Page 64 of Queen of Sherwood

“Brilliant, sir. It will be done.”

“This all, of course, is circumstantial, Sir Connor. I don’t suspect any trouble will brew during Bishop Sutton’s journey.”

“Of course not, sir. He will have the full force of the Nottingham guard to protect him.”

I nodded, and Sir Connor left my presence.

As I watched him go, I thought, Well, not the full force of the guard, if the convoys are split, now will he?

Chapter 17

Robin

My mates and I were huddled around a small table in the camp’s largest tent, going over plans for the next few days. With things happening so fast around here—new enemies, new allies, new events—we couldn’t plan much further out than that.

A few things we knew. First, we had to keep an eye on Ravenshead, after the debacle with the Knights Templar. They were in jeopardy of becoming a central piece in our revolution, even if they didn’t know it or want it.

Robert, who joined the tent with Uncle Gregory, pointed out, “It might make sense to start gathering the townsfolk for the inevitable fleeing they’ll have to do when the Templars bear down on them.”

“And put them where?” Little John asked. “We’re running out of room with your people taking up space.”

“We aren’t a refugee camp,” Will added, his tone sour.

“Of course we are,” Tuck batted back, scoffing at the younger, temperamental bandit. “Have you looked outside this tent flap lately, Scarlet? Seen the numbers of women and children displaced from their homes?”

I frowned. I didn’t like it when my men fought, though they all raised good points.

“Maybe the naysayers were right,” I admitted, narrowing my eyes on Will, “and we should have never taken in the almshouse whelps and the women being sold. Is that what you’re saying, Will?”

He had the decency to look shamefaced, glancing away from me down to the table. “No, girl, I’m simply agreeing with Little John.”

“And offering no solution,” I said.

Uncle Gregory cleared his throat. “Peace, children. We aren’t each other’s enemies here.”

No, but it was getting more and more frustrating as the days passed. We were stuck with a large contingent of people who had nothing to do but siphon our amenities. It wasn’t sustainable—even I knew that.

Maid Marian had duped us. The Templar Knights had become more of a threat since William Elder’s house caused such a kerfuffle. I knew Will was still torn up over how his father’s death and residence had been treated, which was likely why he lashed out now.

Even after the heavenly, torrid, mind-altered affair we’d partaken in yesterday.

“I agree with my sister,” Robert said, coming to my aid. “To keep tempers from rising, we should focus on solutions from here on out.”

Little John said, “Then the answer is clear: We need a bigger space. We need to move camps.”

Alan-a-Dale lifted his finger. “Not so simple when we’re organizing a party this large. We’re getting new recruits from pockets of Sherwood daily, dear John. They see the Merry Men and Oak Boys alliance as a promised land of sorts.”

Will snarled at that, shaking his head. He pinched the bridge of his thin nose. “We’re not a dozen anymore. We’re over a hundred. Too much goddamn—”

“Solutions, Will,” I interjected.

That caused him to grow quiet. He was used to being the second-most listened-to person here, after Little John, and now even that was in upheaval. With Robert and Uncle Gregory here to represent the Oak Boys, and me as the head of the Merry Men, he was no longer the lieutenant he once was.

It made me sad, and tempered my emotions. We’re back to the place we were in the woods outside Ravenshead. The place where Will feels lost and frustrated. Purposeless.

My heart shattered at the idea of losing Will to a depression. It couldn’t happen—not on my watch.

“What if we split camps?” I asked to all the men at the table.

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