The Consequence of Loyalty
By Cynthia Burnett
Chapter 5
Sherwood Forest
Lost in a silent memory, Robin sat on the hill where he often found Much in the morning when they camped at this site in the forest. Robin picked up a rock and hurled it deep into the forest. The turn of events yesterday disturbed him deeply. How could he have misjudged Gisborne's motive for hunting him in the forest? Why did he not see the danger that Much was in after he had interrupted the wedding in Locksley? Much had taken very good care of him in the Holy Land. Ever loyal, his friend always forgave him after his personal demons drove him to do and say things that he had to admit were not very kind, especially those harsh words he had said to Much the day before the wedding. Now, after all of the loyalty Much had shown him, Robin could not protect him from Gisborne or his men.
Looking out across the camp in the firelight, Robin considered the circumstances that had brought his gang together. Little John lived as an outlaw for many years and led his men bravely, stealing to survive. Allen gave them the imagination they all needed, forever weaving fantastic stories and coming up with the most unconventional ways to sneak in and out of Nottingham when they needed something beyond the ordinary. Robin swore to never regret his actions that put him and Much in Sherwood and on the opposite side of the law, a law that was unjust. If not for Robin's decision to sacrifice his lands and his rights as a noble, both Allen and Will would have died at the hands of the evil Sheriff Vaisey.
Robin searched the quiet camp and found Will sleeping next to the fire. The youngest of the group had shown all of the character of a man in this gang. His ability to gain information and build the much needed tools for the band could never be replaced by another. His father would be very proud of his son knowing that he helped Robin to ease some of the suffering the peasants of Nottingham had to endure.
Finally, Robin found Djaq sleeping peacefully amidst the company of men. The Saracen had proven herself to be a valuable asset to the gang with her knowledge of science and medicine. Her unusual decision to stay here in Sherwood with Robin and his men had puzzled him at first, but Robin did not blame her for staying. The war was not a place he wished to return to, especially after discovering that he and his own army of men could help his own countrymen by doing what they could to undermine the Sheriff, and those loyal to him, like Gisborne.
The irony of it all hit Robin. The man who had ruled his lands and his people with an iron fist in his absence had been the same assassin he had stopped from killing the King in Acre. The grave wound he suffered at the hands of this assassin led to his return home, to Locksley and Nottingham. His long lost love, Marian, had agreed to marry Gisborne out of desperation to save herself and her father from harsh rule of the Sheriff, and this wedding had nearly taken place just a week ago. In one vicious circle, his loyal friend had stopped the wedding after learning that the condition for her marriage to Gisborne, the return of King Richard to England, had been a ruse by the Sheriff.
Thinking about Guy, Robin realized that he had missed a key element to what made him tick. The man's pride ran too deep into his character. He had been born a noble with the promise of greatness, only to have his family's lands taken from him as a boy. Now, he had taken land and property from Robin to regain his power over others and to be seen as true nobility. The last thing needed to solidify this image was to marry into a respected family of the shire. To do this, he had pursued and trapped Marian, the lady once betrothed to Robin, into marriage. Robin had given her up as lost when she vowed to keep her promise of marriage to Gisborne, despite all of his evidence that Guy had betrayed his King.
Shaking his head, Robin remembered seeing Marian run out of the church. He should have known that Gisborne's pride had only one person to blame… Much. Hearing Much's shouts from the church that the King was an imposter had brought Robin back to his senses as he spurred his horse back to Locksley. Robin's heart soared when he found Marian unmarried that day, her betrothal broken, and when he had finally kissed her outside of Nottingham.
Always by his side, Much helped Robin rescue Sir Edward from the deception of the Sheriff. They had separated so Much could warn the others that the King had not returned from the Holy Land, that this was an imposter. For a moment, when Much had been captured by the Sheriff, Robin feared that Vaisey would cut his throat without any hesitation, but after setting the Sheriff up to swing himself above the Great Hall, Robin had successfully rescued his friend from his clutches.
Robin found another stone and hurled it with every ounce of strength he had in him as deep into the forest as its momentum would take it. Without a quick solution to his current situation, Much had remained a captive of Gisborne for nearly a day, suffering as the new target for Guy's raging anger and abuse. What else would Much endure before they could rescue him?
