Robert Arrives in Locksley

[Robert Williams]

It had been a long journey across the continent and now across central England. After being away for 15 years slowly landmarks and other places began to become more familiar to him. He had heard many stories as he had traversed across England. As he had traveled closer to the shire he had heard that family that had occupied the old manor had been replaced by someone named Sir Guy. He had not heard good reports on him. He had heard that did not have a reputation for treating the villagers well or with respect. Robert had not been inclined to go anywhere near the Manor, for fear of being recognized after all of these years, he was even less inclined to do so.

He was more inclined to visit the village itself. he was dressed in a weather-beaten brow and green cloak that covered and hid his Frankish crusader garb and most of his weapons, except for a Saracen bow and quiver that was slung over a shoulder. So he did not appear any more threatening than the next man, outside of his height and size, which would allow him to cut a more imposing figure than some.

He was primarily interested in the old abode of Dan and Jane Scarlett, who had been among his best of friends. He found the structure abandoned but most of the tools intact which he found curious. I twas almost as if no one dared to take them because of some nasty consequence that might result. "I wonder what happened to them, " he half-said to himself. "If Dan is no longer here I wonder if the village is i need of a skilled artisan, a carpenter, like myself," he smiled.

[Rose Barns]

Anne was walking from her home to the well to collect some water for her mother who was cooking dinner. Her father had done well at the market and had come back with a few pretty pennies that would fill their bellies in no time. It was very difficult living in the same village that now belonged to Sir Guy. He didn't seem to care what happened to them, and if there was some suspicion of outlaws or a theft, they were usually the first villagers to be suspected or punished. It hadn't been their fault that they grew up in Robin's village. But that was not something to be ashamed of and all the little kids were happy to say that Robin grew up here. He did seem to be the new hero. His name was probably stronger than the King's right now for morale.

Dressed in the usually browns and dusted greens, Anne continued walking, passing the village square. She was a humming an old lullaby that any person who grew up in Locksley would recognize. Her long blond hair shown bright as she always liked to keep it clean. There was a stream near by that was generally private and Anne found herself doing the laundry quite often, so she would wash herself as well. Living in dirt and more dirt could be depressing and she tried to avoid being depressed. As she walked by, she saw a tall man dressed in clothes that tried to blend him in with the rest though he looked like an outsider, with a bow on his back. Quite curious, Anne looked at him as she passed him by, her eyes scanning his form, trying to wonder if he was friend or foe, or some lost brother or husband who came home from the war.

[Robert Williams]

"Well .... I'm too much of a nomad I expect ... but it would be nice to settle down i what's basically my boyhood home," he thought to himself. A pretty young blond girl caught his eye as she walked past. He tried not to stare and nodded politely as she walked past. "She must be a local girl ... I probably knew her parents when I was a young man."

"She looked like she was curious about me. I expect strangers like me might attract obvious attention. I think I'll sit down here and see if she wants to come back and talk," he thought to himself. He had picked up a random piece of wood in Dan's shop and he leaned back against a wooden fence, took out one of his carving knives and began to whittle it.

[Robert Williams]

As he whittled at the wood he observed those who passed by, and the various adjacent homes, and could not but observe the fact that the people seemed to be much thinner and gaunter, the structures more dilapidated, and people acting more defensive, tan he had ever remembered. It was almost as if some nameless unspoken fear was stalking them.

"So," he said to himself, "the rumors and the stories about England that he had been hearing on his journey were mostly true .... things were pretty desperate." "Well" ..... he laughed to himself, "she apparently as not as curious as I first thought. Still, Locksley is a nice village, and perhaps would be a good place to set up shop as a carpenter, if he chose to do so." However, he had a lot of questions about what had happened in the shire, and specifically, to some people. He mused that the best source of information might be the old Sheriff ... Sir Edward ... if he was still Sheriff.