Chapter 2 - A horse whisperer
The next day Robin decided that he would fetch his horse and maybe ride to Nottingham to talk to Sir Edward. It seemed that it never was enough time to talk, while him being an outlaw and all, but now Robin found himself with nothing but time left on his hands.
It is calm outside and a little bit sunnier than the day before. He walks quietly down to the stables only to hear a soft woman's voice singing gently. He recognized the tone to be Angel's and instead of walking right in and make an end of it he chooses to stick around in the background. He peeks out behind the wooden wall just enough for him to see Angel standing among the horses, gently humming.("Archer & Swordsman"-The Medieval Music Players) The horses heads are up and they observe her as she brushes their manes and backs.
"I'll have to go today." she says. "Soon. To Nottingham... To work, I'm afraid. I do not mind working, it's just that I do not want to work as a maid! If I could choose I would do something meaningful. Not just walk around cleaning some royalty's clothes or castle, which by the way doesn't mean anything!..."
Angel's brushing movements becomes somewhat distant.
"It is not fair." she continues and fondles with the nose of a brown horse. Robin's brown horse. "What would you have me do?"
Bud takes hold of her sea blue shawl between his teeth and throws it to the ground. Angel cannot restrain a laugh and takes it up again. The horse did obviously not want her to go either.
"I'd prefer that too, Bud!" she says, padding him friendly.
Robin is stroke by wonderment as he watches her having a "conversation" with the animals. He finally understands what she meant by that. He turns back to lean his head against the wood. For a moment he is lost in his own mind, not knowing whether few or several minutes passes him by.
"Having fun spying, Robin?"
He jumps up and sees Angel standing close to his right with Bud located behind her. She has an amused smile glued on her face, but Robin chooses not to return it.
"You really do talk to horses." he confirms, acceptingly. "That's amazing!"
She giggles.
"Well, if you'll excuse us, we must be off..." she says as she starts leaving with Bud. "Reality calls."
Robin gets a grip.
"You're going to Nottingham? I am too." he exclaims. "We could go their together, if you want."
Angel smiles widely, one of those smiles only she can provide.
"If you think you can keep up."
Robin keeps up with her quite good since he is a gifted rider, but she sure is one special of a kind! When Angel rides it is as if she and the horse become one. There is no rider involved, only one massive horse flying through the air like a flash in the sky. She knows all the tricks that can be played- jumping, rearing, rushing or galloping- and even how to ride standing straight up on the horse's back! Bud seems to always love having her with him- he never complains or contradicts her choices. Their mind is the same.
She and Robin arrive laughing into the grand city of Nottingham, which flags stand high in the british wind while the big gates are open. This Nottingham is other than how the city was only a year ago, when the gang came back from the Holy Land. Market day nowadays is always filled with people having money to spend and not many beggars run the streets or sit imprisoned by the hands of an unjust sheriff.
Angel and Robin walk together down the main street as they have a look around.
"You work in the castle, Angel?" Robin asks as they enter the castle's courtyard.
Angel nods acceptingly.
"Yes, I do." she answers. "It's not exactly what I imagined myself doing, but it helps bringing food on the table. I do it for my family."
"That is very good of you."
He starts climbing the stone stairs but when she does not follow he turns around. He points a finger at the door.
"Aren't you coming?"
Angel smiles vaguely and points to the left by the stairs.
"Sorry..." she says. "Servants entrance."
Robin sighs and nods as she walks on, her way, into the castle. He continues without her.
Once inside he enters into the Great Hall, where the counsellor and Sheriff Edward are gathered. A grand voice speaks the visitor's name aloud:
"Robin of Locksley to see the Sheriff!
Robin hugs the sitting Edward, his father-in-law and Sheriff of Nottingham. Sir Edward looks old, older than ordinary. These past few years have been very hard on him and you can almost see that fatigue fighting loose in his put-together face.
"Robin, how lovely to see you!" Edward greets. "I was beginning to think that you would never show up. This is my right hand man, Abbott Wilkins."
Abbott and Robin shake hands.
"Now don't say that, Edward, I wrote you the first thing when I moved back to Locksley."
"Very true, you did, my boy." Edward confesses with a deep laugh. "Forgive me. Abbott, let's bring forth some refreshments for our guest and we shall have a talk!"
Abbott nodded while bowing and left the room. He is quite a short man, middle aged but with some young facial features. Actually, he looks very much like the picture of a leprechaun with his big nose, short dark hair and well formed rosy mouth.
When food and drink had been put on the table, Robin and Edward begin their conversation.
"How are things going back home, Robin?"
Robin sighs.
"Oh," says Edward. "I take that as a bad sign. What's wrong?"
"You of all people should know the answer to that question." Robin answers.
Now Edward is the one to sigh.
"Marion? No, Robin, I know you too well to believe that this is just about my daughter."
Robin snorts out of amusement.
"Alright then! Everything is wrong! Or everything feels wrong. Around me people seem to find their place, but I am not one of them." he tries to explain. "I feel restless and impatient and I miss Sherwood so that half would be enough."
Edward takes a bite of his piece of bread.
"Man kind is an adapting creature, Robin." he says. "Just like you adapted yourself to being an outlaw and live in the forest you will adapt to this way of living too. You just need to find a purpose. Yes! I think that would do the trick!"
After a few hours of laughing and remembering good times together, Edward clears his throat.
"Now to a more serious matter... Robin, I don't know if you've noticed but, I'm ill. And gravely so."
Robin's eyes widen as he cannot believe what he is hearing. One of the most strong men he has ever known cannot be dying!
"I do not have much time, but then I am not sorry to go." Edward continues.
Robin tries to fight back his tears.
"It can't be..." he utters.
Edward puts a comforting hand on his son-in-law's shoulder.
