If I had known what Tuck was up to, I would have thought he was crazy. But in the end, his planned worked. England had its savior again and Robin and the gang were reunited. Yet I knew none of this. All I knew was that he was up to something. All I knew was that the future of England hung in the balance.
I saw Robin fully dressed sitting in front of a shrine. There were candles, many of them, burning brightly. Robin bent down and picked up a toy, a little doll made to look like him. As he looked at it, I could see the emotion in his face.
Tuck approached and knelt down next to him. "The people built this to remember Robin Hood." he explained.
"I never knew they felt like this." So now that you do, Robin, what are you going to do?
"You see the power you have? This is why God spared you." Tuck told him. "To give the people hope."
"I don't deserve it." said Robin, fighting back tears. None of us ever deserve anything good, Robin, yet God grants us it anyway.
Tuck took a deep breath as if he were about to say something unpleasant. "Gisborne's taken your friends." That was then I knew what Tuck had done. I was shocked. He had give them up to Gisborne! I was angry, but then it hit me. He gave them up so that Robin would be forced to save them and in doing so return to his old self. It was a brilliant plan, but ultimately deadly if it went wrong.
Robin looked at him in horror. "They are to be put to death at noon tomorrow." Tuck told him.
Robin sat there silently for a few moments. "What should I do?" I think you know what to do, Robin.
"What would Robin Hood do?" Good answer! "Look into your heart, Robin." he said, putting his hand on Robin's shoulder. "You'll find the answer." He stood up and walked off, leaving Robin to himself.
When Tuck returned carrying firewood to the cave that evening, he found Robin gathering his gear together. "You are right." Robin told him without turning around. "I can't just turn my back on people who need me."
"So what are you going to do?" Tuck asked, throwing a log on the fire.
"Well, first I'm going to try and rescue my men."
"Right." said Tuck, throwing on another log. "All alone?"
"Well, unless you've got a better idea."
Tuck smiled. "Well..." he said with a knowing nod. "Actually, I do."
"Oh, do you? Well, are you going to tell me?"
Time passed and Robin and Tuck were outside, sitting down on a log. Both men were busy making arrows. Tuck looked over at Robin as he drew a breath and wiped his eyes tiredly. "Give it to me." he told him. "Come on!"
Robin handed the arrow he had been making to Tuck. "This is hopeless."
"You're best chance for success tomorrow is rest." Tuck told him.
"And what chance do my men have if I can't even sharpen an arrow, let alone fire one, eh?"
"Have faith, Robin. You won't be alone." Robin just shook his head. Tuck reached into his rope and brought out the string with my ring on it. "Here." Robin looked back at him and when he saw what it was that Tuck was hold out to him, he snatched it. He held it in his hand, forcing down the tears that were threatening to come.
"Where did you get that?"
"It was around your neck when I found you." I was afraid that Robin would get angry at Tuck for taking it, but my fears proved groundless.
"Thank you." Robin said, this voice thick with emotion. Tuck just nodded in understanding. He pointed up at the moon.
"What happens to the moon tomorrow happens once in a generation." he told Robin. "It's God's gift from the stars."
"My father," said Robin staring up at the sky, "we become stars." Tuck looked over at him. "If it's true," Robin continued, "then tomorrow we could be lighting up the night sky."
"That's a glorious thought." said Tuck. Robin smiled.
The next day, a crowd had gathered in the courtyard of Nottingham castle to witness the execution. I had excepted to see the noose prepared, but instead I saw Much, Alan, and John in front of a wooden wall with their hands tied above their head. Guards brought in what looked like a small wooden cart with a covering over it, hiding whatever it was that was underneath it. The covering was thrown off, revealing a long spear set between blocks of wood.
"It's a great day!" announced a voice that I recognize and loathed. It was Vasey, the sheriff of Nottingham. There he stood on the top steps of the castle, dressed all in black save for a fancy looking vest. Guy and a messenger of Prince John's that I recognized as Sir Jasper stood on either side of him. "For Nottingham, its people, and homeland security."
I noticed Tuck moving threw the crowd, his hood on his head, but his face was not hidden. I was glad to see him, for I knew that meant whatever is plan was it was now in action and that Robin somewhere near.
"To mark," continued the sheriff, "the extermination of the terrorist Hood, we shall execute his rabble." he pointed to the three men facing their death sentence. They're not rabble! I thought angrily. Man, how that sheriff irked me.
"Prepare to fire." said the sheriff and the guards winded up the contraption. "If they had respected their sheriff and his authority, they could have avoided punishment of this severity and lived peaceful, rewarding lives, provided by this great shire of Nottingham. But they have made a choice and they will be given their just reward for refusing to abide by the laws of this great, great nation. The fatal consequence, defying Prince John and the authority invested in me, the Sheriff of Nottingham! Fire!"
The spear was fired, but thankfully Much, Alan, and John had managed to move out of the way its path. It landed in the wood without hitting anyone. I breathed a sigh of relief.
"Well, at least it's not a dull death." said Alan.
"What?" asked John.
"People will be taking about this for years, John."
"Great."
Sir Jasper smiled, obviously amused. "Tasty." he said.
"Told you it was good." replied the sheriff.
Unnoticed to everyone, save Tuck, the sky was steadily growing darker, as the sun was covered. I smiled when I realized what was happening. An Eclipse!
The guards reinserted the spear. "This time make it flaming." the sheriff told them.
"Wait!" shouted Tuck, raising his hand and walking towards the sheriff. "A last prayer, Sir Guy. We must merciful, no matter how great the crime."
