Robin Hood and the Dragon’s Mate

When he woke again, Athyn was being pulled roughly from the wagon. He looked around, frantically trying to get his bearings. The man who had locked him to the chain behind David led them up to a huge house. For a moment Athyn just stared in awe, but then the chain tightened and he stumbled forward. They were led into a large room that looked like an olden days a sitting room.

A tall man with a bored expression looked down his nose at them. “I asked for workers. These are mere children,” he complained. The man that had brought the boys argued and pleaded. In the end the snobbish man sent them away. David gasped as he heard what their captor said to the man. Once they were safely back in the wagon, Athyn asked him what was wrong.

It took a minute for David to stifle the tears that had started to fall, but once he had gained control of himself he shook his head, “The next stop is Devonshire. We’re all going to be Dragon food.” Then he burst into tears again.

“Dragon food?” Athyn asked, his head spinning. “What…you mean a real dragon?”

David nodded wiping the tears from his cheeks, “We’ll be used as a sacrifice.” A look of forlorn acceptance came over him.

Athyn sat frozen as the wagon wobbled along the road toward their doom. It all seemed so unreal. He wanted to laugh and ask who had come up with such a great joke, but the seriousness of everyone’s expressions kept him from doing just that. “Now’s not the time to panic,” he insisted quietly. “What would Robin Hood do?” He wondered aloud.

His friend gasped, “Don’t say that name! If one of the sheriff’s men hears you you’ll be hanged for sure!”

Staring at him for a long moment, Athyn finally said, “That can’t be much worse than being dragon food.”

“I guess you’re right. I wish Robin Hood would come to the rescue. Mom said he always looks out for the little guys, and we’re pretty little aren’t we?” David mused.

Athyn wondered at how David made it sound like the real Robin Hood might step out and help them right here and now. With a sigh he realized that as much as he would love to have his hero come through and save the day, he had to admit that his sister was right. Even if Robin Hood had once lived, he was long gone. If anyone was going to get him out of this situation, he was going to have to do it himself.

Reaching deep into his pants pocket Athyn found his Swiss army knife and for a moment considered tossing it out of the wagon for Ashlyn to follow, but then he had a better idea. Pulling out one attachment after another, he finally found one that looked promising and stuck it into the hole in his iron band. He frantically tried to get the lock to open.

* * *

After breakfast they packed up their things while John went into the trees to pick up the trail. He sniffed around until he found Athyn’s scent and then he started off at a brisk lope.

As they hurried quickly through the underbrush, Will and Alan kept pace on either side of Ashlyn. Alan began to explain Will’s comment about how he had destroyed the last woman he had cared about.

Will began to protest but Alan lifted a hand, “She should know the whole story, and besides I already forgave you for saying what you did.” He looked off into the far distance just as Will had when remembering his past.

“Kaylen was the most beautiful woman in all of Nottinghamshire.” He began and Ashlyn could hear the wistful longing in his voice. “Her long black hair reached her waist. Her emerald eyes shone with liveliness. She was more than beautiful though, she was intelligent and confident as well. No one would question her if she said that something must be done. They just set about doing it, knowing that if she said it, then it must be so. In ninety-two years, I had never fallen for a mortal woman, and yet I loved her the moment I met her. And she loved me. Even knowing what I was, she didn’t care. She said that she could see my soul and knew that I was a good man.”

“Several months ago a traveler entered our village. He was sick and died soon after he came to us. He brought with him a terrible wasting illness. People began dying within days of falling ill. We did our best to help them, but there seemed to be no cure. In the end all we could do was ease their passing a little. Then my sweet Kaylen fell ill. I tried to give her just a bit of my blood to cure the ailment but even that didn’t help. I couldn’t bear to watch her waste away in a matter of days, and so I…I changed her… into a vampire.”

He turned to Ashlyn, pain evident on his face, “Now you have to understand that there is a difference between born and changed vampires. First, born vampires age just like humans until they reach maturity and then they stop aging. Our blood has healing properties, as you have witnessed firsthand.

Since we are born with the need for blood, we learn very early how to control our urges. Of course, even born vampires can make mistakes or become feral, but it doesn’t happen nearly as often as with changed vampires. Because of this, we have remained mostly undiscovered by humans.”

He looked back into the far distance. “Changed vampires are different. Their blood is poisonous for one thing. Also, the moment they are changed they become frozen in place, so if you changed a child they would remain that way until they were destroyed; and they would be destroyed eventually, because changed vampires have the need for blood without the years of experience resisting that need. They almost always turn feral within days. As soon as they start slaughtering humans, they are quickly hunted down and killed.”