Noise from his camp startled Robin from his musings. As he looked back to his men, he noticed Little John and Allen waking the others. It was time to get an early start to the day. They needed to find any information they could in Locksley and devise a plan to free Much. Looking up to the sky, Robin found the morning star on the horizon. Dawn would be upon them soon. Stretching his legs, he left the hill that Much favored, and joined his men.
Locksley Manor
A rooster crowing just outside the manor roused Much from a light, troubled sleep. At first, he only rubbed his eyes as he slowly managed to sit up. His mind felt foggy, and it prevented him from immediately recalling where he was. Looking around, the confines of the small room and barren interior sparked his memory. Much moved his sore jaw and flinched. As he stretched out on the floor, a sharp pain shot through his back and side, bringing all of the events of the previous night back into clear focus. He was still a prisoner in Gisborne's house.
Wanting to stand, Much reached up to the window sill and used it as support as he again tried to rise. After making it to his feet with much effort, his eyes found the forest and Locksley village. Dawn had erased the stars from the sky, but the faint light had yet to reveal any details in the forest or on the ground. Everything still appeared before him as a blank slate. Much scanned the area for any sign of Robin and the others, to give him hope that they had a plan to get him out of this place and away from Gisborne. He refused to believe that he would live out the rest of his days trapped here.
Suddenly, behind him, the door's lock clicked and the door creaked open. Sarah brought a candle into the room, and then, to Much's delighted surprise, a tray with food. It mainly consisted of dried bread, hard cheese with a cup of water, but even scraps would have been a feast to him after a day with nothing at all in his stomach. Before Much could thank the girl, Gisborne suddenly loomed behind her. As Sarah tried to flee what she was sure would be another unpleasant encounter, he blocked her path and ordered her to secure the window. Slowly, the girl turned around and pulled the shutter closed, and with some difficulty succeeded in fastening the lock. Avoiding Much's eyes, Sarah rushed to leave the two alone.
Much's heart sank. He wondered what he would have to endure to get a bite of food. Looking back at the window, he knew that as dawn returned to the shire, he would not be able to see Robin and the others if they were outside. Once again, he felt the suffocating isolation of being locked away in the manor without a soul to help him through this.
Clearing his throat, Gisborne gestured to the food. "I've brought you food. You should know that I do not plan on killing you. Keeping you alive is to my advantage."
Much wanted desperately to sit down at the tray and begin devouring the provisions, but with Gisborne hovering over him, he could not bring himself to move closer to his captor. Curious, Much looked up at Gisborne and asked, "Forgive me for asking, but why is it to your advantage?"
Gisborne smiled and walked through the room, stopping just in front of Much. "I plan on finding Robin in the next few days. I want him to know that if anything happens to me or any of my men, that you will pay the consequences. I will not allow any more of my tax shipments to be stolen from me by his men. If he knows what is best for you, he will also cease his thieving from the nobles."
Heartsick, Much closed his eyes, knowing that Robin would be trapped by such a threat. He also knew that Robin would not deliberately do anything that would result in his torture at the hands of Gisborne.
Gisborne's leather gloved hand reached out to tilt Much's face upward, revealing the purple bruise outlining his cheek in the candlelight. Much kept his eyes closed. With a satisfied sigh, Gisborne released his chin, and turned to leave. "You will finish your meal, and I will send Thornton to fetch you. Today, you will start your service in my manor."
After the door shut, Much walked over to the tray. With great care, he eased down to the floor. His stomach rumbled as he sat in front of the tray, but even though he was starving, he could hardly bear the idea of eating. He did not want to be the reason others in the shire would suffer from the tyrannical rule of the Sheriff and Gisborne. Finally, fearful that the food would be taken away, Much forced himself to start eating. As soon as he sunk his teeth into the bread, he could not chew it fast enough to satisfy his hunger.
