Giles was beside himself. His men had failed him again. Their mission had not been a difficult one: bring back the head of the outlaw Robin Hood and the names of any man who followed him. It was a routine assignment, one they had done perhaps a hundred times before, yet every day for the past week these brainless oafs had returned empty-handed.
"We found no trace of him, Milord," said the youngest soldier of the lot, a fair-haired man named Alan.
"Yet he managed to rob you of your sword!" exploded Giles, his face livid. Young Alan only stared at him. The sight of the man's pitiful face threw Giles into such a fit of rage that he pulled back his gloved hand and struck him full in the jaw, dropping him to his knee. The rest of the line made no movements. Alan was a hopeless soldier; his compassion often got in the way of his duties, but he was well-respected by the others for his determination and willingness to work. Still, no one dared interfere on his behalf against the Sheriff. Taking several deep breaths, Alan raised his blue eyes to Giles' face.
"For that I am sorry, Milord," he said, his words quivering with suppressed anger, "but this man is not like the others we have captured before. He is a shadow among the trees and so long as you insist on trying to capture him in his element, your missions will fail."
The boy spoke true and Giles knew it, but to be so boldly contradicted in front of his men was not to be borne. He raised his fist to strike him again, but his lieutenant, Guy of Gisborn, caught his wrist. Giles swung around.
"The boy has the tongue of a minstrel. Pay no heed to his words. What you need consider is that every time your men fail to bring back the outlaw's head, it elevates his status in the eyes of the people. There were few who were happy when the Miller's son was outlawed for poaching, and you must consider the impression this Robin Hood made upon them when he declared the lad under his protection. If you are not careful, you will make a martyr of him, and that is the last thing you want." Giles nodded.
"Then there are two things that must be done and as efficiently as possible to discredit this fiend. First, go to the Miller's house and promptly arrest the entire family," Giles said to the men assembled in front of them. They nodded and quickly turned to do as they were assigned. Slowly, Alan got to his feet, anger and humiliation burning in his eyes as he glared at the Sheriff.
"Forgive me, Milord, but the Miller's eldest daughter is betrothed to me. May I please be assured that she will come to no harm?"
"I am no tyrant, Alan. I am not in the habit of torturing young women. Now, do as you're told!" said Giles, a cold bite to his voice. Alan stared at him for long seconds before he gave a small nod and rushed to catch up with the others.
"Milord, you said there were two things that must be done," prompted Lieutenant Gisborn as he and Giles watched Alan run off.
"Aye, I want you to send word to the hangman that his services will be required this afternoon."
Lieutenant Gisborn's eyebrows arched, though he showed no outward sign of surprise by the decree. Giles' lip curled with cunning.
"I must discredit the claims that Robin Hood has made. However, if by some chance Robin Hood should try to intervene to make good on his promise, then you and your men will deal with him accordingly." Giles' black eyes glittered. Lieutenant Gisborn looked thoughtful.
"Do you truly intend to hang the entire family?"
"No, I need only hang one. With the Miller dead, his family will soon starve to death on their own."
Giles waited as his orders were carried out. It took longer than he would have liked, but finally the terrified family was assembled before him. There was a long gash across the father's head and the youngest daughter, Emily, was in tears. Alice, the oldest daughter, was trembling against her mother, who looked on the verge of fainting. Giles smiled inwardly. The more fear they showed, the better.
"Silence!"
The small family jumped, but there was instant compliance. He glared at them, his mouth curling into a smile as he saw the youngest daughter shrink back from his stare. A strong resemblance ran in the family of blue eyes and hair the color of straw. The women were stout and sturdy, save Alan's Alice, who was lithe and lean as a dancer. Though she was too simple for his tastes, Giles could see why the boy worshiped her so.
"Do you understand why I have summoned you here?" Tremulously, they shook their heads. "I have summoned you because of your son, Much," he said.
"Is he alive?" interrupted Helen, the Miller's wife. "You haven't hurt him have you?" Giles fixed her with his coldest stare, so icy it froze her stiff. Her hands clasped over her mouth as if in prayer and her small, blue eyes widened with pleading.
"Your son remains lost." He provided time for the mother's show of relief. "However, the charge of poaching must still be dealt with, not to mention the fact that he has taken up with outlaws. As your son is not present, you all must pay the penalty." This speech was met with stupefied silence.
