The sun steadily rose to the sky as the men trudged out of the forest. By now, word had traveled throughout the valley about Albert's kidnapping. Those that could, joined the search. They looked underneath the shrubbery and into burrows, up on trees and through crevices, over the cliffs and onto the shore, but none could find a trail of the missing child. Despite this, hope was not lost; Moonacre's forest was vast, and there was still a large area left uncharted.
Since their acquisition of their forest so long ago, the De Noirs had worked hard to map the landscape. It was a task that was passed down from heir to heir. One of the few that Robin actually enjoyed. There was always something new to add-such as new detailed routes, hunting grounds, or markings to the ever-growing chart.
However, there was one area that remained uncharted: that of the Merryweathers.
The Merryweathers had never been as invested in their territory as the De Noirs, choosing instead to lease out whatever could be farmed and leave the rest to nature. They focused their efforts on civilization, specifically expanding Silverydew and investing in the farmers, herbalists, and doctors.
It wasn't until Robin trespassed into the Merryweather side, looking for the moon pearls and princess, that he began to finally map that region of the forest.
However, despite Robin's few years dedicated to trespassing and charting, it was not enough.
As Robin and Sir Benjamin led groups of men in their search, they came to the frustrating conclusion: the Merryweather land was much bigger than they had anticipated.
Even Coeur's hawk, soaring above with a vigilant eye, had yet to find any trace of Albert either.
To make matters worst, Dulac and his men had yet to come out from the tunnels. No one had received even a word from them.
Robin and his friends trailed behind. His fists held tight onto his saddle and his knuckles were pale. It was close to noon, and Albert was still missing. He couldn't understand how this happened. Just how could thieves hide a crying child so well?
Some had begun to think the worst, seeing only one possible way for the lack of a child's cries. Robin absolutely refused to think such thoughts. He was angry. His brows were deeply furrowed. His jaw was clenched tight, shooting waves of pain to his temple, but his ire ignored the pain.
At the manor, Robin found Mr. De Noir and Sir Benjamin arguing with the county sheriff. The head commander spotted David and pointed towards him, calling his men to action. Before anyone could react, two officers pulled David from his horse. They twisted his arms behind his back and chained them together.
"Bloody hell, what are you wankers playing at?" David shouted, struggling to pull away. The officers ignored him and stripped him of his weapons.
"You are arrested for the disappearances of James Johnson, Arthur Winston, Calvin Taylor, and now Albert Merryweather," responded the sheriff.
"Bollocks! I had nothing to do with 'em!"
"Martin you bastard this is ridiculous! You know very well this boy didn't do anything!" Mr. De Noir's face was contorted in anger. His temple pulsed with each pounding heartbeat. He did all he could to stop himself from shooting the sheriff. He always found them to be a spineless lot.
"This is preposterous! I'm telling you the perpetrators are out there! We need your men in the forest with us!" Sir Benjamin shouted pointing to the forest. "We didn't send for you to arrest David! We need a search party."
"From our experience, it's usually a family member or close friend who is found to be guilty. The townsfolk are growing worried and we need to make an arrest."
"What a load of Rubbish! Martin you've always been all mouth and no trousers!" Coeur lunged for Martin but was held back by Mr. Havisham.
"Coeur you will only make matters worse," he muttered beneath his breath.
The sheriff furrowed his brow and gritted his teeth. He had always been afraid of these two families. Rumors were abundant regarding tales of witchcraft and curses. Throughout his time as sheriff, he took great caution to avoid meddling with their affairs-even when word got around they were hunting a small girl. So long as the Merryweathers and De Noirs kept to themselves, and stayed away from the townspeople, their actions were none of his business. However now, the De Noirs had meddled with the townsfolk, and Martin Anderson, the sheriff of Moonacre Valley, was determined to do all in his power to bring peace.
"We are only doing our duty."
"Duty my arse," Sir Benjamin cursed throwing his arms in the air.
"You are arresting an innocent man and letting a child remain in danger!" He stormed to Martin's face. "I will do everything in my power to get you removed once I get my son back." Sir Benjamin jabbed a finger into the sheriff's chest, pushing him back. His officers made to stop Sir Benjamin but Martin placed his hands in the air, holding his men back.
"I will be prepared for you," Martin coldly replied. "Until then, I suggest you search David's house and the De Noir Castle. You may be surprised by what you find. Take him away!"
