Sherwood Rogue

Chapter Three

In the morning, I woke to Robin's hand on my shoulder. He raised a finger to his lips and beckoned me to follow him out of the camp. We walked through the forest and emerged at the river downstream from where Much and I had fought.

Still bleary-eyed with sleep, I rubbed my face, trying to wake up. Robin was silent, so I watched the water, drowsy, not really thinking about who stood beside me. I wished I could strip off my clothes and wash myself in the pre-dawn freshness, but thoughts of bathing vanished when I remembered where I was.

I waited for Robin to speak first, afraid to ask why I was with him, worrying more with each moment that passed.

"Much tells me you have quite a hand for the quarterstaff," he said at last. He sat on the riverbank and motioned for me to join him.

"He told me that, too," I agreed, still wary as I settled beside him.

"He said you caught him looking away, played him up on it, and threw him."

"I did."

"You don't sound like you're too proud of it." He threw stems of long grass into the river, watching them float away.

"It's not my nature to be proud, sir." He was after something. I could tell.

"You should be. It's been a long time since anyone has thrown Much, except John."

"I was lucky."

"But you can see people's weaknesses, know how to get behind someone's guard. That takes a good eye and a sharp mind. Use it."

I looked at him keenly for a moment, different thoughts crossing my mind. "You didn't bring me out here to talk about quarterstaffs and fights."

"Like I said, a sharp mind." Robin looked at me. I shifted my gaze away from his, unused to hearing compliments. "No, I didn't. Some of my men are a bit...concerned about your background. I won't mention any names, but they're not sure about my decision to let you join us. I'm curious about you myself."

"So you want to hear all of it." I sighed. I knew I couldn't go on forever without telling someone. But how much should I reveal? "If I tell you," I said, still debating where I should draw the line, "and hide nothing, I would rather you didn't share it with any of your men. I will abide by your decision."

"You have my word." His tone suggested he was intrigued.

"That's all I ask. First, I must ask a question."

"Yes?"

"What do you think about women?"

"What?!"

"Do you believe women should be allowed to do what they set their minds to, or should they only bear children and keep homes?"

Robin thought for a moment, looking at me with that probing stare of his.

"It depends on what they set their minds to," he said carefully, watching. "Why do you ask?" I knew at that point he had a good idea why and was only waiting to hear it.

I took a deep breath. "Because I am a woman."

Robin's stare intensified. I wanted to shrink away from his gaze and hide somewhere, but I held out, staring back at him. I couldn't back down. Not this time. There was too much to lose.

The look on his face was hard to read. I saw disbelief, but I couldn't tell if he was angry or not. After a long moment, my stomach growled, breaking the tension. He looked away, gazing out over the river.

"Tell me why you are here."

I looked down at the ground, forming the words in my head. "I am here because I've always dreamed of being here. My dream came true. I am a woman, yes, but there is more. What I have to say sounds impossible, but it is the truth." I hadn't decided to tell him all of it until that moment. "I come from a land called America, as I said. You haven't heard of it because it hasn't been discovered yet. I come from the future, Robin."