Chapter 28

Black Magic

A handful and a little more in the wine, Marion thought. Those aren't just slightly vague directions are they? Keep your head. Just keep your head. If Marion didn't act any different Guy and the Sheriff wouldn't notice anything different. All she had to do was stay calm. What on Earth had possessed Robin to poison the Sheriff! And where had he gotten the stuff to do it? Oh forget it she would just dump the whole pouch in. What kind of directions are a handful and a half anyway?

Taking a deep breathe Marion poured two glasses of the Sheriff's private stock of burgundy wine. "Milord Sheriff, Guy." Handing them the wine she stepped back quietly, if she was lucky neither would pay her enough attention to realize she had not poured herself a glass as well. "If you will excuse me, I believe I shall leave you to your business. Guy I will see you later."

With a curt nod, Guy dismissed her. Marion was turning into such a willing wife, he was sincerely looking forward to the return of King Richard and the day she became his bride. As he took a deep drink of his wine he noticed that his lips were tingling. Guy wasn't sure what had happened, but within seconds he was laying on the floor unable to move or speak. He could see the Sheriff screaming at the guards but he couldn't quite understand the words he was saying. It seemed as though his entire world was a dream, he could see everything clearly but he couldn't speak or move and the Sheriff was speaking strange words that made no sense to him.

From the Sheriff's point of view what was happening was crystal clear. The wench had poured two glasses of wine and then tried to beat a hasty retreat. Guy had drunk his wine before she escaped though and was now lying dead on the floor. Demanding that the guards seize Marion he smelled deeply into his wine. Just below the smell of the smooth red wine he could faintly smell the slightly tangy green of the mixture she had added.

Walking up to the fiend the Sheriff smiled cruelly at her. "It seems you forgot to pour yourself a glass as well Marion. You must have mine. Drink it!"

With a look of fear Marion jerked her head away from the goblet. Robin had told her that the potion would make the men relaxed and helpless – not kill them.

"Well apparently you know exactly what's in here."

The head guard looked at Marion in horror and awe. Trying to poison two men in front of four guards took nerve; he would give her credit for that. "To the dungeon, milord?"

The Sheriff cocked his head to the left and crossed his arms. "I think not. It would be silly of me to leave you somewhere where Robin Hood could rescue you. No, instead I think I shall make a swift example of you. Instead, take her to the top of the north wall. Hang her there."

The guardsmen nodded in shock. The Sheriff was cruel but he had never hung women from the walls before. In his defense, the woman had poisoned Sir Guy and attempted to poison the Sheriff and an example was needed.

"Guard? Do it immediately and send someone to take Sir Guy's body to the chapel. We'll bury him in the morning. Better that than allowing the body to create a stink with our guests here."

Marion was in shock as they led her through the halls of the castle. She thought the Sheriff had decided to hang someone, but who she wasn't sure. Who could the Sheriff plan on hanging from the north wall? She would need to get to Robin so that he could save whoever it was. The shock never wore off. Just before the guardsmen pushed her off the wall all Marion could think was what a lovely day it was and how little she had appreciated the view from the north wall.

Meanwhile Guy was thinking how he had never appreciated the frescos on the ceiling of the chapel or even realized that they were painted over the altar. He could only wonder why the Sheriff had decided to put him here rather than having him taken to his own room to rest. Perhaps Marion would visit him here; it would be more respectable than her visiting his room in the castle.

In the enclosed garden set aside for their use, Noor heard the news that somehow Robin's twit of a servant girl had mucked things up. Apparently she had been present while trying to sedate the Sheriff rather than slipping it into his food in the kitchen like she had told James of Essex to have her do. Why hadn't Robin told her? Surely he knew the smell of foxgloves and monkshood, and he knew what it would do – Noor had used it on Robin as a general anesthetic when they had stitched him up before he left the holy lands! What on Earth was he playing at, she thought.

Regardless, he would need to know that his serving girl had gone and gotten herself hung. Barbaric practice, she thought, to leave a body hanging for everyone to see. "Musal, inform Prince Tariq and the Sheriff I wish to hunt the woods surrounding Nottingham as I am distressed by the day's events. Then bring a horse to meet me in the front courtyard, I will bring the cats myself." Hopefully the Sheriff would be too ignorant to know that male lions weren't used for hunting and wouldn't notice that she had taken him along. Heading into the woods with the cats moving behind her, Noor wondered exactly how to explain this to Robin and also what he was up to using a servant to kill nobles! Shaking her head she urged her horse and the cats to move at a faster pace.

Once Noor and the cats had reached the forest break, she dismounted and called Wafeyy, the male lion to her. Placing a short note, written in Arabic, inside his jeweled collar she patted him lightly on the head. "Now, Wafeyy, take this to Robin and no one else." Placing a light scrap of cloth in front of Wafeyy's nose she allowed him to get a smell of the camp from it. "Go, Wafeyy, live up to your name. And I shall pray that Robin remembers your safe word."

With that Noor set to hunting the countryside between the forest and Nottingham with Saqr and Nisoor, her cheetahs and allowing Ganzabeel, her female lion to hunt farther a field. Hopefully Robin would find Wafeyy soon and follow him back to meet with her.