“Seriously? This is your plan for Robin’s escape?” Eva sat with the merry men around a blazing fire deep in the woods.
“Well, does the lady have a better plan?” Will, who was by now called by everybody Scarlet for the doublet he wore all the time snickered.
“Fair enough to ask.” Eva nodded and made conceding signs with both hands. “But before I propose an alternative, shouldn’t we discuss this plan of escape first?”
“Aye, we should.” Little John gave Will a dirty look. “Then I will present you with mine.”
“All right.” Eva smiled a sweet and pleasant smile. “Your plan.” She looked with the same smile at Will. “States that we sneak to the tower, cut the throats of the guards, make a fire in the courtyard and take Robin out during the mayhem that follows, did I miss any detail?”
“None whatsoever. Tis a simple plan for a simple escape.” Will held his hands at his waist.
“Only that this is no plan at all.” Eva lost the smile. “It is what we call around the less simple circles, an idea, suggestion or proof of concept.”
“Huh?” Little John looked between the red faced Eva and the now redder faced Will.
“You see my ambitious tactician to be, a plan has elements, has details and contingencies.” Eva blew a breath at the fire. “Your plan for a ‘Simple escape’, needs a plan.”
“Was that in English?” Little John whispered to men seated beside him. “I only caught around half of what she said.” Then he looked at Will who was evidently at wits end, and guffawed with laughter. “Yeah, not very contingenious of you, Will.”
Will gave him dirty look then turned to face Eva. “Then, can we use my idea and make it into a proper plan?”
“I am very pleased that you asked.” Eva smiled her sweet smile again. “Let’s start with the numbers needed to execute such a grand escape plan.”
She looked around her at the expectant merry men. “We need six men at least.” She pointed to Little John and named him, who apparently forgot about his own plan, or decided to forego the plan he had in mind, yet he happily nodded to her.
Then she pointed to Friar Tuck, Will Scarlet, Much the miller’s son, Arthur a Bland, and Will Stutely. “You will be the men to carry the escape plan through.”
She took a hot soup cup from Will Stutley and thanked him. “You will work in teams of twos, Friar Tuck with Scarlet, you both would cause a commotion at the courtyard of the castle. Perhaps turn a wine laden cart or something.”
“Can it be manure laden cart instead?” Tuck smiled an apologetic smile. “You know, the wine belongs to the abbey and I will be loath to waste the Church’s money.”
“Whatever. In fact, manure would serve our purposes better, people lose focus when the stench is all filling their nostrils.” Eva bowed slightly to Tuck.
“Then, Scarlet and Much, who have the lightest weights, will scale the tower, from outside.” Eva was about to turn to the last pair, but Much stood like a bolt of lightening.
“My lady, can we scale it from inside? You know that the walls of the tower are rather smooth, and the rocks are too big to serve for climbing.” Much turned his hat round and round in his hands.
“Never to worry, Master Much.” Eva nodded. “I will give you something to let you stick hard to the walls like a couple of flies.”
“Magic feet?” Much’s face lighted.
“Something like that.” Eva finally to the last pair. “Arthur and Little John, you will both come as my retinue. We will keep the Sheriff occupied, and if things turn sour, you both can handle him in a fair fight.”
“We sure could.” Little John pressed one hand in the other and let his knuckles pop.
“We also need fifty feet of rope, some oil, a bull and a lot of luck.” Eva winked at the men. “We start our escape plan at dawn.”
If you liked this chapter of this serialized story, please check the prior chapters: They call me Robin, They Call Me Robin, Tax Collector, They Call Me Robin, The Good Friar, They Call me Robin, The Sheriff, They call me Robin, The Contest., and They call me Robin, Captured.
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