The Locksley Estate

By
Cynthia Burnett

Chapter 1   Chapter 2   Chapter 3   Chapter 4   Chapter 5   Chapter 6   Chapter 7   Chapter 8   Chapter 9   Chapter 10   Epilogue

Chapter 1

Locksley Manor

            The passage of three days did little to ease the tension at the Locksley manor. Since returning home, the brooding lord refused to leave his house after Sheriff Vaysey’s botched con with a fake King Richard. All of Gisborne’s men knew to avoid their lord. If not for the fact that the servants were finding his bed slept in during the morning, they would have thought that Gisborne never abandoned his chair in front of the fireplace. When Gisborne returned to the manor that day without Marian as his wife, and after the news spread about the events and subterfuge of the Sheriff, the servants were prepared for any destruction that ensued. The manor was trashed from the great room to the bedrooms. Nothing escaped Gisborne’s wrath.

            The servants managed to clean up after their lord’s devastating rampage, but his silence that followed unnerved the entire household. Thornton, the steward of the house, bravely approached his lord. While all the other servants continued to walk on eggshells around Gisborne, Thornton could not afford to be cowed by the man. He had a manor to keep.

            The other servants had retired for the night in their quarters when Thornton made his entrance in the great room. He walked into the room behind Gisborne trying to make his presence obvious, yet hoping not to startle the self-absorbed noble.

            Clearing his throat, he addressed Gisborne. “My lord, is there anything else I can get for you before I turn in for the night?”

            Firelight danced off Gisborne’s rigid jaw. Thornton knew that the lord would be dangerous to anyone who stepped into his ill favor. Dangerous eyes flicked away from the fire, and cut through Thornton . “I want to know how many years you have served this manor.” Sir Guy’s hoarse voice grated coarsely through the room.

            “My lord?” Thornton questioned, but without waiting for an answer, the steward replied. “I have been in this manor for 35 years.”

            Sir Guy nodded. “Then you were here when Robin was born. You watched him grow from a boy into a man?” Gisborne knew the answer, but he wanted to hear his thoughts spoken.

            “Master, I watched him grow into a fine young man. I watched him lose his parents to sickness and injury, and I watched him leave this manor for the Holy Land .” Thornton did not like the questions or the fact that were discussing his former master. Nothing good could come from this.

            Gisborne smirked, “What of his servant, the one who followed him to the Holy Land , and now into the forest? How long has he been a manservant to Robin?”

              Thornton could never forget the day that Much joined them in the manor. Robin’s father, Lord Robert, had introduced Much to the household and to Thornton as Robin’s personal manservant. There had apparently been an event or two that had prompted Robin and his father to arrange for Much to join their household here in Locksley. The young man seemed to always be distracted by everything but the servant duties of the manor, and to Thornton ’s dismay, Robin seemed to always be there to protect Much from any assignments that the steward tried to arrange. It also did not help that Robin’s mother found Much delightful, something that helped to embolden the young servant even more.

            “ Thornton?” yelled Gisborne, losing his temper with the steward.

            “Sorry, master, I was trying to remember the year. It was about 10 years ago. Much has been Robin’s manservant ever since.” Thornton then remembered his former master’s promise to free Much from his service and grant him lands of Bonchurch. While Thornton had been surprised by the gift, he knew that the horrors the two young men had witnessed in the war must have been terrible. When a younger Much announced he was going with his master to war, the only one who was surprised by the declaration had been Robin. When Robin lost his lands, his titles and became an outlaw after returning from the Holy Land , it only made sense that Much would follow him into this new life.

            “So, he is a servant of the Locksley estate.” Gisborne stated.

            Thornton could not suppress a small laugh. “My lord, Much was and always has been a personal servant to Robin. He was not much use around here. If he was not helping Robin in his adventures around the shire, he was eating and sleeping here in the manor.”

            To Thornton ’s surprise, Gisborne stood. “Tomorrow, I will be leaving for Nottingham before daybreak. I want my horse ready.”

            “Yes, my lord.” Thornton lowered his eyes to the floor as Gisborne walked past. He noticed the black boots stopping directly in front of him.

            “And Thornton , do not discuss our private conversation with anyone. I would hate to lose the head steward of this house.” Gisborne smiled and seemed to have made a decision about something. “I’m going to bed.”

            Thornton nodded, “Yes, master.” He watched Gisborne head to what use to be Robin’s bedroom. The day Robin had returned from the Holy Lands, Thornton could not express his elation to be rid of his former master, Sir Guy. He could only show Robin how good it was to have him home. When Gisborne returned to the manor after Robin had rescued the Locksley serfs from the hanging, Thornton ’s only relief was that Robin was alive, and knowing that Robin is still alive today gave him hope for an unforeseeable better future.

            Now, Thornton feared the evil plot that was brewing in Gisborne, and he feared that Much may be the crux of this new scheme. He knew that Gisborne would love nothing more than to hurt Robin, and through Much, he could do just that.

Sherwood Forest

            Birds sang and flew through the trees in Sherwood Forest as Robin’s gang worked on dissolving their camp into the woods. To Much’s regret, breakfast seemed to vanish as soon as it left the skillet, and now he helped Djaq bury the fire that had served them well since the previous evening. Allen and Will carefully stuffed the blankets and supplies in a hollowed Oak tree. With his foot slowly scraping in the dirt over where the fire had burned, Much’s attention drifted to where Robin knelt with John just a few feet away. He could hardly stand not knowing what they were whispering about over an impromptu map Robin had drawn of Locksley Manor.

            Suddenly, he heard Djaq’s Saracen accented voice. “Go, I will finish up here.” She waved him on.

            Much smiled at her and said, “Thank you.” He grabbed his sword and ran over to Robin. He caught the end of a statement to Little John.

            “It makes no sense.” Robin drew an ‘x’ for the manor’s main door.

            “What makes no sense?” Much wanted to know what had distracted his master so thoroughly after they had finished their meal. Earlier, Will had returned with news that he whispered into Robin’s ear. Robin pulled Little John off to the side while ordering everyone else to start breaking up camp. Finally, Will joined them with Allen and Djaq. The camp no longer existed, and the gang was ready to move out.

            Robin glanced up to Will. “Tell them what you found.”

            Will stared at the scratched drawing on the forest floor. He grew apprehensive and hesitated before releasing a sigh. Finally, he spoke. “Gisborne is fortifying Locksley. He commissioned locksmiths and metal smiths to put in new doors, window bars, and shutters throughout the manor. He isn’t just putting them on the outside, he is having the inside locked down as well.”

            Much gasped, “Marian?” His heart began to beat fast as he worried about the noble lady. He remembered how his heroics the day of her wedding to Gisborne had saved her from becoming Sir Guy’s wife. He knew that her marriage to the lord had been destroying his master inside. Sadly, Robin’s hurtful words when the two sat on the hillside overlooking Locksley before Marian’s impending wedding came unwilling to mind, but he buried them just as quickly as they appeared.

            Robin raked his stick through the manor drawing. Much observed how his master’s forehead wrinkled as his eyes grew heavy with worry.

            “We need to find out what he is up to. We cannot guess. This could be a response to the Night Watchman’s breaking into the manor.” As Robin spoke, Much watched his master’s fists clenching.

            “What do we do? Surely Gisborne is not going to force Marian to marry him before King Richard really does return to England ?” Much gathered Robin’s sword and tossed it to his master. “Besides, she called off the engagement after the lies he told her.”

            Robin acknowledged Much’s statement with a glance to his friend. With a quick nod, he gave out orders to the gang. “Will, you and Allen go to Locksley. Be careful, but try to see if there are any rumors about Gisborne’s actions. There may be some truths there.” Robin eyes found Djaq and Little John, “You two, go to Nettlestone and see if the metal smith there can share any information about his work at the manor, but be careful not to get him in trouble. Make sure no one sees you talking to him.”

            “Right.” Little John nodded to Djaq.

            Robin continued giving instructions. “We meet up here at nightfall.”

            “We go to Knighton Hall, to see Marian?” asked Much, pleased that Robin nodded.

            With a fury of action, every one parted ways, with Much running to catch up with Robin. His master seemed to have the path to Marian memorized from whichever camp they ever made in Sherwood. He marveled at how fluid Robin moved through the forest, never losing a step over roots and branches. As Much ran for several minutes, struggling to keep up, he heard the distinct sound of horses in the forest.  

            “Master…” Much gasped, stopping as he tried to find the horsemen.

Robin also stopped running, finding Much several paces behind him. He finally heard the horses. Looking around, he found a thicket to hide. Motioning to his friend, he ran for the cover. Much was thankful that the thicket was not full of thorns as they crawled inside. His relief vanished as one of the branches snagged his cap off his head. Before he could reach up to grab it, Robin pulled him down to the ground next to him.

Much caught himself holding his breath as the horses cleared the trees. He was surprised to see Gisborne riding on his black steed with six of his men following. Rumors had Sir Guy confined to his manor, not leaving for anything in the days that followed his failed wedding day to Marian. Much reminded himself that those rumors were before the news about what he was doing in Locksley manor.

Much watched one of Sir Guy’s men studying the ground while Gisborne surveyed the brush. Much wondered if they had been spotted running through the woods. Suddenly, a cry went out through the guards.

“Over there,” one of the guards pointed in the direction of the thicket, and to Much’s cap. With their cover revealed, Robin hurriedly pushed Much out of the brush.

“Run!” Robin cried as he too joined Much in a sprint away from Gisborne and his men. Robin rushed Much down a steep incline, making it hard for the men on horses to safely keep up. When they reached the bottom, Much inadvertently tripped over long vines cluttering his path, falling into a tangled matt of dead brush. Robin stopped, and quickly helped Much untangle his feet from the clingy vines. Just as Much finally regained control of his footing, Robin noticed something strange about the ground. It was covered in leaves, and grass, hiding something.

“Much, no…” Robin cried. As Much went to step back, Robin pulled his friend forward, and accidentally triggered the trap himself. With a swoosh, a net engulfed Robin, hoisting the nobleman into the air.

“Robin!” Much looked on with horror as his master struggled inside a net swinging high in the air. “No! This cannot be!” When Much realized that the rope suspending Robin in the air was too high to reach immediately, he felt lost. “What do I do?”

“Much, run! Get out of here!” Robin spotted Guy and his men rushing down the hill. “They’re almost here!”

Much ignored Robin’s insistence that he run. Instead, he withdrew his sword and readied his shield. “No Master, I’m not leaving you.” Much dug his heel into the dirt directly under Robin.

Robin had no time to argue with Much’s decision to stay, Gisborne and his men finally made it safely down the hillside. Slowly, they circled the ensnared noble-turned-outlaw and his loyal servant.

Gisborne smiled down at Much and then up at Robin. “It looks like we have sprung an old trap.” Sir Guy dismounted his horse and attempted to approach Robin, but Much moved forward with his shield and sword.

“Stay back.” Much tried to hide his fear for his master’s sake. “I have fought the Turk in the Holy Lands. I will not let you harm my master.”

Gisborne nodded to his men. They too dismounted and readied their swords. Sir Guy warned, “Remember your orders.” The guards nodded and circled Much.

Spinning around, Much tried to keep his back free from a guard, but there were too many. Finally, Much charged forward with this shield, knocking the man in front of him to the ground. With a spontaneous turnabout, Much swung his sword, knocking another guard to the ground.

Above him, Robin watched, feeling helpless as Much took down a third guard. The first two guards regained their footing and their swords, and no matter how valiant Much fought, he found himself sorely outnumbered. Then, before Robin could cry out a warning, two of the guards charged Much from behind while another distracted him with a parry. With Much wrestled to the ground, the other guards pinned his sword into the dirt.

After removing the sword and shield from their captive, an embarrassed guard kicked Much in the stomach. Much curled up in pain, but before a second blow found his fetal form, Gisborne backhanded the guard. “Your orders!” Sir Guy screamed at his man.

Robin struggled to reach his knife hidden near his boot without drawing any attention. He needed to cut through the net to rescue his friend. Unfortunately, his hands had gotten tangled in the ropes of the net, and he was having trouble retrieving his knife, but when the sheath was finally in his grip, he let himself hope that he had enough time to work himself free.

Sir Guy moved past his guards and reached down to grabbed Much by his hair, pulling the servant up to his knees. Much tried unsuccessfully to suppress a cry of pain. Once Much was able to rest on his knees, he managed to move his hands forward to cradle his sore midsection. Afraid to look up, he stared at the ground, and whispered out of breath, “I’m sorry master.”

Gisborne returned his attention to Robin. “It seems that your servant is unable to protect you. Are you disappointed in him?”

“Gisborne! If you hurt Much--” Robin left the threat open as he worked diligently on freeing himself.

Sir Guy scoffed, “You will what? Yell at me?” Gisborne walked beneath Robin and slid a dagger from its sheath on his belt. Much watched in horror as Sir Guy reached up to the netting, steadying its swing. “Please, don’t kill my master.” Much felt his heart about to beat out of his chest as Gisborne brought the dagger towards Robin. The loyal friend tried to stand, but a guard pushed him back to the ground with a rough shove.

“Are you a coward, Gisborne?” Robin hid his knife but was prepared to try to use it if he had to. Gisborne reached up through the netting and carelessly cut through the belt strap that secured Robin’s saber. Suppressing a cry, Robin felt the knife also slice the flesh of his side. Gisborne did not take measure to only cut the weapon free. The noble who had stolen his lands and his life succeeded in removing Robin’s Saracen saber. Sir Guy tossed the blade to one of his men.

He laughed up at Robin. “We cannot have you cutting yourself free. I suspect that once we are gone, you will be trapped up there for several hours, if not days, before the other outlaws find you.” With a look of great satisfaction, Gisborne gave another order to his men, pointing at Much. “Bind his hands and put him on the horse.”

Much felt several guards pull him to his feet, and one of the guards worked on tying his hands with coarse rope from one of the saddles. “What?” Much asked, confused by what was happening. He was sure that Gisborne planned on killing him, not capturing him.

Robin watched as the guards hoisted a struggling Much onto a free saddle. It was then that Robin realized that Gisborne’s men had been leading an extra horse through the forest.

“No… master?” Much cried up to Robin.

“Gisborne, what are you doing? It is me you want!” Robin yelled frantically as his hidden knife barely cut through the rough netting, too slowly to allow him to stop the events taking place.

Sir Guy pulled himself into his saddle. Smugly, he laughed. “You always think everything is about you, Locksley. I have a score to settle with your servant.” Then Gisborne paused. “Wait, he was your servant. If I’m not mistaken, everything that was yours is now mine; your title, your lands, your manor, your lady, and now, your manservant.”

Much struggled against his binding to the horn of the saddle. “No!” he shouted as Gisborne grabbed the reins of his horse. Much realized the gravity of his situation. Gisborne was taking him back to the manor, which he had just fortified with new locks, and metal bars in the windows. How could Robin rescue him if he was locked away in the manor? “Please, no!” Much gripped the horn of the saddle tightly as Sir Guy dragged him away from his master. Frightened like never before, Much stole one last pleading glance up at Robin, who was now kicking and screaming inside the net.

            “Gisborne! I will kill you! Gisborne! No…” Defeated, Robin slowed his kicking. Finally, to himself, Robin began muttering, “No… no… no...” He had never imagined that Guy would take Much and leave him behind. With more desperation, he worked the knife through more ropes, and to his horror, he felt the hilt of the knife slip through his fingers. He heard a thud as it hit the forest floor below. Struggling frantically, he tried to rip through the netting, but to no avail. Gisborne was getting away with Much, and there was nothing Robin could do about it.

Chapter 2

Sherwood Forest

            Gisborne and his men rode hard through the underbrush of the forest until they found a well-worn path. Much’s fingers gripped the saddle horn as tightly as he could. Even though he was tied to the horse, he could not suppress the fear of falling off and being trampled by the other horses behind them. After what felt like hours that Much knew were only several minutes, the forest began to thin, and Gisborne slowed their pace.

            Much glanced at the faceless guards. Eyes void of any emotions glared back through the slits of the metal helmets. He dared not look at Gisborne. Robin’s loyal friend’s heart raced every time he thought about his situation and seeing Sir Guy made his nightmare unbearably real.

            Unable to keep quiet, Much blurted out the question that bombarded his thoughts. “Why?” he whispered, just loud enough to be heard over the hoof beats on the hard ground. Much glanced up from his horse to catch Gisborne’s eyebrow lift with interest.

            Sir Guy smiled. “Why not?” Gisborne slowed his horse so that he was riding alongside Much. “I am the lord of the Locksley Estates now. I have every right to everything that belonged to Robin, and that includes you, his manservant.”

            Much’s courage grew with his anger. “You and the Sheriff have no right to my master’s lands. Those boys only stole sacks of flour. They did not deserve to be hanged.” Much thought about his encounter with the Sheriff when he had tried to free Lambert from the jail. “Beside, the Sheriff made me Earl of Bonchurch. I am no longer a servant.”

            Gisborne yanked the reins to stop his horse. He turned to one of his guards. “You… tie off the rope on that tree.”

Much lifted his eyes and spied a low hanging branch directly in their path. His eyes widened while the guard did as he was told, especially when he caught sight of the hangman’s noose. Much swallowed with difficulty.

            Gisborne guided Much’s horse over to the rope. His voice had lost any semblance of amusement as he gave his captive a choice.

            “We can settle this question of your status rather quickly. If you insist to be a lord of Nottingham , then you are an outlaw and subject to hanging. I will carry out justice right here, and you will hang until you are dead. The other option is that you acknowledge that you are Robin’s servant, and that you have followed him into the forest out of loyalty to your master. If this is true, then you will return to Locksley as my servant.” Gisborne pulled the reins of the horse until the noose brushed Much’s face. “You can either die a free man or live as a servant.”

            The rope dangled, taunting him while one of the guards readied a knife to cut his hands free from the horse. Much hated to admit that he feared dying from hanging more than he feared returning to Locksley with Gisborne. With a great intake of breath, he nodded. “Robin is my master. I am his servant.” Much returned his eyes to Gisborne, checking to see if this answer would spare him the noose. His heart could not bear calling Gisborne his master.

            “We will resolve who your master is back in the manor.” With a curt nod, Gisborne gave a new order to his guards. “I want his sword and shield tied to the noose. Let Robin’s men find this in the forest.” The noble waited for his guards to finish the task before moving forward on their way to Locksley.

            Much quietly withdrew. With Robin trapped in a net, he had little hope of a rescue before reaching the manor. The others had gone their separate ways to find out the motive behind Gisborne fortifying the manor. He never imagined that he and Robin would find the answer to what Gisborne had been planning before even reaching Marian that morning. The prison had been built for him.

  Locksley Village

            Will questioned Paul, the village blacksmith, about the new developments in the manor house. Everyone openly shared their ideas with Will and Allen, but none of them sounded plausible to Will. Some thought Gisborne planned on becoming a hermit, locking himself away from the world. Others speculated that Gisborne was having trouble with his servants, whom had mixed loyalties, still secretly loyal to Robin.

            “He left out of here early this morning with six of his private guard. The workers finished up the new shutters last night.” For a blacksmith, Paul was a lean man, but his muscles still rippled down his arm as he continued to hammer the horseshoe he was repairing. He paused to add something else. “If you ask me, he is going to force marriage upon Lady Marian and bring her back to the manor house.”

            Will nodded, “Thanks Paul, I will tell Robin what you think.” The young wood smith had the same worry, but all they were finding were rumors and presumptions. No one in the village had heard the true purpose of the locks from anyone in the manor house or the workers who installed the devices.

            Allen returned from questioning another Locksley serf, and shook his head in frustration. “They do not know. Everyone is guessing, just like we were back in the forest.”

            Suddenly, a cry went up through the village as hoof beats approached Locksley. In an unusual turn, Will and Allen saw Gisborne lead his men toward the village instead of the manor. The two outlaws pulled their hoods over their heads and melted back behind a house.

            Allen saw Much first, and tugged on Will’s sleeve to point out their friend. Much appeared defeated as Gisborne eased his horse to a halt before the villagers, parading his captive in front of the peasants.

            Will gasped, “He has Much.” The young man reached for his axe behind his back, but Allen placed a hand on his arm.

            “No, my friend, there are too many guards.” Allen gestured with his eyes as he counted the guards. “There are six plus Gisborne.”

            Will fought back his panic as he made a realization. “Robin would not have let Gisborne take Much without a fight.” Allen squeezed his hand tightly on his friend’s shoulder.

