Aiming Straight, Aiming True.

Chapter 11 - Zoning in

"Robin, I don't understand why we're going this way, I've heard there's better business closer to the sea, you know with the rich on holidays and all", grumbled Friar.

"The rich never work Tuck, they're always having holidays", smirked Robin as they peered through the bushes at a small camp. It was some lower noble family and a few soldiers that they had hired, probably rejects from the royal army, Robin thought.

His men wouldn't have agreed to head closer to the palace where the royal family was as well as Arena hopefully still with Nicholas and his family, if there wasn't any business to steal and give to the poor or use the money or valuables to stay alive.

" Then how did the rich get rich if they never worked", smirked Friar Tuck rolling his eyes. Friar or Tuck as he was known for was crouched down low, forced to stay low due to his height. His green outfit hid him well in the leafy green bushes and they both were skilled at hiding when they didn't want to be found. His beard was knoty and filled with twigs and leaves from the bushes giving him a rough and messy appearance.

" To shey", smirked Robin as they watched the family. The family were sitting around eating while the soldiers played cards. Definitely rejects, Robin thought at the lack of attention they were showing.

" Well why don't we go towards the ocean instead of this way", grumbled Tuck shaking his head. Robin frowned, his mind whirling wondering what he could say.

He couldn't just say oh I have a daughter and I promised her mother that she would never be apart of the privileged and because she's my daughter she's extremely good with a bow. Since she is good with a bow, she saved the prince's life and I think that he wants to introduce her to his type of life, so I'm risking everyones lives just to check on my daughter which I never told any of you about. He could just imagine the response if he said that,  he thought.

His mind whirled, thinking up lies to tell his men but then he rejected them straight away. At last he settled on one that was a lie but did not hide the complete truth of this adventure as some of the younger Merry Men called it.

"Did you hear about the prince traveling through these parts about a week ago", asked Robin.

Tuck nodded and gave a goofy grin towards Robin. " Yeah I heard about that, a girl good with a bow saved him apparently", smirked Tuck. Robin Hood clenched his teeth together in annoyance. He was so tempted to tell Tuck exactly who Arena was but he caught himself. The only people who knew were Nicholas and his family,  himself and his love who for all he knew might have moved on by now.

This thought sadden him and he wished he could visit her but it was so long ago that maybe she had found someone else. He sighed and glanced sideways at Tuck."Indeed, well rumors have it that he is back around this area and since the Prince was saved by the girl, there have been more rich folk around trying to have a glimpse of the girl", said Robin quietly.

This was all true and he hated all of it. He didn't want Arena around any of it, he would not allow his only child to become a site seeing wonder. The girl who saved the prince, he thought bitterly. "So...", Tuck whispered gesturing quietly as not to disturb the small noble family and their soldiers.

" So, the prince and any other nobles are the perfect people to steal from", smirked Robin at Tuck's blindness.

" I'm not sure Robin, remember what happened eight years ago,  on that royal hunt with the king and that", whispered Tuck.

Robin frowned and closed his eyes from the painful memory. Lives had been lost that didn't need to be, if he had just took that sword instead of the royal archer maybe John would have gotten his revenge. He would have died and things might have gotten better for everyone.