After waiting a day, Thomas prepared to make entry into the castle. He'd taken time to trim his beard and hair so that his prey would recognize him. Security was light because of the pact and since de Lacy hadn't officially broken it, he felt there was no need to increase it just yet.
On the castle grounds were four sentries posted at the walls and two more at the gates. The gate guards wore breast plate. Inside the walls another four stood watch at the castle corners while a fifth walked the yard on patrol. Thomas knew that he'd have to take out all of them to get into the castle and once he did, the time he'd have to accomplish his goals would be limited.
He went to the back wall and watched the guards. One was fidgeting with the laces of his boots. The other was at attention and doing a fine job of keeping an eye out for anything out of the ordinary. Thomas looked above the guards' head and noticed a branch from a tree that was about twenty feet away. The branch wasn't directly over the guard but Thomas figured he could clear the ten feet easier than the thirty feet away he was. He thought about throwing his daggers but the chance of them hitting the stone behind the guard or making any other type of noise in the night, was too great. He'd have to bury his blades by hand.
Thomas picked up a small stone and put it in his pocket then moved in an arc so that the guard couldn't see him as he approached behind the tree. He scaled it like he had done so many others, making no noise except for the stirring of leaves which was mild like that caused by wind. Thomas moved through the tree without error, making his way to the branch closest to the guard. He looked up the wall toward the guard at the front. Boredom had made that guard fidgety as well. Thomas hung from under the branch about twelve feet in the air. He tossed the stone, the noise of which caught the attention of the guard immediately in front of him. As the guard looked to the stone, Thomas dropped. The sound caught the guard's attention as well and as he turned, Thomas ran up, unsheathed his two daggers from his belt and stabbed downward piercing both of the man's lungs then across the man's throat in a single motion.
As the first guard fell, Thomas sprinted along the back wall toward the guard that was fiddling with his laces. The guard turned to look to his right, in the direction that Thomas was coming, just as Thomas rolled passed him. Thomas felt his dagger slow as it found its way between two vertebrates but the man's throat hung open like a pouch. His head fell forward, held on only by skin on the back of the neck.
Thomas didn't stop moving, he ran up to the front of the wall and slowed as he got closer to the guard there. He waited for the guard to look toward the road before he sprang up and wrapping his left arm around the man's throat to muffle him and pulled him back, stabbing him multiple times in the lower back and lungs. Thomas then sprinted around the back wall again. The guard had come around the side of the wall to relieve himself and fumbled to grab his sword when Thomas leaped on him, stabbing him down through his collar while his feet kicked the man in the abdomen. His daggers pierced both lungs and heart. Thomas knew that the noise was muffled but worried that it may have alerted the guards at the gates.
Thomas could hear one of the guards approaching. He quickly picked the fresh kill up and leaned it against the wall like he was relieving himself and crouched between the dead man and the wall in the shadow he created, to hold him up. The gate guard came around the corner. He looked for a moment that the man.
"Do you mind?" Thomas said in a whisper.
The guard turned away and said, "sorry."
As he turned, Thomas moved out from under the corpse and let it collapse. The shuffling noise the body made as it fell down the wall made the guard turn and when he did, Thomas stabbed his dagger into his neck and pulled him to the ground. Thomas put the guards helmet and breastplate on then draped the man's cloak around himself.
He calmly walked back to the man's post next to the other gate guard. He nodded at the other guard, when the guard turned to nod back at him, Thomas stabbed up under the man's chin, through his jaw and into his brain. The movement was a blur.
Thomas then opened the gate and backed in as the patrolling guard passed. The patrolling guard stopped to see why one of the guards was backing in and Thomas faked like he had lost his footing. The other guard reached over to catch him and Thomas gripped the man around the waist as he did. With his other hand, Thomas stabbed the man quickly in both of his lungs. The man was unable to breath or call out but was still alive and could walk. Thomas led him over to one of the sentries.
As the sentry saw the two approached, he thought something was wrong with one of them. He went to help and Thomas dropped the dying man and moved in on the guard. His daggers climbed up the man, stabbing first in the right leg, then the left abdomen, right lung, left lung and finally throat. The movement was a blur, again. Thomas moved both bodies against the wall then ran over to the post at the other corner.
