The dirty young man skidded to a halt outside the back door of Knighton Manor house, bouncing with anticipation at the reception his information was sure to receive. Gisborne would be ecstatic, no doubt rushing over to the Wilson residence and taking the children. Maybe he should have distracted the outlaw and Sally to give Guy more time. Oh well, too late now. If all goes well maybe Gisborne will let him go and even give him a house to live in and some land! That was Ranulf's dream.
All through these thoughts the spy never once spared a thought for the lives he would be ruining and the mere children he would be putting in danger. It just showed how living around Gisborne for so long could rub off on a person who once could've been a good man with a decent job had he had a better childhood.
A kitchen maid came to the back door and spotted him. She beckoned him quickly into the house, slamming the door behind him swiftly.
"Gisborne!" he shouted through the house, excited. Suddenly a leather clad hand covered his mouth and he let out a squeak.
"Hush, boy," the sinister voice sounded behind him. Ranulf immediately recognised Gisborne, "We don't want the whole of Knighton knowing your residing in my house, do we?" Ranulf shook his head, wide eyed and was relieved as Guy removed his hand.
"So, I take it as you sounded so eager to find me that you've found out something interesting?"
"Very, my Lord! Extremely! You will not believe it when you hear!" Ranulf nodded frantically.
"Well, go on then, impress me," Guy looked unmoved.
"The boy that was injured and the eldest daughter of the Wilson's are…" Ranulf paused for effect, "Robin and Marian's children!" He beamed at Gisborne expecting a look of gratitude at the least. What he saw instead caused him to take a visible step back. The malicious, cold fury that he saw in his master's eyes was enough to make anyone quake in terror.
"You are lying, you scoundrel!" Gisborne exploded, launching forward and pinning Ranulf to the wall, a hand at his throat.
"I am not…sir, it is the truth, nothing else!" Ranulf whimpered, "Please don't hurt me."
"Marian would never do this to me!"
"B, but she has with Robin Hood. It must have been, what, ten years ago around when you got married," Ranulf pleaded, "Didn't she run away just last night? That shows no loyalty."
"True," Gisborne dropped Ranulf who sagged to the floor, "The whore. I will make sure these bastards of Robin Hood are found and killed. How dare that woman betray and embarrass me in such a way."
"Killed?!" Ranulf repeated. This certainly wasn't what be thought the outcome would be. He had the vague feeling that he had just done something horribly wrong.
"Yes, what did you think I would do? Give them flowers?" Gisborne spat.
"Erm…shall I go and er…" Ranulf took one look at his master's livid face and decided to leave.
"Guards! Head for the Wilson house! You will find a young boy and girl! Bring them to me, but if either put up a fight kill them on the spot," Gisborne bellowed to his soldiers. They traipsed out of the manor.
Robin kicked his horse faster, urging the animal on, desperate to reach his son before it was too late. Marian was behind him on a spare horse, her dark hair billowing out in the wind and her blue eyes set in a hard focussed expression, her eyebrows knotted in concentration. Robin's men surrounded him, looking fierce and ready. Weapons raised in preparation just in case Gisborne had already discovered Tristan's true identity.
They had to reach him in time, they had to. There was no reason Gisborne should know anything and if that was the case Robin could bring the child back into the forest with him and he would be safe.
An image of the boy appeared in his head: his floppy brown hair and the sea blue eyes, so piercing and bright with intelligence. His cheeky smile that he'd so obviously inherited from Robin and his accuracy with a bow, another trait of Robin's. Then his curious, eager personality and his childish innocence. Childish. Tristan had told him that he was fifteen years old. He had to have lied; he had to be at most ten. How could Robin have been so foolish to accept him into the gang?
Robin mentally berated himself and then looked up as they reached Knighton.
Grace leant over the form of the boy and talked to him quietly, hoping that at any moment he would wake up. He didn't. Mother had said he would be fine, but Grace wasn't so sure. He looked too battered and bruised to be fine. He was so pale. To her he looked at death's door. But then again, she didn't know much of medicine so how could she be sure?
Gently she stroked his cheek and ran her finger along the blood crusted gash above his eyebrow. The bleeding on all his wounds for the most part had been staunched by the poultice her mother had applied. She had only just met him but somehow Grace felt a strange, almost unearthly, connection with the boy on the bed. He looked so similar to her with chestnut brown locks and startlingly blue eyes. They could almost be twins she thought to herself. He is very handsome as well, a little on the skinny side but with his finely chiselled face and entrancing eyes he was definitely attractive. For some reason though, although she couldn't quite explain it, the young girl didn't feel attracted to him in that way. To her, even though she'd known him no more than an hour, he was like a friend, a brother almost.
Sighing, Grace sat back in her chair and stared at Tristan, scrutinising every detail of him. She wanted him to wake, to talk and laugh.
"Wake up, please," she whispered.
Suddenly a filthy, disgusting hand clamped over her mouth and she let out a muffled scream of fright. She was pulled from the chair roughly and fell heavily on the floor. The girl was dragged across the room and out of the back of the hut; a grimy rag was stuffed in her mouth in place of the hand. Grace tried crying out for help but it was no use. She looked up at her capture and spotted the limp form of Tristan slung over one of his shoulders. How could he attack a wounded child? But soon she saw nothing as a blindfold was placed over her eyes.
Duh, duh, duuuh! Can't promise a quick update! Sorry! Please review and it may come faster! Have an ice lolly!