by David Skuy
“We’ll say Robin Hood was responsible,” Pip said.
Lucy clapped Pip on the back. “I told you we were your Band of Merry Kids.”
“I would willingly go into battle with any of you,” Pip said.
He felt like one of the Merry Men. They had defeated the Sheriff of Nottingham.
His joy vanished when he saw Arabella’s face.
“I cannot come with you. I’m sorry.”
Pip raced over and took her hands. “You must. We will speak to Sir Duncan … and I will speak to my father …”
“You are wonderful. You all are, and I will never forget your kindness to me. I am so terribly happy Merec and his family got away. They are also wonderful people — and Barda is so sweet. I have learned my father is in London, in the Tower. I must go to him.”
“We can help,” Pip said.
Arabella shook her head firmly. “As you said, your fathers cannot learn of what happened here. They will ask too many questions, and they will not let me go to London. Of that I am sure. This is what I must do, alone.”
“You can’t go alone,” Pip said. “Let us help you … my father can at least give you some money.”
“This is my battle, and you should not get involved. I ask only that you keep this a secret as well,” she said.
“I’m scared for you,” Harold said. “This sounds too dangerous.”
Arabella gave him a hug. “You will make a wonderful marksman one day.” She threw her arms around Archie, Lucy, and then Pip. He held her tight.
“I hope to meet you all again, when my family is together,” Arabella said. A tear fell down her cheek.
Pip gave her another hug, and he wiped away his own tears.
“How are you going to get out of Bradford?” Harold said. “The gates are closed.”
“Don’t forget to pull out those arrows — tomorrow.” Arabella grinned. She put a foot on an arrow and hoisted herself up.
“Here is a silver piece,” Archie said, handing it up to her. “And my father has been summoned to London by Prince John. He has resisted the invitation so far, but he has told me that fairly soon he will have to go or he may be arrested. We have a home in London, on Fig Tree Court. If you need anything, go there and ask for Sir Duncan of Raventhorpe.”
“Thank you. I will,” she said. She began to climb. At the top she stopped and looked down. “Goodbye, dear friends. I pray we meet again.”
With that she disappeared from view.
“We should get back,” Harold said. “It’s getting very dark.”
“And I’m getting very hungry,” Lucy said.
“I wonder if we’ll see Ronald tomorrow.” Archie grinned.
“I hope so,” Pip said. “I enjoyed talking to them.”
“Is that who you met in the street? I was wondering,” Harold said.
Lucy put her arm across Harold’s shoulders. “Tell us more about your shooting. Did you miss one?”
They began walking back to Archie’s house, with Garrick and Aubrey in tow.
“I was very lucky,” Harold said. “I didn’t miss a single shot.”
Pip took a final look at the wall and, casting aside the sadness of saying farewell to Arabella, let himself enjoy the moment. What an adventure.
ckerley gave Aldwin a tankard.
The next few days at the fair had gone quickly. Nothing much had happened. Of course, how could anything compare with that first day? The baron had left Bradford with Ronald the next morning, so the final showdown never happened. Pip loved being with Archie and Sir Duncan, though. He knew he’d met two very special people. He also wondered if he would see Archie again. He was the son of a famous knight, a nobleman. They would never come to tiny Nottinghamshire.
“Do you require anything further?” Ackerley said.
“No, thank you, my good man,” Aldwin said. He placed a coin in Ackerley’s outstretched hand.
Ackerley bit the coin and grunted. “Very well, Master Aldwin,” he said, and he slunk off to his place behind the long table.
Pip picked at the food on his plate. He hated how nice Aldwin was being to Ackerley after how rude he’d been when they tried to stay here before.
“I am eager to return home and put all this excitement behind me. I wish to get back to my boring life,” Aldwin said.
Boring indeed, Pip thought.
“Pip, you’re not eating. Are you unwell?” Aldwin said.
“I’m fine,” he said. “Just tired.”