            Finally, Gisborne addressed the villagers. Will’s heart raced inside his chest and his ears echoed every beat. He could only imagine the worst; that Gisborne was going to announce that Robin was dead.

            “People of Locksley, I want it to be known that the Locksley manor is now safeguarded from the outlaws who follow Robin Hood and his misguided ways. The locks are well tempered, and I’ve made provisions to house more guards in and near the manor.” Gisborne tugged hard on the horse that was carrying Much.

During this proclamation, Much had kept his eyes lowered, refusing to face his fate. Then, as Gisborne continued to parade his trophy, Much remembered that Robin had sent Will and Allen to Locksley. He lifted his head and scanned the crowd with a haunted look in his eyes. Finally, he found Allen and Will hidden near the back.

Will stepped forward for he knew Much was pleading with him for help. A firm grip on his arm, however, prevented him from doing anything rash.

Gisborne continued his tirade. “This is Robin’s manservant. Even Robin Hood could not protect his closest friend from my hand. He will be staying in my manor. If anyone tries to break into my house, this one will suffer the consequences.” Satisfied with his address to the peasants, Gisborne started to leave. One of the serfs, a young woman near tears, asked the question that was burning in the hearts of both Will and Allen.

“What of Robin?” the woman sobbed quietly.

Gisborne stopped his horse and let a crooked smile cross his lips. “Robin was in no position to fight.” The noble looked throughout the crowd. “If you see any of his men, you can tell them Robin is caught in a trap, a net, swinging above the forest floor. I left him with a small wound.”  Guy turned to his captive and spoke softly, “They can find him, if they wish but they’ll never rescue you.” He then kicked his horse and headed for the manor house with Much in tow.

Much pulled his stare away from Allen and Will, and tightly closed his eyes as he leaned closer to the horse, trying to keep his balance atop the racing animal.

Allen and Will watched as the six guards fell behind Much and Gisborne. Both men felt sick as they tried to digest the knowledge of what had just happened. Gisborne had kidnapped Much. Robin was injured and trapped in a net in Sherwood.

“We need to find Robin.” Will stated as he started to run back to the forest.

Allen ran and caught the young man. “Wait.”

Exasperated, Will questioned his friend with huge eyes. “Wait? First you wouldn’t let me help Much, and now you want to wait to find Robin?”

Allen’s heart was hurting just as much as Will’s, but he had learned from Robin that doing the first thing that comes to mind is not always the right course of action. “Robin would say that he needed to think before doing anything.” Allen looked back at the horses as they disappeared behind the manor. “We need someone to stay here and make sure that Much stays in the manor. We don’t want to be fooled into thinking Much is here if Gisborne decides to take him to the castle.”

“Stay here?” Will asked, looking around. “There are villagers who can look after the manor.”

Allen nodded, but then voiced his concerns. “They are loyal to Robin, but we need to make sure that whoever is watching the manor is not distracted by daily chores, or family. I know this is hard, but I need you to stay here and watch the manor. I need to head to Nettlestone and fetch Little John and Djac. We will find Robin and return here. Robin will have a plan to rescue Much.”

“What if Robin is injured badly?”

“I’ll borrow a couple of the villager’s horses to save time.” Allen placed his hand on Will’s shoulder. “I’m sure Robin is fine, but should something happen to Much, Robin will be devastated.”

Will hefted his axe in his hand, testing its weight as he thought through what Allen requested. “I hate Gisborne,” the young man proclaimed.

Allen nodded his head, “I know, my friend. I hate him too.” Allen looked around. “Now, who will lend me a couple of horses?”

Will searched for the redheaded blacksmith. When he found him, he ran over with Allen close behind. The two were able to procure the horses without any problem. Everyone in Locksley was worried about their outlaw master, and would do anything to make sure that Robin was safe.

Once the animals were saddled, Allen mounted one and led the other towards Nettlestone.

Will watched him go, then made his way carefully to the outskirts of the manor. Well hidden, Will vowed that if Much were to be taken out of the manor, he would know and tell the others. The manor seemed strangely quiet. He prayed that it remained that way.

Locksley Manor

            The sounds of the villagers vanished quickly as Gisborne’s group finally neared the manor house. Much looked up at the place he had called home for so many years. When returning from the Holy Land , he had imagined it filled with warmth, food and friends. Well, mainly food. Now, it resembled a prison with metal bars on the windows and metal locks. As they approached, Much saw Thornton peering out a ground floor window. By the time Gisborne had dismounted and two of the guards had helped him off his horse, the manor door stood open with Thornton returning a key around his neck.

            Thornton stood at the door, and bowed, “My lord,” he greeted as Sir Guy entered. The guards had to drag Much inside because his feet did not want to enter the place on their own volition. Once inside, the guards shoved Much before Gisborne. All six men then took their leave of the house. Gisborne looked to the door and then to Thornton . Immediately, his steward shut the door and locked it.

            Gisborne then studied Much from head to toe. His hands were still tied with the coarse rope and hung listless before him. Much tried to be invisible, even though he could sense Sir Guy staring at him.

            When Gisborne finally spoke, it was not addressed to Much. “ Thornton , does everyone know the rules regarding this man?” Much looked up from the floor to witness Thornton nodding.

            “Yes, my lord.” Thornton did not meet Much’s gaze. Instead he eyed the servants who had gathered. In unison, they nodded, making sure to avert their eyes away from Much.

            Satisfied, Gisborne smiled before exclaiming, “Good!” The noble snatched Much by the back of his neck and began pushing him up the stairs of the manor. Desperately, Much tried to keep his footing fearing the consequences of tripping. When they finally made it to one of the small rooms upstairs, Gisborne stopped in front of an open door. Much scanned the room and noticed several rags on the floor for a bed. With a shove, Sir Guy sent Much reeling into the room. After rolling over to regain his composure, Much turned over in time to see Gisborne remaining in the hall and closing the door. The sound of the metal lock echoed off the walls as it fell into place. With the door shut and the shutters closed, the room was hot and dark.

            Through the door, Much heard the noble talking softly to him. “You will do well not to talk to anyone while I’m gone. Everyone has been ordered not to speak to you. Any attempt on your part to talk to my servants will result in punishment.” There was a long pause before Gisborne added, “Your punishment.”

            As Much listened to Gisborne’s boots heading down the stairs, he finally gave in to his exhaustion and stretched out on the floor. From the moment he and Robin had been running from Gisborne until just now, he thought that he could not breathe fast enough to keep up with his racing heart. Now that he was alone in the small room, his energy escaped him and he felt the full weight of today’s events pressing heavily on his chest.

            Thoughts of seeing Will and Allen in the village formed a small smile across his face. While he was secretly wishing that they could perform a miracle and rescue him, he knew that there was no way they could overtake all of Gisborne’s guards and Gisborne himself. No, he was thankful they remained hidden. At least they knew that Robin needed them in Sherwood. His master would be rescued from the net. He closed his eyes as the memory of Gisborne cutting Robin’s belt to take his saber. He hoped that the injury was small, that his master was not losing blood like he had the first time Sir Guy had cut him in the Holy Land .             Finally, the full situation came crashing down. Gisborne had tried to kill King Richard in the Holy Land , he had nearly killed his master during the raid, and now Much was his captive in Locksley Manor. The gang had been worried that Gisborne was planning to trap Lady Marian in the manor house. Instead, he was now ensnared with no way out. Much tried to fight back the tears that welled up in his eyes, but finally, unable to control his fear, he rolled over onto his side and shook from his silent sobs.

Nettlestone Village

            The horses flew through the distance between Locksley and Nettlestone. Allen knew that Little John and Djaq would be just as upset with the news that he had for them, but they needed to get past their emotions and find a solution. Robin’s plans always worked when they kept their emotions at bay.

            As he entered Nettlestone, many people were surprised to see him riding so carelessly into the village. He quickly dismounted his horse and asked a young boy to hold both for him. He also asked if the boy knew where Little John and Djaq were. The young boy pointed to the woods behind the metal smith’s house. Allen ran as quickly as he could to the edge of the forest. Once inside, he whistled for Little John and Djaq. The two outlaws joined him in seconds.

            “Allen, what are you doing here?” asked Djaq. She observed the perspiration on his brow and that he appeared anxious.

            Little John read the signs. “This can’t be good.”

            “It isn’t. We have two big problems.” Allen tried to guess which one he should tell them first. He decided they needed to hear about Much first. “Gisborne has captured Much and has taken him into Locksley manor. Will and I saw him parading Much around the village.”

Djaq dropped her head, but Little John quickly asked, “What of Robin? He would not let Gisborne take Much without a fight.”

            Allen looked to Sherwood behind them. “Gisborne said that Robin is in a trap, a net in Sherwood. I do not know if Robin has freed himself or if he is still stuck there.”

            Djaq asked, “Will? Where is he?”

            Allen felt that he had made the right decision leaving Will back at the manor. “He is watching Locksley to make sure that Gisborne doesn’t move Much. I do not know if Sir Guy is doing this on his own, or if he is following orders from the Sheriff.”

            Little John looked to the metal smith who had been listening to their conversation. The man’s furrowed brow revealed his feelings about the situation. The smith took Djaq to the side and when she returned, she told them that he had offered them fresh horses. Quickly, they gathered their things.

            When they were ready to leave, Little John asked, “How do we find Robin?”

            Allen responded, “We’ll figure it out. We need to head back to this morning’s camp and then trace his steps to Knighton Hall.”

  Sherwood Forest

            Allen found the scratches in the dirt that Robin drew of Locksley Manor that morning. He tried to take his bearings as he visualized the direct path Much and Robin had taken off towards Knighton Hall. Still riding their horses, Allen led the others through the forest, “This way.”

            As he traveled, he tried to survey the ground. Every so often, he noticed a footprint but more often then not, he was guessing the way. He felt relief when Djaq stopped them. “There, in the bush.”

            Stuck in the undergrowth dangled Much’s cap. Little John jumped down and snatched the cap from the branch. They all looked at each other. Not sure what to do, John just shrugged and let out a loud cry “Robin!” followed by an ear shattering whistle.

            Across the way, Robin had been working on pulling apart the cuts in his netting to make them large enough to allow him an escape. Tiring, he had stopped for a moment to rest when he heard Little John call out his name. His heart leaped at the voice, and the whistle.

            Robin returned the whistle with a cry, “I’m here! Little John, over here!” The sound of footfalls and the sight of his men and Djaq filled him with relief. He was not going to be stuck in the forest for the rest of the day. Much needed him.

            Little John ran over and looked up at the net. Djaq immediately found the rope that was suspending Robin in the air. She pointed to Little John, “Stand under him. I will cut the rope.” As nimble as a squirrel, she climbed up the tree and found the rope. With a warning, she cut the line, and Robin fell into Little John’s waiting arms. Carefully, the big man lowered the noble to the ground so he and Allen could cut the tangled nettle that had wrapped around Robin.

            When they finally got their leader free, Robin rubbed his arms and legs, trying to get feeling to return to his extremities. He raised his shirt to see where Gisborne had cut him. The small  wound had started to scab over, but he still grunted in pain as he lowered his shirt. He finally asked the question, “How did you know I was here?”

            Allen lost the smile that he had been wearing when they found him. “When I was in Locksley, Gisborne returned with Much. He was showing off his catch to the village. One of the villagers asked about you, worried that Gisborne had killed you. He told everyone you were trapped in a net in Sherwood.”

Robin, feeling foolish to have been truly trapped, then asked, “Much, was he well? How did he look?”

            Again, Allen felt his stomach twist into knots. “He didn’t look injured, only scared. Gisborne took him to the manor after the parade through Locksley. I think he was baiting us to try and rescue him.”

            Robin nodded, and then asked, “Where is Will?”

            “I left him to look after the manor, to make sure that nothing happened to Much after we left.” Allen answered.

            “Good.” Robin heard the sound of horses up on the hill. “Yours?” he asked. They all nodded. In a rush, he began the trek up the hill and managed to make it to the top before everyone else. He grabbed the closest horse, and reached down to help Djaq onto its back. “We need to see Marian.”

            Little John carefully mounted his horse. “Marian, why?” the big man questioned.

            Robin searched his soul, afraid that he was going to be pushing his love back into Gisborne’s clutches, but he needed her to help him protect and rescue Much. “She is the only one who Sir Guy will let into the manor. We need her to go inside.”

            Allen asked another question that was also plaguing Robin. “Not to be funny, but what if Gisborne is doing this to lure Marian back, using Much as bait.”

            Robin had thought of this possibility. He felt his face flush as he remembered his fight with Gisborne a few months earlier. The noble was determined to take everything from Robin. “He won’t dare to harm Marian.”

Chapter 3  

Knighton Hall

          Within Knighton Hall, Marian busied herself sharpening blades for her trips in the shire as the Night Watchman. Her father decided it best that she do this in the house as long as she kept her tools in her room. She thought she heard the door open downstairs and quickly hid her stone and knife under a blanket. Picking up needle and thread Marian began to cross stitch a pillow that she had been pretending to toil over for months.

          Sir Edward appeared at her door with worry in his eyes. “Marian, Sir Guy is here to see you.”

          Disgusted, Marian replied, “Tell him I do not wish to see him. Please send him away Father.” She stood and laid down the needle and cloth.

          Behind her father, Sir Guy addressed her for the first time since their interrupted marriage in Locksley. “I will not be sent away again, my lady. I must speak with you. It is important, and I think you will want to hear what I have to say.” His voice was kind and soft, and did not sound like a man who intended any harm.

          Marian searched his eyes for any malice or any reason to fear his presence in her house. She found none. In resignation, she lowered her head.

          “Father, it is fine. I will talk with Sir Guy.” She rose and walked by her father to face Gisborne, remembering the time he had forced the proposal of marriage upon her in this room. With a quick nod to Sir Guy, she headed downstairs, “I will talk to you outside.” Gisborne followed her down the stairs and out the door.

          Marian walked to the back of the house and glanced back to make sure Gisborne kept his distance. He reminded her of a stray dog that had once followed her home. In the back yard she felt safe and knew that should she need to she could leave him and return inside.

          “To what do I own the pleasure of your visit, Sir Guy,” Marian remarked sarcastically.  Her cold stare was boring a hole straight through her once husband to be.

          “My lady, I’m here once more to apologize for my actions. I only had your well being and the safety of your father in my heart. I am sorry that I hurt you with that lie, and that I used it to trick you into marriage that day.” Gisborne lowered his eyes before returning them to gaze deeply into hers.

          “How can you expect me to forgive you and let things return to what they were before that day? I cannot trust you. You lied to me.” Marian tried to control her anger, but felt very satisfied that she was in charge of the situation. He could not manipulate her any more with his promise of protection. The Sheriff had shown his true colors and no one in Nottingham was safe as long as he ruled the shire.

          “Marian, my lady, I have come here to express my apologies, but that is not the only reason I am here.” Gisborne tried to suppress one of his crooked smiles, but did not succeed.

          Realizing that Gisborne had something else up his sleeve, Marian looked to the house where she saw her father standing at the door, in case she needed him.

          “What is it Sir Guy? The day grows long, and I have much to do.” Marian saw his jaw clench, which was never a good sign.

          “Remember when my house was broken into by one of Robin Hood’s men?” He looked into her eyes, and saw fear there. He was sure that the idea of having your house broken into by outlaws would frighten any maiden. After she nodded, he continued. “I have made some changes and secured the house and the rooms with locks to keep the outlaws out. It is safe and secure.”

          Marian looked away, worried that her reactions would betray her embarrassment of being the one who had tried to break into his manor. “I’m glad for you, Sir Guy, but I do not see why that would concern me.”

          “I have protected my manor and my valuables for you, to be able to earn your hand in marriage, but that was not all that I have done. Today, while riding through the forest, I managed to capture someone, someone who I think you will have interest in.” Gisborne left the statement open, waiting to see who she thought he had captured.

          Marian kept her cool, trying to hide her worry with disinterest. She had a feeling that the person of interest was not Robin by the smile on his face. If his suspicions of her love for Robin were founded in any sense of reality, coming here to tell her of Robin’s capture by his hands would not win him any favors. “If it is an outlaw, then I’m sure that he will not interest me.”

          Sir Guy just shook his head. “No, you know this one. He seemed to care about you a lot the day of our wedding.” Marian searched her memory. The only outlaw she remembered Sir Guy seeing that day had been Much.

          “Robin’s servant?” She asked. Anger threatened to overcome her. “What have you done, Sir Guy?” She moved closer to the noble and forced him to step back.

          A small laugh escaped him. “Easy Marian, he is safe. I am going to make sure that he knows his place in the house and that he learns that I am his master now.” Sir Guy tried to touch her shoulder, but she rebuffed his contact.

          “What of Robin? How did you separate Much from his master?” Marian was not sure she would like the answer, but she needed to hear it.

          Now, anger crept into Sir Guy’s voice. He should have known that the conversation would eventually turn to Robin. “Robin is alive in the forest. He had the misfortune of stepping into a net trap while we were chasing them through the forest. He was alive when we left him.”

          Marian guessed a motive for Sir Guy’s actions. “This is all a game, isn’t it?” She could not stand it.

          Gisborne tried to make this event work in his favor and to make Lady Marian understand why he was in the right. “Robin lost everything when he disobeyed the Sheriff. He has since done everything he can to undermine law and order here in the shire. When I was granted his lands, it included his serfs, his manor and his servants. This man, Much, is a servant to Robin. Therefore, he belongs to the Locksley Estate. He belongs to me.”

          Marian absorbed his words, and could see his point of view, however misguided it was. He saw Much as Locksley property. When Robin was forced into the forest by the Sheriff, everyone in Locksley had to start calling Sir Guy their lord, their master. Then a thought hit her that made her ill. Sir Guy had mentioned their wedding day to hint at who he had captured.

          “Please, Sir Guy, tell me that you did not do this because of what happened.” Her eyes softened, glistening with the onset of tears. “You did not do this because Much told me about the Sheriff’s false King Richard.”

          Sir Guy could not hide the truth. He did not want to. He wanted to drown Marian in guilt, if he could. She left him at the alter because of this servant’s big mouth. He hated to admit it, but seeing her hurt right now was the balm that he needed to heal. Once again, he was in control.

          “And if the answer is yes, what will you do about it? You have already called off our engagement. You cannot do anything else to hurt me, Marian.” Sir Guy finally turned to leave. Now that he realized he had hurt her, he could not believe how much satisfaction it gave him. He had hoped this servant was as dear to her as she had appeared to be to him. As he slowly walked around the house to find his horse, he was surprised to see Sir Edward coming out of the front door.

          “Sir Guy, my daughter has asked me if she can accompany you back to Locksley. She only needs to change her clothes.” The old man seemed out of breath and seemed to be struggling to comprehend why his daughter would make such a request. Guy had to admit that she would never have asked him the question herself.

Unwilling to let this opportunity to have Marian by his side slip away, Guy nodded, “I will wait for her.” He had hoped that his visit would result in her coming back with him to Locksley, albeit to see Much.

Immediately, Sir Edward called for one of their servants to prepare Marian’s horse.

Inside Knighton Hall, Allen and Djac watched the door very carefully, ready to hide at a moment’s notice. They stood anxiously while Robin and Little John had rushed Marian into the house. She was visibly upset, and was not about to listen to Robin’s plan.

“Marian, please, I sent your father outside the moment that we saw Guy leaving. We need you to visit Locksley, to make sure Much is safe, to find out what fortifications Gisborne has put in place.” Robin tried not to let his fear shine through to Marian, but she could not believe how transparent he was to her right now.

“Robin, I am afraid for Much too, but I do not know if my heart can bear to see him trapped there with no way out.” She pulled away. “This is all my fault.” Her tears started to flow freely from her eyes. “He didn’t want me to marry Sir Guy because of a lie. Much came to the wedding, announcing to everyone that Gisborne had tried to kill King Richard. He told everyone that I loved another.” She looked at Robin. “Robin, do you realize how dangerous this is for him. Sir Guy can lose his temper with the slightest provocation. He is very dangerous when he feels betrayed.”

“I know, which is why you need to visit the manor and Much. Maybe you can keep Sir Guy occupied while we try to find a way to get Much out. Every moment that he spends with you is a moment he cannot spend alone with Much.” Robin reached for her hand, and pulled her upstairs. “You need to change. He is waiting for you. Please Marian, I need you to do this for me… for Much. He needs you.”

