Robyn Hood: A Girl's Tale

by K. M. Shea

  “And what might you be doing here in Robin Hood’s domain?” Much asked the soldiers as he lazily sat on a tree branch. I’m sure he came up with that line weeks ago, and was probably waiting for the perfect opportunity to use it. Some of the splendor of his words was removed because half of his Lincoln green shirt was missing.

  The five trainees surrounded the three horsemen, icy expressions on their faces as the sound of creaking bows and heaving horses filled the air.

  Much jumped off of the branch, looking as dignified as he could with a large hole in his clothes. “Tell the Sheriff of Nottingham that when dealing with Robin Hood,” he said, pointing to me as Crafty stalked forward. “He should never underestimate his Merry Men,” he finished. “Now be gone!”

  The three horsemen nervously glanced to each other before turning their horses around and galloping out of the clearing. The trainee Merry Men neatly grazed the soldiers’ sides with arrows as they fled.

  “Follow them,” I ordered when they turned to stare at me. “Make sure they leave the forest.”

  All five of the trainees stiffly nodded and disappeared into the forest.

  “Robyn, it’s good to see that you are in one piece,” Much breezily said as he walked up to Scarlet and I while we dismounted.

  Ripping the piece of cloth that Crafty had been munching on out of his mouth, I held it up. “I believe this is yours?” I mildly offered.

  Much winced. “He got away again. That nasty beast,” he said with a dark glare in the horse’s direction as he rubbed his holey clothes. Crafty ignored him and started eating a bush.

  “You’ve worked the trainees while I was gone,” I said with a half grin. “I don’t remember seeing them so put together… well… ever.”

  Much gravely shook his head. “No, actually I’ve ignored them most of the day. Crafty was too busy terrorizing me. They were just angry anyone would dare try to harm you.”

  “Oh. Of course. Because, I’m just a robbing, murderous outlaw. No one should have the right to try and hunt me down,” I snorted.

  “It’s the camaraderie Robyn. The camaraderie!” Much stressed. “You offer honor and justice! They will offer you their loyalty and lives!”

  “Not to mention I’m fair sure a number of them are dead smitten with you, or Maid Marian,” Will Scarlet said as he brushed off his clothes. “And as much as I would like to continue this conversation we had better go to the creek soon. Little John and the other men are waiting there.”

  I nodded. “Much, take Crafty back to camp. We’ll meet you there in half an hour,” I decided before walking off.

  “Okay,” Much called out. “Wait, what?”

  I’m pretty sure Crafty sniggered as we left.

  Scarlet and I jogged for about ten minutes, heavily panting and soaked in sweat from our previous flight. We finally reached the creek and fell on a heap, dipping our hands in the gentle river as my men gathered around me and cheered.

  Little John picked me up and proceeded to squeeze the air out of me as I protested. “Robyn, you little idiot,” he said.

  “Never stay behind by yourself again!” Hob lectured me, he sounded like an irritated older brother.

  I ignored their theatrics and put my hand to my forehead. I ran my fingers through my long hair, which had blown out of my hood. A shot of pain ran through my hand. I grimaced and inspected my palm. My wound was still heavily bleeding. Apparently my little chase through the woods hadn’t helped it. I frowned as I watched the blood dribble off my hand.

  “Robyn!” someone screamed in a decent impression of a girl.

  “You’re hurt,” said another Merry Men.

  Pandemonium broke out.

  “Have you lost a lot of blood?” Little John demanded.

  “Are you feeling woozy?” Will Stutely asked, elbowing Little John out of the way.

  “What does woozy mean? Is she going to die?” shouted another Merry Man.

  “Are you going to faint?” Hob questioned, jumping on Will Stutely’s back, making him fall. “I can catch you!”

  “I’m fine,” I said, ripping my hand out of Little John’s grasp. To my surprise I was suddenly lifted straight off the ground. I yelped and tipped my head back to stare at Scarlet, who was carrying me bridal style.

  “Let’s go back to camp, Much can dress her cut,” Scarlet said. After cackling like worried chickens, the Merry Men agreed and started a regular procession back to our camp.

