Hello Friends! I am very very sorry it had been so long! I have been sick and overloaded at school, and busy! But I plan to write and update more frequently now. Hope you guys enjoy!
Robin and Much had gone to Nottingham to deal with the butcher, who's meat had poisoned half of locksley village. The rest of us were back at camp, I sat by the fire we had sharpening my sword.
"You do that a lot you know." I heard Djaq say, she came over and sat by me, "why?"
"It helps me to think." I said and glanced at her. My hair which I had recently cut a bit was in a braid. I had a brown bodice on top of my white shirt covering my torso and straps going up around my shoulders, and brown legging like pants with my boots.
"You must need to think about much." She said. I nodded.
"Would one of thing be Allan A Dale?" She asked. I looked at her in surprise, "what?" She smiled at me and produced a dagger and a stone and began to sharpen it, "I see the way he looks at you, and I think the way you look at him."
"And what way do I look at him?" I asked. Djaq shrugged, "the same way he looks at you."
"Which is?" I asked.
"Fondness, endearment." She said, "like if you let yourself be together, he would never let any harm come to you." I looked down and continued to sharpen my sword.
"You, don't want to be with him?" Djaq asked. I glanced up at her, "I don't know if I can, the things I usually care about get taken from me." I answered.
"Maybe it's time for a change." Djaq answered.
"Perhaps." I said.
"Cart!" Will yelled running into camp, "coming through the forest!"
"Let's go." John said getting up. I got up sheathing my sword, Will led us to the path the cart had taken. We waited a minute or so then we could hear the trot of horses hoofs. Then the cart came into view. Allan fired an arrow at their cart causing them to stop and look at us fear lighting in their eyes. The two men were dressed in rags, one was older than the other.
"I'm just a poor farmer," the older said, as we walked closer, "I'm going to town to sell some goats milk.
"You will not make money." Djaq said walking over to the goat.
"We don't make much, just enough to keep me and the orphan lad alive." The farmer said. I walked closer to the cart.
"You will not make anything." Djaq pointed her sword at the goat, "this is a male goat." John moved closer to the farmer, Allan began to search the cart and lifted up the hay to reveal a shiny black new saddle.
"Well, well, poverty a not what it used to be." Allan said looking up at the farmer.
"That's a family heirloom." Said the farmer.
"Liars," John set his staff to the farmers chest, "we do not like." He growled.
"What is this?" Djaq asked holding up a book. The farmer turned abruptly to look at Djaq, "that is crown property and I'm ordering you to put it back!" He snapped.
"Speaks grand for a farmer." I said looking at the two. Will went over and looked at the book.
"More like a tax man to me." Will said handing Allan back an arrow. I glared at the farmer.
"It's not too late for everyone just to go on their way." The taxman said.
"Too late for you!" John snapped and pulled the eldest man from the cart.
"Please sir, no!" The younger pleaded and rose from his seat. I unsheathed my sword and held it to his chest, he looked at me sitting back down.
"Let's take 'em back to camp." Allan said. I nodded and grabbed the boy by his shirt and lead him back to camp. Djaq lead the cart towards our camp, under their rags, the two men were wearing nice clothes of a tax collector. We tied both up to a tree and waited for Robin. Djaq sat down and started to look at the book or records. I sat on a log near them with my sword, the younger one kept staring at me, "what?" I asked.
"You're pretty." He said a cocked his head to one side, "why you hangin around with this lot?"
"No talkin." I heard Allan say from behind me. I smiled to myself and scoffed, "because, " I said standing, "we're the good guys." Soon Robin returned, "what have we got?" He asked.
"Tax collector." John answered.
"Oh ho." Robin laughed, Djaq gave him the book, "very good."
"At least get the facts straight," the older man said, "I'm a tax inspector. It's two grades higher than a tax collector. I do the book work, I don't dirty my hands with the money." He explained.
"How can you be so proud?" Much asked. Robin walked over to the tax collector and showed him the book, "this is not taxation. This is extortion!"
"I count the wealth of the world, I don't judge it." He responded.
"No," Robin said, "that's our job."
"This is 1192 my friend, the time for heroes has gone. It's the time of the bookkeeper now." The man answered.