Marian pushed Robin aside and entered her room, closing the door behind her. She rushed to put on clothes that she could ride in comfortably. They had lost precious time talking, and she knew Sir Guy would be growing impatient outside. When she was ready, she ran down the stairs. She faced Robin, who tenderly dried her tears with a kerchief.

“You are a very strong person, my lady.” Robin stated, as he handed her the kerchief. “We will be right behind you and right outside the manor.” Marian nodded, and then exited Knighton Hall.

Outside, she saw Sir Guy, looking smug, no doubt believing he had won a victory over her. She swallowed her pride, and mounted her white mare to join him on the road back to Locksley manor. She prayed that she could be strong during the ride with Gisborne. The only thing she was thankful for was the quiet ride out of Knighton Hall. Gisborne seemed content to ride in silence, and did not try to ask her why she had such a sudden change of heart. As long as he did not ask, she did not have to come up with another lie.

Chapter 4  

Locksley Manor

          Much sat in the corner of his dark room listening intently to the sounds moving up and down the stairs. He heard several people coming and going, but none of them had the resounded beat of Sir Guy’s steps. He was surprised when his door opened and Thornton walked in carrying a tankard of water. Much jumped up as the steward handed him the water, but the older man did not make eye contact. The head servant glanced to the guard standing outside his door as if to warn Much. Fighting his ever growing desire to say something, Much clenched his jaw and held his words. Instead of talking, he greedily drank the water offered him. Balancing the container with tied hands proved difficult, but he managed. His severe thirst became apparent as the first drop of water touched his lips. When the water was gone, Much reluctantly gave the vessel back to Thornton, who immediately left the room and closed the door. The tumbler in the lock once again clicked, and Much kicked the rags that made up his bed.  

          After moving back to his safe corner, Much leaned against the wall and slid down until his backside hit the floor. Carefully, he wrapped his arms around his knees and his bruised stomach that was still tender from the kick he had received earlier.

Wanting to escape in a happy memory, Much tried to remember what had been in the room before he and Robin left for the Crusade. Running his hands across the smooth wooden boards of the floor, he clenched both fists as the memory eluded him. Much finally realized he and Robin had spent most of their time running around the shire, visiting Marian, and causing Sir Edward grief. Robin’s reckless behavior that saved him more than once in the Holy Land had also been the catalyst to many stern chidings by his father.

          As soon as he brought up memories of Robin’s parents, Much realized he was opening old wounds. His chest felt heavy, and he sighed. The Locksleys had taken him in when he was in need of a new home and new masters. They truly cared about their peasants, their servants. Robin had become a close friend, and his mother treated him like a son. He could make her laugh even when Robin was in trouble with the Sheriff. Things that Robin had done as a young noble would now result in a peasant’s or noble’s hanging. Much swallowed another sob, trying hard to regain his composure. He vowed to himself that he would not cry, not in front of Sir Guy.

          When Much finally pulled himself together, he heard the noise he had been dreading, Sir Guy’s boots storming up the stairs. Quickly, ignoring the pain in his side, Much jumped to his feet and tried to wipe his eyes, unsure if his crying earlier was still visible to another. His heart returned to a rapid pace. When the door opened, he immediately looked to the floor, afraid to meet Sir Guy’s eyes. Light flickered from a candle as the door closed and locked. His heart, however, was not ready to hear the voice that greeted him.

          “Much, are you hurt?” asked Lady Marian.

          Immediately, Much’s gaze shot upward to find the noble woman standing so serenely before him with an ornate metal candle holder in her delicate hand. “My lady…” he gasped as he felt his knees give out. He managed to quickly sit down while Marian eased herself down to her knees before him. Carefully, she rested the candle on the floor.

          Embarrassed, Much could not bring himself to look at her. Gentle fingers lifted his chin but he closed his eyes.

          Marian tried to smiled reassuringly. “Much, look at me. You are safe.”  As she surveyed his condition, she noticed his wrists bleeding from the rope still binding them together. “Let me see your hands.”

            Extending his hands outward, the kindness in her tone sparked a fresh bout of tears, and Much squeezed his eyes tightly shut to stop their flow.

She carefully untied the knots digging into his wrists. The ropes where bloody, but Much seemed oblivious to the pain. Ripping her underskirt into a long strip, Marian wrapped his wounds.

          “There, how does that feel?” she asked, trying to get a response. She studied his face, which was still trying to avoid looking at her’s. “Much, you can speak to me. Please…”

          Much finally gazed into the noble lady’s eyes. He cleared his throat, but each time he attempted to speak, he was overcome with emotion.. Finally, he gave in and added words to his tears. “My lady, I’m sorry. I’m truly sorry you are here because of me.”

          Marian tried to comfort him, “Shhh… it is ok. I’m safe.” Her eyes gestured to the door, hoping Much would understand that Gisborne would be eavesdropping. “You need to listen to Sir Guy, Much. He is your master now. If you don’t obey him, I fear…” She paused. “I fear you will suffer the consequences.”

          Finding strength and defiance inside himself, Much forced a smile. He looked to the door, and then nodded, letting her know he knew Gisborne was listening in. “He isn’t half the master Robin is.” He let a small laugh escape his lips before his fear regained control.

          Leaning in closer, Marian whispered into his ear. “Robin has visited me at Knighton. He needs you to stay safe until he can figure this out.” Quickly, she withdrew and added loud enough so Gisborne could hear, “You need to forget Robin, Much. He’s an outlaw now and you needn’t be serving a man who is wanted by the law. Besides, you will only anger Sir Guy with those harsh words.”

          When she glanced his way, she feared Much had withdrawn inside himself again, unsure if it had been the words she whispered or the ones she spoke aloud. Marian reached over and cradled his cheek in her hand. Her heart went out to him when she felt warm tears trickling down his face. Suddenly, the doorknob clicked, and Marian sprung to her feet. Gisborne stood menacingly behind her.

          “Your time is up.” He reached in and grabbed her sleeve. Marian let him lead her out of the room, but stole a look back at Much who was still sitting on the floor, his gaze fixed on the ground. Her own eyes filled with moisture as she watched his eyes close once again. Candlelight reflected off tears as they rolled down his face. Marian could not bear to see him so defeated. When Gisborne closed the door, she tried to harden her voice and gain control over her own rampant emotions.

          “My lord, this is cruel.” She studied the grave expression, hoping to detect a measure of tenderness, but found the familiar armor of hatred and anger.

          “He is an outlaw who is loyal to Robin. Any punishment is justified. Hanging him is within the law, but I chose to bring him here instead.” Sir Guy gestured for Marian to take her leave down the stairs, and then he followed suit.

          In the great room of the manor, Marian frowned at the iron bars on the windows and the heavy metal locks in the doors. Robin’s assessment of the manor paled to the truth of the situation. Gisborne had created a prison for Much and the other servants in the manor.

          “What are you trying to do, Sir Guy? Keep the outlaws out or keep Much inside?” She pointed with her eyes to the door and the windows.

          Gisborne surveyed the work of his locksmiths and smiled. The manor had been nicely equipped with new fortifications. He desperately wanted to see how Robin and his men would try to test his manor’s new defenses.

          “Let Robin dare attempt to enter my home again. He may have gained entry in the past, but no more.” Even though he could see her hiding her true emotions, Gisborne knew too well that it would be futile to get through to Marian after her emotional exchange with the servant. “My lady, I would love for you stay, but I have to ask that you return to Knighton Hall.” Gisborne nodded to Thornton, who obediently rushed to the door and unlocked it. The servant remained next to the open door.

          Marian approached Sir Guy, and placed her small hand on his leather glove. With great tenderness, she pleaded with him, “Please, Sir Guy, I beg of you. Please do not harm Much. Is it not enough that he is frightened of you, that you have taken him away from the one person whom he trusts?”

          Without meeting her eyes, Sir Guy jerked his hand away from her contact. He was in control of this moment, not her. The Sheriff warned him about the manipulations of a woman. He could see how much power she had over his heart, but now, he needed to let her know who was in charge.

          “You are not the lady of this manor, Marian. You have no say on what I do here in Locksley.” Staring straight through her, he added, “This servant destroyed our marriage. He humiliated me in front of the other nobles… my men. He will be punished.”

          New tears filled her eyes. Marian heard the words she knew in her heart were the true reason Much had been brought here to the manor. Unable to rebuff Sir Guy’s anger, and fearful of making the situation worse, she fled the manor. Quickly, she found one of the servants who held her horse. She heard the manor door close and lock behind her. Unable to look back, she kicked her horse into full gallop away from Locksley.

  Sherwood Forest

          Just outside of Locksley, Marian slowed her horse at the whistling signal from one of Robin’s men. Everyone quickly joined her on the trail back to Knighton. She watched Allen run behind her to make sure no one had followed. As Marian dismounted, Robin joined her with Little John, Will and Djaq right behind him. She tried to bury any tears with anger. When she finally spoke, she was relieved to speak with a steady voice.

          “Much is being held in a small room upstairs.” Looking around to the others, she tried to make sure they understood what she saw. “Sir Guy has locked the manor like I’ve never seen. The upper level windows have been barred, and the shutter where Much is being held is locked from the inside.”

          Will nodded, “She’s right. When I was watching the manor, the doors were only opened to let servants and guards in or out. I could hear the doors being locked immediately afterwards.” With confirmation, he nodded to Marian. “As soon as Marian and Sir Guy arrived, the servants went through the house closing all of the shutters to the windows.”

          Robin paced and then asked, “So he let you see Much?”

          Marian looked down to her hands, which had dried blood on her fingertips. Robin quickly reached for her hands as Marian added, “His wrists were bleeding from the rope tying them. I removed the binding, and wrapped them.” The lady finally shed a stubborn tear. “He is frightened, Robin, and he has every reason to be. Sir Guy admitted this is about revenge. He blames Much for what happened at the wedding. He knows that he is hurting me and you with this cruel action.”

          Frowning, Robin ran his hands through his hair and threw his head back. Marian understood his frustration. She added, “You have to be careful, Robin. If you try to rescue Much, and fail, Sir Guy will punish him. I think he wants you to try. He is baiting you.”

          “I cannot just leave Much in Locksley.” Robin threw up his hands. “He trusted me to protect him, and I failed. I cannot fail him again by leaving him at the mercy of Gisborne.”

          Robin searched the others, hoping someone had a solution, but everyone shook their heads. Remembering the chase through the woods which ended with the trap and Much’s capture, the noble let out a cry of frustration. After a few minutes of silence, Robin shared what happened earlier in the forest. “Much would not leave me in the trap. He was willing to die to protect me from Gisborne. When Gisborne took my saber and ordered Much placed on a horse, he looked up to me for help, but I could do nothing. I feel like I’m still trapped in that net, unable to do anything.”

          Will remembered what Allen had mentioned earlier. “Robin, we just need time to think and to watch the manor. We will rescue Much, but we have to be careful. He knows that you are safe now thanks to Marian, and that you are out here. None of us will give up on him.” Will hefted his ax, adding, “Gisborne and the Sheriff are always underestimating what we can do. We will get him out.”

          Robin’s jaw relaxed at his friend’s words. He nodded, and then looked around, noticing the sky had grown dark. “Marian, you need to go home before nightfall.” He searched her eyes, and gave her a sad smile. “Thank you. I am sorry that you had to face Gisborne again.”

          Marian  studied the gang surrounding Robin. “Promise me you will make sure he does not do something rash or dangerous. If anything happens to any of you, he will never be able to forgive himself. In the manor, Much blamed himself for me being there with Gisborne.” Finally, she looked directly to Robin. “If you do something to get yourself killed or captured, he will blame himself.” Pulling herself up on her horse, she watched Robin take in what she had said before turning her horse for home.

          Robin watched her outline fade into the grayness of dusk, and then turned to his men. Without saying a word, he headed for the clearing overlooking the manor. He needed to be able to see Locksley in order to think. Silently, his men fell in step behind him.

 Locksley Manor

          Still on the floor, Much stared at the candle that had been left in his room when Marian was pulled out by Gisborne. Her words echoed in his mind. Robin did not know how to get him out. With light in the room, he stood and walked over to the shutter. Reaching up, he gave it a rough shake. The chain and lock rattled, but the shutter did not budge. Besides, the bars in the window would prevent him from getting out, but he desperately wanted to look outside, to see if he could find a hint that Robin and the others were out there, trying to find a way to rescue him. He then walked over to the door, and rattled the knob. It, too, held fast.

          His gaze wandered from wall to wall as they closed in on him and he felt suffocated and oppressed. In silent frustration, he balled his fists and closed his eyes. Gisborne had lured Marian into his manor with his capture, something he was sure she would not have agreed to if not for him. He could not help but feel torn. He reached up and touched his cheek, remembering her hand cradling his face. For one moment, he had felt safe, until the door opened, and Gisborne reappeared in this nightmare.

          His eyes found the door again, and for the second time during this ordeal, he heard the boot falls of Gisborne ascending the stairs. Much grimaced and closed his eyes, sure that this time, he would be facing Sir Guy. Several moments passed as he held his breath, waiting for his fate to arrive. He stood facing the door, gathering as much courage as he could. Finally, the key turned and the door slowly swung inward. Again, Much refused to look and kept his stare focused on the floor as the light from the hall filtered into the room’s dim candlelight. A huge shadow was cast across the floor where his eyes were affixed. Much could feel Gisborne’s eyes upon him.

          The lord of the manor spoke, his voice startling Much, who tried not to jump. “Ready to talk?” Gisborne stepped aside as Thornton walked in and unlocked the shutter. As soon as he completed his task, Thornton quickly exited, but the door remained open. Much felt the cool air from outside fill the room, and was thankful to have the window open. He turned around to glance out the window and caught sight of the dark orange sky as the day faded into dusk.

          Returning his gaze to the floor, he added, “Yes.” Much knew that any other answer would not bode well for him.

          Guy strode silently forward and stood closely in front of Much, then began to pace slowly around the trapped man, the leather from his coat brushing lightly against Much’s bare arm and making him shudder imperceptibly. Stealing a quick glance to the guards still positioned in the open doorway, Much kept his eyes downcast, afraid of sparking any outburst from his captor. Stopping in front of him once more, Much felt Gisborne’s hot breath in his face when he breathed, “Do you know why you are here?”

          After swallowing over his cotton throat, Much lifted his eyes to find Gisborne’s dark orbs inches from his face. “I…” Much swallowed again and cast his eyes around the room before continuing, “I serve Robin and King Richard?” The question hung silently in the air for several beats before Sir Guy released a cruel laugh. When Sir Guy finally reacted, Much lost his balance and fell back as the noble grabbed his shirt, slamming him against the back wall.

          “No, that is not why you are here!” Gisborne shouted. “Robin is a thorn in my side, but you…” Gisborne yanked Much away from the wall before roughly shoving him against it once more. “You ruined my marriage to Lady Marian!” The terror in the servant’s eyes fueled Sir Guy’s buried fury. The noble lost control of his inhibitions as the pent up anger he hid since the failed wedding finally escaped. Without a second’s consideration, Sir Guy launched his right fist with all of his energy into Much’s stomach. The noble did not let the other man out of his grip as he buckled forward in pain. Refusing to give the servant a chance to absorb the punishment, Guy buried his fists in the man’s shirt, and relentlessly bashed him against the wall a third and fourth time.

          Gisborne ignored the soft moans as he continued his rant. “I cannot protect her from the Sheriff if she is not my wife.”

          While struggling to catch his breath from the solid punch to his midsection, Much could not let the audacity of Gisborne blaming him for his woes justify his treatment.  Thoughts and words quickly formed in his mind, and no matter how much he knew to keep his mouth shut, he could not. “You kill for the Sheriff.” His words were no more than a whisper, but Gisborne heard them.

          Snarling with rage, the noble brought a brutal knee to his captive’s stomach before swinging a double fist down hard across his lower back. Once on the floor, Much tried desperately to roll away, but Gisborne would not give him a moment’s freedom. Once more, Gisborne gathered the servant’s loose clothing in his fingers, dragging him swiftly to his feet. Eyes full of tears from pain and fear, Much tried to prepare himself for the harsh beating he could not escape. Desperate to avoid the full brunt of the shouting, he twisted his head away as Gisborne continued yelling.

“I will not tolerate your insolence. Robin may give you free rein to behave beyond your station, but I will not.” Once again, he slammed Much against the wall with every ounce of the resentment he felt towards the man. Gisborne pressed the servant against the wall, his hot breath on the man’s neck. “You will learn to regret that day! I will make sure that every moment here is a reminder of what happens to anyone who double crosses me!” Before releasing him, Gisborne delivered a swift and forceful backhand across Much’s face. The momentum of the hit drove Much to the floor in a limp heap, only this time, Gisborne felt content to leave him there.

          Squeezing his eyes shut, Much willed this to be over. He covered his face with his arms, fearing that now that he was on the floor, Gisborne would begin kicking him. Instead, he heard a calmer voice. “Now that you know why you are here, you will do well to remember that I am your master now.”

          As Gisborne’s shadow disappeared from the room, Much peeked out from under his arms. He saw Thornton quickly enter to remove Marian’s candle. As the steward secured the room, a breeze from the closing door stirred the loose rags. Soon the footfalls faded, and the only sound Much heard was his own heavy, ragged breathing along with the drumming of his heart beat. When he swallowed, he tasted blood. Immediately, he reached to wipe his split lip.

          As if in the sudden calm after a storm, a strong evening wind caressed his cheeks from the open window. His arms shaking, Much tried to pull himself up using the edging of the window sill but the effort proved more difficult than he expected and he slumped back down. For the first time since running away from the Sheriff with Robin to Sherwood, he desperately wanted to be out there, sleeping safely under the stars. As he finally eased himself into a sitting position, his situation became clear. This had not been about Robin or King Richard. His words at the church had brought him here. Revealing to Marian that King Richard had not returned from the Holy Land allowed her to stop her wedding to Gisborne. Resigned to the consequences, he swore to himself and God that he would do it all over again to protect her from that fate. Once more, her whisper echoed in his mind. Robin did not know how to get him out. This time as tears fell from his eyes, Much did not bother to wipe them away.  

Outside Locksley Manor

          Robin stood transfixed on the manor house as the shutters were thrown open. From atop the hill, he heard a few of the screaming words with which Gisborne berated his prisoner. When the words ‘ruined my marriage’ echoed over the hilltop, Robin felt himself grow ill. Much’s love for him and Marian drove him to the church. His bravery shined that day, facing down Gisborne’s men to tell Marian that the King had not returned and that she did not have to follow through with her marriage promise. Even after all of the hurtful words Robin had thrown at him, Much’s love for him had not been destroyed.

          Finally, a loud slap resonated out of the manor. Robin immediately tried to run down the hill, but Little John’s hand stopped him. He looked up to the big man, and saw him shaking his head. “No,” was all Little John had to say.

          Distressed, Robin looked back at the manor house and saw the light in the room fade. Finally, the room grew dark and he swore he saw the outline of his friend in the window that had been left open, but like all of the other windows in the manor, they were barred with metal. To make matters more difficult, Gisborne had stationed several guards around the perimeter.

          None of his men wanted to speak. They all knew that Gisborne had purposely opened the window, hoping Robin could hear him tormenting Much.

Shortly after, Will returned from Locksley Village carrying a basket of food. The young man knew that food was the farthest thing from their minds, but felt they all needed to eat something. None of them would be able to rescue Much if they did not stay strong.

          The young wood smith walked around handing out bread and cheese. Little John took two servings, but Robin refused anything from the basket. Sadly, Will turned away and stole a bite himself, wondering if Gisborne had given Much anything to eat today. He tossed Allen a chunk of cheese. Without warning, the older man pulled Will aside to speak privately.

          “Something happened in the manor while you were gone.” Allen steered Will away from Robin.

          Will looked around, and began to notice that everyone was on edge, especially Robin, who was still pacing, his eyes fixed on the manor house. Will lowered the basket of food to the ground.

          “What? What happened?” Will whispered. Djaq walked over to the two men, while Little John stood near Robin.

          Djaq answered, “Gisborne made a show of his cruelty to Much.” She nodded to the manor. “He opened the window. He wanted us to hear him when he…” Unable to say the words, she looked to Allen.

          Allen sighed. “We heard him beating Much when he wasn’t screaming at him.”

          Will shuddered, thinking about how horrible it must have been. Looking back at Robin, he could understand the nervous energy their leader was exhibiting, pacing back and forth. Curious, Will had to ask the question, “How did he take it?”

