Under cover of night, Robin Hood and his men crept stealthily toward Locksley Manor. Their mission was to each take a horse from the stables and ride it to Sherwood, then travel through shallow streams and riverlets so as to not leave any tracks which might lead Gisbourne to their camp.
"Gisbourne has twenty-four men," Robin cautioned his five. "Which means, probably eight of them are awake, keeping watch. Pretty good odds, considering. We need to silence those eight, so they don't wake up the other sixteen."
"Shoot 'em with your bow...that should silence them." Roy's bluntness met with Little John's approval.
"No. We do not kill, unless it is absolutely necessary."
"Not bein' funny, but I wish the Sheriff shared your ideas."
"It is dangerous," Robin warned. "But think of the benefit!"
"Master, how are we going to saddle the horses before Gisbourne's men wake up?"
"We aren't, Much."
"No saddles? That is revolting! How will we stay on?"
"Oh, His Lordship wants a saddle now, does he?" Roy mocked the offended and highly anxious Much.
"It's alright, Much," Will consoled.
"I am not 'His Lordship!' At least not yet! But when I am," Much laughed, "then you'll see!"
"Then I'll see what?"
"Oh, you'll see!"
"Stop...now." Robin peered through the darkness toward the back of his family home, trying to make out the positions of Gisbourne's guards.
"Alright," he decided, "split up...pairs. John, Roy...you handle the guards on the east side. Allan, Will...the guards on the west are yours. Much and I will take on the other two."
"That's only six, Robin," Will protested. "What about the two others?"
"Inside the house, or standing guard out front. Be alert, in case they come running. Once you're clear, meet me at the stables. Ian won't pose any threat."
"Who's Ian?" Allan wanted to know.
"Robin's stable boy." Much was quick to answer, but couldn't resist elaborating. "At least, he was Robin's stable boy, back when the house was Robin's. Now, I suppose he's Gisbourne's stable boy, though I doubt he enjoys that very much!"
"Shut up!" Little John insisted.
...
The skill of Robin's men, along with the element of surprise, helped them to quickly dispose of Gisbourne's guards. In almost no time at all, all six outlaws were safely hidden in Locksley Manor's stables.
Ian awoke from the hay pile he called his bed and stood up, frightened out of his wits.
"Ian! Shh!" Robin assured him. "It's alright! It's only me."
Ian rubbed his eyes, wondering if he was dreaming. "Master Robin? Much!"
"How are you?" Robin inquired kindly. "Are you being treated well? Have you enough to eat?"
"Oh, come on!" Roy complained. "Get the horses and let's go!"
Ian's eyes grew wide. "The horses?" he gulped. "You can't take the horses!"
"Watch us," Roy sneered.
"They are my horses, Ian," Robin reminded him.
"I know, Master. But...Sir Guy will... When he finds out I let you take them, he'll..." Ian's voice trailed off.
"Heartbreakin'. Let's go!"
"No!" Robin stopped his men. "What will he do to you, Ian?"
Ian merely shook his head in fright. The horrible punishment was too dreadful to speak aloud.
Much offered a solution. "Well," he said brightly, "just don't tell him!"
"The horses will be gone, Much," Will explained. "How is Ian supposed to explain that?"
"Oh. Right."
"Robin," Little John began, his voice filled with impatience, "what do we do?"
Robin huffed out a sigh of frustration.
"Ian's right," he said. "We can't take the horses. Not this way."
"Not bein' funny, but isn't takin' the horses why we came here in the first place?"
"There's been a change in plan," Robin explained. Turning to Ian, he fondly smiled, handed him a stolen coin, and said, "It was good to see you again, Ian. Tell no one why we came, and I mean no one! Give my men and me a few moments to make our escape, then raise the alarm." He turned to his disappointed men. "Are you ready, lads? Alright, time to disappear!"
...
Sir Guy of Gisbourne contained his inner fury, as a trembling Ian was brought before him.
"Hood?" Gisbourne glowered. "Here? In my stables?"
"Yes, sir."
"What was he doing here?"
"I don't know, sir."
Gisbourne's sergeant stepped forward.
"Sir Guy, one of the men heard Hood brag he was here for his horses, just before he knocked him out."
Gisbourne remained still as he took in the information. After a time, he menacingly approached the stable boy. "And just what do you know about this?"
"Nothing, sir," Ian lied. "When I saw outlaws in the yard, I called for help."
Gisbourne's eyes shifted back and forth. Hood...here...right under his very nose! His frustration at failing to capture the outlaw ate at him, yet he was thankful Hood's plot to steal his horses had not met with success.
"If I may offer a suggestion, Sir Guy." Gisbourne's sergeant was a shrewd, clever man...much smarter than the master he served.
"What is it?"
"You and I both know, Hood does not give up. Were you to have your horses shod with an identifying mark, the outlaw would be easy to track, should he try again...and succeed, in taking your horses."
Gisbourne slowly nodded his head. "Yes," he agreed, imagining how sweet it would be to trick the clever Hood. "An excellent idea. See to it, Sergeant."
...
Annie lay in a bed in Matilda's cottage, her new baby boy asleep in her arms. She had endured a relatively easy delivery, yet the pain had been excruciating. But it was all over now. Now, she held the treasure...a beautiful baby boy to love.
Wouldn't Guy be proud? She couldn't wait to show him his son! She wondered sadly why he did not come to see her. Well, he hadn't heard the baby had arrived yet, and he was so very busy at the castle. Yes, that must be the reason. He'd come, as soon as he was able, she was sure of it. And he would tell her he was proud of her, and that he loved his son, and he would set a date for them to marry.
She wanted to name the boy "Seth," after her deceased brother. But she would wait first for Guy, to see whether he approved of the name. Surely he would come soon. If he did not, she would have to name the baby without his approval, and she didn't want to do that. The child needed to be baptised, after all.
She sighed. Often, it was hard loving such an important personage as Sir Guy of Gisbourne. But she soon found herself smiling again. Guy would come soon, and they would truly be a happy family.