Chapter 10: "Small matter your wish!"
Robin grew more and more agitated as the day progressed. Djaq and Will had not found Little John's trail; no one had seen him for days. The outlaws were rapidly running out of logical places to look. Pausing to rest and collect their thoughts the group stopped within a copse; it would provide some cover as they were only one hundred yards from the road.
Robin was the only one who dozed off lying on a gently sloping patch of grass, crossing his feet at the ankles, arms relaxed by his sides. The sickening smell of blood and singed flesh filled his senses; he could hear ferocious roars surrounding him. He tried to shake off the sensations as a man's face appeared as clearly as though the fellow stood in front of him. Startled awake by the intensity of the dream, Robin sat up with a jerk and tried to calm his breathing.
"What does it mean?" Will Scarlett asked after Robin settled and told of the odd dream.
"John is in trouble…the man's face…I know I have seen it before…in Nottingham perhaps. I do not know for sure…."
Much suggested they make their way along the edge of the main road out of Nottingham. Some traveler would perhaps be willing to exchange a bit of information for the right to keep his purse.
There being no better or other plans, Robin agreed.
[I [/I
Little John spent the next day and the one following, walking beside the cage in which the bear was confined. The beast didn't move too often. Indeed, it lay so quietly it seemed almost dead, and John wondered how long the poor creature had been imprisoned.
The party stopped for the night and the outlaw could finally sit and rub his sore ankles and wrists. The manacles had worn deep, bloody ridges into his flesh, yet there was no talk of removing them.
As dusk crept over Lady Hildegard's encampment, her soldiers were busily clearing an area in the center of the camp, pulling vines and uprooting the scrubby brush. John watched as the caged bear was deposited nearby then yanked out of confinement by the chain around its neck. It was secured in the center of the cleared area by a long wooden spike attached to the other end of the chain.
The old curmudgeon appeared leaning on an elaborate cane with a gold-filigreed, ivory handle; she grinned menacingly at John. "Bring him here!" She ordered. The outlaw was shoved before her and forced to his knees.
"Do you know in what way you differ from this animal?"
There was no reply.
"In no way!" She cackled and the nearest soldiers joined in.
"You have seen bear baiting?" The withered hag asked; John held his tongue yet again, "Your eyes tell me you have, I'll warrant. Ah! Look how his snout follows the smell of blood on you. Of course, bears are blinded for the dogs, aren't they? That's because dogs have value only when they live! But we have no dogs for this brute…only you! And you have value dead or alive."
Again she shrieked and John wanted to shove the sound back down her skinny throat. He shook his head, "I will not put on a show for you."
"Small matter, your wish!" A gnarled finger was pointed at him, "You will defend yourself or be food for the beast. I imagine by morning he will have a taste for you!" Her baleful laugh was disturbing and John shuddered involuntarily.
"Defend myself with what?" He demanded, but the woman turned and left him there without replying.
John sat, his head cradled in his hands. "Robin, where are you," he muttered? The temptation for dejection was great but instead, Little John studied the bear. First things first, he thought and began to plan.
[B [/B
Marian tossed on her narrow pallet and woke for the third time in as many hours; the same nagging doubt tormented her. What if she were wrong about Gisborne? What if the murder of some unfortunate woman was in the offing and she was the only one with knowledge of it?
Robin should be told. The facts should be put to him, along with her suspicions; he could decide what action to take. If it wasn't already too late! In the darkness she rose silently, wrapped a cloak around her shoulders and hurried to the kitchens where the boy Wid slept. He was too weak-minded to entrust with a verbal message, but he could deliver a note.
Wid overtook Robin and the others just outside the forest not too far from the River Trent. The young leader's hands actually trembled as he read Marian's communication. As sharp as his delight in recognizing her hand, so sharp too was his disappointment at finding it contained no personal word from her. With effort to appear in command, he shared its contents with his fellows.
"Are you going to go?" Much asked.
"It's Little John we have to worry about now. I cannot concern myself with what may be happening at Newark." Robin replied.
No one made further comment and the group headed toward the Nottingham Road as originally planned.
Full darkness fell over the forest and it was difficult going for the group. They tripped over roots, got tangled in vines, and nearly blinded themselves walking into low branches. The cries of pain mixed with condemnations and the occasional "bloody hell" rumbled through the group.
"Robin, why aren't we stopping?" Much whined, "I can't see a thing!"
"We are making enough noise to wake the dead," Djaq observed as Will helped her up once again.
"Not being funny, but it's black as pitch out here!"
"We are close to something," Robin replied. "Shhh…"
All became silent as a tiny flicker of light became visible through the trees. There was a clearing just ahead; a group of men encamped there for the night. The fragrance of roasting meat reminded Much how many hours it had been since he had last eaten.
"Shhh! Shhh!" Robin urged again.
"That's my stomach!" Much protested in a whisper. "I cannot help it!"
The gang readied their weapons and Robin gestured them right and left, encircling the small camp. It was not quietly done and a man near the fire drew his sword and shouted, "Who's there?"
"Robin Hood!"
"Robin Hood!" Immediately the blade was dropped, "We want no quarrel with you, certainly." The man laughed nervously. "Will you show yourselves?" The other members of the camp huddled together, looking into the forest depths, fearing at any moment an arrow would cut them down.
"Move closer to the fire," Robin ordered and the men quickly obeyed. It was the face of the man he had seen in his dream! "What is your name?"
"Me? I…I'm Driscoll," the burly man replied, nervously.
Robin assumed it was a lie; he didn't care, wanting only to calm the man. "Where is John Little?"
"Your man? The outlaw?" The man began to sweat. Should Robin rescue John, he would discover he meant to have the reward for him…. "I've not seen him, no!" Suddenly an arrow struck the ground between the man's boots and he leapt backward nearly tripping into the fire pit.
"Speak!" Robin commanded, "You know where he is!"
"He's been taken," the man said, restlessly shifting his weight from side to side.
"By who?"
"A lady…traveling toward Newark, or so the guards said when they stole my bear."