Scarlet by A. C. Gaughen
I crossed my arms. I weren’t fond of Thom Walker. I didn’t trust him in the least bit, but then I didn’t know him neither, and he hadn’t done much to ever earn a trust.
“Look, it’s for one day. We need this done.”
We nodded.
“All right, pair off and let’s practice weapons. Then we’re tucking in early tonight. We all need to be up before the sun.”
John gave me his cloak the next morning, with a big heavy wool hood attached to it. I could fit my shortbow ’cross my back under it with no one the wiser, so I took it. I pushed some twigs into my hair—I used to do it with fine combs, so I knew how to keep it all pinned back, but I wanted a new cap. Maybe I could swipe one in Leicester.
I picked Walker up like some kind of foundling in Edwinstowe, just nodding at him and starting off down the road.
“So,” he tried. “Leicester, right? That’s what the earl said.”
Didn’t say nothing. Didn’t like that people called Rob “the earl” neither.
He chuckled. “You’re the thief, aren’t you? Can’t reckon you lot like the sunshine much.”
I rolled my eyes. Honestly, I weren’t some demon.
“Not in the mood for a bit of a chin wag?”
I just walked faster. God knows I ain’t comparing myself to no Son of God, but at the moment I might have taken the scourging and thorny crown ’stead of listening to Thom Walker chatter for hours as we walked to Leicester. Just as long as I didn’t have to die at the end. Less I were going to rise again—that puts death in perspective a bit. I reckon even Christ would have been right happy with death if he knew it weren’t such a sticking situation.
We hopped a cart after about two hours of walking, and I shut my eyes for a while, never sleeping in true. I didn’t like someone new so close. Walker didn’t move much, just shifted around. And he stopped chattering.
We rode the cart for a while and then hopped off when the road forked. It were still morning, and the road were fair full, so we faded in. I did, leastways. Walker were big—not so big as John—but none too aware of his own size, and he stuck out like the thumb from your palm.
When we got close to Leicester, I told him to keep away from me, so we could both keep an eye on the other. I told him ’bout hanging back from a fight, and to whistle if something were wrong. He smiled like it were some fun, and not people’s lives, that we were trading for.
The market were packed. Fair taxes and decent landlords made for hardy trade, and the market showed it. There were such wares as I ain’t never seen, clothing and pies and big cuts of meat, knives and swords and all sorts of weapons. I got far too eager at the stall of one seller. Caught by the dark glint of some cheap-made Saracen metal, I went closer, and I saw what I’d been looking for, the weapon that would be perfect for Much and none other.
My fingers twined toward it of their own accord, and the man, a brawny blacksmith with shoulders like a tree trunk stretched across, smiled. “A kattari,” he said. “From the East—a very rare and unique weapon.”
I picked it up. The bottom bit were like an H, with a crossbar to hold on to and a shield for your knuckles. Just above the crossbar the blade started, wide as a man’s palm and near as long as his forearm, tapering quick to a blade almost like a triangle. Without a moment’s thought, I pulled out my two Saracen knives.
“A trade,” I offered.
He scoffed. “Cheap imitations are nothing compared to a kattari.”
“They’re real. With rubies.”
“Paste,” he insisted.
I withdrew my arm. “Fine, then. I’ll sell them elsewhere.”
He jerked forward, dislodging some blades on his table and letting them clatter. “An even trade, then.”
I smiled and nodded. It weren’t quite even, but I didn’t mind for Much, and he wrapped the kattari in burlap and made the trade.
Once away, I tucked the covered blade into my vest and went looking next for a new hat. There were some caps, and I swiped a felted wool one that were cheap and funny shaped. I didn’t leave money behind; after all, I were a thief and it weren’t like these sort were hurting like they were in Nottinghamshire. I tucked it in my vest too and sought out the jewelers.
Leicester had three jewelers: one who dealt with metals, one for precious jewels, and one who, it seemed, worked only for nobility. All the same, the three men were buying, and it weren’t hard to get a good price like that. I just went back and forth, working till I got a good high price, three times what we were bartering for in Newark.
