“What’s going on?” I asked, as I returned from washing at the river a week later. A boy stood in front of the hut talking to Miller, who adamantly shook his head. Tuck and John watched out the corner of their eyes as they readied themselves for the day ahead.
“Kid’s looking for Robin Hood.” John tucked a slingshot into the back of his pants. It was his go-to hunting weapon these days. Said he wasn’t so good with the bow anymore because of his fingers. I hadn’t seen him try and wondered if he just didn’t want to fail. I knew exactly how it felt to think that way. The next time we had the chance, I’d have to do something about it.
The boy turned at the sound of my voice. His mouth opened and shut, and he pointed to me. “It’s you.”
“It’s you,” I smiled to the boy who would currently be minus a hand had it not been for Rob. “Elton, right?”
The boy nodded. “Is he here? Robin Hood?”
Miller blew out a disgusted breath and folded his arms. “He’s not here. He’s never bloody here.”
I glanced at John and Tuck, both of whom returned my worried stare. A moment ago, Miller was denying all knowledge of Rob—it was the safest option when we didn’t know who sent the boy. Once he realized the boy wasn’t a threat, he’d given up protecting Rob. Probably because Rob hadn’t been near us for an entire week. Miller was taking it hard.
No one knew why he hadn’t come around. Either I’d pushed too far when I insisted Alan come and live with us, or Rob was using the time without us to see if he could be without us always. Neither option made me feel good. And Miller was worse than ever, see-sawing between yelling and screaming at the top of his voice, and sitting quietly staring at his book for hours. Without turning a page.
“Ma wants you—and Robin Hood, or whoever it was that rescued me…” He glanced around the clearing at the other boys. “All of you actually, to come and celebrate St Valentine’s Day with us in Huxley. To say thank you for what you did for me.”
Wow, how had time gone so fast? Valentine’s Day was also my birthday, and I hadn’t even realized it was so close. “I’m not sure that would be safe for your village. If we could manage to find Robin Hood and bring him with us, he is a wanted man. If he were found with you, the entire village would pay the price. It’s what happened in Oxham.” The very mention of Oxham sent a shiver up my spine. My dreams continued to show up every night even though Rob had gotten away from that place with his life.
“Ma said you’d say that. She said to tell you the village knows the risk. But we also believe the chance of soldiers finding you there at night is slim. And we owe you.” Elton sat himself down on the dirt near our extinguished campfire. “They also told me I wasn’t to leave until you all agreed.”
“You drive a hard bargain, but we can’t put you at risk.” I glanced around the apple grove, hoping for some back up, but no one met my eyes. “Right, Tuck?”
Tuck and John looked at each other, some silent conversation happening before John said, “It wouldn’t really be a risk. Not if it’s at night.”
I narrowed my eyes. “But you said the soldiers come into the forest at night sometimes now.”
“Aye.” He nodded. “They do, sometimes. But not usually in as far as Huxley. Isn’t that right, boy?” He looked at the child for confirmation.
Elton nodded.
“And it’s St Valentine’s Day,” said Miller wistfully.
“And it would be rude to decline.” Tuck spoke as if he didn’t have a clue what it was like to be rude.
“Let me get this straight, you all want to go? You all think it would be safe to go?” I couldn’t keep the surprise from my voice.
They all nodded.
“Why?”
Elton scrambled to his feet. “Because St Valentine’s Day in Huxley is famous throughout the forest. I’ll tell Ma to expect you.”
“I don’t think that’s—”
“See you next week!” he yelled, already on his way.
Miller nudged John as Elton left. “Looks like you’ll get a party on your birthday this year.”
“Valentine’s Day is your birthday?” It was no wonder I got along so well with him.
John nodded.
“Mine, too.”
“Birthday twins.” John grinned.
“It’s settled then,” said Miller, his smile larger than it’d been for a long time. “We’re going to the party.”
