The Wolf and the Raven (The Forest Lord) by McKay Steven A

Author:McKay, Steven A. [McKay, Steven A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2014-04-06T22:00:00+00:00

* * *

“Where’s Robin anyway?”

It had taken a couple of days, but Tuck was just about able to sit up now and, as Will handed him another steaming bowl of spring vegetable soup, he asked the question all the outlaws had been asking.

“We don’t know,” Will admitted. “Him, Much and Matt went off a couple of days ago, hunting. We haven’t seen any of them since.”

Tuck’s eyes grew wide. “You’ve looked for them surely?”

“Of course we have! The problem is, Robin said they weren’t going far, then planned on finishing the day fishing and drinking. We’ve searched all around but can’t find any trace and – well, Barnsdale’s a big place. They could be anywhere.”

Tuck tipped the rest of his soup into his mouth and sighed. “Funny they took Matt with them.”

Will shrugged and explained how Matt had escaped from Sir Guy of Gisbourne while Paul and James hadn’t been so lucky.

Tuck shook his head and tried to stand up, but his legs were still shaky and he slumped backwards onto the pallet, head spinning so badly he almost threw up.

“Where? Where did Gisbourne kill Paul and James?”

Will spread his hands wide, his eyebrows drawn in consternation. “I don’t know – somewhere close to Darton. That’s where they’d been visiting that day, trying to buy rope.”

“You must send some of the lads to look close to Darton then!” Tuck gasped, exhausted even after his moment of exercise.

“John! Arthur! Come here!”

The two men hurried over at Will’s shout, worried something was wrong with Tuck, but the friar explained his fears to them.

“Matt conveniently escapes from Gisbourne and his men,” he breathed, resting his arm on his forehead, “then the next day he goes on a hunting trip with Robin? We all know they can’t stand the sight of each other.”

John and Will exchanged glances, understanding better than anyone that Robin had come close on a couple of occasions to casting Groves out of their group, or even killing the obnoxious older man. Arthur just looked baffled.

“None of you thought that odd?” Tuck demanded, incredulous.

“Well, no, not really.” Little John looked at the ground, like a little boy being scolded by his father. “Matt seemed upset by what had happened to James and especially Paul – they were close in age. I thought Robin and Much just took him along with them because they felt sorry for him.”

“Aye,” Will agreed. “You know what Robin’s like. Always tries to be the good leader – the better man. If Matt had asked me to go hunting with him I’d have told him to fuck off, but Robin’s not like the rest of us.”

Tuck recognised the truth of what they were saying, and he lay his head back down on the pallet, somewhat mollified.

“Well,” he went on, his eyes closed as he fought the damnable exhaustion that had plagued his few waking moments for the past two days, “it seems to me, Matt was hired by Gisbourne to lead Robin into an ambush. It wouldn’t

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