Threats More Subtle Than Swords, Part 7
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"Allan," Laurencia said, running her hand across a bolt of rich, red cloth. "Do you know Sir Guy well?"
"I dunno," Allan replied uncomfortably. "Well enough, I guess. Why?"
"Do you know what colours he prefers?"
Allan sighed. She'd learn about Guy's preferences sooner or later, and it might be less painful if she heard it from him. "Look, Laurencia. There's something you should know."
"What?" she asked, innocent and unsuspecting. Allan felt himself cringe inwardly at what he was going to do, but it had to be done.
"Come here," he said. "We need to talk. In private."
He took her to a relatively quiet corner of the market near one of the alehouses, and she looked up at him quizzically. "What is it, Allan?"
"It's about Sir Guy," he said, but he didn't have the chance to say anything else. A familiar voice behind him asked, "What about Sir Guy?"
Allan spun around, reaching for his sword in case Robin tried to attack him as he'd done once before when they'd met by accident. It was Robin he'd hurt the most when he'd left the gang and taken up employment for their enemy, and Robin would have killed him for his treachery if Lady Marian hadn't stepped in and saved him. There wouldn't be any Marian to help him this time, though.
"Truce, Allan, truce," Robin said hastily. "I need to talk to you."
Robin had his hood up to keep from being recognized easily, and instead of a bow or a sword, he held a bundle of folded material. Slowly, seeing no threat, Allan took his hand away from his sword hilt.
"So talk," he said.
"Over here," Robin said, jerking his head in the direction of the yard behind the alehouse.
"Stay here," Allan said to Laurencia. "I'll just be a moment."
He followed Robin into the yard.
"I need you to give a message to the Sheriff," Robin said. "Robin Hood's kidnapped Lady Prospera and are holding her for ransom. We want five hundred pounds for her safe return."
He extended the bundle of cloth, which Allan could now see was a folded dress. "Show this to the Sheriff as proof."
"Kidnapped?" Allan said. "Ransom?"
Robin pulled something out of the pouch at his waist and laid a necklace on top of the dress. "There's this, too, don't lose it."
"Robin, this isn't like you!" Allan protested. "You don't do this kind of thing!"
"Just tell the Sheriff," Robin said.
"You know he'll never pay!"
"I know." Robin's eyes moved from Allan to a spot behind him and quite suddenly, he walked away. Allan turned to see that Laurencia had followed them.
"Who was that?" she asked, coming closer. "What did he want?"
Then she saw what he was holding, and gasped. "That's my mother's necklace! And that's her dress! Where did you get those? Who was that hooded man?"
She whirled around, searching for Robin, but he had disappeared into the crowd.
"It was a messenger," Allan told her. "We need to get back to the castle."
"Why?" Laurencia demanded. "What did he say to you?"
"He said—" Allan stopped, not understanding it himself. "He said to tell the Sheriff that Robin Hood's kidnapped your mother and is holding her for ransom."
"What?" Laurencia screeched. "Well, come on, what are we waiting for?"
She ran off, and Allan had no choice but to follow. But when they got to the stairs of the castle, however, Laurencia slowed down. Allan overtook her, and she fell in behind him as though seeking protection.
"You tell him," she panted. "He must send out men to search the forest!"
Very quietly, she said something that sounded to Allan like, "If only Sir Guy were not ill!"
The Sheriff was in the great hall, counting coins from a chest with a very satisfied look on his face, and when they came in, he glanced up. "Back from your shopping trip already? I hope you're not here for more money."
"My lord, I've got a message," Allan said.
"What? Is Gisborne going to be pushing up daisies soon?"
"No, it's about Robin Hood." Allan paused, and Laurencia gave him a little poke in the back, encouraging him to spit it out.
"Is he going to be pushing up daisies soon?" the Sheriff asked as Allan walked the length of the table and shook out the dress so that the Sheriff could see the length of it. "Or is he starting a new fashion, and you want one, too?"
"He's kidnapped Lady Prospera and he's holding her for ransom," Allan said. He draped the dress over a nearby chair, then reached into his belt pouch and pulled out the necklace. Handing it to the Sheriff, he said, "They sent these things as proof."
"Proof, huh?" The Sheriff inspected the necklace, took another look at the dress, then shrugged. "They could belong to anybody."
