The sunlight streamed through the leaves, leaving dappled patches of light to play across the fallen leaves. A stream babbled quietly in the background, a cheerfully peaceful sound. Birds chirped in the small bushes lining the narrow path through Sherwood Forest. Only Robin Hood and his band knew of its location.
Through the noise of the bird and the brook, another sound was barely audible. One with extraordinary hearing might have known what it was, but no one was around to hear the quiet footsteps. A tall figure with sandy hair and shocking emerald eyes crept silently through the undergrowth along the path. A recurve bow hung loosely in his hand, the fletching of many arrows was visible over his shoulder. Robin Hood eased his weight forward as he waited for his allies to arrive.
I watched him as I struggled to come down the small hill as silently as he had, but the relentless rustling of the leaves would've woken a hibernating bear. Robin whipped around and placed a finger on his lips.
"Listen!" he whispered urgently. Obediently, I stopped and strained my ears for any sound. The rhythmic drumming of horses' hooves was growing nearer. "Where're the others?" Robin hissed.
"They're just behind me," I murmured. Sure enough, moments later, the much quieter footsteps of Will Scarlet sounded behind me. He slid to a stop next to me.
"Robin!" he muttered. "The others are right behind me. Who's this person we're trying to ambush again?"
Robin rolled his eyes. "I've told you before! Robert, Earl of York is coming along this road any minute, and I intend to relieve him of his valuables."
Will nodded, and turned to me. "Tell the others to get a move on," he muttered. "I'll stay here and back up Robin."
I nodded and scampered back up the hill, managing not to sound like a charging boar. I reached the top and reeled backwards as I almost collided with Little John. "Sorry!" I hissed.
"Oi, Marian, be careful!" he spat quietly, teetering precariously on the edge of the hill. "Where's Robin?"
"Down there," I murmured, pointing to the bush Robin was hiding in. "He says to hurry up; the Earl is coming soon."
John nodded and moved past me, surprisingly silent for a man of his hulking size. Behind him crawled Allen A'Dale, his short brown hair in sweat-slicked spikes. He nodded at me and gave a roguish wink before moving on, making almost no noise in the dry leaves. Of all the silent movers in the gang, Robin was the best, but Allen was almost as good.
I followed him back down the slope, causing as little noise as I could. The rocks shifted under my feet, the leaves making a distinct crunching noise. I would have to work on silent movement after this was over.
I slid to a halt behind Robin and peered cautiously down the road. A cloud of dust announced the earl's arrival.
"Steady, lads," said Robin quietly, and then glanced at me. "And lasses," he amended hastily. He nocked an arrow with the ease of years of practice, drawing the bowstring back as far as it would go. Robin aimed carefully, sighting along the arrow.
The earl rounded the bend, riding along slowly on a beautiful white horse, surrounded by half a dozen heavily armed guards.
The bowstring sang, and the arrow flew gracefully through the air, passing just over the earl's shoulder. A line of blood appeared on his cheek. His horse reared, throwing him off and throwing the soldiers into confusion. They drew their swords and formed a protective circle around the stunned earl.
Robin stood up, another arrow nocked and ready. "Robert, Earl of York!" he shouted, his voice carrying easily to the travelers. "Tell you men to lay down their weapons now. If they put down their weapons, my men will not harm them. We just ask that you kindly donate all your valuables to our cause." Robin paused, waiting for something to happen.
The earl let out a triumphant laugh, breaking the solemn silence. "Now's the time, Gisborne!" he called. A rustling erupted in the bushes behind the earl, and Guy of Gisborne, along with another dozen soldiers, emerged onto the road.
"Hood!" roared Gisborne. "I'll have your head this time!" He charged forwards, drawing his sword with a metallic ring that made my heart begin to race.
I drew my own sword and waited for Robin to send us to battle. His hand rose, clenched into a tight fist: the signal to wait. I could feel the tension draining out of my slim frame, my shoulders drooping. Why had he told us to wait? I tensed again, planning to attack on my own; my prowess at fighting would keep my safe. Robin had evidently predicted my move; his hand caught my arm before I could do anything more than shift my weight.
"Not this time, Marian," he whispered, keeping his eyes on Gisborne. "I can smell a trap; Gisborne wouldn't come without one of his sneaky plans."
Sighing quietly, I conceded his point and settled down again. The riders drew closer, their unsheathed swords gleaming in the sunlight. I knew the moment of collision was only moments away; I squeezed my eyes shut, waiting the screeching clamor of metal that preceded full out battle, but it never came. Seconds passed; my eyes remained tightly shut.
After a minute or so, I gathered the courage to open my eyes, and laughed loudly. Gisborne and his troops no longer looked so threatening.
Allen, Little John, and I walked out of the thicket to stand beside Robin, looking over the soldiers in amusement.
"How kind of you to hang around!" I couldn't resist the taunt, terrible pun though it was. Intent on catching their prey, Gisborne and his men had failed to notice the traps we had set up; they were now dangling in a net, high in the trees. The earl stood behind them, his knees trembling slightly. He turned to run, but Allen was ready.
Before the earl had time to do more than run a few steps, Allen had caught up to him and seized his arm. "Hey, we still have business. You'll be free to go afterward, but we'd appreciate it if you'd stick around a while longer," said Allen cheerfully. He led the terrified earl back to Robin.
Wordlessly, Robin held out his hand. "I assume a high-ranking person such as yourself would have valuables, correct?"
The earl nodded shakily, watching Robin warily. "Will you let me go if I give them to you peacefully?" he asked.
Robin's eyebrows rose in surprise. "A noble is giving up his valuables willingly?" The earl nodded hastily. "Well, how kind of him. Why don't you fetch them for us?"
The earl ran towards his horse, almost tripping over himself in his haste.
"Not so brave without the odds overwhelmingly in his favor, is he?" I muttered. Little John chuckled, and Allen grinned.
The earl returned, a large sack of gold coins in his trembling hands. "Here you go!" he cried, his voice shooting up an octave in his panic. "This is all that I have! Take it!" He turned and ran, leaving the gold on the ground. Robin grinned and picked it up.
"Job well done, lads," he said. The gang turned and headed back through the trees to their camp, leaving Gisborne and the soldiers hanging in the trees.
It had been a successful day.