Chapter 6 – The Race is On
After the Sheriff of Nottingham thundered past with a reluctant Prince John in his wake, Much grabbed Friar Tuck and hurried him to the head of their crowd of alleged pilgrims. "Come Tuck! We must make for Nottingham Castle! Robin will need our help!" They stopped to instruct the rest of the men to stay on the road and continue to block the column behind them for as long as possible whilst they made for Nottingham Castle.
The bells of St. Mary's were ringing Vespers by the time the three men of Sherwood arrived at the sandstone outcrop that formed the foundation of Nottingham Castle.
"Blimey mates!" He wiped the sweat from his forehead; it had been a long sprint from the south end of the Forest Road. "Thought we'd never get 'ere!"
They paused for a few moments to rest and get their bearings. They then made their way to the East Bailey and soon located the entrance to the tunnel which led them into the interior of the bailey.
Making their way into the tunnel proved much more difficult and time-consuming then the previous day's exit, as they inadvertently made several wrong turns into long-disused rooms, junctions and blinds. After much delay, they finally reached the chamber containing the narrow stairway that led to the bailey's main corridor. They carefully entered the corridor and approached the junction near where the King was being held. One glance around the corner told them precisely what they needed to know.
There were still only two sentries guarding the King and they soon made short work of them. Scarlett thoroughly searched the guards, but found no keys to the padlock on the door to the King's cell nor to the shackles binding him to the wall. He stood and pointed towards the cell in frustration.
"Robin! How are we to open the cell without a key? Yon door is padlocked."
He stood idly gazing down at the unconscious guards lying at his feet as he pondered Scarlett's question. Cor, what I wouldn't give for me lockpicks right about now! A glint of metal caught his eye. 'old on, I think I see somethin' I can use!
He knelt down beside the nearest guard and swiftly removed the item he needed. He got up and gently patted Scarlett on the back. "Not to worry Will m'lad. I think I may be able to 'andle it."
Scarlett sighed and glanced nervously at Little John, who shrugged. "If you say so, Robin."
"I do say so, Will!" He put a hand on Little John's shoulder, and pointed at the guards. "Little John, do me a favor and put those two blokes someplace out of sight, then 'ang back to keep a lookout for us whilst we free the King."
"Aye Robin," Little John nodded and dragged the guards around the corner. He returned to step back into the shadows to keep a watchful eye on the corridor.
"C'mon Will, let's retrieve the King!" He gestured for Scarlett to follow as he sprinted down to the end of the blind corridor. "Let's 'ope they 'aven't moved 'im!"
They found that the King was still imprisoned in the small room at the end of the hallway. He called out, "Sire? Sire?"
The figure chained to the wall very slowly lifted his head. "Who…who…goes…there?"
"We've come to release you Sire!" He turned to Scarlett, who had crowded close, anxious to see how his master intended to open the door. "Give us a bit of space, eh Will?"
Scarlett backed up just a bit but still leaned in to see his master deftly manipulate the padlock using the prong of the buckle he had taken from the unconscious guard. A few quick movements and the lock suddenly clicked open. "See Will? Bob's yer uncle!" he whispered.
"You are a man of hidden talents Robin," replied an impressed Scarlett.
"It's necessary Will," he said as he pulled the heavy door wide open. Both men stepped in and respectfully took a knee before they approached their King.
"Arise…men," murmured Richard.
They arose and Scarlett gently supported the King as his master worked to unlock the shackles on his wrists and ankles.
"Sire, a moment. Let me release you from these chains." A few twists and turns of the buckle's prong soon dispatched the shackles and Scarlett leaned in to keep the King standing as he was suddenly free of the chains.
King Richard was understandably weak and disoriented from the long captivity spent shackled to the wall. He fell into their arms, then raised his head to look his rescuers in their eyes. "Who…who are you…?"
Scarlett looked to his master as they struggled to keep the King upright.
