She was sure he could drive it from her now.
Dropping her eyes to the ground, she refused to look at the walls. Suddenly fire raced down and traced lines in the stone beneath her, making it look as though it were waves on the sea. Her foot landed on one of the waves and she screamed as her flesh sizzled at the contact.
Running faster, leaping and twisting and trying to avoid the flames that reached out for her, she made it at last into the great hall and came to a stop. Even through her fear the thought came to her that it would be wrong for anyone to observe her in such a state of terror. She was the Sheriff’s woman.
She must appear in control. Nothing could defeat him.
That had been her belief when she went to bed the night before. She would believe it again. Until then she could not let anyone else doubt it, particularly that fool Henry. Her footsteps bent toward the throne room. Her love often went there to think and plan. As she neared the doorway, she heard angry voices and realized he was not alone.
Glynna composed herself, threw her shoulders back, and fixed a smile on her face. Then she walked inside. Her love was there, along with Henry and a couple of other men, both of them soldiers. She walked closer, putting sway into her motion. She found that it seemed to have a hypnotic effect on men.
“Ghosts?” Henry said. “Ghosts killed nearly a hundred of my men?”
“Yes,” the soldier said.
“You fool,” the noble replied. “No doubt it was a bunch of peasants running around shouting ‘boo.’ Your men are cowards.”
“With all due respect, sire, it wasn’t,” the man said. “I saw one of them... it wasn’t human.” He spoke in strong, confident tones, and didn’t seem the sort who would be given to exaggeration or hysteria. Whatever had occurred, he was convinced of what he’d seen.
The fey, she realized.
The fey had taken to defending the forest. She could tell by the look on her lover’s face that he had come to the same conclusion—and it didn’t make him happy.
“And what about you?” Henry demanded, turning to the other soldier.
“We found a series of caves,” the man reported. “There was gold there, some of the shipment that was taken. There was also evidence that someone is living in there. We found food and water.”
“But no people?” Henry spit out.
“No, but it’s possible they were there and we just couldn’t find them. The caves are extensive, and without knowing them it would be too easy to become lost.”
Henry looked like he was about to explode. A blood vessel throbbed redly in his forehead, making him look quite ridiculous.
Her love, on the other hand, was just as furious, but he kept his demeanor calm, controlled.
That’s why he’s in charge.
She glided to a stop a couple of feet away from him. He turned his head slightly in her direction and nodded.
“You need to go back in those caves,” Henry said, almost shouting. “And into that forest, to find whoever is in there!”
“Actually, you need to do the opposite,” Glynna said.
Everyone turned to look at her.
“Instead of chasing them into their holes, you need to lure them out. If you can’t find them in the caves, and you can’t get to them in the forest, then you need to find a way to make them come to us.”
“I’ll burn the forest down to the ground,” Henry snarled. “That should settle this once and for all.”
The Sheriff turned and gave him a condescending look.
“With the snow on the ground and on the trees, how easy do you think that will be to accomplish? We also know that there is magic protecting the forest, and we can’t use magic of our own on it.”
Glynna smiled at Henry and batted her eyelashes. The man was an idiot, but he would come to see the wisdom of her plan. And if he didn’t, they could kill him like they’d killed John.
The Sheriff turned back to her. “What exactly did you have in mind, my love?” he asked, his voice a soft purr.
“A grand spectacle, an archery tournament, a feast, and to top it all off, an execution.”
“Who will we execute?” Henry interrupted.
Glynna stared at him. “I’m sure we can think of someone,” she said frostily.
The Sheriff clucked at her. “You think they might come out to save those who are to be executed?”
“Yes.”
“They’ll surely know it’s a trap,” Henry scoffed, “and not risk their necks.”
Glynna didn’t even bother looking at him this time. Instead she looked at her love and smiled, just for him.
“Of course they will, but theirs will be some of the necks on the block. We’ll catch the Hood once and for all—at the archery tournament.”
“What makes you think he’ll risk it?” Henry sputtered. “I mean, you think the man’s ego is so large that it would outweigh his sense of self-preservation?”
“No. I think he’ll enter because we have something he wants,” she said. “Something he needs.”
“And what exactly would that be?”
Glynna turned and looked at the wall. Hanging on it was a hunk of rotting flesh that had once been part of the chest of Guy of Gisbourne. And, sticking out of it, unable to be released by any force or magic that they had employed, was something she knew the Hood would want very much.
She turned back to her love and he smiled at her.
“The black arrow, of course.”
Henry glanced at it, a look of disgust forming on his face.
“And when he comes for the arrow, we’ll be ready for him,” her love purred.
We both will, she vowed silently. The vestiges of the nightmare still clung to her, but an idea was beginning to take hold. Her love’s soldiers were monstrous, terrible in battle, and they had only one weakness in that they were vulnerable during the day and resurrected only at night. In her mind she was conceiving a spell so great, so terrible, that it would solve that problem once and for all.
And how much more would her dark lord love her then?
