Arrowhead

And how it would affect them all come the morning.

By evening Jack wasn't the only one worried.

At various moments other members of his gang had gone to the tent and asked Robert if he would like something to eat, if he wanted to see how the training was going. They'd received no response. Finally, Bill had said: 'To buggery with this…' and gone inside. He emerged a minute or so later with a confused expression on his face.

'What is it?' Tate asked, limping over.

'The man's gone.'

'What?' Jack came to join them now. 'How can he be gone? We all saw him go in there.'

More of the group stopped what they were doing and came over, desperate to find out what had happened to Robert.

'Disappeared,' reiterated Bill. 'Bloody well vanished.'

Tate looked for himself, not doubting Bill but needing to see it with his own eyes. 'He's right,' said the Reverend when he came out again.

'But… but where?' Jack said.

''How the hell should I know?' said Bill. 'Judas Priest! That's just effing great, that is. Eve of the big day and he's gone walkabout.'

'He wouldn't do that,' argued Jack.

'Wouldn't he? Perhaps what happened to Mark affected him even more than we realised…' Tate clicked his fingers. 'Or he's gone off to try and rescue him alone. I do know he was having misgivings about dragging the rest of you into this.'

'Is he off his head?' Granger said.

'It's been said before…' came a voice from somewhere. It was difficult to pinpoint, seeming to originate first from the left, then the right. 'And to be honest, right now I'm not even sure myself.'

Jack gave a grin. 'Robbie.'

'Where are you?' Tate shouted.

'I'm over here…' That definitely came from behind them. 'Or am I here?' That was in front. The men looked first one way, then another.

When they turned back to the middle of the camp, though, there was Robert -leaning on his bow. They gazed at him, then at each other, unsure how to respond. Should they clap, as they would after a magician's trick? In the end Robert spoke up and saved them the trouble of deciding.

'Misdirection. It's the one thing we have on our side, the one thing that might help us to pull this off. While you were all busy training, not one of you noticed me slipping out, did you?'

There were mumblings, shakes of the head.

'When people are busy, they take their eye off the ball. I'm banking on that tomorrow. But I'm giving you one last chance to back out. I have to do this now, especially after…' He couldn't finish. Under his hood, they all knew the sadness that must be reflected on his face. Robert kept his 'mask' in place while he talked. 'If anyone has cold feet, I wouldn't blame them.'

No one said a thing, there weren't even any murmurs from the crowd.

'You're good men. You've restored my faith in human nature, something I never thought would happen. You give me a sense of hope, and I thank you for that.'

Just then there was movement at the rear of the crowd. Everyone turned to see Mary standing there.

After a beat, Robert continued. 'You all know the plan. You all know your roles. I know you won't let me down. If I should fall, you have to get the villagers… get Mark out. That is imperative above all else. I may not see you again, but you'll all remember what we did here in our time together, what we are about to do. And know that you have right on your side. Good hunting.'

They did clap and cheer then – none of them caring whether the noise could be heard from outside the camp, possibly even outside the forest. It reminded Jack of soldiers from olden times before heading off to fight. We're about to do our Lord of the Rings thing, he thought.

Eventually the crowd broke up. The Hooded Man cast just one look back as he returned to his tent, over at Mary who was still watching him.

Then he disappeared inside.

He waited for some time, almost gave up on her – but in the end she came, as he knew she would.

Robert was sitting cross-legged on the floor, head down, hood covering his features. When Mary entered he didn't even look up, just said: 'You came back, then?'

'Yes. I promised I would stand by you – that I would help in whatever way I could. I don't break my promises.' There was a steely quality to her voice tonight that hadn't been there when they'd spoken yesterday. He recognised it, because he'd used it himself before.

'Actually, I'm not so sure you should have.'

'You know, for a hero you really can be a wanker sometimes,' she snapped.

Robert raised his head at that. 'Is that what you came to tell me?'

'No.' Mary dawdled at the entrance, not wanting to come too far in, but not wanting to be outside either. 'I came back to wish you luck.'

'Thanks…' He looked up at her properly now. 'Mary, listen, when I said I'm not sure you should have come back I meant… I know you can take care of yourself and everything, I just wouldn't like to see something… I wouldn't want anything to happen to you.'

'Like it has with Mark, you mean?'

He didn't answer.

'That's sweet, but I make my own decisions in life. You're about to go and get yourself captured or killed. Why shouldn't the rest of us? Why shouldn't I? Give me a reason, Robert.'

'Because-' He said it a bit too forcefully, too hastily, then took an age to finish the sentence. 'Because… I care about you.'

'Yes. I know. We're friends, right?' Mary sighed. 'That was quite some speech you gave out there, you know? You certainly have a way of rallying the troops.'

'I just wanted them to know how… how much I've come to think of them.'

'As for that little trick with the voice throwing; pretty nifty. Then appearing in the middle of them-'

'You were watching?'

'A-huh,' she admitted. 'I've been watching all day, saw you set the rope up – just like you've been teaching them. When you asked if anyone had seen you leave the tent; I did. I saw you Robert. I wasn't preoccupied.'

Robert got to his feet.

'One day you'll be a legend, Robert Stokes. One day stories will be written about you, just like they wrote about him.'

'Him?'

'You know who I mean. Your… predecessor.'

'Oh.'

Read to me Dad… Read some more…

Mary came a little more into the tent, hands behind her back. 'I didn't just come here to wish you luck,' she admitted at last.

'No?' He got up and moved forwards.

'No. I came to give you this…' She brought her hands out where he could see them, and she was holding one of the broadswords from her home. 'You may as well look the part.'

'I… I can't take that,' said Robert.

'Yes you can. They might not let you keep it, but you never know. They might not even see it as a threat.'

'One hell of a hunting knife, though,' Robert said, with a lightness of tone that had been absent during the rest of the conversation. 'Thank you.'

'No need. Just take that stupid hood off and let me see you.'

Robert pulled it back. 'I meant what I said, you know. About another time and place…'

'I know.' Mary smiled weakly. 'But this is the only one we have.'