          Djac glanced over to Robin. “Little John stopped him. I think he would have tried to charge into the house to kill Gisborne with his bare hands.” The Saracen bent down and grabbed another small loaf of the soft bread out of Will’s basket. They had been running all day, and no one had time to think of food. Sadly, she looked to the large house. When she was captured in the war, she knew fear. Right now, Much was trapped and alone. He had no one to comfort him. No one could help shield him from Gisborne’s fury.

This strange war in Nottingham , England was not as bloody as the one in her homeland. Here, she was helping men whose cause in life was to help those less fortunate, to right an injustice that ruled their land. She had learned to trust these men.  Much was the first one who tried to help her. His heart was always so caring for others. He did not deserve this. 

Looking to Will and Allen, but loud enough for Robin and Little John to hear, she stated, “We will get him out. Gisborne cannot keep him.”

Robin stopped his pacing and looked back to his men. John stood by his side, while Will, Djaq and Allen stood near the path back into the forest. Despite the fading light, he could see the hurt in their eyes. Finally, he gathered his bow and headed for the forest.

“We cannot stay here all night. Gisborne is no fool. He will expect us.” After stealing one last glance back at the manor, Robin walked over to his men. “We need to stay smart and stay safe to rescue Much. Gisborne has won today, but he will make a mistake and we will be ready when he does.”

After Robin slipped into the trees, Will, John, Allen and Djaq followed. The gang had to leave one of their own behind, but each hoped that Much knew they were out there, worrying and planning his rescue from Gisborne. But until then, Much had to face everything in the manor alone.

Chapter 5

Sherwood Forest

            Lost in a silent memory, Robin sat on the hill where he often found Much in the morning when they camped at this site in the forest. Robin picked up a rock and hurled it deep into the forest. The turn of events yesterday disturbed him deeply. How could he have misjudged Gisborne’s motive for hunting him in the forest? Why did he not see the danger that Much was in after he had interrupted the wedding in Locksley? Much had taken very good care of him in the Holy Land . Ever loyal, his friend always forgave him after his personal demons drove him to do and say things that he had to admit were not very kind, especially those harsh words he had said to Much the day before the wedding. Now, after all of the loyalty Much had shown him, Robin could not protect him from Gisborne or his men.

            Looking out across the camp in the firelight, Robin considered the circumstances that had brought his gang together. Little John lived as an outlaw for many years and led his men bravely, stealing to survive. Allen gave them the imagination they all needed, forever weaving fantastic stories and coming up with the most unconventional ways to sneak in and out of Nottingham when they needed something beyond the ordinary. Robin swore to never regret his actions that put him and Much in Sherwood and on the opposite side of the law, a law that was unjust. If not for Robin’s decision to sacrifice his lands and his rights as a noble, both Allen and Will would have died at the hands of the evil Sheriff Vaisey.

Robin searched the quiet camp and found Will sleeping next to the fire. The youngest of the group had shown all of the character of a man in this gang. His ability to gain information and build the much needed tools for the band could never be replaced by another. His father would be very proud of his son knowing that he helped Robin to ease some of the suffering the peasants of Nottingham had to endure.

            Finally, Robin found Djaq sleeping peacefully amidst the company of men. The Saracen had proven herself to be a valuable asset to the gang with her knowledge of science and medicine. Her unusual decision to stay here in Sherwood with Robin and his men had puzzled him at first, but Robin did not blame her for staying. The war was not a place he wished to return to, especially after discovering that he and his own army of men could help his own countrymen by doing what they could to undermine the Sheriff, and those loyal to him, like Gisborne.       

            The irony of it all hit Robin. The man who had ruled his lands and his people with an iron fist in his absence had been the same assassin he had stopped from killing the King in Acre .  The grave wound he suffered at the hands of this assassin led to his return home, to Locksley and Nottingham . His long lost love, Marian, had agreed to marry Gisborne out of desperation to save herself and her father from harsh rule of the Sheriff, and this wedding had nearly taken place just a week ago. In one vicious circle, his loyal friend had stopped the wedding after learning that the condition for her marriage to Gisborne, the return of King Richard to England , had been a ruse by the Sheriff.

            Thinking about Guy, Robin realized that he had missed a key element to what made him tick. The man’s pride ran too deep into his character. He had been born a noble with the promise of greatness, only to have his family’s lands taken from him as a boy. Now, he had taken land and property from Robin to regain his power over others and to be seen as true nobility. The last thing needed to solidify this image was to marry into a respected family of the shire. To do this, he had pursued and trapped Marian, the lady once betrothed to Robin, into marriage. Robin had given her up as lost when  she vowed to keep her promise of marriage to Gisborne, despite all of his evidence that Guy had betrayed his King.

Shaking his head, Robin remembered seeing Marian run out of the church. He should have known that Gisborne’s pride had only one person to blame… Much. Hearing Much’s shouts from the church that the King was an imposter had brought Robin back to his senses as he spurred his horse back to Locksley. Robin’s heart soared when he found Marian unmarried that day, her betrothal broken, and when he had finally kissed her outside of Nottingham .

            Always by his side, Much helped Robin rescue Sir Edward from the deception of the Sheriff. They had separated so Much could warn the others that the King had not returned from the Holy Land , that this was an imposter. For a moment, when Much had been captured by the Sheriff, Robin feared that Vaisey would cut his throat without any hesitation, but after setting the Sheriff up to swing himself above the Great Hall, Robin had successfully rescued his friend from his clutches.

Robin found another stone and hurled it with every ounce of strength he had in him as deep into the forest as its momentum would take it. Without a quick solution to his current situation, Much had remained a captive of Gisborne for nearly a day, suffering as the new target for Guy’s raging anger and abuse. What else would Much endure before they could rescue him?

            Noise from his camp startled Robin from his musings. As he looked back to his men, he noticed Little John and Allen waking the others. It was time to get an early start to the day. They needed to find any information they could in Locksley and devise a plan to free Much. Looking up to the sky, Robin found the morning star on the horizon. Dawn would be upon them soon. Stretching his legs, he left the hill that Much favored, and joined his men.

Locksley Manor

            A rooster crowing just outside the manor roused Much from a light, troubled sleep. At first, he only rubbed his eyes as he slowly managed to sit up. His mind felt foggy, and it prevented him from immediately recalling where he was. Looking around, the confines of the small room and barren interior sparked his memory. Much moved his sore jaw and flinched. As he stretched out on the floor, a sharp pain shot through his back and side, bringing all of the events of the previous night back into clear focus. He was still a prisoner in Gisborne’s house.

            Wanting to stand, Much reached up to the window sill and used it as support as he again tried to rise. After making it to his feet with much effort, his eyes found the forest and Locksley village. Dawn had erased the stars from the sky, but the faint light had yet to reveal any details in the forest or on the ground. Everything still appeared before him as a blank slate. Much scanned the area for any sign of Robin and the others, to give him hope that they had a plan to get him out of this place and away from Gisborne. He refused to believe that he would live out the rest of his days trapped here.

            Suddenly, behind him, the door’s lock clicked and the door creaked open. Sarah brought a candle into the room, and then, to Much’s delighted surprise, a tray with food. It mainly consisted of dried bread, hard cheese with a cup of water, but even scraps would have been a feast to him after a day with nothing at all in his stomach. Before Much could thank the girl, Gisborne suddenly loomed behind her. As Sarah tried to flee what she was sure would be another unpleasant encounter, he blocked her path and ordered her to secure the  window. Slowly, the girl turned around and pulled the shutter closed, and with some difficulty succeeded in fastening the lock. Avoiding Much’s eyes, Sarah rushed to leave the two alone.

            Much’s heart sank. He wondered what he would have to endure to get a bite of food. Looking back at the window, he knew that as dawn returned to the shire, he would not be able to see Robin and the others if they were outside. Once again, he felt the suffocating isolation of being locked away in the manor without a soul to help him through this.

            Clearing his throat, Gisborne gestured to the food. “I’ve brought you food. You should know that I do not plan on killing you. Keeping you alive is to my advantage.”

            Much wanted desperately to sit down at the tray and begin devouring the provisions, but with Gisborne hovering over him, he could not bring himself to move closer to his captor. Curious, Much looked up at Gisborne and asked, “Forgive me for asking, but why is it to your advantage?”

            Gisborne smiled and walked through the room, stopping just in front of Much. “I plan on finding Robin in the next few days. I want him to know that if anything happens to me or any of my men, that you will pay the consequences. I will not allow any more of my tax shipments to be stolen from me by his men. If he knows what is best for you, he will also cease his thieving from the nobles.”

            Heartsick, Much closed his eyes, knowing that Robin would be trapped by such a threat. He also knew that Robin would not deliberately do anything that would result in his torture at the hands of Gisborne.

            Gisborne’s leather gloved hand reached out to tilt Much’s face upward, revealing the purple bruise outlining his cheek in the candlelight. Much kept his eyes closed. With a satisfied sigh, Gisborne released his chin, and turned to leave. “You will finish your meal, and I will send Thornton to fetch you. Today, you will start your service in my manor.”

            After the door shut, Much walked over to the tray. With great care, he eased down to the floor. His stomach rumbled as he sat in front of the tray, but even though he was starving, he could hardly bear the idea of eating. He did not want to be the reason others in the shire would suffer from the tyrannical rule of the Sheriff and Gisborne. Finally, fearful that the food would be taken away, Much forced himself to start eating. As soon as he sunk his teeth into the bread, he could not chew it fast enough to satisfy his hunger.

            The cheese and bread soon vanished, and Much sat staring at the empty tray. How could he have complained about the food in the forest? They always had enough to eat, and the villagers always provided a bountiful supply of goodies, such as occasional meat pies and sweet cakes. His stomach growled, reminding him that he was still hungry. The water felt good against his dry throat and lips. When the last drop fell from the cup, Much sat it back on the tray. While thankful to be fed, he could not suppress his anger. He did not belong here. Gisborne had no right take him away from Robin. Once he got on his feet, Much kicked the metal tray and tankard across the room, which clanged and clattered violently against the far wall.

            Much immediately regretted his rash action as he heard the sound of boots climbing the stairs and the key turning in the lock. When a wide-eyed Thornton entered instead, searching the room for the cause of the loud noise, Much allowed himself to breathe again.

            “What are you doing? Do you want the master to come back in here enraged at you?” Thornton bent over and picked up the tray and the cup, handing it off to Annie, who stood just outside the door.

            Much only responded with how he felt and pleaded, “I don’t belong here. I want to go home.” He felt awkward, talking this way with Thornton . The steward had never hid his disapproval of Much’s freedom from servant duties while taking care of Robin and joining in on his adventures around the shire before leaving for the Crusade.

            Thornton ignored the man’s complaints as he reached for his hands. Resisting the urge to pull away, Much let the head servant untie the wrapping that Marian had created to cover his bleeding wrists the night before. The cloth tugged at his skin, but when Thornton removed the other wrist’s wrapping, he seemed pleased by what was revealed. Much gingerly rubbed his sore wrists, relieved to be distracted from his situation for just a moment.

            Thornton motioned for Much to follow him. “This way.” The old man walked out of the room with Much on his heels. The guard stationed outside followed him down the stairs. In a corner of the great room Much spied a large wooden bucket with several rags folded off to the side.

            After Thornton stopped in front of the bucket, Much scanned the entire room, noticing the numerous items that would have to be scrubbed. Upset, he looked back to Thornton . “Am I to understand that I have to clean everything in the room?” His pride dwindled when he noticed Thornton attempt to hide a small smile.

            Trying to shake off the amusement, Thornton added, “I do not mean you any disrespect, Much, but this was something that I had always wanted you to be doing instead of running around the shire with Robin.” Startled by familiar footsteps, Thornton ’s demeanor returned to a serious nature as Gisborne descended the staircase.  The steward rushed about the great room, unlocking the shutters before carefully opening them to the daylight growing outside.

            Gisborne smiled. Much felt certain the lord could read his distress at the prospect of cleaning the entire room. Guy addressed Thornton , “I want you to make sure that he stays busy. If he does his task to your satisfaction, you are allowed to feed him at midday .”

            Thornton immediately respond, “Yes, my lord.” Rushing to the manor door, the servant quickly had it opened, allowing Gisborne to leave. As soon as he exited the manor, Thornton secured it once more. The guard who had shadowed Much down the stairs took his station in front of the exit.

            With a great huff, Much grabbed the top rag and dipped it into the cold water. Wringing it out, he looked helplessly up to Thornton, who passed by, leaving Much alone with the guard. The room seemed to grow in size as he thought of cleaning every bit of it. Resigned to get this task finished, he began scrubbing the tall ornate cedar table sitting near the window. To his disgust, the rag quickly blackened with dirt. Thinking of the forest, Much decided that even their camp was not as filthy as the manor house.

Locksley Village

            Robin kept an eye on the manor house from behind the cottage on the edge of the village. Little John and Djaq monitored the security of the manor from the hill they had found the previous night. Allen and Will left the gang to find out more information about the fortifications from the smiths who performed the work on Locksley manor.

            At last, Robin heard a familiar whistle from the forest, and reluctantly, he left his watch to join Little John.

            The big man’s face told the story before he spoke. “Robin, it does not look good. Gisborne has a guard posted outside each window on the bottom floor.”

            Djaq sighed, “I counted ten around the perimeter of the house. Five more are stationed in the stable with the horses.” She looked around the village, pointing with her eyes. “It is dangerous here. Gisborne has several of his men patrolling the village.” She lowered her voice as two guards passed by the cottage Robin had been using as cover to watch the manor house.

            Robin acknowledged her statement with a nod, but added quietly, “We cannot let Gisborne chase us out of Locksley. We need to be close in case an opportunity presents itself. Much is counting on us to rescue him.”

            As the guards completed their circuit around the village, they made their way back up to the manor. Robin returned to the cottage and found the vantage point where he could get a full view of the manor house. To his surprise, he saw Gisborne riding towards the village. Both Djaq and Little John realized that their vantage point would not hide them from Gisborne, so they quickly returned to the forest. Robin, on the other hand, stood his ground. He was determined to find out what Gisborne had to say to the village firsthand.

            As the lord entered the village, the people remained outside their cottages. Robin noticed the smug smile that seemed to crawl across Gisborne’s face as he dismounted. A guard grabbed the reins of his horse as Gisborne adjusted his gloves over his hands. Guy’s eyes searched the village, and Robin suspected that he knew that the outlaws were there. Robin’s fist clenched into a tight ball, and to Robin’s surprise, a steady hand grasped his shoulder. He turned to find Djaq and Little John had joined him. Robin suspected that they were worried about what the outlaw noble would do with the opportunity to confront Gisborne. Robin realized that he was prepared to step forward and kill the ‘would be’ assassin once and for all.

            “People of Locksley, I am here today to send a message to Robin Hood. You saw yesterday that I have captured his servant.” Smiling, Gisborne strolled around addressing all the worried faces of the village, “Today, he is busy cleaning the great room of my manor. If the outlaws suspend their actions against the Sheriff and the nobles of Nottingham , I can promise that the most he will suffer is that of the duties assigned to any servant in my house.” Pausing, Gisborne searched the forest edge near the village, “but, if any taxes are stolen or if any attempt to rescue this servant is pursued, I will have no choice but to punish this man.”

            “His name is Much, and he is not your servant.” Robin stepped out from behind the far cottage with his bow and arrow drawn, to the dismay of both Little John and Djaq. However, each followed their leader, with staff and sword in hand on each side of the outlaw.

            Gisborne’s smile grew. Robin suspected he had hoped for a face-to-face confrontation.

            “Robin, I see your men found you.” When his two guards started to run towards the outlaws, Gisborne stopped them by raising his hand. “I was hoping to see you in person here in Locksley.”

            His heart wanted to release his arrow, but his head kept his hands in check. “I want him back, Gisborne. You should remember all too well what happens when you cross me. If not for Much, I would have killed you months ago.”

            Gisborne eyed the arrow pointed at him with deadly intentions. With a calming swallow, he added, “You would do well to hold your temper and your hand. I have left explicit instructions that if anything happens to me, be it a wound or a fatal arrow, my guards are to run their swords through your servant until he draws his last breath. I’m sure you remember what a last breath looks likes.”

            Slowly, Robin lowered his bow. “What game are you playing, Gisborne?”

            Anger crept into his voice, “This is no game! You have vexed me since your return from the Holy Land . Your men follow you to their deaths without giving a second thought to their own lives.” Pointing to the village, “You squander your power over others to feed the poor. Your servant is the last thing that I could take from you, and it is the one thing that I know will strike you where I want.”

            Little John and Djaq each reached a hand to steady Robin. He was visibly shaking with anger. “Gisborne, I am not a man you want to cross. You seem to have forgotten my pledge that on King Richard’s birthday. I will kill you.”

            Gisborne reached for his horse, and ordered his men to stay close. “I think that you are the one who has forgotten his place. King Richard is in the Holy Land fighting for Rome and against the Turks. In his absence, Prince John rules this land and has to raise taxes to keep this state going. You have lost your lands, your lady, and now, your servant. I want you to realize that I am the one in control here, not you.”

            With the last word, Gisborne kicked his horse and headed back to the manor. The guards followed, confused, but not willing to question the orders of their master. Little John and Djaq could do nothing but stand by Robin as he went into a violent rage, kicking the bucket and screaming his frustration into the sky. Both knew that Robin’s outbursts were upsetting the villagers, so each tried to coax Robin to calm down. Finally, he stopped screaming, and stated solemnly, “I’m fine.”

            A few minutes passed before a sudden cry split the air and everyone began running towards the manor house. Robin, Djaq and Little John turned around to see that the guards had been ordered to stand in a line between Locksley Village and Locksley Manor. Robin’s heart jumped out of his chest at what he saw next.

Chapter 6  

Locksley Manor

             Inside the manor, Much obediently scrubbed several of the furnishings that occupied the large room. He did not remember it being so cluttered when Robin and his family were the owners. The grime from the furniture stained his fingernails and hands. Disgusted, he slung the filthy rag into the nearby bucket which splashed onto Much’s clothes.

            “For pity’s sake!” Much yelped while shaking the water from his shirt. The guard’s snickering made him want to kick the bucket in his direction, but instead, he ignored the man.

Thornton rushed into the great room, easing right back into the same role Much remembered before he had left with Robin for the Crusade. “You will never finish the room just standing there staring at the bucket.” With a quick inspection of the items Much had already cleaned, the steward’s voice screeched, “You call this clean? There is still dirt in the crevices of the carvings.”

            The guard finally laughed out loud, drawing both men’s attention. Much looked at the guard and then down at his bucket, reconsidering something he had thought of earlier. With Thornton ’s mind busy looking for fault in his work, and the guard distracted by his own misplaced humor, Much kicked the bucket towards the guard, creating a rush of polluted water that spilled across the floor.

            “There, you clean it if you know how it should be done!” Much yelled. The guard stopped laughing and jumped out of the way of the spreading liquid that quickly soaked the wooden floor.

Outraged, Thornton scurried over to grab the remaining dry rags to absorb the mess. “You useless…” He left his statement unfinished as he looked up just in time to see Much clobber the distracted guard over the head, sending the man reeling to the ground. Much grabbed the guard’s sword and stood before Thornton with the weapon while searching the doors and landing, waiting for another guard to appear.

            As his heart raced with the prospect of escaping the manor on his own, his attention returned to Thornton when the only persons who appeared at the doors and the landing where the other servants of the manor. Holding the sword out and pointing it at Thornton , he ordered, “Open the door.”

            Thornton shook his head. “I cannot.” Looking back at the rest of the servants in the house, “Our lives will suffer if I let you out of this manor.”

            Much glanced at the others and felt their unfortunate luck being trapped by station here at Locksley manor, but he could not afford to stay. “ Thornton , please. My place is with Robin, not here. I cannot stay!”

            “My responsibility is for everyone in this manor house, not just one. I cannot open the door for you.” With the haughtiness Much remembered from so many days living in the manor house, Thornton crossed his arms standing his ground before Much.

            Much realized he had to do something that he would regret. After switching the sword to his right hand to feign defeat, Much surprised Thornton with a quick left fist to the face. As Thornton fell, Much dropped the sword to catch the steward, easing him to the ground. He whispered apologetically, “Sorry.” Looking back at the others in the room, he cried out, “I’m truly sorry.” They all gasped and stood back, afraid not only that Much might turn on them too, but of their lord’s wrath..