His men dragged David outside, roughly tossing him onto the jail cart and slamming the door in his face. The policemen then formed a barrier around the cart, holding back Robin and his friends as they struggled to break through.
"We will get you back David! I promise!" Robin shouted, shoving the officers to the side just as the cart drove off. One by one, the officers mounted their horses and followed suit, keeping a sharp eye over their shoulders should anyone follow them.
Robin slumped down with Henry and Richard by the manor's door. Henry was quiet and deep in thought. His hand rested on Richard's shoulders. Richard was stabbing the ground with a stick, cursing the officers under his breath. Robin removed his hat and ran his hand through his curls. He grimaced at hearing Loveday's wails from inside the manor. He didn't know what to do. He wanted to free his friend, find his nephew, and comfort his sister, but he was stumped. He felt useless.
And Maria, she's still avoiding me, thought Robin. He hadn't seen her since morning. Since that look she gave him as she rode away, the same look of betrayal when he called her a child a few years ago. Robin placed his palms over his face and groaned. His thoughts were furious as he worked hard to understand how things could have gone so wrong in so little time.
The rest of the men had scattered about. Sir Benjamin and Mr. De Noir had gone into the study to formulate a new plan. Ms. Heliotrope, Digweed, and Marmaduke ran around passing food to the men. He heard Ms. Heliotrope looking for Maria and her friends to come and help them.
She's avoiding us all, thought Robin, but he had no regrets. The last thing anybody needed was to keep an eye out for her or her friends.
"Here I thought we might actually have a peaceful summer," Richard said rolling his eyes.
Robin shook his head, "It's all a downright bloody mess." He wondered if things could have been different. Maybe if he had been brave enough to be with her these past few years, then he could have protected her and her family. Maybe he could've finish showing her the forest, then she wouldn't have been made to stay put. Maybe if he hadn't been such a dolt, then he could have picked out the traitors amongst the De Noirs and prevented all this. Robin tossed a tuft of grass he had been picking at and sighed.
"It's not your fault," Henry said.
"Then why do I feel like it is?"
...oOo...
"Quite frankly, if we weren't hunting a monster, and if Albert weren't missing, this would be fun," Jane said.
The girls were now walking along an underground tunnel. They had left the stone steps to Maria's tower far behind them. Maria still had her bunch of small stones. They had yet to come across any forks or entrances to other paths.
"I can see why the monster hasn't made it to the manor. This passage is dreadfully long!" Jane continued.
Cat wasn't particularly animated. The farther they walked, the more her thoughts swirled on the monster and its victims. Her stomach sunk with every step. She hoped to find Albert without running into the monster.
"Imagine walking this length with our skirts? At least the trousers are comfortable," Lizzy added, trying to lighten the mood. "We should explore these tunnels when we come back, and I suggest we keep these clothes for future exploration!"
"If we come back," Cat shivered.
"We will." Lizzy squeezed her hand.
Maria was too focused to pay any attention to the conversation. 2,034...2,035...2,035...She was counting their steps. She believed they were close to walking about one mile, and if her few years with Robin had taught her anything, they were heading in a Northeast direction from her tower.
That would place us in the direction of the amphitheater, or even the De Noir Castle...Hmm... Maria wondered if any tunnels led to the De Noir castle. It was certainly old enough to have hidden passageways.
Cat yelped and ran to Maria. She grabbed her and peered over her shoulders. "Maria," She whispered. There was a sense of panic in her voice. "There is something following us."
Maria stopped and turned around; she shielded Cat with her arm. Lizzy and Jane turned as well but they couldn't see anything through the darkness.
"Cat, I'm sure it was your nerves. There's nothing there," Lizzy said shaking her head. Her sister had been paranoid since their encounter.
"No! You must believe me! I heard a low breathing, almost like a growl."
Jane and Maria frowned. Lizzy took a few steps, trying to get a better view with her light, but there was nothing beyond the light.
"It may have been some mice or other animals hiding down here." Maria took Cat's hand and continued down the path. She offered her friend a small smile and tried to recall the last number she was on.
Then a low growl echoed behind them. Maria twisted around. Her mind fully alert. She tightened her hold on the lamp. She released Cat's hand and snapped it down to the hilt of her sword.
