The Consequence of Loyalty

By Cynthia Burnett

Chapter 6

Locksley Manor

Inside the manor, Much obediently scrubbed several of the furnishings that occupied the large room. He did not remember it being so cluttered when Robin and his family were the owners. The grime from the furniture stained his fingernails and hands. Disgusted, he slung the filthy rag into the nearby bucket which splashed onto Much's clothes.

"For pity's sake!" Much yelped while shaking the water from his shirt. The guard's snickering made him want to kick the bucket in his direction, but instead, he ignored the man.

Thornton rushed into the great room, easing right back into the same role Much remembered before he had left with Robin for the Crusade. "You will never finish the room just standing there staring at the bucket." With a quick inspection of the items Much had already cleaned, the steward's voice screeched, "You call this clean? There is still dirt in the crevices of the carvings."

The guard finally laughed out loud, drawing both men's attention. Much looked at the guard and then down at his bucket, reconsidering something he had thought of earlier. With Thornton's mind busy looking for fault in his work, and the guard distracted by his own misplaced humor, Much kicked the bucket towards the guard, creating a rush of polluted water that spilled across the floor.

"There, you clean it if you know how it should be done!" Much yelled. The guard stopped laughing and jumped out of the way of the spreading liquid that quickly soaked the wooden floor.

Outraged, Thornton scurried over to grab the remaining dry rags to absorb the mess. "You useless…" He left his statement unfinished as he looked up just in time to see Much clobber the distracted guard over the head, sending the man reeling to the ground. Much grabbed the guard's sword and stood before Thornton with the weapon while searching the doors and landing, waiting for another guard to appear.

As his heart raced with the prospect of escaping the manor on his own, his attention returned to Thornton when the only persons who appeared at the doors and the landing where the other servants of the manor. Holding the sword out and pointing it at Thornton, he ordered, "Open the door."

Thornton shook his head. "I cannot." Looking back at the rest of the servants in the house, "Our lives will suffer if I let you out of this manor."

Much glanced at the others and felt their unfortunate luck being trapped by station here at Locksley manor, but he could not afford to stay. "Thornton, please. My place is with Robin, not here. I cannot stay!"

"My responsibility is for everyone in this manor house, not just one. I cannot open the door for you." With the haughtiness Much remembered from so many days living in the manor house, Thornton crossed his arms standing his ground before Much.

Much realized he had to do something that he would regret. After switching the sword to his right hand to feign defeat, Much surprised Thornton with a quick left fist to the face. As Thornton fell, Much dropped the sword to catch the steward, easing him to the ground. He whispered apologetically, "Sorry." Looking back at the others in the room, he cried out, "I'm truly sorry." They all gasped and stood back, afraid not only that Much might turn on them too, but of their lord's wrath..

Much managed to fumble through Thornton's shirt until he found the key. With a quick yank, he broke the cord around the steward's neck. After a quick retrieval of the sword from the floor, he tried to swiftly unlock the door. As the seconds passed, he began pleading with it. "Come on… please." When the key finally found its place in the lock, Much felt the bolt give. With an anxious pull, he dashed out of the house, ready to face any guards waiting outdoors. To his dismay, Gisborne himself stood in his way. Much raised his sword, ready to fight for his freedom.

Gisborne cocked his head, trying to grasp how this man had escaped his manor and stood before him with sword in hand. Calmly pulling out his own sword, Gisborne barked at the guards, "Form a line between the manor and the village, now! Grab any servants on the lawn as shields. Hood will not endanger the innocent."

Hearing that Robin was in the village gave Much a boost of confidence. If he could get past Gisborne, he could escape and rejoin Robin. His heart could not tolerate this crazy idea of servitude to Gisborne.

Reminding Much of his dire situation, Gisborne circled his sword in the air. "We both know that you don't want to die here. If you put your sword down now, your punishment won't be so severe."

