Chapter Two

One Of Our Men Is Missing

Blossom didn't know what to do. She remembered that John was the BIG guy. "I don't see him!" She yelled back to Robin.

Buster thought for a moment. "Could this be just a big prank or something?" he asked, "I mean, what could have happened?"

"The sheriff must have gotten him," Robin explained, "He'd never leave without me. They must have ganged up on him, maybe five, six of them all at once."

His mind racing, Robin reached the inevitable conclusion. "I've got to get back to the band," he told them, "I can make my own way from here – you two go on back to the Hollow."

Blossom gave a fake laugh. "No way." She stamped her foot on thin air. "If he has been captured, you are going to need us!"

Buster nodded. "We could send word through the animals!" he concluded, flying up to a bird's nest. "Yo, birdie," he caught the bird's attention, "Go tell Fawn to warn the Tinker fairies that this John guy was captured. He is Robin's friend."

The bird chirped understandingly. She flew off, leaving a content Buster behind. Flying down, he yelled, "ALL DONE!!!"

"Thank you," Robin told him, "Now, I have got to go back to camp. You two need to go back – I'm not ready to tell my men about this contract yet."

"Wait a minute," Blossom rushed forward, "We are at the camp!" She frowned. "Plus, they don't know we even exist. They won't see us," she grinned, "Plus, we can distract the guards once we get to rescuing."

Buster held up his hands. "Wait a minute," he interrupted Blossom, "We are to distract a guard?" He frowned as he crossed his arms. "I ain't nobody's distracting beacon."

"I don't care!" Blossom yelled, "Let Robin decide." She turned back to Robin. "You decide, but I ain't goin' home just yet! It is our duty to help!"

"But that's not your job yet," Robin told them, "Your orders were just to get me back to where I was before I came with you to Pixie Hollow. I need to get to the main camp, and I won't have time for a half-dozen explanations."

As he said this, he started walking in the direction of the main camp, which was some mile away. He was also thinking about how he would gauge how each of his men would react to the news. Much would be predictably distressed; that much was dependable. Will Scarlet and Allan o'Dale wouldn't be able to believe it immediately, but it would sinking in quick enough. Djaq, of course, would immediately want to save the life of her comrade.

But the fairies? How would his men (and woman) react to them?

He would, of course, have to answer a dozen questions, and then that would lead to the contract. His band would, of course, be absolutely incensed that he hadn't consult each and every one of them first, and then there would be apologies all around, and the job of getting Much to stop sulking, and then there would be a dozen hundred questions about the fairies – Where did they come from? Were they really magical? What could they do? How long had they been in Sherwood Forest? How could they possibly help them?

In short, it would take too much time and, by then, John would be dead. The fairies had to stay in Pixie Hollow until the time was right.

Blossom didn't like to just hang around, knowing that some one was in danger. She had had to do that when Buster's cousin was killed. "No, I am coming," she answered determinately, "We'll stay out of sight..." she offered, "In you pocket. With clothes like that how could they see us?"

Buster nodded. "Yeah, good idea," he grinned, "Pleeeeeease!?" He was on the verge of falling onto his knees!

Robin looked down at the two fairy children with the feeling of a harassed parent denying his children candy. He gave a long, drawn-out sigh, and then said, "I suppose. Climb in, and let's go."

Blossom gave a squeal of delight as she took Robin's right pocket. "You get the left one!" she yelled to her friend.

Buster groaned. He climbed in to the pocket and nearly fell out. He braced himself over the worn hole inside the pocket. Why does Blossom ALWAYS get the best? he thought angrily to himself. "Wow, it's dark in here!" He shouted up just to annoy his "carriage". He stifled a laugh by a fit of coughs. "It's dusty, too!"

"Sorry," Robin apologize with a chuckle, "I thought I needed to empty my pockets."

Within twenty minutes he reached the main camp. Much was the first one on his feet as he ran to greet his former master.

"Robin! What took you so long? Where's the food?" he asked, and then looked about breifly before querying, "Where's Little John?"

"That's the problem," Robin replied solemnly, "Little John's been captured."

"What?"

"How could they possibly capture that great … man?" Allan asked in disbelief. Will and Djaq were silent as they got up from the fire to join the other three.

"They must have ganged up on him," Robin explained his theory, "That's the only possible way they could have done it."

"When do we leave?" Djaq asked, knowing that they were going to attempt a rescue.

"As soon as night falls," Robin told them, "Which should be in about seven hours. Get ready."

Blossom shifted positions and sighed. 7 hours?! She thought in dis belief. I am not going to forgive him for this. OW! My wings are going to sleep!!!

Buster bounced as he nearly fell through th hole once more. ACK!! He thought. 7 hours?? Does no human know that I can't stay still that long?? I'll make the Fliken bigger!!!

--

Once they had reached the castle gates, Robin, Will, and Allan stopped when they saw that the castle was completely surrounded with guards – which was why most rescues were carried out in the daytime, when the guard was weaker.

Allan and Will gave a small groan of annoyance and looked at Robin, who was grinning.

"Gents," he said, "I haven't exactly told you everything that happened today. Allow me to introduce a couple new friends of mine." Unbuttoning his pockets, he called, "Blossom! Buster! Come on out now."

Blossom dashed out and would have fallen if it weren't for Buster rushing over to hit her wings. "Thanks, Buster," she groaned, "Hi, I am Blossom and this is-"

"-Buster." Buster hated to have people speak for him. "I'll do the fat one!" he grinned as he started towards the guards just to fell Blossom grab his wings and pull him back. "What?" he asked, annoyed.

