The Rebels of Cordovia (16 page)

With a nod, Hanna grabbed an old rickety broom
while Robin found some rags to wash the place down. Hanna sang as
she worked, which brought about some joy in the little shack. After
a couple of hours, the place was sparkling clean and it even
smelled better. The old musty smell was gone. Robin had an idea.
She ran outside and brought in some wild roses and then crumbled
the petals into a dish to make the place smell sweet.

As Hanna stood, appraising the place, she heard
a horse ride up. Knowing it was only one person, and not sure if it
was Daniel or not, Hanna grabbed her broom and hid behind the door.
Daniel had forgotten to leave her bow and quiver so Robin grabbed
an iron pan and stood on the other side of the door. Each held
their weapon high above their heads as the door creaked open.

When Daniel entered and saw the ladies with
their weapons above their heads, he quickly backed up and said, “I
surrender.”

The women breathed a sigh of relief.

“Come in, Daniel,” said Hanna. “We didn’t dare
look out the window, for fear of being seen.”

He nodded. “We need a signal.”

“How about a whistle?” said Hanna. “You can give
two short whistles and we’ll know it’s you.”

Daniel agreed as he held out the packages in his
arms. “Look, ladies, what I have. This one is yours, Hanna.”

Instantly, they snatched the packages from his
arms and took them to the table. He turned around to leave when he
heard Robin sigh. She liked the rose flowered dress he bought
her.

As he turned to leave, he heard Hanna exclaim,
“You bought me a blue dress with a floral pattern. I love it.”

“Well,” he said shyly. “I thought you might like
flowers.”

Robin was impressed with his thoughtfulness. All
embarrassment went away as she turned and said, “Thank you,
Daniel.”

“You’re welcome,” he said softly without turning
toward her. “I’ll leave while you women put on your clothes. I’ve
got some food outside, too. Let me know when you’re ready and I’ll
bring it in.”

As they pulled on their clothes, Hanna cooed
over her blue dress. Robin thought she was so adorable the way she
admired it. After they were dressed, Robin gave two short whistles
and Daniel walked in with the packages of food in his arms.

As Hanna began preparing the food, she asked
Daniel, “Will you please split us some wood so I can cook us
something to eat? We’re hungry. We haven’t had any breakfast yet.”
Then turning to Robin, she said, “And I need some water from the
well outside.”

Robin nodded as she watched Daniel unbutton his
shirt.

He smiled at her and said, “This is the only one
I have. Can’t get it soaking wet like last time.”

As he pulled his shirt off and placed it on a
chair, Hanna’s eyes widened as she put her hand to her mouth and
said, “Oh, my! Master Daniel!”

As she stared at him, Daniel raised his brow
curiously and said, “What?”

Seeing Hanna’s expression, Robin giggled and
then walked up to him and said, “Daniel, you’ve just got to get
used to the surprised look in women’s eyes if you keep taking your
shirt off in front of them. Do you understand what I mean?”

Daniel knew exactly what she was saying and he
was proud of his muscles, but he was in a very mischievous mood and
couldn’t help it. He just wanted to see how far she would go to
explain herself. So he shook his head and acted puzzled.

“No, what do you mean?”

“Well,” she said. “You have very broad
shoulders, Daniel. Broader than the average man.”

“My shoulders? That’s why she was
surprised?”

Robin shook her head. “No,” she said as she
pointed to his biceps. “These, too.”

Trying not to burst into laughter, Daniel pushed
a little further by saying, “So my shoulders and arms surprise
women, then? Is that what you’re saying?”

“No! Yes! No! I mean…”

Hanna laughed as she stepped beside Robin and
said, “It’s your strength, Daniel. Your build. That’s what she
means.”

Daniel nodded. “So, this is what I understand
you’re saying. Because my shoulders are so broad and my arms are so
solid, I should keep my shirt on. Right?”

Robin’s eyes widened. “No, no, no! I didn’t mean
that at all. You can keep your shirt off. It’s all right with me.”
As if she was shocked by her very own words, she clapped her hand
over her mouth and gasped. “I mean… I mean…”

Daniel grinned and then burst into laughter. “I
know what you mean. Thanks. I think I will keep it off… at least
until I’m done splitting wood. I noticed a bunch of logs against
the house. I’ll start with those.”

