Packing didn't take long. Crusaders didn't keep many possessions; we were on the move too much, roaming from city to city. I had a few pairs of clothes and some extra weapons, nothing more. Everything could be easily wrapped in a sack and strapped to the back of my horse's saddle. I slipped out of the camp silently as dusk was beginning to settle in. No one would even know I was gone for a few days. I didn't have to worry about saying goodbye to anyone; there was no one left who would miss me.
The ride to Acre took a couple of hours at a well-paced gallop. The roads were mostly clear of travelers, so I only had to bushwhack twice along the way to avoid being seen. As King Richard had promised, there was a sea vessel waiting in the harbor. I removed my bundle from my horse and strapped it to my back before nudging the stallion on his way. I hoped a kind person would find and claim him, because he was a good horse, but I didn't think that even I could smuggle him onto the boat unseen.
I circled the boat on foot a few times, wrapping myself in the shadows and darkness, taking in the number and position of guards, planning how I would make my way onto the ship in secret, and the path I would take once I was onboard. Once I had a plan, and a backup plan, and a second backup plan, and a third, I made my way into position.
The guard patrolling the stern of the boat turned his back to the sea for an instant. After all, who would approach from that direction besides another boat? I would. I scuttled down the beam supporting the end of the dock, eased myself into the cool water without making a splash and then floated over to the boat. The first available handhold was high above the water, and difficult to reach, but I was the best, and nothing could stop me once I had a plan. I made my way up the side of the boat to the lower level, and then hung by my arms to swing to the side of the boat, where there was a decent sized porthole, which I shimmied into. It took only a moment for my eyes to adjust to the enveloping darkness, and once they did I saw that I was in a food store room. I couldn't stay here; it would be a very popular place a few days into the voyage, so I cracked the door open just enough to slip out, and made my way into the hallway, locating the stairs to the main deck.
The deck was full of people running around, getting ready to launch, but no one saw me. My feet made no sound as I prowled along the gunwale, staying low to the ground, my dark clothing blending me into the night. It took some time, but I eventually found myself at the bow, where there was a pile of boxes against the prow. I slid one of the boxes over as quietly as I could, creating a small space that I wedged my body into, curling into a ball and covering my body with my still damp cloak. A few minutes later I felt the boat lurch into motion, starting to rock on the sea. I curled up tighter, closing my eyes, confident in my hiding place, and drifted off to sleep.
The voyage took a while. I lost track of the days; they all blended together in my cramped space. Every night I would venture out onto the deck, sneak into the food stores and steal just enough to keep my strength up without causing suspicion. I reveled in these short trips, stretching my limbs and feeling the wind on my face. They always ended too quickly, and I spent most of my time in my little cubby, thinking. I thought about Carter. It hurt, god, did it hurt, but it fed the fire of revenge that glowed in my heart, so I thought about how I would kill the sheriff. I saw it happen hundreds of ways, some from a distance, but most with a close combat in which the sheriff knew exactly who was coming for him.
After what seemed like an eternity the crew began talking excitedly about spotting land. I sighed happily to myself; I couldn't wait to get off of this ship. I still wasn't sure why Richard had sent me to this particular vessel, which was already full of passengers, but I could figure that out later. First things first, I had to get off the boat. Preferably unseen. The boat jerked suddenly, and a quick peek outside told me that we had made port. I moved out of my space quietly, not drawing attention to myself, so that even if someone saw me they wouldn't spare me a second glance. Everyone was focused intently on land, so I grabbed a hold of the rigging and heaved myself up off the ground, swinging through the mess of ropes, keeping pace with the sailors as they moved towards the gangplank. A group of men were huddled together near the boat's only exit, talking amongst themselves. I silently positioned myself so that the slight breeze carried their words to me.
"I'm not being funny," one of them said, "but shouldn't we have stayed in the Holy Land longer?"
"What? Why would we have done that?"
"Well, the King has to know that Robin's just gonna try to kill Gisbourne, and probably the sheriff too."
That caught my interest. Someone else wanted to kill the sheriff? Then it clicked. These were the other men that had been in the tent when Carter… So they, or at least this man Robin, had lost someone, too. Now I knew why the king had sent me here.
"That's crazy. Robin has more sense than that."
"Robin's not thinking straight," the biggest man growled.
"It's a death wish!" The small one exclaimed. "They have too many men; he'll never even get close to them."
I took this as my cue, and flipped from the rope I was holding in a neat back tuck, landing lightly on my feet behind the men. All three of them spun around quickly, drawing a variety of weapons.
"I think I can help you there," I said, smirking at their shocked expressions.
"Who are you?" The little one asked, his voice cracking slightly. I drew back my hood so that they could see my face clearly, and stood up to my full height.
"I, am King Richard's personal assassin."