Sherwood Page 14

  Harlow widened her eyes slightly, grateful for his excitement over the plan. “Great! When do we put this into action?” She pushed herself off the post and stood alert.

  Robin sighed. “We wont have the resources for a few weeks.”

  Harlow's relief immediately died. “Weeks?”

  Robin barely paid any mind to her. “Aye. We've lost a lot of the resources we need to fight anybody, never mind the royal calvary.”

  Harlow felt her heart pause with disgust. “Your son is captured and you're going to wait weeks to advance rescue efforts?” She'd raised her voice slightly toward the end of her sentence.

  She took one step forward, immediately feeling two large hands on her shoulders. “Henry,” Little John's voice came, his hands pulling her back.

  “No!” Harlow raised her voice. “You can't do that!”

  Robin looked slightly taken aback by the sudden flare of anger. “Henry, we don't have the resources, we--”

  “He's your son! Your son!” Harlow tried to take another step forward, but quickly felt the massive arm of Little John grab her shoulder and pull her back again. “How can you let your son sit in a massive castle where he could potentially be slaughtered!?”

  “Henry, we can't--” Robin began, but couldn't finish his words.

  “You've ruined so many lives!” Harlow cried out, Little John pulling her arm back when she tried to move forward. She viciously shook him off, taking a small step forward. “You acted like a hero! You swept in and treated everyone kindly when King Wesley increased taxes and attacked the poor! You made people believe in you! You became all things to all men!” Harlow tried again to step forward, but was quickly pulled back by her midsection and temporarily lifted off the ground. She let out an angry growl as Little John put her back on the floor. “You filled the world with hope and in return destroyed their lives!”

  “Henry!” Robin shouted, holding his hands out defensively.

  “You could go and rescue him. You could send out the efforts you have, but you refuse to use whatever you've got.” Harlow accused, her voice now at an acceptable pitch. “You've ruined the most lives, not by the sword, but by your words.”

  Robin stared at her slightly dumbfounded, as Little John released her, hoping she'd get a grip on herself.

  Harlow, unable to stand being in the same room as Robin Hood any longer, shrugged Little John off of her. She shook of her shirt once, giving one last angry look at Robin Hood before opening the door of the cabin and slamming it shut behind her.

  At first she was just going to go back to her cabin and think about what to do, but as she stepped down the wooden steps of Robin's abode, her thoughts started to go the speed of light. She felt her eyes change, inhabiting determination.

  Harlow felt the rush of the wind push around her ears as she marched through the seemingly thousands of men on the training fields.

  She felt her pulse in her ears as she walked to the edge of the field, kicked over a renegade crate, and stepped onto the large box overlooking the men. “Listen up!” She shouted as loud as she could, which even surprised her.

  Only the men in the few front rows immediately stopped talking, but as a few seconds passed, every man's attention laid still on her.

  “Rescue efforts have not and will not be announced. The leader amongst us has ultimately decided that rescue is not the best option right now. Are we to sit and wait until Enders has his head separated from him?!” Harlow shouted out, “Hm!?” Several of the men looked at each other, some in shock at a lack of strategy, others shocked because they couldn't believe the mutiny happening before their eyes.

  Silence only dominated for a second.

  “King Wesley takes kindly to stranded and injured civilians, predominantly women. That being established, I plan to make my way into the castle under the pretense of a civilian. Anybody is welcome to join me. Regardless of any raised opposition, I will be leaving and attempting to rescue Enders,” Harlow saw Robin's cabin door open and Robin walk out, curious as to the commotion going on outside, “seeing as his very own father refuses to save him.”

  Harlow narrowed her eyes at Robin, catching his irritated and frustrated eyes.

  One man in the front row chuckled before he spoke. “So, you're going to pretend injury so you can sneak into the castle and rescue Enders from the inside?” The man's chuckle turned into a laugh. “The king takes in mostly women. He'll never take in an outlaw who staggers into the path of his horses.” He looked to the man on his left, who wore a sad smile. “Sheesh, what a boy McBride raised. He thinks he's a woman.”

