Chapter 4

"IT WAS THE STRANGEST occurrence! Just when I thought that I must do something—even though I knew that I could not!—this horseman appeared. I'm not sure if he intended to skewer de la Ville or not. Whatever, he seemed to care not in the least that the Prince was there, or that de la Ville was surrounded by others. He raced through, swept up the girl, and that was that."

Kat's tone was matter-of-fact and very calm as she told Robin what had happened. She had managed to still her own fears by reminding herself that Robin would refuse her help if she betrayed the least fear.

If they hadn't been children together—if they hadn't been in the forest together with her father that day—she knew that Robin wouldn't have tolerated her part in all of this.

But they had been together. They had both seen what had happened to the young Saxon lad. At first, they had only tried to warn the people when certain nobles were in the forest. But then Richard had become King and left England, and one by one, the neighboring barons had begun to grasp for power, nearly starving the people, taking everything from them.

Then Robin had had an encounter with a nobleman who had slain a man in the woods. And Robin had slain the noble in turn, and become a bandit in truth. Now only the King himself could pardon Robin. Now, as she explained all that had happened, Robin was watching her with a worried look. She had been careful not to tell him about Prince John's words to de la Ville about better prey to be had that night. Not yet, anyway. She had simply told him about Prince John's arrival with the others, and then about the way she had stumbled upon them in the forest with the girl.

And about the horseman who had so miraculously appeared.

She was seated on a tree stump and Robin was pacing, his fingers laced behind his back, his brow furrowed. Though a number of Robin's men were just beyond them in the large copse, the small clearing where she spoke with Robin was astonishingly quiet except for the natural sounds of the forest, the soft rustle of leaves, the twitter of a bird, the sudden, scratchy sound of a small animal moving on the forest floor.

The sky was beautiful that day, blue above them, just touched by the whitest clouds. The air smelled richly of the earth, of the green things that grew upon it, of the freshness of the sun. It did not seem so terrible a place to live, Kat thought. Castles and manors could be damp and dank and malodorous. Their roofs could leak.

And Robin had the canopy of the sky for his roof.

Well, that wasn't exactly true. They had built small houses in the forests in the nearby copse. Houses that blended with the trees, that were of mud and wood with thatched roofs. Quickly made, and containing little. Robin knew his base could be found and destroyed, and therefore they kept little that they could not move with them upon their backs.

Robin had been so silent as he paced, but suddenly he stopped and swung around, staring at her.

"Tell me about him again," he demanded.

She looked up at him, shaking her head. "Him? The Prince? De la Ville? Morti—"

"The horseman, Kat! The horseman!" Robin said, and sighed with exasperation.

Kat gritted her teeth. "Robin, if you would just be more precise with your questions—"

"Please?"

"There's nothing more I can tell you. The whole episode took place in a matter of minutes. And as for the horseman … he raced through, swept up the girl, and raced away. I have told you that."

"On a dark horse."

"Ebony-dark."

"In silver armor?"

"Mail, Robin. Silver, I suppose. Or gray. And he had the most intriguing helmet and visor. The helmet capped his head, then it seemed there was a very fine meshed mail visor designed to fall over his face, almost like a mask. A regular, thicker mail covered his shoulders and torso. It was so fast, Robin. He was difficult to see. He wore a tunic over the mail, I think. Aye. And a cloak. A fine black cloak. It looked like a cloud on the air."

"Did he say anything?"

"No, not a word. Oh, I forgot! Yes, I did hear something—before he came. A battle cry. Something ferocious and horrible."

Robin smiled suddenly, looking up at the sky. Then he looked at Kat and grabbed her hands, pulling her to her feet to swing her around before him.

"He's come back!"

"And you've gone daft!" she accused him, tripping, and trying to keep up with his sudden merriment. "Robin—"

She was suddenly sitting again, and he was by her side. "The Silver Sword. He's come back."

"The Silver Sword …" Kat repeated. So the man was more than legend!

The stories about him were all real, just as Robin was real—just as the Lady Greensleeves was real.

And there had been wonderful stories about him! A swordsman who stopped the wicked oppressors here and there throughout the land, demanding that knights and barons and noblemen alike meet his sword ere they thought to ladle out damage upon any other man.

The rumors had begun … and then faded away. Many thought that the Silver Sword had been slain, or that perhaps he had been an old knight, and perished because of his age. Whatever, if he had ever been real, he had disappeared.

But now Robin seemed convinced that he was back.

"So this legend is real!" she said.

"You saw him today."

"Perhaps I saw … some other man."

