Chapter 12
KNOX FROWNED AND LEANEDagainst the tree outside Vidrland, his big frame causing his shirt to bulge. His hatchet hung from his belt, but he wasn"t concerned at the moment.
He"d been out of sorts since taking Eirwyn into town. He itched for activity, for something that he couldn"t quite identify.
"It"s time to ramp up our efforts with the Robins. The timing is right, what with the king getting married in a month. It"s time for phase two."
The small band of former soldiers, rangers, and convicts sat on their horses, but Ashur leaned on the pommel. They were the highest ranking Robins, other than John and the druids, having earned the trust of the inner circle. Yet Knox still kept his face and tail hidden from them as much as possible.
Will shifted on his saddle. "Are we finally going to make a bigger push to rob more than just the tax collectors? What about the rich snobs?"
Knox arched a brow and crossed his arms. "You"re already doing that, Will..."
Ashur flushed and clenched his jaw, glancing away from Knox" heavy stare. He hadn"t been as involved as he could have been, and Ashur had stepped up the past few months. Knox had given him the lead and watched and waited.
"Phase one was to following the tax collectors and stealing the money back from the king. Phase two of the plan was to slowly work our way around the kingdom robbing the rich. You jumped into phase two without permission or voting on the matter. My reports say you"re doing well organizing the attacks and have stuck to our rules of only robbing the king"s men or rich men, so that"s good."
Knox narrowed his eyes, then turned his eye back to Ashur. "However, you should"ve come to me first. We should"ve put it to a vote first. Am I clear?"
His voice was soft but none of them could mistake the steel undertones. Ashur"s jaw clenched and his back straightened. "Aye, master warden."
Knox sighed. "We"re not simply thieves. We"re here to chip away at the king"s power so we can protect and provide for people. We don"t rob from just anyone, regardless of what some of our people"s former professions might"ve been. We have to be strategic. Don"t forget the Robin"s oath."
They all nodded, several putting their fist to their chest and bowing their head slightly. When they"d recovered enough from their wounds and had decided to stay, he"d made them all take the oath.
Knox sighed and rubbed his head under the hood. "Have you been turning the money over to John for inventory so he ensure it gets to right people in the local communities?"
Ashur spat on the ground and nodded. "Hells, Knox, you know we have. We gave our word."
Knox stroked his jaw, his five o"clock shadow already prominent even in the mid-morning sun. He wasn"t sure how trustworthy the promises of criminals and deserters were, which is why he made sure upstanding soldiers always accompanied them.
But he did trust them. This part of gentle reprimand went a long way to keeping order in Vidrland with so many types of people.
Will murmured softly. "I"m sorry we started phase two without express permission, but the wedding will have a lot of wealthy nobles going to and from the summer palace. Robbing from the rich would then put pressure on the king to end the war, right? Isn"t that our entire end goal?"
Others nodded, and Knox looked at him thoughtfully. He never wanted them to see him as a tyrant, so he said, "I see what you"re saying, but it should be put to a vote for our people to decide. Let"s vote tomorrow night. In the meantime, do you have a plan or an idea to pitch at the meeting?"
Will nodded and spoke soft and slow. Knox stroked his chin as he listened, nodding and asking questions here and there.
Knox had returned from Demerel with a cart and the donkey. He"d loaded up Olive"s supplies, but he"d also worked to get three more prisoners out of the dungeons.
They had families and had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Some noble had accused the three of robbing him simply because the noble didn"t want to pay for the new clothing and shoes that he"d ordered.
He"d snuck them out of town on the cart too. They were busy repairing the clothing and shoes and tents in Vidrland but had begged him to go back to town and bring their families to the safety the forest provided.
He shook his head and rubbed his temples, careful to keep his hood up.
"You"re right. Officially launching phase two and robbing the rich will help force the king"s hand. With all the foreign dignitaries from neighboring nations and the nobles from the capitol coming for the wedding... it presents a great opportunity to rob the rich on the roads."
"What about robbing the wedding reception ball itself?" Will asked. Knox looked around and tried to get a feel for how the others felt about it.
"It will take stealth and a lot of planning. Several of us will need to dress as servants or nobles to get in. Others will need to stand guard. Those who go inside will need to make sure no harm befalls anyone."
Will asked, "Not even the king? It"ll be a good opportunity to assassinate him."
Knox shook his head. "Other than being annoying by passing overbearing taxation on the people without their consent and prolonging a war no one wants, he hasn"t done anything outright illegal. So no killing the king."
"He"s killed plenty by sending them to a pointless war. This might be our best chance," Ashur said.
Knox held up a hand. "I said no. We will not vote on murder. However, I might have a better idea for the king that I think you"ll like but let me think on it first. We will present it to the Robins tomorrow night and vote as a group. Then we"ll need to prepare to be in Demerel at least the day before the wedding, prepare and plan. I"d like everyone to have eyes and ears open. No getting drunk from the festivities."
More groans from his men, but he knew they"d obey.
He paid his men well, but it wasn"t bought loyalty that kept them with him and kept them silent. Only these half-dozen men even knew he was the one behind the Robins at all. Them, the dwarf John, and the two old druids, that is.