"These markings, they mean something." Robin said pointing to markings in the book. The tax collector looked at Robin in disgust, "I will not divulge state secrets." Robin gave a short sharp laugh and nodded to John you brought his staff around the tax collectors neck and pulled him upwards.
"You, put him down!" The younger one commanded.
"Hey, word of advice mate," Allan said, "be nice to little John." John continued to pull the man as he struggled.
"Put my father down! He has a weak heart!" The boy demanded.
"Your father?" Robin asked. The boy looked at Robin and frowned.
"John, let the gentleman down." Robin said. John sighed letting him go, "what state secrets?" Robin asked the man. The man looked down holding tongue.
"John?" Robin asked nodding to the lad, John picked him up and dragged him away.
"Leave him alone!" His father shouted.
"We do not like it when people hold back on us." Robin said calmly, "now tell me, what state secrets?" I went over and helped John tie up the son, around another tree so the father could not see him.
"If I tell you how do I know you're not just gonna kill us anyway?" The taxman asked.
"You don't." Robin answered.
"That's not much of a deal."
"Well in the real world, things don't always add up." Robin said standing. I leaned on a tree waiting.
"Very original." Grumbled the tax man.
"But true." Robin said back. The tax man looked at Robin, waited a moment then spoke, "the tax amount for the whole of the north...is being held in Nottingham, castle." I straightened up slowly looking at him. Will stood up and Allan walked closer. Robin knelt down in front of him, "All of it?"
"The sheriff has the trust of the prince." The taxman explained further, "he's been annual collector for the last three years."
"That's true." Will said, I looked at him, "my father used to have to make extra strong boxes this time of year."
"The sheriff would assign more guards to the castle at this time." I said thinking.
"Where?" Robin asked.
"All around…and he placed the most highly trained soldiers on guard outside the stronghold, with a few others." I said sighing.
"Who?" Robin and Much asked at the same time. I glanced up at them, "me." Robin looked at me surprised, "and my father."
"In case you have any ideas, prince John sends a unit of his army to protect the shipment." The tax man said.
"And yet he does not protect you?" Robin asked.
"I count the money, I don't carry it." He scoffed, "check it out as it leaves Nottingham, and check it in as it arrives in London." Robin stood and started to pace tapping a dagger on his leg, "good…" He glanced over at Much with a slight smirk on his face.
"Master." Much said. Robin smiled.
"No, surely." Much protested.
"Robin, the castle's as tight as leeches lips." Allan said.
"You're scared!" Djaq exclaimed.
"Well yeah, look I've hung from a rope there. Not funny." Allan defended himself.
"I want that money." Will said, "I want that money before it gets to London. You think taxes pay for themselves, people sweat for them, give their lives for them. They save up for months and they can't even buy a decent piece of meat." Robin looked at him then to the tax collector, "my friend lost his mother."
"That's not my fault." The tax collector answered.
"Your part of the system." Allan told him crossing his arms.
"Taxes, we do not like!" John growled grabbing the man by the shoulders.
"It's one of our bugbears." Robin said walking back over to him.
"We give the money back to the people it was stolen from." Will told him.
"Where in the castle?" Robin asked. The tax man remained silent, Robin looked at me, "where?"
"In the vault." I answered.
"It's maximum security, you'd never get in." The tax man warned.
"Hm...you're right." Robin said, "we wouldn't."
"Oh, may I say I am relieved." Much let out a long breath, "I mean, as much as I want to see that money returned to the people, I just think that-" Much shook his head.
"We wouldn't get in, buy you, you would." Robin said. I saw the tax mans face fill with dread, "gag, him." Robin said. John did, we all gathered with Robin.
"Master you are surely joking." Much told him. Robin shook his head, "this is our one chance to give that money back to the people." We all stood quietly, "we need someone on the inside." He said.
"I'll go." Will spoke up, "I'll travel with the tax collector, as his son." Robin nodded, "we need to get in, Ardwin?" He asked. I thought for a moment, "the castles pretty tight, but there is one way in, I can think of…"
"Where?"
"Garage shoot." I said.
"The sewer?!" Much exclaimed. I nodded, "you wanted a way in, you got one." Robin nodded, "alright, we need someone to stay here with the boy."
"I will." Djaq volunteered.