He had dropped the breast plate and helmet while running and built enough speed to clear the last six feet between him and the surprised guard in a leap. Thomas could see the look of terror on the man's face as his head made contact on the stone wall. A muffled thud was followed by a crack as Thomas twisted the man's neck.
Thomas sprinted again, running along the outside wall of the castle he caught the second to last guard off guard and stabbed him through the back of his neck repeatedly while holding the man's hair. The man's body sagged and Thomas dropped it. He paused long enough to pinpoint where the last guard was in the night.
He could see the man standing under a torch. Thomas was less worried about noise now so he threw both of his daggers in quick succession, stabbing the man in the belly. When he approached and took out the daggers, he cut the man's throat.
Now he could get into the service entrance. Inside he expected one or two guards between him and Guy and a guard standing outside of de Lacy's quarters. Thomas spun his daggers in his hands so that they were reversed, pommels up near his thumbs.
He moved through the halls in a hurried walk. It was a determined step. As he made his way through the candle lit halls and rooms, he blew them out, leaving a wake of darkness. Each step brought him closer to his prey. He found the steps that wound up to Guy's quarters.
At the top was a guard. Thomas blew out the candles that lit the steps then tapped the wall with his dagger. The guard turned. He was straining to see where the noise came from, Thomas reached out and grabbed him quickly by the collar, pulling him down the winding steps. Thomas cut the man's throat and let go, listening as his limp body came to rest at the base of the stone stairs.
Thomas took a moment to check his bow and arrows. He brought two of the lethal red broad heads. He strung his bow then heard the soft footfalls from down the hall. He backed up into the shadows. A patrolling guard had come down and noticed the station sentry was missing. As he approached, a dagger shot out of the darkness and buried itself in his head. Thomas moved quickly across the floor, pulling his dagger free as he did. He sheathed them and readied his first arrow outside Guy's door.
There was noise from inside. People talking. Thomas recognized them both. Matty was asking Guy who had been sent to replace him.
"I don't know," Guy answered. "I suspect one of the nobles that de Lacy favors, has a promising son."
Thomas thought about what kind of people de Lacy must favor. He spat on the floor then knocked on the door.
Inside, Guy pointed to an area for Marian to hide. It wouldn't be prudent to have a hand-maiden in his quarters at this time.
Guy opened the door. His eyes widened as he peered at the broad head that tipped the arrow that was pointed directly at him. He tried to close the door but Thomas gave it a swift kick.
Guy ran for his sword where he had left it on the bed but it wasn't there. Where was it?!
Thomas moved in and Guy put himself between Thomas and Marian.
"Stay back, Marian," Guy warned. "Get behind me. This is Thomas Redgrave. He's the Hooded Demon of Loxley and the Wolf's Head of Sherwood. I won't let him harm you."
Thomas' eyes narrowed. "Harm her?" Thomas said.
"I've seen your brutality," Guy said. "You have no honor."
"Like the honor of taking over a family's home? Like the honor of taking a book from a child's hands? Like the honor of limiting when a boy can visit his own sister?" Thomas argued. "If that's honor, I'd rather lie down with hounds."
Guy looked around the room for his sword. He couldn't find it! Where was it?!
"You're family has been a plague on England long enough!" Guy said.
Her voice was small but piercing to the soul. Matty had held out hope that there would be a peaceful resolution. She said, "Do you mean that?"
Guy paused.
"He does, Matty," Thomas said.
"Matty?" Guy asked as he slowly turned. Marian was holding his sword up defensively. A single tear ran down her cheek.
"You're....," it came together so quickly for Guy that he stumbled over his words, "you're his sister?"
Matty nodded. "I watched you treat my family like they were dogs. I should have let Thomas kill you then."
Guy tried to rush Matty. It was unclear if it was to hold her or thrash her but Thomas didn't chance it. The broad head tore through Guy's shoulder and he spun.
Rage filled his eyes. He jumped at Thomas, knocking the bow away and began swinging his fists into Thomas' face. His right fist didn't land with the ferocity it could have because of the crippling wound but his left pummelled Thomas just the same. Thomas swung back, hearing the crunch of cartilage and bone as he broke Guy's nose.
