The Rebels of Cordovia

by Linda Weaver Clarke

  It was early afternoon by the time they finally sat down and ate a meal. After eating, Daniel split more wood while Robin cleaned the shack and helped with the dishes. In the afternoon, she went for a walk to get some fresh air. She meandered to a nearby river and sat down. After a while, she pulled her shoes and stockings off and set them on the bank. Then she dangled her feet in the water, feeling the coolness of it. She sighed with pleasure. It made her feel refreshed.

  As she soaked her feet, she watched two birds flying about, chasing one another. Finally each landed on a limb and chirped loudly at the other. This brought a smile to Robin as she wondered what they were saying to each other. She laughed at the sight of it.

  “Do you think they’re arguing?” asked a deep voice from behind her.

  Robin jumped as she put her hand to her chest. Narrowing her eyes, she scolded, “Daniel! You should warn a person before walking up on them. That’s twice now that you’ve startled me.”

  He grinned. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to disturb your daydreams.”

  Robin patted the ground beside her and said, “Sit down.”

  As he sat beside her, he looked at her shoes and stockings and then her feet dangling in the river. With a smile, he asked, “What’s going on?”

  “Well, since we have no tub and nowhere to bathe, this is the best thing I can come up with.”

  He laughed. “I can show you a small lake nearby. When you’re ready, let me know.”

  She smiled. “That sounds wonderful. By the way, you’re a great swordsman. I’m impressed with your skills. You’re very good.”

  “I appreciate your compliment but I’m not as good as your father.” He looked at her curiously and then asked, “Do you happen to know where he learned his techniques?”

  Robin shrugged. “I wish I knew. Every time I ask, he just says that he learned from the best.”

  Daniel gazed at her, as if he knew something but hesitated in telling her.

  When she noticed his expression, Robin asked, “Is something wrong?

  He shook his head. “No, it’s nothing.” Then with sincerity in his voice, he said, “I really like your father. He’s so easy going and fun to talk with. We talked for about two hours the other day.”

  Robin’s brow lifted curiously. “Really? About what?”

  He shrugged. “The bakery, the people, the country, the tyrant we call a king…” He smiled. “And you.”

  “Me?”

  He nodded. “Yup. You.”

  Very cautiously, she said, “What did he tell you about me? By the way, you can’t believe everything he says. He always exaggerates.”

  Daniel chuckled. “Well, he said that you’re the most talented archer and swordswoman around, but the most stubborn and obstinate woman he’s ever known. He said that one time you wanted to go hunting but he couldn’t leave the bakery. You wanted to go so badly that you took off with your bow and quiver all by yourself and disappeared for a couple hours.”

  Robin smiled. “So far all of that is true. But going hunting by myself isn’t any big deal. I do it all the time.”

  Daniel chuckled. “Not at age eight!”

  She giggled. “Oh, yes! I remember that.”

  “He told me that you took off without a word to anyone. They were so worried.”

  She smiled at the memory and he grinned and tapped her nose with his finger.

  “Well, when your mother couldn’t find you, she finally went to the bakery to get your father.” Daniel shook his finger at her and said, “You worried them sick, Robin Marie. They finally found you about two miles from your home. You had used all your arrows up except one. He said he found you getting ready to aim at a grouse. They stood by quietly watching and wondering if your last arrow would make its mark and give them something to eat for supper that night.”

  Robin giggled. “I remember that day. I pulled back the arrow and let it fly. At first I thought I had missed, but then the grouse went down and I couldn’t believe it. I jumped up and down with joy. It was the loveliest reddish brown bird I had ever seen. When I heard a noise in back of me, I turned around and saw my father with his bow in hand. He had shot the bird. I hadn’t. My arrow had missed just as I thought it had.” She smiled as she splashed the water with her feet. “I learned a lesson that day.”

  “What kind of lesson?”

