Sherwood

by S. E. Roberts

  Her relief was short lived, though.

  A menacing figure stood in the path before them, staring with his bow raised high, ready to fire.

  Harlow faltered slightly, feeling one man's fingertips graze her arm. She immediately yelped, picking up the pace and breaking right, away from Enders and Candor, who broke left.

  The other team didn't stop chasing her, one of it's members following her while the rest chased after Enders and Candor.

  Harlow glanced back, seeing a somewhat taller, slim man chasing after her. Her eyes stared for a second, while her feet tripped over themselves every other step, but she wasn't finished yet. She was getting careless because of her exhaustion, but she was hell-bent on not giving up.

  That's when she saw it: a large oak with several low branches sticking out in different directions. It was about five seconds away, and she knew what she needed to do.

  The tree came closer and closer until finally she was able to grip it and swing herself around the side. The man came around the side of the tree, his eyes expecting to see her running down the path. Immediately after seeing nobody in front of him, he turned around searching the area with his eyes.

  Harlow took no time to breathe, running around the side of the great oak, jumping on his back and trying to keep herself on.

  She knew she probably wasn't going to make it back to Rawley and Elwin. This would be the end of the game for her, she'd be hit with the arrow and have the bruise to prove it. She kept fighting, hoping to buy Enders and Candor better chances with the men chasing after them.

  Harlow kicked at the man's legs, trying to get him to fall, but lost her balance. Her arms wrapped around his neck, holding on for dear life as the man shook her ferociously.

  She expected the pain when it happened, her body losing it's will to hang on, she was flung into a nearby tree, crashing to the ground.

  Harlow scrambled to her feet, trying to remind herself that she wasn't in any real danger. This was just a game, after all, but that couldn't stop the pounding of her heart, and the fear in her eyes.

  The moment the man lifted his bow felt like the world slowed it's motion, a joyous smile invading his lips as he did so. Harlow watched as he pulled the string on his bow back.

  Then, time sped up. An arrow did fly, but the man standing before her still held his in his hand. A loud thump sounded off of the man's shoulder as his eyes immediately looked to his right.

  The man shouted a loud expletive, as he lowered his bow. A smile splayed on his lips as he looked to his right, addressing the person there. “I've got to say, that was a damn good shot.” The man shook his head and turned away from Harlow, walking toward Sherwood City.

  Harlow felt frozen in time. Her heart hadn't slowed down, and she felt like she was going to faint from exhaustion.

  Her eyes widened and a sigh of relief left her lips as she saw Enders come out from behind the oak tree she'd been thrown against.

  He said nothing, simply extending his hand to her.

  Harlow muttered a low “thank you,” before taking his hand and getting on her feet. She looked around as adrenaline started to pump through her veins. “What happened to Candor?”

  Enders sighed, frustration clear in his voice. “He's out.”

  Harlow was slightly taken aback. “The flag?”

  “The others took it back.” Enders took a few steps forward, waiting slightly for her to walk with him.

  Harlow raised an eyebrow, sighing. “Are Rawley and Elwin still at the clearing?”

  Enders shook his head. “They were found out.”

  Harlow let her mouth hang open. “You and I are the only two left.”

  Enders smiled sarcastically, tilting his head somewhat. “Not exactly. They're being held captive. The other team says they'll only give us our archers if we give them two flags, leaving us with only our own.” He sighed again, his exhaustion clear at this point. “We could try and fight them now that they're down one person, but somehow I don't imagine that ending well.”

  Harlow nodded at the situation. Silence filled the air for a few minutes as the two slowed down and leaned against trees.

  “We don't have much of a choice.” Harlow said, looking at a groggy Enders. “We have to fight without Rawley and Elwin.”

  Enders sighed, not wanting to move. “I know.”

  *~*~*

  Harlow managed to climb one of the largest trees on the outskirts of the other teams' meeting area. She watched down below as the men held Rawley and Elwin at arrow-point, Enders slowly making his way up a tree.