With the chance of freedom so close, Much could not stomach the thought of being forced back inside the manor. He lowered his sword, but did not drop it. Instead, he lunged at Gisborne, putting the noble on the defensive with several swift swings. As Gisborne retreated, Much tried to gauge how far he had to get away from the manor before he could make a run for the forest.

Gisborne cursed himself for letting Much have one moment on the attack before turning the tide. His unyielding broad sword pummeled his foe, and Much had to gather every ounce of his strength to hold Gisborne back. Without a moment's reprieve, Much found himself forced to the ground. Suddenly, with a wrong turn of his weapon, Much felt his opponent's sword slip past his defense, slicing into his right side. The icy sting cut through his body causing him to instantly drop his sword and grab his wound.

Gisborne stepped back, suddenly concerned for the man as he realized that he had inflicted a dangerous injury. Much sat up in shock, staring dumbfounded at the lord. Gisborne cringed when he noticed blood soaking the man's shirt. He snapped to sudden awareness, mindful that Robin and his gang had to be aware of the situation unfolding. Feeling momentarily safe with his guards acting as a wall, Gisborne grabbed Much by the front of his shirt and pulled the bewildered man up over his shoulder. Glowering at the guard who was still recovering from whatever the servant had done to incapacitate him, Gisborne screamed at the man, "Get a physician! Now!"

The guard raced out of the manor and quickly jumped on Gisborne's horse, and headed into Nottingham.

Gisborne entered the house, carrying Much, and found several of the servants helping Thornton to his feet. He barked another order, "Find that key, and lock the door!" Then he marched up the stairs, lugging a stunned Much over his shoulder. After storming up the stairs, he paused in front of the small room where he had been keeping Much. Pondering the dead weight in his arms, Gisborne seethed. This one deserved no favors for trying to escape, no matter his condition. As two servants rushed up the stairs with supplies for tending the wound, the lord finally entered the room and carefully placed the now groaning man on the floor.

"Take care of him!" Gisborne shouted. The younger woman, Emely, ran inside quickly carrying rags and bandages while Annie carried a basin of clean water. Leaving his servants to their work, Gisborne returned to the scene of the "crime". Eyeing his head servant disdainfully, he instructed, "Thornton, keep the doors locked. Anyone who is outside the manor cannot gain entry until I give the say so. Close all the shutters on the lower level." Gisborne then marched over to one of the open windows, and called out to one of his men. "Robert, keep your men alert. No one is to approach the manor house, except the village physician. Tell the servants who are still outside the manor that they are not allowed inside until tomorrow. They will have to remain in the village tonight."

Distracted, Robert looked away from Gisborne. Unable to see what took his guard's attention, Gisborne's asked, "What is it?"

"My lord, the Sheriff's carriage is coming around the village, heading this way." Robert questioned, "Are we to let him inside?"

Word of the Sheriff's arrival set Gisborne's nerves on edge as he started calling out new orders. Finding the water still soaking the floor, he growled at Thornton, "Have this cleaned up immediate, then go up stairs and get Much on his feet."

"Yes, master." Thornton replied before nodding to a group of servants who were busy gathering the supplies needed to clean up the mess. "Quickly, you heard the master." Thornton responded before heading up the stairs.

Gisborne questioned his guard again. "The outlaws, can you see them? Have they tried to approach the manor?"

Robert stepped away from the window to get a better view of the village and where he had seen the outlaws during the fight. Before responding, he called out to his men, "Any sign?"

As calls came back from his other guards, Robert shook his head. "No one sees them my lord. They appear to have either disappeared into the village or back into the forest."

Gisborne nodded but did not feel secure. "They will not be far. I want every guard to be alert and close to this manor. Rotate often. When the Sheriff is near, call out and I will have Thornton open the door."

"Yes, my lord." Robert replied before walking away from the window. Gisborne pulled the shutter and locked it himself with a key that he also wore around his neck.

