Sherwood

by S. E. Roberts

  Everything had happened so fast, Sherwood citizens running around gathering their things together before the men set off.

  Then, they were in the forest. That's when Harlow's brain seemed to click back on. The fuzzy, blurry feeling wore off and she was suddenly aware of everything going on around her. The wind blew gently, brushing against her face. She took step by boring step and waited for something to happen. Instead, the minutes dragged on like hours and every noise made her more alert.

  Robin Hood stood at the back of the group with several of the more experienced archers, in the front were some of the experienced swordsmen, and standing in the middle of the group were some of the people who could do either swordplay or archery with great skill. Harlow was placed in the middle, given her excellence with knives and other objects that were light enough to be thrown. Just behind her, the archers stood, Aldridge following her as the group tried to pack themselves together.

  Every snap and twig made Enders twitch, Harlow noticed. He was nervous, but he was alert, and that was one of his better traits.

  It was then that Harlow heard the snap of a renegade twig in the distance. It was too close to be the other group of outlaws, but too distant to be anyone in this group. Everyone seemed to become ten times more alert and awake at the sound.

  "Left," Robin had whispered just loud enough for every to hear, everyone making a left turn and going down an old, abandoned dirt pathway.

  "Stop!" He immediately shouted and turned behind him. Everyone in the group turned to face him, more alert than ever.

  Robin held a man at arrow-point before him. The man was dressed in kingdom armor, a small beard covering his chin. He held his hand up defensively, dropping his sword to the ground.

  Harlow raised an eyebrow. "Enders," he didn't answer but she knew he was listening, "Kings men never give up that fast. This isn't right."

  "Who are you?" Robin demanded from the man.

  "I'm a soldier for the kings army." the man answered, his voice shaking in cowardice.

  "They never give up any information. The men would rather die. This isn't how the king trains his men." Harlow said quietly to Enders. Enders had raised an eyebrow at this point and started looking to his left and right sides.

  "You're right." He said simply.

  Harlow felt her heart skip a beat as she realized what was happening. "He's a distraction."

  The man that Robin held at arrow-point started to smile wickedly now, looking beyond all the men.

  Harlow noticed the behavior and turned around to see a swarm of men in soldiers dress. They held their swords and archery bows out and at the ready.

  All the outlaws had turned around and started to stare at the scene before them. Everyone's blood curled with an acceptable degree of fear.

  "Sire," One of the me called in a masculine, burly voice. "We've found the outlaws."

  The sounds of a horse trotting came to Harlow's ears as she stood in awe. She'd taken out her throwing knives and held them ready in her hand below the soldier's eyesight.

  In front of them trotted the King, sitting in a golden saddle that seemed to weigh the horse down, even though it was muscular.

  "Outlaws," the king sneered, a wicked smile on his face. "How nice of you to find my sweet forest a humble abode."

  No one spoke, probably because they were contemplating how to survive this impending massacre.

  "Now, I'll make this quick and painless for you." King Wesley said, looking through the crowd. Harlow tried to hide her face for fear that he might know who she was. "Which of you is Robin Hood?"

  Again, no one spoke up. Harlow felt Enders tense, clenching and relaxing his fists repeatedly, anger flowing through his veins like his own blood.

  "Really? No one?" The king asked, an eyebrow raised quizzically. "You'll all die then."

  Still, no one spoke up. Harlow felt terror flow through her veins. She felt terror for Enders. Just as he came to her mind, he'd grabbed her hand tightly. She knew he was scared. He'd expressed this very fear to her, and now all she could do was watch and wait for their lives to end.

  King Wesley shrugged, the cloak at his shoulders swaying gently. He looked down to one of his knight's next to him. "Kill them all." He ordered.

  "Wait!" A loud voice rang out through the forest. Harlow turned her eyes in horror to the side. Enders took several steps forward, through the crowd. He let Harlow's hand fall from his own before anyone could notice they'd been holding hands.