"Robby hasn't given the word yet," Blossom explained, "Dork." She let go of his wings and nearly laughed as Buster started to beg Robin to let him go.

Robin shook his head resolutely. "No, not yet," he told them, "I just need you to check and see if the kitchen door is guarded. If it isn't, let us know, and you can unlock it for us, Buster – and do try not to be seen, and don't call me Robby."

Will and Allan looked at the two mythical creatures in disbelief, until Robin said, "Will, Allan, I need you to be ready. I'll explain everything later."

"Alright," Will nodded, as Allan answered dumbly, "Yeah."

Buster gasped. "You mean we aren't gonna annoy the dumb guards?" He didn't like this idea at all.

Blossom gave Buster a playful punch in the shoulder. "Duh." She turned to Robin and gave a salute. "Aye sir," she told him, "Will do!"

She dashed off with Buster at her heels. They stopped at the kitchen door. "Guards!" she gasped, "We gotta go warn Robin." She started back, unaware that Buster had stayed behind.

"Guards...." Buster mimicked a deep voice, "The Sheriff wants you." He frowned as the guard turned to the shadow opposite of him and asked, "And leave the door unguarded?"

Buster rolled his eyes. "No ... I've got more on the way." He smiled in satisfaction as the guard rushed away. He flew back to Robin and grinned. "No guards!"

Blossom frowned. "What did you do?" she asked him, an inch from his face, in a deathly tone.

Buster stopped grinning. "Nothing.." he squeaked. He knew that when Blossom got like this, it was best just to stay out of firing range.

"Buster," Robin asked in a calmer tone than Blossom's, but just as demanding, "What did you do?"

"With respect, Robin," Allan spoke up, "But shouldn't we not look a gift horse in the mouth?"

Robin looked at Allan, then gave Buster one last glare before replying, "Alright. Let's go. Buster, you go and unlock the door."

Buster nodded. "I knew I forgot something...." He dashed over the wall and through the hall, almost banging into some black-haired guy, but managed to avoid him. He slipped into the lock and push in the lock's mechanism. He dashed out as the door opened. "Is that okay?"

Blossom frowned. "Fine," she said as she squeezed past Allan and Will's shoulders, "Just perfect..."

Once everybody was in, Robin snuck through the empty kitchen and down the stone corridor to the closed stairwell that led down to the dungeons.

"Blossom," he whispered to the fairy on his right, "Can you cast a sleeping charm?"

Blossom nodded. "Duh, every doctor must learn," she laughed, "Who do you want me to put to sleep?"

Buster smiled. "Not me...." he laughed, "You can't. I got a brain that works at any time of day. I can go for weeks without sleep," he bragged.

Blossom frowned as her light turned red once more. "You wanna put that to the test, mister know-it-all?" she dared him.

Buster quickly shook his head. "No...." he mumbled, "Plus, Robin needs me." he grinned.

"I need both of you," Robin told the quarrellings fairies, "Blossom, I want you to knock out those two guards by the dungeon door. Can you do that?"

Blossom nodded. "A peace of petal!" she grinned. She concentrated cutting out all breathing, but hers. Fall, sleep, snooze, knock out ... Her thoughts soon became mumbling. A wave of blinding light shot from her finger tips and not only temporarily blinding them but they were also in a deep sleeping. "We only have an hour," she told them.

Buster frowned. How he wished he could do that … he would have to ask Queen Clarian when they got back back. He knew that this was no time to request a favor from Blossom at the moment.

"Good. Thank you, Blossom," Robin told her, "Then let's hurry."

And hurry they did. Quickly, Robin, Will and Allan ran into the dungeons, hurrying through and trying not to be seen by any of the other prisoners.

"Where is he?" Allan asked as they reached the back of the large dungeon.

"I don't know..." Robin replied, then saw the two fairies whizzing back from their own reconnaissance, "Ah. Blossom, Buster, have you found Little John?"

Blossom shook her head sadly. "Nope," she answered, "Let's look once more."

Buster rolled his eyes. "Do you always have to put the sad … effect to it?"

Blossom frown as she fished checking a second time. "Nope," she sighed completely ignoring Buster's comment.

"Then where could he be?" Will asked in bewilderment. It didn't seem like Little John to participate in a deliberate set-up.

Suddenly, they heard shouts and the clinking of armor and chain mail – they'd been discovered!

"Buster!" Robin snapped, "How did you get rid of those guards earlier?"

"I told them that the sheriff guy wanted them and that more guards would come soon," he answered, "Pretty smart, huh?"

"You sent them to the sheriff?" Robin asked incredulously, "Oh, great, now everybody in the whole castle knows we're here! Allan, Will, with me!" he ordered as he headed for the exit in the back of the underground structure.

Blossom frowned. "Wait up!" she yelled, "I can't fly that fast." She saw a large black hunk come; it followed by guards of every class. "Buster, get outta here!"

Buster nodded. "Come on." He knew that the sleeping charm took energy away from the spell's caster, so he grabbed Blossom's arm and soon caught up with the group of outlaws. "Wait up, y'all!" he yelled.

Robin grabbed one of the fairies and Will grabbed the other, and they continued running, finally reaching a small, locked door.

"Buster," Robin snapped as he released his little captive, "The lock!"

Then the three Humans, Will Scarlet still clutching Blossom, turned to face the oncoming guards, led by Robin's nemesis, Sir Guy of Gisborne.