Upstairs, Thornton found Annie and Emely working quickly to tend Much's wound. The steward immediately opened the shutters to allow more light into the small, dark room. With Much laying down on the floor, Emely eased the bloody shirt out of the blood while Annie tried to clean the area around the wound. The basin of water reflected crimson as more of Much's blood was wiped away, revealing the cut in his side.

"Does it look bad?" Much asked Annie as he twisted his head to see where Gisborne's sword sliced into his side. "I mean, I've seen wounds in the war. I was wounded, but nothing like this." With a great intake of air, Much braced himself as Annie once again scrubbed the wound with a clean cloth.

Thornton noticed Much holding his breath each time Annie swabbed the wound. "Young man, you must breathe or you will pass out," he warned.

Startled, Much winced with pain from his sudden movement. With closed eyes, he apologized. "Sorry. I didn't want to hit you. I just… I just…"

Thornton held out his hand and came closer to inspect the cut. "Shhh…" With the blood cleaned away, the slash in his side appeared to be a manageable wound, but Thornton had seen many accidents on the estate and knew that infections could always arise. Plus, they still had to see what the outcome would be with the Sheriff's visit.

Thornton hurried the women along. "We don't have time, Annie. You need to wrap the wound."

Annie protested. "But it needs stitching before we can wrap it." When Thornton ignored her protest, she obediently raised Much to a sitting position to start the task.

After grimacing from the movement and pain, Much closed his eyes and shook his head. "Stitching… this is not good."

Thornton did not waver and helped Emely prepare the cloth strips. As Annie began wrapping the wound with bandages, Thornton continued to rush her. "Hurry up Annie. When we are finished, we need to get him on his feet."

"What?" Much questioned. "I really don't think I can stand."

Thornton noticed that Much's eyes were starting to turn red around the edges as the bandages started to soak through with more blood. Ignoring his protest, Thornton helped the women lift the wounded man to his feet. "Emely, take the water downstairs. Annie, you keep Much on his feet. Don't let him sit and don't let him fall."

"Thornton!" The lord's voice echoed through the manor.

The steward could not ignore Much's questioning eyes. "The Sheriff has arrived. You must be strong while he is here." Thornton hurried out of the room knowing that he had just given Much a startle that should keep him on his feet for the time being.

Gisborne stood ready as his steward unlocked the door. Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward to meet Vaisey who rudely stormed into the house.

The Sheriff pushed into the room with angry shouts as he barged past Gisborne. "I am greeted with armed guards and locked doors at my Master at Arm's estate! You have ignored my commands to return to the castle, and now, I see that you have been building a fortress of your own here at Locksley! Should I be worried?" The Sheriff paused as he noticed three servants working diligently to clean up a mess in Gisborne's great room. Forcing a short chuckle, the Sheriff added, "Did someone have an accident?"

Gisborne bowed his head. "Yes, my lord."

Vaisey's eyes searched the rest of the floor, noticing large drops of blood on the woodwork. "Did you have a party here and forget to invite me? Whose blood graces your manor, Gisborne?"

This time, Gisborne looked upstairs. "I have Robin's servant, Much, upstairs. He tried to escape and caught the end of my sword as punishment. My servants are tending him."

Vaisey smiled, "Really?" Climbing the stairs, the Sheriff did not have to go far to find the room that housed Much. As he entered, he pushed the servant girl out of his way to get a better look.

Gisborne nodded for Annie to leave as he joined the Sheriff. Guy felt pleased to see Much able to stand on his own, ever how tenuous his balance appeared.

The Sheriff reached up and grabbed Much's chin, pulling his trapped eyes in his direction. "This one is slippery, isn't he?" Turning Much's face, the Sheriff noticed a large bruise on his right cheek. "Ah, I see you have been busy Gisborne. Am I to understand that this one interrupted your wedding with the news that my king was an imposter?"

