Lady Outlaw

Chapter 36

Nottingham Castle, Nottinghamshire

The afternoon was drawing to its conclusion as Gisborne, Carter, and Burne gathered in the courtyard of the inner bailey. The sun, riding low in the sky, cast long fingers of shadow across the castle walls, imbuing the stone with its warmth.
Carter, the reins of his horse in one hand, reached out to clasp Gisborne's hand with the other as the Sheriff appeared in the castle doorway, flanked by two guards.
"Gisborne, thank you for your hospitality. I really appreciate it. And Burne," he turned to nod at Gisborne's guard. "Nice to meet you, mate."
"Ah, Carter!" Vaisey crowed as he approached them. "Are you leaving us?"
The official story was that Carter was ready to move on, travelling south to reconnect with family and grieve his brother's death properly.
The truth was that he would be joining Robin in Sherwood Forest as they searched for the missing girls and began plans to halt the Sheriff's plots to assassinate King Richard.
Gisborne was no closer to discovering the whereabouts of Alice, Marian, and Roana. The Sheriff refused point blank to disclose the information, and Gisborne was gradually becoming more and more fraught with worry. He missed Alice with a fervour that he had never thought possible. Her absence from his life left a huge, gaping hole that he could not fill with anything other than her, and it was making him more and more miserable by the day. He wasn't sure how he managed to get through each day, knowing that she was locked away somewhere, at the mercy of Bridlington.
"I am, my lord," Carter was saying, the lies falling surprisingly easily and convincingly from his lips. "It is time I went home to my family."
"Oh. Well, that's a shame." The Sheriff grinned around at them all with insincerity, his missing tooth a black hole in his smile. "Because I have news about the king."
The sun went behind a cloud, plunging the bailey into shadow as the three men stared at Vaisey. Gisborne felt the chill of forboding seep through his bones. Something had happened, and it wasn't good.
Carter's eyes were wide and flinty as he regarded Vaisey with suspicion. "What about the king, my lord?"
Gisborne glanced at Carter quickly and then back at the Sheriff. As a crusader and a staunch supporter of King Richard, Carter was the last person Vaisey should be sharing his news with, especially now that Carter was planning to leave the castle. Unless...
"My lord," he interrupted, quickly. "Is it appropriate to speak of in public? Or would you like me to follow you to the Great Hall?"
"It's fine, Gisborne." Vaisey waved a hand at his second-in-command, dismissively. He grinned at Carter. "We're all friends here, after all. I've just provided free bed and board to Carter here, so I'm pretty sure he owes me. Am I right, Carter? Guards, take his horse."
Carter looked at him, the colour draining from his face as the guards descended the steps towards him. "My lord, I.."
"Blah-di-dah-di-dah," the Sheriff interrupted him. "Do you think I'm interested? A clue: no." He checked the guards had departed with Carter's horse before turning to Gisborne and Burne. "The king has left Cyprus on the journey back to England. Duke Leopold of Austria's troops are planning an ambush near Milan. Therefore, we must be in Germany as soon as possible. Prince John has sent orders to leave immediately."
With a sinking feeling in his stomach, Gisborne nodded in reluctant affirmation. Carter, however, was furious.
"My lord, but why am I being prevented from leaving?" he asked in angry puzzlement.
"Oh, there's no need to worry, Carter," the Sheriff replied, heartily. "It will only be until we return from Germany, mission accomplished." He crossed to Carter and patted him on the back as four more guards approached them. "I've got a lovely dungeon with your name on it. Guards, take him!"

Rufford Abbey, Nottinghamshire

Tuck was feeling revitalised after his little adventure with the outlaws earlier in the week. It had brought him out of the relaxed, ale-induced fugue he had fallen into since arriving at the abbey, and crystallised his goal. He now felt, more than ever, that he had work to do.
Tuck knew that God had lead him here for a reason. The corruption and evil that existed in England was here in Nottingham, in the castle, which lay at its centre like a blackened, poisonous heart, pumping its malevolence into the surrounding countryside. Tuck knew that it was his job to help fight it.
He understood the plight of Robin Hood very well, and the outlaw had earned his respect and admiration in the short time they had spent together. They shared an understanding of the country and how it should be, versus what it currently was, and Tuck did not meet many people who were on his wavelength.
It was therefore with a light heart that he visited the Abbot in his chamber that day, to advise him of his impending departure.
"Well, we will certainly be sorry to see you go," the Abbot told him, leaning back in his chair to regard the black monk. "I had high hopes for you, especially in the brewery."
He gave a wink, and Tuck smiled. Of all of the monks in the abbey, the Abbot had been the one who frequented the brewery the most, and he and Tuck had spent many an evening sampling the wares and putting the world to drunken rights. He was a good man, and Tuck was unused to honest abbey leaders.
"I don't mean to go far, Father Abbot. Maybe as far as the forest.." Tuck trailed off and gave the Abbot a significant look; he was also sympathetic to Robin's battles, and would understand.
"Ah." The Abbot smiled in understanding, beatifically. "I feel the outlaws would do well with the ministrations of a monk like yourself. You are a good man, Brother Tuck."
Tuck bowed his head, respectfully. He was interrupted by the sound of voices and hoofbeats drifting through the open window from the courtyard below, and he crossed to the window, inquisitively.
A horse-drawn cart had pulled to a halt in the yard and was surrounded by three guards wearing unfamiliar colours. Tuck recognised them by sight. They had visited a few days before to purchase caskets of ale from the brewery.
"My, my. These men are working their way through a lot of ale. Do you know where they hail from?" Tuck said, and the Abbot came to stand beside him.
"Ah, yes," he said. "I don't know who they are, but I know that they have been unexpectedly stationed at Laxton Castle. The lord of the castle has been moved out to make way for them and whatever they are doing there." He shrugged and moved back to his seat. "I'm assuming it is some secret business of Sheriff Vaisey's, but who are we to wonder about these things?"
Tuck stared at him in dawning realisation. "Father Abbot, please can somebody else deal with the guards? I need to find Robin, immediately."