Chapter Six

Having Tuck around brightened the villagers up. They know could hear the Lords words again every Saturday. Andy avoided mass, not trusting the clergy man since it reminded her of the Bishop that condemned her father. She was wrong to assume that Tuck didn't notice. It seemed like after the last prayer he prayed that cursed the Sheriff and bless Robin Hood, he would question the villagers about the young 'boy'. Needless to say all the beer that Tuck had drunk didn't affect his brain. By the end of the month he had put the information together and deducted that Andy was a girl. Tuck was smart enough to confront Robin about this until he was by himself one day after mass.

"Robin, I need to discuss something with you" motioning Robin to follow him into his newly constructed hut. Robin followed wondering what Tuck wanted to discuss. Upon entering the hut, Tuck again motion Robin to sit down as he poured out two cups of beer. He sat one down in front of Robin before he sat down and took a long draught out of his cup. Robin sipped at his waiting for Tuck to speak first.

"Robin over this past month I have watched over my flock. But one little lamb is causing me unease."

Robin deducted who he was speaking about. "Andy?"

"Yes, Andy doesn't come to the mass at all. I fear that she is walking down the devil's path."

"Nonsense, Andy is a good Christian…" Robin realized that Tuck had called Andy as she and he didn't correct him.

"So my answer is correct since you didn't state otherwise. Andy is a girl."

Robin stared down into his cup not knowing how he should respond next. He finally sighed.

"Yes Tuck, Andy is a girl. She feels that she's safer dressed as a boy then she does as a girl. I would please ask you that you don't say anything about this to anyone. Only a few know the truth, and Andy want to keep it that way."

"Alas I cannot promise that. I would be sinning against God if I kept this lie."

Robin was beginning to get angry at the fat friar stubbornness. "Please Tuck, there must be way that you can keep her secret. If you exposed her, you would take away everything that she lives for. All the freedom that she experiences in the woods and with the men. You would be making her put down her sword and bow in exchange for spoon and a needle. If you do this Tuck, she will hate you forever, once her good opinion of you is lost, it is lost for good."

Tuck sat back in his chair taking in Robin's words as he sipped his beer, finally knowing what to do. "Alright Robin, on two conditions. One Andy is to come to mass every Sunday and all the holy days. Two, she must come to confession every month." Tuck held out his hand. "Do we have a deal?"

"Deal" said Robin promptly shaking Tuck's hand. Robin turned to leave, but thought of something before he left.

"Tuck don't be surprised if Andy does something."

To say Andy was upset about the deal was an understatement. She was so shocked when Robin told her the news. That fat friar was blackmailing her into going to mass and confession. But that didn't mean that Andy was going to take this laying down. Her secret was safe with Tuck, he shook on it with Robin. But that wasn't going to stop her from making Tuck wish he wasn't so nosey. For this she enlisted the help of Wulf and Azeem. The later didn't know that he was a contributor to a crime.

"Azeem do you have anything that I can take that will help me sleep at night. I haven't been sleeping well the past few nights."

Azeem looked at the girl, he was surprised that she would come to him. Tuck had been trying to convince the people that he was the devil since he was of a different religion. But Andy was one of the few that was comfortable with him, and would speak to him. She did look a little sleep deprived, but almost everyone at camp did. Azeem had pity on her and dug into the pack he had brought with him from the Holy Land. He drew out a bag filled with tiny leaves, which he took out about ten.

"These leaves will help you sleep. Crush one into powder and mix it with water. Drink it before you go to bed, it will let you go into a deep sleep. But only crush one, more would be dangerous."

Andy nodded and then bowed her head. "Thank-you Azeem." It was true that Andy hadn't been sleeping well, but she had a different plan in mind for the leaves. Lets just say that Tuck got a little surprise with his beer that night.

The camp was awoken the next morning by a loud roar. Robin burst from his hut, running towards the Friars where the roars were imitating from. Robin ran in with his bow raised, to find Tuck standing in front of the root cellar that had been dug to put his barrels of beer into.

"Tuck what's wrong?"

"They're gone, all my beer is gone!" Robin peered over Tucks shoulder. Indeed, all of the beer that had been left over from the day that they brought Tuck in was gone. A total of six large barrels in all.

"Did you hear anything at all last night?" he questioned.

"No, I was asleep, how could have they gotten past me without me hearing" Tuck sat down and muttered about the beer, while Robin paced. Robin didn't know the questions, the thought of Andy doing this was upsurd. Even if she had gotten Wulf to help, the two of them couldn't have gotten all six barrels away that quickly.

That was true. Andy and Wulf together hadn't been enough to move all the beer out.