"And what is the penalty?" asked the father, Dustin bravely. Giles said nothing for a long time, relishing the fear that crossed all their faces. Unconcernedly, he nodded his head towards the space over the family's shoulders. There, the hangman had erected his scaffold. To his satisfaction, the entire family gave a collective gasp. Dustin whirled about and made to lunge at the Sheriff, until a guard standing behind him cuffed him hard so that he fell to his knees. Giles folded his arms and stared coldly down at the man scuffing the carefully polished leather of his boots.
"You heartless dog! You would murder innocent women and children? I will go in my son's place if I must, but do not hurt my family." He raised his head to look into Giles' eyes. Giles stared back, unmoved by the passionate display. A real man would not accept such a thing lying down; a real man would fight. This miller was as disgraceful as a mutt in a kennel of purebred hounds. Wrinkling his nose in distaste, Giles kicked at him to show him just how much of a dog Dustin really was.
"Your whole family swings at dusk for harboring an outlaw. I will not tolerate my subjects giving support to traitors."
"Sir!" Giles swung around; Alan had stepped out of rank once more. "You promised you wouldn't hurt them." A murmur swept through the rest of the line. Giles sent them all one cold, fierce look, commanding instant silence. Slowly, he advanced on the young soldier, moving with the terrifying grace of a tiger. Alan stayed his ground, his fists curled at his sides. Giles stopped when he was barely inches from him.
"Speak again and it will be you to kick the chair from beneath their feet." Alan's bushy brows united in a fierce line over his dark eyes. Giles curled his lip, knowing full well it would only gall the boy more. Alan continued to stare at him, his chest heaving as he fought to keep himself under control.
"Very well, Alan," said Giles silkily, "I will spare young Alice's life. Lieutenant Gisborn!"
"Aye, Sir?" said Lieutenant Gisborn, stepping forward.
"Prepare yourself; you are to be married this afternoon." Giles enjoyed watching the expression change on Alan's face, how the bravado vanished in a rush of crestfallen despair. Alice let out a shriek of refusal behind them. Alan staggered, turning his eyes on his beloved. Giles looked down his long, thin nose with satisfaction.
"Let this be a lesson to you of what happens when you disobey me. You are dismissed of your services. Now get out of my sight." He strode past him, but he heard Alan fall to his knees. Lieutenant Gisborn walked over to take his future bride by the arm; there was little in his expression or gesture that suggested he was happy in the unexpected engagement. She wailed, calling out to Alan, but Alan turned his head away, knowing it was no use to go after her.
Giles was almost across the courtyard when suddenly Alan jumped to his feet.
"You deserve what happens to you! Damn you to Hell, Giles of Northwood!" Alan stormed off in the opposite direction. No one made to stop him but Giles didn't care. His ire had burned itself out and all that remained was the satisfaction of seeing everything firmly under his control once more. Behind him, the rest of the small family were led away to await their execution. They would not be permitted to attend their daughter's wedding. The sound of their cries sent crows from the ramparts soaring into the sky.
In Sherwood, Robin was uneasy. The enthusiasm with which he had begun this campaign was beginning to ebb away as reality set in. What was he thinking? Did he honestly think he stood a chance against Giles with naught but a boy and a giant by his side? Giles was sly and as slippery as a snake. And now, Robin had promised both Much and Little John that he could secure their safety.
Robin sat in the forked bows of a dead tree while Much and Little John spoke of other men who'd been foolhardy enough to challenge John to a duel. They roared with laughter, all but forgetting about Robin. He sighed and peered up at the sky through the leaves above him.
"Something troubling you?" asked Little John suddenly, catching him by surprise. With a faint start, Robin looked down at him. There was not much difference in their ages. Little John had him by less than five years, but Robin felt the instinctive need to shelter him from the truth.
"No, John," he muttered. "I just need to stretch my legs." He climbed out of the tree and began walking. He swiped a hand through his dark hair and plodded on aimlessly. Despite his mind's preoccupation, his senses remained perfectly alert and almost without realizing it, he became aware of a presence close by. He stilled his steps to listen. Judging by the erratic thrashing, the approaching figure was not one of the Sheriff's men.
"Robin Hood! Wherever you are, I need your help!" Robin was no fool, but his curiosity rose.
"Who are you, stranger?" he called. His cloak was so travel worn that he blended seamlessly into the forest without having to stoop and hide.
