by rowantree13
Disclaimer: This was inspired by one of my favorite Disney films, the animated story of Robin
Hood. When I was growing up, I watched a lot of movies, but my favorite ones were of animals that
could be personified, where they act and appear and speak like people do. I liked those, because
it seemed that the good guys always won when I was younger. (I never saw Animal Farm, but I read
the book. It goes both ways.) I hope you enjoy it. And if Disney or this website doesn't like it,
I will remove the story. This story I want to be about the beginning of Robin's life, how he grew
up, fell in love with Marian, met Little John, and became a outlaw.
This is fictional as far as I know. In another realm, however...
England, 1100's, long after the Battle of Hastings...
He ran through the field as fast as he could, his bow and arrows jouncing with each step, his lungs pleading for air, he gulped some and sped past the trees on either side of him. He could see the manor up ahead, he had to make it home...
Earl Hugh of Fitzooth ran up the path to his manor, to his wife, who was giving birth to his first born child. The earl was a loyal subject of the king, and had inherited these lands from his father, through his father before him, and so on. The day today was clear, so the Earl went out to practice his craft with the bow and arrow. His wife, who had been resting in bed, began to go into labor, and while the midwife was called for, one of the helpers went to find the Earl. As soon as he heard, he took off toward the house.
Hugh ran into the manor, almost running into the servants who were lingering around, wanting to help, but not knowing how. A babe's cry was heard, everyone turned toward the direction it came from. The earl ran past them, into the room he and his wife shared. The sight of the midwife packing her things and his wife in bed, cradling a newborn child in her arms, made his throat stick inside. He went to the other side of the bed, and looked at his wife in concern and a bit of hesitation. She looked up from the babe and smiled at him, tears sparkling like stars in her eyes.
"It's a boy," she breathed, tenderly moving the child, showing her husband his new son.
Hugh smiled in pure joy. He had a son! His firstborn was a son. He looked down at the young one held in his wife's arms.
He had his father's looks, from his two red ears to the black nose on his face. The young fox looked up at his father, his reflection mirrored in his dark eyes, which were the color of his mothers'. He smiled, waving a tiny paw around, making a happy sound. His father laughed lightly, watching his son. The young fox looked around a while, looking at the room then at his parents.
Later the babe yawned and went to sleep, content in his mother's tender care, with his father watching over him.
Hugh kissed his wife tenderly, looking at her.
"Are you alright, is everything-"
"Yes dear, the midwife did her work well. She said I would be up and about sooner than some of the other wives who gave birth this year."
"That's good to know. Maybe I can give this one a sister or brother!"
"You wretch!" Hugh's wife smacked his paw. "It takes two to make a child, you know!"
"Did I say I didn't know that, Arelyn, my dear?"
"No, you didn't, Hugh. But-"
"Dear," Hugh caressed her hand and she blushed, smiling. He lifted her face to look into her dark brown eyes. "I would never hurt you in that way. I love you too much to do that."
Arelyn looked down at the baby still sleeping in her arms. "Can you put him into his bed?"
Hugh held his son, who squirmed slightly but stayed asleep, to the relief of both parents. The child was put into his bed, a basket made with sticks that resembled a bird's nest. Hugh chuckled lightly as a thought came to him.
"What is it, Hugh?"
"Our son sleeping in his crib looks like a little red robin in his nest."
"Robin. That sounds like a name." Arelyn smiled at Hugh, who thought about it. Then he grinned and looked down at the baby, who had now been given a name.
"Robin Fitzooth."
Fitzooth Manor, about eight years later...
"Robin! Robin Fitzooth, where are you?" The nurse called out, vainly searching for her young charge.
"Robin, this is not the time to play jokes! Your mother and father are waiting for you, come out this instant!"
The nurse walked all around the manor, into the kitchen, the haybarn, the dining room, Robin's room, his parent's room, and all around outside. She did not, however, look into a barrel that was beside the wall of the haybarn. As soon as she was past, the lid opened and a young fox climbed out of it, landing on his feet.