"You sure?" Robin asked, she nodded and went and stood over by him, "alright, that's settled, let's go." We got ready to leave grabbing our weapons and cloaks. I glanced at the man and his son, "so you've been the tax collector for three years then?" I asked. He nodded, "yes." He answered proudly.
"Then, how come I haven't seen you before?" I asked. He sighed clearly annoyed, "because, dear child I count the money in private, only the sheriff and Gisborne are let in." He answered, then looked at me, "you look familiar, have I seen you before?"
"You have." I answered clasping my cloak around me neck.
"Where?" He asked, them his eyes lit up as he realized who I was, "your not…" He stammered, "what is the daughter of Gisborne, doing out here?" He asked.
"Being an outlaw." I answered before walking over to the others. Robin brought the Tax man over and explained his plan, "now, if you behave, and do what we told you, no harm will come to your boy. But if you try and betray us...well, that won't be so good." The tax man gulped and nodded. We sent the tax collector in first, Will went with him posing as his son. The rest of us gathered our cloaks and headed to Nottingham a few minutes after them, We hid in the ditches on the side of the road leading to the castle.
"We need to find a way to get in." Much whispered.
"We just did." Robin said and looked up from the cover of a fallen wood we were hiding behind. Marian was heading toward the castle on her horse. She looked down watching the poor. She stopped when she saw us. Robin motioned his head towards the guard at the gate. Marian looked at us then slowly got off her horse and walked over to the edge. I watched as she pulled coins from her purse and held it out. Suddenly she was surrounded by beggars pulling and grabbing at her clothes asking for more money.
"Help!" She screamed, "somebody help me!" The guards at the gate came running towards her and started to pull the beggars away. The rest of us jumped up onto the pathway and ran into the entrench. The plan was to stay hidden in the marketplace until Will could get us in. Robin kept watching the castle. I stood between Allan and Much, Marian came over to us on her horse.
"Thank you." Robin said. Marian nodded, "can we talk?" She asked. Robin started to nodded.
"Master! The mission!" Much exclaimed in a low voice. Robin looked at Marian and nodded, "one minute." Robin walked off with Marian. Much turned around his mouth open in utter shock that Robin had left.
"Much, it will just be a moment." I said.
"He apparently always has a moment for her!" He rambled.
"Much, just calm down." Allan said. After a moments of talking Much went over and came back with Robin. We went over to the garbage shoot, and waited for it to be open, when it was, John pulled the man out and tossed him into the mess below. Robin hopped up onto the side and started to climb through. Will came and helped him, along with the tax man. Much passed Robin's weapons through then he too climbed over groaning at the smell. John went through next, then Allan, and then me. Allan grabbed my hand and helped me out.
"Thanks." I said standing up.
"Any time." He said and smiled.
"Come on let's go." Robin said. We made our to the stronghold without being seen. John broke down the door, he ran in and then Robin, they took down the guards easily. The rest of us followed suit.
"Now listen here," the taxman began, "I've played my part. What about my son?" He demanded.
"Quiet." Robin warned.
"No, I have to know that he's safe." The man continued.
"Enough." John spat pushing him to the side and barged into the other room where the money was to be kept. The rest of us followed only to hear the door slam shut and lock behind us. I turned quickly.
"Hey!" Will shouted and began to bang on the door. Allan and John opened the strong boxes in the room to find them empty.
"You're wasting your time!" Robin said, "we've been tricked." John ran at the door yelling, it didn't budge, even though he kept trying, he huffed and walked away to the other side of the room.
"Clever." Robin said leaning on the wall.
"It's true, the taxes of the north do come through Nottingham, every year at this time," Will said, "I helped build these chests!" He kicked one of them.
"That's why it was clever." Robin said, "an inch of truth, makes the lie hard to spot." I at down against the wall sighing.
"I knew we shouldn't have done this." Allan started, "I said-"
"Shh." Robin stopped him, "let me think."
"We're going to hang now…" Allan murmured.
"We are not going to hang!" Robin shouted and began to pace.
"Well master, what do we do?" Much asked panic in his voice.
"I have a plan." Robin said.
"No you don't." Allan said and sat down next to me.
"You're right, I don't." He answered.
