The Lost Ballad of Sherwood Forest - Chapter 7 of 7
7 Fated by the Hand of Time
Baron Richard Court, the generous sponsor of the archery tournament, was staying at the Thistle Down, Nottingham's finest inn for the well-heeled traveler. Such was his wealth, he had rented the entire second floor of the inn for a full week.
"One man and two servants, taking up a whole floor! But it's nothing to him, of course. He could easily buy this place a thousand times over," the innkeeper said cheerfully as he escorted Luke and Noah to the second floor. He knocked on a door and a man in livery answered it.
"The Baron is waiting for you," said the manservant. He led Luke and Noah down the corridor and through an open door at the end.
The Baron was sitting behind a desk. He looked surprise when he saw Noah accompanying Luke into his chambers.
"I thought you were speaking in jest earlier," he told Noah. Addressing Luke, he said, "It's true then, Luke Snyder. You really are a prisoner in the Sheriff's custody."
"Yes, I'm not allowed out of his sight." Luke confirmed.
"And yet your hands are not bound. He places great trust in you," the Baron observed shrewdly.
In the time he spent with the Baron at the tournament, Noah had been struck by the man's intelligence and his air of authority. Those were again on full display now.
"He knows I won't attempt an escape," Luke said.
"It certainly appears so. This is all very unusual. Nevertheless, I congratulate you on your victory today. It was a privilege to watch you and it always pleases me to see a yeoman triumph over an officer of the Crown."
"Thank you, Baron."
The Baron gestured to a large silk bag on the floor. "There is the reward for your display of skill and courage today. Is it true you intend to use it to purchase your freedom?"
"It's the price the Archdeacon extorted from me," Luke said bitterly.
"Sheriff, you never mentioned that the Archdeacon was involved in this," the Baron said to Noah. His eyes were sharp and his gaze was keen.
Noah suppressed an involuntary urge to squirm. Somehow, the Baron made him feel like he was being interrogated.
"I didn't suppose you would have much interest in such details, sir."
"I am very interested," the Baron said emphatically. He turned his piercing gaze to Luke. "Your original crime was against the Archdeacon, wasn't it? Why did you do it when you know how much power he wields?"
"I was trying to right an injustice," Luke answered. "One committed by the Archdeacon and a far greater crime than anything I did."
The Baron then looked at Noah, studying him with unnerving intensity. "And you, Sheriff, I take it you agree?"
Noah nodded silently. He wondered where this line of questioning was leading and why Baron Richard Court was so interested in this matter.
The Baron leaned forward and folded his hands together on the desk. "Luke Snyder and Noah Mayer, I think you should tell me the full story."
***
They were gathered in the main hall of the Sheriff's house. Noah was presiding over proceedings and feeling more than a little out of his depth. But he squared his shoulders and tried to look like he was fully in charge of the situation.
"You may ascertain the amount is correct, Archdeacon," he said. "But you may only remove it from this room after you put your seal on Luke's release letter."
The Archdeacon put the silk bag down after examining its content. He nodded with satisfaction and reached for a block of sealing wax. Noah placed the release paper on the table in front of him. The Archdeacon pressed his ring into a blob of wax melted onto the parchment.
"Here is your release, Snyder. I thank you for your efforts, gentlemen. It's been a pleasure," he said. Then he picked up the bag containing five hundred pounds in gold coinage and slung it over his shoulder.
"I cannot say the feeling is mutual," Luke retorted. "You've profited unjustly from this exchange, Archdeacon."
The Archdeacon's face darkened. "Is there no end to your insolence? Consider yourself fortunate, Luke Snyder. If I was a less charitable man, you wouldn't be standing here with your head still attached to your neck. You should be thanking me, as much as your friend Robin Hood should thank you for protecting his hide."
Luke smiled secretively and dangled the carrot. "What would you give in return for the names of those who planned and executed the robbery? I no longer feel any loyalty to them. They left me to flounder in a prison cell and to fend for myself. I'm amenable to any offer you may make, Your Grace."
For the first time, Luke was addressing the Archdeacon using his honorific title. It had the desired effect; the Archdeacon's eyes were alight with interest.
"You may have this." The Archdeacon dropped the bag of gold coins at Luke's feet.
Luke shook his head. "It was mine to begin with, won fair and square in the tournament. Money is no use to me."
