by Tom Jolleys
‘Wait a minute,’ said Robin, ‘we have a spare seat at the table and we would like you to join us. Your men will be taken care of.’
‘I accept your kind offer, Robin of Sherwood.’ The crowd, who a day earlier swore his downfall, now clapped in appreciation of their new Sheriff. When the applause had died down, the friar offered a simple prayer. Then Robin stood up again.
‘Now raise your goblets and drink a toast to our new Sheriff, to peace and to freedom.’ Everyone happily raised their goblets and drank the toast. ‘Now eat, drink and enjoy this momentous occasion.’
The children couldn’t believe their eyes at the amount of food on the table, which grew in volume every time a servant passed by and laid down another tray. They started off with a piping-hot pheasant soup and large chunks of bread.
‘What do you think of the soup?’ said Little John to Johnny.
‘This soup’s the biz, the real numero uno.’
‘Does that mean it’s good or not?’
‘Little John,’ said a beaming Johnny, ‘it means that this soup is the best soup that I’ve ever tasted.’
‘And I agree. This is probably the finest soup ever made,’ said Little John, as a huge chunk of bread, which he had already dunked in his soup, disappeared down his throat. ‘You’ll soon be as big as me if you carry on eating like this.’
Johnny was really enjoying himself, and he was so chuffed to be sat next to Little John. Although dressed so smartly, he still had the Cloak of Mennea safely tucked into his belt, and next to him sat Diana, who wanted to keep an eye on her younger brother. ‘Stop slurping your soup,’ she whispered.
‘Little John slurps his soup.’
‘Well that’s no excuse for doing the same. What do you think mother would say if she could see you now?’
‘Well mother isn’t here! Sisters, they’re all the same, always nagging – nag nag nag nag nag.’ He said this just loud enough for Diana to hear him.
‘What did you say?’ she snarled.
‘Oh nothing, nothing at all,’ said Johnny, so nonchalantly, as though he really hadn’t said anything.
Next to Diana was Maid Marian, then Robin, and then came David, with the Sword of Davalon strapped securely to his side. Next to him was Friar Tuck, and at the end of the table sat the Sheriff, who was quite enjoying the feast, even if it did celebrate his own downfall!
‘I never realised that you were in cahoots with Robin Hood,’ said the Sheriff to Friar Tuck.
‘Oh yes, we have been good friends for many, many years.’
‘Yes, I see, but where do the children come from, and how do they come to possess their special powers?’
‘That, Sheriff, is something I am not at liberty to divulge. I have given them my word. They know that their secrets are safe with me.’
‘I quite understand.’ The Sheriff glanced over to David and thought for a moment how powerful he would be if only he had control of the Sword of Davalon!
By now they were being served with the main course. There must have been enough food to feed an army, but in many ways the villagers had resembled a makeshift army, having gone into battle against the Sheriff’s men and the knights from afar. Besides a plateful of vegetables, they were each served with a huge piece of meat. Johnny was given a slice of pork that nearly filled his plate. ‘Have you seen the size of this?’ he said to Diana.
‘Well just eat what you can, otherwise you’ll only make yourself sick.’
Johnny cut off a large chunk of meat and began chomping his way through it.
‘What will you do now then, David?’ asked Robin.
‘I suppose we will say farewell tomorrow, but we’ve had a fantastic time. Everything seems to be so peaceful now – we’ll probably move on to adventures elsewhere!’
‘Yes, but always remember that you will be welcome back any time you choose.’
‘We will remember that, and thank you.’
‘Oh I feel really full, Marian,’ said Diana. ‘If I eat any more, I think I’ll just burst.’
‘Yes it is rather a large meal for someone so slender. If we eat any more we will start looking like Friar Tuck!’
‘I heard that,’ chuckled the friar, ‘anyway I’ve only just started.’ He leant forward and carved off a huge slice of meat. ‘More wine please,’ he said to one of the servants. He looked at Diana and laughed, ‘Well I’ve got to wash it down with something.’