  “I’m perfectly able to walk,” I hissed to Scarlet.

  He ignored me. “Did we pick up a few men?” he asked Little John. He yelped when I managed to get a hold on his ear and twist.

  “Let me walk,” I demanded. Scarlet practically dumped me on the ground.

  Little John laughed and helped me stabilize myself. “Four oddballs joined us. Stutely already gave them the shakedown. Most of them were thinking about joining us weeks ago. When the Sheriff unmasked us, they took the opportunity to follow us into the forest. I’m surprised that Robyn didn’t catch them sooner,” Little John finished, his gaze shifting to me.

  “That was a small failure there,” I agreed. “But really, when ten men on horses come barreling at you, you find that there are more important things to life rather than the fact that I have more Merry Men leaving with me than I had coming with me,” I said.

  We arrived at camp sometime later, Much shouted when he saw my bloody prints on Will’s shirt, initially thinking someone had stabbed Will in his absence. Then he notice that one of my hands was red and wet as well, getting a rather shrill scream to leave his mouth. He decided it was absolutely appropriate to lecture my Merry Men, specifically Little John, Scarlet, and Will Stutely.

  “I leave her with you for one day, and next thing I know you bring her back all scraped up and bleeding,” Much mothered as he cleaned my palm with warm water.

  Will Scarlet snorted. “You saw her earlier and you didn’t notice it.”

  Much paused for a moment. “That is beside the point!” he said before wrapping my palm. Properly shamed by Scarlet, he turned on me. “And you! Injuring yourself over some stupid gold arrow that you didn’t even get to keep!” he said, having heard the entire story by now.

  (The four new recruits from the fair had fallen down face first when we reached camp. They quickly pledged their loyalty to me, and the Merry Men rejoiced over the four new members. Of course Much sourly asked if I hated him, and wondered why I insisted on plaguing him with trainees.)

  “That’s not true,” Little John countered as his fished in his clothes before pulling the golden arrow out of his tunic. The arrow was still, amazingly, in one piece.

  Little John tossed it to me, and I caught it with my other hand as Much glared at it. “It’s just painted,” I said, somewhat disappointed. I had been hoping to hawk it for a pretty price.

  “We should hang it, like a shield or something,” Will Stutely said.

  “Oh yes, excellent idea Will,” I said. “It’s just like saying ‘Welcome to the camp of Robin Hood, Winner of the golden arrow, sheriffs beware’,” I said as Much’s five trainees returned, pushing and squeezing their way into the already crowded camp. I paused, a thoughtful frown freezing on my face.

  “Hold still,” Much fussed, grabbing the arrow and tossing it aside before he started bandaging my hand.

  I didn’t acknowledge the order, but followed it all the same. “Stutely, Hob,” I called, considering my Merry Men.

  “Yes Robyn?” the two chimed in unison, leaping to my side as they shot smug glances at the rest of the group.

  “Find the most secluded spot that is the hardest to get at in all of Sherwood Forest. Take as long as you want, but tell me immediately when you return,” I ordered. “Look for something bigger than this.”

  The duo looked confused. “Yes Robyn,” Hob said.

  “Gotcha, Bold and Brave Robyn,” Will winked.

  They split, speeding off in separate directions.

  “We are growing,” I announced to th
e confused Merry Men as I fondly smiled. “This place is too small for us. We’re going to relocate and create a permanent home.”

  The Merry Men cheered until Much shushed them, saying I needed my rest. He was about to shove me into a tent until Scarlet spoke.

  “Wait a moment,” he walked over to his tent and dug around in it, emerging a few moments later with an ivory horn.

  He kneeled in front of me, holding the horn in his palms. “Robyn, this is a family treasure that has been passed down from generation to generation. I give it to you, let every Merry Man learn its beckon so that in times of need you can call us,” he offered the horn.

  I hesitated before taking it. I knew how much Will Scarlet guarded the last few pieces of his lordly heritage. I couldn’t imagine how much this was costing him.

  “Thank you, Will,” I quietly accepted, cradling the horn in my hands.