"I am Alan and I come seeking your aid. The Sheriff has taken the Miller and his family hostage and plans to hang them at dusk!" Alan spun around, talking to the forest as though he expected Robin to be a spirit rather than a man. Robin swore under his breath. Although he sensed a trap, the man's story sounded like just the sort of thing Giles would do. He remained silent, debating whether or not the man could be trusted.
"Please, you must believe me!" cried Alan in despair. There was such wretchedness in his voice that Robin knew he spoke the truth.
"Aye, I believe you, Alan, but tell me why you are so desolate?" Robin stepped into view. Alan swung around to face him and Robin could see that whatever the sheriff had done, it had destroyed Alan's whole world. He heaved a great sigh. "What wrong has the Sheriff inflicted upon you?"
"I was betrothed to the Miller's eldest daughter. I have loved her since we were infants, and because I spoke out against him the Sheriff is marrying her off to his lieutenant this very afternoon. Forgive me, this is not why I have come. Because you have defied him and taken Much under your wing, the Sheriff intends to hang Much's entire family. You must find a way to save them!" Robin could hardly comprehend what he was hearing.
"Thank you for bringing this to my attention and I promise that I will do all in my power to right these wrongs so long as I have your word you will not betray me to the Sheriff thereafter." Alan shook his head fiercely.
"If you manage to undo what the Sheriff has done, I will not only swear never to betray you, but I will forever be your comrade in arms." Robin smiled.
"Then welcome, Alan. Now, go back to Nottingham and I will meet you at the chapel." The look of absolute relief that washed over Alan's features made Robin feel like a king. Alan departed back the way he had come, hope holding his head high. Robin flew back to the others to tell them the news. Much whirled around white-faced when Robin burst in upon them. One look at his face told the others all they needed to know.
"Is it the Sheriff?" blurted Much before Robin could speak. He sighed.
"Aye, it's the Sheriff. He has captured your family and plans to hang them by dusk. Much, your sister, does she love a man named Alan?" Although Robin trusted Alan, he needed a small confirmation that he spoke the truth. Confused, Much nodded.
"Aye, Alan a Dale, but what has that to do with anything? What about my family! What am I going to do?" he moaned. He looked almost sick with worry. Robin stilled and gave him the most reassuring smile he could summon.
"Hope is not lost, Much, but I need you to stay here. Little John, come with me. We are headed for the chapel, but arm yourself, for we will almost certainly encounter the Sheriff." Robin turned to go, but Much ran forward and seized his elbow.
"The chapel? Why are you going there? We need to save my family!"
"Aye, I am doing just that, but first I have a promise to keep. Now leave off." Reluctantly, Much released him. Robin gave a brief nod and he and Little John hurried on through the forest.
"You should have let him come," said Little John as they tramped through the forest. "You're telling him he's not man enough to protect his family. It's his right to protect the ones he loves."
"No, John, he is too close to this; he would put himself at risk for naught. It's better this way. Now I can keep my promise to protect him."
"And who did you make this promise to?" Robin hesitated, making Little John laugh. "Could you stand idly by and leave the fate of your loved ones in someone else's hands?" Robin swallowed and carefully ducked his head to hide the flicker of pain that crossed his features. If only Little John knew what he was saying.
The atmosphere inside the chapel was that of a funeral rather than a wedding. The candles lit by one of the hooded monks were the only warmth in the small room. As Giles walked the bride down the aisle, she began to wail, pulling against him as she tried to break free. Giles dragged her along, pretending not to notice. He was more than happy to hand her off to Gisborn at the altar. She shrieked, howling for Alan and weeping pitifully. Gisborn bowed his head to Giles, but didn't bother to acknowledge his bride. The thin line of his mouth was curled in disdain; whether he disapproved of her behavior or the girl herself, it mattered not to Giles. Although it had seemed the perfect revenge against Alan at the time, this charade had gone on long enough and now he was bored with it. Gisborn took the girl by the wrist and held her in his manacle grip, silencing her with a merciless squeeze without looking at her.
"Are we ready to proceed, Milord?" asked the friar, hopelessly ignoring the girl's whimpers. Giles waved his hand impatiently; his mind was concentrated on the execution that would take place later that evening. Surely Robin Hood would come to such a public opportunity to display his daring. No matter what the outlaw attempted, his men would be ready, but for now, he had to endure this painful ceremony. He studied the bride again and admitted to himself that as peasants went her form was not so displeasing. Gisborn could have done worse.