  Harlow felt her jaw drop and her mind go blank. What was he doing? She wanted to cry and scream. She wanted to do so many things but she couldn't move.

  The king looked annoyed upon Enders presence. "Why should I wait if you outlaws are of no use to me?"

  "Because I'm offering something better than Robin Hood." Enders said, anger threatening to brim over the edge of his temper limit.

  King Wesley laughed sarcastically, his gold necklaces and luxurious jewelry glinting in the sunlight. "Why should I trust a mere boy? What could you possible offer me?"

  Enders' heart pounded wildly in his chest, although anger dominated his expression. He was fearful, yes, but he was angry and determined. “I can offer you bait and a way to lure him out to you.”

  The king raised an eyebrow, looking skeptically upon Enders.

  "My name is Eden Enders Hode. I'm Robin Hood's son, and I am to inherit the land of Sherwood as a prince of thieves."

  Chapter Eighteen

  Three seconds.

  That's how long it took for the king's expression to turn from annoyance to absolute delight.

  "I request a deal to be made," Enders said, his eyes glaring up at the king.

  "What is it?" The king asked, delight still evident in his eyes.

  "I request that you let these men live, in one piece, and return to their safe havens. I also ask that you do not bother them for some weeks. In exchange I will offer myself as your bait for Robin Hood."

  Harlow began taking steps forward, her jaw hanging gently and her eyes taking in everything happening in front of her. She started to reach out her hand to stop Enders, to pull him back. A hand on her mind section stopped her, making her eyes freeze and her body want to recoil. A voice whispered almost inaudibly to her, “Don't.” She recognized the voice, “He's doing this for you. Don't make him regret it.”

  Harlow felt the blood in her veins turn to ice as Little John's words spilled out and implied her own secret to herself.

  She would have been more surprised if it hadn't been for Enders doing something so intensely unpredictable at this moment.

  This was it, she'd lost all control on everything.

  Enders was giving himself up.

  Little John knew about her.

  Worst of all situations, her grandfather sat upon a horse in front of her, taking away the only person she'd ever truly loved.

  The king held a raised eyebrow as he contemplated the proposal before him. He eyed Enders suspiciously. “How likely is it that he'll come for you?” A smile still sickeningly hung at the man's lips. He wasn't asking out of curiosity, he was asking to prolong the inevitable, to cause panic and fear in the outlaws.

  “He'll come for me,” Enders reassured, anger building in his voice. He knew the angle that King Wesley was playing. “Contrary to your opinion, Outlaws have a strict code of conduct. We're loyal to those we love, especially our children, whom we protect with our lives.” Enders said, the comment being a jab to the king about the daughter he'd executed.

  The king's delight faltered slightly, flickering to annoyance at the mention. “Bind his hands and get him on one of the horses.” He commanded the man at his right side.

  “Yes, Majesty.” The man stepped forward and spun Enders around to face the Outlaws. The man pulled Enders' hands behind his back and forced his head up. It was meant as a warning to all the Outlaws, not to fall out of line with the governing royalty.

  As Enders eyes went up, he purposefully let them fall directly onto Harlow's. He
tried to keep himself calm, but Harlow saw the anger and panic behind his eyes. He tried to offer her a small, reassuring smile, but Harlow's anger was only brought to a boil by it. She furrowed her brows and kept eye contact with him.

  She didn't know when she'd see him next, or if she would see him again at all. She feared the worst and felt herself start to tremble. She tried to push it back, keeping the anger up front.

  Harlow swallowed gently, knowing Enders noticed. She refused to smile at him.

  Enders took a split second to look past Harlow's head to the area behind her. She knew who was behind her, that he'd dare to look at: Robin Hood.

  Enders quickly turned his eyes back to Harlow's, trying to comfort her with a small smile or with softened eyes.

  Harlow still felt her jaw hanging gently and her eyes filling with anger as they turned Enders around, so he could no longer see his fellow outlaws. They ushered him up onto a horse on King Wesley's right side.

