Deception

Chapter 49

- Chapter 49 -

"Robin!" I heard Little John cry out angrily as I burst into the room behind him to see food splattered all over the floor. Robin was in front with a nocked arrow pointed at Joseph, whilst I stood beside him blocking the doorway preventing him from leaving.

"This is the last supper... for you, Joseph." Robin growled.

"You poison people and then you keep a record of their suffering!" I disgustingly spat as I held up his replica of my Nightwatchman's mask.

"What? That is revolting!" Much cried out as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. I could see him stare at his food in both hunger and disgust as I chuckled slightly. Only Much would still consider food when he's been found out that it has been poisoned.

"My poison has no taste, and no colour, no odour. It’s a beautiful thing." Joseph boasted with a wicked grin as I growled. I noticed in the corner of my eye Djaq sniffs her bowl, trying to smell the poison. Joseph was a sick demented man, he and the Sheriff deserved each other.

"What’s the cure for the poison?" Robin growled as I was slightly shocked by the dark edge in his growl. Joseph however turns his head and merely smiles slyly at Robin, which made me gulp in slight fear as I saw Robin’s temper flare as he let loose an arrow, which grazes Joseph’s cheek. To say I was shocked was an understatement as I never knew that Robin would stoop down to a mean of torture for an answer, his tactics made me sick.

"There are people out there dying…Children!" He impatiently shouted causing me to flinch slightly whilst Joseph fingers his wound.

"It’s made from an extract of the Amanita mushroom. The Angel of Death? The Devil’s Cap? There is no cure." Joseph smiled boasting once more as he listed the different names causing us all to gasp and glare dangerously at Joseph. Joseph chuckles, then suddenly kicks over a chair and runs past Djaq towards the window as we all quickly sprung to our feet to run after him.

"Stop him!" Little John shouted as Joseph dives headfirst out the window and rolls into the street before anybody can catch him. He gets to his feet and races towards the barricades.

"Open the gate!" He shouted towards the gates as I groaned and stuck my face in my hands. Of course the guards would know who he was, this was all planned out by him and the Sheriff, it wouldn't be that hard for him to easily escape. I waited with Djaq outside the house as the gang angrily stormed back towards the house.

"He tricked us!" Much cried out angrily.

"Clever." I hissed.

"Clever? He nearly poisoned us. What about these people?" Much cried out in horror.

"Belladonna….For mushroom poisoning." John spoke up after being in deep thought as we all turned to him frowning slightly.

"Belladonna is deadly nightshade. It is a poison……Poison to fight poison." Djaq frowned before her face brightened up. Inspired, Djaq smiles and runs between Robin and I, heading back to the medicine box Much found earlier as Robin wonders if it will really work. We quickly made our way back to Sarah's house as Djaq opens the medicine box, picks out a bottle and smells it. I step forward, looking over Sarah’s shoulder at Jess whilst Robin stands at the foot of her bed, with Much and Little John lined up beside it.

"Djaq? Djaq? It’s Jess. I thinks she’s going. What’s that?" Sarah called out fearful as Djaq steps round the corner with the jar from the medicine box. I glanced down at Jess as she was struggling to breathe and looking deathly pale.

"It’s a hunch. But it could kill her. Trust me. Let me do this." Djaq stated as Sarah cries for a moment, agonising over having to make such a difficult decision. I put my hand on her shoulder in support and give her a nod as Sarah sucks in her breath and regains control.

"She’s going anyways. Just try it. Just try it." She begs as Djaq smears a bit of belladonna on Jess’s tongue. Jess turns her head as we all watch anxiously. When we see nothing changing Robin and I exchange glances as we all drop our heads whilst Sarah bursts into tears. I watched as Sarah bends over her seemingly lifeless daughter, then notices her eyes moving under her lids as Jess opens her eyes.

"Jess! Oh, it’s working! It’s working!" Sarah cries out as we all beam a bright smile.

"Amazing! How did you know that?" Much exclaims as he slaps Little John in the chest with the back of his hand. I chuckle slightly seeing John's embarrassed yet offended face as he frowns at Much.

"I know some things." He pouts.

"We have to stop Joseph before he poisons anybody else. Now, he'll have gone into the castle. We have to find a way to get in after him." Robin states.

"Well, how did Will get in?" I question them as they all turn to me in confusion as though I had grown insane as I raise an eyebrow.

"He’s in the castle. Didn't you know?" I questioned.

"Oh, no. He’s going to kill the Sheriff." Robin realizes as I felt so stupid as though reality had slapped me in the face. Gasping I cover my mouth and stare at Robin distraught as I could feel the tears begin to bubble once again.

"I should have stopped him…Oh Robin why didn't I think of that when I saw him before?" I cried out as he pulls me into a strong brotherly embrace and kisses the top of my head as I close my eyes to remove the image of Dan being murdered. We all quickly made an idea as we dressed up and made our way towards the barricade.

Leading the gang, hidden in our hoods and cloaks, we arrive at the barricade with cloths either tied or held over their faces. Robin and Little John carry a stretcher. Djaq is wearing a large cross round her neck and carrying the jar of belladonna.

"Nobody passes." The guard states as I make sure my hood covers my face so they don't recognize me.

"Master Joseph asked us to bring the body to t’ castle." I speak in a peasant accent slightly welsh. I watched as the soldiers glance at each other, then move the partition to let the gang through. Much’s seemingly dead eyes stare at nothing as he lies on the stretcher with a large wooden cross lying on his chest. The soldiers replace the barricade.

"Raise the gate! Body for Mr Joseph!" Another guard called out once we reached the castle. As we approached the gate Allan, waiting nearby, sees us and puts up his hood. He goes over to Little John and takes one arm of the stretcher from him. Djaq sprinkles water along their path and makes the sign of the cross at the guard as they go through the gate.

I lead them through the castle, first checking to be sure the way is clear. Before I nodded to say it was clear at they all removed their masks and Much got off the stretcher. I could hear them murmuring behind me, probably informing Allan of what was happening as I was keeping watch of the corridor whilst the gang got prepared. I also noticed that I was only a few corridors down from my bedroom.

"What do we do if he doesn't come quietly?" Much asks as I felt my body tense as I turn around to watch Robin's solemn face.

"Whatever it takes, Much." Robin says as I gulp. I noticed Robin refused to meet my eyes as I drew in an uneven breath. I was about to beg to Robin not to hurt him before they all dashed off in separate directions as I growled, before sneaking back into my bedroom. I got back into my proper attire and casually sat on my bed and paced around my room before I heard the familiar distressed shout out.

"Robin Hood! Kill him!" The Sheriff's voice screamed out as I smiled and beamed before running to my window to see every member of the gang running with smiles on their faces. I felt my shoulders relaxed as I suppressed my smirk and elegantly left my room to stroll down the halls.