"My lord—father—that necklace belongs to my mother," Laurencia said, marching forwards on the other side of the table. "She wore it always! And that's the dress she was wearing yesterday. Robin Hood's got her, my lord. You must send men to search the forest for her or – or even pay the ransom!"
When the Sheriff and Allan gaped at her in surprise, Laurencia turned bright red and looked down at the floor.
"How much is Robin Hood demanding?" the Sheriff asked in a quiet voice.
"Five hundred pounds," Allan told him, and waited for the storm to follow the calm.
The Sheriff stood up and threw the necklace at him, bellowing, "Five hundred pounds! I would not pay five farthings for her return, and especially not to Robin Hood!"
"My lord!" Laurencia gasped. "She is my mother and you—you are my father! You must do something!"
"I don't have to do anything, missy!" the sheriff shouted. "And I will not do anything if Robin Hood is concerned!"
"But—" Laurencia stopped, and tears rolled down her face. The Sheriff whirled to face Allan. "If she starts blubbering, take her into the forest and tell Robin Hood he forgot something!"
Letting out a wail of frustration and disbelief, Laurencia covered her face with her hands and ran out of the great hall. The Sheriff shot Allan a meaningful look, and he bowed slightly, then went after her.
He caught up with her just outside the door to her room. "Laurencia—"
"You are not taking me into the forest!"
Allan just had time to think how much she sounded like her father before she raised her hand to slap him across the face. He caught her instinctively by the wrist and held it.
"I wouldn't," he told her. Laurencia's anger dissipated and her tears returned.
"How can he be so cruel?" she sobbed. "How can he not care?"
"I dunno," Allan murmured. He let go of her hand, but was otherwise unsure of how to respond. Neither his time as an outlaw in the forest or as one of Gisborne's men had taught him anything about how to comfort crying women.
"I wish he were not my father!" Laurencia went on. "I hate him!"
Allan wanted to welcome her to the secret society of sheriff-hating citizens, but guessed that it was not something she wanted to hear at that very moment, and kept his mouth shut instead. After a few more sobs, Laurencia stopped crying so suddenly that Allan glanced at her in alarm, wondering if she were about to faint.
"That messenger," she said. "He gave you a message from Robin Hood, right?"
"Yeah," Allan said.
Laurencia's face brightened instantly. "That means he must know Robin Hood, know where he is!"
"Uh—"
"Can you find him again?" Laurencia didn't wait for an answer, but went on. "He could take me to Robin Hood!"
"Not being funny, but why?"
"Well, it's obvious that the Sheriff doesn't care for my mother. Why should he? He hasn't seen her for more than twenty years."
"You're twenty?" Allan asked, shocked. He'd guessed her age at about fourteen.
"In another month," she said impatiently. "But I'm his daughter. Even if he doesn't have any great feelings for me, yet, he's still obliged to take care of me in my mother's absence. If I offer myself up to Robin Hood, maybe the Sheriff would have to think differently about a ransom, or a rescue."
She grabbed Allan by the hand and pulled him down the corridor. "Where would we find him? Come on, show me!"
"Hang on there," Allan protested, pulling his hand out of her grip. Laurencia didn't slow down, however, and he jogged to catch up with her again. "I've known the Sheriff a bit longer than you have, and I'm telling you, he's not going to change his mind. He hates Robin Hood, he's not going to pay him a ransom! And I hate to tell you this, but he's not going to start any rescue mission, either."
"Then Robin Hood will kill my mother, right? But I'd rather die with her than stay here with the Sheriff! He loved her once, he must have, but if he doesn't care about her now, not even for old time's sake, then what will he do with me?"
Women's logic, Allan thought, shrugging in response, though it was true. There wasn't any guarantee that they'd even find Robin Hood, but Allan found he wanted to try. He readied his own horse while Laurencia waited impatiently for the stable lad to saddle hers. He had to admit he was curious to find out what Robin was up to, and it had nothing to do with any reward the Sheriff might give him for telling him Robin's plans. This kidnapping thing was so far away from the Robin that Allan knew that he still couldn't believe it. It had to be part of some complex plan, not that Allan expected Robin to tell him what it was. But just knowing that there was a plan and a good reason for Robin to at least be pretending to kidnap noble ladies would make Allan feel better.