  The horn was milky white with bands of gold etchings.

  “Go ahead, blow it,” Much told me with an indulgent smile.

  I took a deep breath before raising it to my lips and blowing. It made a beautiful sound that echoed across the forest. It was haunting. It reminded me so much of the royal horns I heard as a child in the many crusader parades. “Thank you Scarlet,” I smiled. I hesitated before wrapping a leather cord around the two ends which I then fastened to my belt. “I shall always treasure it.”

  “Yes, very nice gift Will, but now Robyn has to get her rest!” Much said. “Say night, night Merry Men.”

  “Night, night!” All of my men chorused, giving me soppy faces as they waved at me.

  And these were the supposedly hardened criminals of Sherwood Forest.

  I offered them a smile before I entered the tent Much herded me into. It was his and Will Stutely’s from the looks of it.

  I curled up in a ball and lightly dozed, reveling in the feeling of relaxing. I could hear my men cheerfully talking as they switched guard duties and gathered around the campfire to make dinner.

  Chapter 6

  New Camp

  I stumbled out of the tent early the next morning. Most of the Merry Men were sleeping, but I spotted a few of them, awake and alert on the edges of the camp for their daily guard duty.

  They saluted me with crisp gestures. I smiled and shook my head as I plopped down on a log next to the fire. Much was a few feet away, cuddled against a tree, snoring loudly as usual.

  I quietly made some porridge for myself and motioned for the men who were on guard duty to join me. They did so, perching on rocks and trees as their eyes continued to scan the forest. I noticed that one of them was a newcomer we picked up from yesterday.

  “And what is your name?” I politely inquired.

  “T-Tom,” he stuttered, royally blushing.

  “I’m Robyn. It’s a pleasure to have you in my company,” I said with a broad grin.

  “T-thank you!” he stammered, turning a cute shade of flaming sunshine.

  “Where do you come from?” I asked as I stood and stretched.

  “The village. I was a tanner,” he said with a small smile.

  “Your skills will most certainly come in handy here,” I said with a lopsided grin. I paused and narrowed my eyes before swinging around. “Hah, gotcha!” I triumphantly cried as I clamped Crafty’s muzzle in my hands. Crafty gazed at me with tired eyes and slightly frumpy hair. He wasn’t a morning horse.

  I paused before rummaging through a sack, unearthing a small apple which I offered to the shrewd creature. He eyed it, flattened his ears, and delicately took it before moving on. As he crunched on his treat he knocked a pot into the unsuspecting Hob, who had just exited his tent.

  Crafty chuckled before moving on as Hob rubbed his stinging leg and eyed the wily horse.

  “Did you find any suitable locations?” I asked as Hob helped himself to some porridge.

  “It depends,” he drawled. “What kind of place are you looking for?”

  I had forgotten he hadn’t heard my speech about a new headquarters. “A new hideout. One big enough for over a seventy men,” I said.

  Hob spat out his porridge and stared at me as though I had lost my mind. “What?” he asked.

  “The Merry Men are growing, quickly. We are bursting at the seams here and Marian has already run out of curtains to make new tents with. We need to relocate to a more permanent housing area,” I said as I watched Crafty slither in our direction.

  Hob shook his head. “No place I saw is good enough then. Will Stutely will probably have better luck than me though. He has been living here longer than I have,” he shrugged as Crafty crept up behind him.

  “Has he returned?” I asked.

  Hob shrugged. “I dunno, I only got back a few hours ago. It’s not very much fun searching Sherwood forest for the Perfect Spot in the middle of the stinking night you know.”

  “Look out,” I warned.

  “What?” he dumbly asked, remaining rooted to the spot.

  Thunk.

  “Too late,” I said as I sipped my porridge and eyed the sinister horse that had just cracked Hob in the skull with his large, unbreakable head.

  Hob groaned as he shook his head, trying to clear his vision. Clucking my tongue in sympathy I gazed up at the sky that was mostly blocked by tree branches.

  “I’m surprised Will isn’t back yet,” I conversationally continued as I eyed Crafty.

