Everliving Kings (the Heroes of Darkness Saga) (16 page)

21

Robin Hood snapped his eyes open and sat up with a gasp. To his surprise the wolf-monster was gone, his sword was back in its sheath and propped up next to him and he was on a bedroll under several blankets. Not far away, on a similar bedroll was a man with several large Celtic knot-work tattoos and a jagged line of dried blood across his face.

“Welcome back.” Said the familiar voice of Fr
iar Tuck. “You don’t look too bad Robin, all things considered.”

“Brother James! What happened? I thought I was injured.” He mumbled in confusion as he ran his right hand over the teeth-mark scars covering his left shoulder.
“These wounds, but, why are they healed over? How long ago was I attacked?”

The portly Friar smiled at his friend, “Just last night Robin. That big oaf,” he said as he pointed a thumb over his shoulder towards Shawn, “is the one who attacked you. I know it sounds crazy, and I didn’t believe it myself until they showed me, but if the
Vampires exist… well why not shape-shifters. Besides, you needed a new shirt and you look good in green.” He said with a smile and a shrug.

“Robin!” a gruff looking man said as he a
pproached them and helped Robin to his feet, “I’m William Sathlock, most ere’ just call me Scarlet.” He chuckled as he pointed to his gleaming red eyes. “I’m the leader of the Nottingham pack, glad you could join us Robin Hood.”

“I thought I was dead…I thought for sure Hearn had sent the wolves to kill me for what I had done.” He said as he shook his head sadly.

“Angus told me you went to the seer; he is also a member of our tribe. You are Robin Hood, Hearn’s chosen son, and he would never try to harm you Robin. Think of last night as a gift he gave you to make you stronger.”

Robin frowned in confusion before he unde
rstood what Scarlet must have meant. “So I am… like you? I will change my form on the full moon?”

Scarlet laughed and slapped him on the shoulder, “Well, there’s a lot a little things we need ta go over wi’ ya, but fer now….yeah
, let’s just say you are now a wolf-shifter.”

“I… why does my head hurt so bad?” Robin groaned.

Scarlet smiled, “I would say you are not used to yer ears yet mate. One thing you will find is we have advantages over humans. Sight, hearing, smell, hand eye coordination, stamina, all better than a humans, and you will live a lot longer as well. I know it’s a bit ta take in at once mate, but if you’re up for it we can go fer a run.”

Robin frowned at him, “A run?”

Scarlet smiled back, “Aye, we will get some o’ the lads and follow you, let you set the pace, its kind o’ a tradition.”

“But don’t I need to know how to change into a wolf or something?” the young man asked
as he buckled his sword belt back on.

“No, that will come in time. For now you need to get used to yer new speed an’ strength. Because o’ that, we like ta have older pack members along. It’s gonna’ be real easy fer ya ta lose yer balance til ya get
familiar to it.”

 
Robin was not sure he understood it all, but agreed to give it a try. “What about you?” he asked of the large man with the new scar on his face.

Shawn stood and smiled down at the much smaller Robin, “Sorry Robin, I didn’t mean to hurt you, I am still new at this.”

“That’s ok…I think I needed this.” Robin said with a shrug. “So, where do we go?” he asked turning back to Scarlet.

Scarlet waved a hand towards the south and smiled from ear to ear as Robin turned and started running
.

              ***********************************

              “…Heard a word I is said, ‘ave you mi Lady?”

The Lady Marion
Dubois
was roused from her daydreaming by the woman’s question. “What was that Tess? I’m afraid I wasn’t paying attention.” She apologized as she turned to look at the driver of their little wagon.

The old woman nodded and smiled at her, “Tis all right mi Lady, I know you got some big thoughts running through that pretty little head o’ yours. I was just askin’ if this was your first time in England. I heared you was from Normandy, but most o’ the nobles here ‘ave land in France as well. Not unco
mmon round ‘ere for the gentry to go south for the winter.”

Marion smiled at the bold small-talk of a handmaiden. “No I have not been here before, but I can see already many things are different. The truth is I never wanted to come to England, but my father insisted. The family claims my duty is to be a ‘proper noblewoman’ or a ‘sister of the order’, neither
of which holds much appeal to me.” she said with a sigh.

The cart driver frowned at the girl, “But
, why not mum? If in ya don’t mind me askin’. I mean just think of it, if you was to marry some Lord, well you would be the Lady of the castle wouldn’t you. Why you would ‘ave servants and a feather-down bed, an…”

Before the old woman could go on Marion i
nterrupted her “And no freedom, and no fun, and I would forced to have children and offer myself willingly to whatever bald fat old Lord paid for me! I don’t want to be a Nun, but it may be better than being sold as a wife.”

Once more the old woman frowned at Marion. “So you don’t want children then? Besides what good is freedom? What would you do with it if you had it?” she asked in confusion.

Marion smiled, “Well, that’s not what I meant; I just meant I don’t want to have children with the highest bidder. As for freedom…well I like my hobbies, and the ones I like are not for ‘proper noblewomen’. I have four older brothers who taught me how to swordfight and shoot a bow, and fish and hunt, and I will never be allowed to do any of things again.”

The pair rode on in silence for a bit until the handmaiden turned towards her with a smile, “What if yer
Lord lets you do them things? I mean we don’t know for sure whom you may be intended to do us? What if he is more of a…well a…what if he likes them things too?”

Marion nodded and smiled
, but could not picture a Lord who would be so forgiving as to let a lady do the things she enjoyed while growing up.

Once more Marion allowed her thoughts to drift
, so much so, she never paid attention to the five soldiers who trotted their horses up to pace the wagon.

“Where might you Ladies be off to?”
one of the heavily armored men asked, as his friends maneuvered their horses to surround the simple wagon.

