The Rebels of Cordovia (8 page)

Andrew chuckled and gave a nod. “I know what you
mean.”

As Daniel looked at the paper, he asked, “Do you
know where this is, Marie?”

She looked at it and said, “Yes, I know where it
is. It’s in a nearby village a few miles from her. We can go
tomorrow and check it out. Is that okay with you?” Then she
hesitated, wondering if she was being too bold. Feeling
embarrassed, she quickly said, “Don’t worry. If you have something
to do, I can go alone. It’s not a problem.”

Daniel shook his head. “If I did have something,
I wouldn’t want you to go alone. With all the soldiers roaming
about, I don’t trust them. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Robin sobered. “I can take care of myself. I
know how to defend my rights just fine.”

He shook his head. “How about the soldier at the
Bakery?”

Andrew chuckled with humor lacing his eyes.
“Yes, how about that naked soldier who was found on an old nag? No
one is going to let him forget it.”

Robin blushed and covered her hands over her
face as everyone joined in the laughter.

The following morning, Robin packed some cheese,
fruit, a jug of water, cups, a small bag, and her bow and quiver in
the back of the cart. Andrew had already hitched up the mule and it
was ready to go. Daniel arrived as she was packing everything.

He looked at her curiously and said, “I doubt
you’ll need your archery on this trip.”

Robin shrugged as she covered the items with a
canvas. “Just in case.”

He grinned at her, knowing there was nothing to
worry about with him along. As she held her dress up with one hand,
he helped her into the cart. Then they headed down the road.

Daniel noticed how this area was so lovely every
time he visited Charlottesville. There were lush green fields, a
forest in the background, and tall rugged mountains in the
distance. There were red and yellow flowers speckling the meadows
and birds were singing a melody. All of this gave a feeling of
serenity. He had been raised in the city so this life was totally
different. Daniel turned to the woman sitting beside him and
smiled. No, life couldn’t be better.

As they traveled down the road, they passed
several soldiers. Daniel greeted them as they passed, hoping to be
friendly so they would not be stopped and searched. After a while,
they came upon a couple soldiers riding on horses with a rope tied
to a middle-aged man. The man’s hands were tied together and he
looked weary as if the soldiers had made him walk for miles.

When he stumbled, Daniel worried the man would
fall, so he pulled the mule to a stop and called out, “Hey! May we
give this man a drink? He looks tired and a drink might revive him.
It will help him to walk faster for you.”

The soldiers thought for a moment and then
nodded. “Go ahead, but don’t be long.”

The two soldiers got down from their horses and
stretched their legs. As they conversed with one another, Daniel
helped the man sit down while Robin poured a cup of water and
handed it to him. As he drank, Daniel asked the man why he was a
prisoner.

The man replied, “I couldn’t pay my taxes. I
told the tax collector that I could barely feed my family. But that
didn’t matter to him, so he reported me and here I am.”

Daniel shook his head. What was this country
coming to? The king should help him feed his family and provide
better jobs, not put him in jail for being too poor to pay his
ridiculous taxes.

After the soldiers headed down the road, Daniel
turned to Robin and said, “I wish there was something we could do
to help him.”

“There is,” said Robin as she pulled her small
bag from the back of the cart.

“What’s that?”

“My rebel clothes,” she said with a grin.

Daniel laughed. “I can’t believe you snuck that
in there. But I can’t allow you to help that man. You might get
hurt. Did you notice that the soldiers are actually carrying
muskets now?”

She nodded and explained her plan.

He laughed and said, “It just might work.”

“Then follow me,” she said as she led the mule
off the road and left it at the edge of the woods. Then she grabbed
her bow and quiver and found a good spot to change her clothes.

Turning to Daniel, she said, “This is perfect.
Warn me if anyone is coming. And no peeking.”

He laughed. “I promise. No peeking.”

Daniel chuckled to himself. He had never met a
woman like her in all his life.

“What are you laughing at?” asked Robin.

“You!”

“Me?” she said as she laid her dress on a
limb.

“It’s a good kind of laughter, I can assure
you.”