The wedding was to be short because Giles refused to waste any more time than was necessary. It wasn't as if this marriage was one anyone was looking forward to. No doubt Gisborn was already plotting how best to be rid of the shrieking banshee. Giles let his gaze stray from the sobbing bride to absentmindedly follow the progress of the monk lighting the candles. Even his dreary job seemed more fascinating that the wedding. An eternity passed before the friar asked for objections to the union. Giles didn't wait for an answer before he stepped forward to give Gisborn a customary word of congratulations.
"I speak out against this union," said a loud voice. Giles whipped around. Who dared…? The hooded monk who stood beside the friar had lifted his head. Surprised, the friar turned to him with raised eyebrows.
"Brother, why you do not wish these two to be unified in holy matrimony?" Despite his carefully neutral tone, Giles suspected the friar was relieved that someone had spoken up. He narrowed his eyes at the hooded cleric, furious for the interruption.
"She does not love this man," was the clear reply. The voice that spoke was not the soft tones of a holy monk, but one of arrogance and amusement.
"Not all unions can be made for love, brother," replied the friar. He tilted his head to try and peer under the monk's hood.
"Well," said the monk as he pulled back the hood of his robes to reveal a young, handsome face, stained by earth yet shining with determination "at least we can save this man from being a cuckold the rest of his life." Robin stepped forward and knelt to lift the trembling bride from her knees. She sniffled, leaning away from him as though afraid he might strike her.
"Sweet Alice, today I give you a choice," he said in a soft, calming tone. "If you had the opportunity to marry any man in the world, who would it be?" The girl gave a small indrawn breath, clasping his hand in both hers as she peered into his face. A tear slipped down her cheek and she glanced fearfully at the Sheriff, but Robin shook his head.
"This isn't about his wishes, it is about yours. Tell me, to whom does your heart belong?" She closed her eyes against a fresh wave of silent tears and bowed her head.
"Alan a Dale," she whispered, so that only he could hear. Robin smiled and laid a hand gently on her head.
"Then wed Alan a Dale, for he has gone to great lengths to seek my aid. Now you can both be happy. This is my wedding gift to you." He gestured toward the back of the chapel. Slowly, fearfully, the girl raised her head and looked around. At Robin's words, the door to the chapel creaked open and Alan entered, dressed in his finest robes, followed by Little John who had to bend almost double to pass through the tiny door. Alice gasped, covering her face with her hands. Smiling, Alan began to walk toward her, ignoring Robin and the Sheriff. His eyes were only for her. Laughing and sobbing, she flung herself at him and clung to him for dear life.
"There is your proof that this marriage cannot go on, Friar," said Robin quietly.
"This has never happened before. I am quite at a loss for what to say," stammered the friar in bafflement. A smile touched his lips.
"The vows have been given, simply proclaim these two man and wife instead and everything will be as it should be," Robin answered. Wordlessly, the friar nodded.
"No!" shouted Giles, striding forward. "I won't stand for it!" Little John growled deep in his throat and smacked his cudgel against his fist. Giles seemed to wither before his gaze.
"Guards! Guards!" he shouted, but Little John smirked.
"They're a bit tied up at the moment, Sheriff. They won't be much help to you now."
"Milord, let us be done with it!" snapped Gisborn, scowling at Robin. "I care not for the girl." The Friar took this as consent and proclaimed what had always been true: Alan and Alice would be spiritually joined until the end of their days. They kissed and embraced with tears spilling down their cheeks and laughter ringing throughout the tiny church. Gisborn's long face soured considerably; he stormed away from the altar would have left the church altogether had not Little John blocked his passage with his cudgel. Little John gave a mocking shake of his head. "Not just yet." Gisborn snarled, balling his fists, but Little John pushed him back a few paces with the end of his staff.
Giles stood rooted to the spot, rigid with fury. He was powerless to do anything to stop this, yet he felt the consuming urge to arrest the lovers for outwitting him. He started toward them, ignoring Little John behind him, and so consumed by hatred was he that he failed to notice Robin slip up behind him. The point of a dagger pressed into the small of his back as an arm wound around his throat. With a cry, Gisborn reached for his sword, but Little John cracked him over the head with his cudgel, dropping him like a stone. Giles struggled, but the arm around his windpipe squeezed him into submissiveness.
"I am warning you Sheriff, give again what is not in your power to give and I will destroy everything that you hold dear just as you did to me so long ago."