"Then what do you want, Luke Snyder?"
"I want to know about the money you were transporting from Nottingham Abbey. Satisfy my curiosity, Your Grace. How did you come by such a princely sum? It was the tithes, wasn't it?"
The Archdeacon smiled deviously. "Two pence each from the peasants, five from the yeomen and ten from the gentry. From such molehills is a mountain formed."
"You admit that you were taking the tithes?" Noah asked.
"What of it, Sheriff Mayer?" the Archdeacon taunted. "Remember, you are Sheriff now by my appointment, and I'm of a mind to revoke the office and return it to your predecessor. But whether you're the Sheriff or the Deputy, you do my bidding. It's your fate which lies in my hand, not mine in yours."
Noah ignored the implied threat and said mildly, "Then you do admit it, that the money in the wagon that day was the tithes given to the Church."
"Yes, I admit it," the Archdeacon said and waved his fleshy hand at Luke. "Now you have what you asked for, Snyder. It's time for you to surrender Robin Hood as the mastermind behind the theft. And it's your duty, Mayer, to arrest Robin Hood for the crime."
At that point, the side door to the hall swung open and two men walked in. One was the Sheriff and the other was Baron Richard Court.
Baron Court pointed at the Archdeacon and said sternly, "It is you that should be arrested, Archdeacon."
"And who are you to decide so?" the Archdeacon scoffed.
"Do you not know who I am?"
"You're Richard Court, Baron of Selborne in Hampshire. A minor title, and one with no dominion over Nottinghamshire."
"It's true that I go by that name on occasion, and that is one of my titles. But I have another title and with it another name. You may have heard of it, Archdeacon. My real name is Richard de Courtigny."
The Archdeacon's mouth fell open and he was speechless for a long while. Finally, he said, "Richard de Courtigny, the Earl of Gloucester?"
"Yes," Luke spoke up. "And Lord de Courtigny is also High Commander of the King's Guard, as you no doubt know."
"My Lord!" the Archdeacon said, bowing deep in obeisance.
"Hold up your head and look at me," Lord de Courtigny ordered and the Archdeacon immediately complied. "I'm deeply disappointed by what I've heard today. What you have done is a crime against the Church and treason against the Crown. Many men have hung for less."
"Have mercy, my Lord!"
"You are fortunate that your brother is Sir Guy of Gisborne. In light of his position and his service to the King, I'll spare you the gallows. I'll even spare you the ordeal of a prison cell. But when the King returns, I shall recommend to him that the Archdeanery be conferred upon someone who conducts his affairs with more scruples that you've shown. You'll return to pastoral duties in Newark. Be grateful for this much, Archdeacon."
"Thank you, my Lord," the Archdeacon said with appropriate humility.
Lord de Courtigny then commanded, "Go now and have your men bring the tithes you took from the Abbey. Do not attempt a subterfuge. Every coin will be counted. If a single penny is missing, I'll reconsider your punishment and I'll be less inclined to leniency the next time."
"I understand, my Lord. I'm grateful for your forbearance."
With that, the Archdeacon took his leave, stumbling to the front entrance like a much older man. Stripped of his usual self-assurance, he seemed to have shrunk physically and his clothes were hanging looser on his considerable frame.
When he was gone, Lord de Courtigny turned to the Sheriff and said, "With immediate effect, you're reinstated to the office of Sheriff of Nottingham. I apologize for the indignity foisted upon you by the Archdeacon."
"Thank you, my Lord," said the Sheriff. "And thank you, Noah, for holding down the fort these last few days."
"Indeed," agreed the Earl. "I'm afraid I must demote you to Deputy again."
"It's as it should be. I was unfairly promoted, my Lord," Noah said.
"On behalf of the King, I thank you both, Luke and Noah. You have done us a great service. Corruption in the upper echelons of the Church is often unpunished and so it flourishes. I shall see to it that you're properly rewarded for this deed."
"We ask only for one reward, my Lord," Luke said boldly. "We would like to be recognized by the King in his Honors List."
Lord de Courtigny smiled. "That is a given, Luke. When the King returns, it shall be done."
"If I may ask, when does the King return to Nottingham?"
"The Castle has been instructed to prepare for his arrival. We expect him here five days from now."
Luke and Noah exchanged a look and a smile. Five days. Soon, they would be home, back to the 21st century.
