Arrow To The Heart (De Bron Saga) (11 page)

"You laugh."  Kendrick liked the sound.

"A private joke."  One on the sheriff and his friends.

She seemed to be in a good mood so he asked again, "will you go with me to the tourney?"

Look at him
, Rowena thought.  So puffed up with pride and sure of himself.  He thought nothing in the world to be as charming as himself.  A man like that wouldn't fathom that a woman would actually say no.  Perhaps that was why it felt so good for her to do just that.

"I would as soon go to the archery match with a weasel," she proclaimed loud enough for the entire manor to hear.

“A weasel.” This time her disdainful attitude got under Kendrick's skin. A man's pride could only take so much.  "And I would just as soon go with a shrew."  He moved towards the door.  "Good day, Sir William," he said, opening it and slamming it behind him.

Red faced and blustering Sir William could barely keep his temper in check. "Rowena!  How could you be so rude." 

"To such as him it was easy," she answered, refusing to be intimidated even by her father.  "Besides, I couldn't have said yes even had I wanted to."  Her eyes sparkled with determination.   “For I intend to enter that match you see."

Chapter Ten

The buzz of human voices hummed in the air.  There was always excitement  whenever  a competition of any kind was to take place and the archery tournament was no exception.  Tired of Winter and longing for spring men, women and children from villages all over the shire came by cart, on foot and on horseback to watch the archers shoot for the golden arrow.  Elbowing her way among the arrivals was Rowena, trying as best she could to blend in with the crowd.  Despite her father's fierce objections of "Rowena, it will not do,"  she was determined to take part in the contest.  If that made her "pig headed" as her father insisted, well so be it!

"Oh, how I wish I could enter and win as a woman," she grumbled beneath her breath, adjusting her hosen.  As it was
, she had conceded to her father's opinion that it would  shock the countryside  to see a woman compete in so unseemly a manner.  For the sake of her ego she couldn't afford to put herself in any danger, particularly when she had come up against Prince John so recently in the forest.  Therefore, Rowena had conjured up a disguise. Remembering poor Hugh Penny with his sightless eye covered by a patch, she had dressed likewise in the drab gray of a peasant. In her heart, however, she would know if she won that a woman had bested them all.

Rowena's thoughts were disturbed by the sound of a trumpet.  Standing tall and proud a herald made an announcement that dampened the enthusiasm of the crowd. "From this day forward, Robert Fitzooth, son of Hugh Fitzooth, havin
g murdered the forester of the king, is declared outlaw.  A reward of one hundred pounds is offered to he who can capture him, dead or alive."

"Robert Fitzooth."  She remembered hearing
Marion talk of this man in terms of endearment.  How sad.  And how timely was this warning.  She would take it to heart and use caution in her actions today lest she too end up on the prince's wanted list.

Hurrying  to the archery field, Rowena passed a troupe of tumblers who
had just formed a human pyramid She then walked briskly by a wrestling bout, and barely took time to  peek at a contest between two men who were armed with quarter-staves.  There was no time to dawdle; she was here on business and that business was to win.             

"Gingerbread!  Freshly baked gingerbread," a pretty young woman called out.  "Eat it while you watch the tourney."

"Wine!  Cider.   Ale," yelled out a rotund, gray-haired man, vying for passerby's coins.  "T'is wet and tart."

Though she was both hungry and thirsty, Rowena ignored their cries.  Already several horns were shrilly announcing that all archers should take their places in line.  Rowena drove all other thoughts from her mind except winning the golden arrow.  Staring straight ahead as she ran she was oblivious to all around her, that is until she collided with a man who stepped into her path.

"Methinks you be in quite a hurry!" boomed a husky voice.

Rowena looked up at the obstacle, so lean and handsome in a tunic and hosen of scarlet, and mutte
red an oath as she saw that it was Kendrick de Bron.  His gaze was steady, unwavering as he looked self-righteously down at her and for a moment she felt the apprehension of being found out.  What if he somehow recognized her?

"Excuse me, my Lord," she mumbled, forcing her voice an octave lower.  Holding up her bow she exhibited her reason for haste.  All the while her heart pounded so wildly in her breast that for the moment she could barely breath.

"Ah, another entrant for the shooting match."  Dubiously eyeing her up and down he shrugged.  "The more the merrier I would guess." 