“Aye, it has been a tiring journey. We will be home tomor-row, don’t you fret,” Aldwin said.
Pip pushed the plate away. He couldn’t eat.
“Will you excuse me for a moment?” Aldwin said. “I just want to check on Aubrey. I saw him limping slightly.”
He got up from the table. Pip wandered over to a window and looked out. It was getting dark. He couldn’t help worry-ing about Merec and his family — and about Arabella. In a strange way, he envied them. They were still on an adventure, while he was heading back to Nottinghamshire — and Latin lessons.
He saw something move in the forest. He narrowed his eyes. It was too dark to see the person’s face, but he’d recognize the shape of the man’s figure anywhere. It was his father. He was supposed to be checking on Aubrey. What was he doing?
“I have to tell my father something,” Pip said.
“Okay,” Harold said. Lucy merely nodded, her mouth full of turkey.
Pip went outside and set off into the forest. Oddly, he couldn’t pick up his father’s footsteps. Pip wandered around, irritated. This was becoming a waste of time. His father was probably sitting in Ackerley’s wondering where Pip had gotten to. He was about to give up when he heard some muffled voices about thirty paces off. He crouched down and made his way forward slowly.
“I still shake my head when I think about it,” Aldwin said to Sir Duncan.
“The children are brave, and Pip was only trying to fix things — and they did what we could not,” Sir Duncan said.
Pip’s ears perked up.
“I am half proud and half angry,” Aldwin said. “To sneak inside the prison — I still have trouble believing it. I saw him hiding in the tree outside your bedroom when the sheriff came to search your house and assumed he was up to something. I never imagined it was that.”
“Merec told me the story himself,” Sir Duncan said.
“It was a tremendously courageous plan,” Aldwin said.
“Pip takes after his father,” Sir Duncan said.
“Alas, my son would not be pleased to hear that,” Aldwin said.
“Perhaps then it is time for the truth,” Sir Duncan said.
The truth? What had his father been keeping from him?
“I cannot,” Aldwin said, his voice tinged with sadness. “Better that he is ashamed of me, that he thinks me a coward. Pip’s actions were noble in their intent, but I can’t bear to think what would have happened if Pip, or my niece and nephew, had been caught by the sheriff’s soldiers. My son craves adventure. That is why I decided to bring him to the Bradford Fair. I thought it would satisfy that craving, offer a diversion, a glimpse of England beyond Nottinghamshire’s walls. Unfortunately, I may merely have whetted his appetite for more.”
“Children do grow up,” Sir Duncan said. “At some point, he must set out on his own path.”
“I could not agree more,” Aldwin said. “But right now he is too young still to understand the dangers that await him in the real world. He sees adventure as a game, like hide and seek in the forest. As you and I know, our struggle to overthrow Prince John and our battles with the Sheriff of Nottingham are anything but a game — unless one of life and death!” Aldwin put a hand on Sir Duncan’s shoulder. “I promised his mother before her passing that I would do all I could to keep Pip safe. She knew our struggle was righteous an
d good, but she loved Pip too much to allow him to come to any harm. I cannot therefore in good conscience involve him in my secret life. That is why I will not burden him with the truth.”
“The boy did well in Bradford,” Sir Duncan said.
“After what happened in Bradford, I am not so naive as to think Pip will happily spend the rest of his life in Notting-hamshire carrying on the family business of selling wool blankets,” Aldwin said. “I need to figure out how to satisfy his desire to fight injustice and his thirst for adventure without telling him of my true identity. I fear if he learns who I really am I will never be able to keep him from joining our cause. I want my dear Pip to die an old man, and, as you well know, that may be wishful thinking for the likes of you and me as we work to rid our dear England of the plague that is Prince John.”
His father was fighting Prince John? How was that possible?
“I will keep our secret from Archie as well, until you tell me otherwise,” Sir Duncan said.
“I thank you. You are a dear friend,” Aldwin said.
