The Consequence of Loyalty
By Cynthia Burnett
Chapter 2
Sherwood Forest
Gisborne and his men rode hard through the underbrush of the forest until they found a well-worn path. Much's fingers gripped the saddle horn as tightly as he could. Even though he was tied to the horse, he could not suppress the fear of falling off and being trampled by the other horses behind them. After what felt like hours that Much knew were only several minutes, the forest began to thin, and Gisborne slowed their pace.
Much glanced at the faceless guards. Eyes void of any emotions glared back through the slits of the metal helmets. He dared not look at Gisborne. Robin's loyal friend's heart raced every time he thought about his situation and seeing Sir Guy made his nightmare unbearably real.
Unable to keep quiet, Much blurted out the question that bombarded his thoughts. "Why?" he whispered, just loud enough to be heard over the hoof beats on the hard ground. Much glanced up from his horse to catch Gisborne's eyebrow lift with interest.
Sir Guy smiled. "Why not?" Gisborne slowed his horse so that he was riding alongside Much. "I am the lord of the Locksley Estates now. I have every right to everything that belonged to Robin, and that includes you, his manservant."
Much's courage grew with his anger. "You and the Sheriff have no right to my master's lands. Those boys only stole sacks of flour. They did not deserve to be hanged." Much thought about his encounter with the Sheriff when he had tried to free Lambert from the jail. "Beside, the Sheriff made me Earl of Bonchurch. I am no longer a servant."
Gisborne yanked the reins to stop his horse. He turned to one of his guards. "You… tie off the rope on that tree."
Much lifted his eyes and spied a low hanging branch directly in their path. His eyes widened while the guard did as he was told, especially when he caught sight of the hangman's noose. Much swallowed with difficulty.
Gisborne guided Much's horse over to the rope. His voice had lost any semblance of amusement as he gave his captive a choice.
"We can settle this question of your status rather quickly. If you insist to be a lord of Nottingham, then you are an outlaw and subject to hanging. I will carry out justice right here, and you will hang until you are dead. The other option is that you acknowledge that you are Robin's servant, and that you have followed him into the forest out of loyalty to your master. If this is true, then you will return to Locksley as my servant." Gisborne pulled the reins of the horse until the noose brushed Much's face. "You can either die a free man or live as a servant."
The rope dangled, taunting him while one of the guards readied a knife to cut his hands free from the horse. Much hated to admit that he feared dying from hanging more than he feared returning to Locksley with Gisborne. With a great intake of breath, he nodded. "Robin is my master. I am his servant." Much returned his eyes to Gisborne, checking to see if this answer would spare him the noose. His heart could not bear calling Gisborne his master.
"We will resolve who your master is back in the manor." With a curt nod, Gisborne gave a new order to his guards. "I want his sword and shield tied to the noose. Let Robin's men find this in the forest." The noble waited for his guards to finish the task before moving forward on their way to Locksley.
Much quietly withdrew. With Robin trapped in a net, he had little hope of a rescue before reaching the manor. The others had gone their separate ways to find out the motive behind Gisborne fortifying the manor. He never imagined that he and Robin would find the answer to what Gisborne had been planning before even reaching Marian that morning. The prison had been built for him.
Locksley Village
Will questioned Paul, the village blacksmith, about the new developments in the manor house. Everyone openly shared their ideas with Will and Allen, but none of them sounded plausible to Will. Some thought Gisborne planned on becoming a hermit, locking himself away from the world. Others speculated that Gisborne was having trouble with his servants, whom had mixed loyalties, still secretly loyal to Robin.
"He left out of here early this morning with six of his private guard. The workers finished up the new shutters last night." For a blacksmith, Paul was a lean man, but his muscles still rippled down his arm as he continued to hammer the horseshoe he was repairing. He paused to add something else. "If you ask me, he is going to force marriage upon Lady Marian and bring her back to the manor house."
Will nodded, "Thanks Paul, I will tell Robin what you think." The young wood smith had the same worry, but all they were finding were rumors and presumptions. No one in the village had heard the true purpose of the locks from anyone in the manor house or the workers who installed the devices.
Allen returned from questioning another Locksley serf, and shook his head in frustration. "They do not know. Everyone is guessing, just like we were back in the forest."
Suddenly, a cry went up through the village as hoof beats approached Locksley. In an unusual turn, Will and Allen saw Gisborne lead his men toward the village instead of the manor. The two outlaws pulled their hoods over their heads and melted back behind a house.
