The winter season of 1200 saw a very heavy fall of snow in Loxley and all of Nottingham. Though many of the roads were hard to travel upon, Thomas noticed that the sheriff's men seemed to be out in high number. They had dug in at the northernmost end of the forest and were ever present when Thomas would go on his hunts. This made it difficult to hunt as easily as Thomas used to for two reasons. First, he didn't want them knowing his skills with the bow which meant he had to go somewhat deeper into the forest to avoid their prying eyes. Second, they either scared away or hunted what small game was nearby forcing Thomas even further into the wooded refuge.
Many of the men took liberties with the land, too. Digging latrines that cut into the farm's largest field. It was rude and crass, the way Thomas saw it. He especially didn't like their leader, whom the men called Captain Philip Teague. He often imposed on the local farms and used his official status to get away with behavior that Thomas thought was inappropriate.
Once, while Thomas was returning from a hunt, the captain had his men stop him.
"The captain wishes to speak with you in his tent," the grunt ordered. Thomas sized him and his partner up quickly. Both were a bit slow and one had an obvious blind spot to his left, apparent by the cauliflower ear he refused to cover and the other was slightly pigeon toed making his hips susceptible to damage. Thomas thought a single attack through in his head before accepting his situation. He followed the men to the largest tent. Inside, the captain stood pacing, wearing a bearskin cape with the paws of the bear draped over his shoulders.
Thomas stood patiently. The two rabbits dangled at his side.
"I see you brought payment," Philip said.
Thomas looked puzzled.
"The rabbits, you dolt," Philip continued his insults, "you have brought me fresh rabbits as payment for me having to stay out here, so far from the comforts of home in the middle of nowhere. All so that you're neighbors don't stir up trouble."
Thomas moved the rabbits slightly behind him. "These are for my family," he said.
Philip stopped pacing and leaned in to Thomas as if he was hard of hearing. "I'm sorry, I didn't hear you," he said. "Did you say thank you for your ever present protection, here are some delicious rabbits?"
Thomas hated being bullied. Especially by a man whose left side looked so vulnerable. Just a shoulder thrust, grab of his weapon and clockwise spin and slash would finish this shakedown but Thomas knew that that would only make matters worse.
Thomas swallowed his pride. He brought the rabbits out from behind him and offered them to the captain. Philip took them and glared past Thomas to the field.
"Is that your farm?" he asked Thomas. "The one with the ample living space?"
"Yes," Thomas answered.
"Come again, I'm afraid you didn't address me," Philip said.
"Yes, Sir."
"Good," Philip started. "What's your name?"
"Thomas, Sir."
"Thomas what? Don't you people have family names?"
"Thomas Redgrave," Thomas said. As he said it, he stood up straight like he was proud.
"Well, Thomas Redgrave, I suspect we'll be seeing each other again," Philip made a shooing motion with his hand, "you're dismissed."
Thomas stepped out of the tent and walked past all the men not avoiding their looks.
When Thomas arrived at the house empty handed, everyone stared at him.
Mary approached him. "No rabbits?" she asked.
"I had two," Thomas thought about telling them about the captain but he didn't want to get anything started, "I had them lined up but the soldiers made too much noise and both times the rabbits got away."
"Looks like it's oats for dinner," Will said and cracked a smile, "you'll have better luck tomorrow, papa."
Thomas pulled Mary close to him. Very softly he said, "I'll bring home four tomorrow." Thomas meant it. If he had to kill six rabbits to smuggle home four, he would do it. He was already thinking of depositing the extra four further down the edge of the tree line and retrieving them after giving the captain the two that he knew he was going to ask for.
A few days after Thomas had his rabbits taken that first time, Sir Guy's personal squire, Tybalt, arrived with news. The captain had found a farm which had a cottage larger than the others.
Guy delivered the news to de Lacy, himself.
"It's a large farm with a two room cottage," Guy continued, "and it's on the edge of our borders in Loxley."
The sheriff was happy to have such good news. "We can't displace a family, King John doesn't want to upset the yeomen. A cottage that size though, could accommodate the good captain and the farm could hold the men in heavy tents."
"Won't that cut into the use of their fields to raise grain?" Guy asked.
"We'll excuse some of their taxes this year," the sheriff concluded.
"When would you like me to go make the official accommodations?"
"By week's end," de Lacy said, "I don't want to give the rebels a single foot hold."
By the end of the week, Guy had prepared all of his supplies. He'd packed up heavier tents and a full garrison more of men. The caravan was ready when Guy sought out Matilda. She was going to see to her lady as Guy was coming from the lady's anteroom.
"Hello, Marian," Guy said charmingly.
"Hello, Sir Guy," Marian said with a proper curtsy, "to what do I owe the honor of speaking with you?"
Guy squared himself, "I've just come from the lady's quarters and I've asked her if she would mind letting me borrow you for a trip to the border."
Matilda blushed, "Why would you need the assistance of a lady's maiden?"
"It's really only an excuse to spend time with you," Guy said bluntly.
"Who am I to turn away the affections of a Knight of the Kings court?"
Matilda hurriedly gathered up a change of clothes and a few items and met Guy in the courtyard. He took her things and carried them for her to the carriage.
Once on the road, the two began conversing about everything from the weather to the crusades. Guy was aware that she was intelligent but she was very knowledgeable about things that no other maiden may know of. For instance she knew the dates and places of specific battles with the Normans and seemed to have an uncanny knack for reciting names and dates from memory.
Guy stopped her during one of her rambling moments. Laughing, he asked her, "How is it you know so much about everything?"
Without hesitation or thinking she blurted out, "books," then slapped her hand over her mouth.
Guy looked at her. "How are you getting books?"
"I shouldn't have said anything," she pleaded.