The two men gripped each other by the forearm.
Aldwin placed a hand on Sir Duncan’s back. “In any event, it was most generous of you to take care of Merec and his family.”
“It is nothing,” Sir Duncan said. “You need not mention it again. They will be safe at my estate in the north. Every-thing I do is for King Richard, and everything I have is at your disposal and at your command.”
Pip’s mind was ready to burst. His father commanded Sir Duncan? Impossible.
Three men emerged through the forest and greeted Sir Duncan and Aldwin with great joy and obvious familiarity.
“I apologize for having to summon you on such short notice, but we were fortunate enough to discover some important news about Sir Sanford,” Aldwin said to a tall, broad-shouldered man in a green hat with a feather stuck into the side, dark leather boots that reached to just below the knee, and a bow strung across his chest. The quiver on his back was full of arrows.
Pip could scarcely believe what he saw. Was it actually him? They said he wore a felt hat with a feather.
“No need to apologize,” the man said.
“Little John and Will Scarlett, my dear companions, it has been too long since I have had the pleasure of your com-pany,” Aldwin said to the other two men.
They bowed to his father.
Little John and Will Scarlett! They were the most famous of the Merry Men. That meant it was true. Scarcely fifteen paces away stood Robin Hood himself, and he was talking to his father like they were old friends. Pip felt faint.
“We were lucky to get Sir Duncan’s message,” Robin said.
“My squire, Jeffrey, is invaluable. I knew if anyone could find you, it would be him,” Sir Duncan said.
“We were about to leave this area,” Robin continued. “It has become infested with the sheriff’s soldiers, especially these past few days.”
“Once Jeffrey told us the family had escaped, we were on the lookout in the forest. Fortunately, we found Merec and his family before the sheriff did,” Little John said.
“It is a fantastical story,” Will Scarlett said. “Hard to believe children actually did it. It is an adventure worthy of the Merry Men.”
“Sir Duncan, I believe your son was part of the heroic group,” Robin said.
“Aye — it is amazing what children will get up to,” Sir Duncan laughed.
“They ran a terrible risk,” Aldwin said. “In any event, Little John, tell me more about Arabella.”
“Merec told us that it was she who discovered the tunnel that led to the prison,” Little John said. “She was apparently searching for her father.”
“Did you say Arabella?” Robin said.
“Indeed — Sir Sanford’s daughter,” Aldwin said.
“Then he is alive?” Robin Hood said.
“It would appear so. According to our friend the Sheriff of Nottingham, Sir Sanford is in London — in the Tower,” Aldwin said.
“Curse that Prince John,” Robin said. “I am overjoyed that our friend is alive, of course. I feared the worst. But the Tower of London? It will be most difficult to mount a rescue.”
“I agree. That would be impossible,” Aldwin said. “The Tower of London is beyond even your powers. We must wait for an opportunity instead. Patience in this case is the wiser course of action. We need to gather information and learn more about their plans for Sir Sanford. When the chance presents itself for a rescue, and it will, we must be ready.”
“At least our struggle against Prince John is not without excitement.” Robin chuckled.
“And Lady Sanford?” Will Scarlett said.
“She was arrested a month ago and taken to Lincoln Castle in Lincolnshire, under the care of our favorite lord, the Baron Geoffrey. Arabella vanished around the same time,” Aldwin said. “I wish we could have found her. I have some questions.”
Their mood turned serious.
“What are your commands?” Robin said, turning to Aldwin.
Pip’s eyes almost bulged out of his head. His father was commanding Robin Hood?
“Will Scarlett and Little John, you shall go to Lincolnshire. Learn what you can about Lady Sanford and what it will take to free her. Robin, I believe it is time for us to return to London.”
Robin Hood elbowed Will Scarlet. “I am eager to try out a new disguise. It is time for Baron Wilhelm of Brandenburg to visit the royal court,” Robin said in a German accent.