They rode along the North Road, but no matter how far they went through Sherwood Forest, neither Robin nor any of his men showed up to challenge them. Finally, Allan pulled his horse to a stop, and signalled Laurencia to stop, too.
"We'd better go back," he said. "Robin Hood doesn't come out this far."
"How do you know?" she asked.
"'Cause I know," Allan said, not seeing any need to admit to this young girl that he'd once been a part of Robin's gang. She'd want to know all about how he'd betrayed them, and why. It wasn't something he wanted to explain, not to her. "Come on, let's go back."
But once they got back within view of Nottingham, Laurencia turned her horse around again. "He's got to be here somewhere! Let's try again."
Sighing, Allan turned his horse and followed her up the North Road again. Any other time, he mused, especially those times when he didn't want to meet up with Robin, the outlaw would be jumping out of the underbrush, but to-day, the one single occasion when he desperately needed to find Robin, the man remained stubbornly hidden. If Allan had been on his own, he might have gone to the secret hideout, or tried one of the drop-off points, but with Laurencia there, he thought it was better to stick to the road.
Throughout the afternoon, Laurencia's hope faded, and by evening, it was gone. She didn't protest when Allan suggested they go back to the castle before nightfall, just turned her horse and rode ahead with her shoulders slumped and her head down. Allan half-expected her to suggest they stop at Locksley Manor to ask after Sir Guy, but she was obviously too discouraged to even do that.
"Maybe we can try again to-morrow," Allan said, in a vain attempt to cheer her up.
"Uh huh," she replied in a tight little voice, and then it happened. Will and Much stepped out into the road ahead of them, bows drawn and arrows aimed. Glancing over his shoulder, Allan also saw Little John, cutting them off from behind.
"We are Robin Hood," Much began, but didn't get any farther. Laurencia slid out of the saddle and ran towards him. "Robin Hood! Take me to my mother!"
Much lowered his bow. "What?"
"You're Robin Hood," Laurencia repeated. "You've got my mother, Lady Prospera, you're holding her for ransom. Take me to her!"
Much looked over at Will, who lowered his bow in bewilderment as well, and then up at Allan, who shrugged.
"Don't you—" Much asked, then repeated himself in the way he often did. "Don't you know what happened to her?"
"Yes! We got a message saying that Robin Hood had kidnapped her and was holding her for ransom. But the Sheriff won't pay, so I came out here to be with her."
"I think you'll find—" Much was obviously at a loss for words. "I think you'll find there's been a mistake. We don't have your mother."
He glanced to his left, into the woods beyond the road, and Allan glanced over as well. Was someone standing there, peering out from behind a tree? From his vantage point, Allan couldn't see well enough to be certain, but if there were, then it could only be Robin.
"There's a nasty rumour going around," Will said, speaking for the first time. "Other outlaws in the forest, calling themselves Robin Hood, too."
"Rumours, we do not like," John stated gruffly.
Allan was even more confused, especially as Robin himself had handed over the dress and the necklace, and told him specifically what to tell the Sheriff. Was this part of their plan, passing themselves off as other outlaws to save their reputation?
"Other outlaws?" Laurencia repeated, sounding frantic. "Do you know who they are, where they are?"
Much and Will shook their heads.
"But you know the forest?" Laurencia asked eagerly, putting a hand to the money pouch dangling from her belt. "You could find them? I can offer –"
"They're not in the forest," Will said, also sneaking a look into the woods and making Allan certain that Robin was indeed hiding there. "If they've taken your mother, they‘re long gone, hiding out somewhere else."
Laurencia let go of her pouch and let her hand drop listlessly to her side. "I was going to give you all the money I had to help me find them – her."
"Go back," Much said. "Go back and tell the Sheriff that Robin Hood doesn't have Lady Prospera, all right?"
He put his hand to his neck and pulled out the piece of carved wood that hung on a strip of leather there, then showed it to Laurencia. "You can always tell the true Robin Hood gang by this tag, so you know we're telling the truth."
Will added, "And keep your money. You never know when you might need it."