He was eight years old, wearing a tunic his nurse had made him put on, and he wanted to get it as messy as possible. Why in the name of arrows did he have to dress up in fancy clothing? He hated it, he knew that his parents knew he hated it, he had told the nurse dozens of times. And still, he had to dress up in those ridiculous costumes. He grabbed some of the tunic and looked at it with a grimace. Then shrugging, he walked toward the woods, where he could climb the trees and live in the branches, just like a bird. He climbed up a tall tree, feeling shadowed by the green leaves, the sunlight shining through and lighting the forest, where Robin saw something red move slightly. He carefully went closer to the redness, perching on a branch.
"Just like my name," young Robin said aloud, looking at a bird nestled in some branches nearby. He grinned, watching the bird in fascination. Suddenly it flew away from the nest. Robin looked around in confusion and heard what sound scared the bird away. It was some of the other boys from the nearby village again-
'Oh no!' Robin thought as he scrambled out of the tree and fell to the forest floor. He pulled himself up and ran toward the noise, which was getting louder, sounds of laughter, some rocks, and someone screaming...
Robin rushed into the clearing. Hidden behind some rocks was a young fox, that looked about seven years old. Only it wasn't a boy, she was wearing a dark blue dress that looked stained with water and mud and-
Some red. Robin recognized it as blood, the same kind he had whenever he got a cut. Robin could feel his face heating up, he felt so mad and angry he could lift a tree with his bare hands! Instead of doing this, he ran over to the other boys. One, a chubby wolf, laughed when he noticed Robin amd stopped throwing rocks at the fox hidden behind the large rocks. The other boys dropped their rocks as well.
"Hey fellahs, lookit, it's Robin from the manor! Nice tunic, Robin-bobbin!" The wolf laughed meanly, while the others laughed with the wolf.
Robin had learned from his father about fighting, but Robin had found out on his own about using wits against his enemies.
"How are you, Flint?" He asked coolly, standing near a large rock. On the ground next to his foot was a big stick, like a club. Robin didn't dare eye it, that'd give it away.
The wolf, Flint, walked warily toward Robin, a rock in his left paw. "I'm ok, just playin' around with the girl from the other manor, right Ratter?"
Ratter, another wolf but skinny and scroungy, nodded stupidly. "Right, Flint! Then we were gonna see if she could catch rocks again!"
Flint cuffed him with his right paw. "Shut up, you dummy!"
With a quick movement, Robin grabbed the branch from the ground. Flint and the others froze, staring with fear at Robin. Then Flint narrowed his eyes and picked up a rock.
"Aw, Robin-bobbin gots a big stick! What're ya gonna do, robber boy? Hit me with it?"
Flint threw the rock when he finished speaking. Robin saw the rock fly toward him, he swang the stick toward the rock like a baseball player would at the ball.
CRACK! The stick broke off at a halfway point as it hit the rock, sending it back into the stomach of the person who threw it, knocking him down. Flint was winded, it brought tears of pain to his eyes.
Robin didn't waste any time. He ran toward the others, swinging the stick, shouting, "Get out of here! Go back to the village you came from!"
Most of the boys fled, Ratter staying behind only to help Flint up. Flint looked at Robin with hatred in his eyes. "I'll get you one of these days, Robin. That's a promise!" Flint vowed, staring right at Robin, who was still holding the stick. Then Flint and Ratter stumbled through the woods, and Robin seemed alone in the woods. Then he remembered. The girl behind the stones!
Robin threw the stick down and walked over to the rocks, where he could hear the girl was quietly crying to herself, her face buried in the skirt of her blue dress. Robin leaned atop one of the rocks, watching her cry. He couldn't help but speak to her, she looked so sad and lonely.
"Are you alright? You're not hurt, are you?"
The girl looked up at him, unshed tears in her eyes. The expression on her face when she saw him was alarm, then it changed to anger. She quickly grabbed a rock and threw it at him, he managed to duck in time.
