Chapter 18
To Kill a King
Robin lay face down on his camp bed. The tent was not spinning, finally. He was sure the tent was still and so was his stomach. Robin thought to himself 'Thank you God. Now I can sleep.' Robin closed his swollen eyes carefully and began to drift into sleep.
Immediately Robin's dreams were filled with the screams of dying men. He could feel the heat of the sun on his face. The horses were skittish from the heat and the noise. Many of them ran loose without their riders and created chaos amongst the army retreating from Acre. As Robin reached the river he saw that it was choked with bodies. The bodies of soldiers and knights mingled with those of peasants who had been massacred during the battle attempting to flee. Behind him he heard Much screaming "Master, Master!" Robin turned but could not see Much amongst the men following him.
Suddenly Robin was awake again in his camp bed. Much was standing over him screaming "Master, assassins!"
Robin struggled to his feet and reached for the sword Noor had given him. Robin reached for his bow and arrows as he was running to the tent entrance. "Much, where?" Much pointed towards King Richard's tent. Robin could see that the chaos stemmed from there. He turned to Much and yelled "go for help. Get James and some men! I'll hold them until you return."
Robin planted all but one of his arrows into the sand and knocked the last into the bow. Raising the bow to his sightline, Robin drew back and released methodically. Even as his head sloshed Robin managed to focus on killing the assassins. Reaching back his hand felt nothing but air. Looking back Robin realized he was out of arrows.
The assassins realized this at the same time and rushed toward him. Robin pulled his sword and began to parry with the assassins which surrounded him. 'Step, step, lunge,' Robin thought to himself. Parrying quickly Robin dispatched the first two assassins.
Before him stood a large man shrouded in black with a turban covering his face. How had Noor gotten a message to Salahadin so quickly? Had she even bothered or had she sent these assassins? Was Noor trying to kill him and King Richard both?
Robin let these thoughts slip from his mind as he attempted to fight off his attacker. His arms were tired from shooting and defending himself from the other assassins. His feet began to slow and his head hurt miserably. It was all Robin could do to keep defending himself from the man.
When the man raised his sword above his head, hoping to cleave Robin in half at the shoulder, Robin saw his chance. Stepping into the man's arm spread and then pivoting outward he slashed with his sword, slicing the man across his forearm. The man screamed in shock and Robin looked at his arm, covered in a large black tattoo. Suddenly the man brought his sword across and sliced Robin deeply just under the rib cage.
As Robin collapsed in the sand he heard Much screaming his name in the distance. The last thing he saw before the darkness set in was Much standing over him.