Chapter ten

Sherwood Forest

The Forest road

"What?" I asked, probably a little too loudly, but to be fair I was completely befuddled.

"Shhhh!" Much scolded me before pulling me further to the ground and completely out of sight.

"Sorry," I whispered "but Im just a little confused here."

"Of course," John said paying no mind to my confusion and peeking through the bush at my other side "of course it's your parents; I can't believe I didn't recognise the coat of arms. Im sorry mate."

"It doesn't matter Little John, they didn't see me at least." Much replied shrugging impassively, though clearly this subject was anything but.

I just sat there blinking, completely at a loss to understand what was going on. I hated being confused, I hated being in the dark, why couldn't they just explain it all for me.

"Im not sure that Robin remembers it Much." Jack said taking in my completely bewildered expression while wearing a peculiar one herself. Well why shouldn't I look confused, I didn't have a clue what was going on here, I mean besides the whole thing with Guy this strange place I'd found myself in had been dead right about everything. My friends personalities were spot on, the antics I'd supposedly been up to matched my own characteristics perfectly and I could see so much of the people I knew back home in the people here. That was why this didn't make sense; I mean in order for that to be Much's parent's carriage, Much's parents would have to be nobles, which ment that he would be as well. You see now this was the total opposite to Mark and his parents, okay his parents might have liked to think they were part of Locksdale's make believe middle class, but they were by no means comfortable and by no means noble.

"Are you sure Robin doesn't need to go and see a physician about that bump Jacqueline? She's forgotten about a lot of things." Will whispered as the carriage finally rolled past us, he was eyeing me suspiciously, thinking that I was ill or something.

I sighed heavily at his words, he worried too much. I was fine, well in the physical sense of the word anyway, no if Will knew the real reason why we don't share the same memories, well he'd throw me in the loony bin, or at very least the medieval equivalent to it.

"She's fine," Jack answered Will's question, she contradicted her words by examining me applying the way I looked to her extensive (though surprising when you think about it given the present century, I would have to ask her about that) medical knowledge "like I said before, she hasn't lost any substantial amount of her memory form what I've seen, she knew all of our names straight off with only a few minor confusions, I think she's just missing a few more specific memories, like this one for example." Oh way off Jack, I can't remember, or rather don't know anything about my life here in Nottingham, I've never lived it. Though I shouldn't deny this diagnosis, it would certainly make my time here (which hopefully wouldn't go on for too much longer) a lot easier, I didn't fancy a trip to the physician, my burse was half the size of what it had once been and didn't even hurt anymore. Like I said I was fine.

Anyway I was a little annoyed about them talking about me like I wasn't even there and was about to say something about how I was standing right here, when I took in the pained look on Much's face.

"She's lucky she can't remember that story." He mumbled, though not quiet enough to miss, while the others continued to debate my medical health.

"Much," I said softly reaching out to touch his shoulder "are you alright?"

He turned to look at me slowly; the look of torture vanishing from his face in an attempt to convince me he was fine. I didn't buy it for a second, the hurt look he had worn seconds before was still etched in my mind and it cut me deeply; I didn't like seeing my friend in so much pain. He might not be the Mark I knew, but he was close enough to him for me to hate seeing him hurt.

"Im quite well," Much reassured me with a fake smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

I looked at him, trying to convey that I understood how he felt and didn't believe he was 'quite well' as he had insisted, with my eyes.

"Do you want to tell me the story? It's ok, you don't have to if you don't want to, I can see that it's upsetting you." I said my voice little more than a whisper though despite this the conversation behind me abruptly stopped.

"You'll need to know anyway I suppose," Much said in response to my question "it concerned you as well; it's as much your story as it is mine."

At his words I was suddenly more confused and even more intrigued, what did that mean? I waited patiently for the story to start.

"Im not sure if you remember how long ago it was," Much looked at me and I silently shook my head to tell him that I didn't "but im sure you know that it wasn't that long ago, about two months I think, exactly how long ago I moved into the forest with you, give or take a few days though as for me the whole thing dragged out a bit."

"It was the meeting of the Lords and the gathering went pretty much the same as the other more recent ones had, heated, more argumentative and with less actual decisions being made. You and Marin were there of course, Marin taking his seat in the council and you filling in for your parents who were out of town, still are actually," I managed to fume a little about how sexist that was, I was only allowed on the council because my parents were out of town, so much for women's rights! That was when it finally hit home, my parents. My parents were here, they were part of this mad twist in time or whatever it was. They were here in Nottingham somewhere, or at least they once were, didn't Much just say they were out of town.

"I had accompanied my parents, as I always did, they were the Lord and Lady of Kingstone manner and the village next to it, you remember the one we were in the other day?" Much asked and I nodded "well that's the one. So like I was saying nothing much ever actually got decided in these meetings of late, no laws were passed, no new taxes were introduced and no harsh sentencing was given. Though this wasn't for lack of trying on the Sheriffs part, oh no he was putting forward new and cruel laws and inventing unnecessary taxes at every meeting. No what was causing all the arguing and the indecisions, was you."