"I've got a plan." Will said after a moment of silence. He got up and took the hatchet from his belt and began to hack away at the boxes. We all stood around as Will explained his plan.
"we weren't allowed to make the locks on these." He explained, they had to be the best, as good as the castle locks."
"What does that mean?" Allan asked.
"It means they might be made by the same locksmith." Will tries his makeshift key on the box lock, it didn't work right away so he went to work on it again.
"Look, I don't suppose there is any point of telling you to hurry up?" Much asked getting closer.
"Nope." Will said calmly. He tried the lock again: It worked. He looked at us then went over to the door, we got ready holding our weapons at the ready. Will put the key in and slowly but surely unlocked the door. We all ran out quickly knocking out the guards that waited outside. We rushed from the room, and slowly went outside, thunder began to rumble in the distance. The Sheriff came running out with guards, "GUARDS!" He yelled pointing to us. The guards ran at us quickly coming from all sides. We were thrown into the fight, taking down the guards quickly. I jumped down onto the ground and began to take on guards along with Will.
"Cluster Ball!" Robin yelled, I looked over at him, he was holding the Sheriff with a sword to his throat. We all ran over to him and grouped around the two s more guards came running out.
"Stop!" Robin yelled, "stop! No one has to die here today." He then spoke to the Sheriff as we moved towards the gate, "I think you know how this goes. How much did you pay him?" He asked.
"He was surprisingly cheap." The Sheriff spat, "did you really think he was a tax inspector?"
"Was it enough to sacrifice his boys life?" Robin asked.
"You can kill him if you like, nobody will miss him, least of all me." Said the sheriff.
"You are revolting." Much commented.
"Yes, I am godless aren't I?" He asked.
"Let's finish this here, Hood." I heard my father voice say, "forget the sheriff, forget the guards, just you and me."
"Sorry Gisborne." Robin answered, "trial by combat isn't big and it's not clever."
"So you are a coward?" Guy demanded. Robin laughed, "I am no coward, I just don't trust you, or them. Now step aside."
"Only a coward would steal from pilgrims." Guy responded.
"What?" I asked confused.
"What pilgrims?" Robin said.
"Defenseless women, women in holy orders. Who's showing their breeding now, eh?"
"Step aside." Robin warned, "NOW!" He demanded when none of them moved. They slowly moved aside. We kept our weapons raised and pointed at the guards.
"Do you know about this?" Robin asked.
"Pilgrims?" Allan asked shocked, "I ain't touched no pilgrims!"
"John?"
"No." We walked outside the gates.
"The abbess of ruford is still alive, no thanks to you." Guy said.
"Never heard of her," Robin said, "but he dies unless you drop the portcullis." Guy looked at us, "NOW!" Guy glared at us but gave the order to dropped the portcullis.
"A tax man, who isn''t a tac man, pilgrims no one's heard of? I think we've both been had." Robin told the Sheriff before pushing him at the gate then we ran off through the streets the Sheriff yelled for the guards to follow but none did. We ran back to the forest but stayed in the shadows of the trees. Robin whistled once to get Djaq's attention. She left and made our way over to us.
"We've been tricked." I told her when she found us.
"How?" She asked.
"He's not really a taxman." Allan said pointing towards the boy ties to the tree.
"Shh!" Robin quieted us.
"It's not just us, the sheriff's been tricked too." Will added.
"Yeah…how do we know that exactly?" Allan wondered.
"The inch of truth." Robin said.
"What?" Much asked confused.
"The money." Robin continued, "the bit about the tax money was true." He told us.
"And?" Much asked still confused.
"Anyone as good as our friend the tax inspector wouldn't settle for a few pounds for catching some outlaws, not when the whole sum of the north is within his reach."
"So?" Allan asked.
"So Djaq," he turned to us, "go back, untie him. Let him overpower you. Now we will follow him, and if i am right, he will lead us to some very wealthy crooks."
"No need." Much said, "look." He motioned to where the boat was tied up. He grunted as he struggled against the ropes, there was a cracking sound as he dislocated his shoulders.
"Clever beggar." Allan said and chuckled. He slowly slipped out from under the ropes.
"Tha is weird." Much said, "it's like circus act. Oh that is horrible…" He said as the boy broke loose, reconnected his shoulders and started run through the woods.
