Robin Hood and the Dragon’s Mate
Prologue

A hulkingbear of a man stood at the center of a barrel thick log crossing theriver. It was the only crossing pointthat Robin had seen for over a mile. Hestepped onto the log, beckoning for Will to stay where he was. The huge, dark haired man lifted aquarterstaff threateningly, calling, “This be my bridge. To pass will cost you.”

Robin cockedhis head and sighed wearily, “My friend and I are tired and hungry. We must cross this river before we can rest.”

The big manstood straighter, puffing his thick chest out and repeated, “To pass my bridgewill cost you.”

Robinshrugged tugging the insides of his pockets out to show nothing but lint, “Asyou can see, I haven’t any money. I’mjust a common outlaw without a penny to my name.”

The manscratched at his thick black beard and declared, “I am John. John Little, and if you cannot pay then youcannot pass.”

Robinbeckoned to Will who tossed him a long wooden staff. It was not as thick as the staff held byJohn. Robin lifted the staff. He pointed it at the burly man on the log,“My friend and I are intent on passing. Step aside or we will go through you.” His back had straightened, and his voice had taken on an edge of steel.

John’s thickdark eyebrow lifted, “You think you can defeat me, little man? I’ll have you taking a cold bath in notime.” He chuckled, glancingsuggestively at the river, and then settled back into his ready stance. The sounds of the forest seemed to quiet downas if even the animals were anticipating Robin’s reaction.

Robinsmirked, “I think that on this slippery log, my slight size and nimble feetwill be to an advantage.” He raised hisstaff, twirling it in the air like an extra-large baton, and advanced. John was quick for such a giant of a man. Robin soon found that he had more difficultydodging his powerful blows than he had expected. Robin darted forward jabbing John in the gutwith the rounded end of the staff. Hewas rewarded by harsh blow to the back. He fell forward and rolled along the log, bounding to his feet at theend of his impromptu somersault. He spunaround just in time to ward off another blow.

Theycontinued to exchange blows, dodging and ducking and blocking blows with theirown staves to avoid serious injury. After what seemed like an hour with relatively no progress, theintensive clashing of weapons began to slow as both men finally began totire. They started aiming for the legsto try knocking each other off of the log. Robin’s staff slipped behind John’s leg and tripped him just as a solidblow to the shoulder knocked Robin backwards at just the right angle to throwhim off balance. With two mightysplashes both men hit the water simultaneously.

John’s faceinstantly flared red with anger as he wiped the water from his face and beard. He sputtered to spit out what had gotten intohis mouth, but Robin only laughed. “Itlooks like we’ve both gotten our baths for the day.” He wiped the icy water from his eyes and thenwith a grin he shook his head like a wet dog.

Will, who hadstood leaning against a tree on the bank watching the duel, started laughing athis friend’s antics. The two men’s humorwas contagious. John finally swallowedhis pride, and with a harrumph he began laughing along with them. Soon he climbed up onto the grassy bank,holding out his hand to help Robin from the water on the far side of the river.

Will made hisway tentatively along the slippery, wet log to join the others on the farside. He stared at John incredulouslythen turned to Robin, “He bested you!” He cried.

Robinlaughed, “It happens, but look at him. He is a bear of a man. He is aworthy opponent to be sure.” He rubbedone of the many bruises that he knew he would be feeling tomorrow. He held out his hand to his burlyopponent. “I am called Robin and this isWill. Would you join us for a meal and achance to dry off by the fire?”

Johnhesitated only a moment before the string of fish that Will held along with thegrowling of his own stomach swayed him to agree. Once they sat around a fire, with the fishsizzling merrily over the flames, they began talking and soon John found thathe was comfortable with these men. Afterthey had dished up the food, John began to tell Robin and Will his storybetween bites of fish.

“I was outhunting, sneaking up on a huge buck, when I heard a growl behind me. I whirled and came face to face with a mightysilver wolf. He stood as tall as my shoulderand his eyes were yellow, intense. Hemust have been hunting the same buck, but he apparently did not like me beingnear his prey. He lunged before I couldreact and bit me on the shoulder.” Pulling back the collar of his shirt he showed them the massive bitescars. To have a jaw large enough toleave those marks, Will imagined the wolf must have been every bit as huge as Johndescribed it.

“The buck bolted right then, and for somereason, the beast released me to give chase. If he hadn’t, wouldn’t be alive today. I was injured and bleeding, but eventually I stumbled through the woodsto my home and my lovely wife. Alicepatched me up good.”

A terriblysad and lonely look overcame him at the mention of his wife, “Over the next fewweeks I grew to be awfully bad tempered, getting angry about anything andeverything. One day, I lost my temperover a fruitless fishing trip. Alicesaid something about me having better luck the next day and…” he seemed to wiltat his memories. His next words came asa bare whisper, “I snapped. I gave in tomy anger and started to see red. When Iwoke I was…different. I was standingover my wife’s torn and bloody dress. Somehow, I had changed into a wolf. I ran into the forest. EventuallyI shifted back. I had to steal clothingbecause I had none, and I…I couldn’t go back home. I am not certain what happened that day, butI know that I hurt my lovely Alice, maybe even killed her, and I can neverforgive myself for that.”

