The Robber! The Robber is here!
Audrey shrugged off the cries as she slipped out of the manor through a window on the first floor. She was like a shadow as found her way to Sherwood forest with her stolen goods. Coins that would have jingled were muffled by a tight bag. A sack of fruits was slung over her shoulder.
"I wouldn't go much farther."
Audrey nearly dropped the bag of coins. Had she finally been caught? Impossible! The calls of her alter ego's name were much too late for someone to have caught up to her so quickly, and she had never even heard the sound of hoof beats. Had someone posted a lookout in the forest to find her? No. People were terrified of dark trees and the leaf-littered ground. She never did understand why.
"Don't worry." She could hear a hearty chuckle now along with the sound more than one set of footsteps. She counted at least three before they all came to a stop. Her eyes were still adjusting to the darkness, but she was beginning to make out the silhouette of a man. His companions were probably hiding behind the trees.
"I'm not going to hurt you." Lies. Audrey just knew it was all lies. Someone had been smart enough to set up a lookout tonight, hadn't they. She had to find a way out of here before she was captured. Maybe she could escape before the man and his friends caught up. She would have to leave something behind to lighten her load, though.
"It's okay." She dropped the bag of coins and began to dash in the opposite direction. She could turn north once she got far enough away and maybe make it back to Nettlestone by morning. Nottingham castle was still dangerously close, though, and she knew she did not want to end up there that night. She could hear the man shouting something, but she ignored it. She had to get away.
Swish! Audrey heard the rope sliding beneath the leaves too late. Before she could understand what was happening, she was upside down in the air and the last of her stolen goods were now rolling around on the forest floor. She could feel the rope that had wrapped itself around her ankle and groaned. She had been caught by a simple trap! How embarrassing!
"Not such a good view up there, eh?" Great….that man was back. Audrey could hear chuckling from the others that were with the man. One of them sounded female. Well, that was odd.
"You aren't going to take me to Nottingham! Not while I've still got an ounce of strength left!" Audrey finally shouted at the man. "I'm-"
"Why would we take you to Nottingham?"
"What?! You're not a lookout or scouts or anything sent to find me? You're not with the sheriff?"
"The sheriff?" The man burst out laughing. "Why would I want to work with him?!"
"Why wouldn't you? He's got money and I bet he'd pay a hefty bounty for my head," Audrey muttered as she began to reach for the knife at her belt. Maybe she could get herself down and fight off these people. Fat chance! she thought. They'd run you through first!
"I'm sure I'm worth much more than you, Robber. Now, I bet it's pretty uncomfortable up there. If you promise not to run away, we'll let you down," the man said as he beckoned to his companions.
"Fine," Audrey grumbled. She already had her knife in her hand anyway. She could probably knock down a few of those people below, but she still doubted she would be able to get away. It was worth a shot, though. Suddenly she felt her head slam into the forest floor. Before she could regain her senses her arms were snatched by two sets of hands and her knife was taken away from her.
"And I was about to trust you, too. What a pity..." The face of the man was right in front of her eyes now. He had scruffy blonde hair. Were his eyes hazel or brown? That fall must have really done something to her. She already felt sluggish and dizzy. "Do you know who I am?"
"How should I know?" she mouthed. The man smiled before he burst out laughing again.
"You're a little vigilante, aren't you? Yet you don't even know the face of Robin Hood!" Audrey's eyes widened. She had been caught by the legend himself. She didn't feel so stupid anymore now that she knew she hadn't been captured by some ridiculous bounty hunter or worse. "Now, let's see what we can do about adding these goods that you've stolen to our stores. I hope you weren't planning on keeping it all for yourself."
"I guess you don't know the face of the Robber, then?" Audrey murmured. She had her voice back, but she was still feeling like she had just woken up from a long slumber.
"John! Don't!" Everything went black.