Robin smiled as she pulled her leggings on.
After putting on her shirt, she secured her hair upon her head.
Then she tied on her mask and put on her hat.

“Ready!” she announced as she stepped out into
view.

Daniel turned around and smiled as he shook his
head. “What a woman!”

He walked toward her and pushed some loose curls
under her hat and said, “Now you’re ready.”

With that, they quickly ran through the woods
and caught up to the meandering horses pulling the man who was
slowly walking behind them. Robin grabbed an arrow from her quiver
and took careful aim. When she let go, it sped through the air
right into the tree in front of the soldiers.

The men gasped and pulled their horses to a
stop. They quickly scanned the woods for rebels as they grabbed
their muskets.

Robin took another arrow and aimed it right at
the soldier’s thick leather bag. Then she gave Daniel a nod.

Just as she let the arrow go, Daniel yelled, “If
you value your life, you had better drop your muskets and the rope,
and never come back here again.”

The men were startled when the arrow struck the
leather bag. Then Robin stepped out of her hiding place. With her
feet spread apart, she stood with her hands on her hips in a
commanding manner. Seeing the leader of Robin’s Rebels and hearing
Daniel’s deep threatening voice was all it took.

The soldiers got the message and exclaimed,
“Robin’s Rebels!” Then they dropped their muskets along with the
rope, and took off down the road at great speed.

Robin laughed as she watched them ride away.

When the men were out of sight, Daniel came out
of hiding and smiled. “It worked.”

“I knew it would,” she giggled. “Because Robin
and his rebels have made a reputation for themselves. He is feared
in all the surrounding communities. Haven’t you heard?”

Daniel chuckled and shook his head with
amusement as he headed for the curious man who was still tied to a
rope. Robin stood behind, hoping to keep her identity a secret.

While Daniel untied the rope from his hands, the
man asked with admiration, “You’re one of Robin’s Rebels?”

Daniel grinned. “I sure am.”

“How did you… uhm…”

“When I saw Robin along the way, I told him what
happened to you. Then I told my lady friend to go on ahead and I
would catch up later. I wanted to make sure you were all
right.”

The man smiled. “Tell Robin thanks. I’d best be
on my way.”

“Do you live far from here?”

He pointed. “In the next village but I have a
friend not far off who can lend me a horse.”

Daniel nodded. “Good. Better keep off the
road.”

“I plan to do that very thing,” the man said as
he waved his thanks to Robin. Then he took off through the woods in
the opposite direction.

After picking up the muskets, Daniel turned
around and saw Robin standing in her tights with her hands still on
her hips. He chuckled. She was trying to look tough and apparently
it had worked.

He shook his head and mumbled to himself as he
strode toward her, “Damn, she looks good in tights.”

Robin was smiling when he approached.

“Let’s go,” said Daniel as he took her arm and
led her to the cart. “That was great. They didn’t even suspect
there were two of us.”

She grinned. “That’s because Robin is never
without his men. He’s feared by all.”

He laughed. “Well, next time… if there is a next
time… please don’t jump out of the woods like that. You scared me
half to death.”

“But I had to,” she said with a smile. “They
wouldn’t have known it was me.”

He shook his head but didn’t say another word.
When they got to the place where her cart was, he motioned to her
hiding spot and said, “I’ll stand guard while you get dressed.”

“Thanks. Remember…”

“Got it. No peeking.”

Daniel leaned against the cart and folded his
arms across his chest as he watched her walk away. He shook his
head and then closed his eyes as he reminded himself that his
father had taught him to be a gentleman.

He opened his eyes and repeated, “Damn, she
looks good in tights.”

It didn’t take long until they were headed down
the road once again. They were going to question the servant of
King Edmund. After arriving at the house, Daniel wondered how they
should go about questioning Elsa. She and her husband would have no
reason to trust them. She would most likely deny ever working for
Edmund.

Then it dawned on him. He had to make friends
first. Seeing an elderly man chopping wood near the house, he
wondered if it was Elsa’s husband.

Daniel helped Robin down from the cart as he
said, “I’ve got an idea. Follow me.”

