Chapter eleven

Kingstone Manner

To look at Much, you would have thought we had brought him to the very gates of hell. In a way though, I think we just might have. His face was devoid of all colour and I could have sworn that he was visibly shaking as I watched him from our crouching position, in the bushes at the edge of the forest, a little way away from the house. My heart went out to my petrified medieval timed friend. This really was hard for him. Being back at his old house I mean. I was willing to bet he didn't have too many fond memories of his time here, particularly in the last few days he spent inside its wall's, facing the wrath of his parents. Much never said anything about it of course, he could never really talk about stuff like that. Jack had told me on the way over here that this was the first time she had ever heard Much talk about the thing with his parents, that she had heard about it from Will, talking just didn't usaly come easy to Much. Just like Mark come to think of it, who never mentioned the issues with his parents kicking him out and how it effected him, Much preferred to just get on with it.

We had arrived just a little while after the carriage, and already the manner was buzzing with activity, well, as much as a twelfth century wooden manner can buzz. It was almost as if the Johnsons (yes they shared their name with Mark) had never left Kingstone manner. The dark wooden shutters had been thrown wide open, white bed sheets fluttered in the breeze as young servant girls wove in and out of them checking to see if they were dry and servants dashed in and out of the house carrying trays of food and buckets of water. The whole atmosphere was one of normality; this routine had clearly changed none in the absence of the manners lord and was as easily picked up as it had been dropped. Though through the chatty familiarity in which the servants went about their jobs, there was an edge to it all, something was going on here, and of that much I was certain. As the servants talked and gossiped in-between duties their tones were almost as rushed and urgent as their feet were as they darted around, they were excited about something.

"Gawwwh," Jhon complained "my legs are going numb, crouching here like this,"

Jhon rested on the balls of his and pushed his hands into his back as he stretched, hitting Will with his elbows as he did so. Will swayed a little in his own crouching position and his hands flew downwards to right himself before he fell over.

"Watch it," Will warned pushing John's elbow away from him, Will looked just as frustrated as John had, although to be honest none of us were too happy with crouching here like this, fruitlessly waiting for something to happen. I mean honestly, who would be happy about that? Anyway the boys were clearly more aggravated than I had thought, as Will pushed Jhon a little too hard and John landed with a thud on his back side.

"Right then," John said, red faced though he was grinning mischievously and playfully. Balancing once again on his toes John pushed off and dived at Will tackling him to the ground. In no time the two friends were laughing and play fighting, throwing fists in each others direction and taunting each other. I sighed, boys will be boys I suppose, it was clear that much had not changed with the centuries. Also it seemed that particular sentiment was not the only ageless feeling around here. I am sure I had not imagined the intake of breath coming from the side of me where Jack stood as Jhon and Will collided with the ground. Even though she knew they were only messing around, I knew it pained Jack to see Will hurt. Someone really needed to do something to get these two together, both here and in the present, its like, come on, they must be the only two people in world not to see how they feel about each other. I would have to do something about that, they were clearly getting no where on their own. Anyway Jack's besotted concern reminded me of George and how much I was missing him. Since the dream I had on the first night I slept here, I hadn't seen him, the real George, the one that I loved. Well, of course I haven't seen him, he's back in 2009 Locksdale, but still, I really missed him. And I hadn't seen Marin over the past few days either, it was almost as if he had wandered off the face of the earth, or was avoiding me, one or the other. So as you can imagine I was keen to keep my mind away from all things concerning romance and the opposite sex, and I dutifully focused my attentions elsewhere.

"Guys pack it in," I hissed conscious of the servants in the not too far off distance, surely they could hear the boys' mock scuffle "we don't want them to hear us."

With little more than a confused look to each other (all I had said was 'Guys' I mean come on surely that wasn't that futuristic, I'm positive they have said worse in the past), the two of them were back at their posts and back to work. Now that was what I called respect, how much easier was that than back home, they just did as I asked, no questions asked. Now if only I could get the others back home to act like that.

"Robin," Jack said her voice slightly urgent, something was going on "look."

