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Chapters (76)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Notice
  3. Dedication
  4. PROLOGUE
  5. PART I
  6. ONE
  7. TWO
  8. THREE
  9. FOUR
  10. FIVE
  11. SIX
  12. SEVEN
  13. EIGHT
  14. NINE
  15. PART II
  16. TEN
  17. ELEVEN
  18. TWELVE
  19. THIRTEEN
  20. FOURTEEN
  21. FIFTEEN
  22. SIXTEEN
  23. SEVENTEEN
  24. EIGHTEEN
  25. NINETEEN
  26. PART III
  27. TWENTY
  28. TWENTY-ONE
  29. TWENTY-TWO
  30. TWENTY-THREE
  31. TWENTY-FOUR
  32. TWENTY-FIVE
  33. TWENTY-SIX
  34. INTERLUDE
  35. PART IV
  36. TWENTY-SEVEN
  37. TWENTY-EIGHT
  38. TWENTY-NINE
  39. THIRTY
  40. THIRTY-ONE
  41. THIRTY-TWO
  42. THIRTY-THREE
  43. THIRTY-FOUR
  44. INTERLUDE
  45. PART V
  46. THIRTY-FIVE
  47. THIRTY-SIX
  48. THIRTY-SEVEN
  49. THIRTY-EIGHT
  50. PART VI
  51. THIRTY-NINE
  52. FORTY
  53. FORTY-ONE
  54. FORTY-TWO
  55. FORTY-THREE
  56. FORTY-FOUR
  57. FORTY-FIVE
  58. INTERLUDE
  59. PART VII
  60. FORTY-SIX
  61. FORTY-SEVEN
  62. FORTY-EIGHT
  63. FORTY-NINE
  64. FIFTY
  65. FIFTY-ONE
  66. FIFTY-TWO
  67. PART VIII
  68. FIFTY-THREE
  69. FIFTY-FOUR
  70. FIFTY-FIVE
  71. FIFTY-SIX
  72. EPILOGUE
  73. AUTHOR’S NOTE
  74. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  75. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  76. Newsletter Sign-up

“I doubt I have so many to spare. But we’ll send what we can.” De Lacy was distracted, picking at papers on the table, and whispered the name Locksley again. Then he stood and leaned close to William, speaking softly as if someone else might be listening. “The weapons that are missing. If you’re able to reclaim them, do so. Ask for a man named John Little. He should be reasonable.”

“He’s the reasonable one?” William coughed. “He offered to smash my skull.”

“But do not hurt anyone,” de Lacy added quickly. “No arrests, no fights. A peaceful solution, understood?”

William nodded slowly, unsure what had changed the man’s mind.

The Sheriff opened the doorway, then looked back from the corners of his eyes. “Roger de Lacy, do you like that name?”

Baffled, William quietly agreed that it was a fine name. De Lacy held his gaze with a curious smile, judging him for something William couldn’t understand. After a short groan that could have easily been acceptance or disapproval, he was gone through the doorway, closing it behind him. Only one de Lacy remained—painted, framed, and scowling on the wall—offering William exactly as many answers as its human counterpart.

FOURTEEN

ROBIN OF LOCKSLEY

SHERWOOD FOREST

THE GOING WAS SLOW, overland with no identifiable path. His two captors stayed far enough ahead to avoid conversation, leading their newly stolen horses. Will Scarlet kept disappearing into the woods while John Little plodded along firmly, but both had to stop frequently to wait for Robin and his limp to catch up. They had given him a pack to shoulder in case he wasn’t already slow enough, while they carried little more than his weapons. After some time the two of them squabbled with each other, on and off for an hour, after which their route changed into something decidedly more circular. If they thought to disorient Robin with their confusing path, they had doubly wasted their time.

Eventually Robin’s body grew accustomed to its pains, and they gave him plenty of chances to rest. Along the way they checked dozens of snares but found only a single rabbit, and they even spent a bit of time fishing in the river. Robin offered to help just to keep them moving, which they refused and insisted—with unkind words—that he keep his mouth shut. John Little dozed off for an hour while Scarlet kept watch over Robin, sharpening his blades in an obvious but effective attempt to appear intimidating. They even lost some time chasing after one of the horses, which Robin found endlessly ironic but was forbidden to say aloud. The sun had nearly disappeared over the horizon by the time they finally came to their destination, at which point Little left them behind and they waited even longer.