  “To not ever go out and hunt alone. My punishment was to wash the dishes and sweep the floor every day for a week and my sisters reveled in it. Afterward my father promised to practice with me every day if I promised to never go out on my own again.”

  Daniel tried hard to hold back his laughter but he completely failed. When she punched him in the arm, he laughed even more.

  Narrowing her eyes, she said, “I should talk to your father about you and find out what kind of boy you were.”

  “My mother said I was a perfect child,” he said with delight.

  Robin shook her head. “I don’t believe it. All mothers say that about their sons. That’s what I heard, anyway.”

  He nodded. “But in my case, it’s true.”

  She playfully slugged him again.

  “Hey, you’re going to give me a bruise,” he said as he rubbed his arm and chuckled. “By the way, do you know that my father adores you?”

  Robin’s face brightened. “Really?”

  “Yup. He spoils you good. He’s always putting his arm around your shoulder when he talks to you. He sits you at the table and won’t let me do it. He talks to you all the time and leaves me out of the conversation. It’s as if he doesn’t even know I’m around.”

  She laughed. “Tell me about your father. His story.”

  “What story?”

  “He said that he left Cordovia in his mid-twenties and never came back because of the death of his parents. Why? The reason I’m asking is because he’s always saying how he loved this country since his youth. Why didn’t he come back sooner?”

  Daniel sobered as he said, “Yes, that’s true. He loves this country. He has happy memories here, memories of his childhood, memories with his parents. But when his parents died, he couldn’t bear to come back because of those memories. He was hurting so bad. He blamed himself for their deaths. He said that if he had stayed, then he could have nursed them back to health. His father went first and then his mother a few months later.”

  Robin’s heart went out to Charles as she listened. “So what motivated him to return?”

  “Well, after my father lost my mother, he finally realized it was time to come back… back to his roots… back to the place he loved so dearly. He was heartbroken when he found out what happened to Cordovia. So he encouraged me to take part in the rebellion. That was when I decided to put my own group together.”

  “Did your father know King Edmund?”

  Daniel nodded. “He sure did. Many times father reminisces about what a great leader he was.”

  “Did he know Jonathan, the king’s son?”

  Daniel shrugged. “I’m not sure but he did say the people only spoke good about him.”

  Robin bit her lip as she contemplated her conversation with Hanna that morning while doing dishes.

  When Daniel noticed the sober look on her face, he asked, “What’s wrong?”

  She looked up and said, “I was talking with Hanna this morning and she said something that I had never realized.”

  “What was that?”

  “Well, she told me that Jonathan loved this country just like his father. She remembered how he was so excited to rule this land… not as a king, but as an equal. Hanna seems to believe that he would never leave his country or his people for good.”

  Daniel creased his brow curiously. “What are you trying to say?”

  She looked into his eyes and said with soberness, “Hanna said she has always believed without a doubt that Jonathan would come back one day to save the people of Cordovia. But he would have to wait until there was a rebellion before he could show himself. Otherwise, Rupert would put h
im in prison and have him hanged. Hanna said she has a feeling that he is right here in this country, waiting to help us get back on our feet.”

  Daniel looked into her eyes with stunned surprise. He was speechless.

  “Well?” she asked with curiosity. “What do you think? Do you believe her?”

  He cleared his throat and said, “It’s a possibility.” He looked toward the shack. “Perhaps.” Then he pursed his lips in thought and finally nodded. “Yes. She could be right. Jonathan could be among us. But how do we find him?”

  Robin shrugged.

  Seeing the intense look on her face and the concern in her eyes, he decided to lighten the mood. Looking at the water and then at her, he smiled. Very slyly, he cupped his hand into the water and splashed her in the face.

  “Don’t be so serious, Robin Marie,” he chuckled.

  Robin jumped and blinked her eyes in disbelief. In retaliation, she kicked some water toward him. Since he was sitting on the bank, just a few drops touched him and he just laughed.

