Chapter Eleven

That evening, I decided to take a long walk toward Locksley. I needed a good solitary hour. I hadn't been truly alone since I had stumbled upon the gang. I'd let my guard down, and I'd gotten used to a comfortable, relatively cushy existence.

The night was calm, crisp, and cool. The very air that I breathed seemed to be telling my that winter was on its way. I loved the winter- the stillness and silence always gave me time, back when I had lived a nomadic, solitary life, to ponder things without the distraction of the noise of the wind and the trees. I felt only slightly nervous about how this winter would be with the gang- for three winters, I'd fended for myself. Winter was a time of scarce pickings. I'd always managed with only myself to feed. I didn't look forward to the food scarcity with so many people. But there was nothing I could do about it.

So, I contented myself with the thought of our black powder...

A smile spread across my face as I imagined the look on the Sheriff's face, and on Gisbourne's, when the mine suddenly exploded. Laughing softly, I picked up my pace, taking it to a quick, perky clip.

As I neared the cave, I could feel my face being chaffed by the chilly wind, and I could feel my hands numbing and turning slightly red. But I didn't care. It was a lovely night, and I had just had a lovely walk, and I was returning to a fire-lit cave full of many lovely people.

I sighed as I stepped into the great cavern, rubbing my hands together. I looked up to find the cave...

Empty. Empty? Strange that everyone should have gone out. At least one of them would have stayed in to tell me where they'd gone.

Suddenly, it dawned on me. They'd left the cave empty intentionally...

I paced to the back of the cave, swearing fluently under my breath. As soon as I passed the rather large lump that was the barrels of black powder, I kicked as hard as I could, screaming, 'Not fair!' I threw myself into a tight sitting position on the dirt ground against the back stone wall of the cave and felt the tears coming into my eyes. I'd trusted these people. Why did I ever do that? I asked myself bitterly. I'd meant to fix things between me and Allan. I thought I'd actually been doing all right. And Djaq- Djaq had seemed to feel friendship toward me. I shouldn't have been so gullible!

And Will... that was the thought that rankled me the most. Will, who had almost kissed me twice, and who I wanted to kiss more than I'd wanted to kiss anyone in my entire life. Will, who had also seemed to be my friend...

And with that piercing thought, I gave in to weeping.

I supposed that I should have known my stay with the gang was limited. I should have taken the lessons I'd learned since my mother's death- not trusting people as soon as I met them, not putting myself into a blind position- and applied it to this. I'd fallen into one of the worst traps I possibly could have: I wished for acceptance into this band, and by wishing it, I had started to believe that I was accepted, and since I took that single misstep, I'd set myself up for heartbreak.

But... the nagging doubt became lodged in my brain as surely as an arrow in a thick oak's trunk. How in the Lord's name had I offended them? And wasn't it a bit out of character for any of the gang to walk away without a fight? I puzzled over this for a moment, and decided that, no matter the reason behind the gang's departure, tears weren't going to get me anywhere.

'Stop being like your mother,' I muttered to myself. I laughed softly, thinking of Pappa.

I glanced around the cave, trying to find something, anything, that would explain what had happened. My eyes landed on the cases of black powder... and suddenly, I had an idea...

I sat down on a fallen log in the half-darkness, panting slightly. It had taken me most of the night to move each barrel- separately!- to the forest on the edge of the mine. It had been especially aggravating when one of the barrels started rolling down a hill away from me, making me run down the stupid hill after it.

I sighed loudly.

Suddenly, out of the trees behind me, someone leapt into the open, and brought their dagger to my neck.

'What are you doing with those?' a voice, thick with an Arabian accent, snapped.

I relaxed, starting to laugh. 'Djaq, get that thing away from my neck- I don't exactly fancy the feel of cold steel against my throat.'

She hastily withdrew her dagger and sheathed it, sitting down next to me. 'The question still stands.'

I pushed her shoulder gently, snorting slightly. 'Only if you tell me what happened last night. Where did you all go?'

She looked at me with eyes full of concern and worry. 'The cave was raided.'

'Raided?' I echoed in a subdued voice. 'By...'

'Gisbourne and his lot of filthy bloodsuckers,' she said, and spat on the dirt at out feet.

I sat, stunned, for a moment, just staring at her. 'But how... how... how in God's name did they find us?'

She shook her head, implying that she had no idea. 'We might have been careless. There might be a spy in our midst.' I shivered at this. 'Or,' she continued, 'they could have people watching certain areas in the forest, just to see where we frequent.'

'And... and the others?' I asked, in a near whisper.

She sighed. 'Taken. I don't know whether... whether they're alive or dead now.'

'Please!' I snapped. 'Please don't say that.'

She bowed her head. 'I have no idea how to get them out, if they're still...'

'They are,' I said, resolutely. 'They are definitely still alive.'

'Then how do you propose to release them?' she asked, slightly irritated at my stubbornness.

I smirked, motioning her to lean in to hear me. As she did, I whispered, 'We blow up the mine- there are a few guards here, and they'll go and bring the Sheriff, Gisbourne, and a lot of guards. Then, with the defenses at Nottingham will be weakened, meaning we can slip into the dungeons and break them out.'

She smiled. 'Good thinking, Gwen. I knew we'd made the black powder for a good reason.'

I sighed, feigning a self-satisfied air. 'I know. My strategies are always quite... well, ok, anyway. I just wish Will was here to see the good use we're putting the black powder to.'

Under cover of shadows and the half-dark of sunrise, Djaq and I brought two barrels of the powder, and gently emptied them into the first shaft. The plan was to dust the shafts with black powder, then shoot a flaming arrow into each one, and run. Then, we'd wait for guards to appear from Nottingham, and go to Nottingham to break the dungeons open.

We skulked in the shadows for about an hour, until the sun had properly risen and the guards were making their lazy ways around the area. Djaq nodded at me, and I hastily started a small fire for the arrows. As the arrows started to smoke, I took one gingerly from the small fire and notched it in my bow. Djaq did the same thing, and took the extra one as well.

Carefully, I inched into the open, and took aim at the nearest shaft...

'Oy!' bellowed a guard's voice. I flinched, and almost let my arrow fly in the wrong direction, but mastered myself at once, took aim once more, and shot the arrow into the darkness. I heard the arrow hit the bottom of the deep hole and turned to sprint away before anything had exploded. As I reached the cover of the trees, I heard a huge explosion. I turned around, halting in my tracks to watch the scene I had created. I laughed loudly as I saw three guards lifting themselves off the ground and shouting stupidly. Djaq hurtled into the trees next to me, and joined my laughter as we watched the guards attempt to subdue the flames. I pulled at her arm as one guard rode off, on a lovely black horse (that I greatly envied for a moment) and rode off in the direction of Nottingham. This was it!