Bernard looked up for a moment, catching Robin’s eye. He nodded a single nod.
Robin trusted Bernard’s numbers. “You might be right,” she said.
Ilida’s eyes went wide.
“Do not look at me like that,” Robin said, her mouth twitching with a small smile despite her hurt pride. “I am happy to admit when I have been proven wrong. However...” She looked back to Ian. “I have not been fully proven wrong yet.”
“How else would you like us to prove it?” Ian asked.
“I suggest that we have a look inside Reeve Vahnell’s cellar.”
Chapter 21
Ian felt as though he could disappear into the night itself. The dark trousers, shirt, and cloak he had brought with him from the castle were so different from the formal, fitted vests and jackets that had made up his daily wardrobe as a prince. He had not expected the freedom he would relish from the loose—albeit stained—linen shirt he had worn every day for the last sevennight. Nor the acceptance he would feel while standing in the group of Robin’s bandits, wearing clothing that placed him as their equal.
And now, standing with those bandits near the front stable of Lockwood after sundown, he felt like he truly might be one of them. Like he could slide his hood deep over his face, step into the dark trees, and become as invisible as they had been that first night when he could not see them on the road.
“Your first raid,” Lane said, standing next to Ian. He threw his arm around Ian’s shoulders and then quickly withdrew it, as though suddenly uncomfortable with his own action. “Robin,” he said, his voice loud and carefree, “What is your law for breaking the law with a lawmaker?”
“It is hardly breaking the law,” Ian replied, keeping his tone light. He was excited for his first raid. “In fact, it almost feels likewe are enforcing the law by seeing if someone else has broken it.”
“Well said,” Lane replied.
Ian noticed that Robin had said nothing. She was busy attaching her bow to her back with a harness belted across her chest. She did not appear to be ignoring them; rather she was focused on the plan ahead.
“Besides, this is not even a real raid,” Ian continued, wanting to both enjoy this new camaraderie with the team and reassure Robin. He trusted his own skills as a trained soldier. But he also saw how Robin protected her band with a fierce loyalty, and he doubted she would endanger them by inviting him on a dangerous mission when his presence could disrupt their careful synchronization. “I am just here to count the food supplies we find and compare them to the numbers Ilida showed me,” Ian said.
“But you are dressed for the part,” Nele chimed in, playing off of Lane’s energy.
“If something does happen,” Rigelt said, “I won’t even bother to shroud you in darkness magic this time. You can just disappear on your own.”
Ian lifted his hood and dropped it over his face. He stood completely still, acting in jest that he had actually disappeared.
Lane and the others laughed appreciatively.
Even Robin, who had finished adjusting her harness and checking the daggers in her belt, smiled.
“Are we ready?” she asked, looking around at each of them.
Ian nodded when she caught his eye.
“To Doulast,” Robin said. “Jette, lead the way.”
Falling into line behind the tall woman, the small group left the soft lantern light outside of Lockwood Manor and began their walk to the nearby village of Doulast. Robin had explained to Ian in advance that she preferred to walk rather than ridefor night raids such as this, as it was easier to disperse into the forest without worrying about any large mounts. It made the trip take longer, but Doulast was still close enough that they could be back well before dawn.
Ian found that, despite his best efforts, he was quite nervous. He did not attribute the racing of his heart to fear, however. This felt like something that he shouldn’t be doing. It was a raid, even though they had no intention of stealing from the target. It felt like something that a responsible prince should not do—and yet, he was excited to do it.
He wanted to ensure that the people in his kingdom had enough to eat, and this was one way to do that.
In front of him, he noticed the way Robin moved with ease, like she herself was a shadow in the night. He watched the motion of her shoulders, the responsive bounce in her heel, and he attempted to mirror her movements. It felt very different from the strong and deliberate way he always moved as a captain of the army. He had been trained to stand out, to be seen, to make himself heard for the sake of the order and effectiveness of the companies under his command. But here, none of those traits helped him.
So he eased into his step, relaxing his shoulders and trying not to worry about what they would find in the larder of the reeve of Doulast.
Perhaps he and Ilida were entirely wrong and the reeve had nothing to do with the missing food. Perhaps the food was not missing at all and the villagers truly were taking the minimum they needed to survive.
Or, perhaps they were right and the reeve was hoarding food for himself.
As the road grew wider and the trees thinned, the crescent moon overhead illuminated a village up ahead. Even from a distance, Ian could see that Doulast was easily twice the sizeof Berwell. Several buildings lined a few crisscrossed streets. Two or three of the buildings appeared to be taverns, still open despite the late hour. But for the most part, the town was dark and the streets deserted.