  Enders let his eyes fall to the floor, unable to take the pain of looking into Harlow's any longer.

  “Say goodbye, outlaws,” The king said, malice dripping with every syllable, “and tell Robin Hood that his son is being held for ransom.” With that, he shook the reigns to his horse and ordered everyone back to his castle.

  Everything happened in a blur from that moment on.

  She saw the final look in Enders eyes as he peeled away from her in slow motion.

  She saw the royal calvary rush off the way they'd come.

  She felt the anger flow through her veins. She felt the intense pulse of her heart.

  This was a declaration of war and Harlow refused to be on the losing side.

  *~*~*

  An intense fire of malice and hatred rose in her veins as she saw the calvary disappear in the distance.

  Unexpectedly, her legs unlocked themselves from their place and propelled herself forward, running after the rushing calvary.

  “Everyone, back to camp, now!” Little John's voice shouted out, the booming of his words reaching Harlow as she sprinted after the horses.

  Branches and leaves crunched under her feet, and her body weaved through wooden oak trees as she dodged random foliage from clinging to her.

  She saw the last horse gallop through the thicket of trees across the clearing as she burst through the forest debris in her way.

  They'd disappeared again, taking Enders out of her reach for good.

  Out of breath and out of options, she dropped to her knees, feeling helpless and defeated as she did so. Exasperated, she threw her fists at the ground, an angry, gruff, muffled shout escaping her lips.

  Everything had gone quiet as she sat defeated for a few minutes.

  The sting of tears invaded her eyes and panic rose in her chest. Initially she'd felt anger only at King Wesley, but now she felt anger towards Robin, towards herself, her father, and everyone around her. She tried to push it aside as best as she could as she sat in the quietness of the forest.

  A cough sounded behind her, a gentle sign that someone was there. Harlow knew who it was before he spoke.

  “How long had he known?” Little John asked, his tone quiet and reserved.

  Harlow sniffed quietly, letting herself sit still, staring at the dirt before her. “What do you mean?” She tried to deny what he'd implied of her.

  “Enders hated his father. He would never have given himself up for his father. He sacrificed himself out of love, yes, but not love for his father.”

  Harlow looked up at the horizon that Enders had been taken through, letting herself stay sad for a moment, before turning her eyes back to the dirt on the ground. “Eleven weeks.”

  Little John raised one eyebrow and whistled. “Eleven weeks, huh? That's a long time.”

  Harlow nodded, picking herself up from the ground, her legs trembling and her eyes still fighting back tears of frustration. She found it easier to be angry than sad. She let her back stay toward Little John, not wanting him to see her in a weak state.

  “How did you find out?” Harlow asked, rubbing her cheeks dry of the renegade tears and composing herself.

  “Your father is a good friend of mine,” He said, a small smile on his lips. “He made me vow not to tell a soul, but only to watch over you and keep you safe.” He looked over to the trees at his left before adding, “Aldridge also knows. He tended to you when you were ambushed. He found the wrapping at your chest and had Evie take care of you. We're the only four who know, besides Enders.”

  Harlow nodded. “Aye.”

  She looked back in the direction that Enders had been swept off to. She raised one hand to touch the brim of her hat, which was snugly placed over her brunette hair.

  “Come on, Henry,” Little John said, nodding back in the direction he'd come. “Let's go back to camp and come up with a rescue mission.” He offered.

  Harlow nodded, rubbing her eyes dry again and rolling her shoulders back once.

  She wouldn't let every one see her like this. She turned around and stalked forward, past Little John, and made her way through the thick forest.

  Harlow and Little John walked in silence, Harlow's mind running rescue strategies through in her head. She felt herself getting fatigued of the thought and pushed it aside for the time being. She kept walking, her brain focusing solely on Enders, and the secret he'd kept for so long: His father was the infamous Robin Hood.

