our loot.’
Robin opened Father Titus’s purse and tipped it towardsthe ground. Two clipped shillings fell out, together with a glass bead, and five acorns.
‘Next to worthless,’ Marian said. ‘A dummy purse. He must keep his real one tucked away in his folds. And this lot isn’t much better.’ The sack she had stolen contained a priest’s alb and a few other clothes, along with a small psalter and a liturgical bell. ‘A few things we can sell, I suppose,’ she said. ‘But at this rate it will take us a hundred years to earn our passage. We’ll have to do better next time.’
As they made their way home, through the lengthening shadows, Marian said: ‘Even if Father Titus does go back to the house, do you think he would ever tell Bawg and Blunt what really happened? Robbed by the two of us! He’d tell the whole world it was bandits, a giant horde of them, armed and desperate! I almost hope he does return, so we can hear him tell the story.’
Robin laughed at this, but it was hollow laughter because he couldn’t stop thinking now about Marian’s father – what if he
was
still alive, and planning to return? What would that mean to this life of theirs? Would it spell the end of everything?
II. The Return
H e didn’t have to wait long to find out. The very next day, at dusk, they were walking home from Titan’s Lake when they again heard rolling, rattling sounds. This time the noise was further away, yet deeper – this was not a solitary litter.
Their eyes met, briefly, then looked away. Without a word they ran through Summerswood. By the time they reached Chiron’s Rise, and gained a clear view up the valley, there was a cloud of dust approaching the Delbosque manor. Emerging out of the dust were horsemen wearing blue tabards, and following them was a covered carriage, painted red and gold. Above it flew a blazon bearing the crest of the double crow.
At first Marian stood motionless, glaring at the carriage. Then she groaned and slumped to the ground and hugged her knees. She looked at Robin, then put her face in her hands.
Robin watched the lord’s retinue snaking into the valley. Following the carriage were packhorses pulling wagons and litters. Servants walked alongside or trailed behind.
After a while, he said: ‘Maybe it won’t make any difference. Bawg left us alone in the end, didn’t she? Maybe he will too. We’ll stay out of his way and everything will carry on just the same.’
Marian made no reply. He sat next to her and they stayed there, in silence, watching more men-at-arms and carts appear at the head of the valley. They sat there while the sky darkened and the gnats came out in force, bobbing their dance of dusk.
Marian sat up straight, took a long breath. ‘So then, that’s that,’ she said. ‘We’re leaving.’
‘What?’
‘You don’t know what he’s like, Robin. He’s cruel and vindictive. He’ll try to keep us apart, at the very least. If he’s staying, we’re leaving.’
‘But … to go where?’
She looked at him. ‘Everywhere. Isn’t that what we’ve always said – how one day we’ll go to all the places in the stories, Troy and Rome and Carthage? How we’ll sail the five seas, and find the World Tree, and all the rest of it. How troubadours will sing tales about us, about our travels and our victories.’
‘Yes … “one day”,’ Robin said. ‘But … right now … just like that? You said yourself we’ll need money, to pay for passage.’
‘We’ll have to manage. He hasn’t left us a choice.’
Robin looked towards Wodenhurst. ‘I … I can’t just go … What about my family? What if they come back?’
Marian snorted. ‘I’m not even listening to that. They’re not coming back. You’ve known that for a long time, you just don’t want to admit it. There’s only you and me, the way it’s always been, and we will do what needs to be done.’ She stood and ran towards the manor.
‘Where are you going?’ Robin said,
Robin opened Father Titus’s purse and tipped it towardsthe ground. Two clipped shillings fell out, together with a glass bead, and five acorns.
‘Next to worthless,’ Marian said. ‘A dummy purse. He must keep his real one tucked away in his folds. And this lot isn’t much better.’ The sack she had stolen contained a priest’s alb and a few other clothes, along with a small psalter and a liturgical bell. ‘A few things we can sell, I suppose,’ she said. ‘But at this rate it will take us a hundred years to earn our passage. We’ll have to do better next time.’
As they made their way home, through the lengthening shadows, Marian said: ‘Even if Father Titus does go back to the house, do you think he would ever tell Bawg and Blunt what really happened? Robbed by the two of us! He’d tell the whole world it was bandits, a giant horde of them, armed and desperate! I almost hope he does return, so we can hear him tell the story.’
Robin laughed at this, but it was hollow laughter because he couldn’t stop thinking now about Marian’s father – what if he
was
still alive, and planning to return? What would that mean to this life of theirs? Would it spell the end of everything?
II. The Return
H e didn’t have to wait long to find out. The very next day, at dusk, they were walking home from Titan’s Lake when they again heard rolling, rattling sounds. This time the noise was further away, yet deeper – this was not a solitary litter.
Their eyes met, briefly, then looked away. Without a word they ran through Summerswood. By the time they reached Chiron’s Rise, and gained a clear view up the valley, there was a cloud of dust approaching the Delbosque manor. Emerging out of the dust were horsemen wearing blue tabards, and following them was a covered carriage, painted red and gold. Above it flew a blazon bearing the crest of the double crow.
At first Marian stood motionless, glaring at the carriage. Then she groaned and slumped to the ground and hugged her knees. She looked at Robin, then put her face in her hands.
Robin watched the lord’s retinue snaking into the valley. Following the carriage were packhorses pulling wagons and litters. Servants walked alongside or trailed behind.
After a while, he said: ‘Maybe it won’t make any difference. Bawg left us alone in the end, didn’t she? Maybe he will too. We’ll stay out of his way and everything will carry on just the same.’
Marian made no reply. He sat next to her and they stayed there, in silence, watching more men-at-arms and carts appear at the head of the valley. They sat there while the sky darkened and the gnats came out in force, bobbing their dance of dusk.
Marian sat up straight, took a long breath. ‘So then, that’s that,’ she said. ‘We’re leaving.’
‘What?’
‘You don’t know what he’s like, Robin. He’s cruel and vindictive. He’ll try to keep us apart, at the very least. If he’s staying, we’re leaving.’
‘But … to go where?’
She looked at him. ‘Everywhere. Isn’t that what we’ve always said – how one day we’ll go to all the places in the stories, Troy and Rome and Carthage? How we’ll sail the five seas, and find the World Tree, and all the rest of it. How troubadours will sing tales about us, about our travels and our victories.’
‘Yes … “one day”,’ Robin said. ‘But … right now … just like that? You said yourself we’ll need money, to pay for passage.’
‘We’ll have to manage. He hasn’t left us a choice.’
Robin looked towards Wodenhurst. ‘I … I can’t just go … What about my family? What if they come back?’
Marian snorted. ‘I’m not even listening to that. They’re not coming back. You’ve known that for a long time, you just don’t want to admit it. There’s only you and me, the way it’s always been, and we will do what needs to be done.’ She stood and ran towards the manor.
‘Where are you going?’ Robin said,
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