***
There was a ceremony at Nottingham Castle, where Luke and Noah were presented to King Edward the Third. Together with several other Nottingham folk, they were formally named on the King's Honors list. For Noah, it was a surreal experience and one which flew by in a flurry of pomp and pageantry. When it was over, he remembered only the final words spoken by Lord de Courtigny before they were ushered out of the royal court.
"In recognition of your service to the Crown, your names will be inscribed for perpetuity on the wall of Barton Chapel."
***
They stood in the dark inner recesses of Barton Chapel and gazed at tablet number thirty two on the northern wall. Their names were freshly engraved there; "Luke Snuythur" and "Noah Maier" etched into the stone slab.
"Let's do this together," Luke said.
They reached out and touched the inscriptions of their names. Initially, Noah felt a tingle run from his finger tips to his elbow and then a sharp pulse jolted him backwards. Beside him, Luke was holding up his hand and looking at his palm.
"Noah, you felt that too, didn't you?"
"Yeah."
"So we'll go to sleep tonight and when we wake up tomorrow, we'll be back in the future."
"Yeah."
***
"Sheriff, may I have a word?"
The Sheriff looked up from his book and smiled at Noah. "Of course, Noah. I didn't expect to see you today. I thought you were riding to the eastern post. Is something amiss with the documents I gave you?"
"No, sir. I'm here for another purpose. With all the commotion of the last few days, I haven't yet properly thanked you."
"Thank me? I suppose you're referring to my suggestion that you approach Sir Guy to intervene on Luke's behalf. Think nothing of it, Noah. I wish I could have done more."
"Nevertheless, I thank you for your kindness and your guidance, sir."
It was gratitude for more than that bit of advice. Noah was thanking the Sheriff for everything he had done in the last three months.
"It was my pleasure, Noah," the Sheriff said warmly. "If I've helped in any way, that is as much thanks as I need."
Noah was feeling a little choked up. This was like saying good-bye to a favorite teacher upon graduation.
"I shan't take up more of your time. I just wanted to tell you that I'll always remember your kindness to us, Sheriff."
"Ride safely, Noah. I'll see you when you return in a few days."
Noah bowed his head in farewell. If all went as he hoped, it would be a different Noah returning to the Sheriff's house in a few days.
***
It was his last time in Sherwood Forest with Robin, Marian and the Merry Men. Glad as he was to be returning to the 21st century, Luke knew he would miss them and the times he had shared with them in the woods. He was here to bid them farewell without telling them that he was going.
Little John patted Luke heartily on the shoulder. "One of ours honored by the King! We're right proud of you, lad."
"We are indeed. And you should be proud of yourself too," Robin said.
"It's of no consequence," Luke demurred. "Let's say no more about it."
They laughed at him and teased him for being easily embarrassed. Then they dropped the subject and went about their day as they always did; hunting for food, visiting the villagers and practicing with their bows and arrows. Luke joined them in this routine and took his time to enjoy his last day in the forest.
He returned early to camp to help Marian who was taking charge of cooking their evening meal. While he stoked the fire, she cocked her head to one side and looked at him curiously.
"You act as if you're going away and never coming back."
Luke was startled by her prescience but managed to hide it. He laughed and said, "Do you wish to be rid of me?"
"You know I don't. You were sorely missed when you were in London. And you'll be sorely missed again should you ever choose to leave."
"You speak as if you expect me to leave," Luke said.
Marian made a wry expression. "I expect us all to leave some day. Perhaps not soon, but some day. When Robin chose this life, he knew it couldn't be one of permanence. Life is fleeting, as is fame. They tell stories of Robin Hood now and sing ditties about him. But in time, he'll be gone from this place and he'll be forgotten."
"Marian," Luke said with a smile, "you're right about most things. But in this, you're mistaken. Robin Hood shall be remembered. As will you."
***
Noah sat on the stoop outside the hut, gazing up at the sky. It was pitch dark and the stars shone with uncommon brightness. He may never see the stars shining so brightly again when he was back in the fluorescent-lighted future.
A rustling sound alerted him to a figure approaching from the shadows of the forest. He reached for the sword he had laid on the ground, but put it down again when he recognized his visitor.
"Luke! What are you doing here?"
"It's our last night here in this century and I wanted to spend it with you. The men were asleep and I slipped away from camp. Why are you sitting outside like this?"
