Academy of Legends

Chapter 10: Robin (Silent)

The silence following Henry's disappearance was frustrating, to say the least. In the day following Hermes's death, I found myself unable to settle, searching desperately for the missing boy. Nobody seemed to know where he had gone and hadn't seen him since the Wills had spoken to him at the archery field.

Despite Hermes's tragic death, events at the Academy started to trundle back to normal. Classes resumed the following day, although the Charmings were excluded. I was also requested to stay out of my classes until I was suitably recovered from Marian's death. This enabled me to spend my time searching for Henry.

However, I'd had no luck thus far. It was as if Henry had disappeared off the face of the Earth, or ... he was dead, or he had run. But why would he run? The only logical answer was that Henry was dead. Logical, maybe, but not one I liked to consider. The boy didn't deserve death.

As I walked down the halls after school was over for the day, I ran into the long blonde locks of Rapunzel. The girl's hair was pulled into the biggest, longest ponytail I'd ever seen, and I accidentally stepped on it. She turned to face me with a smile. "Hello!" she said blithely. She usually sounded cheerful. Few things fazed her, and she wasn't the sharpest fork in the drawer. "What brings you out here, Professor Hood?"

I was near the tower that held the office of Principal Grimm. It was merely aimless wanderings on my part, but enough to garner Rapunzel's curiosity. "Just ... thinking, I suppose," I said.

"I like thinking," she commented, her dark green eyes looking me up and down. "Are you thinking about Henry?"

I tried not to let my surprise show. "I—yes. I'm thinking about Henry. I don't want to tell his brothers, but I think ... I'm afraid ... that he's dead."

Rapunzel cocked her head. "You think? Why?" she asked. Her voice had a sarcastic tone to it.

Her question made me think. "I thought that, we haven't heard from him. It's been silent on that front. Nobody has seen him since before Hermes died."

"So?"

I shifted uncomfortably, unused to my students questioning me in such a way. "I figure that he died with Hermes."

Rapunzel crossed her long arms. "Illogical," she said flatly. I stared at her. "Honesty, aren't you supposed to be the law teacher? Think about it." She held up her fingers and started ticking them off. "Marian, Theseus, Harold, Hermes. Four deaths. They've all died in the same way—gunshot to the heart. Their bodies were left where they died. If you think Henry is dead, then where is his body? The killer is obviously not afraid to leave bodies anywhere. So where is Henry's corpse?"

I stared at her. "Why aren't you this smart in your classes?"

Rapunzel grinned. "It's not worth it to me. This is interesting, though. So if he's disappeared and he's not dead, then chances are—"

"He left," I said softly.

"Nooo," Rapunzel retorted, shaking her head. "It means he was taken. I know Henry Charming. He would never leave until his brother's killer was brought to justice. So that means that the killer had reason to not kill him and kidnap him instead."

"To frame him!" I realized. I pumped her hand enthusiastically. "Rapunzel, you have just won your way onto the investigative team."

We were interrupted by Hugo Charming running up, puffing. "It's—Snow," he gasped. "We can't find her anywhere!"