I turned back to the house and peeked through the bushes. Guy and the Sheriff were striding across the manner grounds towards the house, followed by a dozen or so guards. The Sheriff and Guy entered the manner leaving their guards outside, as the men spread out in front of the door; they received quite a few curious stares from the busy servants. This was definitely interesting. I had known that it would take something pretty important to bring the Johnsons back from out of town; especially if they were the ashamed socialites Much had painted them as, surely they would reluctant to return to town if the memory of their shamefully outspoken son was still lurking there. They would want to wait, wait like Much has said, until they failed. That was of course unless some sort of pardon awaited them here, this would definitely explain why the Sheriff was here, though I had to wonder how high a cost forgiveness would bring them.

"We need to get closer," I said, eager to find out what was going on. I turned as Much winced beside me. "You know we have to," I said softly "you know we can't just sit here without at least trying to get in there and find out what's happening."

"Get in there," Much repeated, his eyes widening in horror. "You and Jacqueline should go; you are both fast and sly enough to get in and out without being seen. We would slow you both down and too many of us would draw too much attention. We should stay here and keep an eye out for trouble, maybe even create a distraction so that you can sneak in."

From the corner of my eye I could see Will and John tapping each other and laughing under their breath as one of them nearly fell over.

"Much that's a great idea." I said, I felt a little cruel when Much's race warily brightened, but I knew what I was about to do was for the best "we could do with a distraction," I turned to the other lads and they stopped the horseplay immediately and looked at me guiltily, did I mention how I could get used to this. I smiled at my friends "since you two have so much energy you won't mind distracting those guards, the last thing we need if we get spotted in there are a dozen or so guards rushing in and attacking us."

"What do you want us to do?" John asked though I could tell by the confident look on his face that his mind was already concocting wild distractions.

"Whatever it takes for you to get them away from the manner; preferably without the Sheriff and Guy finding out their gone, you'll probably need to take to the forest, it will be easier to lose them in there." I replied.

"We will," Will replied grinning just like John. "Now?" He asked.

"Now," I repeated and the word was barely out of my mouth before the two of them were pushing through the bushes and barrelling towards the guards, self-assured grins on their boyish faces.

Much made to get up and follow them but I grabbed his wrist and held him back.

"No one knows the inside of that house like you do Much, it would be stupid of us the waltz on in there without knowing where we are going. Besides, you can't live like this, terrified of your parents and the house you grew up in. I know I don't know all the facts here and you could be quite right in your fear of the place, it might hold some bad memories for you, I don't know but sooner or later Much, your going to have to face up to your demons or else they'll just keep following you around, jumping on you when you least expect it. You need to go in there and stop hiding, it will help I know it will." I said softly, I didn't want to upset Much, but the information we would gain from sneaking in there would certainly be too valuable to miss out on, and I was sure that somehow, this trip would help Much.

He nodded once and lent back down again, I smiled at him reassuringly; I was here for him, before turning back to Jack.

"We enter through that window their to right upstairs, if it's a safe room we will be able to sneak onto the landing and find out where they are and figure out a secure way to listen in on their conversation. Is it a safe room?" I asked Much.

"It's the guest room," he replied nodding "no one will be in there."

"Oi!" Will exclaimed and we all jumped before swiftly turning back to see what the two boys were up to. Outside the manner fell silent as everyone watched as the two peasant boys approached the guards, I could only hope no one heard this inside "Can you tell me is there a sty around here somewhere? Im sure that I can smell pigs," Will paused as the puzzled guards tried to figure out what on earth he was talking about, before looking them up and down and pulling a face, he grinned and called "opse sorry, must just be you then."

"Hey," John yelled laughing a little at Will's insult and the guards' faces, clearly they now understood what he had ment "Im sure someone told me that the guards in Nottingham were the swine's of the country."

"I suppose there is money to be made from hiding in the bushes and jumping out at hard working townsfolk the second they step out of line." Will said, his voice rising to a pantomime like false conversational tone.

I laughed with the others, thinking about how relevant this was to modern day, I mean if you took out some of the more old fashioned and slightly polite language, with all the talk of pigs and hiding in bushes, it was just like a modern day person talking about the police.