When I were getting paid at last, I saw the shadow inching to the side of the door, waiting for me to come out. I looked sharp; where were Walker? I didn’t see him straight off, but I had to get out of there before I could find him.
It were the jeweler who worked for nobles that I happened to be at, and so, a touch shameless, I lowered my hood so the jeweler could see my mug and the twist of my hair. “Please,” I whispered. “Please help me.”
His eyes went big. “Holy Mary, you’re a lass,” he said.
I lifted my chin. “A lady,” I insisted. “Please, you must help. There are men outside, trying to take me back to my lord husband. He’ll kill me,” I told him. My eyes even went a bit watery.
“Yer husband? I don’t cross a nobleman, not even for a ladyship.”
“He’ll kill me,” I said again. I put my hand on his arm. “You must have a back way out? Just pretend I ran past you, let me go, and you needn’t cross anyone. Please.” I met his eyes, showing him the full oddity of my eyes. “I’ve had to sell my jewels; don’t trade them for my life.”
He sighed, and he jerked his thumb over his shoulder. I took the pouch of money, pulled up my hood, and bolted.
His workshop led to a small bellows room and heating pit, and there were a big back door from there that led to a small space with a horse in it. I gave the horse a look, tempted.
I climbed up the roof ’stead. Leaning on the crossbeams, I looked down.
Swallowing swears, I spotted three men and maybe a fourth trolling the market. How had Gisbourne’s men found us again? He must be following me somehow. I were the only person at both places. ’Less the others had been followed too.
Walker were still in the market, staring after sweetbreads, full blind to the danger. Some lookabout he were. I hopped over a few roofs and dropped into the market, grabbing his arm and pushing him out.
Running, I slid through the crowd. I were fair good at slipping away, but Thom weren’t. He kept stopping and starting and bumping people, saying excuses to them too loud.
“Damn it!” I growled, flipping a knife at him and turning, meeting his eyes head on. He halted. “Shut your yap, follow me, and run, or I’m going to leave you here, and you can fend off Gisbourne.”
He swallowed. “I’m coming.”
I nodded, holstering my knife and running.
Chapter
Thirteen
We ran to Edwinstowe, and once I got Thom Walker safe and looked after, I ran to the cave with my loot, taking a long loop round Thoresby Lake so no one followed me. Couldn’t risk it. There were some way they were tracking us, that were damn sure, but now we had bare hours left before the sheriff’s men came collecting in the morning, and lots of money to parcel out before then.
I got to the cave and only John weren’t there yet.
“Oy!” I called. Much and Rob turned. “Were you followed?”
“No,” Much said. “’Course not.”
I cursed. “Gisbourne were in Leicester. He must be tracking me, Rob.”
His mouth twitched up. “I doubt he’s following you, Scar. You’re too suspicious by half.”
“Then what, a damn good guess? He has to be marking us somehow.”
“If the thief taker has it out for you, and he’s got tabs on you, wouldn’t he have roughed you up by now?” Much asked.
I ran my knuckles over my scar. It weren’t a bad point.
“We don’t have time to worry abo
I nodded. I weren’t too sure of it, but he were right—other things needed time more. “How are we going to do it?”
“Let’s count what you’ve got, we’ll count John’s when he gets back, and then I think we’ll split up again tonight. We have to get all these people money.”
I rolled my shoulders, a creep sliding down my neck. “I don’t think we should be alone, Rob. We’ve got time enough to give out the coin before sunrise.”
“I definitely don’t want anyone in one town alone—it won’t allow enough time to parcel out the coin. Same partners as today.”
I shook my head. “I don’t trust Thom Walker, Rob. He were more like a ball round my leg anyway. Slowed me down terrible.”
He chewed this over.
“Even if we pull the same partners as today, someone needs to be alone. I’d rather go alone than with Walker.”
“Alone’s not a good idea. Not with Gisbourne and the sheriff in full force tonight. Besides, we need all the hands we can get.”