Allen saw Much first, and tugged on Will's sleeve to point out their friend. Much appeared defeated as Gisborne eased his horse to a halt before the villagers, parading his captive in front of the peasants.
Will gasped, "He has Much." The young man reached for his axe behind his back, but Allen placed a hand on his arm.
"No, my friend, there are too many guards." Allen gestured with his eyes as he counted the guards. "There are six plus Gisborne."
Will fought back his panic as he made a realization. "Robin would not have let Gisborne take Much without a fight." Allen squeezed his hand tightly on his friend's shoulder.
Finally, Gisborne addressed the villagers. Will's heart raced inside his chest and his ears echoed every beat. He could only imagine the worst; that Gisborne was going to announce that Robin was dead.
"People of Locksley, I want it to be known that the Locksley manor is now safeguarded from the outlaws who follow Robin Hood and his misguided ways. The locks are well tempered, and I've made provisions to house more guards in and near the manor." Gisborne tugged hard on the horse that was carrying Much.
During this proclamation, Much had kept his eyes lowered, refusing to face his fate. Then, as Gisborne continued to parade his trophy, Much remembered that Robin had sent Will and Allen to Locksley. He lifted his head and scanned the crowd with a haunted look in his eyes. Finally, he found Allen and Will hidden near the back.
Will stepped forward for he knew Much was pleading with him for help. A firm grip on his arm, however, prevented him from doing anything rash.
Gisborne continued his tirade. "This is Robin's manservant. Even Robin Hood could not protect his closest friend from my hand. He will be staying in my manor. If anyone tries to break into my house, this one will suffer the consequences." Satisfied with his address to the peasants, Gisborne started to leave. One of the serfs, a young woman near tears, asked the question that was burning in the hearts of both Will and Allen.
"What of Robin?" the woman sobbed quietly.
Gisborne stopped his horse and let a crooked smile cross his lips. "Robin was in no position to fight." The noble looked throughout the crowd. "If you see any of his men, you can tell them Robin is caught in a trap, a net, swinging above the forest floor. I left him with a small wound." Guy turned to his captive and spoke softly, "They can find him, if they wish but they'll never rescue you." He then kicked his horse and headed for the manor house with Much in tow.
Much pulled his stare away from Allen and Will, and tightly closed his eyes as he leaned closer to the horse, trying to keep his balance atop the racing animal.
Allen and Will watched as the six guards fell behind Much and Gisborne. Both men felt sick as they tried to digest the knowledge of what had just happened. Gisborne had kidnapped Much. Robin was injured and trapped in a net in Sherwood.
"We need to find Robin." Will stated as he started to run back to the forest.
Allen ran and caught the young man. "Wait."
Exasperated, Will questioned his friend with huge eyes. "Wait? First you wouldn't let me help Much, and now you want to wait to find Robin?"
Allen's heart was hurting just as much as Will's, but he had learned from Robin that doing the first thing that comes to mind is not always the right course of action. "Robin would say that he needed to think before doing anything." Allen looked back at the horses as they disappeared behind the manor. "We need someone to stay here and make sure that Much stays in the manor. We don't want to be fooled into thinking Much is here if Gisborne decides to take him to the castle."
"Stay here?" Will asked, looking around. "There are villagers who can look after the manor."
Allen nodded, but then voiced his concerns. "They are loyal to Robin, but we need to make sure that whoever is watching the manor is not distracted by daily chores, or family. I know this is hard, but I need you to stay here and watch the manor. I need to head to Nettlestone and fetch Little John and Djac. We will find Robin and return here. Robin will have a plan to rescue Much."
"What if Robin is injured badly?"
"I'll borrow a couple of the villager's horses to save time." Allen placed his hand on Will's shoulder. "I'm sure Robin is fine, but should something happen to Much, Robin will be devastated."
Will hefted his axe in his hand, testing its weight as he thought through what Allen requested. "I hate Gisborne," the young man proclaimed.
Allen nodded his head, "I know, my friend. I hate him too." Allen looked around. "Now, who will lend me a couple of horses?"
Will searched for the redheaded blacksmith. When he found him, he ran over with Allen close behind. The two were able to procure the horses without any problem. Everyone in Locksley was worried about their outlaw master, and would do anything to make sure that Robin was safe.
Once the animals were saddled, Allen mounted one and led the other towards Nettlestone.