"Can't sleep." He moved, making space for Luke to sit down beside him.
Luke took Noah's hand and leaned his head against Noah's shoulder. "What's on your mind, Noah?"
"Wondering what happens when we get back."
"So am I," Luke said quietly. "What if we get back and we don't remember any of this? Maybe we'll wake up on exactly the same day that we left. It'll be like none of this happened, like we never happened."
Noah clutched Luke's arm and pleaded, "Luke, please don't get worked up over something that's completely out of our hands."
"I'm not getting worked up," Luke assured him. "I've thought about it and worked it all out. If we go back and we don't remember any of this, then we'll just do things the old fashioned way. You know, without the time-traveling and the archery. I'll call you and ask you out. And hopefully, I'll make you fall in love with me."
Noah grinned. "You really have worked it all out. It sounds like a plan."
Tilting up his head, Luke kissed Noah on the chin and his hand rubbed Noah's thigh. "Let's go inside, Noah. One more for the road, before we go home."
***
Noah woke to sunshine on his face and the smell of lemon-scented detergent. He knew at once that he was back in the guest bedroom in Aunt Ruth's house. He rubbed his eyes and scrambled out of bed. According to the clock on the wall, it was half past ten, much later than his usual waking time. The calendar above the headboard was on the page for May. It was still early summer here in the 21st century.
He picked up his cell phone from the night stand. There was a missed call; he must have slept through it. His heart skipped a beat when he saw Luke's name on the phone log and he quickly returned the call. It went straight to Luke's voice mail. Noah groaned, realizing that Luke's cellphone battery was probably flat.
He called the Blue Boar Inn and was put through to Luke's room. There was no answer.
"Where are you, Luke?" he asked out loud. And then he knew the answer.
***
The same elderly lady from three months ago was arranging a row of flower pots outside Barton Chapel. She looked up in surprise at Noah.
"Wasn't it just yesterday when you visited the Chapel? It's rare that we have repeat visitors. And now we've had two in one morning! That other young man earlier, I think he was here yesterday as well."
"He's a friend of mine. Is he still inside?"
"I didn't see him leaving," she replied, peering at Noah over the top of her glasses. "I think he might be waiting for you. He's been here since we opened at nine. Well, my dear, you should hurry on in, shouldn't you?"
"Thank you, ma'am."
Noah went into the Chapel and headed straight for the northern wall. Luke was seated on one of the wooden benches, staring at the stone tablet where their names were inscribed. He was lost in thought and Noah had to touch him on the shoulder to get his attention.
"Noah! You're here!" Luke exclaimed. He gripped Noah's hand for a moment before letting go, as if he wanted the assurance that Noah was real.
"I'm sorry. I overslept and missed your call. I tried calling back but your battery seems to have gone flat. I came as soon as I could."
Luke nodded and said quietly, "So, you remember? About 1360 and all that?"
"Yes, I remember everything."
Luke's brow was furrowed and his jaw was tense. Noah recognized the expression. It meant that Luke was allowing his insecurities to get the better of him.
"I've been thinking about it," Luke said tentatively. "When we were stuck in the past, we were in a really crazy and stressful situation. It's natural to behave in ways which are out of character when we're under stress. We both did and said things that made sense to us because we were trying to survive. But now that we're back here, I'd understand if you've changed your mind."
Noah knew where this was heading and resisted the urge to smile despite his exasperation. "What are you trying to say, Luke?" he asked patiently instead.
Luke's eyes were downcast as he said in a choked voice, "Whatever you said to me back then and the promises you made, I won't hold you to any of it."
Noah lifted his hand and lightly tapped at the side of Luke's head with his knuckles. "What's going on inside that head of yours, Snyder?" His touch then gentled into a caress. "I meant it when I said I love you, Luke. I'm not taking back any of it. And I'm not letting you take it back either. Okay?"
Luke's face crumpled and then he pulled himself together to manage a watery smile. "Okay," he said shakily.
"Good, I'm glad we're on the same page."
Noah allowed Luke a few minutes to recover from his bout of self-inflicted turmoil. They sat quietly side by side, looking at the rows of tablets on the wall.
Presently, Luke broke the silence. "You know, after all that talk of coffee and hot dogs, I didn't eat anything when I got up this morning. The only thing I wanted to do was to look for you."