They walked toward the man. When he took notice
of them, he stopped chopping and wiped the sweat from his brow.

“May I help you?” the man said breathlessly.

Daniel smiled in a friendly manner and said,
“Are you Flann?”

He nodded.

“I’m Daniel and my friend here is Marie,” he
said as he put his hand on her waist. “We’re on an errand but you
look so weary.” He waved to the stack of logs the man was
splitting. “May I finish this for you?”

The man was surprised but quickly accepted. He
leaned the ax against the pile of wood and then stood beside
Robin.

“Why don’t we have a seat, Miss? This will take
a while.”

She accepted and they walked toward a wooden
bench that was next to the house.

Daniel took off his waistcoat and handed it to
Robin. Then he rolled his sleeves up, a few inches above his elbows
and went to work.

He placed a log on the top of a tree stump. Then
he picked up the ax, raised it high above his head, and swiftly
swung it toward the log. Daniel’s biceps bulged as he hit the log
and split it in half. He did this same procedure again and again.
The sound of the wood splitting was almost mesmerizing.

After a while, Flann nudged Robin and said, “I
really appreciate this. I was getting tired and the missus said she
needed more wood to do some cooking.”

When he smiled at her, she asked, “Have you
lived here long?”

“All our married life, which has been about
twenty eight years.”

“So you knew King Edmund, then.”

He nodded.

“My father told me all about him. He said Edmund
was the best ruler in history.”

Flann nodded. “You bet. He sure was.”

When Daniel had been chopping wood for almost an
hour, Flann stood and said, “You won my heart, young man. I think
it’s time to quit.”

Daniel wiped his damp brow. He looked down at
his shirt, which was soaked with sweat and clinging to him,
accentuating the shape of his broad muscled chest.

He smiled and said, “Where’s your well? I need
to wash up.”

Flann pointed toward the front door and said,
“I’ll get you a new shirt. You’re about my size.”

As he went into the house, Daniel wearily walked
toward the well. He was exhausted.

Noticing his fatigue, Robin quickly walked ahead
of him, took the bucket and dropped it into the well as she said,
“I’ll do it. You’re tired.”

He nodded as he watched her pull the bucket up
by the rope. Then she placed it on the edge of the well and stepped
aside.

“Thanks,” he said softly.

He unbuttoned his dirty white shirt and pulled
it off. Laying it across the edge of the well, he splashed water on
his face and on his shoulders, arms, and chest.

As Robin watched, she couldn’t help but notice
that every inch of his torso was muscle. His chest, shoulders, and
arms were as if some artist had sculpted every contour of his body.
She noticed how his muscles rippled along his arms. That was when
it dawned on her. It was evident that Daniel knew hard labor. He
never sat at a desk and ordered servants around, although he could
have if he wanted. He believed in work. Robin’s admiration for this
man rose by leaps and bounds.

She tried hard to not stare but it was
difficult. Even her own men didn’t look like this. After working on
their sword fighting skills, they would be sweaty and take off
their shirts to wash up. But they looked nothing like this.

When Daniel was finished, he turned toward her
with water dripping from his face and chest as he said, “Sure wish
I had a cloth to dry myself off.”

“What?” asked Robin.

Daniel looked at her curiously, “What’s the
matter?”

Robin blinked a couple times and said,
“Nothing.” She looked around and didn’t see a thing. She shrugged
as she playfully said, “Do you want to use the hem of my
skirt?”

He chuckled at her teasing.

When Flann walked outside, he said, “I’ve got a
towel for ya.”

Daniel winked at her and took the small towel.
After drying himself, he took the shirt that Flann offered him.

“You can have mine in exchange,” said Daniel as
he motioned to his shirt lying across the well.

Flann creased his brow and said, “But yours is
nice. Mine is just an old work shirt.”

Daniel laughed as he pulled on the shirt and
began buttoning it up. “I’ve got plenty more where that came from.
Keep it.”

Flann nodded gratefully and led them into the
house to meet his wife. After the greetings were done and a drink
was offered for both, the conversation began.