  “You’ll have to do better than that, my dear. By the way, you should laugh more,” he said with a smile.

  Determined to try again, Robin leaned over and cupped both hands in the water and threw it at Daniel but he quickly ducked when he saw it coming. It got his hair wet but not his face.

  She laughed.

  “I really like it when you laugh,” he said with a grin as he sneakily cupped his hand in the water near the bank and tossed it at her, hitting her right in the face once again.

  Apparently he had been a little too close to the bank when he reached down because mud went flying from his hand. At first, he was shocked but then burst into laughter when he saw what he had done. Her face was plastered with specks of mud.

  When Robin felt the mud hit her face, her eyes widened as she swiped at it, smearing it worse.

  Looking at the mud on her hand, she quickly got to her feet and mumbled, “That’s it!”

  Daniel was laughing uncontrollably as he watched her stomp toward the well. She dropped the bucket down into the water and then pulled it up. After releasing the rope from the bucket, she slowly walked toward the river. As he watched her, he laughed with mirth when he saw specks of mud around her eyes. She was quite a sight!

  “Sorry about the mud, Robin Marie. I know I shouldn’t laugh but I can’t help it.” As he saw her march toward him with a determined look in her eyes, he said, “I’ll get a towel for you while you wash up.”

  She shook her head. “No, I don’t need one. I’ll just drip dry.”

  Daniel’s laughter soon faded when she approached and stood beside him with the bucket above his head. Before he could react, Robin poured the whole bucket of water over his head, drenching him good.

  Daniel gasped as the cold water soaked him through. When he looked up at her, he saw a self-satisfied look on her face. Then she dropped the bucket to the ground and grinned.

  Putting her hands on her hips, she said, “Will you please show me that lake you were talking about? I would like to bathe if it’s all right with you.”

  With a little humility, he nodded and got to his feet. With water dripping off his chin, he said, “I guess I deserved that, huh?”

  She nodded but didn’t say another word.

  Daniel struggled to hold back his laughter as a smile played at the corners of his lips. She got him good and he knew he deserved it.

  He rushed into the shack, grabbed some towels and met her by the well. With a smile, he took her arm and led her to the lake.

  Chapter 23

  Robin was amazed as she stood beside a beautiful pristine lake. At the north end was a small waterfall. It wasn’t very high, but just perfect for standing underneath to wash her hair.

  Daniel smiled when he saw the pleased look in her eyes. “I won’t have to stand guard. This place is so remote. No one knows about it. You’ll be safe enough. You can have the north end with the waterfall and I’ll take the south end. Is that all right with you?”

  She looked at him with astonishment. “You’re going to bathe, also?”

  He nodded as he handed her a towel. “I really need to. When I awoke this morning, I noticed it was time. I can’t put it off any longer.”

  Robin laughed. “Sounds good to me.”

  She watched him walk to the other end of the lake, and then she found a perfect place to undress. After taking her dress and petticoat off, she noticed some mud on the neck of her dress, a result of the mud Daniel had accidentally flung at her. So she took it to the lake and washed it off. Then she hung it on a shrub to dry.

  After taking off her rosy corset and chemise, she stepped into the cool water and shivered, but soon her body was able to adjust to the temperature. She swam over to the waterfall and stood beneath it. The water hit her on the back. It felt wonderful, just like fingers rubbing against her skin. That was her weakness and she knew it. She had to beg her sisters to rub her back at night so she could relax. As she stood beneath the waterfall, she washed her hair. Then she swam around for a while, enjoying the freedom of being alone.

  As she swam, Robin thought she heard voices. It was children’s voices. Her eyes searched the bank of the lake until she finally saw two young girls and a boy at the other side. What were they doing there?

  Robin shook her head with dismay. Daniel said this place was safe. She watched as the children turned around and headed toward the south end of the lake. She was relieved as she continued to swim.

