Chapter 3

"We'd best be quick today. Don't you give me no trouble now, I've to go to market this mornin and fetch some..."

Maeve had hauled herself up the ladder with her bucket of water but now she stopped dead as the young outlaw stared back at her looking totally within his senses.

Without a word she scurried back down the ladder and throwing the bucket from her she ran from the barn. A minute or so later Mathew entered the barn and made for the ladder. Much held his ribs and tried to get up but the pain made his head swim.

"Stay where you are," Mathew barked.

Much did as ordered eying them both suspiciously.

"So how's our young outlaw today?"

"I...I don't know what you mean. I'm no outlaw, I'm a farmers labourer." Much rattled off the well rehearsed speech John made him say almost daily.

"Farmers labourer is it? What would a farmers labourer want with a bow and a quiver full of arrows?"

Much couldn't answer. He took in his surroundings with uncertainty, he hadn't the remotest clue how he had gotten here.

"We need to take down that bandage across your chest and clean the wound out. My wife will do that. But i'll be standing right here. If you make a move to hurt her I swear i'll kill you."

Much was bewildered. He couldn't remember anything of the previous days and now he lay injured in a barn and threatened by a stranger. The woman moved forward and lifted his tunic off over his head. His face flushed red as she began to unwrap the tight bandage wound around his torso.

"I can do it," he tried to push her hands away.

"Let my wife do it, she's very good at healin people. You were mad with fever when we first found you, she brought you back from the brink."

So despite his embarrassment Much obeyed feeling a little wary of this man.

"What's your name boy?" Mathew asked, as Maeve applied a cooling salve to the gash at his ribs.

Much's eyes blinked rapidly as he blurted out "Martin,"

He didn't make eye contact which let Mathew know he was in fact lying.

"Martin is it. Well Martin you can stay here until that wound heals and then I want you gone. We don't want no trouble with outlaws here."

Much was going to say again that he wasn't an outlaw but he didn't think this man would believe him and he didn't want to incur his wrath.

Instead he turned his attention to the woman as she spoke to him.

"Have you been scratching at this bandage?" the woman asked as she noticed red marks beneath the wound.

Much shook his head.

"You leave it be, you'll bring on another fever if you keep on with that." She scolded him.

She worked on cleaning up the wound and wrapping it tightly in bandages as if she had done this every day of her life.

"Up to now I've had to clean you up but now you're proper awake Mathew can take you outside and you can do your business out behind a tree." She told him.

Much was about ready to die. Why don't they just take him outside and flog him. This woman had seen him, proper seen him. If Will or John knew this they'd be laughing for months. Much could hear them laughing now.

Much was too young to realise that Will and John would just have been happy that he was safe and being cared for.

~o~

Nazir appeared back later that evening. He reported directly to Robin.

"He was not with them," he told him.

"Are you sure. You followed them all the way to the gates," Robin asked.

Nazir nodded.

"Nazir, Tuck has made food ready for you. When you've eaten we'll begin a cross country search." Robin told him.

"When that which is lost is returned, then I will feast," Nazir spoke in barely a whisper. With that he made ready to leave at once.

"Tuck," Robin called the fryer to him.

"I'll bring supplies for him but you know Robin, most likely he won't eat them. He is single minded is our Nazir, I wish I had his discipline," Tuck patted his round belly as he spoke.

"That would never do Tuck, I could scarce live without your meat pies," Robin grinned handsomely as he patted the fryer's shoulder.

Thus far Nazir had been tracking the soldiers who had attacked their camp. All felt sure they were holding Much but now it was found that he was not with them, they had the difficult task of tracking a lone boy headed off in a random direction to God knows where. They each took in this mammoth task with a frown as they walked along. All except Nazir. It was proving easier than he expected. The youngest outlaw was clumsy and awkward in his retreat, snapping branches and leaving large indentations in the muck as he barrelled along. Nazir was confident he would track him down. Though now he stopped and studied the slight markings on a tree.

Robin came up beside him. "what is it?' He asked.

Nazir studied the marks tracing them with his fingers.

He looked back at Robin.

"He is injured." He said simply.

"How could you possibly know that," John asked, not wanting it to be true.

Nazir pointed to the markings on the tree. "He rested his hand just here, this is blood," he told them. "he has not been walking straight. The boy is injured."

Marion put a hand to her face, Will cursed under his breath.

"Well what are we all standing around here for," he muttered testily "we have to find the little bastard."

Will stormed ahead whether anyone was following or not. Nazir moved like a panther to overtake him before he trod all over the trail. With patience Nazir continued eying with expert precision every blundering move Much had made hours before.

Robin followed behind with Tuck and Marion as the rest scouted ahead. His leg wound was making its presence known shooting savage tingling pain from his hip to his knee.

He'd sort it when they found Much, he told himself. That didn't come soon enough. Although he had managed to hide the worst of it, infection was starting to fester. He stumbled collapsing to the earth. Marion called to John as she bent to help him.

Robin tried to get back up on his feet but the pain brought a grimace to his face that was unmistakable. He collapsed to the ground and lapsed into unconsciousness.

"What is it?" John asked, staring with bewilderment at his prone leader.

"I don't know, he had a leg wound, he was limping earlier," Marion told him.

"What leg wound?" John asked, looking slightly annoyed at this new information.

John bent and ripping up Robin's trousers with his knife he hissed air between his teeth at the angry mess festering just above his left knee.

"You need ta tell us these things lass," John told her.

Marion suddenly felt very young and foolish.

"He wouldn't let me John, he doesn't want to appear weak in front of the rest of you. He has way too much to prove," she said with regret.

"He doesn't want to appear weak, I'd be crying," Will winced as he took in the angry gash jutting across Robin's leg.

"You'd be crying if you were stung with nettles," Tuck said with a vague attempt at humour.

John turned to the rest of them. "I say we make camp, we've lost the light and he needs to rest, what say the rest of you?"

"I'll get a fire going," Will shrugged off his quiver of arrows and went to find some wood.

~o~

Much heaved until there was nothing but bile stringing its way into the bowl.

He grimaced in pain as the vomiting had torn at his chest reigniting the searing pain in his ribs.

"All done now?"

She eased him back onto the straw and helped him lay on his side. She then took a cold flannel and wiped his face and mouth.

"ThankYou," he breathed as he struggled to cope with the pain.

"A bit early for solid foods, we'll just have broth tomorrow," she told him as she swiped back damp curls from his glistening face.

Mathew had gone to settle the children. He came back out now with fresh water and clothes and headed for the barn. He stopped in his tracks as he watched a crowd begin to gather at the edge of his property. Tamping down his fear, he headed towards them. By the light of many torches he could make out the faces of all the local towns people.

"Elrick, what brings you here at this hour," he asked of the village leader.

"It's well you may ask Mathew, your boy has been talkin. You are harbouring an outlaw here., don't try and deny it. We won't have no such thing. You're bringing danger to our door Mathew. We won't stand for it. Hand him over. We'll end his life quickly with little pain."