"Three groups, "Robin ordered, "switch pursuit, silent running. Go!" We all got up and started to run in different directions. I was will Allan and John the other split up as well. We followed him to a path in the forest where two people were driving a cart. One of them was the tax man, the other was a girl with black curly hair. The boy ran from the brush to the cart, suddenly they ducked and shrieked as three arrows landed in the cart next to them.
"No retirement just yet." Robin said as we all walked from the woods surrounding the cart.
"Is this him?" The women asked.
"You should be dead!" The taxman exclaimed.
"Many times over." Robin said and yet over to the back of the cart pushing the boy back.
"How did you escape?" He asked.
"Oh, a wriggle, and a pop of the shoulders." He said, Will grabbed the boy by the shirt.
"I told you, always check the tail!" The man hissed at his boy.
"Listen, we've not taken from you." The women spoke up her dark skin matching her hair, "we were never after you." She explained.
"No, we were just the bait." Allan sa from where we stood at the back of the cart.
"Get over it." The boy scoffed. Will turned quickly at slapped on the side of his face, "you get over it. You might as well have been tax collectors. You do exactly the same thing."
"You can talk," the women spoke up, "you live on the wrong side of the law, just like us."
"That is because the law itself has become criminal." Robin said leaning closer, "England is rotting from the top down."
"Then why stay?" She asked, "we were going to Holland to set ourselves up as nobels. Why not join us? We'd make a wonderful combination. There are many more fools like the sheriff of Nottingham in the this world. It is our duty to cheat them." She moved closer to Robin.
"They're greedy, that's why they are so easy to trick." The tax man chimed in.
"Join us." The women continued, "with our strategies, and you remarkable talent…" She trailed off as her lips met Robins, I looked at them in confusion, this wasn't part of the plan, she pulled away and whispered into his ear, "it will be, different. Forget the others just you and me." She went back and kissed him again, Robin let her.
"What's he doin'?" Allan asked looking around at the rest of us.
"I have no clue." I said.
"Now you see what I have to live with." Much explained tossing his hands in the air.
"What do you say?" She asked pulling away. Robin thought for a moment then spoke, "I say, little John?" John smiled happily.
"What?" She asked looking between the two. John cleared his throat and moved closer to them, in one swift movement took his staff and pushed them backwards into the cart filled with manure.
"You are pigs!" Much exclaimed as the rest of us laughed.
"What else have we got here?" John asked as he pulled a bag from the cart. He opened a bag the relieved tons of gold coins.
"You wouldn't have wanted to retire on this," Robin told them as they slowly sat up covered in mud and manure, "this, is dirty money." We all laughed again. We all moved the money from the cart and piled it in a safe place in the camp, until we could give it back to the people without suspicion. We were back at the camp, cleaning ourselves up from moving the money, and Much was starting to prepare supper, which was rabbit stew...again.
"Here." Allan said handing me a cloth to dry my hand on.
"Thanks." I said then looked down at my shirt which was once again dirty, I sighed setting the cloth down. Allan again handed me a piece of cloth. I was one of my extra shirts. I took it slowly looking at him, "So you're going through my stuff now are you?" I asked.
"Just trying to be helpful." He said putting his hands up smiling.
"Thank you." I said. He nodded again, "any time."
"Why do you keep saying that?" I asked. He shrugged, "to make sure you hear me." I nodded and started to walk back to my sleeping area, he followed, I glanced at him.
"You know, I'm still willing." He said from outside my tent as I changed.
"What are you willing?" I asked coming back out and sat beside him.
"You asked me once, if I was willing to be be friends with gisborne's daughter." He explained.
"We are aren't we?" I asked. He nodded, "I hope so…" he paused, "but perhaps we could be something more?" I looked at him for a moment then stared at my feet.
"Look I know that you don't trust easily, and all but, I don't wanna hurt you. It's the last thing I'd want to do. Ever." I glanced at him but didn't speak.
"So?" He asked, "what do ya say? Willing to give me a try?" A small smile spread across my face as I nodded, "yeah." He grinned and grabbed my hand, "the let this be the beginning of us." I smiled and nodded, "us."
So there you are chapter 10 of Robin Hood! Hope you guys liked it! Till next time.