CHAPTER THIRTY
Audric’s ceremony was brief but moving. His younger brother Haylan was devastated, and his grief was made worse by the uncertainty of Alan’s fate. The boy had grown very attached to the bard and had been learning much from him. Now Alan was the last person he had left in the world.
Marian had grown weary of funerals and wanted them to stop. She glanced over at Jansa and her new husband. At least there were a few bright spots. It seemed as if Friar Tuck was starting to perform as many weddings as funerals.
She had returned to camp with the body of the boy after the fey had confirmed that all the soldiers had fled Sherwood. It was only a matter of time before they’d be back, though, and she wondered if men had also been sent to the caves where they had hidden some of the gold from the latest robbery. If so, she hoped that they became lost in the tunnels, unable to find their way back out.
Closing her eyes, she felt herself becoming colder, more indifferent to the deaths of others. Many of those men were just following orders, unaware that Henry had thrown in his lot with the devil. They needed to find a way to bring some of those men over, let them see the truth of what type of war was being waged. But how?
She’d have to talk with Friar Tuck about it later that afternoon. She wished Alan was not ill, for she could use his counsel, as well. Most of all she wished her husband was there.
Robin, I need you.
Her hand drifted to her stomach. Marian was convinced now that Jansa was right. She could feel it herself. There was life growing within her. She smiled as she thought of how Robin would react when she told him he was going to be a father.
Looking down, she saw that Champion was still the silver gray color the fey girl had turned him. He looked up at her and leaned against her leg, and she found the contact comforting.
* * *
When the funeral was over Marian retired to her tent, exhausted and needing to rest a little. Chasti
ty joined her there.
“Is there anything I can do for you… Marian?” her friend asked, still hesitating a bit on saying her name.
“Not unless you can think of a way we can convince Henry’s soldiers that they’re fighting on the wrong side and make them understand that this is a battle between good and evil.”
Chastity frowned. “I will give it some thought.”
“I would appreciate it, because nothing is coming to my mind.”
“That’s because you’ve got too much weighing upon you.”
“No more than usual.”
“That’s not true, not with a baby coming and all.”
Marian stared at her. “How did you know?”
Chastity grinned. “I’m pretty sure the whole camp knows. Everyone’s just waiting for you to confirm it.”
“Did Jansa or Esther say something about my morning sickness?”
Chastity laughed. “No, but that would confirm it.”
“Then how does everyone know?”
“Because you’re glowing, Marian. It has nothing to do with the torc you’re wearing, either. You’re glowing like women glow when they’re with child. And, it’s not like you’re a maid anymore,” Chastity said with a wink.
“No, that’s true.” Marian blushed fiercely.
Chastity touched her arm. “You worry about getting some rest and taking care of yourself. Let me figure out how to turn Henry’s men to our side.”
“Very well,” Marian agreed.
Chastity left and Marian marveled at how happy she seemed that Marian was going to have a child. She thought about what her friend had said, about the entire camp waiting for her to confirm it. Maybe everyone was so eager for another bit of good news to hold onto. Perhaps she should tell them.
Not today, though, she decided. Today they would remember and honor Audric.
Tomorrow will be time enough.
* * *
Chastity had an idea, but it would require leaving Sherwood to do a little reconnaissance. If she was right, though, it would be worth the risk. She left Marian, briefly told Friar Tuck where she was going in case Marian asked for her in her absence, and then donned a cloak and left the safety of the camp.
She traveled swiftly through the forest, eager to get to her first destination. A lot of men made up Henry’s army, and they would need to be housed and fed. There wasn’t room at the castle for all of them, so it was possible they were set up in an encampment outside the walls. However, if Henry was intent on staying, it was equally possible that some of the neighboring homes were being used. They weren’t at Locksley castle, but they might be at the homes of other nobles.
The nobles who had signed fealty to John still seemed to be in thrall, perhaps to the Sheriff. For whatever reason, they put up no resistance, and this made their homes the most likely places to find the soldiers. They would be being fed and tended to by frightened wives, children, and servants. People who knew what was happening in Nottingham.
They were the ones who could spread word to the soldiers.
A cousin of hers worked for Lord Montjoy as a cook. At least, she had last Chastity knew. She’d have to find out if that was still the case. Sarah had always been a smart woman. If she was there and alive, Chastity was sure she could make her see reason.
* * *
It was early morning when Marian awoke abruptly from a nightmare. Fortunately it slipped back into the mists from whence it had come, and quickly so she didn’t have to relive it. She was pretty sure it had something to do with Robin, but that was all she could remember.
She rose quietly, knowing she’d get no more rest, and walked through the camp. Only the few sentries were awake, and they nodded as she passed. Leaving the perimeter she moved into the forest, and a moment later Champion joined her.
Things were different, and she felt unsettled—more than she usually did these days. It was as if the consequences for their rout of the soldiers were about to come crashing down on them. She tried to tell herself she was just being morose, affected by the nightmare and the funeral for Audric. Something deep inside, though, told her that wasn’t the case.
Change is coming.
