Rise of the Wolf by Steven A McKay Read Free Book Online

gittern and thoughtfully eyeing the longbow which lay on the grass by his side.
    “Maybe it's not such a bad idea of the lad's after all.”
    “Eh?” Allan was only half-listening, absorbed in the music as he was. “What idea?”
    “The arrow,” Robin muttered, plucking strands of grass from between his legs thoughtfully. “I'd have a good chance of winning the competition if I could hide my identity. Think how much money that arrow would be worth.” He looked up, eyes shining. “Enough to buy us all pardons. All of us. We'd be free at last.”
    Allan nodded slowly. “That's true. But you'd be recognised as soon as the first guard saw you. Every lawman in the north of England knows what you look like by now and, you know yourself – this whole thing is probably a trap specifically to catch you.”
    Robin sighed. “Aye, you're right, of course. But...” he tossed the little strands of grass he'd been fiddling with into the air angrily. “I promised you men pardons but I don't see how I can ever fulfil the vow.”
    He fell into silence again for a time, but was soon startled from his reverie by the sound of another of the outlaws crashing through the undergrowth into camp. This time it was Arthur, the powerfully-built lad from Bichill who waved the rest of the men across, his near-toothless mouth split in a cheery grin.
    “Keep it down,” Allan hissed angrily. “You should know better than to come charging through the trees like a hunted boar.”
    Arthur waved a hand irritably and addressed Robin who had come over, brown eyes gleaming with interest.
    “Two Franciscan friars on the road to Nottingham. No guards.”
    “If they've no guards they probably have nothing worth stealing,” Little John grumbled.
    Robin nodded, but the men murmured together, knowing travellers were often the best way to find out news from the wider country, even if they carried light purses hardly worth removing.
    “Let's invite them to dinner,” Robin laughed, strapping on his sword-belt and collecting his great war-bow. “It would be rude to let them pass without offering our hospitality.”
    He waved to Arthur to lead the way and followed the lad. “Make sure there's enough stew for our visitors,” the young leader smiled to Edmond who nodded and waved farewell.
    It didn't take long to find the two friars. Although it was a dry day, there had been rain in the night and it made the remnants of the previous autumn's leaves slick,  slowing the travellers' progress to the city.
    “Hail, and well met,” Robin stepped into the road from behind a twisted old birch tree, raising a hand in greeting and smiling at the two friars who stopped in surprise, their faces registering fear and dismay at the sudden appearance of the large young warrior who greeted them.
    “God give you good day, my child,” the elder of the two churchmen replied, his eyes searching the undergrowth for signs of anyone else. His shoulders slumped as he caught sight of Arthur, hand gripping the hilt of the sword he wore. Clearly these men were outlaws. “We have nothing of value –”
    “We're no robbers,” Robin broke in, shaking his head and moving forward to stand before the friars, his gaze steady, searching for any signs that the men might try and offer some resistance. “I'm Robin Hood,” he went on, noting the older friar's involuntary step backwards as he recognized the name of the infamous wolf's head. “This is our forest.”
    The friar opened his mouth to deny Robin's claim to the land but the young outlaw carried on, giving him no chance to speak. “We merely wanted to invite you to dinner. You look like you could do with some food.”
    The younger friar – no more than fourteen summers at the most – certainly appeared to be in need of a hot meal, being almost skeletally thin. He either hadn't heard of Robin Hood or simply found the idea of food so appealing that it was worth a trip into the lair of a gang of violent criminals. He glanced