Chapter 2: The Wait
"Come on Robin, come on" Little John mumbled under his breath from where he sat hidden in the bramble bordering the moat. He watched with bated breath for his friend's head to pop out of the water. He felt Skippy grab his shirt in worry, his blue eyes wide with fear. Little John knew the questions the little tott had, but felt the words of encouragement stick in his throat.
"Come on Robin. Come on!" he pleaded silently. "Don't do this to me. Don't leave me alone!" Fear crept into the bear's heart. Although Robin often said this whole 'stealing from the Rich to Feed the Poor' thing was an equal partnership, it was Robin' Hood's head they were after. It was Robin Hood who had the Reward Poster. And John knew that it was because it was Robin who ran the show. He took the chances, he played the risk. He started this and John feared it would end without him.
But staring in the water with baited breath, Little John was more worried about losing his best friend, his brother in all but blood, more than he was worried about losing his leader, or the legendary Robin Hood.
The large bear let his eyes scan the shore line further down, his eyes searching anywhere for his friend. The arrows had finally ceased in their vicious rain and Little John scoured the water for any sight of his friend. The moment seemed to last forever and even Prince John seemed to be holding his breath. Hope fluttered as ripples appeared in the water and Little John's heart was in his throat as he watched Robin's hat float to the surface. Little John's eyes widened as he caught sight of the ominous arrow sticking through Robin's hat, and when Robin didn't surface as well John swore he felt his heart stop.
He didn't want to believe his eyes. He stared at the scene before him, memorized it, searched the waters everywhere for a sign of some sort of trick. He just kept telling himself that any minute now, Robin would pop out, completely unharmed. He would make some heroic and bold statement to Prince John let him know that someday things would change, that they would be better and that the would-be-king hadn't broken their spirits, hadn't broken him. So Little John kept waiting. Kept waiting for Robin. But Robin did not appear. He didn't swim ashore with that easy going, confident, smile on his face. Instead all John was left with was his hat and an arrow.
Little John felt numb. Distantly he felt the tears of stricken sorrow streaming down his face, as if through a haze he could hear the soldiers heading down the shore scouring the bank for the missing robber. Skippy's frightened grip on his arm as the child tried to pull him away from the water was vaguely even noted. Little John couldn't take his eyes off that hat, the arrow that stuck straight through it seemed to seal the story, but John could only hope that he was wrong. "What do I do now Rob?" Little John closed his eyes, tears pouring down his face. The bear took a few deep breaths, he knew what Robin would want him to do, he just hoped he'd be strong enough to finish what Robin had started. Opening his eyes he turned away from the water, where Robin would not appear and toward Skippy. The youngster had mirroring tears in his frightened eyes, and Little John knew they needed to go. There was nothing he wouldn't do for Robin, he'd go to the end and the earth and back for his selfless best friend; but as much as he wanted to wait, wait for Robin; he knew deep down there was nothing to wait for but soldiers, and he needed to get Skippy home to safety. So with a heavy heart, Little John scooped up Skippy and soundlessly headed through the thicket, toward Sherwood forest, to reveal the hardest news he'd ever had to tell to the people of Nottingham.