Laurencia glanced back at Allan, and he nodded encouragement. The outlaws took that as a signal to disappear into the forest, and Laurencia walked slowly back to her horse. Allan helped her into the saddle, and they set off towards the castle in silence. Laurencia seemed even more discouraged than before, and Allan became more and more certain that Robin was using him as part of a bigger plan.
When they got to the castle, Laurencia led the way to the great hall. The Sheriff had already eaten, and was leaning back in his chair with his feet in the lap of one of the serving girls.
"Gisborne told me he sometimes gets a servant to rub his feet," the Sheriff mentioned. "I can't see why. So. Any news of anything?"
"Yeah," Allan said, and Laurencia jumped into the conversation.
"My lord. Father. It wasn't Robin Hood who kidnapped my mother, Lady Prospera. It was another gang of outlaws using the name of Robin Hood," she said.
"Another gang?" The Sheriff leaped to his feet. "I don't believe this! It's bad enough having one boy band in the Forest, but now there are copycat outlaws springing up all over like mushrooms?"
"That's the rumour that's going around," Allan said with a shrug.
"And how did you find this out? You just went up to Robin Hood and asked him?" the Sheriff bellowed.
Laurencia opened her mouth to reply, but Allan reached around and pinched her bottom to keep her quiet. She whirled on him, too outraged to make a sound, and he quickly said, "No, 'course not! We met a messenger, that's all."
He glared significantly at Laurencia, who glared back. Then she turned to the Sheriff again. "My lord, since it's not Robin Hood who's asking, maybe you could offer a ransom? Half of what they're asking, perhaps, just to free my mother?"
"Do you know what happens if you toss a coin to a beggar?" the Sheriff asked. "All the other beggars want one, too! If I send any money to any gang of outlaws living in the Forest, before you know it, everybody will want to live there and demand money from me! There'll be nobody left in Nottingham to pay taxes! No! I won't pay! Hold your mother in dear memory, missy, because she's dead to you now!"
Laurencia gasped, and the Sheriff added, "If you want to cry, missy, go down to the dungeons! They're used to it there!"
Laurencia turned and stalked out of the room, looking, Allan thought, very much like her father at that moment. He ran after her, but she disappeared into her quarters and shut the door hard behind her.
Part 8
"Allan," Laurencia said, running her hand across a bolt of rich, red cloth. "Do you know Sir Guy well?"
"I dunno," Allan replied uncomfortably. "Well enough, I guess. Why?"
"Do you know what colours he prefers?"
Allan sighed. She'd learn about Guy's preferences sooner or later, and it might be less painful if she heard it from him. "Look, Laurencia. There's something you should know."
"What?" she asked, innocent and unsuspecting. Allan felt himself cringe inwardly at what he was going to do, but it had to be done.
"Come here," he said. "We need to talk. In private."
He took her to a relatively quiet corner of the market near one of the alehouses, and she looked up at him quizzically. "What is it, Allan?"
"It's about Sir Guy," he said, but he didn't have the chance to say anything else. A familiar voice behind him asked, "What about Sir Guy?"
Allan spun around, reaching for his sword in case Robin tried to attack him as he'd done once before when they'd met by accident. It was Robin he'd hurt the most when he'd left the gang and taken up employment for their enemy, and Robin would have killed him for his treachery if Lady Marian hadn't stepped in and saved him. There wouldn't be any Marian to help him this time, though.
"Truce, Allan, truce," Robin said hastily. "I need to talk to you."
Robin had his hood up to keep from being recognized easily, and instead of a bow or a sword, he held a bundle of folded material. Slowly, seeing no threat, Allan took his hand away from his sword hilt.
"So talk," he said.
"Over here," Robin said, jerking his head in the direction of the yard behind the alehouse.
"Stay here," Allan said to Laurencia. "I'll just be a moment."
He followed Robin into the yard.
"I need you to give a message to the Sheriff," Robin said. "Robin Hood's kidnapped Lady Prospera and are holding her for ransom. We want five hundred pounds for her safe return."
He extended the bundle of cloth, which Allan could now see was a folded dress. "Show this to the Sheriff as proof."
"Kidnapped?" Allan said. "Ransom?"
Robin pulled something out of the pouch at his waist and laid a necklace on top of the dress. "There's this, too, don't lose it."
"Robin, this isn't like you!" Allan protested. "You don't do this kind of thing!"