"Who are you?" muttered Giles through clenched teeth.
"I am your darkest dream made real, for I know your secrets and the dark deeds in your past, and I will do all in my power to expose you as the coward and villain that you are. Remember this lesson, Sheriff… courtesy of Robin Hood." And at the sound of the name, the point of the blade was removed from the Sheriff's back. Giles lingered a fraction of an instant, awaiting a lethal blow, but none came. When he spun around, there was no one there save for the friar, who was still smiling over the unexpected happy ending to the wedding, and Gisborn who was gingerly getting to his feet and rubbing the back of his head. Fuming, Giles gestured at Gisborn to go after the scoundrels and found that the door to the church had been barricaded from the outside.
"Damn you, Robin Hood!"
That night in Sherwood Forest there was much rejoicing as the entire Miller family, Alan, Robin, and Little John celebrated the fact that they were all safe together. Although they were all grateful to Robin for having rescued them from the gallows, the thing that everyone seemed most grateful for was Robin arranging the marriage between Alice and Alan. Next to that daring tale, the one of how he had stolen the keys to the dungeons from the Sheriff's belt loop paled in comparison. Still, Emily eagerly recounted the story for Much, embellishing bits and pieces so that instead of the hasty escape they had managed with Robin and John disguised as guards come to lead them away it sounded more like Robin had singlehandedly infiltrated the castle dungeons and battled a hundred guards to get them to freedom. Robin preferred her daring adventure over the nerve-racking ordeal he had suffered, praying they weren't discovered and that the Sheriff remained locked in the chapel long enough for them to make their escape.
"Oh Robin Hood, how can we ever thank you?" asked Alice, beaming as she sat next to Alan, hugging his arm. Robin shook his head averting his eyes shyly. "It was nothing, Miss Alice."
"No Robin, what you did took courage the likes of which Nottingham hasn't seen in many years," said Alice's father, Dustin. Robin only acknowledged this with another faint bob of his head. Such adoration was foreign to him and he was unsure how to handle it.
"Giles and I have known each other a long time, Sir. Believe me it takes no courage to face a coward." Robin stole a glance at the newlyweds who were gazing into each other's eyes as though the world would stop if they looked away.
"You risked your life for us. I'll not forget it. If there is ever anything you need of me don't hesitate to ask."
"I assure you it was nothing. The Sheriff thinks himself king here in Nottingham. I think differently. I serve no other king than King Henry and any man that aims to take his place is guilty of treason in my eyes. The Sheriff is powerful, but his evil deeds cannot go unchallenged any longer."
"Will you do it alone?" asked Emily. Sitting next to her brother she could have been his double were it not for her long blonde braid and thick, dark lashes. Robin smiled.
"No. The Sheriff has his guards and I have men of my own." He glanced from Much to Alan to Little John and suddenly his certainty wavered. He looked around at them seated around the fire he had built. Although they didn't realize it yet, their safety rested with him. His chest rose and fell heavily, but he forced a cheerful smile.
"You must be hungry after such a trying day. I would be a poor host indeed if I were to let my guests starve on their first night in my company. I will return shortly with dinner and we can celebrate properly."
Forcing a smile, Robin began to withdraw. He had hoped to go alone, but Little John rose and followed him. Quietly, they slipped away from the warmth of the fire and melted into the darkness of the wood.
"Bitten off more than you can chew, eh, Robin?" asked Little John abruptly once the sound of the small family's laugher had sufficiently faded into the distance. Surprised, Robin sent him a calculating glance. Little John laughed.
"You're a brave man and better than most, but you're not a god. I saw the look on your face back there. You know you can't keep them safe forever."
"I gave them my word, therefore I must," said Robin simply, staring straight ahead.
"You started this crusade on zeal alone and look where it's got you. You need men to fight a war." Robin stopped walking.
"I can't be responsible for the lives of more men."
"Oh get off your high horse!" Little John snorted. "Did you not see their faces back there? They would follow you to hell and back after what you did for them today. You can't save everybody, Rob, but you can give them something to believe in. Raise a call and I swear to you you'll get an answer." Robin took in what the giant was saying. Little John began to laugh again, folding his great arms over his barrel chest. "Look at you. When you signed me up for this mad venture you were full of promises of glory and doing the right thing no matter the cost, and now you're scared to ask others to do the same? What you don't understand, being a nobleman and all, is that there is a lifetime of hatred born into every peasant for every lord who takes what isn't rightly theirs. Giles is the worst of the lot; promise to dispose of him and every able-bodied man in England will rally round you."