"Hey!" Robin cried out, falling from the rock he was leaning on. He was answered by another rock thrown at him. He tried again. "Don't do that, I'm not going to hurt you!" He said, hoping she'd stop.
The girl dropped the rock she was holding and spoke from hiding behind one of the rocks. "You're not from the village? One of Flint's friends?"
"No, I'm live in the manor in the eastern part of the forest," Robin answered, leaning on the other side of the rock the young girl fox was against.
The two young foxes started a conversation from their places where they were standing.
"Then you don't throw rocks at girls like the other boys?"
"If I did, my parents would kill me!"
"Your parents are strict, too?"
"Yeah, they made me wear this funny tunic today, so I ran away to the woods."
"My parents wanted me to look nice too... but I got it all muddy and these cuts I got from the rocks the boys threw hurt a lot."
"Is it ok if I take a look at the cuts? Maybe I can clean them up..."
"Well...ok." The girl looked up at the footsteps and saw Robin standing there, looking concerned.
Robin extended his right paw to the girl, who cringed a bit, but when she looked into Robin's
eyes and saw he was smiling kindly, she couldn't help but smile back. She grabbed his paw with
her own, and he helped her from the ground. They walked through the woods, the girl following
Robin. They were silent until they reached a river, and as the girl washed off her cuts, Robin
started a discussion.
"Why were the others throwing rocks at you?"
"Because they wanted me to go away. I was playing with some of the other kids, and Flint and his friends didn't like it."
"Why's that?"
"Because my father owns the manor on the western side of the village. Flint and his friends think the noble kids are spoiled rotten. Most of them are, but I'm not! If he knew my parents..."
Robin knew about Flint, but the other manor, his father had told him about the family that lived there...
"So...what's your name?"
Robin looked up in surprise. The young fox looked at the vixen, noticing that she looked very curious, and (Robin thought cringing,) pretty. Robin decided to answer.
"My name is Robin Fitzooth, what is your name?"
The young vixen looked up, a emotion went into her eyes, but she hid it before Robin could see it properly. Then she blushed slightly and spoke.
"I'm Marian, daughter of the Earl and Lady of Huntingdon."
Robin could believe it, but it was difficult to. Not many other kids had earls and ladies of the
court for parents, most of the friends he had were the poorer children that lived in the village.
Robin always would share what he had, and tried never to be conceited. That didn't mean he was a
bore, he would think of tricks to play on his nurse and some of the bullies, like Flint and his
friends. But for there to be a nobleman's daughter in the woods? Especially since she was so
different from a noble born girl. Instead of being proper and prissy, she was playing outside in
the woods, muddy as one of the village kids, even bleeding slightly and not complaining. Robin
admired her bravery. Then a thought came to Robin.
"Huntingdon? My parents and I were going to go over there, to see your parents!"
Robin helped Marian from the river, letting her rest on his arm.
"Marian, you want to go to my home? Our parents must both be worried now..."
"Darn, I wanted to stay out longer...oh, alright."
"Ok, let's go back slowly, we'll take our time walking..."
The two foxes took the path toward the Fitzooth Manor.
The nurse wrung her paws nervously, looking left ant right in anxiety. "Oooh, if I find that.
that...that young devil! He'll rue the day he was born! I wish I knew where that wretch was..."
Robin and Marian walked away from the forest brush, and were seen by the nurse, who swooped on Robin like a eagle and began yanked his right ear. He gave a startled yelp and tried to run away, but the nurse had a strong grip.
"Where in heaven's name were you? Look at your tunic, all muddied and dripping with water and who knows what...Young master, your parents have been wondering where you were all day, they'll tan your hide..."
"Ow! Ow, nurse, lemme go! Let go of me! Ouch, stoppit! Let my ear go! Arrgh, it hurts! Quit it"
Robin cried out in pain, his ear felt as if it was being ripped off.