"Who are you, preacher man?" asked the sheriff, obviously annoyed at having the execution interrupted.
"Brother Tuck." answered Guy. "We can trust him. He's the man that brought these outlaws to justice."
"Sheriff," said Tuck, "it is sinful to offer no chance of absolution." The sheriff and Sir Jasper exchanged looks.
"Very well." the sheriff said. "Chop, chop. These boys have got a hot date." He smirked at his own joke.
Tuck turned away and began to read aloud in Latin. The guards put the spear on fire and Tuck glanced up at the ever darkening sky.
"Always the same these monks." said Sir Jasper.
"Alright, alright." said the sheriff. "That's enough of the piety. No man of la-di-da words can save their blackened souls. Fire it up!"
"Wait!" shouted Tuck again, holding aloft a flaming flare. Several people gasped. "In the name of God, wait."
"What are you doing?" shouted Guy.
"You and your master Prince John have not broke just man's law, but the Lords." said Tuck. "And for this you will be punished."
"What!" shouted Guy, drawing his sword as the sheriff rose to his feet.
"Fire it!" shouted the sheriff.
"Hear the Lord forespeak!" said Tuck. "The skies will darken and the sun will disappear." It was then that everyone finally noticed the sky. By this time the sun had been completely blocked. "There! It's happening."
People began to run and scream in fear. "Have faith!" said Tuck. "For soon a new day will dawn and you will be saved."
"What's happening here?" demanded Sir Jasper.
"It's a trick!" said the sheriff.
Guy grabbed a torch from a nearby guard. "Hood?"
"Robin." said John.
"Fire!" shouted the sheriff, but no one moved to obey him. "Fire!"
"Out of this darkness," said Tuck, " a legend will rise! Hope will be reborn."
"If you want something done properly..." said the sheriff snatching the torch from Guy. He made his way through the crowd towards the contraption. "Filthy peasants! Nobody touch him! Stay way from me!"
Tuck continued to shout words of hope and encouragement. The sheriff reached the contraption and fired it, but the outlaws were gone. The sheriff got closer to the wall where they had been standing and spotted three arrows. "Where have they gone?"
"You see!" said Tuck, pointing up to the sky. "The sun emerges again, like England's protector!" Sure enough, the sun was being unblocked and the sky was beginning lighten. Guy raised his hand to his eyes, shielding them the sudden brightness. "His journey is complete." Robin's form was silhouetted against the sky, bow in hand, an arrow ready to fire. "He appears into the light and he will save you. He has returned." Guy backed up disbelief on his face. "The legend is alive!" Guy almost stumbled over the sheriff's chair.
"Surprise, surprise!" said Sir Jasper angrily.
"No, it can't be!" said Guy.
"You incompetent fool!" shouted the sheriff, as Robin began to fire down arrows. Two caught the sheriff, pinning him to the wall and two got Guy, pinning him to the door.
"I am Robin Hood," Robin shouted down to the people below, "your humble servant. It is for you that I live to fight the evil that chokes this country. No longer shall we live in fear and darkness. We must stand together! Only then will the sun rise on this country, our England once more!" The people cheered and loved ones began to hug each other.
Sir Jasper was running to his carriage, but Tuck was already there. He slammed into him, knocking him down, and took two bags of coins from the carriage.
"Get him!" shouted the sheriff, still stuck to the wall.
"Robin!" Tuck shouted up to him. "A gift from the sheriff!" He threw the bags and Robin shot them both down. The people cheered as money came pouring down and the stooped to pick it up.
The guards were no on top of the parapet, trying to capture Robin. He evaded them and ran to the edge, jumped down and landed on a covering that his friends held out to break his fall. Robin got up and made his way over to Guy. Tuck noticed. "Robin! No!"
Robin ran to Guy and held a knife to his throat. "Do it!" Guy pleaded. "And live. Please!"
"You want this?"
"I live in hell."
"Then stay there." Guy cried out in pain as Robin scratched his cheek with the knife. Robin ran back to the others who handed him his bow and quiver.
It was an amazing plan and it wasn't until it was all over that I realized I had been holding my breath through it all. I jumped up and down with delight. It worked! Robin Hood has returned!
Back in the forest, Tuck was walking with Robin and the rest of the gang. "Now listen," he said, "they will come at you with everything they have now. Are you ready?"
"Well, they haven't sent anything yet." answered Robin. "Not now that there's a warrior priest on their case, eh? Tuck is joining our fight lads, he's one of us now."
Robin handed him the wooden the necklace that each of the gang wore. "These are yours."
"Hold on." said Alan. "You haven't explained where Gisborne knew where to find us yet."
"Sometimes you have to risk a lot to win a lot." Tuck told him. "It worked."
"This time." said Alan. "Next time you risk your own neck."
"I will and happily."
"You know I can't do this without ya." said Robin. "Any of ya. And I didn't mean those things I said. I'm sorry."
"Robin," said Much, "It's alright. We understand." Much, I thought fondly, of course he'd be the one to forgive Robin so easily.
"What happened to day will reverberate around England." said Tuck. "A story told around every fire and every child's bed. How the sun itself intervened in the fight against evil. The sheriff eclipsed. A legend reborn."
A little whiles later, Robin knelt by a tree. I watched as he dug a hole with his knife. He took my ring off from around his neck and kissed it. "I will never stop loving you." Then he buried it. Nor I you, Robin.
Author's Note: Whew! Man, that chapter was long. Well, that's the end of the first episode. I hope you enjoyed it. One down, twelve more to go.