He hung hishead as massive tears dripped into the dirt at his feet. Robin set his hand on John’s arm, “You’ve hada hard turn, friend. I’m sorry for theloss of your home and wife.” He studiedthe large man for a moment. After a nodfrom Will he asked, “Why don’t you continue with us, John? You’ve nowhere better to be and we couldalways use someone so talented with a quarterstaff.”

Tired of hisloneliness, John agreed to join them and they began to fill him in on theirplot to put the greedy Sheriff of Nottingham out of business.

* * *

The friar’s wagonseemed to make it a point to bounce over every single rut in the road just toaggravate his massive headache. Witheach jostling bump, a bolt of lightning threatened to split his skull. He wanted so badly to get out of these woods,but now that his church knew his deep dark secret, he had to take refuge wherehe could replace it. He planned to makecamp in the woods for a few days, just until the witch hunters from his villagestopped looking for him; then he would continue on to London.

He was justabout to berate the horse for not trotting more smoothly when he spotted whatlooked like a fallen log in the middle of the path. He pulled the reins to stop the horse andclimbed down with a grunt. Waddling overto the log, he bent over it to see if perhaps it was rotted enough for hiswagon to be able to roll over it without damaging his few remaining possessions(his wagon and the ale it carried). Asthe friar bent to inspect the log, one of the branches reached up and grabbedhis arm. Right before his eyes a blondhaired blue eyed man appeared in front of the log from out of nowhere.

“Hello, Friar.” The sneaky man greeted him, “How kind of youto deliver your goods to us simple outlaws.”

The friarheard a shout from behind. He turned to see two men raiding his wagon. “That’s my ale!” He shouted.

One of themen by the wagon, a huge bear of a man with a massive black beard and matchinghair, yelled back, “Aye, and a fine batch of ale it is!”

The friarturned back to the man on the ground, “It’s all I have left in the world.”

The man letgo of his arm and hopped to his feet, “Well then, it’s only fair that you joinus in our indulgence and share in our meal. Perhaps you will honor us with the story of what brought you to ourhumble woods. We have little butwouldn’t want to deprive a good man of the only possessions he has left. Perhaps we can come to an amicable agreementas to the value of your ale and your company.”

In spite ofhis reservations, the friar hadn’t had a drink all day, and he felt that hecertainly deserved it after such a long day of riding. Though they were rough,these men seemed to be jovial and good. They sat around a campfire and drank his fine ale. After several rounds the friar began to feelmuch more relaxed and he decided to share his tale of why he had been chasedfrom his church and home.

“I waspresiding over the funeral of one of my parishioners and was saying some verywell thought out words about him passing on to a better place, when thatinconsiderate corpse sat up and started walking around attacking people.

His ownfamily had to hack him to pieces before he finally stopped moving. It was a terrible, horrific tragedy. I tried to comfort the family, telling themthat this has happened before and the families have always moved on with theirlives with only a few emotional scars.”

He shook hishead sadly, “Well, they told their friends what I had said and done and soon itwas decided that I was a dark witch, practicing black magic, of all the sillythings. It’s not as if I tell thecorpses to rise, they just do it.”

Robin shookhis head in awe, “Well that is a fine tale, Friar. I am sorry for the troubles you have had toendure. Will you consider joining myband of outlaws? We don’t run into manycorpses here in the woods, and if we do, well we’re not the type to judge. Besides, anyone who can brew such fine ale isalways welcome.” The friar laughed withrelief and the fervent hope that his life would now turn around as he agreed tojoin them.

* * *

Alan ran forhis life, shedding fresh tears for the loss of his love, Kaylen. He could still see the fire burning thepieces of her exquisite body as the villagers destroyed the monster in theirmidst. He had used their mob widedistraction to run, though every part of him longed to get revenge on theintolerant villagers for what they had done to his darling.

Three dayslater, he was still running. He couldhear the sound of the dogs they had loosed, tracking him, baying every timethey found his scent anew. When thebaying finally faded into the distance, he held out a small hope that the menhad called off their search and he would now have time to mourn in peace.

Alan ran foranother day without stopping; when a full day had passed since he had lastheard the dogs, he finally slowed to a walk. He took in his surroundings, wondering if this dark wood was to be hisnew home. Hearing shouting he almoststarted running again, but he realized that there were no dogs baying amidstthe shouts, so these couldn’t be the men that were after him. He crept to the edge of a clearing where itlooked like a small group of bandits had laid a trap for a passing taxwagon.

Alan grinned,expecting to see a good show. It seemedthat with swords the bandits and the guards were equally matched, but a fourthbandit stood on the branch of a tree, shooting guards with a bow andarrows. Alan watched in amazement as oneguard fell without fail for every arrow the blond man shot. The man seemed to blend in with the tree onwhich he stood. Aside from his minutemovements as he replaced the arrow and drew the string taut, the man was nearlyinvisible. However, when he stepped out of the shadow of the trunk for betteraim and pulled the last arrow from his quiver, one of the guards took aim witha crossbow bolt and shot him in the chest.