Last Night

"Face it Wulf, we wont be able to do this" said Andy leaning against the barrel of beer that she and Wulf had been trying to tip on it's side to roll out of the hut.

"To bad, it would have really showed Ol'Tuck something."

"What did you two wan tot show Tuck?" came a voice from the door. Both Will and Andy jumped and turned towards the door.

"Father?" asked Wulf. For indeed it was Little John in the door of the root cellar. "How did you know that we were in her?"

Little John chuckled. "I heard you sneak out, and I wondered what you were planning to do, so I followed you here. Now answer my question."

So Andy explained how the snoopy friar discovered how she was a girl, and now was basically blackmailing her to go to church and confession. After that she explained her idea for revenge to Little John who chuckled at the plan.

"Your about as wily as your brother kid. Well don't just stand there, we got beer to move. Know where do you plan to stash it at?"
Andy and Wulf stared at him. "Your going to help us?" questioned Wulf, not believing his ears.

"Lets just say I'm raising his taxes and demand payment immediately."

Andy grinned, "we have Tuck's horse and a sled outside for the beer. Me and Wulf found some caves not far from here that's the place we were going to stash it."

Little John just grinned and hefted a barrel of beer over his shoulder and carried it to the horse. With the help of Little John, Andy's plan worked. They stopped to celebrate by cracking open a barrel and having a few. "Here's to Andy and not getting caught" spoke up Wulf. They went back and wiped out all the tracks, making it the perfect heist of the century.

Tuck pouted for the rest of the week. But he seemed to brighten when Robins taxes brought grain in. He made a big announcement that the next day he would teach anyone who wanted to know of one of God's greatest gifts, the making of beer. Andy could only shake her head in amusement. She and Will were going hunting in the morning. Will had managed to trade days with Bull on taxing riders through Sherwood, to do this. Andy knew that her spending time with Will made Robin confused. She knew that he wondered why Will treated Any with respect, but himself contempt. None of the other woodsmen could figure out the situation as well. But they were happy that Will had stopped being so moody, all because of Andy.

Andy awoke early that morning, mist hung in the air, and a few stars had yet to say good-bye. It was cold, Andy could clearly see her breath. She worried about how Duncan would survive the coming winter out here. Despite being warm, well feed, and sheltered Duncan was very weak. She couldn't imagine he life without the old gruff man. Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt a hand on her shoulder, it was Will. He wordlessly gave her some bread slathered in soft butter. She nodded her thanks eating it as they walked towards the caves that served as stables. Rowan whined when she saw Andy. "Hows my good girl. You ready to go hunting?" kissing her on the nose. She gave Rowan some oats as she saddled her up. Will was already outside with his steed when Andy came out.

He smiled at her, "you spoil that horse."

Andy chuckled, but said nothing as Will mounted up and lead the way out. As usual when they went hunting in the early morning they stopped on a grassy knoll to watch the sunrise. The sunrise before them was different from any that Andy had seen. The sun was a bright red in color. It was a glorious sunrise, one of the best Andy had seen, but the red sun had her feeling uneasy. Will looked over and saw her uneasiness.

"Our mother told me long ago that when you see a red sun just like that one, it means that a storms a brewin."

They sat there awhile longer before moving on. They picketed the horses in a grassy area and walked off in the direction of a stream they knew of. They had hunted there before, and knew that it was a good place. Not only that but they had seen many wonderful sights, and today was no different. About an hour into their wait, Will nudged Andy inclining his head to the west. A mother fox and her twin kits came up to the stream to drink. The mother was cautious and was watching everything as she drank. The two kits however were enjoying themselves in a puddle of water. Andy felt a grin appear on her face, watching the two play. They were as gone as soon as they came.

It wasn't long after that that a group of young stags appeared at the stream. Andy and Will picked their targets and pulled back their arrows, releasing them almost at the same time. The stags galloped away as they heard the arrows, and the movement of the two. The arrows had found there mark and two stags were left in the grass. Will and Andy quickly field dressed the deer, and slung them over their shoulders walking the long distance back to the horses. They made their way slowly back to camp, arriving around lunch time.

The village made a meal of the two deer as Andy washed all the deer blood off of her. Returning just as the version was done cooking. Suddenly a voice echoed over the clearing.

"We have guests" it was Robin yelling. Andy turned towards him recognizing the 'guests' that he had brought. The woman next to Robin was the Maid Marian.

So I hope that you enjoyed this chapter. It's a birthday present from me to you. Haha, today I'm 17, June 22, 2011. So please review, anonymous reviews are welcomed too.