NINETEEN
“Maryanne? What are you doing?” Rob’s shadow darkened the door to his hut and his voice was hesitant. I turned to find him leaning on the doorframe.
I’d come to Bidworth alone this morning, leaving the apple grove before the others awoke. Before they could stop me. I couldn’t find Rob or Alan when I arrived, so I went to their hut and began to pile their belongings into a pack from one of the shelves. “Packing. What does it look like?” I batted my eyelashes, feigning innocence.
“Hmmm. I can see that. Might I ask why?” He folded his arms across his chest.
His hair was loose, falling around his face. I liked it when he wore it this way. “Because you have to pack if you’re going to leave, of course.” I was on a mission today. I’d already stopped in at Clipstone this morning to ask John’s sister for help with John’s birthday present. Now I was at Bidworth to achieve the second item on my to do list.
“Oh, yes?” His lips twitched like he was trying not to smile. “And where might I be going?”
I turned back to my packing. I was almost done, but I took my time folding the final blanket. “Not just you. Alan, too. You’re coming back to live in the forest with us.” I’d made some decisions overnight. I hoped bringing the two of them back to the forest to live would stop the dreams, because what I’d done so far had failed. Even if it didn’t, I hoped it would make Miller happy again. But the bottom line was Rob had more chance of surviving Gisborne’s sword if he had his three best friends nearby and looking out for him.
He sighed, and the lightness left his voice. “Maryanne.” His tone told me we’d already had this conversation, and nothing had changed.
“It’s okay.” I’d thought it all out, considered what his arguments might be and had answers for every one of them. “We can teach Alan how to use a bow. Or a sword. Or if he doesn’t like the idea of using either of those, a knife. Then he’ll be able to fight back if he needs to. I think maybe a set routine might be good for him, so we can teach him things like getting wood for the fire, and he’ll know that’s the first thing we do when we make camp.”
Rob shook his head. “Maryanne. It’s not that easy.”
“It is!” If he wanted it to be. “You’re the one who’s making it difficult!”
He walked over to me, all of two steps. “What’s really going on? Because I know you understand the risks.”
He really needed to ask? “Miller is a mess without you! And John misses his best friend. And Tuck—”
Rob took my shoulders and turned me to face him, then he ducked into my line of vision. “Yes, but what is it really?”
I don’t want you to die. Right from the moment Maud first explained what would happen if I told anyone about the dreams, I’d understood what I was signing up for. I’d hoped to stop Rob dying and live happily ever after, but I’d known what my options were if the dreams kept coming. The sole purpose I was here was to cement the legend as Dad knew it into history. Seeing how much Elton wanted to meet Robin Hood had reminded me of that. There would be no legend if Rob was dead, and that left me with just one option.
Save Rob’s life by telling him about my dreams.
I’d die. But he’d live. All I could hope was that I had a little more time before that happened. “Did you ever wonder how I knew you needed to leave Oxham?”
Rob looked at me sideways. “You didn’t tell me to leave Oxham.”
“Well, no, not in person, but…” Miller and John had done it for me.
“But what?”
I half-laughed. “It was me who made Miller and John talk to you.” Surely they mentioned this when they told him to leave.
He shook his head. “It wasn’t because of them that I left Oxham, Maryanne. It was stupid luck that Alan, Francis and I weren’t there when the soldiers came. Alan had been asking to camp out in the forest for a night. That happened to be the night we chose. We left right after Miller and John left.”
“But…the hut was almost empty.” There were next to no possessions in there, the day Oxham was attacked.
He gave a sheepish shrug. “What can I say? I don’t own much, and the things I do own—like the plates and mugs Alan and I use for eating, and our blankets—I took for comfort while we camped out.”
Huh. “So, Miller and John said what exactly to you that day?”
He turned his lips down. “Not a lot. They handed out gold. We had a quick chat. I asked after you. What do you think they told me?”