"Aye," she answered, a
nxious for him to step aside.  It was always troubling to be in his presence, more so now.   And yet dressed as she was, how could he possibly guess her identity?  Rowena scorned her foolish apprehension.  Even her own father wouldn't know her dressed as she was.              

For his part
, Kendrick was puzzled.  There was something familiar about this youth dressed in gray with a patch over one eye, though he could not remember having seen him before.  And why was there such intensity in his gaze?  A resentment flashing from that bold blue eye.

"Strange......."

"What is, my Lord?" Oh how she wished to be quit of his company.

Kendrick shrugged.  He was i
magining things.  "Nothing."  This lad was a stranger, albeit a hostile one.  But then could he blame him? The way the common man was being treated by the prince was appalling.  As Prince John's man he was therefore the rightful target of the youth's animosity.  It was a sad fact of life.

Rowena was uneasy.  What was Kendrick de Bron thinking?  For what seemed like eternity he hovered over her, continuing to stare.  At last he took a step to the right. 

"Well, be off with you now."  He sauntered off towards the stands.

"Be off with you now," she mimicked under her breath.  She
watched him for just a moment but turned her head quickly when she realized that he had sensed that she was staring.  Taking her place as the fifth entrant amidst twenty-two, she had no time for thoughts of the haughty de Bron as she readied her bow.

"Look, a pigeon and a peacock,"  someone shouted out, pointing towards Rowena and the beggar  who stood beside her.  Dressed in a tunic and cloak of several different colors of cloth patched
together, the beggar did indeed resemble a brightly plumed bird.  Rowena eyed the tawny-haired  man with scrutiny.  His hat was pulled down low upon his face as if he, too, was in hiding.   It was curious.  Particularly so, seeing as how Maid Marion who sat in the stands had her eyes riveted upon him.  Who was he?

"A peasant and a beggar.  Who told
them that they could enter?" a swaggering nobleman chided, rudely pushing Rowena aside.

"This contest is open to all," she responded defiantly, watching as the beggar limped to his place in line.  Could it be?  Was it possible?  Would Robert Fitzooth be so daring?  Such a thought amused her.  If she didn't make an ass out of Prince John today then perhaps this "beggar" would.

Tension trembled in the air as the target was put into place.  The riotous crowd grew silent as the first archer stepped up to take his turn.  "Bull's eye!"

As she waited to take her turn, Rowena took time to scan the crowd, wondering if her father had changed his mind about coming.   Alas, she did not see him
, but she did take note of someone else.  The tunic and hosen of red made Kendrick de Bron stand out in the crowd.  Surrounded by lovely, chattering maidens like some sultan in a harem, he looked anything but lonely.

"Shoot!" she heard someone command.

She did.  Lifting her bow Rowena took careful aim at the target, imagining the bull's-eye  to be de Bron's treacherous heart.  She hit it dead center to the accompaniment of cheers from the crowd.

Next came the beggar who was made to suffer a taunt from the noblemen in the audience.  Their jeers were silenced as he too was accurate in his aim.

"Well done,"  Rowena praised, wondering again at the beggar's true identity.

Another archer took his turn, then another and another, their struts revealing over
-confidence.  When all was said and done, sixteen archers were true with their arrows, including Rowena and the beggar.  It looked to be a long, strenuous day she thought as she watched  the target being placed twenty feet farther away.

Again each archer took a turn and again Rowena was victorious.  Laughter arose as the beggar limped forward
, but he too hit the target right in the center. This time, in fact, only two missed the mark, including the over-confident nobleman.  Angrily throwing his bow to the ground he proved himself to be a poor sport as well as rude.

"Good riddance," she scoffed beneath her breath.

"Aye, good riddance," agreed the beggar.

A horn sounded as the archers prepared to shoot again.  This time the target was moved to a distance fifty feet farther away, a tricky but not impossible shot.  Fourteen arrows whistled through the air one after another.  Only six found their mark, Rowena's being the last to hit the circle.

"Good shot!"  The beggar seemed to have befriended her, for he patted Rowena on the back.

"As was yours," she said, returning the compliment.  "Good luck," she whispered as the target was once more moved farther away.  If she didn't win the competition today then she hoped that the "beggar" would.