“What’s this?” John called, slinging a sack down that clinked with coin. “What about hands?”
“We’re talking about tonight,” Much said quick, looking down. “We need more people, but Scar don’t want to go with Thom Walker.”
“I’ll go with Scar,” he said quick.
“I just said, we need more people, not fewer.”
“Well, we’ll take Edwinstowe, and Much can go with Lena in Worksop, and you, Thom, and Mark Tanner can take Nottingham. That will work out.”
“Not really,” Much said. “Really it should be me and Tanner in Worksop, and you, Lena, and Walker in Nottingham, then Rob with Scar in Edwinstowe, to balance out fast and strong. Different sort of thing than selling jewels.”
Rob sighed. “Fine. Let’s just get this counted and parceled and be on our way.”
I nodded, but still I couldn’t shake the bad feeling. Something were wrong, and I knew it. I just hoped I had enough knives when it came to bear.
To that end, I pulled Much away while Rob and John kept counting, and I shuffled the blade from my vest. I held the burlap package out.
“What’s this?” he asked.
“I think it might be your weapon,” I told him.
He pulled the burlap off and, using his good arm, hooked the belt that the sheath were lashed to over his shoulders so it lay high on his hip. He slipped his hand between the long metal braces to grip the crossbar.
Much pulled it out, and the metal looked richer in the dark forest, dappling green earth and silver sky. Much smiled, slicing through the air. It were like his fingertips had welded tight and become a wicked blade.
“This,” he said, “is much better than a knife!”
I let my smiling teeth show my pride. “The ‘Much’ part is more important than being ‘better,’” I told him.
He chuckled. “Now I’ve just got to figure out how to use it.”
“You’re smarter’n all of us, Much. You’ll get it.”
Holding the blade away, he stepped forward and hugged me with his bad arm. It were tighter than I thought he might hug, but he pushed me away after a minute. “Get your knives out, Scar. Let’s fight!”
It were after dusk when we all went to Edwinstowe, and Lena, Mark, and Thom were all in front of the Morgans’ house. I hung back from there. I knew I weren’t any more welcome than Saladin in that house.
“Right,” Rob said. “Mark, will you head off with Much?”
He nodded.
“Lena and Thom, you two are with John.”
Thom looked over to me, and I felt it again, the creep on my neck.
“I’m not going with Scarlet?”
I narrowed my eyes. “Call me Will.”
He chuckled. “Why? I know you ain’t a boy.”
It felt like hot lead slipped down my pipes.
“And how would you know that?” Rob asked. Were more like a growl. John stepped in front of me.
“Was it a secret? I could tell.”
“She’s coming with me tonight,” Rob said.
“Yeah, and you leave Scar to me,” John said.
“Oh,” Walker said, like he just understood something new. “You’re her fellow, then.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
Me and John spoke at the same time, and I crossed my arms. “I ain’t your girl, John,” I hissed at him.
He winked at me. “I’m getting there.”
I shook my head, and we all broke up. Much and Mark headed off, and John came over to me and rubbed my arms.
“So why aren’t I your fellow yet?” he asked me.
I shut my eyes so that I didn’t look after Rob. “Come on, John, you ain’t serious about me. It wouldn’t end well if you were my fellow and I saw you charming Bess, or Agatha Morgan.”
His arms went round my waist. He had a big grin, full of teeth like stars. “You saying you’re the jealous sort, Scar?”
“I’m saying that some girls slap, but I have knives.”
“For me or for Agatha?”
“Both.” He pulled me tighter, but my arms were still crossed so my elbows pushed into him.
“What if I kept all my smiles to you?”
I chuckled, shaking my head. “You ain’t that sort, John. Why go changing for me?”
“Because. You’re worth changing for.”
That gave me some sort of flutter inside, but I put my hands on his big chest to push away. He let my waist go. “We’ve got work to do, John.”
He sighed. “All right. Let’s be quick, and I’ll buy you a drink at Tuck’s after.”
