Robin Hood and the Prince

Part 7

I kicked a log. I had just bounded off into the stupid forest surrounding the stupid city without even checking where I was stupidly going, and became completely lost. For all I know, I could be going in circles, and with my rotten luck, I probably was. To top it all off, I hadn't eaten since yesterday. Every time my stomach growled, reminding me of my stupidity, I kicked a tree. And right now I was not a good person to be around if one was a tree.

I screamed at the free birds flying over me. Shouting things like, "Why should you be free to roam the world in the sky, as I am limited to the filthy ground?" until I started crying. The sun was shining, the leaves were green, and the animals were playing. Why is not everything as miserable as I? Why doesn't the world recognize my rotten fortune?

Tears were coming down in waterfalls when I finally reached another village. I didn't know that village nor did I believe I was to know anyone who lived here, but I was free. Free of that evil Prince's punishment, free of the selfless Will, and free of the constantly cheerful Otto.

I ran into the town's streets with renewed energy and tears forgotten.

No one invited me into their houses for a meal. No one said a mere "Welcome." No one even noticed that I was there.

I went around the streets begging for a scrap of food, but none obliged. Why couldn't they be more like Will and give the less-fortunate the food of which they were so selfishly saving for themselves? Is Will really the only one who is kind enough? God must be punishing me.

I went around and eventually found the blacksmith's workshop. The man there was older and even more burnt than Otto. Nonetheless, I pleaded with him to give me work so I could earn some food.

"What can you do?" He had said.

"Well, I can sort metals, look for flaws in swords, and keep the fire going." I said. The man waited, as if he expected me to add more. Once he realized that was all, he guffawed and asked, "Someone paid you to do that? That's not even worth my time." Then he disappeared into the shop.

I had given up all hope of getting something to eat until I saw him. The man was obviously wealthy, with his fine clothing and scabbard holding a sword with a gilded handle. His money poach was just clanging around as he walked, tantalizing me.

It happened quickly and swiftly. We bumped into each other, me as a poor boy and him as a wealthy man and we walked away with me as the wealthy boy and him a little poorer man. After all it wouldn't hurt him to feel some humility every once in a while.

I strutted into the bakery and bought a huge loaf of bread. The thing took two hands to hold and one hungry mouth to eat.

I started looking around for an inn to stay in that night, when I came across a little boy and girl, both younger than me. They didn't have the strength to lift their hands, but instead held each other for warmth as the cold of death took them. My mind seemed to disconnect from my hands and my stomach as I ripped the rest of the loaf in half and held out a piece for both. They looked up with eyes that could be a dead man's. It was like they weren't really seeing anything. They stared at the piece of bread like they didn't recognize it. I folded the cold, nearly lifeless hands around it and spoke one word, "eat."

Their eyes met mine and, I think, for the first time in a long time they saw something.