Guy thought for a moment. She really was brilliant. He opened up his satchel and pulled out a tome and offered it to her. It was a book of poems.
"Would you read me a few?" he asked her.
The rest of the trip was spent taking turns reading excerpts from the book. The two delighted themselves with the knowledge that it was their secret. Something only they could share with each other. Matilda found herself so engrossed in the reading that she didn't realize the surroundings outside of the carriage had become distantly familiar.
It didn't dawn on her until she stepped out onto the soil of her childhood home. She looked around, with a smile on her face. At first she thought it was some sort of romantic gesture until she saw the number of men setting up tents in the fields and the other soldiers unloading supplies.
"What are the men doing here?" she asked Guy.
He handed his satchel to his squire and turned to her to respond, "We're using this farm as a temporary outpost to repel some rebellious farmers. It's just a show of force, there shouldn't be any real danger. Besides, you're safe with me."
Matilda's stomach sank. Her father's farm used to be so bright and now it's become the stomping grounds for the sheriff's men.
"Does the family know?" she mentally crossed her fingers that this was all planned by her brother.
"Unfortunately, these simple farmers don't understand politics. We've commandeered the farm and cottage. The is all the king's land."
Guy proceeded across the yard to the cottage.
"Wait!" Matilda protested. "I grew up on a farm, maybe I could talk to them. It might help lessen the blow."
Sir Guy looked across the field at where the captain and his men were. "Make it quick," he said, Captain Teague is to move in with the Redgraves by sundown.
Matilda hurried to the door of the cottage. When she opened it, Mathias reared back with an ax. At that moment, Mary intervened, "Mathias James, you drop that ax now!"
Mathias dropped the ax and Mary ran up and hugged Matilda as she shut the door. "What's going on out there, Matilda? Why are there men on our farm?"
"Until I know for sure what's going on, I need you all to," Matilda looked around as her sentence trailed off, "Where's Thomas? Where's my brother?"
Muriel came to her daughters side, "He and Will have gone over and traded with another farm. They should be back shortly. What's the matter, dear?"
"Thomas told me that some of the farmers have been clashing with the sheriff's men. The sheriff plans on using this farm as a staging area to confront the rebels. It's a show of force."
The news floored Muriel. Their farm was all they had. Why would this happen to them?
Matilda continued, "They don't know that you all are my family. Until I know what's going on, it's best to keep it that way. Sir Guy was sent here to tell you that half the cottage is to be used as Captain Teague's private quarters while the men are here. I know this is going to be difficult but if you don't let them, they'll take it by force. It should only be temporary, just until they've found whoever is leading the uprising."
Mary's brother Joshua moaned, "Thomas isn't going to like this. He'll see them as another bear."
Matilda knew this to be true. Thomas never backed down. Out of the corner of her eye she could see his beat up wagon pull in through this room's single window. "Mary," she said, "get them in here."
As Mary went out the door, everyone inside was surprised to see that Thomas was calm. His demeanor was relaxed and tranquil as he came in.
"Hello Matty," he said as young Will ran up to hug her.
"This isn't a friendly visit, Thomas," she said hugging Will tight.
"That Captain Philip Teague is behind this," Thomas said. "I've had a few run-ins with him."
Mary looked out the window. "They don't know that you all are family. I was brought here as companionship for Sir Guy of Gisbourne. He's Sheriff de Lacy's second in command. He has come to move you into one side of the cottage and have Captain Teague take the other. I don't have time to give anymore details, he's coming up the yard." She turns to little Will, "let's pretend that I'm not your aunt Matilda, okay?" When she said it she looked up at Thomas. He could see it pained her to even pretend it.
The knock at their door was loud and demanding. Thomas opened the door and in front of him was Sir Guy and Captain Teague. "Do come in," Thomas said to the men.
Guy wanted this to go smoothly. He didn't like what he was doing, he was following orders. He began, "his Lordship, King John of England has politely demanded the use of your home. In return, there will be a cut in the amount of taxes for this year."
"What about my fields?" Thomas asked. He had already planned on not making a fuss but didn't want to make it look like he didn't worry about his farm.
"What about your fields?" Captain Teague spat. "Those are the king's fields."
Guy gently pushed the captain back. "Unfortunately," he said, "they are to be used by the men for lodging. This means that if we don't find the head of this little band of miscreants, we won't be out of the way come Beltain. We are hoping that it doesn't come to that."
"Some more so than others," Captain Teague said.
Guy motioned his hand and two soldiers came in and began moving furnishing out of the other side. While the men were busy moving the captain in, Guy noticed a book on the table.
"Who's book is that?" he asked.
"Mine," young Will said politely.
Guy picked up the book and opened it. Inside was printed that it was property of the Abbey of Nottingham.
"This is property of the abbey and therefore, it's the sheriff's property," Guy scowled. "Where did you get this?" he asked Will as he squatted to his level.
Will looked around. "It was a fox and a wolf. They brought it for me to read," he said.
Guy smiled and tucked the book under his arm. "Somethings amiss here. I suspect that Tuck has been giving the sheriff's property away in his crusade to rid the world of ignorance." He looked around the room. "Poor lot to waste it on."
It was everything that he could do to not strangle Guy where he stood but Thomas let the moment pass.
"Marian, we should be headed back to the castle," Guy ordered.
As the two rode off in the carriage, Thomas and Will watched.
"He's not a good man, papa," Will said gripping his father's hand.
"No son, he's not," Thomas said, "I fear the world is full of people like him."
That night, Will dreamt of a red fox. It ran in and out of it's den, hiding books and coins and sharing them with people as they went by.
The fox always made Will smile.
Comics, "Alan Moore", "Captain America", "Robin Hood", "Ivanhoe", "Green Arrow", "Kevin Smith", "Tarzan",
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