  The two had come to the conclusion that it wasn't likely that they'd save either of the archers in time. When the team was aware of their presence, they'd make sure to knock Rawley and Elwin out of the game.

  Enders had finally made his way to a comfortable, high, sturdy branch above the opposing teams' eyesight. He turned to Harlow, pointing down to a man on the right of the area.

  Harlow, having no bow, held a bag of rocks and sticks. She looked to Enders and nodded, her sign that she was ready to ambush.

  Enders nodded back, training his eye on the man.

  Harlow held up a rock, throwing it down at the man she'd been aiming for. She missed terribly, but it served to startle and shock him temporarily.

  The man jumped, causing a commotion, running toward the other team members and telling them to take out the captives.

  Rawley was shot in the shoulder first, Elwin being shot in the chest, after much protest from both men. They stood up, sadly, and made their way west toward the Sherwood encampment.

  Harlow noticed that Enders didn't miss a shot. He was a fast shooter, and he was accurate. She compared him in her mind to the likes of Robin Hood himself.

  Harlow, on the other hand, wasn't offering much in the way of battle.

  That's when the men spotted her in the tree. She looked around, trying to find an escape route. Finding none, she tried to climb down.

  Her feet lost balance, her body shook from being malnourished, and without warning, her body toppled over the high branch.

  When she fell, it didn't feel like anything. It was only when she hit the ground that she realized that she wasn't that high at all.

  She stared up at Enders in the tree above her, trying hard to aim accurately at the men coming toward her. He sent an arrow flying but it was too late.

  Harlow felt the pain of the headless arrow before she realized she'd been hit. She raised a hand immediately to her chest where the arrow had made contact with her body, just under her collarbone. That would be a bad bruise, she knew.

  Less than twenty seconds passed before Enders fell out of his tree, landing beside her with a loud thud, and earning his own arrow to the shoulder.

  Chapter Eight

  The sun sat low on the horizon as Harlow stared up at the trees in the distance. The sun felt warm on her skin, and she didn't want to miss any of the sunlight that she could get. She loved watching the sun as it went down, signifying the end of a day and the transition to night. It felt calming and quiet. She felt peaceful and at ease as she watched the summer trees sway in the wind.

  She chewed on her bottom lip as she watched the water wave gently around itself. Anxiety closed in on her as she furrowed her eyebrows at the water. Did she even really belong?

  She chuckled to herself, a small, sad smile on her lips. No, of course she didn't belong, and she knew it. Other than the totally obvious fact that she was a woman, she had no desire for blood-lust like the other outlaws had. She had no want to kill people or be the best outlaw there ever was. Hell, she didn't even care for raiding other people's things. In fact, if they weren't raiding rich and corrupt folk, Harlow would have refused to participate.

  Many times she thought she might be greedy, wanting her father's safety above the safety of an entire village. But the truth of the matter was that Harlow had never really been selfish. Not with material things, not with her family, not with anything.

  For that reason, she fel
t alienated from all those around her.

  Outlaws were supposed to be greedy, angry, compulsive, and brutal.

  And, she was none of those things.

  Her ears perked up slightly as she heard the pier creak under her, footsteps echoing along the length of the wooden planks.

  She didn't bother to look up, assuming that whoever it was would walk past her and dive into the lake. Instead the creaking came closer and got louder, and stopped altogether next to her.

  Harlow looked up, surprised by the sight of Robin Hood, standing, nonchalantly looking over the lake, and into the horizon. “Oh!” She blurted out, shocked at his presence. “Hood!” She reached one hand up and made sure her hair was safely tucked into her hat. “I was, uh...”

  Robin smiled and looked around. “May I?” He asked motioning to the pier beside her.

  Harlow relaxed, nodding as he took a seat beside her, shaking the pier ever so slightly with his movement. She tilted her attention back to the sunset when Robin started to sit.