  Then it dawned on her where the children were going. Robin’s eyes widened as she gasped. Daniel! They might discover him in his nothings. Quickly she swam toward her clothes. After drying herself off and dressing, she ran to the south end as fast as she could go.

  When she came upon Daniel, Robin realized she was too late. He was standing waist high at the edge of the lake, his face was flushed, and he was staring at the children who were watching him. They were giggling and pointing at him as they talked among themselves. The poor man acted as if he didn’t know what to do and was quite flustered.

  Robin waved her hand in the air and called out, “Don’t worry. I’ll distract them.”

  When he turned and saw her, he acted relieved. “Thanks. You do that. I’ve been trying to convince them to leave, but they won’t go.”

  Robin smiled at his predicament and then walked around the lake toward the children. As she approached, she greeted them. “Hello! I’m Marie. Who are you?”

  They each introduced themselves. The twelve-year-old was Joanna, the ten-year-old boy was Philip, and the six-year-old was Rebecca…who had the cutest little dimples in her cheeks.

  Rebecca pointed to Daniel and said, “That man is swimming.”

  Robin smiled. “He sure is. Where are your parents and why are you here at the lake?”

  “We’re camped over there,” said Joanna as she pointed toward the forest. “We were just playing until it was time to eat.”

  “Well, how about if all of us turn around and let this man get out of the water? Then we can meet your parents.”

  “Why do we have to turn around?” asked Rebecca innocently. “He’s just swimming.”

  Robin held back her laughter and said, “Oh, because he would appreciate it and it’s polite.”

  “All right,” said Joanna as she turned to her brother and sister. “Come on. Let’s do what she says.”

  When Daniel saw the children turn their backs on him, he breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness Robin had come to his rescue. He turned around and started toward the bank. He was almost to the edge when he heard a high-pitched scream in back of him, which startled him greatly.

  Daniel froze when he heard six-year-old Rebecca say, “That man is naked.”

  Embarrassment spread all over him and he quickly slunk back down into the water and waited. He had never known such awkwardness in all his life.

  “No, no, no,” he heard Robin scolding. “You’re not supposed to look. That’s not nice.”

  “But…” sa
id Rebecca.

  Biting her lip, Robin took a breath and said, “It’s not polite to see someone naked. Now turn around, sweetheart.” Robin giggled and then quickly sobered. “Like I said, it’s not nice…even though he does deserve it for throwing mud in my face.”

  “He threw mud in your face?” asked Rebecca.

  “That’s right. But no matter, you still have to give him some privacy.”

  “Why did he throw mud in your face?” asked Rebecca.

  “Well, we were playing around and it was an accident. So I forgive him.”

  “That happened to me, too,” said Rebecca. “I was playing with my brother and he got mud on my dress and Mama was mad.”

  “It wasn’t my fault,” defended Philip. “You started it.”

  “Have you got those children distracted now?” asked Daniel with frustration. “I’d like to get out.”

  Robin smiled and said, “All right, Rebecca. I’m trusting you to not peek.”

  Rebecca sighed and agreed.

  When Daniel glanced over his shoulder and noticed the children were facing the woods, he quickly jumped out of the lake and ran right for his clothes.

  He was so embarrassed. As he got dressed, he mumbled under his breath, “Did she say: even though he deserves it for throwing mud in my face? No man deserves this kind of humiliation.”

  When Daniel was ready, he walked toward the group and introduced himself. “I’m Daniel and I presume you’re Rebecca,” he said with a creased brow as he looked down at her.

  She nodded with a shy smile. “Sorry. I didn’t know it was impolite to see you naked.”

  Daniel took a deep breath and let it out. “It’s all right. I’ll eventually get over it in about a year or so.”

  Rebecca nodded but Robin just giggled.

  When he narrowed his eyes at her, Robin shrugged. “You did say that you like it when I laugh. Remember?”

  Trying to ignore her statement, he said, “So why are you children here?”

  “We moved here to get away from the soldiers,” said Joanna.