As Little John spoke, Robin envisioned what he spoke of. Aye, the people of Nottingham were oppressed and what he wanted to offer them was not a battle, but something better. He wanted the Greenwood to ring with the sound of laughter and song. He could just imagine what fun it would be to drink and feast every night living solely off the earth and on whatever else they chose. The greatest way to incur Giles' wrath was not to humiliate him and bait him, but to ignore him. Giles viewed himself as near to a god, and to set up a place where the title of Sheriff of Nottingham was nothing more than a joke would be more than he could stand.
"John, you're right. But before we go about recruiting men, we need to bring back supper for the few that we already have." They chuckled and continued their quest for dinner.
Hours later, when Alan and Alice had retired to a secluded area and Much and the others were beginning to grow drowsy, Robin made his way over to Dustin the Miller. Upon his approach, the old man smiled.
"Forgive me, but I have come to ask you to make good on your promise," said Robin quietly, keeping his voice low so as not to disturb Helen, who lay dozing with her head on her husband's shoulder. Dustin nodded.
"Aye?"
"Send word throughout all the shires of Nottingham that any able-bodied man with a thirst for justice may join me here in the Greenwood." Dustin squinted up at him through the darkness. The fire had begun to die out and all he saw of Robin was his dark silhouette.
"I'll send word Robin, but are you ready for all the men who will answer your call?" Robin said nothing to this and bowed himself out of the Miller's presence. As he walked across the clearing that night, he had a strange feeling that they were all on the verge of something great, something that would change them forever.
Giles of Northwood paced back and forth in his study. His black robes hissed along the tiled floor. How dare he, he thought bitterly. How dare that insolent cur accost his men in the forest? What sort of demon was this Robin Hood? "A ghost," his men had said. Damn them, the fools. Giles did not believe in ghosts or forest spirits. This forest lord was a man of flesh and blood and like any other criminal he deserved to hang. But how did one go about capturing a man whose knowledge of the forest was in his very blood? This Robin could disappear in the blink of an eye, and he blatantly poached on his—the Sheriff's—deer. Giles slammed his leather-gloved fist against his oak desk.
"How dare he?" he bellowed. The news of the outlaw's most recent insult still festered in his memory. Five of his men had been stripped of their money and forced to dine with the foresters in their camp; the guards were treated as 'honored guests,' given the finest victuals they had eaten for months, and given the best wine they had ever tasted—so the men said. The audacity of Hood to feed the Sheriff's men, off meat stolen straight from the King's forest no less!
"He dares mock me to my face," muttered Giles bitterly. "He dares tempt my fury?"
Someone knocked timidly on the door and Giles whirled around, half-tempted to hurl his candlestick at them.
"Who is it?" he roared. The response was slow in coming.
"Urgent n-news, Sir," called his lowly servant, Lionel. "King Henry is dead." Giles swore, raked his fingers through his greasy black hair, and flung open the door to admit the feeble old man in. Lionel cringed at the sight of him, his black hair disheveled and his sallow face livid with fury. Giles raised his fist threateningly.
"Speak fool!" he ordered. The old man flinched and staggered into the edge of the desk.
"A message has just arrived from France. King Henry died last night at Chateau Chinon. They bury him at Frontevraud Abbey at week's end." Giles cursed again. He would have to go to the burial. The tension within the royal family was legendary. All knew how Henry favored his youngest son, John, while his wife favored their third child, Richard for the throne. If Queen Eleanor had her way, and Giles had no doubt that with her husband dead the old bat would get her way, Richard would indeed be king. Giles cared nothing over who would rule, but he needed to ensure his continued position as Sheriff of Nottingham and the only way to do that was to make quick friends with the new king.
"Ready my carriage," he growled at Lionel, who still stood cowering on the spot.
"Aye, Sir," he mumbled, shuffling off to do as he was bid. Giles slammed the door behind him. The corridors rang with the thunderclap of sound. With a snarl of outrage, he strode over to his desk and knocked everything onto the carpeted floor. As though there wasn't enough to deal with, now he had to deal with this business in France. He hated to leave the matter of Sherwood unfinished, but it could not be helped. The battle with Robin Hood would have to wait until another day.
"Damn!"