After the main course they were served with cakes, buns and bowls of fruit. Johnny picked up a cake before putting it back down again, thinking enough was enough. As the pots were cleared away, Allan a’ Dale stood up and walked over to the centre of the hall. He was a wandering minstrel who had joined Robin’s band several years ago as a young boy. He was about to sing a ballad, which he had written only a few hours earlier. He played a stringed instrument, which resembled a mandolin, and the tune he used was similar to, “Greensleeves”. As he began to sing, the hall became so silent that any pin dropped, really could have been heard.
‘Peace at last has come to Sherwood,
Victory we sing tonight.
Celebrate with wine and food,
Wrongs have now been put to right.
So Johnny, David, Diana, children,
Sent to us from heaven above.
Never to be forgotten,
We give to thee our hearts, our love.
‘Twas Robin Hood who led his band,
To ambush the Sheriff’s men.
Little John fought hand to hand,
But fell beside his lifelong friend.
And as they lay injured and dying,
Friar Tuck, he aided our cause.
Pretty Diana saved our crying,
Odessa’s Pollen healed our flaws.
So here I am to sing this song,
To these three angels from afar.
No one knows from whence they came,
In heaven I see a shining star.
Johnny we all salute you,
David we thank you too.
Diana with all your beauty,
Lord we bless the three of you.
And now we live as free men,
No more battles to be fought.
Helped by the Sword of Davalon,
Peace has finally been sought.
So Johnny, David, Diana, children,
Sent to us from heaven above.
Never to be forgotten,
We give to thee our hearts our love.’
When Allan a’ Dale played his last note, everyone in the hall stood up and applauded for several minutes. The words of the song had brought home to the villagers the reality of what they had achieved, and most of all the presence of three very special children. Diana had tears in her eyes. ‘Why and how has all this happened?’ she thought to herself, but at the same time she felt a warm feeling of happiness. David was delighted with the plaudits, but he was now thinking seriously about other matters. The lyrics of the song had reminded him of something Jodadi had mentioned before they went through the Time Zone Corridor. He couldn’t remember exactly what it was, especially with everyone applauding and congratulating them, but the song had jogged his memory about a warning from Jodadi! Johnny was smiling, really lapping it all up. He didn’t have a care in the world. Allan a’ Dale bowed to everyone, then walked up to the main table where he shook the hands of Johnny and David, before kissing the ring on Diana’s right hand, which brought a redness to her cheeks. Diana was quite bowled over by this young minstrel, and in that moment she felt her heart miss a beat. As he walked back to his seat, Robin stood up and thanked his good friend, Allan a’ Dale, for his song and his kind words. Then he clapped his hands, and five acrobats entered, all dressed as court jesters. They came tumbling down the centre of the hall to great applause. The brightly costumed quintet performed some amazing a
crobatic feats, the highlight of which was when they stood on each other’s shoulders. At the top was a small boy who was about the same size as Johnny, and at the bottom, supporting all the other acrobats, was a huge man-mountain who was nearly as big as Little John. Again the audience rang out their applause. Then as three of the acrobats tumbled around the room, the other two juggled with daggers. It did look extremely dangerous, but they had obviously practised for a very long time. The audience applauded again, but then the clapping quickly died down, and gasps of horror came from the villagers as in walked the evil, Erich, known by some as, “Erich the Grave”. He was very tall and thin, and dark, scraggy, long hair hung down over one side of his face, which covered a jagged scar across his left cheek. This was the first time they had ever seen Erich inside the castle. He lived in a cottage, deep into the forest, and was the servant of the most malevolent woman in the land, the evil, the hideous, the terrifying, Sorceress Zena!
Chapter 12:
The Sorceress Zena
The tall Erich limped over to the table where the three children were sat, and handed a note to David. It read, ‘Follow Erich to my cottage, which lies deep into Sherwood Forest. David, Diana and Johnny, you must come alone. If you are followed, then I will destroy your grey box. I want to know the secrets of this box. Erich has a present for you – it will prove that I am telling the truth. Do not delay.’ It was signed by the Sorceress Zena.
