The Forest Archer

Acquaintances

CHAPTER 2:

I felt my arm get stiff and then the strike of pain hit me again more then ever.

I felt a sudden urge to scream when my view came into focus and the same man with the beard was hovering over my face... again.

Why??

I shoved him off while standing up on my two feet.

I looked around once again and all of the men were staring at me. The fire had been let out but smoke was still puffing through the air. The tents were there like they were before as well.

This made me believe that this certainly wasn't a dream.

"Are you right there?" The hooded man said moving towards me.

I said urgently, "No, stay away.''

"Its alright. None of my men will harm you. We just want to know who you are and why you're here."

He replied back. He had honesty in his voice so I explained the whole story.

Answering him, I said, "My names Ella...um... I'm sixteen and I'm from the country side of London."

He nodded for me to go on but, there was nothing too go on.

One of the men shouted out from behind the man with the hood...

"So, what are ya doin' here then hey? Ya come to murder our friend Robin 'ere. Cause if you think we're gonna let ya do that you've got another thing comin'."

I was horrified so I stepped back a few steps.

"John, thats enough. Can't you see ya scaring her. I'll be askin' the questions here thanks very much."

The hooded man smiled at me and it gave me reassurance that he wouldn't hurt me. I could tell that he was on my side.

"So lass, whats ya business here in Sherwood Forest?"

I thought about my answer for a while until I was ready to answer him.

"Its quite a long story really but, to be honest with you, I don't really know why and how I got here."

They looked confused so I went on. "I was playing this game with my friend and I hid in this old oak tree and before I knew it, I saw white and I landed here."

"A big old oak tree ya say," an old man said standing near the fire. He was dressed in a brown tunic with very odd looking hair.

Because the hooded man I suspected was Robin Hood, I had no doubt that the man who said those last words was Friar Tuck.
I nodded with agreement and said, "You must be Friar Tuck then." I looked around the camp and recognised all of the men.

"And you over there, you must be John Little... also known as Little John," I said as I pointed to a tall and well built man standing next to Robin. He looked amazed and I went on.

"You and Robin Hood met on a bridge. You both wanted to get passed but you were both stubborn and so you fought for passage across. Later you became friends. You also went to war together."

I finished there and now all of the men were looking at me amazed.

"How do you know that?" Little John said.

Without thinking about my answer I boasted out, "I've read about you... about you all."

"You've read about us?" Robin said.

I had indeed made a mistake of saying that so I made up a lie.

"The towns people are very acquainted with you all and they speak about you frequently." I was not a liar at heart but I had no choice. I couldn't tell them the truth.