden invite. He chooses to make an easy escape of it.
"That's right, my dear."
Lizzy turns back to Allan. The way he sits like that makes her sick with disgust. Leaning against the boulder in the light of the fire. He is just so lazy! she thought.
"Perhaps you are of the more tragedy-liking sort?" she philosophizes on. "I guess we're all different."
All of a sudden, Mary jumps up out of the blue (or dark looking at the evening hour) and claps her hands together.
"Speaking of tragedy, would you like to have us perform a play for you?" she wonders, looking at Robin across the fire. "We haven't really shown you what we can do yet."
They all agreed on it and as soon as they had finished eating the drama family made themselves ready.
The play began with Lizzy coming forth, dressed as a fool, clearing her throat.
"'Have you ever heard of a mighty kingdom, which was ruled by a king named Pendragon'?" she says with a funny, playful, though serious voice which made Much give away an easy laugh of exaltation. "'The story goes like this! Not too long ago there was a king named Arthur Pendragon. He was handsome, great, loving and just as a ruler but even more so as a man...'"
As Lizzy is speaking, Robert enters the stage wearing a golden crown on his head.
"'He had the good fortune of being married to the kindest and most good-hearted of women, the Lady Guinevere of Leonesse.'"
Mary comes out and together with Robert they give the impression of the king and queens love for one another, which they did not have to play by the look of it. The fool continues.
"'Guinevere showed to be as brave as King Arthur himself and her wisdom made her highly respected by the people of Camelot. Their love shined brighter than all the stars in heaven. It was truer than the clearest water and a wish come true from a coin in a wishing well.'"
She stops and takes out a violin which she puts in her lap. A scene is performed and ends with Arthur asking Guinevere to dance. Then Lizzy picks up the violin and starts playing a beautiful, soft melody from where she is sitting beside the stage.(Arthur & Guinevere Theme, BBC Merlin) Robin thinks of Marion and all their wonderful memories. He feels sad and tries to prevent the tears from falling while Allan finds it very difficult not to look at Lizzy as she plays.
The story continues and Lancelot, the king's most trusted knight of the round table, is called to Arthurs room. Lizzy enters the stage, dressed in armor and a short, dark wig. When Guinevere meets Lancelot's eyes, hers widen and they look at each other as they were frozen in time...
Later, as the king lies dying on the ground he utters with his last breaths:
"'Take care of her, Lancelot. My first knight.'"
Then he looks at Guinevere.
"'And you, my love, take care of him. Life is filled with too much fighting, cheating and dreadful happenings that it does not hurt having someone watching your back. Camelot will live!'"
Arthur stops breathing and as Guinevere burst into tears Lancelot arises. His hand is wrapped tightly around the queens.
"'So be it.'"
The gang sits quietly, all with glittering eyes, not knowing until Lizzy gives away a smile that the show is over. They clap their hands together while the actors thank them.
Afterwards, when everyone are getting ready to go to bed, Allan finds Lizzy sitting by herself behind one of the bigger trees.
"Hey there." he says and Lizzy looks up. "What ya' doing?"
"Nothing much." she answers, giving him a hasty look.
Allan stands silent for a moment then he sits down a bit away from her, thought still beside her.
"That was some show you put on there!"..." he says, trying to be friendly.
"Thanks. So tragedy is more your thing, is it?" She teases him a little.
Robin walks by them and smiles.
"Good night then!" he exclaims. "Thanks for the show."
Just as he is about to leave he hesitates.
"Are Guisborne going to be in the play?" he asks, curiously.
Lizzy tells him that that is fully possible, but nothing is decided so far. He smiles and turns to Allan.
"Well, if he is, maybe you should help Lizzy with his part! If it will be, as you say, truthful then I'd like to see his face when he sees it!"
While Robin walks away, Lizzy looks wondering at Allan.
"What was that about? How do you know Guy of Guisborne?"
Allan looks down and picks up a branch on which his fingers touches constantly. He takes a deep sigh before answering.
"It's kind of a long story..." he says.
Lizzy smiles.
"Well I've got time."
Without looking at her he tells her the story about when he betrayed Robin and the others and became one of Guisborne's men.
"Why did you do it?" Lizzy later asks.
"I guess I couldn't take always being inferior to Robin!" he says. "I wanted thing for myself but forgot what it was I did and who I hurt..."
No one says anything for a while. They are just listening to the soft night's breeze and the birds calls.
"I'm the black sheep of our gang and will always be." Allan continues. "Even thought my friends were kind enough to let me back in."
Lizzy nods.
"You know, I as well have one of those stories laying in my past." she says, with an easy smile.
Allan looks at her, surprised and curious.
"What?"
When Lizzy was younger, about 18 years old, she took a fancy to the same farmboy who her best friend, Sarah, was madly in love with. And it was not like she liked him nearly as much as Sarah, she did not in fact, only found him deeply attractive. Even though Sarah, unknowing of Lizzy's fling, continued loving that boy and only shared this love with her best friend Lizzy kept on seeing him in secret. It all ended with that Sarah caught them and Lizzy lost her best friend for life.
"She was very stubborn and even though I told her how sorry I was about the whole thing, she wouldn't give in. As a memory of her I took on that stubbornness and have kept it with me ever since."
"What happened to the boy?" Allan asks.
Lizzy sighs and gives away an hopeless smile.
"Well, it turned out that he had more than enough without me playing my part."
She giggles a little and Allan does to.
"I'm not being funny, but that seems like a real waste of a good friend." he points out.
Lizzy nods, acceptingly.
"Yeah..."
After their talk they said good night and the lights of Sherwood disappeared one by one as the dark took over.