His eyes seemed to be pools of infinite sadness as he continued. “I was arrogant. I believed that I could protect the humans from Kaylen, or protect her from them. I believed my love for her would be enough, that I would find a way to teach her what no other changed vampire has ever been able to learn, control.”

Ashlyn touched his arm to comfort him and he continued, “I couldn’t protect her from her most dangerous enemy, though. I couldn’t keep her safe from herself. She left the cave that I had taken her to and made her way to the village. She was found after she had slaughtered her entire family. She had their blood on her hands when the neighbors discovered the massacre. They gathered a mob and chased her back to the cave. Tearing her apart, they burned the pieces…”

He looked at Ashlyn with haunted eyes, “I…I couldn’t stop them. They acted so quickly that she was dead before I even realized that there was danger. I was such an arrogant fool.” He closed his eyes and a pink hued tear slid from the corner of one eye and trailed down his cheek. “She could have died of the disease, in relative peace. Instead she died knowing that she had failed to control herself and killed her entire family. She died cursing my name for the monster I had turned her into.”

Alan seemed so sad that Ashlyn couldn’t help throwing her arms around him to pull him into a hug. “I’m so sorry Alan. I can only imagine how painful the memory must be.” He nodded and pulled away, throwing a worried look over at Will before answering, “Thank you for your kind words. It is very painful. I have never experienced a physical pain to match it.”

Will stared at his feet, an unreadable expression on his face. Ashlyn was just about to ask him if he was okay when John howled. They hurried up to where John’s huge black wolf form was sniffing at something on the ground. She prayed it wasn’t her brother’s body. Robin bent over and picked it up. It was a small denim jacket. “That’s Athyn’s jacket!” She shouted, running up to grab it and check for any signs of blood. “Now he’ll be cold at night. I wonder why he left it behind.”

Will laughed, “He didn’t know you’d have a werewolf with you when you came looking for him. He’s trying to leave a trail.”

Ashlyn grinned, “Oh! Don’t stop, Athyn! I’ll find you, I promise.” She called into the woods. Then she frowned and fought tears at a sudden thought, “He was a Cub Scout. He was taught that if he was ever lost in the woods he should stay in one place so that searchers could find him.”

Will nodded, “That makes sense. Why are you upset again?”

She stared at his jacket, “If he’s on the move and needing to leave a trail, then he must have been taken by those slavers.” Tears streamed down her cheeks. Will enveloped her in his arms, rubbing her back, assuring her that they would find her brother.

“Remember,” he added, “We have a vampire and a werewolf on our side.”

Alan put in, “Not to mention a shifter, a necromancer and a half-dragon.”

Will nodded. “Those slavers won’t stand a chance once we catch up to them.”

Ashlyn smiled at the two men’s efforts to comfort her. “Thanks,” she whispered.

As they continued to walk, Will tried to pull Ashlyn out of her worried contemplation by talking. “Tell me about Athyn. What is he like?”

Ash shrugged, “He’s ten, though he’ll be turning eleven soon. Our father left when we were little so it’s always been the three of us, my mom, Athyn and me. Mom knew he needed a father figure, so she let him join Cub Scouts. One of the scout leaders introduced him to archery as a sport.” She looked up the line to Robin with a grin,

“He was obsessed with Robin Hood, so when he found out that he could learn to shoot a bow and arrow like Robin, he became fixated on the idea.”

“Mom signed him up for archery lessons at the Rec center and he went there every day, even on the days he didn’t have lessons, so that he could practice. He was the most dedicated kid I’ve ever heard of. In fact, his teacher was talking about entering him in archery competitions when we got back from vacation.”

Her face clouded and she grew silent. Finally Alan prompted softly, “What happened?”

“We never came back from vacation.” She spoke in a whisper, but Will could still hear the tremor in her voice. He could see unshed tears glistening in the corners of her eyes.

He was about to tell her she didn’t have to say more, but she forced herself to continue. “Mom got sick while we were in London. It happened so fast, it seems like I just blinked and the doctor was telling us he hadn’t been able to save her.”

“After that it was just me and Athyn.” She looked up, “He’s all I have left, Will.” Then the tears began to fall.

Will pulled her into a hug to comfort her. She buried her face in his chest and sobbed while he whispered promises, “We’ll find him, Ashlyn. I swear it. We will find him. You’re not alone anymore.”

Finally her sobs subsided and she pulled back to look up at him. He rested his hands on her cheeks and brushed the tears away with this thumbs. “We will find him Ashlyn,” he said again. His voice was firm and certain, “You have my word on it.”

Alan laid a hand on her shoulder, “And mine.”

Robin called, “We will find him and the trail is fresh. Shall we continue?” He said it with a kind smile and not a hint of chastisement for her breakdown. Ashlyn smiled back, wiping a final tear from her eye, read to resume the search.

