for the chestnut mare. It was only then I noticed the quiver full of arrows and the large bow strapped to her saddle. Robin Hood’s signature weapon.
“It better not!” Will snapped as he climbed on his mottled-grey stallion and Meira remounted her black mare. “I know you can’t turn a blind eye to random people in need, but this is my sister we’re talking about. Who knows what these hunters have been doing to her!”
“You underestimate her,” Robin said as he hopped on his mare in one impossible move. “I keep thinking she has probably long escaped, and is trying to find her way home.” Will looked about to explode, and Robin rushed to add, “But we’re operating under the assumption that they still have her. Briar Rose’s need to meet fairy royals will actually work in our favor. They might tell us where the Wild Hunt roam, or find us people who might have seen Marian.”
“Faerie is a vast place,” Agnë pointed out, “and the people are very protective of their borders. We don’t want to risk what happened to Prince Leander—”
It was too late to take back that slip-up as Robin asked curiously, “You know the prince?”
I rushed to answer before Agnë made it worse. “Of course, we lived at court.”
Agnë had said something in answer as Robin started to ride up the hill, but thankfully his attention was back with me. “He told courtiers about what happened to him?”
He made it sound like he himself knew about Leander’s ordeal, which made me question just how far gossip went in this land.
“It’s not like he had a choice,” I reasoned, floating beside his trotting mare. “He is marrying a half-fairy girl. That alone needed a good explanation to get all those around him to approve of a future fairy queen ruling Arbore alongside him.”
Robin cocked his head down at me. “Speaking of fairy queens, why did one curse you again?”
“I thought you said we had no time for stories.”
“We do, now we’re on our way. By all means, talk while we ride.”
Though I didn’t tire anymore, I so wanted to ride Amabel again. Not even knowing if I could, I swung up, maneuvered myself behind Agnë, feeling only Amabel beneath me, and thankfully not slipping through the saddle. To my delight, Amabel made that little shimmy she always greeted me with whenever I mounted her.
After we cleared the hill, we rode towards a daisy-dotted clearing that spread to the woods in the distance, the only one on foot but easily keeping pace with us was Little Jon. A man of his size would probably crush any horse he attempted to ride.
Robin brought his horse next to Amabel, cocking his head at me. “So?”
“How about we wait until we do manage to get an audience with a fairy royal?” I diverted, something I’d practiced for years when being sucked into unpleasant conversations with difficult people—like my mother. “I’d rather tell this story only once.”
Thankfully, this made him give up. For now.
Soon, we entered the woods, and it was like we’d stepped into deep autumn, only then making me realize it had been spring outside.
Thick mist curled at our horses’ legs, and the rays of light straggling through the thick canopy of branches and leaves bore no illumination or heat.
I soon looked back, and couldn’t even see the light where we’d entered. All our surroundings were unnervingly dark, with the rows of gnarled trunks seeming to go on forever, with the path ahead the only clear direction.
Little Jon led the way, the easiest to follow even with us on horseback.
“Is he a giant?” I asked out loud, knowing only Robin could hear me.
Robin slowed down so he rode beside us. “He has giant blood in him.” Agnë started at his seemingly out-of-the-blue comment, and he pointed behind her. “Answering Briar, who’s clinging to you like a limpet.” Agnë choked, and he laughed. “No danger of her possessing you, though, since it seems she’s isn’t a malevolent spirit. Yet.”
“So nice of you to be so reassuring,” I snapped. “Now tell her it was another one of your delightful jokes.”
Before he could say anything, Agnë blurted out, almost tearfully, “Tell her I’m not afraid of her, and how sorry I am she is in this state.”
Robin waved. “Oh, I don’t need to play messenger here. She can see and hear you fine. So you better watch what you do and say.” I almost heard the wiggling brows in his voice, before he