Chapter Eight

Two days later, Robin and the gang were patrolling the forest when Little John rushed into Robin and Much –who were partners- and cried out "Wagon on the west road!" The three then made their way there as fast as they could, where sure enough, a wagon was rattling along.

Allan, who had been John's partner, arrived not long after with Will and Djaq. The three were very out of breath, especially Allan, because they had been the farthest away and Allan had to run there and back.

"This must be the guest that Charlotte told us about," Much said, watching as the wagon pulled to a stop.

"Why are they stopping?" Will puffed. Robin shrugged his shoulders.

"To enjoy the scenery. No, I don't know, Will."

"What was his name?" Djaq gasped, just as out of breath as Will was.

"Sir Arthur of Shropshire. A knight, I think," Robin said, craning his head to get a better look at the wagon.

"Why is the Sheriff inviting a knight?" Much asked.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Robin said, "but I think he might be a representative for someone else.

"He's not a knight," Allan wheezed, waving at the man who got out of the wagon. He was dressed elaborately in sapphire and gold clothes, and looked even fiercer than an angry Sheriff. His brow was set in an eternal frown and in stature he was quite short, although he looked no older than thirty.

"You're right," Robin agreed with him. "He's definitely not a knight."

"Are we going to stop him?" Little John asked. "We could squeeze some information out of him."

"No, we won't stop him," Robin said, then reconsidered. "Actually, that's an excellent idea, John. We'll take his purse and ask him some questions."

"Master," Much moaned, but no-one payed any attention to him. Instead, they spread out and began to get ready to attack.

John went first, roaring as he charged straight at the man, tackling him to the ground. Will, Djaq and Allan took out the couple of men that were with him, Much quieted the horses and Robin joined John, nocking an arrow and aiming it at the stranger's throat.

"This, my friends, is an ambush!" Allan cried.

"Who are you?" Robin demanded. The stranger groaned.

"Vaizey said to take the long way around," he grumbled. "Why didn't I take his advice?"

"I don't know, my friend. Why don't you tell us why you are here in the first place?"

"Because some random outlaw decided to attack an innocent man," he retorted, and then spat in Robin's face. Robin pulled the bowstring back and the man hastily apologised. "Sorry, sorry. No need for that," he said.

"Why did the Sheriff invite you?" Robin asked, moving so that he stood directly over the man.

"He didn't," the man replied. "I am my master's decoy."

"What?" Robin asked him, tilting his head to the side and drawing the bowstring back again. "Tell the truth."

"I swear on my life, I am not Arthur of Shropshire. He is my master and I am a decoy, sent through the forest so that he could make his way through while I distract you," the man said, his voice getting higher as he became more panicked. "My name is Roger. Please don't hurt me! I have a wife and five children to look after. My master offered to pay me triple what I am usually payed if I acted as him."

"Do we believe him?" Robin asked John. John nodded. "We should give our friend a rest," Robin said, winking at John.

"A rest?" John asked, then understood. He gave Roger a fake smile and then whacked him across the head with his staff. Roger immediately lost consciousness.

"What did he say?" Much asked, looking down at he unconscious man with contempt.

"Not much," Robin said. "He was a decoy."

"What? How can you tell?" Will asked, making his way over.

"Look at his hands- they're the hands of a peasant. They're scarred and perpetually dirty, much like ours," he joked.

"What are we going to do with him?" Allan asked, nudging Roger's limp body with his toe. "He's not much use like this. Why didn't you ask him which direction his master was coming from?"

"He already told us that the Sheriff warned him not to go in the forest- Arthur must have sent his servant through here to distract us so that we couldn't search outside the forest while he made his way around," Robin explained. "We need someone to go to Nottingham to spy on him there."

"What about Charlotte?" Allan reminded him. "She'll be keeping an eye on him, won't she?"

"But we do not know if Charlotte is totally on our side," Djaq objected. All eyes turned to look at her.

"What do you mean?" Much asked.

"Yeah, what do you mean by that?" Allan echoed him. Djaq sighed.

"Don't you see? She could be using us!"

Suddenly the gang heard the thunder of hooves as someone approached them. They all leapt into the earthy green-brown undergrowth, hoping that it camouflaged them enough. Before too long, Marian sped into view on her chestnut mare. She stopped abruptly once seeing the unconscious men on the ground below her and called out, "Robin!"

Robin jumped out of his hiding spot, surprising Marian. "Yes?" he replied.

"Charlotte has just told me… but I suppose you've found out already," she said, looking down again at the men.

"Go on," Robin urged.

"The man in the wagon travelling through the forest is a decoy. The real Arthur will be travelling one of the routes that avoid the forest, but it is unknown which one. Charlotte only found out this morning," she explained.

"Do you see, Djaq?" Robin called out. "Charlotte only discovered Arthur's route this morning, and it's only just midday."

"Doesn't Djaq trust Charlotte?" Marian asked. Robin shook his head. "I don't know why," Marian mumbled, searching for Djaq.

"Thank you anyway, Marian," Robin said. "You had best get back, before someone misses you."

"Yes," Marian agreed, and nudged her horse into a trot. "Goodbye," she called over her shoulder as they went around the corner, then she was gone.

"Come out," Robin called and all the gang suddenly appeared as if from nowhere.

"He looks like a lord or someone important to me," Much observed, bending down to study Roger's face. "Look at that frown!"

"That's why they picked him, Much," Will sighed, sensing an argument. Instead, to everyone's amazement, Much shut up.

"What do we do now?" Allan asked.

"There's not much we can do," Robin replied. "We're in Charlotte's hands now."

"Isn't that a bit dangerous?" Djaq insisted. Allan groaned.

"Why do you hate her so much?" he demanded. "I'm not being funny, but you talk about her as if she were the plague!"

"Leave her alone," Will said, standing in front of Djaq.

"I don't hate her!" Djaq raised her voice, which was unusual for her. "It's just that she doesn't seem right to me. How does she know our names? Why does she want to work for us when she doesn't even know us very well?"

"Djaq," John cautioned, speaking up for the first time.

"Have you met her?" Robin asked, leaning on his bow. Djaq shook her head. "Maybe that's it then- it is hard to trust someone when you've never met them."

"Thank you!" Djaq cried. "At least somebody understands." Will looked hurt, but Djaq was behind him, so she didn't see. "Did you disagree with me because I am a woman?"

"NO!" all the men cried in unison. Djaq laughed.

"Good," she said. "Now let's go back to camp and start planning."

"Doing my job, are we, Djaq?" Robin teased. She playfully punched him in the shoulder.

"I suppose I am."