The Way Back

Chapter Eight

"There's someone here to see you, Robin." Allan met them as they entered the shelter. "We found her wandering in the gully."

"And you brought her back here?" Robin paused, his quiver already half over his shoulder.

"She said she has a message. The sender told her to mention Big Bear."

Little John shifted awkwardly, as all eyes turned his way. He reddened to the roots of his shaggy hair.

"It's not...?"

"Course not, I'd have said if it were the bleedin' queen. It's a nun."

"Can someone tell me what's going on?" asked Guy.

"Big Bear?" Archer was equally bemused.

"I'll explain later. Let's find out what she wants," Robin said.

As he spoke, a slim woman with wisps of red hair escaping her coif paused in conversation with Tuck and rose to greet them. She had washed-out blue eyes, and a pockmarked chin. Guy folded his arms, wondering what business she could have with outlaws. Whatever it was, he was impatient for it to be done; they needed to decide what to do about Meg.

"What brings you here, sister?" asked Robin.

"I'm Sister Hazel. The Archbishop of Canterbury sent me, he's currently in Nottingham."

"Ahhh – Hubert...." grinned Robin. "How is he? No doubt he's up here fetching the ransom, any excuse to be in the saddle rather than his robes, heh?"

"I couldn't say," the woman replied primly. "I'm not personally acquainted with His Grace. But he did ask me to give you a message. He wants to meet with you."

"Why not come himself?"

"He can't be seen with you. Not when you so recently and inconveniently stole the ransom from him which he'd just collected across half a shire."

"Whaaa....?" exclaimed Allan.

"Master?"

"You've been busy Robin?" wryly, from Tuck.

The nun waited as Robin shushed them. Guy glanced at him, interested to see where this was going.

"You'd better explain. Come and sit down."

"A deception, obviously," the slim nun elaborated, seating herself on a log. Robin perched opposite, fingers laced in front of him. "Some days ago His Grace was travelling through Sherwood. As he's known to you, he believed this assured him safe passage. He was more than mildly surprised, therefore, to be set upon by a gang of outlaws and someone claiming to be you. They took the ransom and disappeared. The flaw in their plan was failing to realise that he would spot an impostor."

"It reeks of Isabella," Guy observed.

"It does sound like our dear sister," put in Archer. "She gets the loot, and blackens you in the process."

"Quite so," Sister Hazel agreed. "She's declared you a traitor, guilty of treason for stealing funds intended to release the king. She's increased the reward for your capture five-fold."

Robin rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"His Grace is convinced the ransom is being held in Nottingham," the nun continued. "He thinks the best chance of recovering it is to go along with the fiction, for the moment, that you were the one responsible."

"What does he suggest?"

"He'd like to meet with you tomorrow, and contrive a plan for its recovery. He'll leave Nottingham to pay his respects to our prioress. This won't arouse suspicion. He'll be waiting for you at the abbey, just after Terce."