The guards however, did not seem to find Will and John's comments very funny. Simultaneously the guards drew their swords and took up their fight stances.

Much to my surprise Will then flashed the two fingers at the guards, before twanging his bow string and taking an arrow from his quiver and fixing it in his bow. I turned gobsmacked to the two beside me, they didn't look the least bit shocked, actually they were quite the opposite, they were laughing and eagerly watching to see what Will and John would do next. I turned back to the action unfolding before me, slightly bewildered, I had been very careful of what I said and did while I was here, so as not to offend the squeamish and innocent twelfth century people, maybe they weren't all quite so stuck up and posh as I had imagined. I later found out that although the medieval peoples ears weren't quite so delicate as I had thought, the two fingers was not really an insult at this point in time, it was actually more of a taunt that originated from English bowmen flashing the two fingers at French soldiers to show them they still had their fingers to pull back their bowstrings. There you go, a little bit of history for you.

John lent one arm horizontally across the top of his staff and stretched out the other, the palm of his hand facing upward and curled his fingers back twice; the universal sign for bring it on. The guard who seemed to be in charge, gestured for half of his men to run forward and take care of John and Will, clearly they saw them as more of an annoyance than an actual threat. Not good enough though, we needed all the guards gone to insure the easy completion of our mission, Will and John knew that as well.

The two friends ducked out of the way of the advancing guards, avoiding their blades with little effort.

"Some nobleman you are, sending your men to do all the dirty work. The King might have the heart of a lion, but you ant got owt close to that." Will taunted as he swiftly tripped a guard with his bow.

"Chicken hearted," John laughed in agreement, knocking the wind right out of some poor guard who misguidedly chose to attack John from behind.

The red faced soldier responded by sending the rest of his guards into the fray, while he stayed where he was.

"Nar that just proves it," Will said, although he and John were slowly backing up and leading the guards towards the forest at the other end of the grounds. They might be confident and extremely cocky, but Will Scarlet and Little John, like their modern equivalents, were no fools. They would see that this was a fight they would not easily win, and that now was the time to run. Though then again, like their modern selves, they liked to push their luck.

"Bock, bock, bock," John taunted before he and Will took off towards the forest running through the maze of sheets where the servant girls giggled and twirled their hair at the manly outlaws. I pretty was sure that the people in the next town could hear Jack grinding her teeth, at the girls who twittering at her Will.

"Now," I instructed the others as all the guards bar one ran after Will and John. But soon even he had sprinted after them with an absolutely murderous look on his face, after what I was sure was Will making a comment about the soldier's mother.

We dashed across the grass and made it to the manner just as Will, John and the pursuing guards disappeared into the forest. I was eager to get inside, all the time it had taken to distract the guards did not work in our favour, who knew how long the Sheriff and the Johnsons had been talking for, we could have missed it all by the time we get in there. Much however did not share my enthusiasm.

Jack as resourceful as ever took out an arrow and attached it to the length of rope on her belt, she then shot the arrow into the wooden window beam and gave the rope a tug to check it was secure. Just as I had done the other day, in response I cocked my head to the side and folded my arms before smiling at her.

"The others were impressed when you did that the other day, they told me about it and I thought I'd give it a go." She said shrugging and then grabbing the rope, pressing her feet against the wall and beginning the climb to the window. I gestured for Much to go next before following her myself, I didn't need him doing a runner.

I climbed through the widow and landed silently in what was indeed a guest room, I then indicated for the others to follow me to the door. Silently we tiptoed across the room, conscious that the Sheriff and the Johnsons could very well be just on the other side of the door, cautiously I opened it. Peeking around the doorframe told me that we were in no immediate danger; I motioned for the others to follow and then stepped out onto the landing.

"…that I am a very busy man? It is unacceptable for them to keep me here this long, when I the Sheriff of Nottingham visit a house I do not expect to be kept waiting, while the lord of the house is finishes what he was doing. I do not expect to be treated as if I where some common peasant, I demand respect." Sheriff Conner ranted.

