Cursed by Bandits (Once Upon A Curse)

22. Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Two

F or a moment we lay there watching the water dance around us, listening to the other breathe. But staying here longer wasn’t an option, as much as I would have loved to escape from the world with him forever. At least that’s how I felt in the moment.

It didn’t take long for my responsibilities to come crashing down on me. I hastily grabbed my clothes, trying, and failing, to put on the wet leather leggings that were suddenly too small for me. After hopping around trying to get them on like I was a court jester, I gave up. My blouse was long enough, I supposed. It did almost cover my knees .

I looked up to see Milo watching me, a goofy grin plastered on his face.

“We have to go,” I said, urgency lacing every word.

“I know. I have to get my kilt on, it will take but a moment.” He laid out the fabric like he had done this a thousand times, which I’m sure he actually had. And it wasn’t long before he was fully dressed; damp, but dressed.

I wasn’t fully dressed and I was soaked to the bone. He grabbed my hand and, with a last squeeze, we moved deeper into the cave, searching for the exit we had found six years ago during all of our exploring. The night wasn’t over, and our mission was far from complete, but at that moment, standing together behind the waterfall, I felt stronger than ever. But was it enough? Was I enough to make the changes Lockersley so desperately needed, or did I need someone with more power by my side?

As we emerged from the other side of the cave, the moonlight cast long shadows across the forest floor.

“What took you so long?” Jane hissed from behind the trees. “And where are your pants?”

I glanced down at my bare legs and shrugged. “The leggings were too wet to get back on.”

Jane rolled her eyes but didn’t press further. “Sounds like a story when we have more time. But now we need to move. The guards are looking for us. ”

The three of us clambered up into the wagon ladened with my uncle’s gold, or I should say, with the gold of the people of Lockersley.

The horses trotted through the forest, with Jane leading us to the others; long shadows stretched in front of us. The moon was to set soon, and morning would be upon us. My mind raced with the events of the night, most of them exhilarating, and everything that was left for us to accomplish, leaping back and forth between the two like a child over a babbling brook.

We rolled up to the designated meeting spot where Tuck, Will, and Erin were waiting. Their anxious pacing turned into relieved smiles as they greeted us. Briefly, their eyes flicked to my unconventional attire, but not a single one of them said a word about it.

“Did you get it?” Tuck asked.

Milo nodded, patting the side of the wagon. “Every last coin.”

“Good,” Tuck said, a satisfied gleam in his eye. “Now, let’s distribute it before the sun rises. The people need to know the hooded bandit is here for them.”

“I’m going to need another pair of pants if I’m delivering tonight.” I stood there in just my wet blouse, waiting for a response .

“Are you missing your pants? I hadn’t noticed.” Erin’s words were stiff as she turned towards Tuck. “Do you have anything she can use? If not, I’m pretty sure I do.”

Tuck shook his head. “Go get them . . . Hurry!”

Erin ran out of our meeting spot. My eyes followed her, hoping she would have something for me, even though I doubted she had made anything that would fit my hips and thighs.

“Shouldn’t we hide some of the gold? Keep it back until it’s needed. That way, my uncle cannot get it back in one fell swoop of the sheriff coming to town to collect taxes.”

Tuck nodded thoughtfully. “That’s a good idea. We’ll keep a portion well hidden in the old abbey. It’s been abandoned for some time.”

Milo stepped closer, his arm brushing against mine. “Allow me to take care of that. I still use the area for some of my more explosive experiments. I know a few good hiding spots in the abbey.”

I glanced at him, grateful for his support, wondering if the physical contact was intentional. “Thank you, Milo. And you too, Tuck. I couldn’t do this without you.”

“Don’t start getting sentimental now. There’s a lot of work that needs to be done and we need to be strategic about it.” Tuck ran his hand over his bald head .

Erin returned with a pair of pants that looked like they could have belonged to me. She looked away as she handed them to me. The fabric was a green wool that was softer than anything I had ever felt in my life. I pulled them on, amazed at how perfectly they fit around my waist and through my hips before they loosened around my thighs, and tied under my knees, right below the top of my boots, allowing me to tuck them in. I looked at Erin, wondering how she had such a perfect pair of pants for me.

“I used your dress measurements. I thought you might need some clothing for your after-hours activities.” She blushed, then stared at her shuffling feet.

I threw my arms around her. “Oh, Erin, I love them. I’ve never worn anything that’s fit so perfectly.”

“Let’s divide the gold,” Tuck said, motioning for everyone to gather around. “Rowan can distribute most of it tonight. We can pass out the rest in different ways as it’s needed.”

We worked quickly, dividing the gold into smaller bags. Artie was brought around and her saddle bags were filled with as much gold as she could carry. Milo and Jane took the rest and carefully stashed it in a secure spot in the old abbey, just as we had planned.

As I set off into the night, the weight of the gold felt lighter than the burden of the responsibility I carried. I moved silently through the forest, using my bow and arrows to deliver the gold to those who needed it most. Each time my arrow landed with a bag attached, a grateful villager would peek outside and signal their thanks. After each delivery, I felt a little more of my father’s legacy living on through my actions, through all our actions.

After the last bag was gone, I made my way back to our meeting spot. Milo and Jane were there waiting for me. The others had gone to their homes to sleep, some before the town was overrun by those arriving for the tournament. Exhausted but exhilarated, the three of us gathered by the wagon as the first light of dawn was beginning to break.