"Just tell the Sheriff," Robin said.
"You know he'll never pay!"
"I know." Robin's eyes moved from Allan to a spot behind him and quite suddenly, he walked away. Allan turned to see that Laurencia had followed them.
"Who was that?" she asked, coming closer. "What did he want?"
Then she saw what he was holding, and gasped. "That's my mother's necklace! And that's her dress! Where did you get those? Who was that hooded man?"
She whirled around, searching for Robin, but he had disappeared into the crowd.
"It was a messenger," Allan told her. "We need to get back to the castle."
"Why?" Laurencia demanded. "What did he say to you?"
"He said—" Allan stopped, not understanding it himself. "He said to tell the Sheriff that Robin Hood's kidnapped your mother and is holding her for ransom."
"What?" Laurencia screeched. "Well, come on, what are we waiting for?"
She ran off, and Allan had no choice but to follow. But when they got to the stairs of the castle, however, Laurencia slowed down. Allan overtook her, and she fell in behind him as though seeking protection.
"You tell him," she panted. "He must send out men to search the forest!"
Very quietly, she said something that sounded to Allan like, "If only Sir Guy were not ill!"
The Sheriff was in the great hall, counting coins from a chest with a very satisfied look on his face, and when they came in, he glanced up. "Back from your shopping trip already? I hope you're not here for more money."
"My lord, I've got a message," Allan said.
"What? Is Gisborne going to be pushing up daisies soon?"
"No, it's about Robin Hood." Allan paused, and Laurencia gave him a little poke in the back, encouraging him to spit it out.
"Is he going to be pushing up daisies soon?" the Sheriff asked as Allan walked the length of the table and shook out the dress so that the Sheriff could see the length of it. "Or is he starting a new fashion, and you want one, too?"
"He's kidnapped Lady Prospera and he's holding her for ransom," Allan said. He draped the dress over a nearby chair, then reached into his belt pouch and pulled out the necklace. Handing it to the Sheriff, he said, "They sent these things as proof."
"Proof, huh?" The Sheriff inspected the necklace, took another look at the dress, then shrugged. "They could belong to anybody."
"My lord—father—that necklace belongs to my mother," Laurencia said, marching forwards on the other side of the table. "She wore it always! And that's the dress she was wearing yesterday. Robin Hood's got her, my lord. You must send men to search the forest for her or – or even pay the ransom!"
When the Sheriff and Allan gaped at her in surprise, Laurencia turned bright red and looked down at the floor.
"How much is Robin Hood demanding?" the Sheriff asked in a quiet voice.
"Five hundred pounds," Allan told him, and waited for the storm to follow the calm.
The Sheriff stood up and threw the necklace at him, bellowing, "Five hundred pounds! I would not pay five farthings for her return, and especially not to Robin Hood!"
"My lord!" Laurencia gasped. "She is my mother and you—you are my father! You must do something!"
"I don't have to do anything, missy!" the sheriff shouted. "And I will not do anything if Robin Hood is concerned!"
"But—" Laurencia stopped, and tears rolled down her face. The Sheriff whirled to face Allan. "If she starts blubbering, take her into the forest and tell Robin Hood he forgot something!"
Letting out a wail of frustration and disbelief, Laurencia covered her face with her hands and ran out of the great hall. The Sheriff shot Allan a meaningful look, and he bowed slightly, then went after her.
He caught up with her just outside the door to her room. "Laurencia—"
"You are not taking me into the forest!"
Allan just had time to think how much she sounded like her father before she raised her hand to slap him across the face. He caught her instinctively by the wrist and held it.
"I wouldn't," he told her. Laurencia's anger dissipated and her tears returned.
"How can he be so cruel?" she sobbed. "How can he not care?"
"I dunno," Allan murmured. He let go of her hand, but was otherwise unsure of how to respond. Neither his time as an outlaw in the forest or as one of Gisborne's men had taught him anything about how to comfort crying women.
"I wish he were not my father!" Laurencia went on. "I hate him!"
Allan wanted to welcome her to the secret society of sheriff-hating citizens, but guessed that it was not something she wanted to hear at that very moment, and kept his mouth shut instead. After a few more sobs, Laurencia stopped crying so suddenly that Allan glanced at her in alarm, wondering if she were about to faint.