            Much managed to fumble through Thornton ’s shirt until he found the key. With a quick yank, he broke the cord around the steward’s neck. After a quick retrieval of the sword from the floor, he tried to swiftly unlock the door. As the seconds passed, he began pleading with it. “Come on… please.” When the key finally found its place in the lock, Much felt the bolt give. With an anxious pull, he dashed out of the house, ready to face any guards waiting outdoors. To his dismay, Gisborne himself stood in his way. Much raised his sword, ready to fight for his freedom.

            Gisborne cocked his head, trying to grasp how this man had escaped his manor and stood before him with sword in hand. Calmly pulling out his own sword, Gisborne barked at the guards, “Form a line between the manor and the village, now! Grab any servants on the lawn as shields. Hood will not endanger the innocent.”

            Hearing that Robin was in the village gave Much a boost of confidence. If he could get past Gisborne, he could escape and rejoin Robin. His heart could not tolerate this crazy idea of servitude to Gisborne.

            Reminding Much of his dire situation, Gisborne circled his sword in the air. “We both know that you don’t want to die here. If you put your sword down now, your punishment won’t be so severe.”

            With the chance of freedom so close, Much could not stomach the thought of being forced back inside the manor. He lowered his sword, but did not drop it. Instead, he lunged at Gisborne, putting the noble on the defensive with several swift swings. As Gisborne retreated, Much tried to gauge how far he had to get away from the manor before he could make a run for the forest.

            Gisborne cursed himself for letting Much have one moment on the attack before turning the tide. His unyielding broad sword pummeled his foe, and Much had to gather every ounce of his strength to hold Gisborne back. Without a moment’s reprieve, Much found himself forced to the ground. Suddenly, with a wrong turn of his weapon, Much felt his opponent’s sword slip past his defense, slicing into his right side. The icy sting cut through his body causing him to instantly drop his sword and grab his wound.

            Gisborne stepped back, suddenly concerned for the man as he realized that he had inflicted a dangerous injury. Much sat up in shock, staring dumbfounded at the lord. Gisborne cringed when he noticed blood soaking the man’s shirt. He snapped to sudden awareness, mindful that Robin and his gang had to be aware of the situation unfolding. Feeling momentarily safe with his guards acting as a wall, Gisborne grabbed Much by the front of his shirt and pulled the bewildered man up over his shoulder. Glowering at the guard who was still recovering from whatever the servant had done to incapacitate him, Gisborne screamed at the man, “Get a physician! Now!”

            The guard raced out of the manor and quickly jumped on Gisborne’s horse, and headed into Nottingham .

            Gisborne entered the house, carrying Much, and found several of the servants helping Thornton to his feet. He barked another order, “Find that key, and lock the door!” Then he marched up the stairs, lugging a stunned Much over his shoulder. After storming up the stairs, he paused in front of the small room where he had been keeping Much. Pondering the dead weight in his arms, Gisborne seethed. This one deserved no favors for trying to escape, no matter his condition. As two servants rushed up the stairs with supplies for tending the wound, the lord finally entered the room and carefully placed the now groaning man on the floor.

            “Take care of him!” Gisborne shouted. The younger woman, Emely, ran inside quickly carrying rags and bandages while Annie carried a basin of clean water. Leaving his servants to their work, Gisborne returned to the scene of the “crime”. Eyeing his head servant disdainfully, he instructed, “ Thornton , keep the doors locked. Anyone who is outside the manor cannot gain entry until I give the say so. Close all the shutters on the lower level.” Gisborne then marched over to one of the open windows, and called out to one of his men. “Robert, keep your men alert. No one is to approach the manor house, except the village physician. Tell the servants who are still outside the manor that they are not allowed inside until tomorrow. They will have to remain in the village tonight.”

            Distracted, Robert looked away from Gisborne. Unable to see what took his guard’s attention, Gisborne’s asked, “What is it?”

            “My lord, the Sheriff’s carriage is coming around the village, heading this way.” Robert questioned, “Are we to let him inside?”

            Word of the Sheriff’s arrival set Gisborne’s nerves on edge as he started calling out new orders. Finding the water still soaking the floor, he growled at Thornton , “Have this cleaned up immediate, then go up stairs and get Much on his feet.”

            “Yes, master.” Thornton replied before nodding to a group of servants who were busy gathering the supplies needed to clean up the mess. “Quickly, you heard the master.” Thornton responded before heading up the stairs.

            Gisborne questioned his guard again. “The outlaws, can you see them? Have they tried to approach the manor?”

            Robert stepped away from the window to get a better view of the village and where he had seen the outlaws during the fight. Before responding, he called out to his men, “Any sign?”

            As calls came back from his other guards, Robert shook his head. “No one sees them my lord. They appear to have either disappeared into the village or back into the forest.”

            Gisborne nodded but did not feel secure. “They will not be far. I want every guard to be alert and close to this manor. Rotate often. When the Sheriff is near, call out and I will have Thornton open the door.”

            “Yes, my lord.” Robert replied before walking away from the window. Gisborne pulled the shutter and locked it himself with a key that he also wore around his neck.

            Upstairs, Thornton found Annie and Emely working quickly to tend Much’s wound. The steward immediately opened the shutters to allow more light into the small, dark room. With Much laying down on the floor, Emely eased the bloody shirt out of the blood while Annie tried to clean the area around the wound. The basin of water reflected crimson as more of Much’s blood was wiped away, revealing the cut in his side.

            “Does it look bad?” Much asked Annie as he twisted his head to see where Gisborne’s sword sliced into his side. “I mean, I’ve seen wounds in the war. I was wounded, but nothing like this.” With a great intake of air, Much braced himself as Annie once again scrubbed the wound with a clean cloth.

            Thornton noticed Much holding his breath each time Annie swabbed the wound. “Young man, you must breathe or you will pass out,” he warned.

Startled, Much winced with pain from his sudden movement. With closed eyes, he apologized. “Sorry. I didn’t want to hit you. I just… I just…”

Thornton held out his hand and came closer to inspect the cut. “Shhh…” With the blood cleaned away, the slash in his side appeared to be a manageable wound, but Thornton had seen many accidents on the estate and knew that infections could always arise. Plus, they still had to see what the outcome would be with the Sheriff’s visit.

Thornton hurried the women along. “We don’t have time, Annie. You need to wrap the wound.”

Annie protested. “But it needs stitching before we can wrap it.” When Thornton ignored her protest, she obediently raised Much to a sitting position to start the task.

After grimacing from the movement and pain, Much closed his eyes and shook his head. “Stitching… this is not good.”

Thornton did not waver and helped Emely prepare the cloth strips. As Annie began wrapping the wound with bandages, Thornton continued to rush her. “Hurry up Annie. When we are finished, we need to get him on his feet.”

“What?” Much questioned. “I really don’t think I can stand.”

Thornton noticed that Much’s eyes were starting to turn red around the edges as the bandages started to soak through with more blood. Ignoring his protest, Thornton helped the women lift the wounded man to his feet. “Emely, take the water downstairs. Annie, you keep Much on his feet. Don’t let him sit and don’t let him fall.”

“ Thornton !” The lord’s voice echoed through the manor.

The steward could not ignore Much’s questioning eyes. “The Sheriff has arrived. You must be strong while he is here.” Thornton hurried out of the room knowing that he had just given Much a startle that should keep him on his feet for the time being.

Gisborne stood ready as his steward unlocked the door. Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward to meet Vaisey who rudely stormed into the house.

The Sheriff pushed into the room with angry shouts as he barged past Gisborne. “I am greeted with armed guards and locked doors at my Master at Arm’s estate! You have ignored my commands to return to the castle, and now, I see that you have been building a fortress of your own here at Locksley! Should I be worried?” The Sheriff paused as he noticed three servants working diligently to clean up a mess in Gisborne’s great room. Forcing a short chuckle, the Sheriff added, “Did someone have an accident?”

Gisborne bowed his head. “Yes, my lord.”

Vaisey’s eyes searched the rest of the floor, noticing large drops of blood on the woodwork. “Did you have a party here and forget to invite me? Whose blood graces your manor, Gisborne?”

This time, Gisborne looked upstairs. “I have Robin’s servant, Much, upstairs. He tried to escape and caught the end of my sword as punishment. My servants are tending him.”

Vaisey smiled, “Really?” Climbing the stairs, the Sheriff did not have to go far to find the room that housed Much. As he entered, he pushed the servant girl out of his way to get a better look.

Gisborne nodded for Annie to leave as he joined the Sheriff. Guy felt pleased to see Much able to stand on his own, ever how tenuous his balance appeared.

The Sheriff reached up and grabbed Much’s chin, pulling his trapped eyes in his direction. “This one is slippery, isn’t he?” Turning Much’s face, the Sheriff noticed a large bruise on his right cheek. “Ah, I see you have been busy Gisborne. Am I to understand that this one interrupted your wedding with the news that my king was an imposter?”

Gisborne knew the Sheriff’s ploy. He wanted to stir hatred in him, but the lord had exhausted all of his energy for the day and only wanted his master to leave his manor as quickly as possible. “My lord, I have many reasons for taking him from Robin. He is a part of this estate that you granted me. Plus, I have a plan to use Robin’s affection for this man against him. I have placed a threat on his life to keep the outlaws from robbing any more taxes. The fact that he disrupted my wedding is only one of my reasons for bringing him here.”

Nodding approvingly, the Sheriff released Much from his vise grip. Much’s breaths returned as quick and shallow gasps as he leaned back against the wall for support.

“Well, all of that is a moot point if he dies, isn’t it.” Vaisey’s appraisal of Much stopped at the blood visibly still soaking his shirt. “I will let you continue to play your game, Gisborne. Just make sure Robin knows this is your idea, not mine. If he dies, I do not want an insane Hood coming into my castle to assassinate me.” With a sarcastic grin, the smaller man pointed at the windows. “If he does die, you might need more bars added to your little fortress.”

Trying to hold in his resentment towards Vaisey, Gisborne cautiously questioned, “What if he lives? Whose idea will it be then? What if my plan succeeds in stopping the theft of the taxes?”

The Sheriff’s eyes sparkled with a hint of humor. “If this one lives and no taxes are stolen, I will give you credit, Gisborne. Oh, and I will also expect you to teach this one how to serve proper meals to his betters. He apparently did not appreciate my gift of being made an Earl.”

Gisborne looked back at Much and realized the man held a tenuous balance leaning against the wall. He also appeared oblivious to the Sheriff’s snide remark about making him an Earl. As the Sheriff left the room and coasted down the stairs, Gisborne whispered to the guard outside the room, “Get him into a bed and make sure the room is secure.”

Following the Sheriff to the front door, Gisborne stopped as the Sheriff suddenly turned around and added, “If he survives this wound you so gallantly gave him, I want to see him at the castle in two weeks.”

“My lord, if he leaves this manor, Robin and his men will take him.” Gisborne felt his ire rise.

Vaisey lost all hint of any humor. “Then you had better make sure your men are prepared to guard him. I have planned a very special state dinner to affirm my control over the shire after the failed attempted to kill my enemies. I want to show them that I am in charge, not Robin Hood. What better way than to have Robin’s servant serving me!” He paused before adding, “Make sure that one does not die, Gisborne!”

Just as swiftly as he had arrived, the Sheriff left the manor. After taking several deep breaths, Gisborne walked through the house barking orders. “I want all of these shutters locked now that the Sheriff has left!”

Thornton approached the lord and without hesitation asked, “What about the servants you are locking out of the manor, my lord? The guards have passed along a request that some of their clothes be given out to them. Some have never stayed with the peasants in the village before.”

Gisborne tried to take in another deep breath before finally giving in. “You are the only one allowed to give anything to anyone outside this manor. Use this front window.” Without bothering to walk to a window to see if his head guard was near, Gisborne called out, “Robert!”

An immediate, “Yes, my lord,” came from outside.

Gisborne continued, “Where is the physician?”

“My lord, he was delivering a child and will come to the manor as soon as he’s finished.” Robert’s muffled voice filtered through the closed shutter.

Gisborne clenched his fists, resigned to the fact that he had lost control of the day’s events. “Very well. Meanwhile, allow each servant to approach the manor house one by one to collect some of their belongings. Thornton is the only one who can hand out the clothes. I want two guards to monitor the exchange, understood?”

A second, “Yes, my lord,” sounded through the walls.

Thornton sighed when Gisborne once again climbed the stairs. The steward began organizing his people to make sure bundles were made that could be quickly passed out of the house to those trapped outside. Thornton returned to his servant’s quarters, and he pulled out a quill and parchment. He knew that this was risky, but Robin needed to know Much’s condition, and that his household would do everything it could to see Much through this. He also needed to know that if Much survived, the Sheriff had plans for him in the castle in two weeks. He hoped it was enough to give Robin hope and a plan to rescue his dear friend.

Chapter 7  

Locksley Village

The sunlight filtered through the trees of the forest on the outskirts of the village as Robin paced the perimeter of the clearing, replaying the earlier events in his mind. Experience in the Holy Land taught him that while his aim may be true, the movement of others in the line of fire created chaos that could turn a well-placed arrow into one of his own men. His desperation to save Much could not override the value of the innocent lives of his servants as the guards began using them as shields between the village and the manor.

Watching from the distance, Robin had felt helpless when Much managed to escape the manor, only to run into Gisborne just outside the door. Robin clenched his fist, remembering the weight of Gisborne’s sword back in the Holy Land . When he saw Much go down, Robin felt a phantom pain shoot through the wound on his side. It took all of his men to keep him from charging through the guards and servants. The final stab to his heart came when Gisborne ordered one of his men to fetch a physician.

The soft voice of Djaq brought Robin back to the present. “Robin, one of the servants from the manor brought this for you.”

Robin glanced up to see Djaq holding a folded parchment in her hand. Opening it, he recognized Thornton ’s ornate handwriting. ‘I will do what I can for Much. Wound is a cut in his right side but under control. Sheriff has ordered Much brought to the castle in two weeks to serve a state dinner.’ After reading the note, Robin folded it and placed it in a pocket of his jacket.

“What does it say?” asked Djaq.

Robin gazed off into the distance. A man of action, he found it difficult to be unable to control the events inside the manor. His words on the hill over Locksley the day before Marian’s wedding kept repeating in his head. As Robin replayed Much’s hurt expression over and over, he knew that he would never forgive himself if he did not get the chance to express his regret for speaking those hurtful words to such a loyal and kind friend. At the same time, he imagined the pain his friend was going through, wounded and trapped all alone in the manor without friends there to help him.

He released the breath he did not realize he was holding before speaking. Dwelling on the past and things he held no control over would not free Much. “ Thornton says he will do what he can to help Much.” Robin placed a hand on Djaq’s shoulder. “We need to change our focus. The Sheriff is going to have a state dinner in two weeks, and to taunt me wants Much to serve him and his guests. I want to know who is going to be attending and what the Sheriff is planning for this event. If…” Robin stopped himself before continuing, “When Much is better, the Sheriff wants him brought to the castle.”

Djaq shook her head and questioned, “Two weeks?”

Robin nodded, “Two weeks. We are going to give Gisborne what he wants. No raids on the taxes, no robbing the nobles, and no excursions into Nottingham .” Robin gave her a forced smile. “When we get Much back, Gisborne will be the one who will need protection.

Locksley Manor

            As Gisborne entered the guest room, the rising moans from his captive made his back stiffen. Annie sat by the bed carefully cutting the bandages wrapped around Much’s waist so the local doctor who had been summoned earlier could examine the wound. Concerned over the strips of cloth soaked with blood, Sir Guy asked, “Is he still bleeding?”

            After examining the wound, Sims looked up at his lord and shrugged. “The bleeding has stopped, but it has left him very weak. The closing of the wound appears clean. Your servants are well versed in stitching. I could not have done a better job myself.” Much tried to suppress a cry when the physician’s rough fingers poked around the tender area. Standing and packing his supplies, he addressed one of the servants. “Annie, wrap the wound loosely and change the bandages once more tonight, and three times tomorrow. Keep it clean. He should not move around too much until it has started mending. I recommend that he stay in bed for at least three days. Keep him comfortable and cool with compresses until his fever breaks.”

            When Thornton entered the room, Sims handed the steward a small, dark bottle from his worn leather bag. The physician asked the steward, “Do you remember how to administer this?”

            Eyeing Much worriedly, Thornton took the bottle, nodding. “It is for the pain, correct?” The steward handed the bottle to Annie, who placed it on the table next to Much’s bed before touching his shoulder in silent comfort.

            Sims returned a nod and closed his bag. The physician glanced to Gisborne. “We are only in the first hours of the injury. I fear things will get worse for him before he starts feeling better.”

            Gisborne and Thornton escorted the physician down the stairs. Thornton managed to get ahead of the men to unlock the door, and stood waiting for his master and the physician to exit the manor.

            Once outside, Gisborne could not suppress his concern, “What are his chances?”

            Sims shook his head. “I have been treating patients for many years, my lord. Sometimes, the simplest wound will take a man and yet another more grievous will heal in days. The humors play a great role in healing. I can only recommend that you keep his spirits up and give him plenty of care. He is young, which is in his favor.”

            With a nod, Gisborne dismissed the physician, who attached his bag to his saddle before mounting his horse. Gisborne stared past him as he left the manor yard towards the village. Guy wondered how far the physician would get before Robin’s men stopped him. With a crooked smile, he tried to imagine the torment his plans were creating for Robin. Much’s injury was unexpected, but not totally unwelcome.

            Once inside, he followed Thornton back up to the room where they found Much arguing with Annie.

            “Please, I don’t want to take any of that.” He pleaded as Annie tried to force him to take some of the physician’s draft. Much remembered what almost happened to Marian after taking Pips’ concoction. He did not want to die in his sleep.

            “Granted it tastes terrible, but you will feel better. I’ve taken this before. I promise, you won’t remember the pain,” Annie said soothingly as she held out the medicine in a drinking cup.

            Turning his head, Much refused the offer. Thornton took the cup from Annie. “Go around to the other side. Help him sit up so that he can swallow better.”

            “But…” Much tried to protest. After Annie made it to the other side of the bed and placed her arm under his back to raise him off the mattress, a much stronger wave of pain flooded his body. Filled with a new incentive for taking the medicine and with Thornton nearly pouring the contents down his throat, Much had no choice but to swallow. The concoction was true to Annie’s word. It tasted horrible, nothing like the flavorful medicine Djaq had made before. Slowly, the pain subsided as a fog settled over his mind. The room grew quieter, and he could no longer feel himself lying in the bed. Within a few moments, Much slipped into a restful sleep.

            Thornton placed his hand on Much’s forehead, and felt the threat of a fever. With a jerk of his head aimed at the basin, he gestured Annie to take the bloody water out of the room. They would need plenty of clean, cool water to keep the fever manageable.

            The steward sighed as he spoke to his master. “I will make sure he is taken care of tonight. He will need to be kept cool during the fever. We have to be careful with the amount of the draft the physician left. It can be dangerous if too much is given too often.”

            Gisborne nodded as he stood leaning against the door, his arms crossed. He studied the patient thoughtfully. “What do you think, Thornton ? Will he survive this wound? You have tended to many injuries over the years.”

            Thornton forced a smile, remembering the events just a few hours earlier. “He is a stubborn young man. I am not going to give up on him, master.”

            Sir Guy returned the smile, asking, “Even after this one gave you two black eyes and knocked you out cold?” Gisborne raised his gloved hand, gesturing to Thornton ’s eyes. “You have to be hurting.”

            Sheepishly, the steward brought his hand up to his nose. His face ached, and it felt as if his nose were starting to swell. “Well, yes, my lord.” Thornton quickly walked past Gisborne to check on Annie’s whereabouts.

            Gisborne remained in the doorway. He knew that the worse was yet to come. Weakened by the loss of blood, would Much be able to fight a fever? The pain medicine would let the young man get some restful hours before the fever gripped him. Silently, Gisborne cursed him for taking such bold actions. His plan to trap Robin in a web of consequences rested on keeping his loyal servant and friend alive. Letting him die was not an option, no matter how much he had threatened his life before.

            As Annie returned with a fresh water basin, Guy left the room. He had to trust that his servants knew what they were doing. They would do everything in their power to keep Robin’s friend alive, and he counted on it. 

Sherwood Forest

            After the gang allowed Sims to return to Nottingham unmolested, Robin quietly withdrew from the men. His hand fell to the scar on his side, as he recalled the agony of his own injury and the countless days of his recovery. Most of that time he had no recollection, yet through it all, any time he had a lucid moment and opened his eyes, Much had been there tending to him.

