Thomas' appearance at the village of Loxley, his red hood, his compound bow, his bloody mess, all caused an uproar. The fire at the tavern burned out of control and when Guy arrived on the scene, the morning after Thomas' departure, there was very little he could surmise from the situation.
He had established that a demon of sorts had set upon Loxley's main square and destroyed it's tavern in a fit of rage so menacing that it left the farmers shaken. All the descriptions were the same. A man in a red hood, the color of a robin's breast, who's patient walk as he left the scene shook many of the innocent farmers to their core.
"'Twas like he didn't fear a thing," one witness had said, "Not even God Himself."
Guy had suspicions on who the man was but he couldn't believe that the man he had met on that farm some months back, Thomas Redgrave, and this rogue assailant could be one in the same. Thomas seemed so calm and reserved, to think that this could be his work would mean that there was much to Thomas that Guy couldn't pin point. The trouble was, Thomas couldn't be found anywhere. He vanished. No one knew of any place he would have or could have gone.
The sheriff had ordered Guy to oversee the repairs and station men in the Loxley square and by the week's end, a patrol of two dozen men resided at Loxley. Guy was also ordered to oversee bringing in help for the farmers and rebuilding the Redgrave farm. He had no trouble posting shifts of men to help with Loxley's farming needs but he didn't like the idea of sending men to the Redgrave farm. Tempting the anger of a man that may be capable of killing so many, so easily, meant playing with his own life and Guy didn't like putting himself or any of his men into that position. Orders were orders, though, and Guy did his best at having a work detail rebuild the cottage and re-dig the farm's burnt out fields. He also had his men re-dig the adjoining fields that the brigands had set fire to on that same night.
Thomas watched from the safety of the tree line. He had taught himself to quickly ascend and descend a rope anchored to a tree by grapple that he had fashioned from the broken end of a hoe. Twenty feet up, the cover was more dense and made it easier to conceal himself.
Though he had figured that the farm would be rebuilt, he didn't realize it would be so soon. Then he figured that the sheriff had lost a lot of farm land and work force for this area so every inch of soil became more valuable. Thomas smiled to himself.
He climbed down from the tree and made his way to where he had tied up his horse about a mile deeper into the woods. He rode back to sanctuary, having left early that morning to see the effect his vengeance had on the area and wanting to be back before nightfall.
Upon returning, Tuck met him outside. Will and the others had gone into the town proper to get supplies. Tuck had been waiting for Thomas' return so he could bring him up to speed on their plans for the school.
"We've already been feeling around," Tuck said happily, "we've been listening for the voice of descent and have picked up a bit of it here and there. I tell you, these people are ripe for a rebellion."
Thomas cared little about the school and the rebellion that Tuck was so excited about. "I'll be happy when I've seen my last arrow fly into the heart of it's target. I'll be able to sleep soundly knowing that my family is avenged."
Tuck knew that Thomas wasn't as excited as the others about the school. He'd voiced his opinion on more than one occasion about how a school had taken his sister from him and destroyed his family. Even though this was a different kind of school, Thomas had grown weary of any organization, no matter it's reason for existing.
He and Tuck cleaned the rabbits he'd killed on his way home and began cooking them when Will and the others returned.
"Papa," Will said excited, "they whispered about a hooded demon. They say the devil's come to Loxley."
John patted Thomas on the back lightly. "I don't know what you did there, but they have a dozen names for you. Red Hood. Red Devil. Hooded Demon.... Robin Hood... I think my favorite is The Infernal One! Some that know it was you have even called you The Wolf's Head. Did you really burn down the tavern with Cornelius in it?"
Thomas shrugged John's hand off his back. "No," he said calmly. "I burnt down the tavern with all the others in it. I let Cornelius bleed out in the road until he was pale as his ghost. I even told him I would visit a worse fate on his loved ones, knowing that he would die believing that they would soon follow."
Smith looked up, his face was a bit pale, "You... you killed his wife and daughter?"
"No," Thomas said, "but it brought a smile to my face when I saw the terror in his eyes, when he believed I would!"
The men all looked at each other in disbelief. Tuck came into the room and pulled Will away to begin studying. He feared what Will would think if he heard his father speak so matter-of-fact of death and killing.
John pulled Thomas aside and asked, "I thought you said you were just going to kill Cornelius?"
Thomas looked John square in his eyes. He could see that John was worried about the fate of all those men. The men he once led. Thomas wouldn't lie to him though, he respected him more than that.
"I only said I was going to kill Cornelius," Thomas answered, "I never said it was going to be just him. He may have ordered the death of my family, but I doubt that coward had the gall to set the fire himself. All of those men were just as guilty as he was. They applauded that murderer like he was a hero! A bloody hero! He and they got what they deserved."
John looked at Smith and Layne. They gripped their sword handles. Thomas could hear their sheaths reposition as they did.
"If they even think about attacking me, I'll gut you before you hit the floor," Thomas' statement was cold. He pulled his dagger and jabbed it into the place at the table near John's hand. "Don't you forget that I've spared you and them. If I ever feel that you're a threat to me or my son..." Thomas let the men's imaginations fill in the rest. They could see that in some ways, he was the wolf. He could kill without hesitation or provocation.
Thomas packed up some food. "Where are you going?" Layne asked.
"I don't feel like I'm part of this group. This isn't my pack." He pulled the dagger from the table. He walked into where Will was studying and kissed him on the forehead. "I have to go out for a while. I've got a lead. I'll be back in a couple of days." He kissed his son on the head again. Then gave the others a look as he walked toward the door. He pulled up his hood then paused long enough to utter, "I only wish I could have made them all die slower," before disappearing into the night.
John looked a little worried. Smith and Layne could see the consternation on John's face.
"What do you think he'll do?" Smith asked.
"To us?" John replied, "Nothing. To anyone that gets in his way? I imagine it's not something I'd want to know. I've seen a lot of killing and a lot of killers but I've ne'er seen one so built for that purpose."
Tuck interjected, "Matilda says that Thomas has no sense of fear. He reacts and does it in a very calculated manner. She also says that he often seemed like he was burying part of himself to be a farmer like his father. He could have been a soldier in the army. Hell, he could have been an officer with how he thinks but he wanted nothing more than to be with his family and farm. He truly is a wolf trying to be a sheep. Not to hide, but to avoid his nature." Tuck pulled the men in close. "I agree with him whole-heartedly that those men he killed deserved it, but that doesn't mean I don't get nervous thinking about how easily he can steal someone's life from them. It's better that he's an ally than an enemy, no?"
The men all nodded in agreement. John knew that as long as they didn't cross Thomas, they were all safe.
Thomas rode off into the night. He didn't really know where he was going, but he didn't want to be around the others. He started at full gallop but had slowed to a moderate pace by the time he hit the main road that passed through Sherwood.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out the silver ring. A tear ran down his cheek as he gazed upon it. He didn't see his vengeance as murder, he saw it as justice and it sickened him to think that John and the others didn't see it that way.
Thomas knew that he couldn't go all the way to Loxley nor could he go to the castle or town. He took the horse off the road and let it meander east. Two hours later he found a clearing near a stream. He tied up the horse and let it drink, then fed it some oats he had.
Thomas laid down in the field and drifted off to sleep.
That night Thomas dreamt of the days on the farm. He dreamt of his wife and son. He dreamt that they had had a daughter.
When Thomas woke, the realization that it was a dream made him hang his head and cry.
Comics, "Alan Moore", "Captain America", "Robin Hood", "Ivanhoe", "Green Arrow", "Kevin Smith", "Tarzan",
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