The cheese and bread soon vanished, and Much sat staring at the empty tray. How could he have complained about the food in the forest? They always had enough to eat, and the villagers always provided a bountiful supply of goodies, such as occasional meat pies and sweet cakes. His stomach growled, reminding him that he was still hungry. The water felt good against his dry throat and lips. When the last drop fell from the cup, Much sat it back on the tray. While thankful to be fed, he could not suppress his anger. He did not belong here. Gisborne had no right take him away from Robin. Once he got on his feet, Much kicked the metal tray and tankard across the room, which clanged and clattered violently against the far wall.
Much immediately regretted his rash action as he heard the sound of boots climbing the stairs and the key turning in the lock. When a wide-eyed Thornton entered instead, searching the room for the cause of the loud noise, Much allowed himself to breathe again.
"What are you doing? Do you want the master to come back in here enraged at you?" Thornton bent over and picked up the tray and the cup, handing it off to Annie, who stood just outside the door.
Much only responded with how he felt and pleaded, "I don't belong here. I want to go home." He felt awkward, talking this way with Thornton. The steward had never hid his disapproval of Much's freedom from servant duties while taking care of Robin and joining in on his adventures around the shire before leaving for the Crusade.
Thornton ignored the man's complaints as he reached for his hands. Resisting the urge to pull away, Much let the head servant untie the wrapping that Marian had created to cover his bleeding wrists the night before. The cloth tugged at his skin, but when Thornton removed the other wrist's wrapping, he seemed pleased by what was revealed. Much gingerly rubbed his sore wrists, relieved to be distracted from his situation for just a moment.
Thornton motioned for Much to follow him. "This way." The old man walked out of the room with Much on his heels. The guard stationed outside followed him down the stairs. In a corner of the great room Much spied a large wooden bucket with several rags folded off to the side.
After Thornton stopped in front of the bucket, Much scanned the entire room, noticing the numerous items that would have to be scrubbed. Upset, he looked back to Thornton. "Am I to understand that I have to clean everything in the room?" His pride dwindled when he noticed Thornton attempt to hide a small smile.
Trying to shake off the amusement, Thornton added, "I do not mean you any disrespect, Much, but this was something that I had always wanted you to be doing instead of running around the shire with Robin." Startled by familiar footsteps, Thornton's demeanor returned to a serious nature as Gisborne descended the staircase. The steward rushed about the great room, unlocking the shutters before carefully opening them to the daylight growing outside.
Gisborne smiled. Much felt certain the lord could read his distress at the prospect of cleaning the entire room. Guy addressed Thornton, "I want you to make sure that he stays busy. If he does his task to your satisfaction, you are allowed to feed him at midday."
Thornton immediately respond, "Yes, my lord." Rushing to the manor door, the servant quickly had it opened, allowing Gisborne to leave. As soon as he exited the manor, Thornton secured it once more. The guard who had shadowed Much down the stairs took his station in front of the exit.
With a great huff, Much grabbed the top rag and dipped it into the cold water. Wringing it out, he looked helplessly up to Thornton, who passed by, leaving Much alone with the guard. The room seemed to grow in size as he thought of cleaning every bit of it. Resigned to get this task finished, he began scrubbing the tall ornate cedar table sitting near the window. To his disgust, the rag quickly blackened with dirt. Thinking of the forest, Much decided that even their camp was not as filthy as the manor house.
Locksley Village
Robin kept an eye on the manor house from behind the cottage on the edge of the village. Little John and Djaq monitored the security of the manor from the hill they had found the previous night. Allen and Will left the gang to find out more information about the fortifications from the smiths who performed the work on Locksley manor.
At last, Robin heard a familiar whistle from the forest, and reluctantly, he left his watch to join Little John.
The big man's face told the story before he spoke. "Robin, it does not look good. Gisborne has a guard posted outside each window on the bottom floor."
Djaq sighed, "I counted ten around the perimeter of the house. Five more are stationed in the stable with the horses." She looked around the village, pointing with her eyes. "It is dangerous here. Gisborne has several of his men patrolling the village." She lowered her voice as two guards passed by the cottage Robin had been using as cover to watch the manor house.
Robin acknowledged her statement with a nod, but added quietly, "We cannot let Gisborne chase us out of Locksley. We need to be close in case an opportunity presents itself. Much is counting on us to rescue him."
