Outlaws Camp
The sun was coming up over the horizon when Much set about making breakfast. Eggs were on the menu for this morning, much like every other morning. What he wouldn't give for a feast of bacon, biscuits, fresh fruit, and other delicious things. In the forest however, the meals were very monotonous. The money from Nottingham was supposed to arrive in Sherwood a little before midday, so that meant that everyone needed to get up early. There needed to be plenty of time to get to the sight of the ambush, set up where everyone would lay in waiting, and do a test run of it. Much walked over to where Robin was sleeping and crouched down beside him.
"Master…" Much said reaching out and gently tapping Robin's shoulder, "Master it's time to get up."
"Thank you, Much." A sleepy sounding Robin Hood replied.
The night visits to Knighton were taking a toll on him, even though he considered it well worth the loss of sleep to see his love.
"Wake the others so we can get ready for today." Robin said as he slowly straightened into a standing position.
"Master, I hate to say it but you really should be getting more sleep." Much said in a tone that made him sound like a mother hen.
"When King Richard is home, back in England, and everything is right again I will sleep plenty. For now we have work to do, come on."
"Right work, I think we could all use a day of rest; no one has any energy around here, especially Allan. He hasn't been looking so well, Djaq even asked him if he was feeling alright. Don't try telling me it's my cooking either because I don't see anyone else volunteering to take over kitchen duty."
"Calm down Much, no one thinks your cooking is making Allan sick. He hasn't been sleeping; he was awake last night when I went to see Marion." Robin replied as he was handed a plate of food from his most trusted friend.
Much walked over to where Will was sleeping, and gave the youngest member of the gang a light shake. Will volunteered to wake Djaq which was occurring almost daily, earning a thought that the two might be becoming more than friends from Much. Turning his head away from Will whispering Djaq's name to her in her sleep to wake her, Much went back to the task at hand. Waking Allan; never an easy job, Much stopped trying to be nice about the whole thing and generally (and seemingly happily) settled for a couple of kicks in the side to wake the unnaturally deep sleeping Allan. In a matter of seconds Much noticed the very empty bunk were Allan always slept. He looked around the camp for somewhere Allan might have fallen asleep, but realized he was nowhere to be found. Hurriedly he walked back to where Robin was finishing his eggs.
"Robin, Allan is missing; he's not here." Much said in the anxious tone Robin had become well accustomed to in the years of knowing him.
Raising his eyebrows in a "what's your point" fashion Robin replied, "Maybe he went out for a walk."
Djaq and Will walked over to the fire, the first with a concerned look on her face which did not go unnoticed by the second.
"Allan out for a walk in the morning, are we talking about the same Allan. I mean he's always the last one to get up and around in the morning and the first one in bed at night. I can't imagine him making a point to take an early morning stroll." Much said, leaving the others nodding their heads in agreement.
"No. that wouldn't be like him; I told him we needed him today, where on Earth would he have gone to?" Robin said becoming annoyed with the missing con-man.
"What should we do?" Will asked the gangs leader.
"What is going on?" came the booming voice of Little John. He apparently had been forgotten with the discovery of Allan's absence.
"Allan has disappeared." informed Djaq.
"Allan, where would he be this early?" John questioned to no one in particular.
"I don't know," Robin said, "but if he is not back here in the next little bit we will have to leave without him."