            As night fell, the gang rallied around their leader. They could not leave Robin to face his demons alone. Will approached Robin and sat on a large rock next to him.

            “What was it like in the Holy Land , when you were wounded?” Will surmised that Robin’s mind was drifting far away, for he absentmindedly placed his hand to his side with his eyes closed.

            Allen and Little John exchanged glances, uncomfortable with the direction their youngest member was leading the conversation. Djac joined Will, sitting next to him on the rock.

            The Saracen nodded, “It is never easy when a wound turns septic, for the injured or the caregiver.”

            Leaving the past behind, Robin glanced up at his friends. “I found out that Much never left my side, even after the others had given up all hope of my recovery.” He shook his head. “If Much had not been there, I would not be here today.”

            Djac tried to reassure Robin. “Sims said the wound had been cleaned, that your servants have done a fine job. Much is strong. He is stubborn. He will not be alone through this. Thornton promised.”

            Robin let a sad laugh escape. “But I am not with him. I cannot help him through this. Much was injured in some of the battles, but nothing like this.” The distraught man pointed to his side. “The pain was unbearable in the beginning. There were moments when I wished I would die just to be free from it.”

            “Yours was a dagger wound that cut deep. This is a shallow sword cut. Sims asked the servants, and they did not think the wound did anything more than slice through the skin and some flesh. Yes, he lost a lot of blood, but he can recover.” Djac looked to Will, Allen, and Little John. “We will be ready when he is well, and they move him to the castle.”

            Will grimaced as he finally decided to share new information from his secret excursion into Nottingham . “I heard a new rumor about the state dinner. You aren’t going to believe who the guest of honor is.”

            Allen huffed, “Not King Richard again. He isn’t going to pull that one twice, is he?”

            Will interrupted Allen’s ranting. “I wish he was going to try that one again, but I fear this time, the royalty in question is very real. Everyone in Nottingham knows what this man looks like.”

            Confused, Djac questioned, “Who?”

            Robin put the clues together. “Prince John,” he stated with a hint of annoyance.

            Will nodded, “Prince John came to Nottingham when he transferred the shire over to Vaisey. I heard rumors that he can be even more evil than the Sheriff, if that is at all possible.”

            The outlaws sat in silence as each pondered Will’s statement. Finally, Robin broke the calm. “Our best chance to rescue Much is at the castle, during the dinner. I know that the Sheriff will be expecting us, but with such an important visitor in Nottingham , the pomp and circumstance of the moment will lend itself to our advantage. We will need to infiltrate Prince John’s guard.”

            Allen asked, “Why not just ambush the convoy?”

            A twinkle in his eye had Robin thinking. “No, I’m sure Gisborne expects that and Much’s life could be in danger. It’s the dinner or nothing.”

            Little John balked at Robin’s proposal. “Robin? That is the craziest thing I’ve ever heard you come up with.”           

            With a serious gaze at Little John, Robin agreed. “Right now, crazy is the only way we are going to be able to rescue Much.”

 Locksley Estate

            This time, the raid on the camp came without warning. Much had been sound asleep when he heard his master yell that the King was under attack. In the moments it took him to grab his sword and jump out of his bed, Robin had left him. With great effort, he searched for Robin but could only see other King’s guards fighting with the Saracen raider. He desperately needed to find Robin. Finally, an arrow took down one of the attackers. With a soft voice, Much whispered, “Robin.”

            Following the cries of dying men, Much ran through the camp until he caught a glimpse of his master. Immediately, he knew something was wrong. With a final sprint, Much finally joined Robin just as his master missed one of the Saracen raider’s entering the King’s tent. Robin collapsed.

            “Master… you’re wounded.” Much reached down to help Robin up, but his hand quickly found blood. Looking to his hand, he didn’t know what to do.

            Robin quickly sent Much away to get more help. Despite Much’s desire to stay and help, he understood the importance of saving King Richard. After waking the rest of the camp, Much returned to the King’s tent. He spied several men just outside of the King’s tent carrying a man. At first, he feared that Robin was too late, and the King had been killed. Then the reality of who they were carrying hit him.

            Annie continued to bathe Much’s forehead as his head tossed back and forth. She could only imagine the horrors Much and Robin had seen in the Holy Land . Several times during his dream, Much mumbled ‘Saracen raiders’ and ‘King Richard’. His thrashing in his sleep grew worse, and when Much began to mumble again, she understood why.

            “Master… no. Don’t die. Please.” As Much’s distress grew, so did his movements. Finally, Annie decided to wake him.

            “Shhh… Much. It is only a dream. Robin is safe.” Carefully, Annie shook the man until he became still and his breathing steadied. As he slowly came around, she continued to talk to him. “You are in Locksley, not the Holy Land . Robin is alive.” She did not know if the dream had been a memory or something Much had imagined.

            As Much slowly emerged from the nightmare, he realized that he was not back in the Holy Land . Annie sat next to him, and was wiping his face with a cool rag. When he tried to move, a sudden pain shot through his side, and Much immediately went still while crying out in pain. He also remembered why he laid here in a bed, in Gisborne’s Locksley manor.

            “Shhh… lie still. Your wound is stitched, but it needs time to heal.” Annie pulled back his blanket and raised his shirt, revealing the bandage over the wound. It had a pink color over the cut, but Annie seemed relieved by what she saw. “You have not damaged the stitching. Emely will change the bandages at sun-up.” Carefully, she lowered his shirt and returned the blankets.

            Shivering, Much stated, “It feels like winter in here.” His weak voice troubled him as he remembered the many wounded men in Acre .

            Annie helped him raise his head to take a few sips of water. With a gentle hand, the servant helped the injured man ease back down on the pillow. Barely audible, Much mumbled, “Thank you.”

After a curt nod, Annie adjusted his blanket before tucking him in tightly. “There, now you won’t be able to forget about your wound and try to sit up.” Returning her attention to the basin of water, she wrung the water out of her rag and once again patted the cool cloth over his face.

Much tried to concentrate on the coolness of the rag and not the fire burning in his side. He nearly managed to drift back off to sleep when an unpleasant voice carried through the room.

“Leave us.” Gisborne ordered from the doorway. Much opened his eyes to find Gisborne walking in, his mood hidden by the shadows of the candlelight illuminating the room. Annie frowned and quickly untucked his blankets, allowing her patient movement to pull his arms free. His head spun just from looking around the room, and Much realized his confinement to the bed meant he could not get up, no matter how free he felt without any binding. After returning the wet cloth to the water basin, Annie bowed her head and obediently departed.

Much locked eyes with Gisborne. Embolden from the situation, he refused to remain quiet. His hands instinctively balled into fists, his nails digging into his palms.

“What do you want?” Much asked, again surprised by the weak sound of his voice when he had meant the words to come out with a sharper resonance.

Gisborne closed the door and leaned against the wood. “I need to understand something.”

Sarcasm replaced boldness and Much replied, “I can’t work miracles,” and then turned away, crossing his arms on his chest. He kept his eyes open, trying to will Gisborne to leave him be.

“Why go to the Holy Land with Robin? He seems to value your life. Why would he have taken you with him to a certain death?” Gisborne let the question hang in the air for several minutes, until Much could not handle the silence. Finally, he turned around and found Gisborne still focused on him.

“He did not order me to the Crusade with him. He ordered me to stay here in Nottingham , with Sheriff Edward and Marian. After the accident and his father’s death, Robin needed to find himself, and he felt that in King Richard’s army, he could discover the man he was truly meant to be.” Much glanced away before continuing. “I would not let Robin leave without taking me with him.”

Gisborne’s brow furrowed. “Why follow your master to the Holy Land ? You must have imagined that you could be killed and never return home.”

Shaking his head, Much added, “He is my master. He needed me. I made a promise…” Much stopped, afraid that he might reveal too much.

“A promise? To whom?” Gisborne probed.

Regretting his slip of the tongue, Much felt that he could do no harm by telling Gisborne the truth about his trip to the Holy Land .

“I would have gone without making the promise, but… before Lord Robert passed away, he made me promise…” Much felt his emotions rising to the surface as he remembered his last moments with Robin’s father. “I promised that I would not let Robin destroy his life after he lost his father. That I would be his voice of reason whenever he decided to engage in the wild and crazy adventure that was his life.” Shutting his eyes, Much added, “Lord Robert had no idea that Robin would decide to join the King in the Holy Land , but I’m sure it would not have surprised him.”

“But you let him go to the Holy Land ?” Gisborne questioned.

Much’s face flushed red as Gisborne stirred his anger. “I cannot stop Robin once his mind is made up. I am just glad that I convinced him that he needed me. If I had not been there…” His gaze found Gisborne, “If I had not gone to the Holy Land with Robin, he would have died from the wound you gave him.”

Gisborne scoffed, “How did you save him?”

“Everyone had given up on him after the sixth day. The nurses no longer came around to change the bandage. They were not trying to get him to drink any more water. Everyone was ready to just let him die.” The memory remained fresh in Much’s mind after just waking from the dream of the events leading up to the many sleepless nights worrying that Robin would die and leave him lost in the Holy Land. “I would not give up on him.” Much’s voice broke, “I could not.”

“Useless loyalty for your master?” Gisborne asked with a disgusted tone. His ploy was working. As the servant continued with his story, he grew less guarded with his answers. Guy hoped that Much would let something of value slip.

“Loyalty? What is loyalty but friendship, love and compassion? These are the qualities that drive loyalty, not obedience and servitude.” Much gasped for a breath before continuing, “You will never know what it is like to have true loyalty from your subjects. In the Holy Land , Robin protected me, and I protected him. We helped each other. He had the ear of the King on many occasions. When the King returns…” Much finally remembered his audience and left the threat open. “He will return.”

Gisborne finally decided to take control of the conversation. “You speak of friendship, but look where this friendship has taken you. You went to a horrific place where your life was on the line everyday. When you returned, your master lost all rights and privileges as a noble, and you end up living like a wild man in the forest of Sherwood . Every day is threatened with death from a sword or a hanging. How is that friendship?”

Frustrated, Much tensed and regretted it. The pain shot through him, and he tried to keep his composure controlled, but a few tears escaped him. Finally, Much continued the argument. “If I had not stopped him, Robin would have killed you in the forest.”

“Do you regret not letting him? You would not be here if you had let Robin take his revenge that day.” Gisborne remembered thinking several times that Robin had lost it and that he was dead, but the gang and Much had held Robin’s hands at bay. Once again, Gisborne felt that principles held no value in the grand scheme of things.

Focusing through the fog of his mind, Much tried to remember the wisdom he had gained in his travels with Robin. Tired of the effort of sparring verbally with Gisborne, he decided to answer him with one of the sayings Robin had learned in the Holy Land . “Each of us has a purpose in life. I have to trust that yours is not to always cause pain and suffering throughout the shire.” After making the statement, Much fought another spasm as it coursed through him. In his mind, he hoped that Gisborne’s purpose in life was not to be the cause of his death.

Seeing that he was not going to get any further with this round of questioning, Guy stepped away from the door before reaching to open it. “You just lay there and rest. I’ll return when you are completely lost in fever. Then you will be ready to talk.”

As he exited the room, Much struggled to ask, “What does that mean?”

Annie scurried back to the room. Much tried to rise, but she forcefully rested her hand on his shoulder, keeping him pinned down. “The master has upset you. You need to relax.”

“But… what did he mean?” The burning in his side increased ten fold as his body responded to the stress of Gisborne’s promise.

“Calm down.” The servant wrung out a new cloth and bathed Much’s forehead, which had a soothing effect on Much as he closed his eyes.

After a few minutes of silence, Much opened his eyes, and once again pleaded with her. “Annie, what is Gisborne planning?”

Uncomfortable with the question, but wanting to answer the young man, Annie stole a quick glance at the door. One of the guards stood outside the room. She hoped he was one who did not truly have loyal ties to Gisborne, or if he did, he would not hear her whisper.

“Gisborne hopes to talk to you when you can’t tell the difference between a dream and reality. When you are lost in a delusion, we have orders to fetch him.”

“I could… I might…” Much knew that his own mind could conspire against him. “I wouldn’t…” Wanting to escape any chance that he could betray his friends and Robin, Much pleaded with Annie. “Please, if I am lost in a fever, don’t tell Gisborne.”

With a sharp glance to the door, she added, “We are all bound to our new master, Much. You will do well to remember that.” With careful hands, the young woman picked up the physician’s medicine, measuring out a specific amount and added it to a cup of water.

Much shook he head, “No, I don’t want to drink anymore, Annie. Please?”

Annie held up the cup. “You can either drink this now, or I will wake Thornton . I’m sure he wants to get out of bed to force you to take your medicine after what your near escape has put us all through. Many of the servants are forced to sleep out in the village, and we do not know if Lord Gisborne will let them back in the manor tomorrow or not. Poor Thornton , his face is black and blue from where you hit him earlier.”

Much felt all of his energy drain away as he listened to the woman. He had been so concerned about saving himself that he had not thought about anyone else in the manor. Annie brought to light the day’s events, while dangerous for him, they were also trying for the other servants in the house, especial Thornton .

Seeing the man deflate, Annie regretted her rant on the poor man. “I’m sorry, Much.” With a very soft voice and a smile, she added, “We all prayed that you would escape.” With those words said, Much returned her gaze with a small sparkle in his eyes. The light immediately went out when she held up the cup. “I promise, if you don’t sleep through the night after taking this, I won’t make you drink another.”

Much, resigned to his fate, nodded and allowed Annie to raise his head. With great effort, he swallowed the contents of the cup, which tasted just as foul as the first batch. Like before, the pain eased, the sounds faded and the room vanished. This time when sleep claimed him, it pulled him into a web of memories and nightmares.

Chapter 8

Locksley Manor

            “My lord,” exclaimed Thornton as he knocked on Gisborne’s door. “Please, come quickly.”

            Startled awake, Gisborne bolted upright. A repeated pounding on the door confirmed he was not dreaming, so he jumped out of bed. Sleeping in just his underpants, he quickly grabbed a black shirt to throw on before opening his door.

            “What is it?” Sir Guy asked with a hoarse voice. “He isn’t dying, is he?” Without waiting for an answer he took off for Much’s room.

            Trying to keep up, Thornton held the candle high enough to light the way for his master. “Emely and Thomas were looking after him. He believes that he is still in the Holy Land , and that he was wounded in a fight with the Turks. I don’t know how, but he managed to get out of bed and is holding Thomas by the throat.” Thornton stopped just shy of the door upon hearing Much yelling inside.

            “Where is Robin? I just left him!” Much’s voice trembled with distress.

            Gisborne paused next to the door. “He should be weak in his condition. Thomas is a strong young man, can’t he just beak free of the man’s grip?”

            Thornton placed a hand on the doorjamb, and then turned around to face his master. “Men lost in feverish dreams have unimaginable strength. He truly believes he is in the Holy Land . I fear he may harm Thomas if the young boy tries to wrestle himself free.” Thornton handed Gisborne a hood that he had been carrying. “Please, my lord. I ask that you pretend to be Robin, just long enough to get Much to release Thomas. Then we can deal with trying to get him back into his bed.”

            The noble stood with the dark grey hood in his hand. “You want me to wear this?” He asked with a hint of repugnance.

            Both men suddenly heard Emely pleading with the sick man. “Much, please, you need to understand that we are not going to harm you. You are home in Locksley, not in the Holy Land .”

            “No, you’re trying to trick me! We have been fighting the Turk and protecting the King. Robin promised he would not leave me here. Where is he?” Much’s anxious voice spread throughout the manor. “It’s hot and I’m tired of fighting. I must find Robin!” 

            Resigned, Gisborne placed the hood over his head, covering his face and nodded to Thornton . The steward entered the room with a sweeping entrance that succeeded in wiping out two of the candles that lit the room.

            “I have found him. He was not gone, just in an audience with the King.” Thornton ’s gaze fixed on the door, and finally, Gisborne entered, not at all pleased to be carrying out a charade for the benefit of one of his servant’s life. His eyes rested on Much and Thomas in the corner of the room. Much’s stranglehold on the boy was severe. Any more pressure could crush the larynx.

            “Much, what are you doing?” Gisborne asked, in a soft, admonishing voice. He could not fathom how this pretense was going to work. He sounded nothing like Robin, and stood several inches taller than the outlawed nobleman.

            “Robin?” Much questioned. Gisborne adjusted his hood so his face was hidden. A sudden wave of pity coursed through his gut when he spotted the dark circles around the young man’s eyes, and the pale hue of his complexion even in the dim candlelight.

            Lifting his hands towards them, Gisborne commanded in a soft but firm tone, “Much, let Thomas go, he’s only here to help.” A look of confusion crossed Much’s face, but to Gisborne’s relief, he released his grip on Thomas, who managed to pull away. The boy started coughing as soon as he was able to get enough air into his lungs, as he ran quickly out of the room.

            Gisborne’s steady gaze from beneath the hood kept affixed on Much, especially now that he had his full attention. Much’s shoulders fell. “Are you angry with me?” the servant asked.

            Shaking his head, Gisborne questioned, “Why would I be angry with you?”

            Grabbing the bed for support, Much lowered his head. “Sir Edric and Sir Philip… I was in your line of fire when the Turks attacked. I tried to move, but…” Much shook his head. “When I heard you yelling, I hit the ground as soon as I could, but it was too late. They are dead, aren’t they?”

            Gisborne did not know the truth, but it seemed that in all likelihood, the answer was yes, so he responded with a nod.

            The answer seemed to take all of the energy that Much had, and if not for the quick movement of Thornton , the young man would have hit the floor.

            Through tears, Much managed to say, “I’m sorry.” With little fight left in him, Much allowed the two servants to guide him back to bed. Emely held up a cup of water, of which Much drank several swallows before returning his gaze to Gisborne.

            Unsure of what to say now, Gisborne began rationalizing the deaths himself. “It is the tragedy of war, Much. Men die.”

            “But you can do amazing things, Robin. I have seen them. You have saved us more than once by doing the impossible. The king knows this. He has said on many occasions that you are his best archer.” As Much spoke, Emely raised his shirt, examining the injury in the dim light. “I don’t remember being wounded.” Slowly, Much’s head lolled back against his pillow, but he jumped when Emely’s hand tugged at the bandage.

            “Shhh…” she said. “I need to look at it.” With careful fingers, she exposed the wound.

            “How is it?” Gisborne questioned, trying to stay out of the light from the candle Thornton held over the bed.

            Thornton sighed, “It is bleeding again. We might need to tie him down to make sure he doesn’t get back out of bed.”

            “What? No!” Much exclaimed. “I’ll stay in my bed. I promise!” He looked to Gisborne. “Robin, you aren’t going to let them do this, are you?”

            Beneath his hood, Gisborne smiled. He did not have to be the bad guy this time. It would be Robin’s doing. Nodding to Thornton , he added, “He needs to recover. Do what you have to in order for him to stay still.”

            Emely handed Thornton a fresh bandage. Each servant succeeded in tying Much’s wrist while the injured man protested, trying to yank his arms away from the servants. “This is not fair.”

            Thornton tried to reassure the young man. “We need to do this to keep you in bed. If you manage to rip your stitching during your fevered dreams, you could die.”

            These words struck Much hard. “Die?”

            Thornton nodded, “Yes, die. Your wound appears to have held its stitching from your little escapade, but it is dumb luck. If you get out bed again before it heals, you may rip the wound open, allowing infection to brew.”

            Much became very calm and made it easier for Emely and Thornton to finish tying off the cloth strips underneath each side of the bed.

            With the deed done, Gisborne felt that the need for the charade no longer mattered. Pulling off his hood, he walked closer to Much and the servants.

            Much glanced up to witness a stranger standing where he thought Robin had been. The sight of the dark-haired noble sent images and memories racing through his mind. The servant remembered returning with Robin to Locksley. He remembered Robin rescuing four young men from a hangman’s noose. The man who stood over his bed had stolen Robin’s lands, his title. His heart wanted to ask for Robin, but suddenly, he realized Robin was not there, that he had never been there. It had been Gisborne.

            “You? It was you all along?” Much groaned  as he pulled against his restraints.

            “I see that you are back with us. Enjoy your trip back to the Holy Land ?” Gisborne asked as he looked down with a cold smile.

            “Robin will kill you, you know that. He is not a man you want to cross more than once.” Much tried to relax as he started to get lightheaded from his exertion.

