Chapter 6

Knowing you are going to advenge your stomach, makes you in a happier mood. Actually I had dropped the idea of catching the thief and was just enjoying tracking his steps and enjoying life. The forest was cool and wet with the morning dew and rain, making the air fresher and sweeter than before. Birds twittered and I even started whistling; I was feeling so great.

Ares didn't like my whistling and he told me so by putting his ears back.

"Hey, Lance," said Conrad. "The steps went into the forest on the right five minutes ago. Where are we going?"

I stopped and looked around, my mood declining, and my stomach growled in anger that I had notcaught the thief. But I just shrgged and turned back. "Wherever, Conrad. Just as long as we end up in Gaul."

Suddenly there was a rustling in the bushes next to me and Ares reared in fright and nieghed, rolling his eyes. I held on to the riens to keep him from running away.

To add to his fright, ten men jumped out, surrounding us, arrows pointed at our hearts. They were dressed in green lincoln and thier faces were covered, but I could see they were eyeing Ares with awe, and lust. I was ready to charge through, and get the chance of being shot when another person stepped out from the trees and I stopped.

It was a girl! A woman to be exact. She was dressed like the men, but her head was uncovered letting a sweep of long brown hair fall around her face and down her back. She was pretty...I guess... with the features of a he- woman- warrior type thing, which was what she was, considering the long bow on her back and the nine inch long daggar at her side.

"Who are you?" she asked, trying to sound powerful.

Conrad was gaping again.

"A traveler wanting to get past you rouges," I said, wondering if these were the thiefs I had been looking for.

"You must pay," she snarled. "This is our road and you must pay."

"Who are you and why are you doing this?" I challenged. I made a mental note to do something about this lady when I became king.

She straightened. "I am Robina Hall and these are my men. We steal from the rich and give to the poor, in other words, us."

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Conrad forcing back a snicker or a smirk.He was looking at thearchers nervously.It was pretty funny. I wondered what this lady gave her men to make them follow her.

"But we too are poor," I said indicating my clothes.

"Then why are your saddles studded with jewels and velvet?"

I thought I had told Conrad to make sure our saddles were plain as I looked down to see one of the royal saddles. Dang it.

"We stole them," piped up Conrad.

Yeah that's right.

"So we're just like you guys," I added. When I saw her doubtful look I quickly said, "But since we used your...forest we'll give them to you if you will just give us others we can use."

Robina stepped away with another man to converse whether or not they should believe us or strip our pockets. One of the archers with the figure of a young boy not much older than Carrie stepped up to me andloweredand asked, "Is that your horse, sir?"

"Yes," I said putting a hand on his neck protectively.

He smiled lazily. "Then you lied."

"What do you mean?"

"You told my cousin your name was James but you just told Robina your name was Lance. Which is it?"

I remembered that one girl who I had given the name of James and wondered at the connection. So, she had a cousin that was a robber? "My name is Lance. I just told your cousin the first thing that came to my head, sorry, she was annoying."

He smiled in agreement. "Did you lie about the horse?"

"No. His name is really Ares."

"Very fine creature, I've never seen his equal. Where did you get him?"

"Gaul. That is where I'm going now." I had a feeling this guy could tell whether you were lying or not, so I didn't say it was my homeland. He reminded me of a very sly snake and you couldn't tell whether or not he was a cobra or a simple gardner trying to act like a cobra. I told myself to be on guard and wish I could tell Conrad the same.

"Perceval are you talking to the prisoners?" snapped the lady. "Because if you are, you better not."

Dang she was slow.

Perceval surprised me when he smirked at his leader and seemed torolled his eyes. He turned back to me and whispered, "She's my sister, so she thinks she can boss me around extra."

"I pity you," I said.

He smiled his sly lazy smile and stepped back, fingering his bow. All of the archers lowered their bows when Robina returned. She dropped the cloak of being a hardened robber to being a generous hostess.

"We have decided that what you say is true. We will take you to our camp. There we will feed you and then give you two saddles in exchange for your stolen ones. By the way, good work on stealing those from the royal stables, I'm impressed. Did you steal the horses as well?"

"No," I said glancing at Perceval. "These are our horses."

"They are very nice." She eyed Ares with pleasure and added with a mocking, superiour smirk, "I might want that beautiful, bay. Come I will lead you to our camp."