Then he turned around and grabbed the ax leaning
against the wall. Looking over his shoulder, he winked at her. Then
he headed out the door.

Hanna looked at Robin’s red face and said, “I
think that went well.”

Feeling humiliated and stunned at her own words,
she looked at Hanna and said, “Do you really think so? I just told
him that he could keep his shirt off.”

Then she shook her head, grabbed a pail that was
sitting on the stove and walked out the door to get the water.
Robin wasn’t sure if she could ever look Daniel in the face
again.

Robin made sure the bucket was attached to the
rope before she dropped it into the well. When she heard it plop
into the water, she looked up at Daniel. He was putting a log upon
a stump. He held the ax in the air and swung it down into the log,
splitting it in half. She noticed how his biceps bulged as he
struck the log.
Yes, they were solid, all right
.

“It’s my father’s fault,” said Daniel as he
glanced toward her.

“What?” asked Robin as she blinked at his sudden
comment.

He grabbed another log. “Yup! It’s my father’s
fault. I take after him. He has broad shoulders and a wide chest
like me.” He placed the log on the stump. “Well, I guess the rest
of my build is because of him, also. He taught me how to work.” He
raised the ax into the air and swung it down, splitting the log in
half. “My father said that hard work makes a man. He said he had to
work for everything he got and didn’t see any reason why his son
wouldn’t have to, also.”

Robin pulled the bucket up and placed it on the
side of the well. As she poured the water into her pail, she said,
“I believe your father is right. Work does make the man. He was
very wise.”

Daniel grinned as he took another log and placed
it upon the stump. She watched him strike the log and smiled. It
was mesmerizing to watch him work, but she needed to help Hanna.
Biting her lower lip, she took a deep breath. Then she grabbed the
pail and headed for the small shack.

Daniel watched her as she left and smiled. She
was so much fun to tease. He knew he shouldn’t have pushed her like
he did but he couldn’t help it. Her comment was humorous. He
laughed as he remembered her words.

“You’ve just got to get used to the surprised
look in women’s eyes if you keep taking your shirt off in front of
them.”

He burst into laughter and then placed another
log on the stump. After he had enough wood ready for the stove, he
picked up a bunch and headed for the shack. He knocked on the door
with his foot and waited. When Robin opened it, he strode toward
the stove and dropped the wood beside it. Then he proceeded to
prepare the fire for Hanna. When he was done, he went to the well
and dropped the bucket inside. As he pulled it up, he saw Robin
come out with a towel in her hand.

“I brought this out for you.”

Daniel smiled. “Thanks. I bought a few for us to
use. We can leave them here afterwards for other emergencies.”

He put the bucket on the side of the well and
began splashing water on his face, arms, and chest. Daniel held his
hand out and Robin placed the towel in his hand.

After drying himself off, he handed it back to
her and said, “I was just teasing you in there. I couldn’t help
it.”

She smiled and slapped his shoulder, trying to
hide the fact that his close proximity had its effects on her. She
stepped backwards, hoping to calm her fluttering heart as she
blushed.

Daniel grinned as he stepped toward her. He
stroked her cheek affectionately and winked at her. Then he walked
toward the house.

As Robin watched him walk away, she wondered if
she had successfully hidden the way he made her feel as he stood
before her. His grin and the way he touched her gave her reason to
believe that he might have seen right through her.

***

After the meal was fixed and everyone had eaten
heartily, Daniel headed out to get more logs to chop for the next
day. Hanna and Robin did the dishes and talked. That was when Hanna
noticed that Robin seemed a bit anxious.

“So what’s wrong, darlin’?” asked Hanna.

“I don’t know. I think it’s because I’ve been
indoors all week. I’m not used to it.”

“What’s your day usually like?”

“Well, I sometimes help Papa at the bakery, go
out and practice archery, or even go hunting with him.”

Hanna nodded. “I’ve got an idea. Go out and get
us some grouse. That would be so delicious for tonight. What do you
say?”

