Chapter 11

Robin didn't know what to say. He was startled. Why had his father destroyed the locket? What was so dangerous about it? Robin just wanted it all to make sense for once.

"Why did you destroy the locket?" asked Robin.

"Why do you want it," asked his father looking him in the eyes, "If you don't even know what's so important about it?"

Robin broke gaze with his father and looked away at the trees.

"A little birdy told me that you were given that locket as a token of affection from Guy's mother," said Robin.

"It's true," said his father as Robin turned back to look at him. "Is that why you want it?"

Robin bit his tongue. He was debating on whether or not to tell his father that Guy had a twin brother that was after the locket for some strange reason.

"Yes," lied Robin.

He decided to keep Tyrell's existence a secret for now.

"Now," said Robin staring deep into his eyes. "Answer my question. Why did you destroy the locket?"

Robin's father shifted uncomfortably for a minute before saying, "It was too dangerous to hold onto anymore."

"What was so dangerous about it?" asked Robin, finally realizing that he would get the answers that he was after.

"The locket was initially given to Guy's mother by Guy's father. Guy's father was in the Holy Lands for a while, fighting. Apparently while he was there, the King entrusted him with the secret location to his weaponry/gold. Guy's father stuck it in the locket he gave to his wife because he didn't want that information to fall into the wrong hands. She didn't know that the information was contained in there and gave the locket to me as a token of her affection after her husband was banned to the leper colony. I discovered the information when I accidentally dropped the locket one day and it popped open. Robin what I'm trying to get at is, I know it might not seem like alot, but if that information fell into the wrong hands, they would have control over England in a roundabout sense. That is why I destroyed it."

Robin listened to his father's spiel and tried to wrap his head around it. The locket that his father had destroyed had contained the location of the King's weapon and gold supply. He now understood why his father had destroyed it. His father's hands had been the wrong hands and he knew that it could happen again with someone worse.

"I appreciate that you explained the situation to me," said Robin.

"Robin, why did you really need the locket? It's not because of the rumor you heard, is it?" asked his father staring him in the eyes.

Robin looked into his father's eyes and knew that his father knew he was lying. He couldn't hide his feelings from his father no matter how hard he tried.

"I'll tell you," said Robin, "But only if you keep quiet about it."

"You have my word that I'll keep silent," said his father.

"Ok," said Robin, "Guy has a twin brother named Tyrell. He wanted me to find you and get the locket from you. Once I was successful..." Robin dug out the knife from under his cloak and laid it across his thigh. "He wanted me to kill you."

Robin's father eyed the knife wearily.

"So are you?" asked his father in a quiet voice; his eyes never leaving the knife.

Robin gripped the handle of the knife tightly in his fist before saying, "No."

Robin's father released a sigh of relief.

"Guy has a twin?" stated Robin's father in disbelief.

"Keep your voice down! He's watching us from the trees right now!" said Robin.

Robin's father looked wildly around the clearing before asking, "Why does Guy's twin want the locket?"

Robin sat in thought for a second. He knew that Tyrell knew more about the locket than he let on. Tyrell must have known about the inforamtion that the locket had contained. Tyrell also had told him that he had grown up among outlaws. He knew that that must have been true because he had met Lumer, but that didn't mean that Tyrell still lived among them in the forest now. Tyrell was use to watching out for himself first before he worried about the wellbeing of his gang. Who would want that information from the locket though? That was when Robin put all the pieces of the puzzle together. Prince John had ridden into Nottingham the same time that Robin was after this information for Tyrell. What if Tyrell was getting paid a sizable amount of money by Prince John to get that information so he could have total control? That would make sense.

Before Robin realized it, he was standing up and marching back toward the trees, with the knife still clutched tightly in his hands. He went right over to where Tyrell was waiting for him. He gripped him by his cloak and pushed him up against a tree.

"What's wrong Robin?" asked Tyrell.

"You know EXACTLY what's wrong you serpent!" yelled Robin. "You knew what that locket contained! You're working for Prince John, aren't you?"

Archer burst through the trees right then, alerted by the sound of Robin's shouts. He stood there in shock, looking at Robin who still had Tyrell pushed up against a tree.

"What did you think I meant by saying you joined the shadows, Robin?" asked Tyrell with a sly smile. "The shadows are always dark. They are never penetrated by good old light."

Robin reached up and yanked the necklace off his neck. He threw it onto the ground and said in a steely voice, "I will NEVER join the shadows."

At this point, Robin brought the knife that was in his hands up, and pressed it against Tyrell's neck.

"Robin, don't!" shouted out Archer. "You aren't a killer!"

"Archer! Go back and watch Guy!" yelled Robin.

The steely look in Robin's eyes was still present. He took the knife and quickly stabbed the tree behind Tyrell's head, causing Tyrell to wince. The knife stayed planted in the bark of the tree as Robin brought his hand away.

"Be thankful I let you live. I will let you keep your life since you saved my life, but next time I won't be as merciful" said Robin. "Now go back to Prince John and say that you were unsuccessful in your mission. And if I ever see you in Sherwood again and if I ever hear you threaten the life of my friends again, you will pay."

Robin pushed Tyrell against the tree and backed away. Tyrell looked at Robin with a sly smile and said, "Prince John is right. I'll have to keep my eyes on you."

"I was wrong about you Tyrell," said Robin. "It's too late for you to be a hero. You're already a full-blooded villian."

Tyrell walked off toward the right and turned briefly to look over his shoulder, "I warned you that you didn't know everything, Robin. Oh, and Robin, just because you think you won now doesn't mean that you have. I WILL be back before you know it and I'll come for you."

Then Tyrell turned and ran off into the trees. Robin was still shaking with anger even after Tyrell was out of sight. Archer walked over to Robin and wrapped his arm around him.

"How did you find out that Tyrell was working for Prince John?" asked Archer, trying to wrap his head around what had just happened.

"From information from my father," said Robin with a sigh. Robin turned to look at Archer before asking, "Do you want to meet your father, Archer?"