The blond manpaused and then set his arrow, drew the bowstring back, though it must havecaused him a terrible agony, and loosed the arrow. It went through the throat of one man andinto the chest of a second. Then, quiverempty and crossbow bolt protruding from his chest, the blond man fell from hisbranch to land hard on the packed earth below.

Alan foundhimself running to the fallen archer. The other bandits were busy disposing of the remaining guards, so whenAlan knelt beside the man he was alone. Although he was so very thirsty, and the smell of the archer’s blood wasnearly too much for him to bear, he denied his instinct to finish the manoff. Pulling the bolt from the bandit’schest he then used his sharp teeth to slice his own wrist. Pressing his wrist to the man’s wound hewatched as the gaping hole began to knit together. When the hole was closed, he pulled his wristaway. The archer reached up and grabbedhis arm. He held it and watched asAlan’s own wound closed up. Then helooked up at Alan and smiled, “You saved my life, vampire.”

Alan noddedand moved to stand. He helped the man tohis feet. “I’m Robin,” the archerintroduced himself, “and those are my band of outlaws.” He said, gesturing to the bandits who had finishedoff the last of the guards and, after a quick glance to verify that Robin wasokay, they began digging through the loot.

Once againthat night, the growing band of thieves sat around a campfire and listened inawe as yet another unbelievable tale was spun.

“I am a bornvampire.” Alan paused as Will cringedaway. “I feed on humans only as often asI must, and I never kill,” he assured the boy. “Born vampires age at the same rate of humans until we reach maturity,and then we stop aging, usually around the age of twenty-five or so. I for one am a very spry ninety-three yearold. We live our entire lives with theneed for blood, so we learn very early how to control ourselves.”

“It is not aborn vampire that you must fear, but a changed vampire. These are frozen as they were when they werechanged and, since they spent their lives as humans, they have no selfcontrol. When the blood lust hits themthey go feral. They destroy everyone in their path.” Will shuddered at the image and shifted a bitfarther away from the vampire.

“I loved amortal named Kaylen. She was sick withthe wasting disease that is killing so many people lately. I couldn’t bear to watch her die and so Ichanged her, certain that I could help her to control herself. But then, only a week after she changed, shewandered out of our cave while I slept and went home to visit her family. I imagine that she thought she could controlherself, but as soon as she smelled the blood pumping through their veins, shewent mad with the blood lust and killed them all.”

“A neighbormust have seen her fleeing all covered in blood, because a mob chased her fromthe village back to our cave. She hadjust stepped inside when she was pulled back out. The mob tore her to pieces and burned herbody.” He had spoken with thedispassionate voice of a story teller, but his voice cracked at this and he hadto wipe a red tinged tear from his eye. “I have been running ever since.” He finished with a weary sigh. Tohis surprise, Will lay his hand on his arm and offered him a sympathetic look.

Robin reachedout his hand and patted Alan’s other arm, “We could always use the assistanceof a man who is stronger and faster than all others, not to mention one thatcarries an elixir for healing within his very blood. Will you join us?”

Alan lookedthoughtful, “You would welcome a vampire?”

Will grinned,“Well as you said, it’s the changed ones we have to worry about, right? Besides,” he swept his hand to indicate thegroup, “Robin is a shape shifter, which we all know are notoriousthieves.” Robin winked at that and Willcontinued with a grin, “John over there is a werewolf with a temper andapparently Friar Tuck can raise the dead, though we’re not keen on testing thattheory.” He shrugged offering his handin friendship, “and you’re a vampire. I’m the only boringly normal man in this merryband.”

Alan staredat the group, incredulous. “I think thatsuch a band as we are is bound to make history.” He shook Will’s hand and then proceeded toshake hands with Robin, John and finally the friar who had seemed to fight aninner battle over accepting a vampire.

He must haveconvinced himself though, because he reached out his hand and shookvigorously. The friar shrugged at thecurious look Alan gave him, “On one hand, you might drink my blood and kill mein my sleep. On the other hand, I’mhappy to welcome any man who will be drinking something other than my fineale.” Alan laughed a hearty laugh andsoon they were all laughing at the friar’s simple logic.

Alan thenpulled a well worn lute from his pack, remembering with a pang of loss howKaylen had loved to hear him play, but he pushed the memory aside and playedone jaunty tune after another. They allsang along until their eyes began to droop. As with every night, Robin stood to take first watch. Putting a hand on his shoulder to stop him,Alan said, “You were injured today. Younearly died. You should rest.” Robin opened his mouth to protest but Alanheld up a hand, “I am a vampire, I can see in the dark and I don’t need muchsleep, so I am the ideal sentry for our small camp.”

Finally,Robin gave in to his exhaustion and accepted Alan’s offer, “I am grateful, mynew friend.” Alan was surprised at thetrust this group showed, allowing a vampire that they didn’t even know to watchover them while they slept. He sworethen to do everything in his power to keep his new friends safe.