Chapter 4

"Robin!" Will snuck into the camp, Little John behind him. "Travelers, about a mile up the road!"

I was painting Robin's face with mud. He grinned. "We can try out one of our tricks now." He picked up a broken arrow with mud on the end and tied the string around his head to hold it on. "Do I look dead?"

I nodded distractedly.

He slapped my back. "You're going to be great. Don't worry."

"No, I know. I mean, thank you. But I can't find my sword."

"You won't need it. You're best with the knife and I don't want any killing. If face to face fighting happens, use your fists." He touched his lip and smiled wryly.

The green woods were silent as we crept through. A robin chirped about the end of spring. I thought back to when I'd travelled alone. On a day like this, I would never have been searching for enemies or robbing the rich. I'd be singing, or dancing. Or starving. Even the hard knot in my stomach hadn't made me patient enough to trap rabbits then. Food wasn't so hard to find anymore, thank heaven (partly because it wasn't usually my job).

We came to the road and Robin Hood lay down right in the middle of it, the arrow protruding from his eye. The rest of us hid.

Little John crouched beside me. "Careful, missy. Alright?" He whispered and patted my shoulder.

"Thanks, John." I grinned at him.

The sound of hooves could be heard and I felt my heart suddenly quicken. I cursed my purple dress, dark and dingy as it was. Djaq said she would find me clothes that blended more soon.

"Gone to meet his maker." I heard a man's voice.

A woman's voice startled me. "Get rid of him."

"Just seeing if he's got a purse." The man whined.

"I'll show you my purse if you show me yours!" Robin leaped up and I heard the man groan and stumble. Then we all emerged from hiding. I pulled the arrow in my bow tight, aiming at a tall blonde woman amid soldiers in black. Our gang leader grinned and pulled the arrow out of his eye. "This is an ambush!"

"You don't say?" The woman drawled.

She was in black as well and held a long, coiled whip. She had a narrow nose and high cheek bones, ideal for looking down at people with the sneer that was plastered to her face.

Much began what I'd heard them rehearse thousands of times. "This is how it goes!"

"There's poor people going hungry." Will's voice had the hint of a laugh in it.

Allan twanged his bow string playfully. "Tell us what you've got…"

"…Be honest with us…" Djaq tested the edge of her sword.

"And we take one tenth…" (Much again)

"…So the poor can eat." Will wasn't laughing anymore.

Little John growled. "Lie…"

Much piped up, "…Or resist…"

Robin smirked. "And we take it all."

I almost laughed. It was so scripted!

"What will it be?" Robin spread his arms wide.

Will, Djaq, John and I all stayed where we were with our weapons drawn as Allan and Much began to take valuables from the travelers. I noticed a large box, carried by the men. Robin noticed it too and lifted the corner.

"What have we here?"

The woman's façade of boredom and contempt vanished. "My babies." She lashed out her whip at Robin's hand on the box. "Get them!" She screeched at her men.

A whirl of confusion broke out. The next thing I saw was a man hurtling towards me with a sword. There was no time to use my bow so I dropped it and ducked his sword. He stumbled forward from the momentum and I kicked the back of his knees so he fell completely. I picked my bow back up and spun around to see two black-clad soldiers beating John, who was on his knees. Quickly, I put an arrow to my bow and shot. He screamed and fell, clutching his foot. Little John, now with only one attacker, leapt up and smashed his staff into the other man's face. "Behind you!" He yelled my way.

I whirled around, but not fast enough. Two gloved hands wrapped around my throat and lifted me off the ground. I choked, trying not to panic and thought fast. I swung both my feet out, hard as I could, and caught him in the gut, falling on top of him and rolling quickly away. I whipped out my knife.

"I've got the girl!"

No!

Djaq arms were pinned behind her, a soldier's arm around her neck. You're good best with the knife. Robin's words echoed in my head.

Don't think. And don't hit Djaq in the face. I threw my weapon, praying it would find its mark and not my friend's eye. It landed in the brute's hand. He yelled, letting go of the Saracen girl. I winced, his cries were blood curdling. I had ruined his hand for life.

"Time to disappear!" Robin commanded.

We did, Djaq pulled my knife out of the man's hand and we all ran towards the hide out. I could hear our pursuers, but I knew they wouldn't catch us. Over the hill and into the hide out, Little John slammed the slanted door behind us.

A bewildered soldier said, "Where did they go?" I pictured what they must be seeing. A hill, covered in fallen leaves, peaceful and deserted.

The woman's tone dripped with disdain. "Gone to meet their makers? Take me to Nottingham, you idiots!"

When they were gone, we came out of the secret door. I breathed deeply; the sunny forest was peaceful again. "That, Will," I said, "was amazing. You did an incredible job with the hide out."

He grinned, checking the door. "It's nothing."

"It's genius!" Much exclaimed. "I love our camp!"

The sunny day was a lie. It poured that night. Poured. The gang was a bit crabby with me because it was impossible to find dry wood so they were stuck with cold supper. Cold food on a wet, cold, fireless night made me grouchy too. Did they think I was putting them out on purpose? I couldn't just pull dry wood out of thin air. I handed out bread and dried meat moodily and flopped down next to John. Allan, sorting our loot from the day's escapade glanced up at me.

"Something the matter?"

I glared at him. "You don't pet a wet cat."

Will sat next to me. "You're soaked."

"Robin seems to think I can find dry wood under such circumstances as, hmm… well rain and thunder and wind in the dark."

Djaq handed me a blanket sympathetically. "You ought to punch him right in the nose. Robin, wasn't it your turn to gather wood for the week today anyway?"

Our leader looked up from talking with Allan. "What?"

I felt the annoyance melt and laughed at his obliviousness. "Oh, toast your bread on the torch." I said, referring to our only source of light in the hideout.

He suddenly stood. "I'll be back later." He vanished into the night.

"Off to see Marian again." Djaq murmured leaning on Allan's shoulder.

I lay awake, unable to sleep because of my uncomfortable wetness. I stared, mesmerized, into the night, now still. A flicker caught my eye and I half rose, leaning on my elbow. A shadow loomed in front of me. I stood.

"What do you want?"

"You didn't set a watch."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "Robin."

"Why not?"

"What?"

"Why didn't John or Allan set a watch, Colleen?"

"It would be hard to find us here."

"I don't care. The booby trap isn't ready yet."

I picked up the guttering torch and blew gently to make the embers come alive. "You seem upset." His face was drawn and white.

He sat down slowly, and I sat next to him. "They burned Knighton Hall."

I gasped. "Marian's home?" I didn't know her, but I knew she was our ally and friend. "Who? Why?"

He hurled his bow out of the hideout and it clattered on some rocks outside. "Gisbourne." He spat.

"Dog." I breathed. "Are Marian and her father alright?"

"Yes, at least, they aren't burned alive. He took them. They're to be under house arrest." He put his head in his hands and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. "I couldn't do anything. Couldn't stop that…" He swallowed the angry words in a sigh.

"Get some sleep." I said. "Tomorrow you can work out how to deal with this."

"I'm going to Nottingham."