  The two sat in a comfortable silence for a few seconds.

  “It's beautiful, Isn't it?” Robin asked, breaking the silence, a comfortable smile on his lips.

  Harlow turned to glance at him quickly, trying to figure out what exactly he was thinking. “Yes, It absolutely is.”

  Harlow mentally kicked herself for the high-pitched words that came out of her mouth, although by the look of it, Robin hadn't noticed.

  “Everyone who comes here,” He said, taking In a deep breath and sighing, “doesn't truly see it. They come because they have to fight or they have no other place to go.” He paused, leaning over the pier, dipping his hand in the cool, clear water. “No one ever comes here to see the beauty of it all.”

  Harlow nodded and let her feet dangle off the pier lazily. “I notice.” She said, looking down at her hands. “The beauty, I mean.”

  Robin smiled at the water in his hands. “At least someone does.”

  Another silence although comforting befell on the two.

  Robin fiddled with something in his hands as Harlow slouched, watching the water glisten as the sun descended over the horizon.

  “Do you always watch the sun fall out here?” Robin asked, giving her a quick look before looking back to the item in his hands.

  Harlow shrugged, glancing back at him. She took in a deep breath before letting out a breathy “No.” She turned her attention to the glistening waters again. “Not all the time. I try to whenever I'm not to tired.”

  Robin laughed. “At least you make the effort to notice the nature around you.” He paused. “You chose the best spot to watch the sunset.” A small smile splayed on his lips, his fingertips still grazing over the item in his hands. “This forest makes you forget about the things you left behind. It's nice to have a quiet place to remember all of the things you're here for.” He reached into the water again. “Warm baths, comfortable beds...” He trailed off.

  “Your wife and your son.” Harlow blurted out before she realized what she said.

  To her amazement, Robin chuckled. “Aye, and your father.”

  Harlow nodded, a small smile still lingering on her lips. She felt Robin start to move, his feet shuffling under him as he stood up, the pier shaking with the movement. “It matters not why we do something, but who we're doing that thing for.” He said, sighing as he stared out at the lake again.

  Harlow felt the footsteps as he turned his back and started back down the pier.

  “Oh, Henry!” Robin called out, turning around and cupping his hands around his mouth and capturing her attention. She turned her head to him, her eyebrow raised expectantly. His feet moved him backward as he spoke. “Good work today. You've been promoted! Your first raiding party is next week!”

  Harlow sat shocked, her mouth hanging open, a huge grin on the edge of her lips. She wanted to shout back and ask if he was insane, but before she could respond, he'd raced down the pier and was on his way to the town plaza.

  Harlow shook her head incredulously. She stared in a daze out at the water. All her doubts seemed to have dissolved, all her fears vanished, and she felt true happiness for the first time since she'd arrived.

  She grinned, her heart fluttering with joy.

  She finally belonged.

  Chapter Nine

  Harlow took her first step out of the cabin that morning and walked over to a clearing next to the pier. She leaned her left shoulder against a tree and looked out over the lake that sat quietly in Sherwood. She smiled at the water and closed her eyes, feeling the breeze caress her face. The wind pushed gently at her hat, but the fabric on her head didn't budge at all.

  It had been two weeks since she'd been promoted to a commander. Harlow ran over her teammates in her head. She knew their strengths and their weaknesses. She knew where to put them and what they were good for. She felt confident, but for some reason she was putting off her first raid.

  Robin had come to her two days ago and told her that she would be doing the raid this morning and that was final. He said there would be an important caravan coming through and it might contain powerful information on the royal castle.

  Harlow tried to tell him she wasn't well, that she couldn't do it today, but he told her he would have none of that. She was a McBride. She could do anything.

  Harlow stared over the lake. She was a littler nervous about having three other lives resting in her hands. She wondered if her father would be proud of her and her accomplishments. Of course he would be angry, but maybe he would be proud that she'd followed in his footsteps.