The words seemed to whisper in her mind, rattling around and around. Marian knew that change could be a cataclysmic thing, but it wasn’t always bad. She struggled to get a sense of what was coming, but aside from her own dark thoughts there was nothing else. If change was coming, perhaps it was up to them to take advantage of it and make sure it worked out to their favor.
She found her favorite log, from which she often contemplated the forest around her. This morning, though, she was interested only in contemplating what she was feeling inside. Champion jumped up to sit beside her. Usually this early in the morning he was off hunting breakfast. Now, though, he curled up tightly next to her as though offering his support, his comfort.
Dropping a hand down, she ran it through his fur, once again its natural red color. She bowed her head and began to pray, asking God to show her the path, the way to victory. They needed to defeat the Sheriff and his minions. They needed to preserve England and stop the spread of evil.
She prayed, begging God for a sign. Promising to do whatever it took. She just needed to know what to do next. As she prayed she began to weep, missing the friendship and the counsel of the cardinal. At that moment she was reminded how lost she had felt the last few weeks.
“I just need a sign,” she whispered out loud, the words wrenched from her. “Show me what I must do to defeat the Sheriff.”
She didn’t know how long she sat there and prayed. When she was finished, though, she felt as if a kind of peace had descended on her. Change was coming, and God would help her seize the opportunities coming her way.
It had to be well past breakfast given how hungry she felt, so she stood and headed back to camp. Champion trotted beside her, still showing no interest in catching his own meal. Maybe he sensed the same thing she did and wanted to keep close.
When she stepped foot into the clearing she knew that something had happened. There was an electricity in the air. People talked excitedly with one another. Eager to discern the cause, she found Chastity and Friar Tuck. They were speaking together next to Alan’s bed. The bard was awake and clear-eyed, which brought Marian no end of relief.
“I’m glad to see you awake,” she said to him.
He nodded and gave her a faint smile.
She turned to Chastity, who looked like she was about to burst.
“What’s going on?”
“Yesterday you asked me to find a way to let Henry’s army know the truth of what’s happening here. Well, I figured that some of them would be billeted in other homes, because of the numbers. I went to see if I was right—and I was. There are fifty of them staying on Montjoy land. My cousin is a cook there. She agreed to help spread the word. I was planning on going to see if I could recruit some other people at other homes. A message came this morning, though, and I thought I should bring it right away.” Chastity handed over a parchment.
Marian quickly read it, and her heart skipped a beat.
“It came this morning?”
“Yes, milady,” Chastity said, slipping in her excitement.
“Have you read this?” she asked Friar Tuck.
He nodded.
Marian took a deep breath and looked it over again. The Sheriff and Henry were declaring a festival, complete with a feast, an archery competition, and a public execution. The winner of the competition would win a magic black arrow—one that had been used to kill a monster.
“This is it,” Marian said, tears stinging her eyes. She had asked God for a sign and He had provided. This was the opportunity they could seize. Her heart began to pound as she looked at the parchment again. The festival was happening in five days.
Change is coming. And with the black arrow, they could make sure that the change benefited them.
“We have to go,” Marian said. “We need to get that arrow.”
&nb
sp; “You know the truth of this?” Friar Tuck asked stubbornly. “It is only being done to flush us out.”
“I know, but we can’t pass up the opportunity.”
“We don’t have an archer with enough skill to win.”
“I can win,” she said, folding her arms across her chest.
“Yes, she can,” Chastity said indignantly. “Marian’s as good as any man with a bow.”
“We can’t risk you,” Tuck protested.
“There’s no one else to go, and it is worth the risk,” Marian insisted.
Friar Tuck rolled his eyes. “Look, Alan, you agree with me, don’t you? That risking her life is too much?”
They all turned to look at the bard. He shook his head slowly.
“How can you not agree with me?” Friar Tuck asked angrily.
Alan didn’t even bother trying to get out his pen and parchment. He just glared, and Marian spoke up.
“It is because we are coming to the end,” she said firmly. “If we allow the Sheriff to continue any longer, to amass anymore power, then all is lost,” Marian added. “And, if it’s true that he has the arrow, we need to get it back. It’s the only thing that we know can kill him.”
“Robin couldn’t retrieve it from the body of that monster,” Tuck said. “How do you think they managed it?”
“I don’t know, but the body of the monster has been in their possession for weeks,” Marian said stubbornly. “Who knows what they could have done in that time. Maybe they just cut it out of him.” In her heart she knew she was right.
“What if you don’t win?” Friar Tuck asked.
Marian smiled. “Then we steal the arrow.”
“It might be a ruse. They might not even have the arrow there.”
That was true, she had to concede. She couldn’t explain it, though, but she felt the hand of God at work. She was sure that their enemies had the arrow, and she was sure that it would be on display.
“Even if it’s not, you know we have to be there to stop the hanging,” she said quietly.
“We don’t even know who they’re hanging. It might be that we’re the ones they intend to execute, and by showing up we’re giving them everything they want.” Friar Tuck was running out of arguments, however. He heaved a sigh.
Sovereign's War Page 24