"And perhaps he has come back!" Robin insisted happily. He looked away from her. "A man in silver mail! I'll know soon enough. When I hear …"

"When you hear what?" Kat demanded.

He looked at her and blinked hard. "What?"

It was her turn to sigh with exasperation. "You'll know when you hear what?"

He shook his head lamely. "When I hear … well, I'll know when I hear more stories. Whatever!"

Kat sat there stubbornly, shaking her head. "I never really believed in the Silver Sword. You see, I believe in Robin Hood, because I know him. And of course I believe in the Lady Greensleeves, because I know her. But Robin, why don't we know this man?"

"Kat, he probably doesn't want to be known!"

"But is he really such a good man?"

"You said that he saved the girl."

Kat sighed. "I just wish I knew. I wonder—"

"Quit wondering," Robin said, suddenly crisp and in a hurry. "Maybe he hasn't come back. Maybe it was a different man. There are dozens of maybes!" he finished, rising once again and reaching down a hand to her. "I thank you for the information that you bring me, as always, cousin. I thank you with all my heart. You were careful?"

"Of course I was careful," she assured him.

"And what of the priest?" he demanded. "Certainly he was left behind to keep guard on you."

A twinge of unease swept through her. She didn't know whether to tell Robin about her fears or not. He could not risk coming to the castle.

But then she wasn't afraid of being in the castle.

"Kat?" Robin said worriedly.

"Oh, aye, I'm sure that the good father was left behind to guard me! But I'm equally sure that he couldn't possibly suspect that I left. I used the secret doorway and the tunnel. When I looked back once I reached the woods, I discovered that all was still quiet."

"What if the priest is demanding that he see his hostess, even now?"

"Then Marie—God bless her!—will ward him off. She is an ingenious woman."

"Indeed, then, God bless her!" Robin's good humor was swiftly gone then, a frown coming to his handsome face once again. "It worries me deeply, this picture I see here. John arriving with de la Ville, Father Donavan, and Gerald Mortimer."

"In truth, young Mortimer is not so bad—" Kat began.

"And not so good," Robin reminded her sharply. "After all, perhaps it was de la Ville attacking this young girl, but Mortimer was standing by, watching it all, if I am not mistaken?"

"He made no move to help her, that is certain," Kat agreed.

"Prince John—and two powerful young noblemen. And a priest," he murmured. He didn't need to hear anything from her to come to his own conclusion. "Kat, you're going to have to take extreme care!"

She nodded, trying not to appear uneasy. She waved a hand in the air. "Oh, I daresay that they are up to something."

"The Prince wants control of your castle, Kat. And your men."

"I haven't that many men left. Most of my knights followed Richard on the Crusade," she reminded him.

"But there is tremendous strength in your castle! Why, Kat, it is made so that it could hold off an army. That is what John wants. He plans to take this country from Richard in the King's absence. And if he holds a fortress such as yours, he will have one fine place to which to run, or from which to wage battle! Kat, he intends to force you into a marriage."

"Oh, aye, perhaps," Kat said, with far less concern than she was feeling.

"Perhaps you shouldn't go back."

"I have to go back. We both know that. If I don't, he'll tear this forest apart, and we'll both be found."

Robin was suddenly wearing that stubborn look of his, the male-protector look. "I cannot let you—"

"Robin! It would do no good for de la Ville to simply misuse or harm me. He must have a marriage to take over the castle and the lands. I will be all right. When the Prince demands that I marry, I will agree to a long betrothal, and that is all. Perhaps then we will even take de la Ville for more than he has ever imagined. Robin, I will be all right. You know as well as I that Prince John must take grave care. He dare not have the other barons rise too furiously against him."

There was wisdom in her words, and Robin knew it. He drew her to her feet, clutched her shoulders, and held her tight. His hands slid to hers and clasped them for a moment, too. Then he kissed her cheeks. "I'll take you back as far as I dare."

He called for his horse, and it was brought by his man, Roger Gray. She bade Roger hello and goodbye, then leaped atop the horse before Robin.

They traveled the forest in a strange silence, and Kat knew that she had deeply worried Robin. She touched his cheek when he drew in on the reins, intending to set her down.

"Robin, I will be all right. You must never, never come here, you know."

"Aye," he agreed quietly.

"Robin, once you made me promise not to use my sword against any man in the forest. Now you must promise me you'll not come to the castle. It would please them all no end to hang you!"

"Aye, that it would."

"Robin, promise me."

"Kat, I cannot."

"But you must! I demand it!"