Will watched him go, then made his way carefully to the outskirts of the manor. Well hidden, Will vowed that if Much were to be taken out of the manor, he would know and tell the others. The manor seemed strangely quiet. He prayed that it remained that way.
Locksley Manor
The sounds of the villagers vanished quickly as Gisborne's group finally neared the manor house. Much looked up at the place he had called home for so many years. When returning from the Holy Land, he had imagined it filled with warmth, food and friends. Well, mainly food. Now, it resembled a prison with metal bars on the windows and metal locks. As they approached, Much saw Thornton peering out a ground floor window. By the time Gisborne had dismounted and two of the guards had helped him off his horse, the manor door stood open with Thornton returning a key around his neck.
Thornton stood at the door, and bowed, "My lord," he greeted as Sir Guy entered. The guards had to drag Much inside because his feet did not want to enter the place on their own volition. Once inside, the guards shoved Much before Gisborne. All six men then took their leave of the house. Gisborne looked to the door and then to Thornton. Immediately, his steward shut the door and locked it.
Gisborne then studied Much from head to toe. His hands were still tied with the coarse rope and hung listless before him. Much tried to be invisible, even though he could sense Sir Guy staring at him.
When Gisborne finally spoke, it was not addressed to Much. "Thornton, does everyone know the rules regarding this man?" Much looked up from the floor to witness Thornton nodding.
"Yes, my lord." Thornton did not meet Much's gaze. Instead he eyed the servants who had gathered. In unison, they nodded, making sure to avert their eyes away from Much.
Satisfied, Gisborne smiled before exclaiming, "Good!" The noble snatched Much by the back of his neck and began pushing him up the stairs of the manor. Desperately, Much tried to keep his footing fearing the consequences of tripping. When they finally made it to one of the small rooms upstairs, Gisborne stopped in front of an open door. Much scanned the room and noticed several rags on the floor for a bed. With a shove, Sir Guy sent Much reeling into the room. After rolling over to regain his composure, Much turned over in time to see Gisborne remaining in the hall and closing the door. The sound of the metal lock echoed off the walls as it fell into place. With the door shut and the shutters closed, the room was hot and dark.
Through the door, Much heard the noble talking softly to him. "You will do well not to talk to anyone while I'm gone. Everyone has been ordered not to speak to you. Any attempt on your part to talk to my servants will result in punishment." There was a long pause before Gisborne added, "Your punishment."
As Much listened to Gisborne's boots heading down the stairs, he finally gave in to his exhaustion and stretched out on the floor. From the moment he and Robin had been running from Gisborne until just now, he thought that he could not breathe fast enough to keep up with his racing heart. Now that he was alone in the small room, his energy escaped him and he felt the full weight of today's events pressing heavily on his chest.
Thoughts of seeing Will and Allen in the village formed a small smile across his face. While he was secretly wishing that they could perform a miracle and rescue him, he knew that there was no way they could overtake all of Gisborne's guards and Gisborne himself. No, he was thankful they remained hidden. At least they knew that Robin needed them in Sherwood. His master would be rescued from the net. He closed his eyes as the memory of Gisborne cutting Robin's belt to take his saber. He hoped that the injury was small, that his master was not losing blood like he had the first time Sir Guy had cut him in the Holy Land.
Finally, the full situation came crashing down. Gisborne had tried to kill King Richard in the Holy Land, he had nearly killed his master during the raid, and now Much was his captive in Locksley Manor. The gang had been worried that Gisborne was planning to trap Lady Marian in the manor house. Instead, he was now ensnared with no way out. Much tried to fight back the tears that welled up in his eyes, but finally, unable to control his fear, he rolled over onto his side and shook from his silent sobs.
Nettlestone Village
The horses flew through the distance between Locksley and Nettlestone. Allen knew that Little John and Djaq would be just as upset with the news that he had for them, but they needed to get past their emotions and find a solution. Robin's plans always worked when they kept their emotions at bay.
As he entered Nettlestone, many people were surprised to see him riding so carelessly into the village. He quickly dismounted his horse and asked a young boy to hold both for him. He also asked if the boy knew where Little John and Djaq were. The young boy pointed to the woods behind the metal smith's house. Allen ran as quickly as he could to the edge of the forest. Once inside, he whistled for Little John and Djaq. The two outlaws joined him in seconds.
"Allen, what are you doing here?" asked Djaq. She observed the perspiration on his brow and that he appeared anxious.
Little John read the signs. "This can't be good."
