AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Something needed to be done. We needed a bigger score to make up for the weeks of continuous escape from Sir Guy of Gisborne, which stripped away our revenue streams. We also needed to be somewhat safe while doing it.
Enter the archery tournament at Nottingham.
At first, it had been merely talked about over ale at a public house in one of the small villages along the River Rivelin. The seed was planted, however, when I said, “It would be life-changing for the Merry Men.”
The next night, after a small and unsatisfying robbery, I said, “We can’t keep on like this. The law will catch up to us if we don’t do something.”
On the third night, I had half the Merry Men convinced the tournament was the answer to all our problems. They saw how good of an archer I was. With a bit of training—like the training I was doing now—I felt I had a good shot at taking home the ten-pound bag. I told them it would also be a way to reintegrate us into Nottingham.
Little John had shaken his head morosely. “That’s just what we need right now, Sir Guy and Sheriff George on our asses. We’ve finally created some breathing room.”
“Aye, but the girl is right,” Will said, always in disagreement with our big leader. “We’re hungry. Winter is approaching, and then what? We need money to carry us through the season once snow falls and the game hibernates. Food will become scarce soon, and you know it. Happens every year.”
John sighed, distancing himself from Will. “I won’t support such a strategy. It’s too dangerous for Robin.”
“You won’t support it,” I said. “. . . But you can’t stop it, either.”
Coupled with my mischievous smirk, Little John’s eyes flared. He took me by the arm, pulled me through camp. “Oh, I can’t, can I?”
Then he fucked me in his tent to get out his frustrations, my playful moans carrying through camp where everyone could hear. Afterward, I realized I needed to rile up Little John more often. Because I liked that disciplining side of his. I enjoyed when he took charge and put me in my place.
Regardless of the way he punished me for my bratty tendencies, I was right: Little John couldn’t stop the inevitable. I was doing the tournament. He either needed to get on board or shut up, and he eventually came to understand that. It took a couple weeks, but I finally had all of the Merry Men in agreement.
Except for Tuck, who agreed on principle we needed money, yet didn’t think this was the best way to get it.
“Remember what happened last time we kept her out of arm’s reach,” Tuck said now.
“That was different,” I said defensively.
“How?”
“I needed to reflect on my family. Needed to find my truth, which none of you could help with. Now, I trust you all. I know where I belong, and it’s with you.”
Tuck smiled sadly. “You don’t know how glad I am to hear you say that, little heathen, but how does that change the fact that we won’t be able to protect you in Nottingham?”
“We will,” came a stern, deep voice behind us.
We spun to find Little John with his arms crossed, propped against a tree. I had no idea how long he’d been there, listening to us or watching my archery practice.
“How?” Tuck asked.
“We will protect our shining star by doing what we’ve done these past few weeks: Staying close to her, not letting her out of sight.”
I smiled at him. This was quite the turnaround from being the single holdout just a few short days ago. I was surprised John, of all people, was coming to my defense.
He pushed off the tree and marched over to us. In the dirt, he drew out a map with his foot. “We know Nottingham and Sherwood Forest better than anyone. We can arrange our defenses to make sure we have every corner occupied, every field covered, every gate protected.”
I nodded vigorously. “Close in around me like a shield wall.”
“Aye, lass.” He finished his crude map so we could see what he was showing us. “We know where the tournament is being held. With all eyes on you, from multiple positions and angles, we will be able to act swiftly in case anything bad happens. At first sign of deceit or danger, we whisk Robin out of there.”
“I love this plan,” I chirped, already enthusiastic at the prospect of doing something useful for a change.
Friar Tuck frowned. “We might know where it’s going to take place”—just outside the eastern grounds of Sherwood Forest, in the fields—“but the military presence will be vast. It could be risky.”
Will said, “Everything we do is risky. It’s who we are.”
Alan said, “As much as I love your fervor, Little John, you are forgetting one thing: Robin is an outlaw, like us. If any of us are spotted by the military, or, God forbid, someone like Guy who would recognize us . . .”