"Me?" I asked, now completely absorbed in the story.

"Yes, well you and Marin anyway. You both decided that enough was enough, neither one of you could sit by and watch as the Sheriff crippled Nottingham and reduced it to nothing more than a quivering lump of what it once was. You two stood up to him, told him that you didn't agree and gave valid reasons as to why, normally the Sheriff would have just dismissed what the two of you were saying, you were both only young so he would have argued you didn't know what you were talking about. Inexperienced he called you once. But you see as the weeks passed that didn't apply anymore, other council members were agreeing with you, all those valid points you two made was making sense to them and they too couldn't see what good came out of the Sheriffs treatment of the people."

"Soon you had about half the council on your side, and this annoyed the Sheriff to no end, you were undermining his authority and making him look like a fool in front of his fellow Lords, he didn't like that." Much's face become monetarily amused at the memory before shifting back to serious story telling mode "Though what really frustrated him was that nothing new was being decided on, you see normally when the Sheriff makes a decision he needs to have the majority vote from the council of the Lords before it becomes effective. Up until then the Sheriff had no trouble getting the majority vote from the council, no one ever opposed him, they were all too afraid. But when you and Marin showed up in the meetings, Marin had recently inherited the estate from his uncle and with it gained his seat on the council, and everything changed."

"So as I was saying, once you and Marin had half the council behind you, there was nothing the Sheriff could do, he couldn't make any new decrees as it wasn't allowed and as a result of this Nottingham lived in a time of peace for a little while, but as is the case for most things, this had to come to an end." Muck said, as he spoke I wondered how I could have possibly thought he was anything other than a noble, he spoke in perfect English and that could only have come from an education.

"This was what happened two months ago, the meeting was heading in its usual direction, the Sheriff had just put forward his newest suggestion, he told the council about the new coal mines opening at the other side of the Barnsdale woods. He told us that they were sure to bring in a large profit and that the owner was selling shares in the mine to near by towns who could supply miners. He proposed that as their punishment for their 'crimes' he would send the prisoners from the dungeons to the Barnsdale mines in return for shares in the mine, at this time the prisoners in the dungeons mainly consisted of convicted thieves, men, women and children. One council member asked about this, he inquired after the women and children specifically, the Sheriff told the council these were the people he wanted to send, and that no one was exempt." I gasped, that was barbaric, my blood started to boil; I knew how I would have reacted to this.

"Exactly," Much said at my reaction "there was a collective gasp from the audience by which point you could take this no longer and as soon as the Sheriff grudgingly asked for the council's opinion you were on your feet protesting. 'It is wrong to send women and innocent children down the mines' you argued, though you were aware this was the practice up and down the country, the Sheriff commented on this but you simply said 'so Nottingham must follow in the shameful habits of the country, can we not think for our selves, do for ourselves and take our own actions? Why do a repulsive deed just because everyone else is doing so, it doesn't make it right!' or something along those lines at least."

"it wasn't long until Marin was by your side informing the Sheriff it would do him little good to send the prisoners anyway, he said that he had been to the dungeons that very morning and none of the men were well enough to work, 'most are lame or unwell and many might even be dead within the month. It will not benefit you to send them to the mines in such a condition, if you must send miners then why not appeal to the healthy men in need of work, or if you still prefer to use it as some sort of punishment then at least wait until the men are well again and can work properly. Sending them there in this state might as well be sending them to their deaths." Marin had told the Sheriff, whose expression had changed little throughout the speech; I had begun to wonder if maybe that was what he had wanted all along."

Much looked thoughtful and I took that to mean that the story was nearing its close.

"That was when I spoke up; the Sheriff's whole relaxed and unfeeling demeanour had pushed me to it, it was as though he didn't care what happened to the townspeople, which of course he didn't. I accused him of intentionally sending the men, women and children to mines to kill them and so that he could profit from their death. Beside me my mother had let out a horrified gasp, but across the room and beside Marin you had given me a reassuring look, you knew I was right and were glad I had spoken up." Much smiled a little at me and I smiled back at my friend.

"My outburst caused the council to erupt into hurried whisper as they considered what I had said, this did not please the Sheriff, so he raised his voice and looked directly at me when he spoke. 'I plan to send the first group of miners at dawn' he announced and clicked his fingers, when he did this the doors of the grand hall swung open and a crowd of prisoners were dragged in, there was about thirty of them 'please tell me, do you say yay or nay?' he had asked. I remember spinning round to look at the crowds, four of them stood out, their clothes were not dirty and ripped as the others were, it was clear that they had not spent a night on the dungeons floors, I assumed they could only have been arrested today. They were a man, a woman and a girl and a boy."