"It isn't. We have two big problems." Allen tried to guess which one he should tell them first. He decided they needed to hear about Much first. "Gisborne has captured Much and has taken him into Locksley manor. Will and I saw him parading Much around the village."
Djaq dropped her head, but Little John quickly asked, "What of Robin? He would not let Gisborne take Much without a fight."
Allen looked to Sherwood behind them. "Gisborne said that Robin is in a trap, a net in Sherwood. I do not know if Robin has freed himself or if he is still stuck there."
Djaq asked, "Will? Where is he?"
Allen felt that he had made the right decision leaving Will back at the manor. "He is watching Locksley to make sure that Gisborne doesn't move Much. I do not know if Sir Guy is doing this on his own, or if he is following orders from the Sheriff."
Little John looked to the metal smith who had been listening to their conversation. The man's furrowed brow revealed his feelings about the situation. The smith took Djaq to the side and when she returned, she told them that he had offered them fresh horses. Quickly, they gathered their things.
When they were ready to leave, Little John asked, "How do we find Robin?"
Allen responded, "We'll figure it out. We need to head back to this morning's camp and then trace his steps to Knighton Hall."
Sherwood Forest
Allen found the scratches in the dirt that Robin drew of Locksley Manor that morning. He tried to take his bearings as he visualized the direct path Much and Robin had taken off towards Knighton Hall. Still riding their horses, Allen led the others through the forest, "This way."
As he traveled, he tried to survey the ground. Every so often, he noticed a footprint but more often then not, he was guessing the way. He felt relief when Djaq stopped them. "There, in the bush."
Stuck in the undergrowth dangled Much's cap. Little John jumped down and snatched the cap from the branch. They all looked at each other. Not sure what to do, John just shrugged and let out a loud cry "Robin!" followed by an ear shattering whistle.
Across the way, Robin had been working on pulling apart the cuts in his netting to make them large enough to allow him an escape. Tiring, he had stopped for a moment to rest when he heard Little John call out his name. His heart leaped at the voice, and the whistle.
Robin returned the whistle with a cry, "I'm here! Little John, over here!" The sound of footfalls and the sight of his men and Djaq filled him with relief. He was not going to be stuck in the forest for the rest of the day. Much needed him.
Little John ran over and looked up at the net. Djaq immediately found the rope that was suspending Robin in the air. She pointed to Little John, "Stand under him. I will cut the rope." As nimble as a squirrel, she climbed up the tree and found the rope. With a warning, she cut the line, and Robin fell into Little John's waiting arms. Carefully, the big man lowered the noble to the ground so he and Allen could cut the tangled nettle that had wrapped around Robin.
When they finally got their leader free, Robin rubbed his arms and legs, trying to get feeling to return to his extremities. He raised his shirt to see where Gisborne had cut him. The small wound had started to scab over, but he still grunted in pain as he lowered his shirt. He finally asked the question, "How did you know I was here?"
Allen lost the smile that he had been wearing when they found him. "When I was in Locksley, Gisborne returned with Much. He was showing off his catch to the village. One of the villagers asked about you, worried that Gisborne had killed you. He told everyone you were trapped in a net in Sherwood."
Robin, feeling foolish to have been truly trapped, then asked, "Much, was he well? How did he look?"
Again, Allen felt his stomach twist into knots. "He didn't look injured, only scared. Gisborne took him to the manor after the parade through Locksley. I think he was baiting us to try and rescue him."
Robin nodded, and then asked, "Where is Will?"
"I left him to look after the manor, to make sure that nothing happened to Much after we left." Allen answered.
"Good." Robin heard the sound of horses up on the hill. "Yours?" he asked. They all nodded. In a rush, he began the trek up the hill and managed to make it to the top before everyone else. He grabbed the closest horse, and reached down to help Djaq onto its back. "We need to see Marian."
Little John carefully mounted his horse. "Marian, why?" the big man questioned.
Robin searched his soul, afraid that he was going to be pushing his love back into Gisborne's clutches, but he needed her to help him protect and rescue Much. "She is the only one who Sir Guy will let into the manor. We need her to go inside."
Allen asked another question that was also plaguing Robin. "Not to be funny, but what if Gisborne is doing this to lure Marian back, using Much as bait."
Robin had thought of this possibility. He felt his face flush as he remembered his fight with Gisborne a few months earlier. The noble was determined to take everything from Robin. "He won't dare to harm Marian."