  “He won’t rest till he finds the perfect spot for his most highly honored leader,” Hob moaned, rubbing his head. “I say he won’t be back for two days.”

  Pausing to mull over this fact I agreed. “You’re probably right, only I bet four.”

  Hob grinned, reaching into his pocket. “Are you will to lay a wager on that?” he smirked.

  It was five.

  Five days later I was flexing my hand, working the stiffness out of my cut palm. Little John had taken a group of men to watch the road, and Much was off training beginners, leaving me with Hob, Will Scarlet, and a few men on their guard shifts.

  “How is your hand?” Will Scarlet asked as he walked over to me. I shifted my bow before shrugging.

  “It’s getting better. Much said there might be a scar, but it’s healing fine,” I smiled as Will grunted and took my hand, inspecting it for himself.

  As he gazed at my palm and Hob snored loudly from his relaxed position by the fire I straightened up, hearing something come crashing towards us. “Tom—,” I started, he was on guard duty again, but before I could finish a wild creature hurtled into our camp.

  “I FOUND IT!” Will Stutely said as he thrust his hand toward the sky, his eyes wide, and sleep deprived.

  Will Scarlet and I reflected identical looks of concern for the well being of Stutely’s mind while Hob awoke with a startle.

  Will Stutely caught sight of me and leaped in my direction.

  “I found it Robyn! The Perfect Place!” he said before laughing. “Much can no longer hold your injured arm over my head!” he proudly shouted.

  “Um, it was my palm,” I interjected. Will Stutely thoroughly ignored me.

  “I have redeemed myself! Yes, I have,” he said, jumping across our camp.

  “Will, calm down and stand still for a moment,” I said.

  “How can I? I found the perfect new camp for us! Me, I found it! Hah hah!” he crowed.

  My eyebrow practically disappeared into my hairline. How had he found out about relocating? He and Hob were gone when I had explained everything. “Will Stutely! If you don’t calm down this instant I’m going to assign you the chore of brushing Crafty every day for the next month!” I declared.

  That sobered him up rather quickly.

  After many reassurances to Stutely that no, I would not feed him to the demon horse, he finally settled down and ate some roasted deer meat, telling us his tale.

  “I met up with Little John about four days ago when you sent him hunting. He told me that I, apparently, was being sent as a scout to find suitable land for a new hideout, one that we could bu
ild better houses on,” Will explained as he wolfed his meal down. “So I searched and searched, overcoming all odds, climbing up mountains, rushing down rivers—“

  I picked up my trusty longbow and whacked him over the head. Sherwood has only one river and no mountains.

  “Erm, I mean, I looked a lot,” Will Stutely amended. “It took a long time, and it was really hard to search at night. But I found it. It’s set on a small waterfall in the heart of Sherwood Forest. It’s nearly impossible to see, I walked by it at least ten times myself,” he finished with a smiled.

  “Well done Will,” I praised.

  “Thank you!” Will Stutely said, his eyes shining.

  “Right then. I think you need to sleep,” Will Scarlet said as he stood and grabbed Will Stutely by the arm, dragging him away as the latter protested. Scarlet didn’t give him a choice and instead forcibly knocked him out, dragging Will Stutely’s newly lax body behind him as he headed for the tents.

  Scarlet practically threw him into his tent, and seconds later Stutely’s hideously loud snores could be heard through out the camp. If the sheriff’s men would happen upon us they would surely stay away, thinking that some rabid, snuffling bear had lumbered into our camp. I kid thee not, he was that bad.

  I let myself fall backwards and sprawled out over the forest floor. “That solves our agenda for the next couple of months,” I decided.

  “What do you mean?” Will Scarlet asked as he lowered himself to the ground, leaning coolly up against a tree a few feet away.

  I glanced over at him before responding. “During winter few nobles travel, except for Christmas which we’ll take off anyways. Now, in addition to training, we can build our new home.”

  Will nodded. “Makes sense to me. There won’t be much tax activity either, so it’s just as well that we take this time to get more comfortable. It will be the perfect time to get some new recruits too,” he added.