"Same here, Luke."
"So, let's grab an early lunch. What do you say?"
"Make it a quick lunch," Noah said with a smile. Lowering his voice, he added, "When we're done, we're going to a drugstore to get some supplies."
Luke sprang to his feet and pulled Noah up with him. "Come on, we have to get out of here. Right now, Noah. We're inside a chapel and you're making me think inappropriate thoughts."
***
The moment they were inside Luke's suite at the Blue Boar Inn, they undressed, stripping of their clothes with wild abandon. When they were naked, Noah embraced Luke from behind and kissed the side of Luke's neck. His hand crept down to Luke's groin and he found Luke gratifyingly hard. Then he noticed that Luke's attention was elsewhere.
Luke was staring enraptured at something on the bed. Reluctantly, Noah stopped nibbling at Luke's neck and looked up to see what it was that Luke found to be so distracting. There, amidst a jumble of their discarded clothes, lay the paper bag with their drugstore purchases; condoms and lubricant.
"I kid you not, it's like looking at the Holy Grail," Luke said.
Noah groaned and pleaded, "Luke, be serious!"
"What can be more serious than the Holy Grail?"
"Cut it out, Luke!" Noah warned.
Luke abruptly turned around and looped his arms around Noah's neck. Tilting up his head, he kissed Noah hard, licking in deep and tangling their tongues.
"There, is that serious enough for you?" he asked breathlessly when they separated.
"Yeah, that's certainly more like it."
As they resumed kissing, Noah maneuvered them towards the bed. He guided Luke down onto the mattress with their lips still joined and his hands pressed against Luke's back.
Breaking the kiss, Luke reached for the paper bag and handed it to Noah. "Here, you have first dibs on the Holy Grail. But I get the next turn."
"Luke, you're killing the mood with that analogy," Noah protested. "It's getting too sacrilegious for my liking."
In a flash, Luke reversed their positions and Noah found himself lying on his back. Luke, who was crouching beside him, lowered his head to Noah's crotch. Without any warning, he took Noah into his mouth. After two licks with his tongue and a gently administered sucking, he let Noah go and sat up again.
"Mood restored?" he asked, a little too smugly.
Too aroused to say anything else, Noah agreed with a simple, "Yeah."
While Noah squeezed lube onto his fingers, Luke positioned himself in the middle of the bed, lying on his stomach. He wiggled a little and then raised himself, getting onto his hands and knees. Looking over his shoulder at Noah, he grinned and spread his legs further apart. Noah almost came at the sight.
His fingers slid in easily, meeting very little resistance. That was unsurprising; it was only yesterday when he had touched Luke like this. Within minutes, Luke was panting and moaning.
"Hurry, Noah. I'm ready."
Noah's hands trembled as he sheathed himself with a condom. This was almost literally the culmination of seven hundred years of foreplay. He knew he would not last long, but it hardly mattered. Luke was already begging for release. They were not seeking prolonged pleasure, but for their bodies to be joined when they found completion together.
He held Luke by the hips and pushed himself into Luke's body, to the place that he had touched before with his fingers and tongue. Intimately joined, they were both still for several seconds.
"Move, Noah."
He pressed in deeper and he knew that this would soon be over. He was too close to the edge and the friction was overwhelming. Luke's face was buried in the pillow and his hands were gripping the sheets so tightly that his knuckles had turned white. Then Luke's body shuddered and he tightened around Noah. They collapsed onto the bed together. Noah cried out, his climax rushing up to him in a blinding white haze.
***
Luke kept his eye on the revolving door until Noah was completely out of his sight. He smiled to himself as he mentally relived the past several hours in his suite. His very pleasant reverie was interrupted by Maddie, who sidled up to him and took his arm.
"Was that Noah I saw leaving?"
"Yes."
"You were with him?"
"Yes."
She looked at him speculatively. "I thought you were swearing off relationships for the summer."
"I changed my mind."
"Luke, feel free to tell me to butt out of your business, but I'm saying this as a friend, okay? You've really just met Noah. What was it, a week ago? You don't really know him yet. You said you wanted to hold out for something more than attraction and I want you to have that. I hope you're not rushing into this."
Luke laughed while shaking his head. There was no easy way to explain that he had known Noah for much longer than a week. Soon, he would tell Maddie about the three months they spent in medieval Nottingham. But not now; it was a long story and he was exhausted from his afternoon's exertions.
