The feast began, the chatter of the people and the smell of the food reaching the rafters above where a surprise was waiting for the Sheriff.
The guards had been dispatched quickly and quietly and now five men waited for the moment that their master's plan would come into action.
"They've got pig, I can smell it. Oh so succulent" Much couldn't help himself, he loved food.
"Be quiet Much" Robin whispered back, his plan was not going to fail now just because his manservant could not keep his mouth shut.
"Try not to drool on the guests" Allan added quickly, receiving a wounded look from Much in return.
Finally it was time, the sheriff tapped his spoon against his goblet and rose to speak introducing the vainest man in England and the cities honoured guest, Prince John, who rose and bayed welcome to the noble men of Nottingham. "For service to the crown it is my greatest pleasure to award Vaysey, Sheriff of Nottingham the Earldom of Nottingham." The sheriff fell to his knees, he had expected money, gems, recognition among the most powerful men in the country but this was unexpected, now he was not only the legal guardian of this county he was the titled heir. "Arise my Lord and take your place as chief of this county in my honour."
Lord Vaysey, oh that sounded good and the weasely man stumbled back to his feet with a huge grin on his face as the amassed crowd rose from their seats and applauded their newly titled commander.
"Now!" Robin instructed telling Tuck and John to lower him to the court below.
"Allow me to be the first to congratulate you my Lord" Robin shouted above the crowd as he was lowered into the great hall. He bowed low and smiled as sincerely as he could. "I hope you will be allowing a fellow Earl to attend your coronet, I do love a party" he continued in the silence that had descended as he had.
Vaysey's jaw had almost hit the floor, Hood was alive! He couldn't be, he had been on the verge of death and yet he was before him as alive as ever. It was a ghost that was it, come to haunt him. But ghosts did not require ropes to float and they did not wear deer skin.
"Nooooo!" the sheriff let out a loud scream, Robin Hood was ruining everything, and it wasn't fair.
Prince John leant over and whispered in his ear, forget the coronet Vaysey, you have lied to your ruler.
The sheriff slumped in his chair, his title, his reputation, everything trashed by that dammed outlaw. Guy quickly took charge of the situation "Get him!" he yelled pointing at Robin, who still dangled above the dinner table ghost like and just out of reach of the guards.
"That's the signal" Much told the others as he noticed Robin give the thumbs up to raise him back, it was time to get out of there. With a heave Robin was raised back into the rafters where the gang escaped out of a door and quickly blocked it with a large table that filled the width of the corridor and acted as a perfect lock for the only other exit from the great hall.
"That should hold them for a while" Allan laughed as he ran through the corridors towards the exit with his fiends, the outlaws had already blocked the other doors to the hall earlier with heavy furniture or heavy wooden beams leaving Vaysey to stew in his own cell for a while, see how he liked not being free.
Already they could hear fearful shouts and screams as the grouped nobles realised that they were trapped in the hall and a roar of anger from Gisborn as he crashed into the solid oak door and found it blocked.
The gang jumped onto the waiting wagon that they had loaded with supplies and gold and headed for the gates, back to Locksley and safety with enough to last the villagers a month.