could properly elbow Little John in the gut, making the unsus pecting man bend over in a gasp.
I squirmed away from him and started tearing through the underbrush. “Marian! You’re never around when I need you!” I shouted, careening through the underbrush. Marian would know what to do in these circumstances.
I hurriedly cleared the last natural wall of trees that hedged in our camp, knocking a scout clean off his feet.
“Sorry,” I said, looking down at the fallen Merry Men.
“Robyn?” a familiar voice asked.
My eyes shot up and I spotted Much and Will Stutely halfway across the camp.
My face scrunched up and I tore towards them. “Much! Will!” I wailed, throwing myself at them.
Much caught me and had to be steadied by Will Stutely to keep from falling over.
“Robyn, you’re back!” Will Stutely crowed, joyful as ever.
“What’s wrong?” Much asked, running a soothing hand up and down my back.
At that moment Little John and Will Scarlet entered our camp, still towing their stolen horses behind them.
I tightened the hold my fists had on Much’s shirt, which did not go unnoticed by my original Merry Man as he stared across the camp.
“You didn’t,” he called to Scarlet and Little John, his voice dripping with disgust.
The duo of Robyn Lovers swapped guilty glances.
“By Mary the beloved mother, what on earth possessed you to tell her?” Much growled.
“You knew ?” I squeaked into Much’s shirt.
“You two are proper fools!” Will Stutely chimed in.
“Well at least it brought her back,” Will Scarlet pointed out.
Much scowled and slowly spun around, twirling me with him. “Come on Robyn. You must want something to eat.”
I knew an opening for a total retreat when I saw one. “Actually,” I quietly ventured. “I probably need to sleep,” I said, pulling away from Much, baiting my male nursemaid.
“It’s barely noon,” Will Stutely blinked.
“It is,” I agreed. “But I stayed up the whole night with Marian while we mapped out the plan to rescue Little John and Scarlet.”
The camp was utterly silent for several moments.
“What?” Much asked, his voice iron hard.
“Pardon ?” I innocently blinked. (There were times when I could use Much and Will Stutely’s mother hen characteristics to my advantage.)
Will Stutely gently took my arm and carted me off to my hut while Much spun on his heels to glare at Will Scarlet and Little John. “Come along Robyn. It’s probably best if you go to bed,” Will said in a sing song voice, smiling at the excited Merry Men who were clambering around, grinning at me.
“Okay,” I agreed , pausing when I got to my hut. “It’s good to be home,” I said before opening the door. My room was still neat and tidy. I flopped on my bed and fell asleep within a minute.
I slept the whole day through and didn’t wake up until just before dawn the following morning. When I stumbled out of my hut, in something of a daze, Marian was sitting on a log, rubbing morning dew off a piece of grass.
“Finally, here are you are. Really, I expected you to be unfit to sleep with your mind racing about those daring declarations Little John and Will Scarlet made,” she said, standing up before brushing off her full skirts.
I groaned. “Don’t remind me,” I pleaded as I staggered pass her. “I already feel as though I were run down by the Sherriff’s men. I don’t need reality to set in any sooner than possible. What are you doing here? You never rise this early. Not to mention your parents surely must be keeping you under lock and key after yesterday’s adventure.”
“As you mentioned, I never get up this early. My parents didn’t bother to post guards underneath my window at this hour. It would be positively ridiculous. No, the only thing that could drag me out of my warm, comfortable , feather bed, Robyn dear, is you,” Marian answered, following me to one of the campfires.
“Me? What about me?” I groggily asked as I
I squirmed away from him and started tearing through the underbrush. “Marian! You’re never around when I need you!” I shouted, careening through the underbrush. Marian would know what to do in these circumstances.
I hurriedly cleared the last natural wall of trees that hedged in our camp, knocking a scout clean off his feet.
“Sorry,” I said, looking down at the fallen Merry Men.
“Robyn?” a familiar voice asked.
My eyes shot up and I spotted Much and Will Stutely halfway across the camp.
My face scrunched up and I tore towards them. “Much! Will!” I wailed, throwing myself at them.
Much caught me and had to be steadied by Will Stutely to keep from falling over.
“Robyn, you’re back!” Will Stutely crowed, joyful as ever.
“What’s wrong?” Much asked, running a soothing hand up and down my back.
At that moment Little John and Will Scarlet entered our camp, still towing their stolen horses behind them.
I tightened the hold my fists had on Much’s shirt, which did not go unnoticed by my original Merry Man as he stared across the camp.
“You didn’t,” he called to Scarlet and Little John, his voice dripping with disgust.
The duo of Robyn Lovers swapped guilty glances.
“By Mary the beloved mother, what on earth possessed you to tell her?” Much growled.
“You knew ?” I squeaked into Much’s shirt.
“You two are proper fools!” Will Stutely chimed in.
“Well at least it brought her back,” Will Scarlet pointed out.
Much scowled and slowly spun around, twirling me with him. “Come on Robyn. You must want something to eat.”
I knew an opening for a total retreat when I saw one. “Actually,” I quietly ventured. “I probably need to sleep,” I said, pulling away from Much, baiting my male nursemaid.
“It’s barely noon,” Will Stutely blinked.
“It is,” I agreed. “But I stayed up the whole night with Marian while we mapped out the plan to rescue Little John and Scarlet.”
The camp was utterly silent for several moments.
“What?” Much asked, his voice iron hard.
“Pardon ?” I innocently blinked. (There were times when I could use Much and Will Stutely’s mother hen characteristics to my advantage.)
Will Stutely gently took my arm and carted me off to my hut while Much spun on his heels to glare at Will Scarlet and Little John. “Come along Robyn. It’s probably best if you go to bed,” Will said in a sing song voice, smiling at the excited Merry Men who were clambering around, grinning at me.
“Okay,” I agreed , pausing when I got to my hut. “It’s good to be home,” I said before opening the door. My room was still neat and tidy. I flopped on my bed and fell asleep within a minute.
I slept the whole day through and didn’t wake up until just before dawn the following morning. When I stumbled out of my hut, in something of a daze, Marian was sitting on a log, rubbing morning dew off a piece of grass.
“Finally, here are you are. Really, I expected you to be unfit to sleep with your mind racing about those daring declarations Little John and Will Scarlet made,” she said, standing up before brushing off her full skirts.
I groaned. “Don’t remind me,” I pleaded as I staggered pass her. “I already feel as though I were run down by the Sherriff’s men. I don’t need reality to set in any sooner than possible. What are you doing here? You never rise this early. Not to mention your parents surely must be keeping you under lock and key after yesterday’s adventure.”
“As you mentioned, I never get up this early. My parents didn’t bother to post guards underneath my window at this hour. It would be positively ridiculous. No, the only thing that could drag me out of my warm, comfortable , feather bed, Robyn dear, is you,” Marian answered, following me to one of the campfires.
“Me? What about me?” I groggily asked as I
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