Authors: A.C. Gaughen
Scarlet (7 page)
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his mouth opened, I said, “What’s the rock you’ve been cutting at?”
He looked up. His face changed a little, and for a breath he were looking at me like he looked at Rob. “Want to see?”
“I asked, didn’t I?”
He smiled and jumped to his feet. I followed him, going to the fi re pit. He took a smaller log from the banked fi re and went into the corner of the cave. I could see he’d hollowed out a vein in the big rock, collecting the graveled bits in a bowl. He put the torch on the ground, then stepped far back, pushing me with his bad arm.
He took a pinch of the grayish powder. “Don’t scream, ” he said with a smile.
I scowled. “I don’t scream, Much. ”
“You might. ”
He fl icked the powder toward the fl ame.
It caught, fl aring up in a bright white fl ash that looked like God himself came into the cave with no burning bush to announce him.
I knocked Much over, covering our heads, slamming to the stone ground in a pile.
He were chuckling as my vision came back slow. White light were still arcing ’cross my eyeballs, but it were beginning to feel more like the Dev il’s work than God’s.
“What in Christ’s name was that?” Rob shouted. Smoke were rolling out of the cave, but the burning were done. He and John were waving their arms like it would do any good. 212-47765_ch01_1P.indd 59
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“Not sure, ” Much called.
I slapped his chest. “Me neither, but good job, Much. ” I looked to him, and he smiled. “Rob, I think Much might know a way to stall the sheriff a bit. ”
“I do?”
I sat up, pulling Much with me, and looked at the powder.
“Don’t you? Seems to me the only thing we didn’t reckon is that the sheriff can’t go after the people if he’s busy with his own bits. ”
Rob came forward. “You want to set an explosion?” He looked to Much. “Do you have enough of this powder?”
“To tumble Castle Rock? No, but maybe I can fi nd some more in the other caves. ”
“Do it. ”
k
It took us two full days to move what we could, sell some of the metal, then give away the clothes and stockpile the jewels and coin. It also meant two days off the road, and it felt like time were sinking its claws into us.
We met in the inn that night, and I came in unnoticed as usual. My head were beating like a hammer from the cut and bruise surrounding it; since the guard clobbered me it had lumped up and colored dark, and my hat pushed on it tight. Still, I’d rather the pain than strutting ’bout without my hat, so I were fair out of luck. I also had bad news, and that never put me in a good mind.
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John nodded to me as I slid in.
“Rob’s not here yet?”
“No. Tuck made you a meat pie, ” he told me. He moved over, meaning I should sit next to him. I looked around. Much were sitting on the edge of the other end of the bench, no room beside him. The bench kind of curled around the table. I sighed and sat next to John. There were a pie, and it had an
S
cut into the top of it. It smelled better’n Heaven. I picked up the spoon and stabbed it, taking a scoop and eating it. My stomach rolled and I stopped, wondering if I had waited too long to eat. I could feel John looking at me, so I tried another bite. Rob came in then, and his eyes went straight to me and the food. I took another bite and my stomach twisted. “Finish that, Scar. You didn’t eat breakfast. ”
“And you only took a bite of dinner last night, ” Much reminded.
I glared. “Thanks, Much. ”
Rob crossed his arms, and I took another bite. Sweat broke on my head; I felt like I were going to retch it all back up.
“Well, the good news— after a fashion— is that I couldn’t fence the weapons; they are too distinct. No one around here is selling anything like them. So we all just got new weapons. Scar, you just got your knives back. ”
I winced out a bit of a smile, and he stayed watching me for a second. I took another bite. I held it in my mouth, trying not to swallow, but he just watched me.
I swallowed, and he looked away.
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“Christ, ” I moaned, jumping up and slamming out the back door. I just made it outside when all the food rushed back up. My knees wobbled and gave out as I retched again, but Rob’s arm caught me around my waist, holding me against him. I retched one more time and tried to get my legs under me.
“Easy, ” said John’s voice.
I looked up, trying to pull away. It were John? Why had I thought it would be Rob catching me?
“Easy, easy, ” he repeated, rubbing my back.
“Stop touching me, please, ” I muttered. He stopped rubbing, but his arm didn’t leave my waist. I pushed him off , crouching down over my knees. I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. My head were beating out a mean tune.