These had been with him the longest and were the ones he trusted. And they trusted him in return.
John was their steward. Every week, he did a random check of the records and the distribution of their contraband, reviewed the sales of goods and sent spies to confirm bits and pieces.
Everyone else in camp saw a man in all black with a black mask. It was as the Robin, the druid master warden protector of the forest, that he led them with speeches and worked alongside them to fell trees and even eat. The mask provided anonymity and gave the people someone to look up to without focusing on the flaws of humanity.
"Alright, take your goods to John for inventory and eat a good meal. Relax for the day and gather provisions. Then I"m going to send you each on another mission before the wedding. You can cast your vote before you leave on whether we"re going to rob the rich on the roads or rob the wedding."
They all nodded and straightened on their horses, so Knox continued. "Sharo go west and report back on Glathen. There are a few liars in the town outside the Lone Road who are telling travelers they are the ones to pay for protection through the forest. Stop them, then set up in the town as the toll taker and guide."
Sharo nodded, and Knox continued. "Also, find out what they"re going to do about the wedding. I want to know what they think about the king marrying a commoner instead of their princess."
Sharo nodded and turned his horse, then he disappeared into the encampment, riding straight for the large, long wooden building that John used as their storehouse.
"Nineel, go back to the tavern in Demerel and keep your ears peeled. I want to know everything about the future queen or anything else to do with the king. Are they staying at the summer palace during their honeymoon or leaving for the capital? We need to know."
Nineel turned and followed Sharo into the encampment. Lox watched as Sharo swung off his horse and began to unload his saddlebags.
"Zomoya, go east into Busparia, then circle onto the Southern Road. See if any of our people need help on their way back home in Busparia. If we need to send food to the soldiers, let me know. No one should starve this winter."
Zomoya disappeared, joining the others in front of the lodge.
"Pari, Simta, I want you both far away from the Growlers while they"re in mating season. You can help us with the wedding reception plan, but the next day, go north and patrol the borders. One of you goes north east and one goes north west. Let me know if either kingdom is pushing into the mountains."
Pari and Simta nodded, and they turned and disappeared.
When it was only him and Ashur, he sighed and turned to grab the reins of his horse grazing nearby.
He swung up onto Ryder and turned to stare at the encampment.
Ashur had been with him from the beginning of the war. He"d been bloodied and scarred and had been discharged to go home. But the kingdom had not protected the road from the Growlers. Knox had found him closer to death than life in the forest, an assassin vine wrapped around his neck.
Knox had saved him and taken him to a safer part of the forest. Using the skills he"d learned from Olive, he"d patched Ashur up and listened to his delirious talks of the war. As he"d healed, Ashur had the idea to build up Vidrland and form the Robins.
They would help his fellow veterans trying to make it home. They could provide an escort service through the forest, a protection detail for those who wanted to go between Glathen and Busparia without being detected or dying in the Feral Forest.
That had led to talk about taxes and the war and a plan had begun to form.
When Little John had stumbled into the forest, then another soldier, then another, the plan took on a life of its own. The Robins were born and had worked all these years to end the war.
"I was waiting on your reports but now I need to go north to the dwarves. They have been working on a device that will aid us in bringing the king to his knees. Then I need to see Olive. Will you stay here, watch over Vidrland, and see to the preparations for the wedding reception? It seems like every week, this place grows bigger. We need to start building permanent structures for those still in tents."
Ashur nodded, still leaning on his pommel. "Aye, I"ll see that it"s done. Did you meet the newbies? Lots of women." Ashur nodded to Vidrland.
Knox sighed and rubbed the sides of his head. "Not this again, Ash. We"re not heathens."
Ashur shrugged. "They"re camp followers, mate. Sex work is their bread and butter, and if you don"t put out, someone else will. You might as well get yours."
Knox snorted. He might consider Ashur a friend, but he wasn"t about to explain how complicated his love life was. Or the lack thereof. It would mean exposing his face and abilities, and that couldn"t happen.
"Don"t worry about me, Ash."
Ashur wiggled his eyebrows. "Speaking of, I"m going to go debrief Little John and see who"s available for some rough housing."
Knox wrinkled his nose in disgust. "First, don"t call him that. You know he hates that. Second, don"t call sex rough housing. That"s just—"
"The fun way to do it?" Ashur grinned and kicked his horse, setting off into the slowly growing village at the northern center of the forest.
He wasn"t really attracted to any of the camp followers, had felt no attraction before meeting Eirwyn, but Ashur didn"t need to know that. Sure, he had itches to scratch, but it wasn"t anything his hand couldn"t handle.
Except now he dreamed of fucking Eirwyn every night. Every morning he woke up harder than when he"d gone to bed. Even his hand was getting tired now, and it"d only been a few days since he"d said goodbye in Demerel.
He turned Ryder into the forest and rode north to the dwarves. Perhaps he"d get to see her in Demerel when they infiltrated the wedding reception. He smiled as he imagined her dressed in her royal finery.
Even if he wanted to throw Eirwyn over his shoulder and ride into the forest to fuck her for days, he couldn"t escape the responsibilities of leadership. The people in the forest counted on him.
Knox sighed and rode away from Vidrland.