"I appreciate your concern. Don't worry, I know what I'm doing, Maddie."
She studied his face like she was trying to look into his mind. "This thing with Noah is serious," she said.
"As serious as the Holy Grail." He suppressed a chuckle.
"I can see that. You've found it, haven't you? You wanted something meaningful. I don't know what happened, and believe me, I plan to squeeze every last detail out of you. But something tells me that you've found it. With Noah."
He playfully tweaked her nose. "You're such a busybody. But you're right, I've found it."
***
Luke licked the back of his spoon and sighed deeply. "That was great stew, Ruth," he said appreciatively.
Ruth smiled at him and picked up his plate on her way to the sink. "Thank you. It's an old English recipe."
"It can't be that old," Luke declared. "At least, not seven hundred years old. Noah, we never had stew like this in 1360, did we? Not even at the Sheriff's house and he had one of the finest kitchens in Nottingham."
"We definitely never had anything this good," Noah agreed.
"Not even close," Luke said. "Thanks for a great dinner, Ruth. You really didn't have to go through so much trouble."
"Please, I'm getting the better end of the deal here. You're giving me enough material for a dozen conference papers. I'm already planning one on the Robin Hood origin myth from a feminist perspective, based on what you told me about Maid Marian."
"I only met her a couple of times but she reminded me a lot of you, Aunt Ruth," Noah said.
"Maybe you're a descendant of Marian's family line," Luke suggested.
"Now, there's a thought," Ruth said, placing servings of pudding on the kitchen table.
"Chocolate," Luke sighed, gazing adoringly at the plate in front of him.
The phone rang and Ruth wiped her hands on her apron. "I'll answer that in the living room. You boys stay here and finish your pudding. I made it with extra chocolate just for you, Luke."
"Ruth, if I weren't gay, I'd beg you to marry me," Luke called out after her as she left the kitchen.
"Luke, don't hit on my aunt. It's creepy."
Luke stuck out his tongue at Noah. "You're just jealous because she gave me extra chocolate."
Through the open kitchen door, they heard Ruth raising her voice.
"Can you hear me now? Mayer, I said it before and I'll say it again. If you want to talk to your son, call him yourself. I'm not your go-between. No, you listen to me. Stop being such an obstinate ass about this."
Noah rose from the table and picked up the phone receiver on the wall.
"Aunt Ruth," he said into the receiver, "let me talk to him."
There was a click when Ruth hung up her extension, followed by a long pause. Noah could hear his father breathing on the other end of the line.
"Noah," his father finally said.
There was another long silence.
"Dad," Noah said with firm resolve. "That's right, I'm calling you Dad although you disowned me. Because you know something, Dad? I don't think you really wanted to disown me. If you did, you wouldn't be calling here every other day."
"Listen here, Noah, you..."
"No, Dad. Let me talk for a change. There are a couple of things you have to accept. One is that I'm gay. Secondly, I'm your son and being gay doesn't make me any less of a son to you. The facts boil down to this; you have a gay son. That's how it is and disowning me won't change that. I could deny it and go back into the closet. Maybe that would make you happier, but I'd be living a lie and it could never last. I'm gay, Dad, and I don't want to lie about it. I'm not expecting you to understand this. I'm not even asking you to be okay with it. But I hope you can eventually accept that this is part of who I am. It always has been. I didn't become a different person overnight just because I came out to you."
His father was probably stunned speechless. Noah had shocked even himself; he had never before spoken to his father in such a manner.
"I've never heard you say so much before," his father said after what seemed an eternity.
"If we're going to get past this, we need to communicate better. This is a good starting point, don't you think, Dad? It took me a long time to work up the courage to tell you that I'm gay. I owe you at least that much; time to get used to the idea. It's okay if you can't accept it right now. All I'm asking is that you give yourself time and that you try to accept it."
Again, he was met with silence on the other end.
Then his father said, "I'll think about what you said, Noah."
"Thank you, Dad. If you want to talk, you know how to reach me."
"When are you coming home?"
Noah smiled. His father had said "home", perhaps inadvertently but it was telling nonetheless. However small, it counted as a victory and he was taking it.
"In a couple of weeks. I'll be back in plenty of time before school starts."