"We are but two of your loyal subjects Sire," he answered quietly. Both men bowed their heads in acknowledgement of their sovereign as they were unable to kneel and support Richard at the same time. He nodded his head in Scarlett's direction. "This gent 'ere is me best mate, Will Scarlett."
The King gently grasped his arm and repeated his question, "And you…you are the one who…spoke to me yesterday are you not?"
"Aye my Liege. My name is Robin; some call me Robin Hood."
"Robin…Hood. I have…heard of…thee Robin." King Richard seemed to gather strength from his admission and stood a bit steadier. He nodded as he spoke, "Come then…good sir knight. Let us make haste!"
"My Lord, I am not a knight, just a simple yeoman."
Richard looked at him and smiled. "I…shall be the judge of that…Robin. Come…."
He smiled back at the King, then nodded at Will. "Let's get out of 'ere." They retraced their steps back to where Little John stood guard and then they all headed down the corridor. Suddenly they heard the clatter of approaching footsteps, as well as the sound of voices.
He turned to Scarlett and muttered urgently, "Will, protect the King! Take 'im and 'ead for the tunnel! Little John and I will stay 'ere and cover yer escape."
"Aye Robin! Take care Little John!" Scarlett shot a meaningful glance at Little John as he spoke; he received a grave nod in return. The unspoken message to protect Robin had been transmitted and received. He then took the King by the arm and hurried as fast as possible for the corridor leading to the tunnel entrance. He had barely made his exit before the owners of the voices they had heard made their presence known.
A squad of no more than eight soldiers marched in, led by a very surprised corporal. They all stopped, momentarily nonplussed by the unexpected sight of the two men of Sherwood.
Taking advantage of their temporary confusion, he leaned in to Little John and whispered, "Fight to disable only, we're not 'ere to kill any of 'em!" Little John nodded and they both leapt to the attack.
The startled corporal was the first to be dispatched by a great wallop to the jaw courtesy of Little John. He then grabbed two of the nearest soldiers and threw them head-first into the wall, where they collapsed into a heap. He looked to his right to see that his master had picked up the corporal's sword; he used it to club one soldier with the hilt and then took out another with a shallow thrust to the side. That left four soldiers, who charged almost simultaneously. Little John had picked up a pike dropped by one of the sentries; he slung it parallel to the floor and shouted, "Robin! Take hold!"
His master understood at once and took hold of the other end of the pike. Holding the pike between them, they rushed the four soldiers and bowled all of them over by knocking their legs out from beneath them. They then quickly rendered the four men unconscious with sharp blows to their heads.
They surveyed their handiwork for a moment, then stood motionless, breathing hard with hands on knees and heads bowed.
"Smashin'…idea…that was…Little John!"
Little John nodded, "It…it…works better with…my staff."
His master simply nodded. When he finally regained enough breath to speak, he affectionately thumped Little John on the back and said, "Let's get outta 'ere!"
Despite their exhaustion, they both sprinted down the corridor towards the blind leading to the tunnel. Suddenly, Little John turned and whispered, "Robin, hold! Dost thou hear that?"
The two men of Sherwood stood silent as the sound of a grating, angrily annoying voice grew gradually nearer. They looked at each other in shock. It was the Sheriff of Nottingham!
A/N Depending on the time of year, Vespers rang anywhere from the modern equivalent of 3:00 to 7:00 pm. I'm placing this story-within-a-story in Midsummer, so Vespers would have been rung at approximately 7:00 pm. Since the mechanical clock wasn't invented until some time later, the church played a large role in timekeeping and the hours were marked by the canonical bells of the liturgical schedule. And yes, St. Mary's is real. The Church of St. Mary the Virgin is the oldest religious foundation in the City of Nottingham and the largest mediæval building in Nottingham. The church is mentioned in the Domesday Book and is believed to go back deep into Saxon times. (A tip of the ol' fedora to Wikipedia).