Chapter Ten: The Escape and the Capture
Still In the Enchanted Forest
The Huntsman was on his way to deliver the message to Rumpelstiltskin, when he decided to drop in on Michael to check on his wounds. That's when he heard the screaming.
"He's dead! He's dead!"
"What do we do? The Queen is going to kill us!"
The Huntsman, growing frantic, ran the rest of the way to the dungeon, opening the door. His mouth dropped open. Lying on the ground in his cell was Michael. Dead. Not believing it, he dropped the message on the ground, pounding on the cell doors. "Open it!" He commanded of the guards. Neither was happy to oblige.
"Did neither of you go in and check on him?" The Huntsman questioned. The guards shook their heads sheepishly. "There was puke and blood everywhere." The one guard excused, looking down. He knew what he had done was wrong. In other words, doing nothing was not good.
"Open it." The Huntsman stated again. The guards opened the cell, and the Huntsman rushed in. He came to Michael's side, screaming his name. "Michael? Michael!" He cried out, letting the tears fall. He held Michael in his arms, hearing no response. But he felt a heartbeat. Michael was still alive.
About to cry out the good news, the Huntsman looked down into Michael's face, and realized the prisoner's plan. He wanted to be assumed dead. He needed to get out. And the Huntsman would play along.
Patting Michael's chest, the Huntsman set Michael down, and looked up, letting the tears trickle down his face. "We need to hide the body." The Huntsman stated, standing up. He shielded Michael by standing in front of him, so Michael could allow easier breaths into his lungs.
"But the Queen will look in and see no body. What then?" One of the guards asked, worried. The Huntsman closed his eyes, thinking. Suddenly, his eyes opened.
"I have an idea."
Gerda and the Merry Men, along with Robin and Roland, headed off for her village. The trip took a few hours, and they left early in the morning. By about one o'clock in the afternoon, they arrived. Gerda gasped.
Her village looked horrible compared to a few months before. Many shops were closed, windows covered with wood. Some windows were smashed by stones or bricks. Some fire pits were strewn around the main square, with many women and children gathered around them.
Gerda rushed over to the nearest fire pit, giving a cloak to a young girl who was shivering from the cold.
"What happened here?" She asked, trying to rub some warmth into the girl. The girl nodded her thanks, and enveloped a little boy with the cloak as well. He nodded her appreciation to Gerda.
"Most of the men have gone, leaving us alone. They have tried looking for work, but have found none." One of the older woman explained, coughing into a handkerchief. Gerda could swear she saw blood. These people needed to get out of the cold, and fast. She turned to Robin Hood.
"We can take these people to my father's house. We can set up a fire and tend to the sick." Robin Hood nodded, and scooping up two small children, told the Merry Men to gather as many women and children as they could. Gerda was able to lift a small boy onto her back, while supporting the older woman who had been coughing up blood. Even tiny Roland had offered his hand to a little girl around his age. Gerda led the way to her home.
Or at least, what was left of it. The front windows were smashed, fragments of glass strewn all over the dead grass. The wooden front door was barely hanging on by one hinge, and already Gerda could see a mess inside.
But she shook away anger. Right then, she needed to worry about the villagers. "Gather them inside." She stated, surprised that the Merry Men obeyed. Together, the villagers were gathered into the house.
The living room was worse than what Gerda could imagine. The lone couch near the fire was torn to shreds, with the mattresses that Gerda and Michael slept on no better.
The kitchen had been raided, with all the cupboards opened wide, empty of any food. One look down the hall told Gerda that the two bedrooms looked the same. Paper was all over the ground, and as Gerda picked one up, she saw it was one of her drawings. A picture she tried to draw of her mother.
"Who did this?" Gerda asked, not looking up from the page. The Merry Men busied themselves taking care of the villagers, but one girl came up, and answered Gerda's question. "It was the Evil Queen, ma'am. She came to the house with her knights and ransacked the house, looking for you and your father." The girl then bowed slightly, though Gerda didn't know why, and returned to her family.
Robin Hood came beside Gerda, sighing. "Well, Friar Tuck will get a fire started, and I will take a group of men back to the village to look for any food. Little John will take two men with him and hunt. I suggest you stay here with the women and children. They seem to trust you."
As Gerda looked around, she couldn't disagree. Most of the women seemed frighten of the Merry Men, which Gerda couldn't believe. But she knew they had been hurt, and dismissed the worry.
"Alright. I'll tend to the wounded. I suggest you be back by nightfall." She used the same tone as Robin, making it clear she didn't want to be alone for too long. Robin nodded, and headed off with his men. But not before he gave Gerda a tender hug.
"You'll be alright. And we'll be back soon." He comforted her. Gerda looked at him and nodded, knowing everything would be alright. As Robin and some of his Merry Men left, Gerda sighed, and with the help of Roland, tended to the wounded.
Thankfully, the body of the dead guard was not removed from the castle. The Huntsman ordered the two men upstairs to retrieve it, leaving him and Michael alone. The Huntsman stripped Michael of his clothes, leaving his sweat stained undergarments alone. No one would notice those under the knight's armour.