David was really worried – he thought that all of their troubles lay behind them, yet as he passed the note to Friar Tuck, he remembered his fears of a little earlier. He had sensed that their task had not yet been fulfilled. It was when Allan a’ Dale sang about peace in Sherwood Forest, and the mention of the Sword of Davalon. Now he remembered the warning from Jodadi, concerning some presence with supernatural powers, that it shouldn’t be there in Sherwood Forest, and that was why he had been given the sword. Now he knew that this evil presence was in fact the Sorceress Zena!
‘You must not go,’ said the friar to David, ‘she’s a sorceress, a witch, we will never see you again!’
‘Let me see,’ said Robin, who quickly read the note. ‘Friar Tuck is right, this is serious, very serious indeed. I will come with you.’
‘I wish you could, Robin, but we must go alone, just as she instructed.’
‘Does this grey box really mean so much to you?’ inquired Robin.
‘I’m afraid it does. Without it, well we could never go home again!’
By now, Diana and Johnny were starting to worry. ‘What’s wrong, David?’ said Diana, anxiously.
‘It seems that some sorceress called Zena has found our control box. She wants us to go to her cottage. She wants to know its secrets and no doubt our special powers.’
‘I told you we shouldn’t have left it in that tree,’ snapped Johnny.
‘Well we did,’ snarled an angry Diana, ‘so just drop it.’
‘You never take any notice of me,’ muttered Johnny to himself. ‘Just because I’m small, no one ever listens to me.’
‘Where is this proof?’ asked David.
‘Uugh, uugh.’ Erich was unable to speak. He removed one of the dressing gowns from beneath his tunic and placed it on the table.
‘Well it’s no bluff,’ he said, ‘she really does have our controls. We must go at once.’
The three children stood up and exchanged handshakes and kisses with Robin, Marian, Little John and Friar Tuck.
‘You must be careful,’ said the friar to David. ‘The Sorceress Zena is so evil that no one dares venture within a mile of her cottage – even the birds and animals keep away from that sinister place. You will have to keep your wits about you, David. You have told me about your powers, but they are only for the good of all, whereas the powers of the Sorceress Zena are only used for evil purposes. If she could control your special powers, then she would rule this land in a reign of terror that would make even the Sheriff himself shudder. May God go with you my son.’
The watching crowd didn’t understand what was happening, but they knew that Erich the Grave could only have brought bad news. As the children followed the limping Erich out of the hall, David and Diana looked at each other and nodded. They realised that they were in great danger, but they said nothing. The villagers made little noise, although the children could hear whispers, prayers and blessings. They turned to wave as they reached the castle gates. Robin and the others waved back, helpless to do anything for them. Even the villagers in the tents outside realised that something was dreadfully wrong, and they watched in silence as Erich led the three children out of the castle grounds and into the forest.
‘What do you think is going to happen?’ said Diana to her brothers.
‘Well the Sorceress Zena says that she wants to know the secrets of our control box,’ answered David, ‘but I reckon she’s more interested in our powers.’
‘Surely she can’t control the Sword of Davalon,’ gasped Diana.
‘Oh I knew this was going to happen!’ said Johnny, rather innocently.
‘Excuse me for asking, Johnny,’ said his sister ruefully, ‘but exactly how did you know this was going to happen?’
‘Well I did and I didn’t. When I was in that secret room, I saw a message on the wall. The message was in the form of a poem, and it was about a young girl who had been held captive in that same room. It even mentioned my name and how we could free this girl from a cottage, which I suppose is the one that we’re heading for. Oh, and it mentioned an evil crone, whatever that is.’
‘A crone is an old woman,’ said Diana, ‘obviously the Sorceress Zena.’
‘How come I didn’t see the message?’ quizzed David.