"You heard it, didn't you?" Cat whimpered.
Maria nodded and braced herself. Jane and Lizzy heard the rumbling and each took a defensive stance. Maria set the lamp behind her and inched closer to the edge of the lamp's light.
The growling stopped. Maria strained her ears. She could hear her friend's shallow breathing. Her own heartbeat thundered through her chest. She managed to make out a slow pattering coming their way.
She unsheathed her sword. Its ring broke the silence and echoed through the cavern. The low growl began once more, growing in intensity with every second.
The pattering quickened to a trot. Maria's breathing quickened. She tightened her hold on her hilt. "Ladies, get ready!" Maria commanded.
Lizzy and Jane unsheathed their blades and stood at the ready. Lizzy had gone pale. Beads of sweat rolled down Jane's forehead.
Cat's whimpering blocked the steps.
"Cat, I can't hear it anymore," Maria said.
Cat clamped her mouth shut with a hand and took out her knife. The lamps light bounced off her blade and trembled on the stone wall. She removed her hand from her mouth and clasped it on her wrist to stop it from shaking.
The growl grew stronger and louder. The girls covered their ears with their hands. Maria winced but held her sword steady.
The growl became a roar and shook their bones. The girls screamed as the outline of a large figure came bounding their way. A roar vibrated through their bodies as it jumped over Maria and into the center of the lamp's light.
"Wrolf!" Maria cried with a mixture of relief and annoyance. "That was an awful thing to do to us!" She chastised, wrapping her arms around his mane and giving him a playful swat on his head. Wrolf turned away and issued another low growl, as though he were upset with her. "Well, I guess we did leave without you." Maria crouched in front of Wrolf and took his large head into her small and cold hands, forcing his snout to her, but he avoided her gaze, fixing his eyes on the ceiling instead.
"Wrolf, I'm sorry." Maria pleaded for forgiveness. "I didn't bring you because I thought you were needed with uncle and Loveday," she said as she stroked his mane.
Wrolf growled once more and directed his yellow eyes to Maria. He nudged her with his nose, forgiving her.
"Thank you," Maria smiled.
Wrolf swished his tail and led the way through the tunnel. Maria grabbed a hold of Wrolf's locks and followed along. I wonder if they know we've gone yet, Maria mused, relieved to not be in the path of her uncle's fury when he learned of their disappearance.
...oOo...
Sir Benjamin and Mr. De Noir were in the study. They were investigating their maps of the forest, trying to piece the two together and understand how much they still needed to search. Some of Coeur's men had been sent out to monitor all entries to Moonacre. Mr. De Noir was certain that along with his hawk's watchful gaze, the thieves wouldn't be leaving Moonacre without anyone knowing.
However, it wasn't enough for Sir Benjamin. With every minute that passed by, his irritation grew. It became difficult for Mr. De Noir to talk sense into him. Sir Benjamin was ready to go to war for his child.
"Do you think this is related to the monster?" Richard asked breaking the silence. He and his friends were still sitting outside. They didn't want to be cooped up in a study with an angry Merryweather.
Henry shook his head. "Could be. No way to tell, that's for certain."
"From what Maria said, it was people who invaded her home, not the monster," Robin said.
"But what's to stop the monster from having any help," Richard contested crossing his arms over his chest.
"Impossible!" Robin said. "We would've known by now. The ship after all was inspected by our men..." His mind raced to that day he found the ship. It was the first day he had seen Maria after so long. He had been out of sorts and had asked his father to send others to investigate the remains. Mr. De Noir had sent-
"-Charles," Henry stated finishing his thought.
Richard's mouth dropped open. "That day at the port. One of Charles' friend had a nasty scar across his face."
"And they were fighting!" Robin added. "Yesterday, Maybelle and Charles were fighting! I bet Maybelle knew all along. She may still be in the castle!"
The gang raced to the castle on horseback. They needed to catch her before she escaped.
At the gates of the castle, William kissed his mother goodbye on the cheek. William promised his parents he and Bast would return as soon as Albert was found. They waved his parents off, the dust from the carriages blocked their view of the road.
To their wonder, the sound of galloping horses outmatched that of the carriages and headed their way. Robin broke through the dust and came charging towards William and Bast. They jumped out of the way, narrowly avoiding getting struck by Robin's horse.
