Brother Fletcher gave her an expression of mock hurt. “I was forcibly thrown out of my monastery home, which you might recall.”
Robin tilted her head to look at the monk. “In all truth, that is not what I recall.”
Ian looked up at her. “Were not the monks thrown out of the monastery?”
“Yes!” Brother Fletcher said, though he had not been the recipient of the question.
“But,” Robin said, nearly yelling to speak louder than the monk. “Do you know the real reason Gareth forced the monks to leave?”
“If you are saying that the real reason was not the growing storms,” Ian replied, “then I do not know.”
“The monks were the beginning of River’s Talon,” Robin said. “They had been using that monastery—and the caves underneath it—to help the Majis. Gareth discovered this and hoped that by dispersing the monks, he could destroy the Talon.”
“He did not know,” Brother Fletcher cut in, “that the monks had already passed on the leadership of their secret organization to one Robin of Lockwood.”
“How?” Ian asked. He had completely stopped his attempt to fletch the arrow in his hands and was looking at Robin with curiosity.
“Shortly after I came back from the castle,” Robin said, “I discovered that one of my farmers had been working with the monks to harbor traveling Majis here in Lockwood. I started working with him. I could travel easily, and I had a remote manor community that was trustworthy.”
Brother Fletcher took the arrow from Ian’s idle hands. “She became one of our key members outside the monastery, communicating with our allies in all five kingdoms. WhenGareth forced us out of our home four years ago, it only made sense that Lockwood become the new center of River’s Talon. And that is why I am here.”
Robin looked to Ian. “He left the monastery a full three seasons before Gareth and his fabricated chaos storms forced them out.”
“It is not the monastery that maketh the monk.” Brother Fletcher’s voice was solemn, as though he were reciting a prayer. His left hand had picked up the thread hanging from the unfinished arrow, and he began to deftly wrap it around the split feather.
“I thought you had never fletched an arrow in your life?” Ian said.
The monk shrugged. “It is in my blood.”
Ian reached down to the low table in front of him and picked up the letter they had intercepted from the courier.
Robin had read it a dozen times over and formulated a plan. A plan that was a little more dangerous than her usual ones. She had already discussed it with Ulli and the others. But she had invited Ian here to make arrows with her so she could present it to him as well. The ideal version of this plan would require his participation.
Ian looked up at her, keeping the letter in his hands. “So I take it you have a plan for this?” he asked.
Robin nodded, the corner of her mouth twitching up in a smile. “According to this missive,” she said, “Gareth is sending three Majis prisoners to the monastery. He has never moved them anywhere outside of the Chendas dungeons—so there will be no easier time to free them than now.”
“That is what I expected,” Ian said. “Raiding a traveling party—even if it is well protected—does not seem like it would be too difficult. I can personally attest to the fact that your bandits are quite adept at waylaying travelers on the road at night.”
“Thank you for that high opinion of my work,” Robin replied to his jest. “But that is not what I had in mind this time.”
“Oh?” Ian asked, surprise in both his voice and his eyes.
“I have a plan...” She waited for a breath, noting a surprise of her own that was for a very different reason. She was not usually nervous to share her plans with Ulli or Lane, but she was nervous now. She reminded herself that Ian’s reaction did not matter. This was her plan. “I have a plan to take the monastery.”
Ian’s eyes widened, his brow wrinkling. “Totakethe monastery?” he repeated. “As in take control of it? The monastery that is currently the headquarters of not one army general, but two?”
Robin nodded. “You want me to help you take back control of the castle, but you scoff at taking control of a much smaller monastery?”
“I did not scoff,” Ian replied. “And the castle is full of people who are loyal to me and my family. We only need to remove the imposing king and his soldiers.”
“One of the generals at the monastery is also supposedly loyal to you,” Robin replied.
Ian nodded. “I hope that is still true.”
“Do you have no faith in your people?” Robin asked.
“I have complete faith in my people,” Ian replied. “My family has done our utmost to keep them safe and secure. What I do not trust is their reaction to fear. And they have much to fear right now.”