  *~*~*

  Her feet crunched over leaves and twigs as she and Little John crossed a boundary line into Sherwood City.

  She stood amazed at the sight before her, just as Little John had. The outlaw recruits and every man available sat on the training fields, awaiting instruction and a strategy of attack.

  Everyone sat in different groups, with the different people they knew and talked to while they stayed in Sherwood.

  Harlow noticed quickly that the other team had returned and had been informed. Several people, she noticed, were now murmuring and quietly talking in hushed tones about Enders capture. Even more were talking about him being Robin Hood's son and how they were shocked and surprised by the idea.

  “Now that I think about it, they do look very similar,” one man said, taking a bite of his apple, one arm hung over his knee. The other man he'd been speaking to responded with something inaudible.

  As she walked past the men, some people turned and gave her regretful looks and sad faces. Everyone knew Harlow and Enders got along well and had been in life-threatening situations before.

  Now, Harlow walked toward Robins cabin with her head held high and her face twisted in anger.

  She approached the door, not caring to close it softly after Little John had gone in.

  Inside, Robin stood hunched over the table, examining a map of the castle and the forestry areas around it.

  Next to him stood Will Scarlett, who had his arms mostly crossed, with his right hand under his chin as he stared down at the map as well. Two other men stood off to the sides, leaning against the walls and trying to think of what to do next. She'd recognized the men, but they weren't the type of recruits that trained. Harlow guessed they'd been in Sherwood for a while and were a rank or so above her.

  Little John stood still for a moment before stepping forward and looked at the map of the castle.

  “We could go around the west bank and head toward the drawbridge.” Will Scarlett offered, looking over the map, momentarily moving his hand from his chin to speak.

  Robin shook his head, keeping his eyes still on the map. “No,” he pointed to the entrance. “Only some of us would get in since they'd pick up the bridge. That's the reason they have it there.”

  Harlow waited, leaning up against the door post, her arms crossed, and her eyes twisted in distaste.

  Silence followed for a while.

  “What about going through the east end plateau to attack?” One of the other men asked, stepping closer to the map and pointing to an area.

  Again, Robin shook his head and pointed to an area close to whe
re the other man had pointed. “The king trains his soldiers for the sole purpose of an attack here. They have specific drills for that very situation.”

  The man nodded, somewhat disgruntled and stepped away.

  Harlow contemplated for a moment before she stepped forward and pointed to the south end of the castle. “Attack through the southern infirmary. It's practically abandoned since they built the new one on this west side.” She sighed and looked over the map. “Send a distraction this way,” she said moving her finger up gently, “that would ensure that all the kings' units would move away from the southern end. King Wesley is smart, so he'll expect a distraction, but he wont expect an attack anywhere except the opposite end.” Harlow took a step backward and crossed her arms again, still looking down at the map.

  Harlow shrugged as she thought it over, stepping back toward the door post where she slouched against it again. “Enders is probably being kept in the middle of the castle, on the most bottom floor, anyway. We'll have to fight a lot of men no matter where we go. We have to make sure we don't get boxed in is the main problem.”

  Robin looked up at Harlow, his eyes looking her over. “You're definitely your father's son, that's for certain.” He mumbled, almost disgruntled, as he looked at the map in a new way, his mouth hanging slightly ajar at the new perspective to see the map.

  Harlow, for once, didn't feel the need to chuckle or laugh at the fact that he'd called her a man. Instead, she bore her eyes into the map on the table as Robin hunched himself over the table.

  She took a look at Robin himself and understood the similarities between the two now. They both had the same brown hair, although Enders was much more brown and sleek. Robin's had become gray with age, although his brown locks still remained throughout the gray clouds. She noticed his hazel eyes and the way he looked so concentrated. Maybe they were more similar than anyone had ever realized.

  Robin looked over the map as he raised a hand, pointing toward Harlow. “I like that plan,” He said, his eyes slightly widening. “That will work!” He exclaimed, looking hopeful for the first time that evening.