John rushed on with renewed vigor. Soon they came across Athyn’s wristwatch draped on a branch. Will turned to Ashlyn with a grin, “That is one smart brother you’ve got there.”

She nodded, “Yes, he is.” She took his hand and they continued on in silence. The next thing John found was Athyn’s PSP. Ashlyn groaned and Will asked her what was wrong. “Now he has nothing to play with. He’s going to be so bored.” Will shook his head, incredulous that she would be worried about that of all things. “You don’t understand,” she explained, “When he’s bored, he tends to cause trouble. I’m afraid he’s going to get himself hurt, or worse.”

Will nodded in understanding, “We’ll find him,” he encouraged and they picked up their pace.

John stopped at the edge of the forest. There was a field beyond them and then a village. He ducked into the trees. Coming back with pants on and pulling a tunic over his head he said, “He went toward that town. I don’t know if he went through it or if he is still there.” Ashlyn nodded and they headed down toward the town, hoping to find her brother safe and sound.

At the local tavern they got their first lead. The buxom tavern wench who brought the men drinks was quite taken with Alan. She spoke freely with him about the slavers who had been there the day before. “They were bringing workers for the sheriff’s man, Lord Isaac. He is the lord of the manor up on the hill. Poor things, children all of them,” she bemoaned with a sigh.

Ashlyn wanted to growl at her about why she hadn’t stopped them, but she reminded herself that this was the way of life here. The woman probably hadn’t even considered trying to stop it. Up at the manor, Robin sweet talked his way into an audience with Lord Isaac.

“Yes, they brought boys to me, mere children. I asked for hearty workers and all they managed to round up were children. I sent them on to Devonshire. At least they can be used for the monthly ritual there.”

“Ritual?” Ashlyn demanded, “What ritual?” Will pulled her close, “It’s…nothing, don’t worry about it.” He said looking up with a strained expression.

Robin nodded, “Let’s hurry.”

As they walked Ashlyn prodded at Will until he finally gave in and told her about the ritual. “Devonshire is the closest village to the Great Dragon’s mountain lair. The dragon has a habit of raiding flocks and killing villagers who stray too close to his mountain. The ritual is…well, it’s a sacrifice.”

Ashlyn’s heart stopped, “A…what?”

Will wrapped his arm around her, “They buy slaves to sacrifice to the dragon so he will leave the village alone for the rest of the month.”

She felt faint all of a sudden. Just as suddenly she was swept up into the air. She looked up into Will’s face as he carried her with ease. “I’ll put you down when you feel steady enough, just say the word,” he assured her.

She leaned against him and sighed, “Thanks,” she whispered. She began crying silently against his chest until she had exhausted herself and fell asleep, waking in Alan’s arms.

He grinned down at her, “Will knows some of the farmers out here. He went down to ask if they saw the slavers. Do you want to walk now?” He asked and she nodded, embarrassed that she had needed to be carried at all.

“We’re almost to Devonshire. We won’t let anything happen to your brother.” He promised. Will rejoined them soon after that. He talked to Robin for a bit before taking his place beside her. Ashlyn hadn’t realized she was tense until Will took her hand and she felt her shoulders relax. Marveling at how safe she felt with him she began to wonder how she would feel if he was hurt while trying to rescue her brother.

The thought did not sit well with her so she turned her mind to other things. When they reached the outskirts of Devonshire, Ashlyn was surprised that the town seemed so normal. She couldn’t believe that these farmers and shepherds would buy human beings to sacrifice them to a monster. It seemed so surreal and was made a hundred times worse by the fact that her brother was one of the children they planned to sacrifice.

* * *

Athyn felt as if he hadn’t eaten in months. He would have given anything for a bite of bread or even some of Ashlyn’s nasty tuna salad. Sighing he hugged himself tighter, wishing that he could make the hollow feeling in his stomach go away. Their captor was watching them closely now as they waited in a small cell for the ‘celebration’ to begin, so Athyn couldn’t pick at his lock anymore. He had already broken one attachment on his Swiss army knife and worried that he wouldn’t be able to find one that would work.

He felt sick from fear. If he had anything in his stomach, he knew he would have lost it long ago. Their captor grumbled that he should have been paid by now and someone else should be guarding the sacrifices. Athyn swallowed hard. He had accepted David’s explanation that they were going to be sacrificed to a huge dragon, but hearing an adult confirm filled him with dread. He wanted to pace but was attached to five other distraught kids.

Wishing he still had his PSP so that he could lose himself in a game, he closed his eyes and gave in to daydreams about Robin Hood saving the day. He would burst into the small dank room, take down their captor with a well-placed arrow, and slice through their chains with his sword to lead them victoriously away. Athyn sighed; wishing things could work out as smoothly as his daydreams. Ashlyn had always said he dreamed too much, but this was his way of dealing when the world got too tough for him.