“But I can’t leave you alone.”

Hanna put a hand to her cheek and smiled. “I’m
fine. This little place is hidden away. There’s no road that leads
here to the house. So there’s nothing to worry about. That’s what
Daniel told me.”

Robin nodded. “All right. I’ll be back before
dusk.”

Hanna smiled. “You’ll enjoy it. Afterwards,
you’ll be a little more relaxed.”

Robin grabbed her bow and quiver and headed out
the door. As she walked through the forest, she heard the calming
sounds of birds singing and the river bubbling over rocks. She
breathed in the fresh scent of pine and smiled. That was it. She
could not stand to walk any longer. Robin picked up her skirts and
took off running. The fresh air filled her lungs and she felt the
exhilaration of life. She loved being alive and a feeling of
happiness spread through her as she ran. Life couldn’t be better.
She was in love and wanted to shout it to the world.

As she picked up her speed, she remembered her
family, neighbors, and the rebels. Then she remembered the little
children and the cause of the rebels, to fight for the rights of
the people, to help a divided country become one once again. The
pain of a people suffering because of lack of food brought tears to
her eyes.

When she came upon a meadow, she stopped and
fell to her knees and wept. With all the fervor in her soul, she
poured her heart out to God, asking him to help them end this
battle once and for all, to help them free the people of this
oppression. Robin knew her emotions were on the surface today. One
minute she was up and the next she was down.

As she prayed, a feeling of peace came over her,
as if God was saying that all would be well, as if the battle would
soon end. She took the hem of her skirt and wiped her eyes. When
she realized how late it was, that it was now dusk, she stood and
looked out over the meadow. Could there be some grouse out
there?

Robin’s eyes narrowed with curiosity as she saw
the glow of a fire and smoke coming from the other side of the
meadow. Who were they and what were they doing here? She couldn’t
pass through the meadow or they would see her coming and she didn’t
know if they were friend or foe. The only way to find out was to
follow the forest around to the other side. That way they wouldn’t
see her coming.

Without another thought, she began picking her
way through the woods, walking around to the other side of the
meadow. As she got closer, Robin noticed it was getting darker. But
she couldn’t turn around now and go back. She had to find out who
those people were. She was only three miles from the shack and that
was much too close for comfort.

As she made her way toward them, Robin saw a
fire blazing in the distance. When she came within fifty feet of
their camp, she stood behind a tree watching and wondering who they
were. She could hear their voices plain enough.

Instantly a man clapped his hand over Robin’s
mouth and pulled her down to the ground. Her eyes widened as she
struggled to free herself.

“Shh, it’s me!” whispered Daniel as he released
her. “Don’t move. They might see you.”

She turned to him with a questioning look.

He put his finger to his lips and then whispered
in her ear, “I’ve been watching them for about twenty minutes. I
counted four soldiers and three young boys who are prisoners.”

“What’s happening?” she mouthed.

“Well, from what I can tell, the soldiers think
these boys are rebels. They’ve been questioning them but stopped
just a while ago.”

Daniel looked at the soldiers. They were sitting
around the fire and talking among themselves. After a while they
stood up and approached their prisoners. Since the boys’ hands and
ankles were tied, the soldiers had to pull them to their feet.

Then the leader began yelling at the boys. “I
know you’re rebels. Otherwise why would you be in these woods? I
know the rebel camp is somewhere around here. So there’s no use
lying to us.”

“We’re not rebels,” said the tallest young
man.

The leader slapped him across the face as he
said, “Every time you lie to me, you’ll get a beating.
Understand?”

Robin gasped as she turned to Daniel and
whispered in his ear. “That’s Matt. Beside him is his brother
Johnnie. They’re Betty’s neighbors. When we were visiting one time,
Matt said he wanted to join the rebels.”

Daniel turned to her and said, “How old are
they?”

“Matt is seventeen and Johnnie is fifteen. I
don’t know the other boy. He’s probably a friend.”

The leader started walking back and forth in
front of the boys in an intimidating manner. After a while, he
turned to them and said, “Why were you out here in the woods?”