Chapters (76)
- Title Page
- Copyright Notice
- Dedication
- PROLOGUE
- PART I
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- PART II
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- PART III
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- INTERLUDE
- PART IV
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- INTERLUDE
- PART V
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- PART VI
- THIRTY-NINE
- FORTY
- FORTY-ONE
- FORTY-TWO
- FORTY-THREE
- FORTY-FOUR
- FORTY-FIVE
- INTERLUDE
- PART VII
- FORTY-SIX
- FORTY-SEVEN
- FORTY-EIGHT
- FORTY-NINE
- FIFTY
- FIFTY-ONE
- FIFTY-TWO
- PART VIII
- FIFTY-THREE
- FIFTY-FOUR
- FIFTY-FIVE
- FIFTY-SIX
- EPILOGUE
- AUTHOR’S NOTE
- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
- ABOUT THE AUTHOR
- Newsletter Sign-up
“You’re bigger than me,” Much complained, finally escaping Locksley’s grasp.
“It doesn’t matter who’s bigger. Look at Will Scarlet, he’s not very big.”
“What?” Will asked.
“You gave up your advantage,” Locksley continued. “You attacked me, and you opened yourself up. An unskilled attacker is always at the disadvantage. You should focus on defense.”
“That’s boring.”
“Staying alive isn’t boring,” Locksley said, in that same tone he’d used before. He knelt down and looked Much in the eyes. “I’m only teaching you this so you can protect yourself, do you understand? Most people aren’t going to swing a sword at someone your age, but if they do, you need to know what to do. You block it, and then you run away as fast as you can, do you hear me?”
Much glanced at the crowd, but nobody would argue otherwise. Elena gave him a tiny nod, and he turned back to grumble, “I hear you.”
“Good, now try that. Parry and run. Watch, I want you to deflect me as I come in, alright?”
Locksley stood up, leaned back, and slowly pushed his stick straight at Much’s stomach. Much hopped to the side as instructed, pushed his stick away with his own, then slapped the tip onto Locksley’s forearm and ran away. The crowd rewarded his victory with a wave of encouragement, and Locksley bowed to Much. “You see, that was better.”
He was finally smiling, but it didn’t last long. “You don’t run away from fights.”
“Yes, well,” Locksley muttered, “I’m bigger than you.”
“Don’t worry, Much.” Elena sprang to her feet to escort him away from the field. “You’ll be bigger than John Little someday, and you’ll be the most feared fighter in all England! And remember what we talked about. Defending yourself is good, but don’t forget about the element of surprise!”
She knelt quickly, squinted her face at him, and pointed back at Robin. Then she whispered in Much’s ear and shoved him.
“Death to the Sheriff!” Much screamed, and ran directly at Locksley, who turned around too late. Much smashed into him and the two went tumbling down to the ground. Both of their screams turned to laughter. Locksley grabbed Much and rolled over and over, then lifted him up in the air again and threw him over his shoulder. They spun around in a circle, with Much screaming and laughing until Locksley finally set him down on his feet, too dizzy to stay standing.
It was, odds on, the most fun Elena had ever seen Much have.
Despite the play, Locksley glared at her, “Death to the Sheriff?”
“I don’t know where he got that,” she lied with her widest smile.
Good, Elena.
TWENTY-NINE
GUY OF GISBOURNE
NOTTINGHAM CASTLE