"That messenger," she said. "He gave you a message from Robin Hood, right?"
"Yeah," Allan said.
Laurencia's face brightened instantly. "That means he must know Robin Hood, know where he is!"
"Uh—"
"Can you find him again?" Laurencia didn't wait for an answer, but went on. "He could take me to Robin Hood!"
"Not being funny, but why?"
"Well, it's obvious that the Sheriff doesn't care for my mother. Why should he? He hasn't seen her for more than twenty years."
"You're twenty?" Allan asked, shocked. He'd guessed her age at about fourteen.
"In another month," she said impatiently. "But I'm his daughter. Even if he doesn't have any great feelings for me, yet, he's still obliged to take care of me in my mother's absence. If I offer myself up to Robin Hood, maybe the Sheriff would have to think differently about a ransom, or a rescue."
She grabbed Allan by the hand and pulled him down the corridor. "Where would we find him? Come on, show me!"
"Hang on there," Allan protested, pulling his hand out of her grip. Laurencia didn't slow down, however, and he jogged to catch up with her again. "I've known the Sheriff a bit longer than you have, and I'm telling you, he's not going to change his mind. He hates Robin Hood, he's not going to pay him a ransom! And I hate to tell you this, but he's not going to start any rescue mission, either."
"Then Robin Hood will kill my mother, right? But I'd rather die with her than stay here with the Sheriff! He loved her once, he must have, but if he doesn't care about her now, not even for old time's sake, then what will he do with me?"
Women's logic, Allan thought, shrugging in response, though it was true. There wasn't any guarantee that they'd even find Robin Hood, but Allan found he wanted to try. He readied his own horse while Laurencia waited impatiently for the stable lad to saddle hers. He had to admit he was curious to find out what Robin was up to, and it had nothing to do with any reward the Sheriff might give him for telling him Robin's plans. This kidnapping thing was so far away from the Robin that Allan knew that he still couldn't believe it. It had to be part of some complex plan, not that Allan expected Robin to tell him what it was. But just knowing that there was a plan and a good reason for Robin to at least be pretending to kidnap noble ladies would make Allan feel better.
They rode along the North Road, but no matter how far they went through Sherwood Forest, neither Robin nor any of his men showed up to challenge them. Finally, Allan pulled his horse to a stop, and signalled Laurencia to stop, too.
"We'd better go back," he said. "Robin Hood doesn't come out this far."
"How do you know?" she asked.
"'Cause I know," Allan said, not seeing any need to admit to this young girl that he'd once been a part of Robin's gang. She'd want to know all about how he'd betrayed them, and why. It wasn't something he wanted to explain, not to her. "Come on, let's go back."
But once they got back within view of Nottingham, Laurencia turned her horse around again. "He's got to be here somewhere! Let's try again."
Sighing, Allan turned his horse and followed her up the North Road again. Any other time, he mused, especially those times when he didn't want to meet up with Robin, the outlaw would be jumping out of the underbrush, but to-day, the one single occasion when he desperately needed to find Robin, the man remained stubbornly hidden. If Allan had been on his own, he might have gone to the secret hideout, or tried one of the drop-off points, but with Laurencia there, he thought it was better to stick to the road.
Throughout the afternoon, Laurencia's hope faded, and by evening, it was gone. She didn't protest when Allan suggested they go back to the castle before nightfall, just turned her horse and rode ahead with her shoulders slumped and her head down. Allan half-expected her to suggest they stop at Locksley Manor to ask after Sir Guy, but she was obviously too discouraged to even do that.
"Maybe we can try again to-morrow," Allan said, in a vain attempt to cheer her up.
"Uh huh," she replied in a tight little voice, and then it happened. Will and Much stepped out into the road ahead of them, bows drawn and arrows aimed. Glancing over his shoulder, Allan also saw Little John, cutting them off from behind.
"We are Robin Hood," Much began, but didn't get any farther. Laurencia slid out of the saddle and ran towards him. "Robin Hood! Take me to my mother!"
Much lowered his bow. "What?"
"You're Robin Hood," Laurencia repeated. "You've got my mother, Lady Prospera, you're holding her for ransom. Take me to her!"