As the guards completed their circuit around the village, they made their way back up to the manor. Robin returned to the cottage and found the vantage point where he could get a full view of the manor house. To his surprise, he saw Gisborne riding towards the village. Both Djaq and Little John realized that their vantage point would not hide them from Gisborne, so they quickly returned to the forest. Robin, on the other hand, stood his ground. He was determined to find out what Gisborne had to say to the village firsthand.
As the lord entered the village, the people remained outside their cottages. Robin noticed the smug smile that seemed to crawl across Gisborne's face as he dismounted. A guard grabbed the reins of his horse as Gisborne adjusted his gloves over his hands. Guy's eyes searched the village, and Robin suspected that he knew that the outlaws were there. Robin's fist clenched into a tight ball, and to Robin's surprise, a steady hand grasped his shoulder. He turned to find Djaq and Little John had joined him. Robin suspected that they were worried about what the outlaw noble would do with the opportunity to confront Gisborne. Robin realized that he was prepared to step forward and kill the 'would be' assassin once and for all.
"People of Locksley, I am here today to send a message to Robin Hood. You saw yesterday that I have captured his servant." Smiling, Gisborne strolled around addressing all the worried faces of the village, "Today, he is busy cleaning the great room of my manor. If the outlaws suspend their actions against the Sheriff and the nobles of Nottingham, I can promise that the most he will suffer is that of the duties assigned to any servant in my house." Pausing, Gisborne searched the forest edge near the village, "but, if any taxes are stolen or if any attempt to rescue this servant is pursued, I will have no choice but to punish this man."
"His name is Much, and he is not your servant." Robin stepped out from behind the far cottage with his bow and arrow drawn, to the dismay of both Little John and Djaq. However, each followed their leader, with staff and sword in hand on each side of the outlaw.
Gisborne's smile grew. Robin suspected he had hoped for a face-to-face confrontation.
"Robin, I see your men found you." When his two guards started to run towards the outlaws, Gisborne stopped them by raising his hand. "I was hoping to see you in person here in Locksley."
His heart wanted to release his arrow, but his head kept his hands in check. "I want him back, Gisborne. You should remember all too well what happens when you cross me. If not for Much, I would have killed you months ago."
Gisborne eyed the arrow pointed at him with deadly intentions. With a calming swallow, he added, "You would do well to hold your temper and your hand. I have left explicit instructions that if anything happens to me, be it a wound or a fatal arrow, my guards are to run their swords through your servant until he draws his last breath. I'm sure you remember what a last breath looks likes."
Slowly, Robin lowered his bow. "What game are you playing, Gisborne?"
Anger crept into his voice, "This is no game! You have vexed me since your return from the Holy Land. Your men follow you to their deaths without giving a second thought to their own lives." Pointing to the village, "You squander your power over others to feed the poor. Your servant is the last thing that I could take from you, and it is the one thing that I know will strike you where I want."
Little John and Djaq each reached a hand to steady Robin. He was visibly shaking with anger. "Gisborne, I am not a man you want to cross. You seem to have forgotten my pledge that on King Richard's birthday. I will kill you."
Gisborne reached for his horse, and ordered his men to stay close. "I think that you are the one who has forgotten his place. King Richard is in the Holy Land fighting for Rome and against the Turks. In his absence, Prince John rules this land and has to raise taxes to keep this state going. You have lost your lands, your lady, and now, your servant. I want you to realize that I am the one in control here, not you."
With the last word, Gisborne kicked his horse and headed back to the manor. The guards followed, confused, but not willing to question the orders of their master. Little John and Djaq could do nothing but stand by Robin as he went into a violent rage, kicking the bucket and screaming his frustration into the sky. Both knew that Robin's outbursts were upsetting the villagers, so each tried to coax Robin to calm down. Finally, he stopped screaming, and stated solemnly, "I'm fine."
A few minutes passed before a sudden cry split the air and everyone began running towards the manor house. Robin, Djaq and Little John turned around to see that the guards had been ordered to stand in a line between Locksley Village and Locksley Manor. Robin's heart jumped out of his chest at what he saw next.