“That you were in danger. That you needed to leave.” My voice sounded small as the pieces fell into place. This was the advice John hadn’t followed, the advice that had almost caused someone—Rob—to die. The reason he began to suspect I was Maryanne and not Maud. He hadn’t told Rob that he needed to leave Oxham because he thought I was her. Probably thought I’d hatched some plan with Gisborne to draw Rob out, so Gisborne could hunt him down.
“And you knew this how?”
I felt sick. That day had been so very close to total disaster.
“How did you know?” An edge crept into his voice.
I drew in a deep breath and signed my own death warrant. Not that I was going to make it easy on whoever—or whatever—came to kill me for sharing this secret. I planned to fight tooth and nail to stay here with Rob and his friends. “You’re not safe.”
A ghost of a smile crossed Rob’s face. “Understatement of the year.”
“I’ve been having these…dreams.” I shrugged one shoulder. “About you.”
He started to grin.
I shook my head and held up one hand. “Don’t.” The sort of dreams he was imagining would have been far more welcome than the ones I saw night after night.
His expression turned immediately serious. He’d probably heard something in my tone.
I forced my voice to remain steady. “I dream of you dying at Gisborne’s hand with an arrow through your back. Before Oxham, I told Tuck, Miller and John of the place I kept seeing, where I thought you were most in danger, and they all said it was Oxham. I made them go and get you out of there. At least, I thought that’s what they were doing.” I shook my head. John’s decision could have cost Rob his life. The thought stole my breath. “The dreams stopped for a night or two after you left there, and I thought everything was fixed.”
He frowned. “But then they came back?”
I nodded. “I wasn’t supposed to tell you, but I think you’ll be safe now. I’ve done what I needed to make sure of that.” I wouldn’t tell him of the consequences I was yet to face. I wouldn’t make him feel guilty for the choices I made. “And if not, you’ll be in the forest where Gisborne has to get past four of us before he can kill you.”
His eyes moved from me to look through the door, toward the forest. “It just seems dangerous. Like I’d be putting more people in danger for no reason.”
Rob didn’t fool me. He might be saying what he thought he should, but I could see how the forest called to him. He wanted to come back as much as we all wanted him back. “Good. It’s settled.” I picked up the blanket and folded it again, my heart beating loudly. I didn’t want to die, but I didn’t want him to, either.
“But I didn’t say—”
“You were going to.”
He pressed his lips together, trying not to smile. “I feel like we’ve had a version of this conversation before.”
We had. Only last time, it was him making decisions for me. “Is there anything else you want to take?”
He shook his head. “Just Alan.”
We headed out the door. Alan was playing with the kids again, throwing rocks at a target in a very loud, very competitive game just outside the door. So loud, it blocked out the thumping of horses’ hooves until they were closer than they should have been.
Rob and I heard them at the same moment. “Run! Soldiers!” He yelled to whoever would listen. He sprinted to Alan, pulling on his arm. I started for the forest. It wasn’t far. Rob’s house was one of the closest to the trees.
I glanced over my shoulder to find Rob and Alan stopped in the middle of the rutted trail outside the hut. Rob moved his hands wildly while Alan shook his head and folded his arms across his chest.
I ran back to them. “What’s the matter?’
“Francis,” said Alan. “We have to find Francis.” Alan’s caregiver.
I glanced at Rob. All around us, people were running. Francis had surely run, too. “He’s probably in the forest already. Or almost there, at least.”
Alan shook his head, blond hair swinging across his face. “He’s not. He’s taking a nap.” He pointed along the hut-lined street to the one his friend was sleeping in.
My heart began to thump. We had to leave. As it was, we’d be lucky to make the forest before the soldiers arrived. “I’ll get him.”
Rob shook his head. “Maryanne…”
There was no time for arguments. “You get Alan to safety, then come back for me if you need to.” I shrugged, hoping to sound less worried than I actually was. Rob and Alan had to get to the safety of the forest. “Hopefully you won’t have to come back.”
Without waiting for his answer, I ran toward Francis’ hut, pulling my bow from my back just as the first soldier emerged from the forest.
