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

Chapter One~Part One

I asked, "How are you going to explain that bloody lip and those bruises?"

She replied that she would tell her father she fell from a tree.

"Why don't you want me to tell?" I asked, taking leaves from her beautiful autumnal colored hair that swirled wildly about her face.

"Because I don't want to see them punished." Then Aylaina said, grinning, "I want to continue to bother them, too!" She laughed, merrily.

I shook my head. "Aylaina," I said. "you're asking for trouble." But I was smiling. The girl had guts! I had to admit that I took pleasure in her antics, so I made sure I was always around to protect her.

An old hollowed out oak tree became our fortress from all the tittle tattle of the other children. We even had to hide from Malcolm Locksley's son, Robin. He was always following us around, trying to pretend he was going to shoot us with his bow and arrows. I would turn and make a lunge toward him, and he would run away, laughing. Aylaina said to leave the kid alone. He was just curious about what older kids do. I tried not to let him bother me, but he was always so arrogant about his archery skills. He was good, I had to admit, but it miffed me to say so.

A most surprising event occurred on the evening of the festival. My father had returned from the holy land! He had been a prisoner in the Holy Land, though we all thought him dead. I wanted to tell Aylaina the following day, but she was nowhere to be found. In the days to come, it was discovered that my father had leprosy and was banished from the village. I begged my mother to let me see him, but she wouldn't. She said she and Malcolm Locksley were to be married. I was so angry and upset by this that I left the house, though she ordered me not to leave. I ran to the tree to take refuge from all the pain I was feeling. Aylaina was there, crying most sorrowfully. For the moment, I forgot my own sorrows.

"Aylaina," I entreated. "What has caused you to be so unhappy?" Sitting down beside her, I put my arms around her. She sobbed all the more.

"My father," she began, her sobs racking her body. "He is making me marry a man from another clan in Scotland. I don't want to do this thing. I...I"

"No!" I exclaimed. "He can't take you from me. I won't let him. I will marry you!" I cried.

"Just to keep me from going away?" she asked, looking at me through tear stained eyes.

"No," I said, gently. "because I love you. I think I have loved you from the time you ambushed me in the forest, jumping down from that tree!"

"He won't let you." she protested. "The plans are already made. We leave in the morning."

"Then," I said, softly. "I will marry you right here, right now. You must know the words, always reading that Bible of yours. We shall say them together, and we will pledge each to the other before God."

After saying the sacred words and vows, we kissed for the very first time. We melted into each other's arms, and then desire and passion overcame us, and we two became one', Aylaina said that the Bible referred to a husband and a wife as "one flesh". Young as we were, the act was natural and quite emotional--since it was the first time making love for each of us. Afterwards, we lay in each other's arms, holding tightly to one another. Then, Aylaina pulled away. She began crying again.

"I have to go." she wept. "My father will come looking for me, and if he knows what we have done, he will kill you!"

Then she said, brightening, "I know, Guy! Let us run away! We can find a way to be together, and no one will know where to find us."