The Fellowship of the Hood~A California Girl in Nottingham's Court

Chapter One~Part One

Part One

Chapter One~HisStory

Guy of Gisborne

Vaisey was dead. We killed him.

No, not we, but she killed him...Aylaina MacLeod.

Aylaina!

Aylaina and I were children together, teens, really, but I had no interest in her--then. Having my own problems, like my father dying in the holy land, I was somewhat oblivious to the world around me. Even when the girls in the village would bat their eyes at me or flounce their skirts, thinking I would take notice, I wasn't aware. Later, Aylaina would say they did that because they thought I looked like a man, with my broad shoulders and tall build and they knew someday I would be lord of Gisborne manor.

My mother took an interest in Aylaina, saying she needed the guidance of a woman, since her mother died when she was quite young. She even taught Aylaina to speak French.

When I'd come home, Mother would say, "Guy, Aylaina is here. Come and say hello." I would mumble something and leave the room. But I could hear Aylaina's gentle laugh before I was out the door. Sometimes, when I came home, I would see her attending to my younger sister, Isabella. Aylaina made dolls for her and they would play pretend games together, even though Isabella was just a child.

Aylaina was not like the other girls. She did not simper or giggle at silly things. Aylaina was NOT silly.

Every boy in the village tried to attract Aylaina's attention with feats of daring or shows of strength, but she would just ignore them. Sometimes she would laugh at them and call them 'fools' to their faces. This began a feud with the sons of the lords. They would tease her about the way she dressed. She didn't wear frilly frocks or fashion her hair just to attract boys, so they began calling her plain Jane and said she would never catch a boy acting like she was . Aylaina didn't seem to mind. She chose her own way in life and of getting back at them. She would hide up in the trees and shoot stones at the boys from her slingshot. My mother told me I had to look out for her since she had no brothers to defend her. I didn't want to get involved with her troubles, but my mother insisted. So, I would follow Aylaina home, when lessons were over, making sure she got there safely. She never noticed me, or so I thought.

One bright, sunny afternoon, I was following Aylaina home, as usual, but I soon lost sight of her. Suddenly, from above me, I heard the trees rustle. I looked up, and down ahe dropped, right in front of me.

"Why do you follow me, Guy of Gisborne?" she asked, a look of mischief on her pretty face.

"I am not following you." I replied, scornfully.

"Yes, you are." she laughed, and with that sing song voice she said, "I've seen you everyday this week, following behind me, just far enough to make me think you are not there. But I knew you were, so answer my question."

"I'm supposed to keep you out of trouble." I finally answered. "My mother's orders."

"Hm, a fine fellow, respectful of your mother's wishes. I like that. Why don't you just walk with me instead of following me?"

"I don't know." I was getting irritated with this conversation, but we continued to walk side by side.

"What do they teach you in your lessons?" Aylaina enquired. And so began the unceasing questions.

Eventually, I looked forward to those walks with Aylaina--and I even laughed at her funny stories and her parodies of the other boys. I became her partner, when slinging stones at the boys. Aylaina would hide up in a tree, and I would find some way to lure them into her sights. There came a day, however, when I was waylaid by several of the girls. They were asking me all these ridiculous questions; who was I going to the festival with, and would I take one of them? I just said, "leave me be!" Then I made my way to the path that led to my, and Aylaina's, homes. As I approached the tree Aylaina used as her battleground, I saw several of the boys roughing her up. One boy even struck her. I was bigger than they, even though we were the same age. And I gave them all a beating they would not soon forget. Aylaina begged me not to tell her father what they did to her.