Will Scarlett ran a hand over his chin. “This situation may call for the appearance of a new friend of mine as well, the Marquis de Chartres of France.”
“I hear he is most charming,” Little John said.
The men laughed.
“And I?” Sir Duncan said.
“You should wait a few weeks and then accept Prince John’s invitation to visit him at the royal court in London,” Aldwin said. “That will not be without risks, however. You have an uncertain reputation at the moment. It will be necessary for you to make Prince John and the Sheriff of Nottingham believe you are completely loyal to them.”
“As distasteful as that will be, I am happy to do it,” Sir Duncan said. “Cheers to King John.” He spat on the ground and gave his head a shake. “It burns my soul to even say it, and I am fearful that people will believe I truly support that scoundrel.”
“We all know your devotion to our cause,” Aldwin said. “Fear not.”
“And you?” Robin asked Aldwin.
“I have long wanted to sell my blankets once more at the great London Fair,” Aldwin said. “It starts in four weeks’ time.”
“We will set off immediately,” Robin Hood said. “I fought with Sir Sanford in the war, alongside Richard the Lionheart. He is as much a brother to me as any of the Merry Men. We are honor-bound to save him and his family.”
“It will be done,” Will Scarlett said.
“We are at your service, as always,” Little John said.
Aldwin and Robin Hood grasped each other by the forearm.
“To good King Richard,” Aldwin said.
“To good King Richard,” the men responded.
Pip made his way back to Ackerley’s as if he were floating on a cloud. He wasn’t the same boy who had left Notting-hamshire. That boy had been stubborn and proud. He’d also been ashamed of his father. That boy had even been ashamed of his own last name. Pip had learned that he needed other people to help him. Harold and Lucy had skills he didn’t have — that he’d never have. He had learned that his plans could work. He just needed to rely on others. He had also learned that Robin Hood wasn’t his real hero.
His father was his hero, Aldwin Draper of Nottingham-shire, seller of wool blankets — and the leader of the fight to overthrow the evil Prince John and return King Richard the Lionheart to the English throne.
Pip
slipped back into Ackerley’s and sat back down at the table. He reached for his plate and began eating, suddenly very hungry. Lucy gave him a questioning look, but she didn’t say anything. Shortly thereafter the door opened and Aldwin entered.
“All is well with our dear Aubrey,” Aldwin said. “Children, I have been thinking that since the Bradford Fair went so well I should perhaps consider attending the London Fair. We need only work a little harder to replenish our stocks of blankets. I also think that since you had so much fun on this trip we could all go to London together, as well. What say you?”
Pip leapt out of his seat and hugged his father with all his might. Aldwin patted his back gently.
“I knew you wanted to see London. I had no idea it was this important to you,” Aldwin said.
Pip quickly wiped his eyes so he wouldn’t see his tears. “I think it would be very interesting.”
“I would love to come,” Lucy said. “It’ll be the trip of a lifetime.”
“I suppose it might be … fun,” Harold said.
“The Bradford Fair was a nice adventure for you all, I believe,” Aldwin said. “Perhaps London will offer even more entertainment.”
“I hope so, Father,” Pip said.
He thought about Arabella. She was on her way to London right now. Archie would be there too with Sir Duncan. Per-haps they would meet up — and together they could help rescue her father. Why not? They’d rescued Merec and his family.
Perhaps there would be one more adventure in his life — at least one more!
As is so often the case for me, there are too many people to thank. The Band of Merry Kids was very much a team effort. Certainly, this book wouldn’t have turned out as it did without everyone at Cormorant Books and DCB, and particular thanks to Barry and all his positive and helpful suggestions. Sam and his team also provided invaluable insights in the early days, as I struggled to bring Pip to life. Special shout out to Yasemin for giving me some of her time and reading over one of the many draft manuscripts. Finally, as always, thanks to the family at home for putting up with the whole process — and providing their own advice and counsel.