  Harlow felt rage grow in her heart. “That's because I'm not Harrison McBride's son.” She seethed, the words coming out of her mouth before she had a chance to think about it. Her anger was getting the best of her and if she didn't get a grip on it soon, she would do something irrational.

  But, it was too late.

  There was a sudden quietness before some people started to murmur. She raised her hands to her head quickly and tugged off her hat.

  Her hair cascaded around her shoulders in what felt like slow motion.

  Some men gasped, most simply let their jaws go slack and hang down upon her presence. She ran one hand through her hair and looked over the men.

  “I'm Harrison McBride's daughter.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  The men in the training field area had a calmness around them that only lasted for a few seconds before murmurs and whispered talking broke out. Everyone stared at the woman before them.

  She ran one hand through her hair again, letting her arms hang down at her sides with her hat in hand. Her eyes narrowed at Robin Hood, who stood an entire field away. She could see his mouth hanging wide open, his eyes large and surprised. How could he have let a woman into his recruitment?

  Little John looked worried, although proud for some reason that she'd decided to take things into her own hands.

  “You're a woman?” The man from the front row asked.

  “Aye,” Harlow said, looking at him with irritation. She raised an angry eyebrow at him. “Seems to me that Harrison McBride raised one damn good daughter.”

  The man looked dumbfounded, although Harlow refused to let her eyes rest on him. She moved her eyes around the crowd, spotting several people she'd been close with during her recruitment.

  Reggie, for one, looked shocked and a little hurt. Harlow could only guess that his hurt was induced by Harlow's refusal to tell him the truth.

  Candor and Elwin, on the other hand looked upon her in shock with a hint of delight. She couldn't tell if they thought it was an intense moment or not.

  “That's why my plan will work,” She said, anger still in her voice, “Whether or not anyone is with me.” She stepped down off the crate and started walking away.

  Before she could get to her cabin, Little John approached her and took her arm. “Come with me.”

  Harlow raised an eyebrow, stopping in her tracks, her hat hanging gently from her hand. “Why?”

  He contemplated lying to her, and Harlow could tell from his reaction that he didn't want to tell her the truth. “Robin would like a word with you.”

  Harlow nodded. She felt a sick smile creep onto her face. “Tell him I'm busy with a rescue effort.”

  Little John tilted his head, his eyes looking tired and strained. “Harlow,” He said her name as a warning. It was strange to hear her own name, but she brushed off the feeling, holding tightly onto the anger she had inside of her.

  Harlow sighed, her lips cutting into a tight line. “Fine.”

  Little John let go of her arm, knowing that she'd be walking alongside him. He kept a protective watch out for the men in their path, thinking that they might do something irrational.

  When they reached the cabin, Little John opened the door and waited for Harlow to go in.

  Harlow raised an eyebrow. “Stop doing that.”

  Little John was taken slightly aback. “Doing what?”

  “Treat
ing me like a woman,” Harlow huffed, stepping inside after realizing how ridiculous the request was.

  Robin stood inside the cabin, his arms crossed and his eyes narrowing. Upon seeing her, he shook his head, trying to find words to say.

  Harlow waited silently for him to start his lecture.

  Robin stuttered, trying to find something to say. He was angry, and he was trying to hold himself together. “Why?”

  Harlow chuckled. “Ya' know, that's exactly what Enders asked me.” She was determined to get under his skin and she knew that Enders was just the way to do that.

  “Enders knew?” Robin asked, his eyebrows raising in alarm.

  “Aye,” Harlow said, leaning against the wall, arms crossed, one leg in front of the other. Harlow raised an eyebrow at him after a second. “Did you really think he gave himself up for you? He never liked you.”

  The intense anger in Robin's eyes almost made her shiver.