“Deal.”
The others left, and me and Rob split the bag in two and started at opposite ends of Edwinstowe. It were two long rows of houses, with a big well in the middle and a church by the well, and more houses clustered there. There weren’t no village gates, just a big barn where they all kept their livestock. I started at the far end, and Rob started at Tuck’s end. This weren’t the type of delivery that I could just drop off, so I knocked quiet at every door, passed a handful of coin, enough for taxes and some food besides. Most were fair grateful, but some were more gruff ’bout it, and that were fine. I got that sometimes pride got in the way of things.
I got through maybe ten houses, which weren’t much—there were about thirty-and-five houses to go—when I heard a whish.
I turned in time to watch a branch slam my side, knocking me to the ground beside a house. The air ran from my chest and I couldn’t take none in. My nails clawed at the ground, but someone flipped me over, ripping back my hood.
“Thom?” I gasped. Pain shot through my chest, and I couldn’t breathe in. He grabbed my hair, dragging me back over the ground.
My eyes ran as I tried to breathe in, huffing Rob’s name and twisting against Thom’s hold. He dragged me behind the house by the woods, rocks cutting and scraping as I went. I managed a little breath, enough to fuel my rage and swing a kick to his knee. He crashed down, falling on top of me and knocking the air out again.
“Have it your way, then,” he said. “Gisbourne said I only had to stall for a few minutes, and this is as good a way as any.” His fingers dug in my hair, and his legs were pinning my legs down, one of his arms trapping mine.
“Bastard,” I hissed, snapping my forehead up to slam his.
He roared in pain and slugged me ’cross the mug. I punched him one back, grabbing for a knife, but he took my wrist and wrenched my arm up, holding both my arms above my head. I flopped angry like a caught fish, my hair flying out everywhere.
“How could you?” I asked. “Gisbourne?”
His free hand fisted in my shirt and jerked, tearing the fabric down the front. “He pays well! But there are certainly some benefits to the position.”
His hand grabbed my bits over the muslin, and I spat at him. I j
“Rob!” I shrieked.
Thom twisted and yelled in pain, enough to free my leg to knee his male bits. He wrenched up and I drove my little fist through his jaw. Then the damn fool collapsed, pressing all his weight straight on top of me. I tried to move him, but he were out cold.
“Rob!” I shrieked again. “Hurry!”
I angled to lever my leg out, and I heard crunching in the lane. I pushed him off me, standing to meet Rob.
But it weren’t Rob’s shape I saw. It were Gisbourne up near the road, casting his shadow on me from between the houses. He chuckled, and I froze.
“I knew as soon as Thom mentioned your eyes. Before that, I didn’t dare hope,” he said, his smile gleaming like a wolf’s. “But when he said you had eyes like moonstones, I knew I’d found my wayward girl at long last. So they call you Scarlet now, do they? How ironic that you ran so far from your old life and named yourself for your expensive ribbons.” He walked closer. “What, no sweet words for your fiancé?”
My back were pounding with pain and I steadied myself on the house. A shadow were moving closer to me from behind the house, and I could only pray it were Rob and not Gisbourne’s men. I spat on the ground, showing Gisbourne my teeth like some wild animal.
“Wonderful,” he said. “My dear girl has become a heathen. Well, I’m sure it will be entertaining to break you of your bad habits.” He tilted his head. “I see your last punishment healed nicely. Hopefully it will make you think better of leaving me again.”
“You’re a monster,” I snarled. “And I will never stay with you.”
“You made me a monster!” he roared. “You think I have nothing better to do than roam around London at the last mention of you? To scour the country for you? You haunt me, you little she-devil, and I won’t tolerate being left. So I’ll be a monster until you’re mine, in marriage or in death.” His eyes blazed. “Maybe both.”
Rob came from behind the house before Gisbourne could come closer, grabbing my hand and yanking hard. My legs moved without never being told, running with him. “Rob, the gold!” I cried, seeing it spilled on the ground and pulling back on his hand.