“You all right?” Rob asked. I turned and saw Rob and Much standing there. Rob’s arms were crossed and he looked dark. I hated the way they were all looking at me.
“Fine, ” I said. I stood, feeling only a little wobbly.
“Scar, you’re sick, ” Rob said, and his voice were rough and a little frightening.
“I ain’t sick, ” I snapped. “I just told you, I eat when I’m hungry. ”
John were still on one knee. “You’re too hungry. That’s the problem, isn’t it?”
I crossed my arms, and he stood up.
“That’s what happens when you don’t eat enough— you can’t even eat when you want to. That’s it, isn’t it?”
“I eat, for Christ’s sake, ” I growled. I moved to go back into the tavern, but Rob wouldn’t budge.
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“Still, after all this time?” Rob asked, soft. “You’ve been lying to me about eating more?”
“It’s not about you, Rob, ” John said.
Rob’s eyes shot to John, but I didn’t dare look at neither.
“No, it’s about her. I promised I’d look out for you, Scar. After you were so hungry in London, I swore to you that I’d get you fed. Why have you lied to me all this time?”
I felt shame rising up in my throat behind the food, and I hit his chest. “Because it weren’t what you wanted to hear, Rob!”
“Well, I’m listening now, Scar. ”
I shook my head. “I’m fi ne! I eat. But these damn bruises make my face hurt so much my stomach twists up. And sometimes just thinking of all these people that can’t even scrape up a crumb, that twists up my belly too. But there ain’t much I can do about it. ” I glared at him. “And it doesn’t go away. It ain’t something you can fi x. I were hungry for a long time, Rob, and much as I’d like, bits of me won’t never get over that. No matter what you grump at me about. ”
He grabbed my arms, bringing me close to his face, and his eyes looked like the ocean, deep and dark and full of things I knew nothing ’bout. “We don’t lie to each other, Scar. Especially not about things that mean I might lose you. ”
My breath froze in my chest. Did he just say that?
He let me go. “Because losing one member would put the whole band at risk. Do you understand?”
Just like that, I felt all the heat leave my bones, and I shivered. I nodded, and John put his arm around me. Christ, he 212-47765_ch01_1P.indd 63
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were warm all of the sudden. “Let’s get inside. ” To me, quieter, he said, “Try eating some bread or broth. They’ll go down easier than a pie. ”
I nodded and let him keep his arm around me as we went in. John sat real close to me, warm and protective. He pulled a piece of bread off the plate with the pie and pushed it toward me.
In all the time I’d known John, he’d played the older brother to most everyone at some point, but never with me. And to have him do it then felt fair strange.
I picked the bread up and took a little bite, gnawing on it a bit. “I have some information, ” I said, hating how feeble my voice sounded.
Rob didn’t look at me. “Go ahead. ”
“Gisbourne’s getting us back. He’s tripling the forest patrols, day and night. Anyone caught poaching will be strung up the next dawn. ”
Rob nodded. “Well, he could have done worse. We’re prepared for worse. Just tell the townspeople that we’ll get them food; they can’t risk it themselves. ”
“I don’t think it helps, ” Much said. “They all know if they get caught, we’ll get them out, so they try it anyway. ”
“Then tell them Gisbourne intends to kill them on sight, ”
Rob said. “Because I’m sure that’s what he really has in mind anyway. ”
I nodded. “He’s every kind of awful. ”
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hunting and patrolling the forest in pairs, then scaring up the roads in the morning. ” He sighed, and his shoulders bent a little, like someone were shoving down hard. “We can sell the furs, at least. ”
“And antlers, ” I added.
He nodded. “If anyone’s not up to doubling their time over, say it now. ”
We all were silent.
“Good. Stay sharp. We can’t aff ord mistakes right now. Scar, since you and I are the hunters, I’ll take John and you take Much. ”
Everyone stopped at this.
“That’s foolish. I’ll go with Scar, ” John said. Rob’s face turned stormy, but John continued. “Rob, I’m no hunter, but if she runs amok of Gisbourne’s men, I’ll be more help then Much. ” Much frowned, and John shrugged. “Sorry, Much. ”
Much sighed. “He’s right. We’re the scrawny ones, Scar. ”
“But we both have our uses, ” I reminded.
