[WATTYS2023 - GERMAN WINNER/Most Engaging World] ** Marian, a thieving nobleman's daughter with too big a heart, meets Robin Hood, a daring thief with a huge ego. Will they be able to overcome pain, longing, and, finally the cruel Sheriff of Notting...
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Marian's heart skipped a beat, and with a short cry, she moved aside. As a result, she stumbled over the box at her feet. It clanked as the contents inside slipped. Luckily Marian could break the fall, but she still landed ungently on her bottom. A coin fell out of one of the bags, and the pound sterling rolled across the floor, shining like a small fallen star in the darkness.
Alarmed, Robin wheeled around and immediately rushed to Marian, blade drawn, to face the new danger. Blood dripped from the blade and flowed down the gouge to the parry. Had someone followed them down here? Had another guard hidden in the shadows after all? Marian lay on the ground, groaning, just picking herself up.
"What happened?!" Robin immediately grabbed the lady's upper arm to help her up. Chainmail was heavy, and only now did it occur to him that he hadn't wondered for a second if it might be too heavy for her.
"I... there was..." Marian stammered, gesturing to the cell next to where she had just been standing.
"Please. Just a little water..." groaned a young voice, so sorry that Marian and Robin had trouble understanding a word.
Cautiously, Mary stepped towards the cell, and her heart grew heavy.
The little light barely reached the dark chambers, in front of which heavy iron bars separated the cells from the corridors. Her gaze clung to the ragged heap huddled there against the bars. The boy's blond-brown hair, as was his face, was caked with blood and dirt. His lips were chapped and crusted.
He looked tired and exhausted. But he couldn't be here for long - otherwise, he would look even worse. His very presence, however, astonished Marian. "Why are you here?" she asked as she stepped towards the boy.
"I-" he croaked.
"We don't have time for this!" hissed Robin, reaching for Marian again.
The boy frowned. His eyes slid back and forth between the two strange guards and the box in which... Gold gleamed? Then he understood, and the boy's eyes widened.
"You are Robin Hood!" he gasped out loud. Immediately more life seemed to return to him, and his fingers energetically clutched the iron bars.
"Shhhh!" Robin's eyes sparkled in the darkness towards the boy.
"I'm Samuel," groaned the young boy, "Samuel Hughes. I come from Eldridge. The sheriff tried to take my family's farm. But it already belonged to my grandfather!" The boy's fingers tightened around the tarnished iron, "That's when we fought back," he pressed out. His voice trembled with suppressed anger. But then the expression turned to despair. The tension fell from his features, and tears shone in his eyes. "I beg you! Let me out! Take me with you!"
Robin contorted his face. He had been in the war for a long time and knew very well what other soldiers would have said in his place: 'We don't have time to take care of a child!' And he's in even more danger with us than here!'
