Kate slowly walked through the village. She seemed to find no purpose in her movements and the people passed by didn't give her a second glance. She neared a house with a pottery business in front and I saw a blond woman who looked enough like Kate that I realized she was her mother.
The woman saw Kate and stopped what she was doing. "Kate!" She went over to her daughter. "Kate, I've been so worried!" She stopped when she saw the look on Kate's face. "Matthew?" Kate just shook her head sadly as tears began to form once more in her eyes.
Kate and her mother walked into the house, her mother shutting the door behind them. "I'm so sorry," said Kate. "Robin Hood tried to save him."
"I hope Robin Hood gets hung from the highest gallows in Nottingham!" her mother cried out passionately. I knew that she was speaking from grief and that she didn't really mean that. Otherwise I would have been very angry with her for those words.
"It wouldn't bring Matthew back though."
"Robin Hood is an outlaw. It just brings trouble. They'll be back now, the sheriff and his men, back to make examples of the rest of us."
"That doesn't mean that we should just sit here and take it!" said Kate. I admired her for that. She was certainly a brave young woman who wouldn't allow herself to be trampled on.
Her mother slapped her. "That kind of talk is dangerous! That's what's got your brother killed!"
Tiernan stood in the courtyard before his men. "A great day of an execution..." said the sheriff coming out, but he stopped when he saw that Tiernan had all his men gathered together.
"It's a long march," Tiernan told him, "we need to leave now."
"Yes, but..um..surely we should stay to see the executions."
"No."
"But it's Robin Hood and Finn."
"Sheriff, I will not watch my brother die. We leave now, or the deal is off."
"Very well."
I smiled. Tiernan may be a coward and many other things besides, but at least he wasn't going to sit back and enjoy his brother's execution.
Kate and her mother sat across from each other at a rectangular table. "This is my fault." Kate said. "Matthew died trying to save me from Gisborne."
"What?" Kate's mother's question was no more than a whisper.
"I went after Matthew alone," Kate told her, "without thinking. I got Matthew killed."
"No." Her mother reached across the table and gently took her hand.
Kate shook her head. "If only I hadn't been so stupid!"
"No, Robin Hood killed your brother with his talk of fighting for a better future." her mother said vehemently.
"You're wrong. These people believe in him. Matthew believed in him." Her mother just started at her in shocked silence. "And that's good enough reason to help." said Kate standing up
"Where are you going? Kate! Robin Hood's a criminal." Kate went towards the door and opened it. "Kate, please! You'll end up like your brother."
Kate turned to face her mother. "I'm not doing this for Robin Hood." she told her. "I'm doing it for Matthew."
Good for you. Everyone should fight. Everyone needs someone or something to fight for. Kate had found hers.
Guy walked passed several men and approached the sheriff. "I want to see Hood die."
"Have I not made myself clear?" asked the sheriff. "No money until the conscripts are at the cost. Patronage first, Hood later."
"I will have my way. I will watch him die, then I will sending his head to you on the road where you can send it with the money to Prince John."
The sheriff thought this over for several seconds. "Yes." he said finally. "Very good. Prince John would like that. He could show off his head in his trophy room." He chuckled. "Perhaps I will allow you to have your way, but if you even think of defying me again, then it will be your head on its way to London."
The sheriff moved passed him and Guy just smiled. The sheriff mounted his horse. "Move out!" he ordered.
I just rolled my eyes. You never change, do you, Guy?
"Mice!" said Finn with disgust, stomping his foot and nearly hitting one.
"Hey." said Robin. "Leave it be."
"Mice."
"Help me shift this." Robin told him, pointing to one of the stones in the wall. "Come on." Finn went over to him.
"It looks pretty solid to me."
"Yeah. That's find out, shall we?"
The two men bent down. Robin spit on his hand and then held it close to the cracks. "I can feel a draft. Come on."
Alan poked his head around a corner. He watched as the guards closed the door to the castle. He sighed and turned back to the others who were right behind him. "These gates are impossible." he said. "Too many guards."
"Same with the west." said John.
"Storm the battlements?" said Much. The others just looked at him.
"What?" said Alan.
"I'm joking." said Much . "Joking." he repeated, noticing the look Tuck was giving him.
"Pssst!" hissed John and nodded in the opposite direction. The others turned to see Kate. No one spoke for several seconds.
"I know it's my fault that Robin Hood was captured." she said. "But I want to help you save the village men, this once. I don't want Matthew to have died for nothing." I smiled fondly at her and wished I could give her a warm, sisterly hug.
"Well, apparently your the leader, Tuck." said Alan, when no one said anything. "If was me," he shrugged, "I reckon she's a good fighter."
"And she's got in the castle once before." added Much.
