Chapter 2
'The Escape'
Two hours later, I was awoken by a comotion at the door to enter the prison. Curious, I stood and walked to the door of my cell and looked put. A few seconds later, three men dressed in green and brown came down the hallway, surprisingly calm for people who had just broken into a dungeon. Upon seeing that they had the keys, most of the prisoners began to beg for the men to let them out. However, I didn't say a word, just stood and watched as they greeted a few and set them free, then started to leave. However, one of them glanced at me and puckered his brow.
"Say lad, don't I know you?" He asked. I studied him. He looked like most of the other men I knew, brown hair, beard and small mustache with blue eyes. I shrugged.
"I don't think so." I replied. He continued to study me, then a smile too big for his face appeared.
"That's right! You're the lad we saw take on fifteen of the sherriff's men last night!" He said, laughing. Then he waved his comrades over.
"Hey boys, look at this! It's the lad from last night who decided to fight fifteen men at once!" He said. One of the others, who was shorter and quite broad, glanced at me and nodded.
"That's nice Gil. Now let's get going! Bring the lad if you want, but hurry up!" He said impatiently. The one I'd been talking to, who was apparently named Gil, rolled his eyes.
"Calm down James. We have plenty of time." He replied, but I noticed that he unlocked my door quickly. After letting me out, we hurried down the many twisting hallways. Oddly enough, my rescuers seemed to know exactly where every passage led to, not faltering at even the most confusing of pasageways. That's why when they stopped and entered a small room, I wondered what was going on, then shrugged and followed them. So far they had been knowledgable, so I figured that it couldn't be too bad. Of course, that was before the smell hit me. It smelled like rotting food with a few dead cats thrown in for fun. Covering my nose, I looked around and noticed a hole in the floor.
"What's that?" I asked Gil, my words muffled since I was still covering my nose with my sleeve. He smiled at me.
"That's our escape route." He replied. I frowned.
"Isn't that where the-" But that was all I got out before Gil and James pushed me into it, then jumped in right after me. I found myself sliding down a sloping chute with nothing to hold onto. When I saw daylight, my spirits rose and fell at the same time. They rose because I was seeing daylight, and they fell because of what it revealed as I flew through the air. A big tub sat directly under the chute, full of rotting garbage from the castle. With a squishing noise, I landed directly in the middle of it, then scrambled out of the way of Gil and Much, who came flying out right after I landed. I glared at them.
"You could have warned me." I said. Gil spread his hands.
"The young are so fickle. One moment they're grateful, the next they're mad at you because you shoved them down a garbabe chute. What is this world coming to?" He said with a deep sigh. James just shook his head and climbed out of the tub to join the others.
"Come on Gil. We don't have all day." He said in a tone that made me think that he said this many times a day. As we walked through the city avoiding the many soldiers running around like chickens with their heads cut off, I got the chance to take a head count of the men. There were five men, not counting the three that had helped everyone escape.
When we got out of town, everyone started heading for Sherwood Forest but me. I started down the opposite fork, wondering what I was going to do. There weren't many people or places that would harbor someone who was wanted by the law. I sighed, kicking a rock in the road, thinking that there were even fewer places that would harbor a woman masquerading as a man who was wanted by the law, however unfair it was. When I heard someone running up behind me, I ignored them, assuming that it was someone who needed to get home or something. So when I felt a hand on my arm, I spun around, feeling for the sword that wasn't there. Before I could land a punch, I recognized Gil.
"Didn't mean to startle you." He said with a grin, taking his hand off my arm. I shrugged and started walking again. He followed like a persistent puppy.
"Anyways, the boys and I were wondering if you'd like to join up with our little band." He offered. I raised my eyebrow.
"What, do you steal from the rich and give to the poor?" I asked, remembering Robin Hood's old creed. Gil smiled again.
"Why don't you come find out?" He said, waggling his eyebrows in a way that I couldn't help but laugh.
"Fine. I'll come." I said. He turned around and started walking, talking animatedly about the hideout that one of the band's father's had built ten years ago. I shook my head and followed, happy to be a part of something, even if it was an outlaw band.