  “How long had he known?”

  Harlow looked to the ground for a moment, her smile dropping and her demeanor dropping it's hard exterior for the time being. “He'd found out when we were ambushed during the raid you demanded we do, although you were aware of our opposition to the idea.”

  Robin's irritation grew. He shook his head and rubbed his eyes. “We're sending you to Barnsdale in the morrow.”

  Harlow laughed. “Aye? Barnsdale is in ruins by now.”

  Robin turned to her, fire in his eyes. “Barnsdale is doing fine, and that's where you'll be going.”

  Harlow shook her head. “I'll leave, but I'm not going to Barnsdale.”

  Robin rolled his eyes. “Little John,” He said addressing him. “For the love of God, get her a dress and wake her up by dawn. Have her horse ready, please.”

  Harlow shook her head in frustration. “Arrange whatever you like. I assure you it will not be working.”

  Robin scowled. “Take her to one of the vacant cabins and have her rest all afternoon. Stand guard at the door and let no one in that cabin.” He said, turning around and staring at one of the maps on the table before him.

  “Miss McBride,” Little John, said reluctantly as he turned to face her.

  “Don't call me that,” Harlow warned, narrowing her eyes at him before turning to the door and jerking it open, and letting it hang on it's hinges as Little John walked behind her.

  She walked to her cabin and gathered her things, Little John standing just inside the door frame. Harlow hated that she was doing this, but opted that doing what was said of her would lower Robin's alertness of her.

  “So, you've been sleeping in this cabin with eleven other men for almost a full year?” Little John asked, looking around the messy cabin. Clothing had been strewn everywhere and it smelled like sweat and metal.

  Harlow nodded. “Aye.”

  “How did no one find out?” Little John asked, more to himself, incredulously.

  “Someone did find out,” Harlow said, picking up her blanket and rolling it tightly before shoving it into her bag, “and he's halfway to death by now.”

  “Aye,” Little John said, “but that was only after you both found yourselves in a precarious situation.” He wandered to where Harlow knelt and picked up a renegade blade, stabbing it into the windowsill and leaving it out of anyone's way.

  “Aye,” Harlow nodded, thinking back, “aye, it was.” She slung her bag onto her back and turned to face him.

  Little John nodded, seeing that she was ready, and lead her out of the building and toward a vacant cabin on the other end of the town center and market.

  As she approached the cabin, she pulled her hat back on and tucked all of her strands of hair into the brim. Little John turned just as she secured the hat and looked at her oddly. “Well,” he said, waving a hand in the direction of the cabin porch and door. “Here you are.”

  Harlow nodded, unhappy about the situation. She took two steps up the porch, looking down as she did so, debating with herself how far she'd get if she ran at this very moment. She concluded she'd get about six feet before being dragged back.

  Realizing and temporarily accepting defeat, she turned back to the man behind her. “John,” She called his name. “You and my father are good friends?”

  “Aye, we are. Why is it you ask?” He folded his hands together and took a step closer to the porch, resting one hand on his hip and the other on the railing.

  “Did he tell you anything about my mother?” Harlow asked, keeping her voice low and even, as to not receive any attention.

  Little John looked slightly taken aback. He shifted nervously. “He doesn't talk about her often, but he has mentioned a few things.”

  Harlow nodded, clutching her bag tighter with one hand as she stood. “I can't go to Barnsdale.” She said, looking at him, for the first time, with a gentle, pleading expression. “If you know anything about my mother, then you'll understand what I must do.”

  She noticed the shock written on his face when she'd spoken. Determining that it was time to plan, she turned and entered the cabin, closing the door quietly behind her. Immediately, she threw down her bag and started pulling out maps that she'd taken from home upon her departure.

  She would be going through with her plan.

  She'd make it into the castle.

  She'd save Enders.

  Even if it was the last thing she'd do.

  Chapter Twenty

  Darkness fell over the occupants of Sherwood, engulfing them in the unknown of night.