Without a word to either of them, Robin ran to the castle with Henry and Richard at his heels. William and Bast ran after, wondering what the emergency was. Robin easily navigated to Maybelle's room.
He banged his fists on her door. "Maybelle open this door this instant!"
There was no response. Robin banged the door once more and it gave way, swinging open from his force. Empty suitcases and clothes littered the floor.
Quite sobs came from the far end of the room. Maybelle was slumped in the corner. Her face was red and covered with tears. Her make-up was smeared and the front of her nightdress was damped.
Robin charged towards her. She yelled in fright and tried to crawl under her bed. He pulled her back by her waist, lifting her by the shoulders, he forced her to face him. "What did you and your brother do with Albert?"
"I didn't do anything I swear!" Maybelle screamed.
"But you knew, didn't you?" He shook her with every word.
Maybelle wailed and Robin pushed her on the bed. "How could you let this happen?"
By now, Richard, Henry, William, and Bast were at the door. They didn't know what to do.
"I don't know! I don't know! He wouldn't listen-he didn't care. He was only supposed to take Maria! I don't know why he took Albert!"
"Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you tell any of us?"
"Because he was supposed to take Maria! I didn't think he would do it! I didn't care for Maria and I-I- was afraid!" Maybelle stuttered. "I didn't know he would take Albert. I-I'm so sorry."
"Where is he? Where did he take Albert?"
"I don't know," Maybelle's lip quivered. Her tears fell harder.
"Liar!" Robin yelled to her face. "It's always your lot, isn't it! I should have gotten rid of you long before!" He was seething with rage as he grabbed her arm and forced her to her feet. "Just you wait, I will get the truth out of you!" He began to drag her to the door, her cries muffled by the toppling furniture she failed to grab a hold off.
"No! Please! I swear he's kept me in the dark as well!"
"Robin stop!" William said, trying to pry her free of Robin's grasp, but he refused to let go. "She could be telling the truth."
"How would you know? She's always been a liar! She and her brother-nothing but scum!"
"And you think this behavior makes you any better? You're hurting her!" William yelled back, seeming to snap Robin out of his rage. He looked at his hold on her arm and saw a growing bruise. He snapped his hand away, Maybelle would have fallen over if it weren't for William catching her by the shoulders.
"Whether she's lying or not, this isn't the way to go about things," William continued as he straightened her up. "Besides, judging from what I've learned, it seems you were once someone who also wanted to see the Merryweather downfall. Can you honestly say you wouldn't have gone to such extreme measures?"
"That's a dangerous claim to make," Robin growled.
"You're proving me right every second you keep this up," William challenged.
Robin's heart grew cold as he swallowed his words. He wanted to deny William's accusation, to claim he was nothing like Charles... but doubt crept in the back of his mind. Would he have done the same?
"Get dressed," Robin ordered through gritted teeth, directing his attention to Maybelle. "You're coming back to the manor and telling everyone what you know."
Maybelle sniffed and nodded her head.
"Keep watch over her," he commanded the rest as he walked across the hall and kicked open Charles' door. His room was empty, almost unused.
Maybelle rode behind Robin on his horse. Her bodice was hastily tied and her sleeve fell loose off her shoulder. Her hair stuck to her face, held on by her tears. Her up-do was disheveled and loose hair stuck out at odd ends. The ride's silence was broken by her weeping.
"I thought you lot were supposed to leave this morning," Henry remarked to William.
"I spoke to my parents; I believe it's best we stay and add to the manpower."
"Where is David?" Asked Bast.
Robin's face harden. "The sheriffs took him."
"What, why? What is going on here?"
"They're blaming him for the disappearances" Henry explained. "The townsfolk are getting worried and they needed to blame it on someone."
"That's ridiculous!"
The boys arrived at the manor to find things no better than before.
Loveday was sitting at the piano, her face tear-stained and all light gone from her eyes. Ms. Heliotrope was crying, trying to give Loveday hope. Sir Benjamin was now shouting with Coeur, neither agreeing on what the next course of action should be. Coeur was beginning to worry, there had yet to be word from Dulac.
Robin helped Maybelle dismount from his stallion. He steered her towards the study, past the curious stares.
"She knows what happened to Albert," Robin said pushing Maybelle onto a chair and interrupting the two men. She winced from the impact.