"Here he is." The two Queen's guards came down into the dungeon, dragging the dead knight along behind them. "Did you have any trouble with the Queen?" The Huntsman asked, worried. The Evil Queen was smart. She could have suspected something.
One of the guards shook his head. "No, sir. She is out on one of her village visits. She will not be back until late tonight. The Huntsman nodded, knowing that they would be long gone by then.
On the Huntsman's orders, they stripped the knight of his armour, and placed it on Michael. They then took Michael's blood stained clothes and put them on the dead knight, placing him in Michael's cell.
"There. Now it looks like Michael is sleeping." The Huntsman stated, happy with his plan. Now onto the next phase. He picked up the invitation for Rumpelstiltskin off the ground, handing it to one of the guards. "Here. The Queen wants this delivered to Rumpelstiltskin. I will drop you off at his manor, and once it is delivered, you two need to run."
"Why?" The men asked, confused. The Huntsman shook his head. "Because if you don't, I will personally report you two to the Queen for allowing a prisoner to die." He stated bluntly. This convinced the guards that they should help the Huntsman.
"Alright. When do we leave?" They asked. The Huntsman could see how nervous they were, and he couldn't blame them. If the Queen found out about their foolishness…
"Right now." He answered.
Gerda wiped her forehead, which was covered in sweat. She had been working non-stop for several hours, and was tired. But thankfully, her work had paid off, and the wounded villagers had been tended to, healthier and cleaner now than they had been in months.
Gerda allowed Roland to go around and offer the villagers soup and bread that was left over from the rations Robin had given her.
Gerda took the free time to look at what remained of her home. The bedrooms were a mess, as she had predicted. She started absentmindedly picking up paper and trash that had littered the floor in her father's room, humming to herself.
She did this for several moments, until something caught her eye. It was under the dresser that her father had used to store some emergency food and his few belongings. Something glittered underneath it. Gerda stooped down and picked it up.
"It's beautiful." She stated out loud. The object she picked up was a necklace, with a long silver chain and gorgeous blue pendant hanging from it. Gerda eyed it for a few moments, and decided that she could put it on, since it belonged to her father. The moment it landed on her chest, it glowed to a beautiful light blue, then settled back to its regular colour.
"It's got magic in it." Gerda stated, amazed. Gerda had always heard of magical objects being found in the Enchanted Forest, having even held one in her hand, which was a magic wand that was in the care of Rumpelstiltskin.
But she had never seen a magical piece of jewellery. But here it was, dangling around her neck, glowing when it came into contact with Gerda. Had her father known it was magical? Maybe he found it and thought it was just pretty? Who knew?
Gerda heard male voices in the living room, and knew that some of the men had returned from their journey. Until she knew it was safe, Gerda hid the necklace under her shirt, feeling that it was cold against her skin. She left her father's room, intending to ask him what the necklace was for when she saw him again. If she saw him again.
The ride to Rumpelstiltskin's castle was quick and without any encounters with other people. Once they arrived at the mansion, the Huntsman gave the two knights a bit of money each, telling them what needed to happen next.
"You cannot return to the castle." The Huntsman started. "The Evil Queen will kill you both when she finds out about Michael. You have to leave, and never return." The two guards didn't need to be told twice.
The Huntsman also grabbed two sacks of clothing from the carriage, handing them to the knights. "Change into these after. The Queen won't be looking for two peasants."
The men nodded, thanking the Huntsman for all he did. The Huntsman nodded, and guiltily got back to the reins of the carriage, yelling at the horses to go. "Ya!"
The horses took off, with the Huntsman diving a last wave to the two men. They didn't know that they didn't need to run. They didn't know that Michael was still alive.
Gerda could tell something was wrong. The way the villagers kept staring at the door, looking into the small parts of the village they could see. The women kept biting their lips, while the children whimpered and huddled together, trying to stay warm. Even with the fire in the hearth, the beginning of winter could be felt through the air. The cold nip that blew through the open door.
But it wasn't the weather that bothered Gerda. Something was being hidden among the group of women, and Gerda wanted to know what was going on.
Coming to one of the older women in the group, she sat down, and pressed into the question she wanted answered. "What is wrong with all of you?" She asked, patting the woman on the back.
The woman looked fearful, looking to her friends for help. But all she received was heads turned away from her direction, or heads turned down, focused on tea that had long since gone cold. The woman sighed, and looked Gerda in the eye.
"Gerda, the Queen was planning a visit to the village today." She gasped, and as if relieved of a great pain, the woman sighed and leaned back. All the other woman felt relief too, leaning back and finally looking Gerda in the eye. But Gerda did not feel relief.
"What? The Queen is visiting today?!" She rose from her seat, heading over to Friar Tuck and Little John. "We need to go get Robin and his men. The Queen could get them!" She exclaimed.
The men wasted no time, arming themselves with weapons. Gerda ordered a group of the Merry Men to escort the women and children, including Roland, into the woods behind the house, where the Evil Queen wouldn't follow. She was surprised that they listened, gathering the women and children into the woods.
