Robyn and the Hoodettes #JustWriteIt #FreshStart

Chapter 27

Plans, extra-plans-that-weren't-really-plans that they'd told to Ellen so she didn't know what they were really up to, and those other plans – what had Marion called them? Emergency plans? Something like that. Plans galore and now here she was utterly stuck. They'd had a quiet morning in the Shire Wood, breaking fast with oatmeal (but no milk) and some fish. Everybody played a part in packing what they needed into the carriage and harnessing the horses into position for the ride back.

They were stuck, not from the mud in the road but Godwin at the gate. The hunched over man with a corkscrew for a spine who insisted on asking for their papers.

Of which they had none.

Did anybody have papers in these parts?

"Can't let you in if you don't have papers."

"Seriously? Godwin, do you want a matching lump on the other side of your head?" Robyn asked.

"Easy," Marion said.

"I'm afraid this is going to be difficult," Godwin said.

For a moment Robyn thought he was looking at the horses, as if he recognized them. Too late, he reached the long rope and rang the warning bell.

Oh great!

"I've just thought of something," Marion said as he grabbed the reins from Robyn. "What if we split up?"

"Why would we split up? That's a crazy idea."

The enormous gates creaked open and there, standing on the other side, was Roger of Doncaster and his motley assortment of tax collectors.

"Saints!" Robyn shouted.

"Everyone split up!" Marion yelled as he leapt to the ground.

Roger's men charged forward. Chaos broke out. Robyn ran underneath the horses and out the other side. Roger grabbed at her tunic but she was too quick and pulled away.

"Hello!" Ellen said with a wave.

Putting on the pace, Robyn aimed to run the girl down, but Ellen merely locked her stance on the ground and met Robyn with equal force. The two thumped into each other and both staggered backwards.

Head swimming, Robyn jumped to her feet and ran.

Something dragged at her throat and her feet left the ground. It was Ellen, holding the neck of her tunic firmly in her fist.

"Maudlin is really keen to see you," Ellen said.

In her side vision, Robyn saw the rest of the gang all running off in different directions. Were they getting away? Robyn twisted out of Ellen's reach but Godwin stepped in her path and clonked her in the side and then the head with an old plank of wood.

Everything went a bit wonky and dark.

When she woke, Robyn found herself locked in a small room with a narrow window. She tried climing out, but she couldn't get her head through. It became stuck for a while between the timber edges. She pulled back and –ouch! – caught splinters in the side of her head.

Perfect!

Hours went by. Probably not hours, but it felt like hours. With no looking glass, Robyn couldn't see her splinters, but she could feel them. Gingerly, she rubbed her fingers over her skin and tried to flick the tiny shards of wood out of her skin. Ow, ow, ow!

OK, time to stop. She'd just have to live with them for the time being and hope they fell out on their own later.

The room had a table, a wooden chair with a high back on the walls were shelves upon shelves upon shelves of books. They looked amazing. Robyn picked up one after the other, but found none of them had any pictures. And she couldn't read the titles either.