The Robin Hood Conspiracy

1: Robbers of Sherwood

There were many qualities in Robin Hood that put people on edge. Mostly, it was the hood he wore. It was almost certainly a magical hood, for day or night, under the lamplight or in the shadows, it always perfectly obscured his face in a very peculiar darkness. Then there was his voice—deep, warm, but also utterly unnatural, as if some spell had been cast upon it. Everything about him suggested that he was a wizard, and in the kingdom of Cilengdon, where magic was feared and misunderstood, this was enough to terrify most people.

For Robin's most trusted lieutenant, however, it was neither his voice, nor his hood, nor indeed any of his mysterious or magical qualities. For Will Scarlet, it was the fact that Robin never laughed.

"I mean," Will was saying, "How can you call yourself the leader of the 'Merry Men'?"

The Merry Men was a band of outlaws that Robin Hood had started four years ago when a cruel tyrant, Prince John, had come to power. It had been a way of administering justice outside of the law. Supposedly, the name "Merry Men" had been more symbolic, meant to represent the outlaws' attempt to return joy and livelihood to Cilengdon. Whatever the case, Will found it more than a little ironic.

Robin sighed. It was an argument they'd been having for years. "I can be merry without laughing! Not everyone has as uncontrollable a smile and laugh as you."

The two of them were walking companionably under a canopy of leaves, some of which were faintly tinged with brown, red, or gold. Autumn was approaching quickly in Sherwood Forest, as the chill carried on the wind promised."The wind carried the promise of autumn on its chilly gusts."

Robin was dressed in his normal attire—loosely fitting pants and a long-sleeved shirt of Lincoln green, an enchanted golden cloak with colors shifting across it, and gloves to match. He carried a bow slung over one shoulder and a quiver of arrows slung over the other.

Will was dressed less conventionally.

He was on his way to Nottingham, and having once belonged to perhaps the most well-known family in Cilengdon, he naturally couldn't be wandering openly about the streets without the risk of being recognized, so he had enlisted the help of Cenor, one of the Band's most accomplished spies, to help disguise him.

Gone was the outlaw with his favorite scarlet cloak and long, sturdy walking stick. In his place was a well-dressed lady, her hair done up in curly blond locks, her lips a painted red, her dress full of stuffing to give Will the right form to pass himself off as he lady.

Will opened his mouth to respond, but froze as Robin raised his hand suddenly in warning. They stood for a moment in complete silence, both listening intently. It was not so much the noise, but the sensation of rumbling that Will eventually detected.

Turning to his leader, Will mouthed, Riders?

Robin nodded.

Will glanced instinctively at Robin Hood's cloak. Like all the Merry Men's cloaks in the Greenwood, it reflected the feelings and emotions of the wearer. A phenomenon that occurred only in this particular section of Sherwood Forest, he wasn't quite sure what caused it, nor why it only affected certain materials—such as the material used for their cloaks. Though mostly gold, other colors would swirl in various patterns across Robin's cloak, according to his mood. As Will—and, in fact, the rest of the Merry Men— had never seen Robin's face, it was often the only way to guess what was on his mind.

At the moment, pale gray-green strands were streaking across the gold, accompanied by spiral of red and purple weaving through the fabric. Will had long since come to recognize this as a sign of anxiety and panic.

Robin began motioning urgently with his hand, and the two outlaws disappeared quickly and silently into the trees.

Will watched from the foliage as about three dozen men on horseback emerged from farther down the path and went clopping by. He felt a prick of surprise as he caught sight of a carriage in their midst. He recognized it from the design and the emblem on its side. This wasn't just any carriage, it was one from the palace.

What was a royal carriage doing so deep in Sherwood Forest? Surely Prince John knew better than to send anything of value down this way. Unless...but no. Will crushed the sudden spark of hope that had begun to swell inside him. He was quite practiced at doing so, as it had an annoying way of swelling up from time to time. The last smidge of impossible hope disappeared with the last of the horsemen.

After counting to twenty, Will stepped back onto the road and was joined a moment later by his leader.

"It's been a long time since I've seen a royal carriage anywhere near these parts," Robin commented.

"I wonder what Prince John's up to," Will agreed.

"Something important, no doubt. There were quite a few soldiers guarding whatever was in that carriage."

"Perhaps we could investigate," suggested Will.

"I don't think we need to," Robin said. "It's almost certainly a trap. Prince John knows full well that this is our territory. He would expect an attack."

Will bit his lip. "True, but have you seen our coffer's recently? They're bare as the trees'll be in a couple of weeks."

Robin's cloak swirled with all sorts of different emotions: thick blobs of dark blue spiraled about in intense concentration, streaks of orangey-pink spiked with indecision.

"They are in our territory," Robin mused. "We know the terrain much better than them."

"Exactly," Will agreed. "If things go badly, you could order a quick retreat. We know how to disappear in these woods. They'd never find us."

The colors in Robin's cloak solidified back into a pure gold. He had made up his mind. "I'll head back to the Den and grab a couple gathings. Care to come with me?"

"Are you kidding? I spent three hours—at least—on this disguise! There is no way I'm wasting it. You go on back to the Den. I'm headed to Nottingham," declared Will.

"Fine then." Robin sighed. "While you're there, see if you can sort out all those rumors about King Richard's return, will you?"

Will stiffened. "So there have been rumors."

"Of course there have, there always are. It's nothing to excite yourself over—"

"But you still want me to investigate."

"I want the rumors either confirmed or denied so we can move on with our lives," Robin answered.

"But what if they're true?" Will pressed. "What would that even mean for us?"

The question hung in the air for a moment, unanswered.

"I hope to see you tonight, Will," Robin said, moodily kicking a stone off the path. "I'll tell you how the robbery went."

Robin moodily kicked a stone off the path. "I don't know what to make of all the rumors," he said at last. "There's always been rumors somewhere, but recently it's been outrageous. I'm beginning to think they might actually be true."

"Perhaps we'll find out today," Will suggested. "I'll ask around while I'm in Nottingham."

"And if they are true," Robin continued. "What will that even mean?"

"An end to an era of corruption and misery," said Will. "What else can it mean?"

Robin did not respond, letting the question hang, unanswered, in the air.

Not long afterward, the two went their different ways, Robin headed back to the Merry Men's hideout and Will on to Nottingham.