The World Above (11 page)

“Whatever you say,” I agreed.

Shannon swung one leg over Verité’s head, and then dropped lightly to the ground. I had my leg halfway across his broad rump when a sound broke the forest’s silence.

“What do you suppose we have here, my friends?” asked a playful voice.

Startled, I twisted in the direction of the sound, lost my grip on the horse, and tumbled to the ground.

“Not graceful young noblewomen. You can be sure of that,” a second replied.

“Of course we’re not noble born,” Shannon’s sharp tone cut across the laughter that seemed to erupt from all around us.

It’s coming from above!
I realized.
They are in the trees!

Shannon helped me to my feet. “Follow my lead,” she whispered urgently. I gave a quick nod.

“You can tell we’re not noble just by looking at us,” she continued in a loud. voice. “Or don’t you care to use your eyes?”

“Oh, we care to use them all right, damsel,” the first voice spoke once more.

Not five paces ahead a branch dipped down, and suddenly a young man not much older than Shannon and me was standing on the path in front of us. He was dressed in a strange patchwork of myriad shades of green, the perfect camouflage for the forest. Legs apart, hands on hips, precisely like an adventurer out of one of my mother’s bedtime stories. Jack had spent much of his childhood trying to perfect that very stance.

“And we like to use our heads, as well.”

“I should certainly hope so,” I spoke up firmly despite the way my heart had begun to pound. Shannon had showed no fear. I needed to match her example. “Considering there’s likely a price on every single one of them.”

“The lass talks sense,” the second voice sounded. There was another flurry of branches, and another figure dropped to the ground. “Even if she can’t ride a horse.”

In the fading light, I could see that this man was older than his companion. If not for the fact that I suspected the younger must be Robert de Trabant, the two might have been father and son.

“Now, Steel,” the young man said, his tone mock severe. “That’s unfair, and you know it. She was
riding
just fine. It was getting
off
the horse that posed the problem.”

Again, a burst of low laughter sounded from the trees. The young man made a gesture, and at this signal, the rest of his companions began dropping to the ground all around us. Almost before I realized what was happening, Shannon and I were standing in the center of a circle of green-and-brown-clad figures, each no more than an arm’s reach from his neighbor. The young man who had appeared first stood facing us. His older companion was at our backs. We were completely surrounded.

“Ladies,” the younger man said. He bent low in a bow. “Welcome to Greenwood Forest. What business brings you beneath its boughs?”

Shannon stuck out her chin. “What right do you have to ask us that?” she demanded. “No one owns the forest, as far as I know.”

“True enough,” the young man acknowledged, but though his words were cordial, his voice was sharp as the edge of a knife. He broke the circle to take several steps toward us, as if to get a better look at who was brave enough to deal with him so boldly.

His hair was a burnished brown, like the skin of a hazelnut, and his eyes were chestnut dark. There was something about them that made me want to gaze right back and look away at the same time. I felt a different sort of shiver move down my spine.

“Most who meet us, however,” he continued, his tone conversational, as if discussing the weather, “discover they prefer to share a little something. If not your business, make another choice. But make no mistake: You
will
choose something.”

It is you who are making the mistake
, I thought.
We may be two girls alone, but we are not so easily browbeaten
.

“We have food and blankets, which we will gladly share with anyone who needs them,” I answered, careful to keep my own tone pleasant and mild. “Whatever is in our saddlebags is at your disposal. But if you were hoping for gold or jewels, you’re in for a disappointment.”

I never had the chance to find out what his response might have been, for as I turned toward Verité to slide the saddlebags from his back, the young man’s older companion abruptly darted forward.

“Who are you?” he demanded in a harsh, fierce voice. He grabbed me by the shoulders, thrusting his face directly into mine. “What is your name? From whence do you come?”

“Gen. My name is Gen,” I repeated, and felt a surge of pride that my voice sounded strong. Not high and tight, like the band of fear that was wrapping itself around my chest, threatening to cut off my ability to breathe.

“That tells me nothing. Nothing at all.” As suddenly as he’d seized me, the man let go. I staggered back, then regained my balance. “Light a torch,” he instructed. “I must have more light.”

“No,” the young man countered swiftly. “It’s not safe. We’re still too close to the edge of the forest. A light here could be seen through the trees.” He moved to stand beside his friend. Both of them gazed at me in the gathering dark.

“What is it, Steel?” the youth asked softly. “Tell me what you see, and what you fear.”

“It isn’t what I fear, young Robin,” replied the man named Steel. “I set aside fear a long time ago. The thing that troubles me now is what I hope.”

“Hope,” Robin echoed. “That is a word I’ve not heard in quite some time, and then only . . .”

There was a beat of silence. Then he bowed once more, with genuine respect this time.

“Ladies, you are to be our guests. Please accept our escort through Greenwood Forest.”

As soon as the decision that we would accompany the band had been made, Robin began to issue a series of orders in a clear, low voice.

This must be Robert de Trabant
, I thought. For the others obeyed him without question, moving to do his will at once. Several members broke off from the band to walk ahead as scouts. The rest of us left the path and set off two abreast, walking as swiftly as the diminishing light allowed.

We’re in for it now
, I thought. I didn’t think Shannon knew her way through the forest, aside from following the path, and I most certainly did not. We were now completely at the mercy of Robin de Trabant and his band of thieves. I tried to console myself by thinking that if they’d intended to harm Shannon and me, surely they’d have done so by now.

But they still don’t know who I really am
, I thought.

Robin now took the lead, with Shannon at his side. Steel and I followed, with the rest of the band at regular intervals behind. Last of all was a single man leading Verité.