Much pointed the railing on the landing just before the stairs, we could listen from there. I nodded and Much, Jack and I crouched down low to avoid detection and looked between the rails and downwards at the tops of Guy and the Sheriff's heads.

"I know my lord sheriff." Replied Guy obediently.

"The Prince arrives in three days, three days, and we have to be ready for him. How can I get everything ready when I am kept waiting." The Sheriff asked, raising his voice so that the people in the next room could hear him.

The door to the left of the Sheriff and Guy flew open; I flattened myself against the floor in an attempt to remain unnoticed.

"My apologies my lord sheriff," announced a finely dressed middle aged man with sandy coloured hair, just like Much "as I am sure you are aware we have only recently returned from visiting family, so my family and I are still busy unpacking. Although I can easily make time for a conversation with you my lord sheriff, I can think of no greater joy after my long journey." Oh he was well and truly laying on the thick kiss ups. I rolled my eyes; seriously the man might as well be kissing the sheriff's boots. Beside me Much groaned, clearly he felt the same way.

"yes of course you can," Sheriff Conner replied lapping up the attention and power he held, Conner had always been easy to get around that way, he loved having his ego stroked and relished any opportunity to have this done. Baxter on the other hand was strictly business, he already knew he was the most powerful man in Locksdale, he already knew he held all the cards and therefore he didn't need an ego boost. "But as you well know from the letter I sent you, this matter of great importance and is priority, regardless of your travelling."

"Of course my lord," Lord Johnson replied.

As this was said a young servant boy walked into the room and through to the kitchens caring a tray of food, the Sheriffs head turned to follow the boy.

"Perhaps there is somewhere private we can go to discus this further?" he asked.

This caught my attention and I turned to the others catching their eyes, we needed to follow them. I got to my feet and backed up into the shadows, the others followed and we waited to see what the three men would do next.

"Of course, through here," Lord Johnson said gesturing to the room he had just come from.

I turned to look at Much franticly, there had to be a way we could follow them. He nodded headed across the landing into another room, this too was empty, as I crossed the threshold I heard the sound of a door opening downstairs, the Sheriff was in the other room. Much crossed the room before yanking open a small door at the other end of the room.

"It's the servant's staircase," he told us as he ducked into the small stairwell.

Jack and I followed; we silently ran down the slender staircase and found ourselves in a cramped, little room with another tiny door. I could hear muffled voices through the walls, Much carefully opened the tiny door so that it was slightly ajar, he then stepped back and sat down leaning against the opposite wall, clearly he didn't want to see anymore of his family. Jack sat beside him and gestured for me to go the door; cautiously I rested on the balls of my feet and put one eye to the crack in the door. I could make out a long wooden dinning table with many chairs; clearly this was a very well furnished and designed dinning room. In addition to Johnson, Guy and the Sheriff who stood by the door, there were two women in the room, one, an older one with mousey blond hair tightly coiled around her head, who had stood respectfully as the men had entered. The other a younger girl with the same sandy coloured curls as Much and her father, she did not stand but sat instead at the dinning table, focusing intently on a book, clearly this did not interest her.

"… wife Millicent and my charming daughter Margaret, she is…"

"Not much," I heard Much whisper behind me, Jack lay a comforting hand on his arm, I don't think I understood how hard this was for him, I took a long hard and thoughtful look at my friend before turning back to the dinning room.

"…quite something," Johnson said with a meaningful glance at Guy. He was trying to set up his daughter. I gipped a little, oh not because I had feelings for Guy (not in a million years) but because she was so young, fourteen by the look of her, she was far too young to be even thinking about marriage, especially marriage to GUY, who was my age. Much shuddered behind me at his fathers words. But then I remembered where I was, and what century it was, here it wasn't uncommon for fourteen year olds to be getting married, I mean I (or at lead Robin Hood) had been betrothed to Marin and expecting Marriage soon, and I was only sixteen.

"Yes," the Sheriff simply said, he cared little for Johnson or his family; he just wanted to get this done "can we press on?"