Gisborne knew the Sheriff's ploy. He wanted to stir hatred in him, but the lord had exhausted all of his energy for the day and only wanted his master to leave his manor as quickly as possible. "My lord, I have many reasons for taking him from Robin. He is a part of this estate that you granted me. Plus, I have a plan to use Robin's affection for this man against him. I have placed a threat on his life to keep the outlaws from robbing any more taxes. The fact that he disrupted my wedding is only one of my reasons for bringing him here."

Nodding approvingly, the Sheriff released Much from his vise grip. Much's breaths returned as quick and shallow gasps as he leaned back against the wall for support.

"Well, all of that is a moot point if he dies, isn't it." Vaisey's appraisal of Much stopped at the blood visibly still soaking his shirt. "I will let you continue to play your game, Gisborne. Just make sure Robin knows this is your idea, not mine. If he dies, I do not want an insane Hood coming into my castle to assassinate me." With a sarcastic grin, the smaller man pointed at the windows. "If he does die, you might need more bars added to your little fortress."

Trying to hold in his resentment towards Vaisey, Gisborne cautiously questioned, "What if he lives? Whose idea will it be then? What if my plan succeeds in stopping the theft of the taxes?"

The Sheriff's eyes sparkled with a hint of humor. "If this one lives and no taxes are stolen, I will give you credit, Gisborne. Oh, and I will also expect you to teach this one how to serve proper meals to his betters. He apparently did not appreciate my gift of being made an Earl."

Gisborne looked back at Much and realized the man held a tenuous balance leaning against the wall. He also appeared oblivious to the Sheriff's snide remark about making him an Earl. As the Sheriff left the room and coasted down the stairs, Gisborne whispered to the guard outside the room, "Get him into a bed and make sure the room is secure."

Following the Sheriff to the front door, Gisborne stopped as the Sheriff suddenly turned around and added, "If he survives this wound you so gallantly gave him, I want to see him at the castle in two weeks."

"My lord, if he leaves this manor, Robin and his men will take him." Gisborne felt his ire rise.

Vaisey lost all hint of any humor. "Then you had better make sure your men are prepared to guard him. I have planned a very special state dinner to affirm my control over the shire after the failed attempted to kill my enemies. I want to show them that I am in charge, not Robin Hood. What better way than to have Robin's servant serving me!" He paused before adding, "Make sure that one does not die, Gisborne!"

Just as swiftly as he had arrived, the Sheriff left the manor. After taking several deep breaths, Gisborne walked through the house barking orders. "I want all of these shutters locked now that the Sheriff has left!"

Thornton approached the lord and without hesitation asked, "What about the servants you are locking out of the manor, my lord? The guards have passed along a request that some of their clothes be given out to them. Some have never stayed with the peasants in the village before."

Gisborne tried to take in another deep breath before finally giving in. "You are the only one allowed to give anything to anyone outside this manor. Use this front window." Without bothering to walk to a window to see if his head guard was near, Gisborne called out, "Robert!"

An immediate, "Yes, my lord," came from outside.

Gisborne continued, "Where is the physician?"

"My lord, he was delivering a child and will come to the manor as soon as he's finished." Robert's muffled voice filtered through the closed shutter.

Gisborne clenched his fists, resigned to the fact that he had lost control of the day's events. "Very well. Meanwhile, allow each servant to approach the manor house one by one to collect some of their belongings. Thornton is the only one who can hand out the clothes. I want two guards to monitor the exchange, understood?"

A second, "Yes, my lord," sounded through the walls.

Thornton sighed when Gisborne once again climbed the stairs. The steward began organizing his people to make sure bundles were made that could be quickly passed out of the house to those trapped outside. Thornton returned to his servant's quarters, and he pulled out a quill and parchment. He knew that this was risky, but Robin needed to know Much's condition, and that his household would do everything it could to see Much through this. He also needed to know that if Much survived, the Sheriff had plans for him in the castle in two weeks. He hoped it was enough to give Robin hope and a plan to rescue his dear friend.