Sir Benjamin glared at her, "what is it that you know? Tell us!"
Maybelle whimpered and looked about the room. Loveday had made her way to the door. Her blue eyes penetrated to her soul.
"Look at me here girl and tell me what has happened to my son!"
Maybelle yelped at the words.
"Now Benjamin calm yourself-" Mr. De Noir tried to say.
"You are a bloody De Noir! Out of all the people to tell me how to behave you shouldn't be one of them."
"Benjamin, please," Loveday beg. She was in as much pain as her husband but his yelling was scaring Maybelle into silence.
"No! I will not stop until my child is in my arms! Now girl, you will tell me where my son is or I will force it out of you." Sir Benjamin's eyes were livid.
"I-I don't know," Maybelle replied quietly as she sniffed.
Sir Benjamin slammed his hand on the table. "Do you think me a fool?"
"No, no! It wasn't supposed to happen like this," Maybelle cried, her eyes wide as she tried to back into the chair. "He wanted Maria! I told him to stop! I didn't know he would take Albert. I don't know why he took Albert."
"Who, who took Albert?" Loveday ran to Maybelle and took her by the shoulders. "Please Maybelle tell us."
"Ch-Charles."
"What?" Mr. De Noir stammered. "Why in the devil would he do such a thing?"
"I don't know!" Maybelle wailed. Tears streaming down her face. "I don't know what's gotten into Charles. He-he wasn't happy with peace. But suddenly, he-he became obsessed. All he would talk about was Robin and Maria. And then he started going on about some monster."
William and Bast looked on incredulously. They could not believe how quickly the situation continued to spiral out of control. Surely Maybelle had lost her mind.
"What do you know of a monster?" Sir Benjamin asked to the surprise of the boys. They were believing her.
"I don't know!" Maybelle wept. "He wouldn't tell me. He said I wasn't on his side. All he mentioned was a monster in the tunnels."
"Heavens no wonder we can't find Albert, they've gone underground!" Mr. Havisham said.
"It's where Dulac and his men went..." Mr. De Noir blanched.
"What is going on?" William asked cutting in. "What do you all mean by a monster-"
"Ms. Heliotrope, bring in Maria!" Sir Benjamin directed ignoring William.
"I'll explain later," Robin said under his breath.
A few minutes went by before Ms. Heliotrope came running in. She was wringing her hands and beads of sweat caused her glasses to slide down her nose. "I uh I-I can't find Maria, or-or her friends."
Loveday's eyes widened. She paled and tightened her hold on Maybelle's shoulders.
"What do you mean you can't find them?" Sir Benjamin coldly responded. There was a dangerous edge to his voice. It was the voice of a man about to break.
...oOo...
Maria came to a stop. They had just reached a fork in the path.
"What are we going to do?" Asked Lizzy.
"I'm not sure. We've walked a straight path until now," Maria said pacing between the two entrances. "I think we have to split up."
"No!" Jane and Cat shouted in unison.
"It won't be for long!" Maria said. "I'll go with Wrolf down this path, and you three can go down the other. We'll walk for 500 steps, then come back and report what we find. It'll only be a couple of minutes!"
Lizzy sighed and rested her finger on her chin. "I don't have a better idea. Alright, then. She took Cat by the hand and began to lead her away.
"Be careful!" Jane shouted behind her. Together, the girls walked into the second tunnel and Maria watched the light slowly fade away.
"Alright Wrolf, let's get on with this," Maria hoisted her bag over her shoulder and followed Wrolf into the first tunnel, counting her steps in her head.
...oOo...
Sir Benjamin roared and cleared the table with his fists. "And you let them go?" He bellowed slamming his fists on the table.
"Benjamin! You know Maria, there was no stopping her!" Loveday yelled back with tears in her eyes. By now the De Noirs and Merryweather household had formed a wide perimeter away from the feuding couple. William and Bast were wide eye and more confused than ever.
Robin was just as mad as Sir Benjamin, but he bit his tongue to stop himself from lashing out at his own sister.
"How did with miss them," Sir Benjamin kicked the chair and pushed a drawer onto the ground. He slumped on the wall, bringing his hands to his face. There were tears in his eyes. No words could describe the rage and pain he felt inside from now losing Maria as well. "We were everywhere. How did no one see them escape?" His voice was strained and becoming hoarse from all his yelling.