Marian saved the day by getting the nurse's attention. "Good nurse, Robin did run away, but he saved me!"
The nurse didn't let go of Robin's ear, but she did cast a disdainful look on the young vixen. "Robin saved you? From what?"
"Flint and his bullies threw rocks at her! I got rid of them, she was bleeding, I helped her to out manor, let go of my ear!" Robin managed to say, finally pulling his smarting ear away. The nurse looked stunned for a moment. Then she pursed her lips and looked at Robin sideways, getting his attention. She smiled, something that she didn't do often and shocked him.
"So you did do something instead of rowding around with the villagers' kin. I'm sure your parents would like to hear this, they've been waiting for you, young master."
The nurse, who was actually kindly at heart, if not dutiful, took Marian's and Robin's hand. "Come on, my dears, we'll get you inside and all cleaned up." They entered Fitzooth Manor together.
After Robin and Marian had been scrubbed clean, redressed, (the nurse had to borrow one of the younger girls' dresses for Marian) and fed, the two kids were taken to the main hall, where the Earl and Lady Fitzooth were waiting.
"Robin, thank goodness you're alright!" Arelyn said, rushing over and hugging Robin, who noticed that she had tears in her eyes. She withdrew and stood by her husband, who held her paw.
His father, however, was more stern, and looked at Robin, who swallowed nervously. Robin looked at his father with steady eyes, however nervous he was.
"Robin, you've been gone the whole day, and our appointment with another manor has been canceled,
due to your absence. Explain yourself."
Robin told his father everything, about how he had hid in the barrel from the nurse, had climbed the trees and had gotten muddy, how he found Marian, saved her from Flint and his friends, and had helped her back to the manor. As soon as he was done, he fell silent. Then Hugh turned to Marian.
"Are you Marian of Huntingdon Manor? Adam and Kathleen's girl?"
Marian nodded. "Yes sir, I am. I ran away from my nurse as well. I don't like getting dressed up
either." She grinned shyly, then went on with her story. "I was playing with some of the village
kids, when one boy named Flint and some others started pushing me around. I ran away from them,
they chased me, throwing rocks. I managed to hide behind some boulders, I was afraid they'd chase
me some more. But then I heard Flint talk to somebody named Robin, then he and his friends ran
away. Robin saved me from getting beaten up by them, sir."
"Indeed, he did," Hugh said, looking at his son, trying to look stern. Inside, he was grinning. His son went to run away from responsibility, and he finds his betrothed wife in the woods! Robin would appreciate the irony when he was older. For now, friendship was the best thing. And luckily, Hugh knew this.
"Robin Fitzooth," Hugh said, catching his son's attention. "I should tan your hide for running
away from your nurse, messing up your clothes, and making us late to our appointment...However,
since you have done a very mature deed, I have decided that you will only have to work with the
others in the manor for a day or so. And-" Hugh added. "If Marian comes over again, you will have
to be on your best behavior, is that clear?"
"Yes, Father," Robin said, trying hard not to smile to broadly. He fidgeted slightly.
"Father, is it alright if me and Marian-"
"Marian and I, dear," Arelyn corrected.
"Er, Marian and I, if we go to the shooting range? We won't get dirty, we promise!" Marian nodded as Robin looked to his father pleadingly.
"I suppose so-" Hugh was interrupted by Robin's cheer.
"C'mon Marian, let's go!" Robin grabbed her by the paw and they ran out together, laughing as only overjoyed children can. Hugh smiled and hugged Arelyn closer to him. Arelyn sighed happily as she watched her son run out to the set up targets with his new friend.
"It seems out son is growing up," she said, smiling up at Hugh.
"Yes, that young Marian along with him," Hugh said thoughtfully. "I hope those young ones fall in love. It'd be a shame if they didn't, with the girl being promised to Robin as his wife."
"Time will tell, love," Arelyn said, looking at the sun setting in the west sky. "Time will only tell."