“We did it,” Jane said, a tear running down her cheek.

I watched, surprised that she felt this moment as deeply as I did. But why shouldn’t she? Her actions were making as much of a difference as mine. Together we were changing people’s lives.

“Yes, we did,” I agreed, looking around at my friends. “This is only the beginning. The road ahead of us is long and filled with danger. My uncle will not go down without a fight.”

Milo squeezed my hand, reminding me I wasn’t alone in this fight. “And we’ll walk it together. ”

As we set off towards the castle, I felt a surge of confidence. We were making a difference, a little bit at a time. With renewed determination, I looked towards the horizon. Lockersley needed change, and right now, in this moment, I was ready to lead that change, one step at a time, with my friends by my side.

Yes, the road ahead was long and fraught with danger, but together, we were unstoppable.

I stood outside my uncle’s study, listening to him throw things. Glass shattered and fell to the floor, followed by the dull thud of heavy objects hitting the floor. It sounded like a battle was raging in the room, one in which my uncle’s things were on the losing end. His anger echoed through the halls, a stark contrast to the silent determination that had guided my actions last night.

I took a deep breath, squaring my shoulders before knocking softly on the door. “Uncle Jonathan, may I come in? ”

Silence was the immediate answer to my request, but eventually, the strained voice of my uncle could be heard. “Enter.”

I pushed open the door and stood on the threshold, surveying the damage before me. The room was a disaster; books and papers were scattered everywhere but on his desk; broken glass glinted on the floor, reminding me of morning light caressing dew-covered grass. My uncle was surrounded by the chaos, his face red with fury.

“What is it you want, Lady Rowan?” he demanded, his voice a low growl.

I plastered a look of concern on my face as I cast my eyes down, trying to sound calm and concerned despite my heart pounding like thunder in my chest. “I heard the commotion and wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“Okay?” His laugh was brittle. “Nothing is okay! My gold is gone, stolen from me as I slept!”

I feigned surprise. “Stolen? How could that have happened? Don’t you keep the gold in your room?”

His eyes narrowed, suspicion flickering in their depths. “That’s what I intend to find out. The thief leapt from my window in the middle of the night. But hear me now, I will find whoever did this and make them pay. ”

I nodded, keeping my face calm as my palms started to sweat. “That’s terrible, Uncle. If there’s anything I can do to help, please let me know.”

He waved his hand dismissively. “Just stay out of my way, Rowan. Figuring this out will require actual skills, not whatever they taught you at the nunnery.”

I closed the door to the study quietly behind me before I grimaced. “Require actual skills.” If only my uncle realized what I was capable of, he wouldn’t be in his current predicament. My lips turned up in just a hint of a smile as I walked away, my sense of satisfaction overcoming my fear of getting caught. The gold was safely hidden thanks to Milo and Jane, and my uncle was too busy with his fit to suspect me, at least for the moment.

Jane was waiting for me at the end of the hall. She appeared calm, poised even. “How did it go?” she asked.

I shook my head, nodding to my room. Jane nodded back. We made our way to my room and away from any prying eyes and curious ears.

I swung open the door, letting Jane enter first. Closing the door, I leaned against it.

“He’s furious, but he doesn’t suspect anything yet.” I pushed myself off the door to walk around the room .

“Good,” she said, relief in her voice. “With the tournament and the theft, it’s going to be difficult to stay ahead of him, but we have to.”

“We will,” I promised. “If he finds out we’re behind this, I’m not even sure what he would do. He’s killed before. What’s to stop him from doing it again?”

Jane gulped, her eyes wide. “I hate that I have to agree with you. What’s next?”

“We keep the charade going around my uncle and the sheriff. This was the plan from the beginning. Nothing has changed,” I said. “We can’t afford to do anything different and bring attention to ourselves.”

Jane looked around, making sure we were alone. “What should we tell the others?”

I nodded. “I think everyone needs to continue on as if our nighttime activities weren’t happening. Shops need to open, especially with the tournament. There’s no way anyone here would pass up the opportunity to make money this week.”

Jane tapped her lips, deep in thought. “And the gold? Where should we distribute it first? I’m not sure it’s going to stay safely hidden if your uncle really sends people to search for it.”

I took a deep breath. “We start with the families who need it the most. We’ll spread it out gradually to avoid raising suspicion. I was thinking Tuck could distribute some on Sunday.”

Jane rested her hand on my shoulder. “You’ve got this, Rowan. Your father would be proud of you.”

My breath caught as a lump formed in my throat from her words, but I swallowed it down, stopping the tears that I didn’t have time to shed right now. “Thank you, Jane.” I placed my hand over hers. “Let’s go find the others and let them know how my uncle reacted this morning.”

We made our way through the castle, keeping our heads down and avoiding any unnecessary attention.

My uncle’s tyranny had to end. His reaction today confirmed what I already knew: he was not the right person to lead. I wished I felt confident enough to know I was the right person. I feared I was too impetuous, not organized or focused enough, and in the end, no matter what I did wouldn’t be enough. But for now, I would focus on what I could do instead of what I feared I couldn’t.

I glanced at Jane as we approached the hidden entrance to our meeting place for the day. “Are you ready?”

She locked eyes with mine, her smile filled with determination. “Always. If we survived the Incident, we can survive anything that comes our way.”

Together, we pushed open the door and stepped inside, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.