"Yes of course," gawd didn't this man say anything else? "Margaret, wont you go and help your hand maid unpack," he instructed, clearly when he had said earlier that he and his family were busy unpacking, he did not mean it in the literal sense. Some people were so idle.

"Susanna," Much muttered at his father's refusal to use the hand maid's name. I absentmindedly wondered why it was Much knew her name, could there be a budding romance there? Before focusing again on the dinning room.

Margaret didn't look happy about it, but she knew not to mess with her father and gathered up her book and left the room.

"Millicent, leave us." he then said coldly, as if that was even fair. I felt the angry feminist inside me get a little pissed off, how could he talk to her like that? No wonder I don't fit in, in this century, the women here are all pushovers who let their husbands and Sheriffs tell them what to do and don't so much as bat an eyelid at the poor treatment they get. By attention was brought away from gender injustice and back into the room.

"I apologise," Johnson said "for my family."

I was pretty damn annoyed with him now, look mate; it's your own actions you want to be asking forgiveness for, not your families. Medieval men!

"The Sheriff simply wants to get down to business." Guy said in the very imitation of the posh intimidating voice Baxter had taught Adam.

"Of course," Johnson said "what can I do for you my lord Sheriff."

"I assume that you got my letter, that that is the reason you came home so swiftly?" The Sheriff said.

"That is right, that is why I came home." He replied.

"Then you must understand the urgency, you are a little later than I would have liked" the Sheriff said "the Prince's visit is in three days and he specifically told me to have everything ready for him by the time he got here. We are behind and maybe the Prince will not mind when he arrives that the soldiers are still in training." The Sheriff said getting a little frantic.

I exchanged a look with Jack and Much, both of who were now alert and interested, something big was happening here.

"I understand," Johnson said his voice hard.

"Will you have the soldiers ready in time?" The Sheriff asked.

"Fifteen young, inexperienced men, I think it is unlikely. It will take me months if not years to get them to the level you are expecting." He replied.

"They have already been taught the basics; I had Sir Guy teach them the bare essentials while I waited for you to arrive."

"Even so, you and the Prince have set too high a standard for me to get the soldiers to, there is no way I can train them to that standard in three days." Johnson urged.

"This is not optional, the Prince expects it, and so we must deliver." The Sheriff argued "if I don't come through with what he wants it will not only be my neck on the line." It was clear what he ment, if Johnson didn't have these soldiers ready by the Princes visit, he would pay the price.

This silenced Lord Johnson, things were serious now, and he knew that.

"I did not call you back here to listen to inadequate excuses about lack of time, I know that time is short, but it is what the Prince wants. No I called you back here because you are the best, you come from a long line of war hero's and brave warriors and despite the set back with you impertinent son," Much looked downwards "you are the only person I trust to get the job done right, I have seen you fight, you have been taught by the best and I ask you to pass on your knowledge so that the Prince can build a successful army." The Sheriff said, he was trying to be calm but he was clearly frustrated, he feared the Prince's wrath just as much as Johnson did.

"Three days?" Johnson asked. The Sheriff nodded.

"We begin training at noon tomorrow," The Sheriff said.

They then fell silent before saying their parting words and leaving the room. I turned to the others my mind working at a hundred miles a minuet. Da ja vu washed over me, it stumped me even though I knew exactly why this was so familiar. An army, he was building a young and elite army for Prince John, it was just like back in Locksdale with the squad members. If I couldn't stop them in the present, what made anyone think I could stop them here? My head dropped into my hands, this was devastating and yet typical, clearly whoever is in charge of running my life likes to see me suffer, like some sick primary school teacher who repeatedly asks a child the same maths question they didn't understand the first time around, if they couldn't do it then they definitely cant do it now. I was just getting frustrated now, I just wanted to go back home.

"Robin?" Jack asked seeing my obvious distress.

I couldn't even bring myself to raise my head out of my hands let alone answer her, so I simply shook my head. That was when I heard a girls gasp from the top of the servants staircase. Where stood a shocked redheaded servant girl, dressed simply in a dull brown dress and apron, her hand on her heart and her eyes locked on us.