This time Rowena shot first.  Holding her breath she let it out in a gasp as she saw the arrow hit the small red circle.  If anything was as exciting as this she could not imagine it, she thought as her whole body trembled.  The feeling of success was very, very sweet.  As she watched two noblemen go down to defeat it was even more so.

"The beggar.  The beggar."  The crowd shouted for the man in the multi-colored clothing to take his turn.  They were not to be disappointed for again his aim was true. 

Again the target was moved and this time three archers took their turn.  Rowena and the man dressed like a beggar hit the bull's eye, but the third archer was far to the left. 

"So, it is only you and me," she heard the beggar say.  Looking into his blue eyes she saw him wink.  "May the best man win."

"Aye, the best man," she said with a smile as the two of them prepared to shoot, possibly for the very last time.   She saw him gaze in the direction of the crowd and could have sworn she saw Maid Marion blow him a kiss.  It proved to bring him luck.

"The beggar has hit the mark again!" shouted the onlookers, cheering at the top of their lungs.  They issued a challenge to the gray-clothed archer to do the same.

From where he sat, Kendrick de Bron swore loudly.  That archer.  It had to be.   No wonder he had seemed familiar. "The rogue of the woods!"  The overbold young archer who had robbed him of his clothes upon their first meeting.  He knew it now.

Rowena drew her bow but as she was about to shoot she caught sight of Kendrick de Bron.  Their eyes met, his seeming to penetrate to her very soul.  He knew.

"Shoot.  What stays you?" demanded the Sheriff of Nottingham, anxious to be done with the match. 

Rowena let her arrow fly, knowing the instant it did that she had shot too soon.  It missed the beggar's arrow by nearly a half inch to the left, grazing the feathers as it struck.  Though it hit the target squarely her arrow
had not hit as accurately as his. 

"Damn," she muttered beneath her breath.   Still and all she was a good sport about it all, being as it were the first to congratulate the winner.  "But I caution you, my friend," she added.  "The next time it will be
I
who will best
you
."  She turned then, purposely weaving in and out amidst the flock of meandering onlookers just in case de Bron thought to instigate her capture.  From the safety of her place behind an over-stout merchant she could see the beggar standing before Maid Marion, the golden arrow outstretched in his hand.

"I offer this to the loveliest lady in the land," he said, confirming Rowena's suspicions that he was
Marion's love. 

Nor was she the only one to notice.  The Sheriff of Nottingham and his men moved towards the young couple and seeing the danger
, Rowena had to make a move.  Coming between the two laughing lovers, she called out a warning.

"The fox is upon the geese."

"What?"  Robert Fitzooth looked up to see the truth of her words and in a blink of an eye had run away. 

"You fools, get him!" yelled the Sheriff.  Answering his command
, several men-at-arms ran, shoving through the crowd.  They were almost upon him when the dwarf, Lankless, came between.   Doing flips and handstands to entertain the onlookers, it appeared that he purposefully got in the guardsmens' way.  At least so it seemed to Rowena.

"Out of the way, you simpleton!"  Pushing Lankless to the ground
, the guardsmen sought to renew the chase but it was too late.  Robert Fitzooth had vanished into the throng of bystanders.

"Thank God he escaped,"  Rowena whispered beneath her breath.  It was time for her to do likewise.

"Wait just a minute."

Rowena paled as a guardsman grabbed her arm.  His eyes scrutinized her suspiciously.

"Where did he go?"

"Where?"  Rowena shrugged.  "How should I know?"

"You were seen talking to him after the tourney."

"Rowena shook her head.  "I was, to offer my congratulations on a shooting match well done."  She cocked the eyebrow over the eye not wearing the patch.  "But what has the poor beggar done that you should be after him?"

"What has he done?"  The guardsman's sour look seemed to tell it all.  "He makes fools of us all.  That was no beggar, but Robin Hood.  Robin Hood!"  Clenching his fists helplessly he looked as if he was ready to explode with anger.  "Damn him.  Damn him, I say."

Wrenching herself free, Rowena made her own dart for the safety of the crowd, smiling to herself all the while.  So, her most noble opponent had been Robin Hood.  Oh, she had heard
of him and his daring exploits. What enemy of Prince John had not?  And thanks to her he had escaped.  That alone made her efforts today well worth the try, though she had to content herself with being  second best.