Tess scowled at the man, “Not that it be any of yer business, but were ‘eaded this way.” She gru
mbled as she waved a boney hand towards the road ahead.

One of the men matched pace with the single horse that was pulling the cart and grabbed the bit to stop it. As he did, the one who had already spoken laughed, “Well, it’s so nice a day, why don’t we stop and talk for a while.”

Before they knew it one of the men had jumped onto the back of the wagon and grabbed Marion from behind, dragging her kicking and screaming from the cart. Tess tried to grab the man, but the leader of the band struck her on the back of the head, knocking her out.

Marion’s struggle
, forced the man to throw her to the ground, and before she knew it she was surrounded by the bandits.

As her mind raced to find a way to escape what these men had planned for her, she was su
rprised to see an arrow shaft slam into the throat of one of the men, sending him flying backwards.

Before the men could register they were under attack, several sword wielding men flew from the tree line and pounced on them.
The only one of the soldiers who was able to even draw his blade was the one who had first spoken to the Ladies, and he found himself backing into the street facing a hooded man and a knocked yew bow. Two of his companions were killed almost instantly and the other two threw their hands up and surrendered to the unexpected rescue party.

“Drop your weapon!” Robin threatened from under the cowl of his hood.

The man froze as he pondered his diminishing options.

Robin stepped forward and drew back the bow string to full, “I said drop the weapon!” he grumbled again letting his anger fill his body with a surge of strength
. For a split second, his eyes flashed a golden-green color that sapped the rest of the nerve from the would-be rapist, who threw down his sword and bolted for the forest.

“Robin! He’s getting’ away!” Scarlet shouted and he crouched down, ready to chase.

Robin could feel the desire to hunt pouring out of the pack members around him, and lowered his bow to calm them. “Let him go Will!”

Scarlet turned back on the hooded man as his eyes lit up a bright red, “Why? Soes he can do it again eh? Dem bastards wasn’t gonna’ show no me
rcy, why should we?” he shouted. To his surprise, Robin went nose to nose with him and shouted back.

“And if we act like them we are no better than them!
Is that want you want Will, to be just like those animals? Well there she is! Why don’t you take her yourself!”

To the surprise of the Nottingham pack, Will Scarlet looked away in shame before backing off.

Robin Hood may have made his point, but turned to each of the other shifters with them and shouted a challenge to each one in turn. “How about you then? No? You?” finally, he came to the biggest of them all. “What about you Shawn…do you want to be like these men?”

Shawn shook his head and replied in a quiet voice, “No, Robin, I ain’t like them.”

Seizing the opportunity, the two remaining mercenaries scrambled to their feet and sped away.

Robin turned to the young woman and offered her his hand, “Are you injured my
Lady?” he asked as he offered to help her to her feet.

Marion frowned back at this rough character in a hood and hesitated to take his hand, opting i
nstead to help herself back to her feet. “I am quite capable of protecting myself thank you!” she huffed as she slapped at her dress in a vain attempt to clean it.

“Yes, no doubt, it did look to us as if
you were just about to make your move. My apologies, my Lady for spoiling all of your fun.” He teased before thinking that there was a chance that this girl may be just like Anya, if so he probably did act to soon.

Lady
Marion lifted herself back onto her small wagon and checked her handmaiden to see if the old girl were still breathing. “Yes, well, I am fine now, thank you yeoman, you may go.” She said as she waved a dismissive hand at him.

Robin was so taken back by the arrogance of this woman; he reached up and pulled back his hood with the intention of giving her a good talking to about manners. “Now just a minute my Lady, pe
rhaps in Normandy it is customary for a young lady to dismiss her rescuers without so much as a word of gratitude, but you are in England now.”

Marion shot back at him, “Yes, here three days and I have already been attacked.
And how do you know I am from Normandy?”

“Those men were
French
mercenaries my Lady, the Saxons are the ones who rescued you. As for how I knew you were from Normandy? Well, your dress color…that fabric, I have only seen it in Normandy. Forgive my being so forward my lady, but you could at least grant me the favor of the name, of the rose we saved from trampling?”

Marion was shocked at how he spoke to her with such respect, even after she had snapped at him first.
“Dubois…Marion Dubois.” She said after a short pause.

“My Lady Dubois,” he said with a charming smile and a bow. “It has been my great honor to a
ssist you today.” With that Robin turned to go, prompting her to shout.

“Wait! I still don’t know your name!”

Before he could answer her a familiar voice shouted a reply, “He is Robin Hood my Lady!”

Robin knocked an arrow and stepped back i
nto the street at the sound of Gisbon’s voice.

“He is an outlaw my Lady, A common thief and a murderer wanted by the crown
, and oh; what a merry band of cutthroats you have gathered Robin. So wolfshead, should I add attempted rape and assault to your rapidly growing list of offences?” Gisbon Shouted as he pulled his horse to a stop beside the wagon.

The term ‘wolfshead’ got more than a few chuckles from the Nottingham pack, but Robin was too focused on Gisbon to even notice the irony.

The Lady Marion shouted at the newly arrived noble, “These men saved me from a group of thugs, dressed like the ones behind you!”

To Gisbon’s left, the commander of the French mercenaries pulled his horse to a halt, and lifted his right hand to call the column behind him to hold. Apparently the Frenchman had both good hearing and good sense as he tried to defuse the tensions. “My Lady, I must apologize for the action of these men
, but not every mercenary has a good moral code.” To the hooded man he said, “Monsieur, I am grateful for the quick and decisive action of your men. I am in your debt.”

“Robin, put the bow down!” Scarlet growled as loud as he dare. “They got a whole bloody army b
ehind them.”