Marian watched through tear blurred eyes as her brother and Guy fought with a savageness she'd never seen from either of them. Not even with Thomas saved her from the bear.
Thomas kicked at Guy's shin, knocking one leg out from under him but Guy spun to compensate and pulled Thomas with him. Their fists brutalized each others' face and blood soon ran freely. Thomas gripped the arrow in Guy's back and used it to spin guy face down on the floor. He punched the back of Guy's head, Guy's face smashing into the floor. He spat out teeth.
Thomas pulled his head up by his hair.
"Do it!" Guy pleaded. "The wench has already killed me!"
Hearing Guy say such about Matty caused Thomas to continually bash his head into the floor until it turned to pulp. He looked up at Matty. She was in tears.
"I'm sorry, Matty," Thomas said.
She shook her head. She knew this day was going to happen. Matty had hoped that she had prepared herself for it.
Thomas picked up the bow. After all the action in the yard, Guy smacking it aside cause it to snap.
"Get back to your quarters," Thomas said. "I have some more thirsty work ahead of me. I'll come get you after so we can leave this place."
Matty nodded and stepped over Guy. She sobbed and Thomas tried to hug her but she pulled away. Thomas understood.
The hallway was still empty when Matty and Thomas exited Guy's room. Thomas knew that de Lacy's room wasn't far. He drew the other broad head and dropped the quiver. He then drew his dagger and stumbled up the corridor. Around two corners and down a hall, Thomas saw a guard facing a door. The missing patrol must have caught his attention. Thomas moved slowly toward him. The door the guard was facing was de Lacy's and he was being given orders.
The man quickly hurried down the other end of the hall. Thomas figured he was waking the troops. Thomas moved up the wall to the door. The hallway was clear. He knocked.
De Lacy opened the door saying, "What do you want now?". Seeing Thomas made him go flush. "You... you...!"
"I am," Thomas said as he walked into de Lacy's room. "You planned on breaking the agreement. I'm here to collect."
De Lacy backed up. "You'll never leave this castle alive," he said.
"I don't intend to."
Thomas thrust the arrow up so hard and fast that it lifted de Lacy off of the floor. Half of the arrow stuck out of de Lacy's abdomen at a downward angle. The rest, by Thomas' best calculations, reached up and into de Lacy's heart. The noise he made as he realized what had happened was akin to a child having a toy taken from him. A slight whine. Thomas let de Lacy fall back on the bed and then he kicked the end of the shaft so that it buried even further.
Time was running out. Thomas had to get Matty out of the castle. A burst of energy overcame Thomas and he set out down the hall to the steps then down to the maids' quarters.
Matty was coming out of her room. "They've alerted the towers," she said, "we'll have to be quick."
Thomas grabbed her hand and ran down to the stables. With a quick look over, Thomas figured which horse was the fastest and second fastest. He put Matty on the fastest the mounted the other. He pulled his red hood up, knowing this would make him the primary target. At first they trotted slow, making it to just outside the wall before they heard the guards alarm.
"Ride hard!" Thomas ordered Matty, "Don't stop to look back until you get to sanctuary!"
Matty kicked her horse and took off, as did Thomas. Matty's horse was much faster and Thomas' hood drew fire. Matty was clear of the archers quickly but one arrow hit Thomas at about the same spot he'd hit Guy. More arrows pierced the ground around Thomas' speeding horse but two drove into the horse's neck, causing it to fall head first and role with Thomas on its back.
There was a loud crack as Thomas' collar bone snapped under the immense weight and the arrow in his shoulder twisted, snapping the shoulder joint. The horse continued to roll off of Thomas but it was now dead and lay motionless. Thomas looked back at the castle as men stormed down at him. He tried to pull a dagger but they were on top of him, swords out.
Thomas blacked out.
When he woke, he was shackled in the castle dungeon. His chest and shoulder burned. They'd dressed his wounds and removed the arrow but it all felt infected. Looking around, he was surrounded by rats and hay.
The guard outside the cell heard Thomas stir, he peeked in. "You're to be executed tomorrow," he said with a smile, "you poor bastard."
Thomas thought about how death would be a release from the burning pain that his body and soul was in.
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