His sword was already drawn, and he brought it down on a woman who changed direction the moment he appeared. She was almost to the forest—where she could have found somewhere safe to hide—when his sword cut into her and she dropped like a stone.
“Francis!” I dodged around people running in every direction, raising my voice above their screams.
He poked his head out of his hut. I recognized him immediately. Like Tuck, he wore monk’s robes. That was where the likeness ended. Francis was short and skinny, his greying hair thin on his head. “I’m a friend of Rob’s. He has Alan. We need to get to the forest and hide. Now.”
The old man’s eyes rounded as he watched something behind my back.
I took his arm, pulling gently. There was no time for anything except running. “We have to go.”
My touch started him moving. He nodded. “Yes. Yes. We must go.”
He was faster than I expected, though not as fast as I would have liked. I held his arm as he half-ran, half-stumbled over the rough ground of the partially sown field, the footsteps and panting of running villagers loud in my ears. The forest that had seemed so close before now seemed so very far away. There were soldiers everywhere. Metal clashed with metal as some of the villagers chose to stand and fight. Screams hung in the air, sometimes cut short, sometimes so long they made the hair on my arms stand on end.
I couldn’t see Rob or Alan, but I was okay with that. They should have reached the forest by now. So long as they hadn’t met a soldier on the way.
I urged Francis forward. He shook himself free of my grasp. “You go ahead, dear. I’m too slow.”
There was no way that was happening. If Francis was important to Alan, he was important to me. “You’re not. We’re almost there.” I took his arm again, wishing we really were almost there.
He stalled again; his eyes stuck on something ahead.
I followed his gaze to find a soldier bearing down on us. Letting go of him, I whipped an arrow from my quiver, lined up the soldier and shot.
My arrow wedged in the opposite shoulder from his sword arm. It did as much damage as missing would have, and he kept riding toward us.
I nocked a second arrow and let it go. Then I grabbed Francis’ arm. “Run!”
&nb
sp; This arrow hit the soldier in the chest. He toppled forward, falling beside us as his horse galloped past. We were safe, for now. But we were still at least a hundred steps from safety. Once we reached the forest, if we stayed off the trails, the soldiers would have to dismount to follow. The foliage off the trails was too thick to properly swing their swords, and they didn’t carry bows. There was no way they’d follow us in there, not unless they wanted to die. “Almost there.”
My gut was hollow. This was exactly what Maud promised. Tell anyone about the dreams; die a violent death. I hadn’t expected the consequence to come so fast. Although, if I had any say, it wasn’t happening at all. I wasn’t dying here today.
Another soldier galloped toward us, sword shining in the sunlight. His burgundy cloak streamed out behind him, floating up and down in the same rhythm as his horse. People in front of us changed direction, trying to get out of his way.
I let go of Francis and pulled out another arrow, firing on the soldier.
I missed, the arrow sailing over his shoulder to land somewhere in the ruined field behind him.
The soldier charged; his eyes focused on us and sword raised.
I pulled at Francis, but he was too slow. The soldier too close.
His sword came down as if in slow motion. It sliced into the place between Francis’ shoulder and neck as if it were slicing into butter. The impact shook Francis’ body. I felt it through his hand in the moment before he crumpled onto the ground with a stifled scream in his throat.
“No!” I pulled out another arrow, shooting at the soldier’s back as his horse carried him past in search of his next victim. I felt nothing but satisfaction to see him fall to the ground, my arrow protruding from his body.
Blood spurted from the wound high on Francis’ shoulder as if a faucet had opened. I was no doctor, but with that much blood coming so fast, it looked like he’d hit an artery. I took Francis under the arms, gripping onto his blood-slicked tunic, and dragged him toward the forest.
The pounding of hooves sounded everywhere around me. So did the screams of the injured or dying. There was noise everywhere, except from Francis. He was silent. And heavy. He was going to die, but at least he’d die with people he knew around him.
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