Gerda looked at the rest of the Merry Men who stayed behind, who stared at her expectantly. She suddenly realized that they were waiting for her orders. They would obey her, like the other men did. But why?
Not having time to ponder that, Gerda shook her head, strapping her sword to her side. "Let's go." She stated, leading the way. "Friar Tuck, stay at the back with some of the men who had strong far aim. Little John, you will join me at the front." Together, Gerda and the Merry Men headed out the front door, which had fallen from its hinge.
Michael opened his eyes, hoping that he and the Huntsman had gotten far enough from Rumpelstiltskin's mansion. He was secretly grateful that the Huntsman hadn't left Michael to the Dark One, not wanting Rumpelstiltskin to try to make another deal with him that would force Gerda into more danger. Again, Michael was in debt to his old friend.
Raising himself on one elbow, Michael saw that he and the Huntsman had stopped, resting near a lake, the both of them hidden from sight in a copse of trees. The Huntsman had started a fire, and had made a small bed for Michael, even sheltering him from the fading sun with a tarp of pine needles and bark over his head.
"We escaped?" Michael croaked, suddenly realizing how parched he was. The Huntsman rose and brought Michael some water. Thanking him, he drank thirstily, gulping down the cold drink. He didn't care if it landed on his armour, which was stolen from the dead knight. He had heard everything the Huntsman had said to the other knights, who were now on the run.
Michael put the drink down, looking up at the Huntsman's face. "You did all this. To save me." He stated, wiping his mouth. "Why?" He questioned. The Huntsman smiled awkwardly, kicking his foot in the dirt. He kneeled before Michael.
"I had a debt to repay. From when we were children." He backed off a bit, not wanting Michael to attack him again. But Michael wasn't going to attack him, ever. He merely smiled, nodding his head. "Thank you." Lying down again, he let exhaustion sweep over his body like a warm blanket, and drifted off to sleep.
Gerda and the Merry Men entered the village cautiously, arrows notched in their bows, swords drawn from their sheaths, held aloft in the cold air. Gerda made a signal with her fingers to the other men, letting them know to round to the other side of the village, to see if there was any sign of the Queen's guards.
The men nodded, and ran to the other side, looking out. They gave a new signal, letting Gerda and the men know that the coast was clear. Gerda led her group of men to the edge of the village.
She gave a signal for them not to follow, and headed up a small hill. At the top, she looked down, and felt a hand grab her foot, pulling her down. Before Gerda could make a sound, a hand clamped over her mouth, stifling her screams.
She looked at her captors, relieved that it was the group of Merry Men that went out to look for food. They let go of her, but motioned for her to stay quiet.
Gerda didn't know why she had to, until she saw the royal carriage. And the Evil Queen in front of it. Looking at the men around her, Gerda had another realization: someone was missing from the group. Someone very important to Gerda. With pleading eyes, she gazed at the men, silently asking them where he was. Sadly, they motioned to the carriage, Gerda's gaze following where they pointed. She could hear the Evil Queen talk loudly to someone.
"Where are they, peasant? And where is she?" The Queen demanded, angry. The person she was talking to merely grumbled, too quiet for Gerda to hear. The Evil Queen brought her hand back and smacked the person hard across the face, bringing them to their knees as the guards let go of them. Of him.
Gerda watched in horror as Robin Hood, the man who reminded her so much of her father, knelt before the Evil Queen, refusing to answer her. He looked around, worried, and his gaze fell on Gerda. She wanted to call out to him, wanting to swing her sword wherever she could, so she could save the man who had taken her in, who had saved her from the Sheriff of Nottingham. So she could save the man who had been like her father.
But knowing she would risk the other mens' lives, Gerda stayed silent, allowing tears to slide down her face. Robin Hood gave Gerda a sad smile, and mouthed four small words: lead the Merry Men. Before Gerda could mouth a response, Robin looked in the opposite direction, and screamed.
"Run Gerda! Just go!" He cried out, earning a resounding slap from one of the Queen's guards. The Evil Queen and her men looked in the direction Robin was yelling, but seeing no one, turned back to their prisoner, angry. The Queen took Robin's face into her hands, smiling wickedly. "I think I am going to have fun with you."
She let go of his face, and turning to her men, waved her hand. "Put him in the carriage." The men nodded, grabbing Robin and dragging him away.
Gerda rose from her spot, screaming his name. "Robin! No Robin!" She cried out, feeling the men grab her and force her back before she could go after him.
Surprisingly, the horses had made enough noise for none of the Queen's men to hear Gerda's screams. None saw her as she cried out, trying to free herself to help Robin. But Robin heard her. He let silent tears trickle down his face, mouthing something else to Gerda. One final sentence, before he was taken away: You are so much like him.
Robin was then pushed into the carriage, the door shut on his face. Gerda fell to the ground in a heap, watching him go, allowing the tears to stream down her face, not bothering to hide her sobs.
A few minutes passed, and the carriage was long gone. The men that had surrounded her went to the other Merry Men, telling them the sad news. But all Gerda could now think about was what Robin had mouthed to her. You are so much like him. It didn't take a genius to know who Robin Hood was talking about. He was talking about Michael.
Robin Hood had known her father.