"Okay, I'll see you when you get back," his father said. After a short pause, he added, "Take care, son."
"You too, Dad."
After he hung up, he turned around to find both Luke and Ruth staring at him, eyes wide with admiration. They moved towards him in tandem. Ruth patted his shoulder and Luke squeezed his hand.
"Wow, Noah," Luke said, "where did that come from?"
"I was a Deputy Sheriff for three months with a dozen men under me. For the better part of a week, I was acting Sheriff of Nottingham, overseeing the running of an entire shire. I stood up to an Archdeacon and to Sir Guy of Gisborne. I was honored by the King of England."
"You double-crossed Farmer Evans and undermined the entire institution of feudalism. And you learned to ride a horse!" Luke supplied enthusiastically.
"Yes! I figure, if I've done all that, I shouldn't be so afraid of my own father."
"Well, good for you," Ruth approved. "I always told you, Noah, your father isn't so scary."
Noah smiled and tried to lighten the atmosphere. "He's scary all right, but not as scary as a horse."
"You're telling me!" Luke exclaimed. "Ruth, you should have seen him. This big grown man, terrified by the gentlest mare you could ever hope to find."
"Hey!" Noah protested. "I rode on Salamander's back, didn't I? And if I may remind you, I did it a few times a week, and for three whole months!"
"Yes, you did. But you were still scared! Every time you came within two feet of Sally, you looked like you expected her head to start spinning in place. Or like an alien was going to burst out of her chest."
Ruth nodded and smiled. "I know that look. He gets like that when he sees a spider."
Luke laughed heartily, slapping himself on the thigh. "You're afraid of spiders, Noah? That's even cuter than being afraid of horses!"
Indignantly, Noah poked Luke in the arm. "You! Stop exaggerating!" Then he glared at his aunt. "And you! You're supposed to be on my side."
Ruth held up her hands in a gesture of disavowal. "I know better than to get in the middle of a lovers' quarrel. You two sort it out between yourselves." She stood and walked towards the door. Before she left the kitchen, she turned around and winked at them. "Maybe you can make up in bed."
While Noah blushed with embarrassment, Luke looked at Ruth's retreating back.
"You're right," he said. "She's a lot like Maid Marian."
***
As always, Heathrow Airport was thronging with people. They had to jostle their way through a tangle of legs and bags to get to their check-in lane. Thankfully, the queue at the counter was short and they joined the line to wait for their turn.
Noah decided to make a last ditch pitch. "Luke, are you sure you want to sit in Economy? It's a long flight and it's going to be hell on your legs. There's still time to change your ticket back to First Class."
"You refused to let me upgrade you to First Class," Luke said with a shrug.
"I told you, I can't accept a gift like that. It's too much."
"And I totally understand why you feel that way. I'm not forcing you to take anything from me," Luke said patiently. "So, since you're not sitting with me in First Class, I'm sitting with you in Economy. Remember what you said, Noah. We're in this together."
Noah could not keep a smile from forming. "Okay," he relented.
It was their turn at the check-in counter. The airline assistant at the counter took their passports and gave them a friendly smile.
"Americans, I see," she said. "Were you in England on holiday?"
"Yes," Luke answered.
"I hope you had a good time."
"We did. Better than a good time. An unforgettable time," Luke said.
Noah nodded his agreement. As long as he lived, this was a summer that would remain lodged in his memory.
"That's great!" she said enthusiastically. "Here are your passports. And do you have any baggage to check in?"
"Just these two bags."
"Right, two pieces. I'll prepare your claim tags. Could you place the bags up here, on the side?"
She pointed at the baggage belt beside the counter. Noah hoisted his bag onto the belt and Luke followed suit. The belt moved until the two black Samsonite cases were lined up side by side on the weighing scale.
"Oh, you have exactly the same luggage!" the airline assistant said. She fastened the baggage tags around the handles and took a closer look at the two Samsonite cases. "They're really identical. I can't tell them apart at all. You must get them mixed up all the time."
"It's been known to happen," Luke agreed. He glanced sideways at Noah, obviously recalling the circumstances of their first meeting.
"But I guess it doesn't matter, does it?" she said cheerfully. "Even if it they get mixed up, it doesn't matter since you're together."
"Yes," Luke said, looking directly at Noah, his face alight with a blinding smile. "Yes, we're together."
***END***