"They left through the passageway in her room-"
"Her room?"
"Yes Benjamin! Her room," Loveday snapped. "If you had spent more time talking to her, you may have learned that from her yourself!"
"Wait a moment, what is going on?" William shouted interrupting the fight. "Thieves, monsters, hidden passageways? Just what in God's name is going on here?"
"Yes, a monster!" Robin spat losing his temper. He knew he shouldn't be taking out his irritation on William, but he blamed him for the appearance of the monster in the first place.
"Monsters don't exist!" William retorted.
"Oh right like you don't know. It came abroad on your ship!" Robin pushed William against the wall but William shoved him away. Bast and Henry quickly jumped in and pulled the two away before it could get any more violent.
"That doesn't make any bloody sense!" William yelled, pulling on Bast to meet Robin face to face. "We inspected that blasted thing and found no survivors, much less any sign of a monster!"
"Liar! You're just looking to save your arse!" Robin barked back.
"William, did you find any bodies with their torsos torn open?" Henry's cold and deep voice cut in. His icy blue eyes intently studied William, looking for any sign of deceit.
"I-wh-of course n-" William hesitated thinking hard. His eyes widened as he uttered, "yes...Even the captain was gutted," his voice dropped in recognition.
"There you go," Henry sighed and shook his head.
"Charles must have gotten to the monster before the Harrisons did," Richard explained and ran his hand along the growing stubble on his cheeks. "Would explain why he was so bent on burning the bodies."
Sir Benjamin stood and walked towards Loveday. He pulled her to him and engulfed her in a hug. "I'm sorry, love. I shouldn't have expected any less of Maria and I shouldn't have blamed you."
Loveday sniffed and took Sir Benjamin's face into her hands. "We'll get them back. Both of them."
Mr. De Noir cleared his throat and placed the map back on the table. "Change of plans," he grunted. "David, Maria, her friends, Dulac, and his men are all missing. Seems the best course of action is to go through the tunnels. Robin, you've been there, where are the entrances and where do they lead?"
Robin straightened the map and marked four spots. "As far as we know, there are four entrances." Robin pinpointed to the four marked locations. "The first is at the Moon Princess' dwelling- where Dulac and his men went; the second entrance is through Loveday's dwelling- currently blocked after our encounter with the monster; the third is through Maria's room; and the final one is through the amphitheater."
"We'll split up. Some men will continue searching through the forest. We will not let anyone leave Moonacre. Sir Benjamin, Marmaduke, Digweed, and I will enter through the amphitheater. Loveday, Ms. Heliotrope, and Havisham, I need you three to stay here and keep watch over Maybelle and in case the girls come back. Boys, you all can follow Maria and her friends through her tunnel or go through the forest." Mr. De Noir's commands were met with agreement.
"Does anybody know how this bloody monster looks?" Sir Benjamin added.
William walked around the room, "Maria's questions at the wedding, now it all makes sense. I just remembered something. From the wreckage we found a journal. Most of the writing had been washed away, but there was a sketch..." William picked up parchment and a quill from the floor and got to work drawing the sketch he had seen. It was of the monster.
"I thought it was a simple drawing the sailors made to pass time. There was no other information about it."
William slid the paper towards Sir Benjamin and Mr. De Noir who eyed it warily. The hood had been pulled back, revealing a pale and gaunt monstrous face. The eyes were solid and dark, almost reptilian. Its mouth was open, emitting a silent scream and lined with sharp teeth. The arms were long and bony, its hands were made up of three taloned fingers.
"That's a good sketch," Henry commented.
"You should see the portraits he's drawn of Maria," Bast sniggered to the amusement of Richard and Henry. William scowled and lightly punched Bast in the arm.
Robin, who couldn't draw anything except maps, rolled his eyes and ignored the comment.
"A cursed harpy," Mr. De Noir murmured under his breath. "I think I know what this creature is."
"Great, you can tell us about it on our way," Sir Benjamin replied.
"Let's go get Maria," William said jumping to his feet and making his way out to the hall.
Robin and his friends caught up to William. "Not so fast," Robin said grasping William's shoulder and holding him back. He wore a dangerous smile that matched the glint in his eye. "I think we're a bit short on hands to be dealing with a demon harpy. First, we got a mate to bust."