Tuck looked at John who simply nodded. Tuck turned to Kate. "You take orders from me." he told her. "Go in alone, and we leave you behind." Kate nodded to show she understood.
I was relieved to see that the gang harbored no bad feelings towards her. They understood why she did what she did and they didn't resent her for it. I was also glad to see that they were will to let her help.
"Make sure the executioner's prepared and have horses ready." Guy told a guard as they walked through the castle. "We join the sheriff immediately Robin Hood is dead."
Robin and Finn moved the stone away and then looked at the hole. "Drainage gutter." said Robin. "That's are way out."
"We're gonna get out through here?" asked Finn, incredulous. "That's not possible!" Robin just laughed. Then he went and grabbed the chain.
"Open the door." Guy ordered the guards standing at attention before the vault door. One of the guards turned to obey and was taking a long a time getting the right keys.
Finn was lowering Robin down the gutter using the chain.
The guard still fuddled with the keys, and Guy was getting impatient.
Robin still hadn't reached the bottom of the gutter when the length of chain ran out, but fortunately it was a short fall, so he let go and his feet soon hit the ground. Finn turned as he heard the guard trying to get the door open and he slide into the gutter.
"Come on." said Guy, impatiently. "Come on!" The guard finally got the door open, as Finn fell down the gutter. Robin was already crawling through the tunnel at the bottom. When Finn landed with a groan behind him.
Guy entered the vault and drew his sword. He sent a quick glance into the gutter. "They've escaped!" he said turning back to the guards. "You!" he pointed to one of the guards. "Wait there!" he ordered pointing to the gutter. "The rest of you, search the castle! Find them!"
Robin and Finn crawled and soon saw the end with a grate over it. Behind it they could see clear skies. "Finn," said Robin, "I think this may be our way out." Robin crawled forward. Finn glanced quickly behind him before following.
Robin reached the grate, which he kicked out with both feet. He then repositioned his body and looked out. He groaned. "Finn."
"What?" Finn snapped.
"We have a problem." As Robin moved to look up and I could see that the opening to the tunnel where Robin and Finn were was high up, very high.
"Get me the chain."
"Why?" Finn barked, clearly frustrated.
"Just get me the chain!"
Finn growled, moved backwards, hit his head, groaned, grabbed the chain, and moved forward again. He scooted the chain over to Robin.
Robin kept one hand over it while letting it run over the edge of the opening, until it he had it as long as he needed it to be. "Grab my feet."
Finn crawled forward and grabbed a hold of Robin's feet. Robin swung the chain back and forth a few times, and then threw it up, getting it caught on the battlements above.
He hauled himself up and using the chain, began to climb upwards. Finn crawled to the edge of the opening and when he saw how high up they were, he crossed himself. He looked up, saw what Robin was doing, and prepared to follow suit.
Robin soon reached what appeared to be an iron cage, suspended over the castle wall. He got on top of it then got onto the wall just as a guard came running up. Robin kicked him, sending the man flying backwards.
He went over to a wooden ladder that lead up to one of the towers. This tower had over it a shelter of some kind, that was made of four wooden polls that were connected by a red martial in the shape of a square pyramid. Finn drew his sword as another guard came at him and pierced the man through the heart. Robin ducked as a third guard swung at him and threw the guard off the tower.
From where he was standing in the courtyard, Much could see Robin. "Robin!" he shouted.
"Much!" shouted John as two guards spotted him. "Guards!"
"There!" they shouted.
"There!" said Guy pointing into the sky at Robin. "Get them!"
Much and John fought as the two guards attacked them.
Guy and his soldiers ran back into the castle.
Robin broke a wooden stick with a red flag at one end over his knee.
Guy and the soldiers ran up towards the battlements.
Robin tied a took a piece of wood and hit one of the polls with it. "With me." he told Finn. "Hold this." he tied a piece on wood to a poll he had added in the middle.
"Are you sure about this?" Finn asked him.
Robin chuckled. "I hope so."
Guy and the guards rushed onto the battlements.
Finn and Robin held onto the contraption. "Ready?" Robin shouted over the roar of the wind. Finn nodded. "Now!" They pushed off the tower, and they contraption glided through the air with Finn and Robin holding on tightly to it.
Guy arrived in time to see it leave. "Hood!" he shouted. "Hood!"
"Hey!" said Finn, as Robin laughed like a delighted child. "Robin! We're flying!" And he too began to laugh.
I laughed right along with them. I had watched their whole escape in silence and expectation, and I hadn't been disappointed. Robin's escapes were always daring and full of excitement. Good for you, Robin! Fly away, fly away, Robin!
Author's Note: Originally this was going to be one last chapter, but it ended up being so long that I decided to split it in two. So, one more chapter of Cause & Effect!