            Gisborne tossed the hood back to Thornton . Before turning to leave, he glanced back at Much, and responded. “As long as you belong to me, he will not dare an attempt against my life. Remember that the next time you try to escape, I will be sure to kill you myself. At least I will have that one satisfaction before facing your master for the last time.” A smirk crossed his face. “One way or the other, I’m sure that one of us will not walk away from that meeting.”

            As Sir Guy left the room, Much wanted to scream. Instead, he just balled his fingers into fists, banging them silently on the mattress. The tight restraints did not allow for much movement. After looking up to Thornton and Emely who both wore sorrowful expressions, Much felt helpless. He watched Emely return to the seat next to his bed as Thornton also departed. Not another word was uttered as she began to bathe his forehead again with a damp, cool cloth. Again, Much closed his eyes, resigned to rest and face Gisborne another day. He would not give the noble the satisfaction of his death. Robin needed him, and he needed to live. Where there was life, there was hope. He had to trust that Robin would come up with a way to get him out.

Chapter 9

Locksley Manor

            Sunlight poured into the bedroom, making it difficult for Much to open his eyes. His mind swam with dreams and memories, but the warmth of the sun on his face brought him back to the present. As he moved to stretch, a familiar catch in his side prevented him from going too far.

            “I see you have finally decided to join us.” A pleasant female voice greeted him. He tried to open his eyes again, and this time succeeded.

            “Marian?” he questioned, wondering if he were still dreaming.

            “Yes, it’s me.” Carefully, she helped him sit up in the bed. “Gisborne is visiting the Sheriff at Nottingham Castle . He allowed me to sit with you today.” She nodded towards the door, “But he left plenty of guards in his place.”

            With a strained voice, Much added, “I’m so hungry. How long have I been asleep?” He looked around the room. “I never thought the day would come that I would wake up in a soft bed and wish I was back in Sherwood.” He confessed.

            “You had us worried. According to Thornton , you have been out for two days.” Marian smiled. “Sarah is fetching you soup.” Marian offered Much a cup of water, and he gratefully accepted, taking hold of it himself.

            “Soup?” Much’s face fell. “But I’m so hungry. A nice piece of pig or beef with a large loaf of bread and maybe a few cooked carrots and potatoes.” The thought of such divine food allowed Much to drift into a warm, safe place in his mind. “That would be nice.”

            “Prince John is visiting Nottingham in a week. The Sheriff is planning a State dinner with all of Nottingham ’s nobles.” Her serious voice caught him off guard and he began to choke on his water.

            Coughing, he managed to clear his throat to ask, “Prince John, the real Prince John?”

            Marian nodded. “He came to Nottingham once before to transfer the shire from my father to Vaisey. The Sheriff is reasserting his control over the shire with the Prince’s visit.”

            With a huff, Much stated, “I hope the Sheriff and the Prince have fun. I sure don’t want to meet this evil brother of King Richard.”

            Marian quickly looked away from Much and rubbed her hands over her white dress.

            Sensing there was something else that she was not wanting to tell him, Much asked, “What is it?”

            Returning her gaze, Marian explained, “The Sheriff has ordered Gisborne to have you serve him at the dinner. He wants the nobles to see that Robin Hood does not control the shire. One of the Sheriff’s servants is being sent here to train you.”

            “No! Not another dinner.” Much glanced to the ceiling. “I hate serving dinners.”

            Unable to hide her smile, Marian laughed. “I would have loved to have seen Robin drenched in red wine.”

            Caught off guard by her merriment, Much could not help but smile at her laughter. “Well, he was a sight.” The memory of Robin jumping up when the wine spilled from his hands always sent mixed emotions through him. It still embarrassed him, but if not for that event, he would not have become a servant of the Locksleys and Robin.

            “Do as Gisborne and the Sheriff tell you.” This time Marian looked to the door before leaning in closer to Much. “Your dinner will have the same ending as the one in Carlisle .”

            Relief flooded Much and his joy dimmed the memories of the suffering he had endured here in Gisborne’s Locksley. When Sarah walked in with the food, his grin lit the room. “Soup and bread!”

            Marian looked up to Sarah to see the young servant smiling. Sarah replied, “You are feeling better.” As she carefully sat the tray down on the table, she handed Much the bowl. “ Thornton said that if you can eat the soup, you can have whatever you want for dinner.”

            The joy of the moment abruptly ended when Much heard Gisborne ascending the stairs. Both women in the room lost their smiles. Marian quickly jumped to her feet while Sarah bolted to make sure she was out of the master’s way.

            As Gisborne entered the room, Much felt like he was going to be ill. The smell of the soup lost its appeal. Much could not help but stare through the lord.

            “Good, he finally woke,” Gisborne stated, slightly out of breath. “Marian, join me downstairs.” As quickly as he had appeared, Sir Guy disappeared. Marian placed a hand over Much’s.

            “Stay strong and do as he says.” She gave him a stern look.

            “Yes.” Much nodded as she removed her hand and left the room.

            Much stirred the soup, but finally set the spoon down in the bowl without taking a bite. Gisborne had succeeded in stealing his one moment of elation. With Marian in the room and food in his hands, he could only imagine a rescue, being with Robin and the gang again. Sir Guy reminded him that things do not always work out the way they planned. Too upset to eat, Much carefully set the bowl on the table next to his bed.

 Locksley Great Room

            Marian glided down the stairs to meet Gisborne. The lord paced the room, his jaw set.

            “Sir Guy, what is wrong?” Marian watched as Gisborne tugged on his black gloves, tightening them over his fingers several times.

            “The Sheriff will ruin everything. His crazy idea of having Robin’s servant at the castle is a dangerous proposal. Robin has proven that the security in the castle is weak. His gang has infiltrated it many times in the past.” Gisborne glanced up at the second floor. “My one moment of victory over the outlaws, and the Sheriff is going to destroy it.”

            “My lord, the Prince’s guard will be there. The castle will also have your men and the Sheriff’s at every entrance. In fact, I feel confident enough that dinner will go smoothly that I have agreed to sit by you.” Marian tried to calm him. “Prince John will be the one controlling the event, not the Sheriff.”

            Sir Guy’s stern eyes bore through her. “Prince John is a dangerous man, Marian. You may see the Sheriff as unyielding to your pleas for the peasants, but do not make the mistake in thinking you can sway the prince.”

His cold, hard voice sent a shiver through Marian. She stepped back from Gisborne before adding, “I won’t.”

            He sighed, and added, “Promise me you will remain by my side during the dinner. The prince has an eye for beautiful woman. I do not want him to make the assumption that you are available for his pleasure.”

            Startled by Gisborne’s bold statement and genuine sincerity, Marian agreed. “I won’t leave your side.”

            “Good.” Gisborne gave Marian one last look before relaying a message from Sir Edward. “Your father requested that you return to Knighton immediately. He said your dress is ready for fitting and the seamstress is waiting.”

            After a quick nod, Marian added, “Much is doing well. Thornton said his wound is healing and he should be up in a day or two.”

            Gisborne escorted Marian to the door, and using his key, unlocked the entrance. “The Sheriff will send his head servant here tomorrow. I feel that both he and Thornton will have a lot on their hands dealing with this one.”

            Marian let her hand linger on Gisborne’s. “He knows to do as he is told, Sir Guy. I made it clear to him.”

            Gisborne nodded. Once Marian left the house, he secured the door. Glancing around, he realized how quickly things could change. He could not shake the apprehension of the prince’s visit or having Much in the castle. The Sheriff had crossed him one too many times, especially when it concerned Gisborne’s dealings with Robin’s men.

Knighton Hall

            Marian rushed into the house and immediately found Robin waiting for her. His eyes questioned hers, and she could see he was worried about Much’s condition. Her smile revealed good news for a change.

            “Much is awake. He asked for food and his voice was strong. Thornton said all redness had vanished, and that the wound is healing.” Marian’s face brightened when Robin’s shoulders lifted in relief.

            “He knows about the rescue?” Robin took both of Marian’s hands in his. As she nodded, he pulled her close. “Thank you for doing this, Marian.”

            Marian let Robin’s embrace last a few moments longer before she began speaking about what she had learned from Gisborne.

            “Sir Guy is worried.” Marian found herself suddenly free of Robin’s hold. “He knows there is a risk in allowing Much to visit the castle.”

            Robin forced a laugh, “Well, we will just have to make sure that his worries are well founded. My men will not leave that castle without Much.”

            “I know, but you are not the only person weighing on his mind. Gisborne is angry with the Sheriff, and I have a feeling that he is unhappy about Prince John being there.” Marian turned away from Robin. “What kind of man can make Gisborne cower?”

            Robin sighed. “A man who can turn all of England upside down with cruel decrees and outrageous taxes. This so-called king has the power to keep people like the Sheriff and Gisborne in their place. Unfortunately, he commands all of England until Richard returns.”

            After several moments of silence, Marian asked, “What if Richard does not return from the Holy Land ? What if he is killed in battle thousands of miles away?”

            Robin knew that it was useless to second-guess the future. “Until we know he is not coming back, we will continue to usurp the wealth of the Sheriff and Prince John, if need be. Right now, we need to rescue Much.” Robin grinned. “I’m sure that will be enough to draw the wrath of the Sheriff and Gisborne. From what you have told me, it sounds like the Sheriff will have to deal with Guy’s rage after the deed is done, and Much is safe in Sherwood.”

            Once again, Marian turned away. “You must be sure you can succeed before you attempt this, Robin. You have seen what he can do to Much if you fail. He is not a man who takes deceit lightly.”

            Robin knew that Marian did not approve of the idea of killing anyone, but in Robin’s heart, he knew that he would kill Gisborne to rescue Much, if need be. To his lady, he only admitted, “I will be sure. This is our best opportunity. We have royal guard uniforms prepared. Djac has also gathered ingredients for our diversion. If we can’t rescue Much at the castle…” Robin left the statement unsaid.

            Marian turned Robin’s face to hers. “You will get him out.” Before parting, she gently kissed Robin on the lips. As she climbed her stairs, she added, “You know the way out.”

            Robin smiled, and then ran out the back way to join his gang. Everything was in place. They would infiltrate the castle the night before the State dinner, and join the ranks of the Prince’s guards. Once inside, they would wait for the right opportunity to create a massive diversion before rescuing his dearest friend. Robin could not let doubt inch its way into his mind. His heart could not bear the thought of failure for such an important mission. Much’s life depended on him succeeding.       

Locksley Manor

            Seven days of standing, serving, bowing, and removing dishes had been more wearisome than anything Much could have imagined. Taking care of Robin, a man of action and adventure who enjoyed spending just as much time outdoors as indoors meant that he had very few tedious moments of standing at attention without speaking or making eye contact with those whose stations were deemed higher than his own. While Much knew the rules, more times than not, he broke more than he dared count in the company of Robin. This time, he knew that he had to keep silent and repress the urge to voice his indignation at being told that he was not an equal or that his thoughts had no value or meaning to those around him. Robin may pretend to ignore Much, but he knew that his words made a difference when Robin needed advice.

            Much had been returned to his small room two days after waking from his fever. He awoke this morning to the familiar calls of the Locksley roosters before the first light of day broke through the cracks of the locked shutters. Sitting up, Much ran his hand over the healing wound on his side. The skin still held a thick scab over the area, but deep down, it ached fiercely when he moved too much. This caused Much to wonder how often Robin’s wound bothered him.

            As Much stood, he heard a loud commotion outside. It sounded like a heavy wagon entering the front yard with several men on horses. Much tested the shutters again, but they held fast.

            When his door rattled with the entry of a key on the other end, Much had a feeling that he was being moved from Locksley to the castle. Thornton stood holding a candle outside his room.

            “This way, the Sheriff has sent the jailer’s wagon for you.” Thornton stepped aside and two of Gisborne’s guards reached to grab Much. Each took an arm and escorted him down the stairs.

            As soon as they reached the landing, Gisborne raised his hand, and the guards released their captive. The room felt oppressively hot with the burning of several candles. Trying to pretend to be the good servant, Much lowered his face to the floor while Gisborne circled him. He hoped it would be for the last time.

            “I will have my eyes on you until we return from Nottingham . Make no mistake. If Robin and his men try to steal you from me, you will suffer the consequences.” Gisborne held up a thick leather belt for Much to see. Making a quick flick of the wrist, the belt cracked against the wall, causing the servant to jump. Gisborne pointed to Much, “Get him in the wagon and secure the door.”

            Once again, the guards grabbed Much by his arms and marched him out the door. Outside, they shoved him into the wagon and dragged several feet of chain through the bars and door before bolting a lock to its ends. Much thought of Djac and her people who were transported across England in such a cage. When the wagon began to move, he found it easier to be seated than to try to stand.

            The illumination of the torches only lit the area closest to the riders and the wagon. Casting glances at the shadowed forest on either side of the road to Nottingham , Much wondered if Robin and his men were hidden inside or if they were elsewhere, plotting his escape from the castle. Feeling eyes upon him, Much stole a glance around him to see Gisborne riding next to the caged wagon. With nothing to do, Much decided to curl his knees next to his chest and try to close his eyes. He knew that today would end his turmoil, one way or another.

Nottingham Castle

            Once inside the gates of the castle, the guards pulled him out. The Sheriff, whose jovial mood did little to impress either man, greeted both Gisborne and Much in the courtyard.

            “Wonderful. I see you both made it.” The Sheriff flicked his hand towards the castle, and was startled when half of Gisborne’s garrison followed.

            “Gisborne?” he questioned his Man-At-Arms.

            “I am not going to take a chance, my lord. You said yourself that you want this man to serve you at the dinner to prove a point, that you rule Nottingham and not Robin. It would do us all ill favor if Robin managed to rescue him before the dinner for Prince John.” Gisborne moved closer to Much, placing his hand on the back of his shirt. “This one knows the punishment for any failure to do his part tonight at dinner or for any attempts by Robin to free him.”

            The Sheriff dismissed Gisborne’s comments with a wave of his hand. “Fine, your men can escort him through the castle until tonight’s dinner. If there are any leftovers, they can feed your motley crew, otherwise, they starve. Besides, at the reception, the Prince’s guards will be in control of security, and your men will have to wait outside of the Great Hall, understood?”

            Gisborne nodded, “Yes, my lord.” With the statement made, Sir Guy released his hold on Much’s shirt.

            “Take him to my quarters where Garrick is waiting with fragrant oils and a change of clothes. Garrick has his final assignment for tonight’s event.” Suddenly, Sheriff Vaisey stopped in front of Much, lifting his face within an inch of his with a cruel grip. “You, my friend, best remember to serve me without hesitation or error, or you will wish that Gisborne’s sword had succeeded in taking you from this world. Is that understood?”

            Much quickly responded, “Yes, my lord.” Much wished the hot breath to be gone. The Sheriff held his chin tightly for a moment longer before releasing it. His chest pounded with every heartbeat until the Sheriff departed to finish some last minute arrangements for the dinner.

By the time they reached the Sheriff’s quarters, Much regained his composure and control of his emotions. He needed to stay focused and do as he was told. Those were Marian’s words that he knew would ensure that he kept Robin’s plan on track. However, upon seeing the very outlandish purple attire the Sheriff had chosen for him to wear, he simply refused to keep quiet.

            “No. You mean I’m to wear these?” He held up the shirt and pants.

            Gisborne smiled, despite his solemn mood. “There may be some entertainment during tonight’s affair after all.” Motioning to the changing partition off to the side, he instructed Much. “Go, put it on.”

            Disgusted, Much had little choice but to follow orders. He made a promise to himself to burn the clothes when Robin rescued him. “Purple…”

After going behind the wall, the servant tried to keep his cool. Much did not know what Robin had planned, but he hoped that it did not mean he had to serve the entire dinner and cater to the Sheriff’s every whim.

Chapter 10  

Nottingham Castle

The day had been filled with preparations for the dinner. Much found himself tasked with peeling potatoes in the kitchen, and eventually the polishing of the dinnerware in the Great Hall. Everywhere he went, he had a ten man escort with Gisborne not too far behind.

A couple of hours before the dinner, Much caught sight of Marian in a beautiful deep blue dress with white beads lining the neck and the sleeves. He had never seen her so radiant and stunning. His hands clenched in anger as Gisborne took her arm and led her to the Great Hall. By every right, Robin should have been by Marian’s side, not Gisborne.

Suddenly, a stick smacked his knuckles, causing Much to cry out in pain. “Ouch!” He –yelped while rubbing his hand. Garrick stood in front of him.

“Distractions are not allowed. You will find that the Sheriff will demand more than a hit across the knuckles if you miss a signal. With Prince John attending the dinner, I promise you that you do not want to embarrass the master.” The tall servant with exceptionally perfect deep blue attire motioned for Much to follow him. “This way.”

            Upon entering the Great Hall, Much’s stomach threatened to expel every morsel he had managed to sneak during the day. The prince’s guards lined the hall and watched over every entrance. How was Robin planning on rescuing him from this?

            Once again, his inattention earned him another swat across the knuckles. “Ouch! Stop doing that!” Much exclaimed.

            Garrick only added, “Stop getting distracted.” The servant pointed to one of two tall backed seats at the head of the table. “You will be serving the Sheriff. Your station is directly behind his seat. Prince John will be seated next to him and his own servant will be attending him. Whatever you do, don’t embarrass the Sheriff.”

            Trumpets sound, startling Much. “Is it starting already?”

            Nodding, Garrick led Much to his station. “I don’t understand why he trusts this important duty to you, but he is the master.” Garrick finally left Much alone, to stand behind the empty chair. As each trumpet sounded, Much tried to suppress the instinctive jump it caused. Slowly, the room began to fill with nobles from Nottinghamshire. Sir Edward walked in alone, and after a few more nobles entered, Gisborne and Lady Marian were announced and seated.

            Much kept his eyes on Gisborne who survey the entire room, and assumed the noble was scanning for Robin and the gang. As much as he wanted to see Robin, the number of guards in the room left him apprehensive. He found himself hoping that Robin did not try anything that could get himself killed. He knew that he could not bear witnessing the death of his friend, no matter how many times Robin tempted fate and beat the odds.

            Another trumpet sounded, this time with the announcement of Sheriff Vaisey. The Sheriff entered wearing a white fur cap and matching furs lining his black robe. With great fanfare, the pompous man seated himself at the head of the table. Much tried to remember if he was required to do anything after the Sheriff took his seat, but his attention was quickly stolen with the final trumpet, which had the ring of several notes that differed from the nobles’ entry. This trumpet announced royalty, a sound that took Much back to his days serving with Robin in the King’s personal guard.

            Only this time, it was not King Richard who would be entering the room.

            “His Royal Majesty, Prince John.” Everyone stood, even the Sheriff, as the Prince stepped down the stairs and paused before the men and women of Nottingham . While all of the nobles’ bowed, they all looked up to the Prince while servants continued to bow their heads. This was one moment where Much refused to follow the rules, and peeked up to see who had destroyed the England that he and Robin had so longed to return to from the Holy Land .

Prince John rivaled Gisborne in height, but instead of black hair, his hair was a well-manicured blond. Noting the strong jaw line, Much could see a resemblance to his brother, but the similarity ended there. The manner in which this royal held himself spoke of domination of those around him. His robes radiated deep purple, turning Much’s stomach as he glanced down at his matching outfit and then back to the Prince. Surely the Sheriff did not plan this as a joke, he thought. When the prince continued to acknowledge the nobles, Much quickly returned his gaze to the ground, but he knew he had already caught stealing a glimpse.

Afraid to look up, Much kept his head down as the Prince approached and sat at the table. When the Prince’s servant rushed forward to fill his glass, Much did the same for the Sheriff. After setting the serving flask down quickly, he returned to his station while the royal highness addressed the others with a raised goblet full of wine.

“Lords and Ladies of Nottingham, I am here today to ensure that the crown has the loyalty and service of all landed gentry in this shire. I understand that some of your serfs are suffering from the increased taxes and demands on their goods, but we are at war in the Holy Land . This requires sacrifices from us all to ensure that my brother, King Richard, has the funds and the means to restore the Christian faith to the land and return safely to England .” Prince John held his goblet up to the Sheriff. “I need men like Lord Vaisey to rule by my side to make certain that everything is under control for my brother’s behalf and his safe return. Until then, I rule England in his absence.” With a final salute, the Prince toasted. “To King Richard and his safe return to England .”