“Fine, ” Rob said, his teeth gritted. “John, go with Scar. ”
I waited for John to make some rub about going with me, but he didn’t. Who knew it took retching for a lug like him to be friend-like? Not that I expected it to last long, mind.
“Should we go now?” Much asked.
“Would you two wait outside for a moment?, ” Rob asked, nodding to John and Much. “Can we talk, Scar?”
I didn’t nod, but I didn’t leave neither. I let John out from the bench and leaned against the wall, crossing my arms and 212-47765_ch01_1P.indd 65
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looking down. He leaned against the opposite wall, looking at me. “What should I be doing for you, Scar? Honestly. ”
“Doing?” I repeated.
“When we left London, you weren’t eating, and I tried so hard to get you to eat more. For
years
now I thought it was working. I thought you were eating just fi ne. But you’re not, and I don’t know what to do for you. ” He raked his hand over his hair, and it went every which way in his wake. “You scare me, ”
he said. “Thinking of you hurting scares me. So I have to do something. And you need to tell me what it is, because obviously what I was doing before wasn’t right. ”
“I don’t know, ” I murmured.
“You don’t eat. ”
My mug felt hot. “I don’t need much. After London, it were always fair hard to eat much. Having none for so long weren’t easy. And now that I do, there are other people that need it more. ”
“Why didn’t you eat in London? You’re one of the best thieves I’ve ever met. You could have stolen your body weight in food. ”
A scoff jumped out of my throat. “I were barely a thief then. Besides, there were other people that needed it there too. ”
“Was there a person in London you
were stealing
food for?”
“We’re honest with each other, right, Rob?”
He nodded.
“Then don’t make me answer that. ”
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He looked at me for a long time, and I wouldn’t clap eyes on him. “So what can I do, then?”
“It’s life, Rob. Nothing to be done. ”
“Make no mistake, ” he told me. I looked up. “We do what we do—” He halted, then stepped one foot closer. “I do what I do because I will always believe that no matter how awful life gets for however many of these people, there is something I can do about it. There is something I
will
do about it. ”
I nodded. “That’s why you’re the hero, Rob, and I’m a thief. ”
I turned out the back way then; there weren’t much more to say.
He caught my wrist before I were full out the door. “Scar, ”
he said, rough, like rocks were running over his tongue. “I have done so many unforgivable things in my life. Don’t let failing to save you be another. ”
I pulled my hand away. “I never asked to be saved!”
That were enough. I went outside, eager for the cold on my hot cheeks.
k
John and I stayed quiet that fi rst night. I weren’t much in the mood for chat, and he had to listen for game as best he could anyway. I stayed high in a tree for most of the night; I caught more moonlight up there and I could see farther, so I could aim better when I saw a deer. I were better on the ground with knives, of course, but in the sky I didn’t mind using a bow. 212-47765_ch01_1P.indd 67
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I were fair decent with it; none so good as Rob, but I managed. I killed two, and John dressed both. I didn’t like that part, seeing all the inner bits come out. I always think how easy it would be for someone to slit my belly and watch all my inner bits slide out.
We took them back to the cave, and John and Much set to skinning them and cutting the meat. I watched, sharpening my knives and unstringing my bow. I never liked hunting. Well, I liked hunting right fair, but I didn’t like blood. So much of it had to come from an animal to feed a town, and it felt strange to me.
This, more than stealing baubles, were what made us thieves, and outlaws, and all the names the sheriff called us. Sherwood were the king’s forest, a protected land that were meant to be his hunting grounds. But En gland were a country without a king. King Richard, him they called the Lionheart, had taken his lion paws over to the Holy Land. He were off fi ghting infi dels while his people—
while
my
people—
starved. There
wouldn’t be no game left for hunting when Richard returned.
’Stead of deer, En gland would be full up of wolves, the biggest among them Prince John.
John and Much wrapped packages of meat in the skins, and Rob and I set off quick. Rob headed for Worksop and I went to Edwinstowe, delivering the meat before sunup. We parceled out the meat as best we could, trying to get to each family a cut that would feed them for the day at least. Some of the families had more luck than others; farmers had 212-47765_ch01_1P.indd 68
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