  “Henry,” a voice called from behind her.

  Harlow opened her eyes, her thoughts stopping and her heart pausing at the voice. She felt herself get self-conscious in front of him.

  “Enders,” She greeted him back. She heard him step closer, and when he came into her vision, she refused to look at him and get herself distracted. She hadn't forgotten that Enders was under her command now, but it didn't help to think about it. She felt a blush of red creep to her cheeks, but she suppressed it.

  “Everyone is eating their breakfast by the fire.” Enders said, leaning against an adjacent tree and looking in her direction. “We'll be ready to leave in a few minutes.”

  “Have you eaten?” Harlow asked, using a gruff voice she'd learned from listening to Aldridge Chadwick every time he spoke.

  Enders sighed, and looked out over the lake. “I haven't been hungry.”

  Harlow kept her eyes straight and even. “Go eat some breakfast before we leave.”

  Enders raised an eyebrow at her. “I'm not hungry.”

  “You're our strongest archer and our best swordsman. Without energy you can't do much to protect yourself or anyone for that matter. I'm counting on you to be at your best. So,” she said, taking in a deep breath and turning her body to him, her arms crossed, “Go eat some food before we leave.”

  Enders almost smiled. He nodded before turning his back and walking back the way he'd come, toward a fire burning in the distance where she saw Reggie and Elwin tiredly eating by the flames.

  Harlow took in one more deep breath before leaving the lake and having a piece of beef jerky with her unit.

  *~*~*

  They'd set off about an hour ago and they were almost at their destination. It was a cut off pathway from the main road that led through a small clearing, which gave them some time to set up and wait out the caravan to raid.

  They were about ten minutes away from the main road, Harlow walking backwards and taking up the rear of the line. Reggie and Elwin were in the middle, supposed to be covering both of their sides while Enders took up the lead.

  “My wife would not be happy about this,” Reggie confessed, giving a hearty laugh.

  Elwin snorted. “Aye, unless she's looking for a way to rid herself of you.” He laughed at his own joke, receiving a small punch from Reggie.

  Reggie laughed deeply, enjoying the conversation. His laugh echoed throughout the forest and reverberated of
f the trees.

  Enders immediately turned around and looked at them, as did Harlow, giving the two men condescending looks for their rowdy behavior.

  “Have you forgotten how dangerous this forest is?” Enders scolded, after hushing them.

  Harlow tried to stay quiet, not particularly in the mood to disguise her voice.

  “Oh please. We have to lighten up if we intend on keeping our sanity.” Elwin said, although he complied with quieter tone. He kept his voice low, turning to Reggie again. “I agree, though. My soon-to-be bride would be appalled at the things we're doing.”

  Reggie gave another laugh, although quieter this time.

  Enders again turned around. “Reggie!” He hushed him, warning him for his voice and turned forward again.

  Elwin rolled his eyes. “When you become engaged, you'll understand.”

  Enders had finally had enough of them. He turned his body and caused them to stop short, making Harlow turn around and look at him. “I understand fine enough, Elwin. Now, stay quiet.”

  Enders turned back around and started walking slowly, leaving Elwin confused. He raised an eyebrow before exchanging a glance with Reggie as they walked.

  Harlow kept forward for a little while, knowing nothing was behind them, and wanting to keep the men from ripping each other apart. She watched as the two looked back to Enders.

  “Are you getting married, Enders?” Reggie asked, in his usual more gentle tone.

  Enders' back seemed to become as stone. He froze and the muscles in his back became rigid. He took a sharp intake of breath and decided to keep walking. “Aye.”

  Harlow froze for a moment, watching the way he reacted and the way he held himself. He didn't look unhappy, but he didn't look jovial either. Her heart started to sink to her stomach.

  Enders was still walking stiffly and almost mechanically.

  Elwin let out a booming laugh that echoed around the forest. Harlow imagined he did it spitefully toward Enders.