Everyone in the Great Hall followed suit and shouted, “To King Richard!” With the toast complete, the Prince sat and announced, “May you all feast and enjoy this celebration.” With ceremony, the Prince broke a loaf of bread and offered it to the Sheriff. Everyone at the table mirrored the ceremony, breaking bread and offering it to his or her neighbor. The Prince leaned over to the Sheriff and whispered into his ear. After both men shared a heartfelt laugh, the Prince glanced behind to give Much a once over. Uncomfortable with the attention, Much felt his hands turn to ice and tried to rub some sensation back into them.

After filling the Sheriff’s cup for the third time that evening, Much continued to glance around the hall, wondering how Robin planned on a rescue after the dinner. To his surprise, Prince John had left his seat several times to make conversation with Sir Guy and Marian. From the sharp glances the Prince received from Gisborne, the servant could only imagine that his attention was not appreciated.

This time when the Prince returned, the Sheriff once again raised his goblet for his servant to refill its contents. Frustrated at the man’s over-exuberance for his wine consumption, Much attentively filled the cup. However, before he could hastily retreat back to his station, a strong hand grasped his wrist. He felt his stomach somersault in place when he realized the man holding his wrist was none other than Prince John.

Much paused to bow, before inquiring, “Your majesty?”

“Sheriff Vaisey tells me that you served in the Holy Land .” The Prince’s face grew stern as he continued to inspect Much from head to toe.

Unsure of how to react, Much decided it would be prudent to stick to short answers. “Yes, your majesty.”

“Intriguing. It is not often that I have a chance to meet someone who has returned from the Crusade, and I have never heard of a servant returning from the war.” Again, the Prince shook his head in disbelief. “You served in the Crusade?”

The Sheriff -ordered Much to share more of his story. “Tell Prince John who you served with and how many years you were in the Holy Land .” As Much hesitated, feeling all eyes in the hall on him, including the Prince, Vaisey added sternly, “Go on, tell him.”

Much finally found his voice again, “I… I served with my master, Robin of Locksley. We were in the Holy Land for five years.” Darting his gaze from person to person until he found Marian’s face drawn with worry while Gisborne’s eyes filled with daggers as if he could kill everyone seated at the head of the table. Finally, Much remembered his audience and added, “Your majesty.”

The Sheriff took the liberty to add to the story. “Not only did this man serve in your brother’s army, he was part of the personal guard that protected the King.”

Much swallowed, realizing this information would make matters worse. Prince John stood to walk around the royally adorned servant. “Interesting. When you said you had a surprise for me at dinner, I never imagined that it would be this remarkable. I would love to hear stories about my brother and of the war from this man.”

Entirely pleased with himself, the Sheriff smiled and gestured grandly, “Then take him with you back to London . I’m sure this servant will keep you entertained for hours with his numerous stories about the Holy Land and your brother. He has the gift of gab.”

Surprise spread throughout the room as the nobles’ wondered at the offering. Marian’s eyes searched the room while Gisborne scowled darkly. He continued to stare a hole through the Prince and only moved his eyes to do the same to the Sheriff.

Unable to remain silent over this outrageous proposition, Much cried out, “No… I am not property to be passed around.”

The room fell silent. Much had now compounded his misfortune by embarrassing the Sheriff in front of his very important guest.

The Prince spat, “What audacity coming from a mere servant!”

The Sheriff growled before reprimanding Much. “You, my friend, have no rights. You followed Robin into the forest as an outlaw. I could have you hanged, or have you serve out the rest of your life in a mine. Instead, you are going to serve Prince John, and tell him everything he wants to know about King Richard and the war. That is, if he still is interested after your insolent remark!”

Prince John ordered his two personal guards to seize Much. “This man seems to have forgotten his station. I would love to remind him of the rules of serving royalty. Take him…” Before the Prince could finish his statement, a cry split the Great Hall. His eyes grew wide as white smoke billowed from every corner.

“Fire! Everyone get out! Fire!” The word fire was repeated over and over by many in the hall as panic spread. Chairs were overturned as people fled the great room.

Right on cue, John, Allen, Will and Djac mixed the chemicals together in each corner of the room that produced a flood of white smoke. Robin stood back, waiting for the diversion to work while keeping a close eye on Much’s whereabouts.

Fueled with anger, the Sheriff tried to play down the alarm. “It is a trick! There is no fire!”

However, the Prince was not buying his story. With venomous fury that the Sheriff could only envy, Prince John ordered, “Get me out of here, now!”

Without a word of protest, Sheriff Vaisey helped the guards immediately behind them escort Prince John safely out of the hall. Everyone coughed fiercely as the white cloud continued to expand.

To Marian’s dismay, Gisborne had not been fooled by the ruse and immediately left her side. The lady tried to grab hold of him, but her grasp only found air. An unknown shout of “This way” was her only clue as to which direction to evacuate the room. Upset that she had lost track of Gisborne, Marian had no choice but to leave the Great Hall without knowing where the noble had vanished. 

As soon as the ‘fire’ had appeared in the hall, Much knew Robin had to behind the event. Struggling with his captors, he found the strength and the courage to prevent the guards from dragging him out of the hall. After the smoke finally began to overwhelm the guards, Much managed to land solid blows to their temples. When the last guard hit the floor, he gave a victorious “Ha!” while running up the stairs to freedom.

At the first step, a strong arm suddenly encircled his neck while a gloved hand covered his mouth. Trapped, Much lost his balance when his captor pushed him against the wall behind several large banners. Now face to face, Much wanted to scream in frustration at the sight of Gisborne. Escape had been in his grasp. The noble quickly quieted Much’s struggle with a solid punch to his stomach while still holding his left hand over Much’s mouth, muffling his cry.

Gisborne leaned close to Much’s ear and quietly threatened, “I can finish the deed I started with this dagger if you make one sound or continue to fight me.” Much caught a glimpse of the knife’s blade in Gisborne’s right fist and when he looked into the nobleman’s face, he witnessed the bulging veins that indicated his fury. Afraid to do anything else to provoke him, Much nodded.

Gisborne gripped his left arm so tight Much felt his arm go numb. It only took the two of them several seconds of running close to the wall and low to the floor before they reached a small room off of the entrance to the Great Hall. After tossing Much inside, Gisborne joined him and bolted the door. He could still hear the nobles and guards crying out “Fire” as they ran past the room, but Sir Guy knew this was just an elaborate hoax by Robin and his men to rescue their friend.

Resting on his knees, Much quickly covered his head with his arms when Gisborne began knocking over everything, destroying pottery and anything breakable in the room. Items shattered around Much, and a few struck him on the back.

“How dare he do this to me! He planned this all along without one word to me. Offering you to Prince John to win favors!” After destroying everything in the room, Gisborne paused, his rage barely spent. Breathing heavily, his gaze cemented on Much, who still cowered on the floor. Finally, his focused changed and the noble picked Much up off the floor, holding the trapped man up by the front of his shirt. He spat, “Give me one reason why I should not just kill you right now, to teach the Sheriff a lesson, to spite that snooty Prince John, to destroy Robin…”

Much eyed the dagger as it traced a line down his face. The only word he could breathe was a name, “Marian.” This seem to quiet Gisborne’s rage for a moment, but as soon as he sheathed the dagger in his belt, his fist drew back for another hard punch to Much’s already bruised stomach. Again, the servant crumbled to the ground.

Realizing that he was caught in the middle of a power struggle between Gisborne and the Sheriff, Much felt all hope of escaping disappear. He definitely did not want to be killed by Sir Guy, but to be given to the Prince as a prize humiliated and terrified him. Knowing that Prince John held no love for his brother, Much could only imagine the kind of questions that would be asked of him. He began to wonder if it was Prince John and not the Sheriff who had sent Gisborne to the Holy Land to kill the King. The more his imagination took off, the more he became engulfed in fear about the outcome of this day. The thought of torture also crossed his mind.

While trying to regain control of his breathing, Much suddenly realized that Gisborne had knelt down beside him. Quietly, Gisborne whispered, “If a word of this gets back to the Sheriff, I will make sure you know what it feels like to be alone in this world without anyone alive who cares about you, understand?”

Confused, Much mumbled, “Yes…”

“Stay on the floor and don’t move!” Gisborne commanded, causing Much to curl into a small ball on his knees, covering his face with his arms.

After lying there for several minutes, Much grew anxious, not sure whether Gisborne had actually left the room. Finally, a soft touch to his arm and a familiar voice nearly took away his breath, “Much?”

Tears filled Much’s eyes as he strained to speak, “Robin…”

The outlaw carefully helped his friend to his feet and noticed his weakened condition. “Allen and Will, help him.” Both men carefully supported Much on each side as Robin ran back to the door to secure their position.

“It is good to have you back, my friend.” Allen stated as he placed Much’s left arm over his shoulder.

Examining their disguises, Much realized how they were able to infiltrate the Great Hall so easily. “Very clever, dressing as the Prince’s guard.” 

Will laughed, “At least you are not hard to miss. Not even the Prince has a getup like yours.”

Self-conscious, the rescued man pulled on his gaudy wardrobe. “Yah, lovely isn’t it?” he said with disgust. Casting a worried glanced to the door, Much asked, “Where is Gisborne? He brought me to this room after the diversion in the Great Hall.”

Robin peered over his shoulder back at Much. “We have not seen him. Allen thought to check this room when we could not find you in the hall.”

Relieved that Gisborne appeared to be out of the picture, Much grunted in pain as Allen and Will helped him closer to the door. He tried to smile before adding, “I want to go home.”

Allen snickered, “Sherwood is hot this time of year, but I’m sure that it is a thousand times better than London .”

Upset by Allen’s teasing, Much glared at him. “I don’t want to go to London .”

Robin placed a reassuring hand on his friend’s shoulder. “You are not going anywhere near London or Prince John, I promise you.”

Will and Allen supported Much as they moved closer to the door; everyone waited for the sounds of guards in the hall to fade. Robin came over and tapped on their helmets, “Remember, we are the Prince’s guard and you are our prisoner. No smiling and no talking once we’ve left this room. If we meet any other guards, let me do the talking.” With a nod, Djac and Little John opened the door.

Much smiled when he realized that Robin wore the ranking of a lieutenant on his jacket. It only seemed fitting that his master was in charge of this rabble of guards.

Before making it the west exit, Much’s stomach dropped when he saw who stood in the hallway directing several guards. When Gisborne glanced his way, Much expected the noble to give a cry of alarm.

Much’s feet refused to move forward, however Allen and Will followed Robin’s command. “Don’t stop walking. We will get passed them.” Robin glanced back and noticed Allen and Will dragging Much forward. While he felt sorry for his friend’s fear of the confrontation, it gave their little charade a hint of truth.

Finally, Gisborne cried out. “Halt, you there!”

Robin and his men stopped, and with a deep voice, Robin responded, “Yes, my lord.”

“The smoke has filled these corridors. Take him out the east exit.” Gisborne waved his hands. “We don’t have time to deal with that one.” He said gesturing at Much.

Nodding, Robin again replied, “Yes, my lord.”

Allen and Will supported Much by his arms, dragging him the other direction. Both hesitated when Much gasped, “He is helping us.”

Will shook his head, unable to comprehend Much’s statement. “What do you mean? He is the reason we are here.”

Much succeeded in glancing back over his shoulder and saw Gisborne watching them leave. “He warned me. He said that if any of this gets back to the Sheriff…” Too upset to repeat the noble’s words, he decided not to finish the rest of the statement.

Robin also peered over his shoulder, remembering how Gisborne sat stewing at dinner. The irony of the situation struck him, but he had no time to ponder outcomes now. They neared the east gate, and Much’s freedom.

Before Much had time to question the events in the castle, Robin and his friends succeeded in rescuing him from Gisborne, the Sheriff and Prince John. Once in the forest, despite his injury and sore muscles from Gisborne’s punches, his hugs threatened to squeeze the life out of everyone he managed to get his arms around. Tonight, he would not be sleeping inside a locked room in Locksley or the castle. It felt great to be a free man once again.

Epilogue

Nottingham Castle

            Sheriff Vaisey paced parallel to the bottom step outside the castle where many of the nobles gathered before leaving the event. Many were whispering about the fire and speculated that Robin Hood was responsible for it. Constantly glancing over at the Prince, he found it even more infuriating that the man appeared so calm, and even smiled as a few of the nobles said their good-byes. This was no time for smiling. Finally, he stopped in his tracks as Gisborne quickly descended the steps flanked by two of his guards.

            Impatiently, the Sheriff exclaimed, “Well?”

            Prince John broke away from the crowd to hear what Gisborne had to report.

            “There was no fire. After the smoke cleared, all we could find were these.” He held up several bowls. Gisborne sniffed the empty bowls, and his nose wrinkled. Quickly pulling the foul smelling pottery away, he passed them to his guards.

            “What of Robin Hood? His men?” Vaisey felt his face burning with anger. “And where is that sniveling servant?”

            Diverting his eyes, Gisborne shook his head and with the most subdued voice he could muster, added, “No one saw Robin or his men.” The noble hid his deed with a façade of confusion. “We saw Much being escorted out of the castle by several of Prince John’s guard.”

            Vaisey swept his eyes across the courtyard. “Do you see any of his guard standing out here with Much. A clue, no!”

            Gisborne let the rage that had been building all evening explode. Not only had the Sheriff plotted to win special favors from the Prince by offering Much as a gift, the Prince had in turn spent the entire evening courting Marian at the dinner table. “I warned you that this would happen. You said we had nothing to worry about with Prince John’s guard protecting the castle. How was I supposed to know that your orders to let his men run the event would result in this?” Gisborne glared at Prince John, who only responded to the statement with a glance of amusement and a wave of his hand.

            The dangerous look from his lieutenant took the Sheriff by surprise, and he decided to hold his tongue. Standing in silence, Vaisey jumped slightly when Prince John chimed into the conversation.

            “This Robin Hood sounds like a very interesting character. What a great tactical maneuver to use such a clever distraction, preventing any knowledge about King Richard from slipping out of his control.”

             Slightly annoyed, Gisborne continued to voice his outrage. “You think this was about protecting your brother?”

            Puzzled, the Prince queried as his brows narrowed, “Was it not?”

            “Robin and his servant share a unique loyalty. I have never seen a servant willing to die to protect his master nor have I seen a noble risk everything for a peasant.” Gisborne ran his hand over his sword’s hilt, remembering catching his blade in Much’s side. “If you hurt one, you hurt the other.” When Gisborne finally glanced up at the Prince, he found the man still smiling.

            “Your majesty, may I ask what you find so amusing?” Gisborne could not imagine how having someone with vital knowledge of King Richard’s camp stolen out from under him could leave the prince so jolly.

            The prince only replied, “Like I said, I would love to meet this Robin Hood.” Without another word, he marched up the stairs to the castle with his guards in tow. Gisborne and Sheriff Vaisey watched him go, both sharing a quiet moment of confusion.

Sherwood Forest

            After surveying his camp for the fifth time, Robin finally decided it was well hidden and safe for his men to stay the night. His anxiety over the sudden attack by Gisborne out of nowhere had left him nervous about the safety of his men in the forest.

            Robin realized how good it was to hear Much’s voice ring out through the camp. The gang had created a very nice pallet for him to rest not too far from the fire. “I’m fine. I promise. It was just a few jabs to the stomach.”

            Djac refused to give in to the injured man, “I must look to be sure. Just raise your shirt, and let me see.”

            Looking to Robin for help, all Much received in return was a shrug. Much finally raised his shirt to reveal two dark bruises in the shadows of the firelight. His sword wound stood out as well. Djac carefully pressed on his stomach, causing a shout of pain.

            “Ow! Don’t do that. It doesn’t hurt unless you press on it.” Much pleaded. “Or unless I move.”

            Satisfied, Djac laughed, “That is a good sign. Gisborne clocked you good. They must have been nasty punches.”

            Embarrassed, Much added, “Well, he wasn’t too pleased with the events at the castle. He couldn’t punch the Sheriff or Prince John, so I got the brunt of his anger.”

            Before adding Much’s discarded servant’s uniform to the fire, Allen asked, “Are you sure you want these burned? They are very expensive. I mean, only royalty can afford these colorful clothes.”

            Glancing at the fire and Allen, Much felt confident in his request. “I swore the moment that I put those on that if I had the chance, I would see them burned.”

            Allen shrugged, and dropped them into the fire. A brilliant flash burst through the flames as the clothes ignited, but before long, nothing remained except ashes.

            “Ha, I hope to never see a purple shirt for the rest of my days.” Much laughed.

            Robin knelt in front of Much, and then addressed his gang. “Can we have a few moments?”

            Without another word, Djac, Allen and Little John quickly left the camp to give Robin and Much privacy.

            Confused, Much glanced up at his master, “What’s wrong? Was it something I said?”

            With a sad laugh, Robin replied, “No, it was something I said, the day before Marian’s wedding.”

            Remembering those hurtful words, Much felt his stomach threaten a repeat performance that he experienced during his audience with the Prince. “Robin, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have told you to forget Marian.”

            “You’re sorry? Much, I’m sorry. I regretted those words the moment I spoke them and every day since. When Gisborne took you away and then stabbed you with his sword, I realized that I may never have the chance to tell you how I really feel.”

            Much felt embarrassed because he thought Robin had spoken the truth, no matter how much it hurt. “But I do complain a lot about food, about a bed to sleep in. I’m sorry.”

            Robin laughed, “Much, if you were not hungry or wanting a nice bed and a comfortable life, you would not be my loyal friend who tells me how he feels every moment of every day. I don’t want you to change who you are because of words spoken out of misplaced anger. You have been by my side through the worst times in my life, and you never wavered. You never deserted me even when I wanted you to. You are a true friend, and I value your friendship every day.” Finally, Robin let his emotions free. “I feared that I had let you down, that I had caused your death.”

            Much, not used to seeing his friend so emotional, tried to stop him, “Robin, it was Gisborne who did this,” Much pointed to his wound, “not you.”

            “No, you went to stop Marian’s wedding for me. You knew that telling Marian the truth about the imposter would foil Gisborne’s plans, and you did it without worrying about the consequences that would arise from your actions. After everything I said to you, you still went looking for me. Even then, you had my interest at heart over your own safety, and I never thanked you for that.”

            Much laughed, “Well, I do like Marian too. I didn’t want her married to that goon.”

            “She told me what you said at the altar. How you told Marian that I needed her.” Robin lowered his head. “I want you to know that no matter what happens here in Sherwood, when the King returns, you will get your Bonchurch. You will be a free man with lands in his name.”

            “Yah, well, promise me one more thing.” Much asked.

            “Anything.” Robin smiled.

            “That you won’t ask me to serve any more dinners while we are stuck in this limbo. If I have to serve another man wine, I think I will bury my sword into someone.”

            “I will serve you, my friend.” With those words, Robin filled Much’s cup to the rim with red wine.

            Smiling, Much accepted the drink, but suddenly a frown formed. “Wait, did you find my shield and sword?” He asked anxiously.

            “What?” Robin stood and walked around the camp and added, “This sword and shield?” He held up the two weapons.

            “Yes, I thought they were lost to the forest.” Very content, Much added, “Now this is the life.” As he took a long drink of wine, Will came running back into the camp, out of breath.

            “Oh no, what is it this time?” Much asked, rubbing a hand over his face at seeing the young man so winded.

            Will looked to Robin and grinned. Opening up his bag, he said, “Sweet cakes”.

            Allen and the rest of the gang returned, each reaching into the bag, grabbing their share of the dessert. Little John’s hand brought out three cakes. As he took a bite, the only sound that left his mouth was, “Mmm…”

            After everyone’s hands had reached into the bag, Will brought the sack over to Much. “And last but not least…”

            “It’s about time. I would love a bite of…” Much’s hand searched but found the container empty. “What…”

            When he glanced up, each member of the gang stood before him with an extra cake in his hand, offering to serve Much personally

            “Here you go.” Allen stated. “But don’t get use to it.”

            Before Much could say another word, he had five sweet cakes resting on his chest. After taking a bite out of one, the taste made the homecoming sweeter.

            He then wiped off the crumbs around his mouth, looked up to his friends and exclaimed, “It is good to be home!”

            Robin replied, “It is good to have you home, my friend.”

~The End~

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Disclaimer: © 2007 Robin Hood and the characters in this story are owned by Tiger Aspect Productions.

Content of this story is © 2007 by Cynthia Burnett

Edited by Laurie Allen and Lori Swanson