How silently they move!
I thought. Sure-footed, even in the gathering dark. My own feet felt clumsy by comparison, my body tired and slow, as if the stress of my journey was suddenly catching up with me. Had it really only been two nights ago that I’d slept soundly in my own bed in the World Below?

As if in answer, my toe caught on an unseen tree root. I managed to stifle a cry, but only Steel’s quick grip on my elbow saved me from pitching forward onto my face.

“Thank you,” I said when I was steady on my feet once more. “I’m not usually this clumsy.”

There was a moment’s silence, stretching just long enough that I began to fear that Steel would not reply.
Should I try to fill the silence?
I wondered.
Why does this man care who I am?

“You are more than welcome,” he finally said. “You must be very tired.”

Be careful. Watch your words as well as your steps
, my mind warned. He’d made a simple statement, but there were questions hidden in it, traps for the unsuspecting.
Why are you so tired? How far have you come?

“Steel is an unusual name,” I observed instead. “Do they call you that for the quickness of your hands or of your mind?”

I felt rather than saw the way his head turned toward me, but it was not yet so dark that I could not see the flash of white teeth as he smiled.

“I think it is your mind that is the quick one, mistress,” he replied. “But to answer your question, all of us leave our former names behind when we choose to live in this place.”

“For your skill with a blade, perhaps,” I suggested.

“Something like that,” he answered. The tone of his voice told me the conversation was over. Though my feet stayed steady, Steel reached to guide me by the elbow as the path began to climb abruptly. “Not much farther now.”

We topped the rise. Below me, at the bottom of the slope, I could see a cluster of tents, each beside a flickering campfire. The air felt cooler, and I heard the sound of running water. Robin de Trabant’s camp was spread along its shores, protected by the high embankments on either side.

They are well hidden
, I thought.

“Come down,” Steel said. “There is food, and you’ll be able to rest.”

And there is light, and you’ll be able to see my face more clearly
, I thought.

“Thank you,” I said. “You are very kind.”

Steel squeezed my elbow, bringing us both to a halt.

“I am many things, Mistress Gen,” he said in a quiet voice. “I’m not sure kind is one of them, not for many years now.”

“Surely others are the best judge of that,” I answered steadily, though I could feel my heart begin to pound. Why did this man always seem to be fencing words with me? Why would he not say what was on his mind?

“Perhaps they are,” Steel said. “Let us see what judgment you make before the night is out.”

Together we walked down the slope toward the light of the campfires.

The camp was larger than it first appeared. Additional tents were clustered just beyond a nearby bend in the river. Robin and Steel received a warm, though subdued, welcome.

How careful they all are, even in their joy
, I thought.

Either the appearance of newcomers was so commonplace it no longer caused a stir, or the respect Robin’s people had for him kept their curiosity at bay. I had a feeling it was a combination of both. Shannon and I were silent as we traversed the camp.

Robin settled us at a tent and campfire a short distance from the main group. Secretly, I suspected he’d just relinquished his own lodging for the night. Then he disappeared into the darkness with Steel at his side. Shannon and I stood looking at each other.

“Well, so much for getting through the forest undetected,” Shannon remarked. She plopped down on a broad, flat rock near the campfire. Abruptly exhausted, I sat down beside her. In the fire’s flickering light, I could see the tension etched across my new friend’s features.

“What do you suppose will happen to us now?” I asked in a whisper. The nearest tent was about a stone’s throw away, far enough so that we wouldn’t be easily overheard; but sounds can carry farther than one expects.

“Steel knows who I am, or at least he suspects. I can think of several reasons for that, most of them not very comforting.”

I twisted my neck, trying to take in our surroundings, which was all but impossible in the dark.

“I don’t suppose it will do us any good to try and make a run for it,” I went on.

“And go in which direction?” Shannon asked. She shook her head. “No. If nothing else, I think we must wait till morning. Then perhaps we can appeal to Robin’s better instincts, assuming that he has some.”

“He must be Robert de Trabant, don’t you think?” I asked. I leaned in close, my voice barely audible.

Shannon nodded. “It makes sense,” she agreed. “Robin is a common enough nickname for Robert. And the people here all seem to defer to him.”

“They do more than that,” I said. “Even from the little we’ve seen, I can tell they clearly have great affection for him. That still doesn’t tell us what he’s going to do with us. Particularly once he finds out who I really am.”

Shannon reached over and squeezed my hand. “There’s no reason to assume the worst,” she said.

“You think not? Robin is still Guy de Trabant’s son. Currently he’s heir to two kingdoms combined. But if I can prove my family’s claim, he’s back down to one. Even the runaway son of a duke might have something to say about that.”

“A runaway son with a price on his head,” Shannon told me. “Put there by his father. And something tells me we’ll know Robin’s intentions soon enough. He doesn’t strike me as the type to keep things to himself for long.”

“I beg your pardon,” a voice cut through our conversation. I looked up. A figure stood just outside the circle of firelight. “Robin said I was to return these to you, with his compliments.”

A boy took a step forward into the light, holding our saddlebags out in front of him.

“Thank you,” I said, speaking in my normal tone. I gave Shannon’s hand a squeeze, then stood. I took the saddlebags from the boy, then carried them back to my place by the fire and set them on a rock. The boy hesitated, as if torn between caution and curiosity.

“We have fruit and cheese, a little meat, and some bread,” I said, giving in to a sudden impulse. Perhaps the way to allay my own fears was to make another welcome. “We do not have enough for all, but we would be happy to share with those who need it most, if you will show us who they are.”