'Where do you think they're taking us?' said Little Johnny, as Robin's feathers weaved through the branches and leaves in front of him and the others.
'Maybe to the mermaids,' hoped Merlynna.
Arthur added with a huff, 'Wherever they are, it has to be good, right?'
But after skirting several small caves, trudging across a crumbling stone bridge and dodging under hundreds of beehives dangling from the trees, they found themselves inside a ravine and at a dead-end.
'Now what?' said Arthur, looking up. Robin's feathers were now just flickering around above with no want. 'Do you see anything?'
'Nothing,' replied Little Johnny.
'Me neither,' said Merylnna. 'But maybe there's something hidden. Something we can't see. I'll try my magic.' With determination, she breathed, 'Reveal your secrets to me.'
A brief crack of a light bursting from the ravine's wall caught Arthur immediately. And leaping over to the rock, he was quick to brush at its weathered and encrusted surface. Soon, he was staring at the etching of a handprint.
'Whoa!' gasped Little Johnny, as he and Merlynna were now looking at it too. 'What do you think it means?'
'I don't know,' Arthur replied.
'And why would the feathers want to show you this?'
'Maybe it's not just a carving,' Merlynna replied. 'Maybe it's a key.'
'A key to what?' Little Johnny wondered.
'Let's see, shall we. Arthur, I have a feeling you're the only one who can find out.'
Arthur nodded and raised his hand over the etching. Then with a deep breath, he placed it on the print. Instantly, a warmth flooded through him before the rock cracked open.
Now staring down a tunnel in absolute shock, a sparkle at the very end, Arthur said, 'You were right, Merlynna.'
With a smirk, the young witch replied, 'As always.'
'So, after you, Arthur,' said Little Johnny.
'Right,' Arthur replied. He then led the way through the pass and out into the light at the other end.
Before them was a grass clearing sparkling with dew and surrounded by an orchard of fruit trees of which hung more busy beehives.
'What is this place?' asked Little Johnny.
'I don't know,' Arthur replied.
'They seem to like it though,' said Merlynna.
Like birds set free from a cage, Robin's feathers were frolicking around. They looped. They glided. They soared.
Keeping his eye on them, Arthur walked to the center of the clearing. And as he wasn't looking where he was going, he almost tripped on something.
'Watch yourself,' said Little Johnny.
Arthur stared down and spied a rock. But it was no ordinary rock. It had a shape to it. The shape of a cap.
'Hmm, that's interesting,' he said, scrunching up his brows.
'What's interesting?' asked Merlynna, and she and Little Johnny hurried over.
'That.'
Before anyone could wonder why there was a rock in the shape of a cap at their feet, the feathers flew over with a whoosh and began circling. Around and around they went until they were just a spinning carousel. Then in a blink of an eye, they shot up into the sky, turned and dived back down.
All Arthur saw and heard next was a streak of red and swooshing whistle before finding the feathers had stuck into the side of the stone crown. From there, a dark green rippled out until the whole thing gleamed like the grass and forest around it.
It wasn't a rock anymore.
'Robin's cap,' Arthur muttered in astonishment. He bent down and picked it up, the feathers now seemingly more vibrant and bristling with energy.
'Robin's cap,' Merlynna aped.
'Well, go on,' Little Johnny said.
Arthur gave him and Merlynna a hesitant look before raising the cap over his head and placing it on.
'How does it feel?' asked Merlynna.
Arthur didn't have time to answer, for the moment he opened his mouth, he felt a tremor.
'What's happening?' shrieked Little Johnny.
Hoping he hadn't triggered something, Arthur shook his head. 'I think it's time to leave–'
Suddenly, a branch shot out from the ground where Robin's cap had lay, sending the children clambering back and down onto the grass. Then as they scuttled, fumbled on their hands and feet, another branch appeared, and another and another.
Then with an earth cracking rush, out popped the crown of a tree, it rising into the air and bringing with it a monstrous hollowed out trunk wider than any other in the forest. It was even wider than Jack's Tree.
'What in the hag's crooked nose?' Merlynna swore once everything had stopped and had turned as quiet as before.
'Now that's quite the oak tree,' gasped Little Johnny.
Arthur quickly scrambled to his feet and helped the others up. 'Do you think–do you think–do you think that's the oak tree? Robin's oak tree? Robin's Lair?'
'Indeed it is, young master,' echoed a voice.
The children spun around to see Maid Marian and the other good fellows standing before them.
'You–you survived?' Arthur said, looking around at all the faces.
'I don't know if survived is the right word, for we are ghosts after all,' Maid Marion replied.
'It's good to see you again,' said Merlynna.
Maid Marian bowed. 'And I would like to apologize for leaving your side at your time of need.'
'What happened at the druid stones?' asked Little Johnny.
'Without a leader,' said Maid Marian, 'the Sheriff's strength is just too powerful for us, but now–' she glanced at Robin's cap on Arthur's head '--it looks like we have one.'
'The Shadow is coming,' Arthur burst out. 'It wants to destroy this forest. We need your help again.'
'And we will be there. However, that will not be enough. You will need weapons.'
'Weapons? You have weapons?'
'Follow me.'
Maid Marian swept past, entered the hollow of the oak and disappeared inside. The children followed, soon finding themselves climbing a carved out staircase. Up they went until a large space buried in rugs opened out. And despite the dim and the many hanging cobwebs, Arthur felt an aura that only a hero could awaken.
'So where are these weapons?' Arthur asked, looking around.
It was then, as if his voice had cast a spell just like Merlynna's, candles sparked and flashed, the cobwebs vanished in wisps and the walls sprouted until bow after bow after bow grew from every shoot and bud.
'Whoa!' the children said together before Little Johnny placed his staff down and plucked one of the bows.
'Where are the arrows?' he then asked.
'Pull back its string,' Maid Marian replied.
'But if there are no arrows—'
'Just pull it.'
Scrunching up his face, Little Johnny did, and his puzzlement and Arthur and Merlynna's too abruptly disappeared, for an arrow materialized between the bow and the string.
'Incredible,' gasped Little Johnny.
'Now give it a go,' said Maid Marian.
'But I have no target.'
Maid Marian pointed to the middle of the room. And right above, shoots began to sprout from the ceiling. Down they twisted and turned until they morphed into a wooden figure.
Little Johnny took aim. Then with a twang, he let go of the string and the arrow shot off towards its target. And as it soared through the air, it morphed itself, stretching and turning into a rope before wrapping around the wooden figure.
'Amazing,' said Arthur.
'Try it again,' Maid Marian said.
Little Johnny pulled back the string for a second time, another arrow appearing, and took another shot. In a blink of an eye, the bolt turned into hundreds of buzzing bees and swarmed around its mark.
'What else can they shoot?' came Merlynna.
Once more, Little Johnny shot off another arrow. And this time, apples, apples and apples flew across the room, pummeling the figure until it untwined and the shoots retracted back into the ceiling.
'Impressive,' breathed Little Johnny. 'These will definitely help us fight the Shadow.'
'Speaking of which,' said Arthur. He had turned an ear towards a small window nestled in the wall and could hear the nearing sound of Morgana and the Sheriff's army. 'We should be getting back to the train in the trees.'
'But what about the mermaids?' asked Merlynna.
'There's no more time to look for them. I'm sorry.'
Merlynna nodded in acceptance before the children scrambled to grab as many bows as they could carry. Then with Maid Marian and the rest of the ghosts of Robin Hood's good fellows, they left in haste.