Much looked over at Will, who lowered his bow in bewilderment as well, and then up at Allan, who shrugged.
"Don't you—" Much asked, then repeated himself in the way he often did. "Don't you know what happened to her?"
"Yes! We got a message saying that Robin Hood had kidnapped her and was holding her for ransom. But the Sheriff won't pay, so I came out here to be with her."
"I think you'll find—" Much was obviously at a loss for words. "I think you'll find there's been a mistake. We don't have your mother."
He glanced to his left, into the woods beyond the road, and Allan glanced over as well. Was someone standing there, peering out from behind a tree? From his vantage point, Allan couldn't see well enough to be certain, but if there were, then it could only be Robin.
"There's a nasty rumour going around," Will said, speaking for the first time. "Other outlaws in the forest, calling themselves Robin Hood, too."
"Rumours, we do not like," John stated gruffly.
Allan was even more confused, especially as Robin himself had handed over the dress and the necklace, and told him specifically what to tell the Sheriff. Was this part of their plan, passing themselves off as other outlaws to save their reputation?
"Other outlaws?" Laurencia repeated, sounding frantic. "Do you know who they are, where they are?"
Much and Will shook their heads.
"But you know the forest?" Laurencia asked eagerly, putting a hand to the money pouch dangling from her belt. "You could find them? I can offer –"
"They're not in the forest," Will said, also sneaking a look into the woods and making Allan certain that Robin was indeed hiding there. "If they've taken your mother, they‘re long gone, hiding out somewhere else."
Laurencia let go of her pouch and let her hand drop listlessly to her side. "I was going to give you all the money I had to help me find them – her."
"Go back," Much said. "Go back and tell the Sheriff that Robin Hood doesn't have Lady Prospera, all right?"
He put his hand to his neck and pulled out the piece of carved wood that hung on a strip of leather there, then showed it to Laurencia. "You can always tell the true Robin Hood gang by this tag, so you know we're telling the truth."
Will added, "And keep your money. You never know when you might need it."
Laurencia glanced back at Allan, and he nodded encouragement. The outlaws took that as a signal to disappear into the forest, and Laurencia walked slowly back to her horse. Allan helped her into the saddle, and they set off towards the castle in silence. Laurencia seemed even more discouraged than before, and Allan became more and more certain that Robin was using him as part of a bigger plan.
When they got to the castle, Laurencia led the way to the great hall. The Sheriff had already eaten, and was leaning back in his chair with his feet in the lap of one of the serving girls.
"Gisborne told me he sometimes gets a servant to rub his feet," the Sheriff mentioned. "I can't see why. So. Any news of anything?"
"Yeah," Allan said, and Laurencia jumped into the conversation.
"My lord. Father. It wasn't Robin Hood who kidnapped my mother, Lady Prospera. It was another gang of outlaws using the name of Robin Hood," she said.
"Another gang?" The Sheriff leaped to his feet. "I don't believe this! It's bad enough having one boy band in the Forest, but now there are copycat outlaws springing up all over like mushrooms?"
"That's the rumour that's going around," Allan said with a shrug.
"And how did you find this out? You just went up to Robin Hood and asked him?" the Sheriff bellowed.
Laurencia opened her mouth to reply, but Allan reached around and pinched her bottom to keep her quiet. She whirled on him, too outraged to make a sound, and he quickly said, "No, 'course not! We met a messenger, that's all."
He glared significantly at Laurencia, who glared back. Then she turned to the Sheriff again. "My lord, since it's not Robin Hood who's asking, maybe you could offer a ransom? Half of what they're asking, perhaps, just to free my mother?"
"Do you know what happens if you toss a coin to a beggar?" the Sheriff asked. "All the other beggars want one, too! If I send any money to any gang of outlaws living in the Forest, before you know it, everybody will want to live there and demand money from me! There'll be nobody left in Nottingham to pay taxes! No! I won't pay! Hold your mother in dear memory, missy, because she's dead to you now!"
Laurencia gasped, and the Sheriff added, "If you want to cry, missy, go down to the dungeons! They're used to it there!"
Laurencia turned and stalked out of the room, looking, Allan thought, very much like her father at that moment. He ran after her, but she disappeared into her quarters and shut the door hard behind her.
Part 8