"I want you to be happy, Robin. Right now, you are the only person I got left to love in this world. Marion would not have liked to see you spending all your life grieving, no matter if it's her or me."
Robin leans over the table.
"First Richard and now you!" he exclaims but calms himself. "So this is goodbye?"
Edward looks at the jet young man in front of him with a sort of sparkle.
"No." he answers, simply. "I'm not going to be dead tomorrow, only I'm fading away slowly and peacefully. Now you must be going, you have a people to return to."
There is silence for a few seconds. Robin arises from his chair.
"Well..." Robin begins. "I'll see you soon then."
Robin starts leaving against the door but is prevented after several steps by Edward's voice:
"Robin!" he calls, making Robin's head turn. "Home is where the heart is. You would do well remembering that."
But where is Robin' heart?
Angel walks into the cottage with her arms full with firewood. Timothy comes running against her with a bright smiling face.
"And where have you been, young lady?" he exclaims, trying to sound mature.
Angel smiles meaningly in return.
"What does it look like?" she answers, holding up the branches and smaller logs.
She sits down by the open fire, which is burning slightly, and puts the wood on it piece by piece.
The mother of the Boxham family, Victoria, sits down on a chair behind her daughter. The light takes away all the wrinkles and smoothens out her face, so when Angel is finished and turns around to look at her mother, she does not seem to be much older than herself.
"I rode with Sir Robin today." Angel says, putting her hands on her knees. "All the way to Nottingham and back."
"Really?" Victoria inquires. "Did he keep up?"
She also knows about her daughter's talents when it comes to horses. Angel almost blushes.
"Yes, he did. He is a gifted horseman, mother, and I'm not supernatural."
They share a moment of giggle, then Timothy decides to join in.
"Emily has been followed by that Much person all day!" he exclaims. "I don't know how she puts up with it!"
"Now don't you say that, Tim." Angel says. "Sir Much is a very agreeable man and he happens to be in love with her."
Emily's voice speaks to them from the stairs:
"Really?"
Angel looks lovingly at her twenty five year old sister as she walks down the stairs. She really do look as if she has no idea what so ever about his affections towards her.
"You really didn't know, Em?"
"Of course not!" Emily exclaims. "How could you know?"
"I guessed, like everyone else."
Emily does not look satisfied.
"How come I've missed this?" she asks.
Timothy grins.
"Maybe you like getting all the attention!" he says.
Victoria puts a hand on his head as to prevent him from saying anything bolder. Angel spots the confused little girl inside her sisters face and stands up, moving against her.
"Do not give it any more thought, Emily." Angel comforts. "It is way too late- you can come again with it in the morning."
"But I'm not in love with him." Emily realises.
Poor Much, Angel thought. Such a loving and kind man does not deserve anything else than to be loved in return. If her sister was not to be that person then so be it, but non the less Angel wants to prepare Much's closest friends of what disappointment the morning might bring.
She knocks firmly at the front door of Locksley Manor. The hour is half past eleven, but the lights are still shining inside which means the master of the house has not jet retired to his chamber.
"Angel?" Robin wonders as he opens the door. He has dark bags under his peering eyes.
He leaves the door open for her and returns to the common room, where she finds his dinner table standing messier than ever. His clothes lie spread out over different furnitures and he slowly rubs his hands across his face as to wake himself up.
"Sorry, did I wake you?" Angel wonders.
Robin shakes his head.
"Just spared me from a bad dream."
He puts his hands on his waist and for a moment Angel forgets what it is she came there for.
"So?" Robin inquires.
"I just talked to my sister and it turned out that she did not know about Much's feelings for her."
Robin snorts.
"Well, such things can be easily unspotted."
Angel gives away an hasty smile to answer his remark, then she continues.
"Unfortunately, she does not feel the same thing for him. If something of this sort might come forth tomorrow, I thought it best for you, as Much's best friend, to know about it. Then you can help him get through the disappointment."
Robin pours two cups with mulled wine while speaking.
"I'm sorry to hear it." he says. "I will do the best I can with this information. Though I do not doubt that Much can still find happiness here..."
He gives one of the cups to Angel, who feels a shiver running through her body by the feel of the drink's warmth.
"...unlike other people." Robin finishes, mumbling, though she catches it up. He takes a sip.
"Are you not happy here?" she wonders.
Robin looks at her with an empty look.
"Not as happy as I should be." he begins. "I have a home, good friends and my nobility but nothing of that seems to matter since I don't have anything to strive for! With this position I could do much difference, it is not my wish to waste it, only I have no idea where to start."
As he was talking he walked up to the closest window and now he stands looking out of it with an frustrated face and curved eyebrows. The look does not suit him, according to Angel.
"What am I to do?" he asks himself with a sigh.
"If I were in your shoes I would do something for the children." Angel says. "Make their minds and hearts bloom so that they will be able to live life with their eyes open. Help them see the possibilities and show them that no matter where they come from or who they are set out to be, education can lead them to what they will become."
Robin's head turns slowly against her as she speaks. He sees that she is smiling.
"You say you are not happy here but, Robin, many people get lost when thinking of happiness as a destination when it's actually a choice." she explains. "It is not given to you or deserved after a certain amount of time. It is up to you to seize those moments and act in order to gain them."
Robin breaths out of stupefaction.
"How do you do it?" he wonders.
She does not lay any value in answering him, so she continues on her own matter of speech:
"There lies great power for the person that helps form our future people." she says. "Plus that children provides happiness better than anyone and you will not be left without something to be happy about!"
Robin's lips starts to transcend into a smile without equal. His eyes does not seem so tired anymore and there lies a sort of restfulness in them- the blue heaven like reflection of his soul. Angel returns the smile as she understands that her suggestion was exactly what he needed (and unconsciously wanted) to hear.
"A school, more or less, then." Robin announces.