  Harlow sat, nervously in her cabin, looking from the door to the window every few seconds. Sure, Little John would be most definitely on the other side of the door, but the window didn't feel like a better option.

  Harlow stood quietly and peered out the window. The view was intimidating. Robin Hood's cabin stood just on the other side of a burning fire, his window in total harmony with hers, giving him a view of her through his window.

  It wasn't a question of how she wanted to leave, it was a question of who she'd rather deal with in an attempt to leave.

  Harlow moved to the window overlooking the front porch of the cabin. She couldn't see him, but she knew Little John would be waiting for her to make some kind of attempt at escape.

  She opted for the front door, unwilling to deal with Robin Hood.

  Quickly, she walked to the bed, that she'd placed her bag on. It wasn't heavy, seeing as she'd discarded all of her irrelevant items, carrying only a few knives and some necessities.

  She spotted the dress Little John had been ordered to bring her, sitting precariously on the bed. She gave the fabric a look of distaste before shoving it in her bag and throwing the bag over her shoulder.

  Moving to the door, she turned the knob softly, trying her best to be as quiet as possible. She'd taken about three steps out the door, closed the door quietly, and turned around before noticing Little John looming over her, his arms folded and staring at her with curiosity-stricken eyes.

  "I think you and I both know you're not supposed to be leaving this cabin." He said, his eyebrows raised and bent inward.

  Harlow sighed, turning her head away from him and tugging the hat off of her head in frustration, and dropping her bag on the porch.

  "Go back in," Little John nodded to the cabin behind her.

  Harlow stayed silent for a moment before she found the courage to speak against him. "No." She said calmly, looking over his shoulder and toward the world beyond.

  Little John kept one eyebrow raised. "No?"

  Harlow nodded, crossing her arms as she stared up into his eyes defiantly. "That's exactly what I said." She kept her voice even as she spoke. "I wont go back in this cabin. I have responsibilities. I have an Outlaw to save and citizens to lead. I have a corrupt king to overthrow and lives to save," Harlow said, the sternness in her voice going from authoritarian to compassionate.

  Little John simply stared at her.

  "You know who my mother was," Harlow said, her eyes focusing on his, reading his every reaction. "Y
ou know who I am. Who would I be if I didn't try to save him?"

  Little John stood still for a few long seconds, before a smile crept onto his face."I understand what you're capable of. I simply needed you to hear it from your own mouth." He told her in a low voice. "You've got until dawn breaks to run. Robin will be all over Sherwood searching for you after that point." Little John said, taking a step to the side.

  Harlow nodded. "Understood."

  "Now, you've got an Outlaw to save, Your Highness."Little John said, still smiling confidently at her.

  She widened her eyes at him, wasting no time in grabbing her bag and barreling down the steps. "Thank You," She murmured to him before taking the last step.

  "Harlow," Little John called before she got too far away. She turned around, still taking a few steps backward. "You're going to make one damn good Queen."

  Harlow took two more steps backward before slowing down for just a second. She felt her stomach drop at the thought. She didn't want to be Queen. She pushed the thought to the back of her mind, spinning around and racing off into the night.

  *~*~*

  Harlow knew she didn't have time to spare. Without giving anything much more thought, she vaulted over random logs and pushed her legs as fast as she could, crunching renegade branches in her wake.

  Throughout the night, she would slow to a walk and then speed up after she'd caught her breath. She knew she had several cuts on her face from renegade branches that fell in her path

  Her legs were exhausted and her body cried for water that she didn't have. She'd been running for hours, that much she knew. Harlow noticed the sky start to lighten just a little bit, indicating the rising sun. She felt herself rushing toward it as if she needed it. The moon light wasn't enough to light her path, but she knew that when the sun came up, she'd be hunted like a dog.

  She finally slowed down when she came to a dirt pathway, just as the sun came up over the horizon.