Chapter 18
London
"Marian are you sure you want to do this tonight?" Carter asked. "We've been travelling for days,"
"I know Carter, but we cannot stick around for long, you know that."
"I know."
"We do it tonight or not at all."
"Ok ok, as long as you're sure."
"Never been surer."
"Ok then we wait for night fall."
Night fall came and Marian and Carter donned cloaks and masks. "So this is what the night-watchman looked like?" Carter asked.
"Correct."
"So what's the plan?"
"First we find the vault, we take as much as we can carry easily. And then the light show."
"Any ideas which way?" Carter asked.
"Yes, I've been here once or twice."
"And you learnt already."
"What else was there for a young lady you had no interest in dresses and shoes supposed to do but explore?" Marian said seriously, Carter giggled. "Come on this way." Marian lead Carter silently down the corridors and down some steps. She held up her hand and stopped. Carter stood behind her, they pressed their back into the wall and peered around the corner. 4 Black Elite guards stood before a thick wooden door. Marian held up 4 fingers and Carter nodded. She gestured for him to stay here and she darted through the darkness to an alcove on the other side. She picked a stone from her pocket and chucked it against the back wall by the guards. The guards looked around them.
"You go and check it out." One guard said and then what looked to be the youngest guard walked to where Marian had thrown the stone. There were beams along the top of the roof, Marian jumped and pulled herself onto one and then silently crept along the roof. Carter used the pillars in the middle of the room to hide in the shadows as he moved towards the guards. Marian stopped above the guards and waited for Carter to approach. Once Carter was ready, she jumped down behind the guards drawing her swords.
"You stop." The guard shouted. Carter jumped from behind his pillar and the two made light work of all 4 guards, sending them senseless to the floor.
"And these black elite are supposed to be dangerous." Marian scoffed.
"Shhh come on, we don't have much time." Carter said. Marian grabbed her hairpin and placed it in the lock on the door twisting it round. The door clicked open. "Who taught you to do that?" Carter asked.
"Robin." Marian smiled.
"Surprise, surprise." Carter laughed. Marian and Carter entered the room and quickly begun to fill bags.
"And I thought the vault at Nottingham was big." Marian gasped as she looked around.
"Well this is where the prince stores all his money," Carter said.
"Yes I suppose." Marian said. "Right we have enough. Come on to the roof."
Marian and Carter continued to creep through the tower and up the steps to the roof. Marian drew an arrow from her quiver and placed it in her bow. She opened the door slightly and counted 5 watch man. "You take the 3 here." Marian ordered. "I'll get the two out watchers." She pushed the door open silently and fired 3 arrows in quick succession pinning one guard to the post by his clothes. Carter made light work of knocking his three out and tying them together. Marian made her way to her second guard he drew his sword and charged towards her, she fired an arrow and knocked his sword flying. She pushed her bow into his stomach which made him clutch his stomach, then she knocked him out by kicking him in the face. She ran over to her other guard who was shouting. She placed a hand over his mouth.
"Ah ah ah, you can't keep shouting like that. You're going to ruin our fun. Now when you wake up your going to tell the prince. Long live the king. Got it?" Marian said.
"But I'm not asleep." The guard stammered. She punched him hard in the nose and sent his head drooping.
"You are now." Marian smiled.
"Wren come on." Carter said. Marian rushed over to him he had tied some rope into a big loo for her to sit and the other end was tied around him. He handed her a pot and a make shift brush. "Ready."
"As ever." She smiled. "Don't let me fall."
"As if." Carter replied. Marian stepped on the battlement and then turned to face him. Carter braced himself against the battlement and then she leant back and lowered herself over the edge. She leaned back on the rope and Carter took the strain.
"You ok?" She asked.
"Yeah I got you." He said, "You know you're heavier than you look." Marian laughed at him. She used the paint and started to paint words on the side of the wall.
"Hew, lower me down." She shouted up to him. Carter obliged and lowered her down some more. She continued to paint words and a few moments later she was done.
"Ok, pull me up." She said. Carter heaved on the rope pulling Marian up the wall. She grabbed the top of the battlement and pulled herself over the edge.
"Is it done?" He asked.
"Yeah it's done."
"Would you like to do the honours Wren?" Marian took the flint from Carter and started to launch sparks at the 'paint' on the wall. Some sparks caught and sent it into flames.
"Come on lets go, someone is going to see that." Marian said. They grabbed the bags and began sprinting down corridors of London Court. They sprinted out through the back gates and around the walls of the courtyard. The emerged at the front entrance and looked up to see the wall burning bright their message.
"Long live the King." Marian smiled.
"Long live the King." Carter replied. As they stood watching the bells began to toll and guards could be heard shouting.
"FIRE. FIRE."
"Come on, we need to get out of here." They ran from the court and into an alley, they quickly took of their capes and masks and wondered into the tavern they were staying. They tipped the money out on to the beds and began to count.
"Not a bad night's work." Carter joked.
"I've seen worse." Marian smiled. "Right this small pile we keep, the horses from Dover cleaned us out, and we need something. The rest we give out to the people of London. We will dispatch it tomorrow night."
"Great." Carter said. "Now it's time for bed." He gathered up all the money put it back in the bag and then pulled the cover over him. "Goodnight Marian."
"Goodnight Carter." Marian smiled settling into bed herself.
Tower of London
"What do you mean someone has robbed me last night?" Prince John whined from his chair.
"My lord there was two of them, they were well trained and fought well." The guard stammered.
"I do not care how they fought. You are supposed to be the best trained guards in the kingdom." He raged. "And yet two nobodies dispatched 4 of my guards on the vault and 5 of my watchman. To steal from me and burn a message on my home."
"I'm sorry your highness."
"You will be." Prince John seethed, "Hang every guard who was incompetent enough to be bested last night. And prepare my trunk. I am travelling north away from here. Your royal highness does not feel safe here."
Marian and Carter were sat at the table eating what little breakfast they could afford.
"Marian I heard Prince John is leaving and heading north." Carter said washing down his mouthful with some ale.
"Really?" Marian said genuinely surprised. "He certainly ruffled quickly. Robin always said he was a coward. I had no idea how much so."
"Yes well, he is certainly no Richard." Carter agreed.
"So do you have a plan?" Marian asked, knowing Carter would want to continue the game.
"I think we follow him North. Let's push him all the way through his own country." Carter smiled.
"Great minds think alike." Marian smiled. "We leave first light tomorrow. Try and find where he is going. Let's give Prince John the welcome he deserves."