Robin: Lady of Legend (The Classic Adventures of the Girl Who Became Robin Hood) by ArceJaeger R.M

Author:ArceJaeger, R.M. [ArceJaeger, R.M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Platypus Press
Published: 2012-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

* * * * *

“I thought killing the King’s deer was against the King’s law?” Robin teased Little John the first time he succeeded in bringing down a doe.

“Mayhap it is,” he answered, returning her smile.

Robin surveyed his kill with interest, noting how little blood there was—the arrow had gone straight through the heart, dispatching the deer instantly.

“Sometimes I think I made a mistake in teaching you how to shoot,” she informed him, shaking her head. “You may rival me yet.”

To everyone’s surprise, not least of all John’s, the giant had turned out to be a natural bowman. Within a week of nocking his first arrow, he had surpassed some of those who had been practicing archery their whole lives. Within a month, he was outshooting the twins two times to one. Only Robin could still beat him consistently, and even then, not always. Fortunately for her, Little John’s rate of improvement seemed to be leveling off, so she might yet retain the title of Master Archer.

Little John’s archery skills were not the only thing to improve around the camp that summer. The other band members saw the change in Robin before she noticed it in herself. Whereas before her sense of good humor had always been checked by a sober gravity, now her smile rarely faltered and her laugher rang out constantly. One day, David remarked to Robin that she seemed especially merry of late, and that evening as she lay in her fern bed, she reflected over his words.

It was certainly true that she felt happy . . . but why should that inspire special recognition? Had she not always been happy? Deeper introspection revealed that no, she had not. She might have professed cheery spirits and brandished bright smiles, but they had only served to mask the loneliness she had felt. Though she had friends—lots of them—those she had felt closest to had others who came first. David had his wife and child, Will Stutley had his circle of rambunctious friends, and the twins of course had each other. The other outlaws saw her as their leader first and foremost, and though they liked her and admired her, they were always a little distant from her, too.

With Little John, however, things were different. There was no distance between them. He was never reserved with her, as he could be with others, and he sought out her company even over his brother’s, delighting in a friend who took as much pleasure from the world as he did. Often they would hunt together, bypassing herds of deer just so they could perpetuate a conversation. At mealtimes, he would sit at her right hand and they would banter and tell jokes and stories long after the others were done.

The camaraderie each felt was as natural as it was strong, and Robin realized now how much it had filled the void inside her. With a sigh of deep contentment, she rolled over and fell asleep, her last conscious thought a prayer of gratitude for her friend.

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