When the doctor had told him and Ashlyn that their mother hadn’t made it and that social services would come and pick them up, Ashlyn had panicked. Worried that they would take him away from her, she had grabbed his hand and they had run away.

That was how Ashlyn dealt with pain; she found some lesser trouble and panicked over it. He dealt differently. He closed his eyes and dreamed of something less painful. With his mother’s death, he had dreamed a million times that the doctor came back and apologized saying it had just been a mistake that it had been someone else’s mother who was dead.

Athyn had dreamed about how generous and comforting he would be to the kids of the dead woman, while leaning against his own mother’s still warm and living body. Of course that had never happened, but the dreams helped him survive the worst of the pain. Now he dreamed of Robin Hood coming to the rescue, valiantly agreeing to help Athyn find and rescue Ashlyn.

In his dream she was safe and sound and still asleep in the clearing, just like Snow White. Robin Hood would kneel beside her and wake her with a kiss. Athyn chuckled at how cheesy that was.

David nudged him, “What could you possibly be happy about?”

Opening his eyes, the real world came crashing back down on him. He gave David a sad smile, wishing for the return of his dream world, “I was just imagining that things were different.”

Tears suddenly pricked at the edges of Athyn’s eyes. He swallowed, his mouth feeling dry. David looked at him, silently asking what was wrong until Athyn whispered, “I want my sister.” A tear slipped out and he didn’t bother to wipe it away as he leaned his head back against the wall, somehow unable to return to his dream world.

* * *

They arrived in the middle of a harvest festival type of celebration. Several booths with food and crafts were set up. Will stopped at one, haggling over the price of a few pieces of colored glass and a long thin chain. After he paid, he slipped the items into the pouch he wore on his belt with a small smile on his lips. Ashlyn wanted to ask what the stuff was for, but she was easily distracted by the music as well as people dancing in the streets.

Alan pulled out his lute and began to play along with the various musicians. Will winked at Ashlyn, “He’s blending in.” He said with a laugh. Then as they moved through the streets, jostled on all sides by dancing men and women, Will grabbed her hand and pulled her to him. “We should do the same,” he said with a grin, his chocolate eyes sparkling mischievously. She couldn’t help but grin back at him. With the lively music and his strong arms around her, she felt her spirits lift for a moment.

He whirled her around until she was dizzy. She leaned against him, somewhat unsteadily while they danced slowly to a new, haunting melody in the middle of the street. When the slow song ended, she smiled up at Will as he grew serious. “I would very much like to kiss you right now.” He said, his voice husky.

She blushed. “So why don’t you?” she asked. His eyes brightened. He leaned toward her. His face was inches from hers, moving closer and then the music stopped altogether and the entire mood of the event seemed to change.

Will pulled away, a look of regret in his eyes. They turned to a small stage where a short man stood looking grave. “For those of you who are visitors to our beautiful village, I am Merrick, lord of Devonshire as proclaimed by the sheriff of Nottingham.

It is my humble duty to manage the affairs of this small village. As such, it is my responsibility to oversee the fulfillment of our agreement with the Great Dragon.” He beckoned to a man standing at the side of the stage. The man climbed up, leading a group of small children all chained together.

At the tail end of the group, Ashlyn saw a bedraggled boy with soft brown curls matted against his head. He was the smallest of the group and looked like he wanted to cry. “Oh, Athyn,” she sobbed and tried to push her way through the crowd.

Will grabbed her arm, “Not here, Ash, if we try to save him now the entire town will fight us.” She tried to break free of his grip. She pounded on his arm and his chest with her free fist. Still he kept a gentle but firm grip on her arm.

“Will, I can’t let them do this, he needs me,” she pleaded. He almost gave in, wanting only to make her happy.

“Ash, we’ll save him I promise, just not like this,” he urged. Finally giving up her struggle, she buried her face against his chest and sobbed.

The lord of Devonshire continued his speech about how these boys were going to provide a great service to the village and they should be proud. The boys looked terrified, not proud.

Robin nodded to John and Alan as the man who had brought the children in now led them off of the stage. Following discretely from several feet back, the vampire and werewolf worked to blend with the crowd. Robin gestured for Will and Ashlyn to follow him in the opposite direction.

Will had to pull Ashlyn after him. She fought him the whole way until he stopped. He turned her to face him, “We are going to higher ground so we can see what is happening. Alan and John will follow them and take out the guards. Then we will free the children.” She hung her head, ashamed by her tantrum. She should have known there was a plan. She followed quietly while Robin led the way out of town into the trees of the nearby forest. Once inside the tree line, they headed up the hill where they could see the entire countryside.