"I heard you gasp, 'Will' you said," I looked around at Much's words, Will, this Will? Will smiled at me, a little sadly, and I turned back to Much "you looked horrified and Will looked at you desperately, he was shackled like the others and seemed too afraid to speak. You rounded on the Sheriff 'nay!' you practically shouted; Marin and many others coursed your outraged disapproval but the Sheriff barley seemed to notice. 'these people are thieves and criminals and your vote will send them to justice and a punishment that will deter them from committing their crime again, so once more I ask you, yay or nay to my proposal?'. 'These people are not criminals!' Marin said to the Sheriff 'they are underpaid and over taxed townspeople trying to make a living, you can't do this!' you looked murderous and would not take your eyes off of the Sheriffs self satisfied face 'he knows all of that Marin' you said calmly thought your expression was anything but 'he knows that and it means little to him, this is no longer our decision, we do not get a say in this, the honourable Sheriff has already made his mind up' you said and I knew then that you were right because the Sheriffs grin widened 'you have no say' he said and clicked his fingers again, this time more guards ran into the room."

"'you are here by excused from council duties Lady Robin, you and Lord Marin and anyone else who supports you.' He had looked at me at this point, I knew what he ment 'you see I have very little choice in the matter as this order has come for higher up, but I have to say I am not sorry to see the back of you, council meetings will be so much simpler now you are no longer around' he was trying to get rid of his opposition you see, trying to win the majority vote by getting rid of a few people on your side so that he already had the majority."

I was a little surprised to be honest, surprised that Conner had the brains in this century to organised such a scheme, then I thought about what Much had said, 'this order has come from higher up', could that be?

"So anyway the Sheriff had you, Marin, myself and a few of your other supporters escorted from the hall telling us we need not show our faces again in the council, you still lived in the castle and were escorted to your room, the rest of us were told to leave. That night Marin and Sir Guy had their big fight," Much looked a little sheepish as he talked about this topic "you broke Will, his family and the others out of dungeons telling them to run, you had made your choice while locked in your room, you said you couldn't live like this and could not stand by and watch the people suffer, you said you were going to do something about it. Will who as you no doubt remember was your friend from the town, chose to stay with you and help. That night you went to sleep in the forest and woke to find Marin had run off to join King Richard in the holy lands." Much was speaking with a lot of care now, and I appreciated it.

"For me things were a little different, trickier and messy. Though I doubt it was as problematic as it was for you. I went home, back to Kingstone, a little embarrassed at being dismissed, but proud of myself for sticking up for my beliefs and values. I wanted nothing to do with a council run by villains anyway." Much chuckled humourlessly "my parents didn't see it that way though. They were disgraced and appalled at my behaviour; they were very pro Prince John and the Sheriff you see. They worshiped the ground the Sheriff walked on and in their opinion he couldn't do a thing wrong. My actions were not at all to their tastes and gave people the wrong impressions about them, they didn't want to be accused of being against the Sheriff, my parents cared a lot about what people thought of them. We had a big argument and they gave me two choices, apologise to the Sheriff, or leave. Of course you know which one I picked. Fortunately as I left my home you and Will were in Kingstone watching as Sir Guy collected taxes, you were planning and trying to decide what you wanted to do. I saw you and told you everything, and you asked me if I wanted to join your gang. A few days later John joined us, and then about a week after that Jacqueline found herself in town and joined us as well. My parents found out what I was doing and decided to leave town for a while, until our crusade failed, you see they never had much faith in me, of course this is how I got my nickname, when I was younger my parents would introduce me and say 'this is our son, he's not much.'" He let out another hollow laugh. I winced, poor Much, I wanted to hug him but I wasn't sure if that was appropriate so instead I touched his shoulder gently.

"Im so sorry," I said.

"Don't be," he said smiling at me a little more genuinely "I am a hundred times happier now I am here with all of you, unlike my parents you actually accept me. Im actually a use to you." I couldn't imagine anyone calling Much nothing much, he was so smart, so ahead of his time, so like Mark. You know, he was actually half was through inventing a lift system for the tree house, so they didn't have to use the ladders. Genius.

"So anyway my parents took my sister, so is as much a socialite as they are, and went to visit friends in Scarborough. I haven't seen them since, well until today." He concluded. I took a moment to think about what he had said, all of it, the meetings, the arguments, me and Marin, the banishment, Much's personal exile. What did it mean, what did his parents return mean? It ment something.

"So what do we do?" I asked.

"Nothing," Much said clearly surprised I had suggested we do anything "we ignore them and carry on as normal."

"Oh come on Much, you know better than I do that your parents wouldn't just come back for no reason. They're here for some reason. Im just wondering what it might be." I said.

Much nodded, he agreed but he looked like he would much rather he didn't.

"We need to go to Kingstone then do we not?" Jack said standing up now "if something is going on that is where we will find it out."

I nodded and got to my feet as well. My mind still at work. It kept stopping at the most logical option, Prince John's visit. They were somehow connected to that, they had a part in it somewhere.

Much cringed at Jack's suggestion, he didn't want to visit his parents that much was apparent.

"Come on mate," John said helping Much to his feet "you knew this was going to happen some time."

Much didn't say anything.

"To Kingstone village?" Will asked.

"To Kingstone Village," I confirmed.