The Tales of Robin Hood

Chapter Three - Robin

I awoke and felt the softness of my bed under me, and when I finally pealed my eyes open, I saw Fate leaning over me.

"What happened?" I asked, laying a hand on my temple.

"He kicked you in the head," she said, and all that had happened came flooding back to me.  The look I gave her must've said what I was thinking, because she said, "He didn't do anything.  He stumbled out of here right after you went unconscious and passed out in his room.  He won't be up for a while."

"What time is it?" I asked.

"It's almost midnight," she said, and I sat up quickly, making everything spin as I did so.

"You need to rest," she said, laying a gentle hand on my bruised arm.

"I need to go," I said. "It's the perfect time."

"But you're hurt!" she exclaimed. "And you just woke up; you need to lay down for awhile."

"I need to go," I repeated with a pleading look. "I'll rest when I get far enough away, but for right now, I need to leave."

She looked at me stubbornly for a moment, and then nodded. "Okay," she said, "but I need to give you something first."

She got up and disappeared through the doorway, and then came back moments later with a small bag in her hand. "It's not much, but you need all you can get."

I took the bag suspiciously from her outstretched hand, and as I opened it she pushed a blond lock of her hair behind her ear.  I looked at what was inside the small thing, then closed it and held it out for her to take back.

"I could never take this," I said stubbornly, and she just looked at me with tired blue eyes.

"But you have to," she said, pushing the bag of silver coins back to me. "I won't need them, anyway.  You do, though."

I gave her a stern look, and then let my hand fall. "Thank you," I said, hugging her. "If I do okay, I'm helping you escape, too."

I broke away from the hug to see her smiling, and I grinned at the fact that this was finally happening.  I got up and grabbed my bag, shoving my books beside a pair of trousers and a shirt I had stolen from the laundry.  I then grabbed all the coins I had saved and shoved them inside the bag with the ones Fate had given me, and then placed that inside with my books.  I slung it over my shoulder and felt it lightly hit my hip, where it would rest until I found an okay place to sleep.  I wrapped my beautiful red cloak around my shoulders and tied the strings, then put up the hood and took one last look at my one and only friend.

"Bye, Fate," I said, and then turned and opened the window.

"Bye, Robin," I heard her say, and then I climbed out without another look so she wouldn't see the tear rolling down my cheek.

I climbed down the vine and looked up to see Fate looking down at me, then retreat and close the window.  No one would ever know where I had gone, nor how far.  All they would know is that I disappeared.

I would never come back.

*        *        *

I walked all night and all the next day through Sherwood Forest, and by the time that dusk had come, I could barely take another step.  I was lucky enough to find a small cave as I ran out of the last of my energy and I sat down just inside.  I rested there for a few minutes, then got up to find a few stray sticks and create a fire.

An hour later I had one warming me as the night grew colder.  I sat just inside the cave, the flames right outside.  I had surrounded the sticks with rocks like I somehow knew I should, and somehow had lit it.  I don't know how, though, but I was too tired to care.