Free Robyn Hood: Fight For Freedom by K. M. Shea Page B

get. I shall put my ear to the ground and see if I can’t come up with a sum.”
    “Excellent. If we’re lucky we might find others who are hoarding up wealth for King Richard’s release as well. I know most of the crusaders are camped across Europe, but surely some of Richard’s agents have returned by now,” I said.
    “Be careful Robyn,” Friar Tuck warned. “Prince John and King Phillip of France have offered to pay Henry of the Holy Roman Emperor 80,000 marks to keep King Richard. Prince John means to keep Richard out of the country.”
    “Prince John is an inept tadpole,” Will Scarlet declared. “The day he becomes King of England is the day I shall see our monarchy weakened.”
    I glared at my Merry Man. “You’re already an outlaw Will, but talking like that is sure to see you further outlawed, if that’s possible.”
    “Even if you do speak truly,” Little John agreed.
    Friar Tuck laughed and rolled up the sleeves of his brown robes. “Let’s take a look at your riches, shall we Robyn?” he said, smoothing the whole thing over.
    “Certainly my dear Friar. Come, this way,” I said, leading the Friar through our camp.
     
     
    After counting, guessing, approximating, and calculating we discovered we had approximately 30,000 marks of wealth in our scattered, safe house locations.  It wasn’t even a third of the ransom.
    Friar Tuck left after dinner, promising to return soon with information about Queen Eleanor and her luck at raising funds. That left me to face Marian the following day with the bad news.
     

     
    “Maybe I should come with you,” Little John suggested as we ate breakfast the following morning. “If there are two of us she can’t kill you. There would be a witness.”
    “Maybe you’re right,” I said, popping a nut in my mouth.
    “I’ll come with!” Will Scarlet volunteered, sitting next to me, stirring a bowl of berries.
    “No, you will not ,” Much announced. “I’ll be going. You can stay behind and teach swordsmanship to the trainees,” Much decided.
    “What?” Will Scarlet protested.
    “I haven’t been out with Robyn in months , it’s my turn,” Much said, stomping a foot on the ground.
    “Much is right,” I agreed. “I promise I’ll bring you with next time Will,” I said, getting off my log. “We’re going disguised as a gaggle of females,” I announced.
    “Surely you jest. Stutely’s sister does not have the facial stubble Little John sports,” Much snorted.
    “If we aren’t dressed as ladies you two will find some tanner, or butcher, or other potential Merry Man for me to fight and get thoroughly thrashed by. We go as women,” I firmly stated.
     
     
    In the end we started wandering through the forest, utterly undisguised, wearing our usual lincoln green clothes. Our disguises, the black robes of nuns, were shoved in the packs that Little John carried on his back.
    We headed down the same trail I had taken the previous day, moving quietly as forest deer. It was a good thing too, or we might have unknowingly announced our presence to the singing musician/harper I ran into the day before.
    Today he was not singing at all. Instead he was sitting on the ground, leaning against a rock. His shoulders were slouched, and he cradled his head in his hands.
    I stopped to stare at the changed man as Much and Little John started to skirt around the small path he was sitting on.
    “What’s wrong with him?” I murmured, continuing to stare at him.
    “What?” Little John asked, slinking back to my side.
    “I saw this young lad just yesterday. He was as happy as could be. Today it appears as though his life has been wrenched from him,” I said, watching the dejected harper with a curious frown.
    Little John and Much swapped shrugs before walking away from me, bursting into the singer’s sight.
    “What are you doing?” I hissed.
    They ignored me and swaggered up to the minstrel.
    The minstrel looked up with sad eyes. “If you’re here to rob