‘Because by then you’d disappeared into the other room. Don’t you remember me pestering you? And I did pester you, but you wouldn’t listen to me.’
‘Oh yes, sorry Johnny, it was my fault.’
‘So you see, I did know about the cottage and I didn’t know, because afterwards with all the celebrations and excitement, I completely forgot. I’m sorry.’
‘Never mind, no one’s to blame,’ said Diana. ‘It looks as though this confrontation was meant to be, no matter what happened. Even Jodadi warned us about a certain presence, but so much has happened that no wonder we forgot.’
‘Yes, I remembered that warning a short while ago,’ added David. ‘It’s strange that none of us could remember Jodadi’s warning!’
‘Yes it is,’ said Diana, feeling extremely anxious.
Erich was walking a short distance in front of them, and they had been whispering so that he couldn’t hear their conversation. He had led them into the forest and onto a narrow path that meandered like a rattlesnake into the distance.
Back at the castle, Robin had told the villagers that the children had gone to face the Sorceress Zena. They had decided to end any further celebrations because of the seriousness of the children’s plight, and so they slowly made their way back home to their hamlets and villages. For them, this great day of triumph had suddenly turned sour. They wanted to help, but they were so very afraid of this villainous witch. Just the mention of her name made them tremble with fear. There was a story that many years ago, ten village men went to rescue a young girl from her clutches, but they were never seen again!
Robin was talking to his men, trying to work out a plan of action, but Friar Tuck, who knew more than anyone, intervened and persuaded them not to interfere. ‘I am afraid there is nothing we can do except pray,’ said the unhappy friar. ‘If we do anything at all we might just jeopardise their chances. We must rest, at least until the morning.’
‘You’re probably right,’ said Robin, reluctantly. ‘We can but pray that their powers are greater than those of the Sorceress Zena!’
‘Oh I wish we were back home,’ thought Diana, as she looked up through the trees to the dark skies above, and the stars that twinkled lik
e the sequins on her dress, the dress that was now being ruined by the thick undergrowth and thorny bushes. The children had been walking for nearly forty minutes when they noticed a faint light in the distance. As they drew nearer, the outline of a small cottage took shape, and they realised that they had reached their destination. David took out his sword in readiness for any trap. Diana held her small dagger out at arm’s length, although she didn’t have any Pollen of the Odessa Tree, while Johnny, knees knocking, knew that at least he had his own special power.
‘Should I use my cloak?’ he said.
‘No,’ replied David, ‘it might come in useful later. She probably doesn’t know about your cloak, but she’ll know about my sword, I’ve used it too often.’
Erich pushed the door open for David, who cautiously entered, with the Sword of Davalon at the ready. Suddenly the sword quivered as though extreme danger lay in wait, and as he turned, there was a shattering of glass on the floor in front of him. A yellowy-green cloud of gas rose up and enveloped him. Within only a few seconds he fell unconscious, and the Sword of Davalon thudded to the floor next to him.
‘David, David,’ screamed Diana, as she ran into the cottage and threw down her dagger. ‘Wake up,’ she cried, bending over his outstretched body. Then she turned, afraid to look but knowing that she must. Diana glanced up and stared straight into the face of the Sorceress Zena. The very sight of her made Diana shake with fear. She was an extremely old woman with long, grey, matted hair. Her skin was heavily wrinkled and her nose protruded like a shepherd’s crook, on the side of which was a large, ugly wart. Her teeth were yellow, black and misshapen, and on her chin was a horrid-looking black, hairy mole. Then she spoke in a sickly, high-pitched voice.
‘Ah ha, I have you at last. I knew you would come. Where’s the other one, the one called Johnny?’
‘Here I am, you big creep. What’s wrong with David? If you’ve hurt him you’ll have me to deal with.’
‘He’s only in a deep sleep, under my spell, and he won’t wake up until I say so. I knew of his powers, but he can’t use his sword now can he? Ah ha ha ha ha. Erich, pick up the sword, if you can that is.’