"Kat—"

"Robin," she said stubbornly, "if you'll not give me your word, I will take back my own! I'll come plowing through your forest with my father's sword swinging before me. I swear it."

"All right, all right! I'll not come to the castle!" he said, and set her down, then quickly added, "Tonight! I'll not come to the castle tonight!"

"Robin!" She spun around, but he was already swinging his mount about. "Get on home, Kat!" he warned her. "I've got to hear from my men who went out in search of the Prince and his party after you reached me. I must discover what other mischief there has been. Go home! And tell me as soon as you can what takes place this evening!"

There was no room for further argument then. Robin spoke quickly—and then was gone, disappearing into the foliage.

Kat stared after him, sighed, swept her grass-green cloak around her, and started moving quickly through the foliage and brush, seeking the entry to the caves.

Before she reached the entry, she paused, as she always did. She waited, watched, and listened.

The wind picked up. Swirling cool and wild, it seized the leaves and grasses on the ground, sweeping them around her. She shivered, looking around. Night was coming. Darkness.

She was not afraid of the night, nor did she fear darkness.

Yet she shivered, for the wind that flowed around her seemed to whisper stark words of warning. She felt the power of the sky and of the trees. Branches now seemed to reach for her like gnarled and ancient fingers, ready to hold her back, to keep her there, part of the forest.

Whispers …

Omens …

Of tempest, of bad things to come. Shadows filled the forest; a new kind of darkness was descending.

Nay!

The cry was silent, but loud in her heart. She would not be afraid of men like de la Ville!

Ah, but she needed to fear them, to be wary of them! Take care!

The breeze in the forest seemed to echo the warning of her heart. She stood still, feeling the caress of the cool air on her cheeks.

These were dangerous times.

And there was nothing she could do but live through them to the best of her talents.

She stood still a moment longer, then, certain that she was alone in the forest, she lowered her head and sought the entry to the cave. Quickly, she moved from natural rock formation to the tunnel that had been so ingeniously dug.

The sun was indeed dying. She moved in shadow, but she knew the way. Even when she reached the Stygian darkness of the stairway, she was not afraid or uneasy. She knew every single step.

She didn't feel the first hint of fear until she had traveled both the tunnel and the stairway and come into the light of her room.

Marie was there, pacing and wringing her hands.

"Oh, blessed Jesu! You are back. Katherine! The Prince has returned with those wretched men of his. He is demanding that you make an appearance, and quickly!" Even as she spoke, Marie bustled around Katherine, drawing off her green cloak. "Hurry, oh, hurry! You have just taken the longest bath in the history of the world, Kat! Donovan has already warned that you've doused yourself in evil spirits and that you must not delay so long in water. Come, come, hurry!"

Kat's heart was pounding furiously. "What is John's hurry?"

Marie's troubled eyes met hers. "He has business to discuss with you, and he is anxious to settle it. Katherine, I've seen you talk yourself out of a great deal, but this bodes ill, I swear it does. What will you wear? Something old and somber. Perhaps we can veil your face—"

Kat shook her head, slipping out of the rest of her green. "Nay, Marie. I'll be battling the Prince as well as de la Ville. I think that I'll do it in grandeur. Let's see. I think that I should like the pale blue linen underdress with the fine embroidered blue tunic. Aye, the one with the very elegant undersleeves. That will do nicely, I think."

Marie might disapprove, but she drew out the garments Kat requested, along with fresh hose and Kat's delicate soft blue leather shoes. Kat swiftly donned the garments, then drew her fingers through the tangle of her hair.

"Jesu! What a snarl we have here. A brush! Oh, dear! I need time to replait your hair—"

"Nay. I'll wear it down."

"But Kat—"

"Down, I think. I mustn't let him think that anything is amiss." She sat on the small chair at her dressing table. "I mustn't let de la Ville know how very deeply I despise him!" she said softly. Then she smiled at Marie, her show of bravado finding substance within her. "I am the Countess Katherine, chatelaine here in my own right. And I will walk down with dignity!" she swore. She picked up her brush just as she heard what seemed like thunder erupting in the room.

"Open this door! Now!" a voice demanded.

"Donovan!" Marie mouthed.

"Now!" came the demand again. "Else we shall break it down panel by panel. By God, woman, what is going on in there!"

Kat braced herself.

"Kat!" Marie cried.

"May he rot in hell!" Kat spat out.

"The Prince has sent Father Donovan or one of his men again and again," Marie murmured heatedly. "I am amazed he has waited this long. Oh, my lady—"

"Open the door," Kat said, with a smile. "Quickly, open it, just as we are commanded."

And Marie did as she was ordered.