Author's Note: I tried to learn what I could about
knuckle-bones, but I came across so many different sources (none of which matched the version from "The Hounds of Lucifer") that I've had to improvise...a lot. If anyone knows the REAL rules, PLEASEcontactme
"I'm going first," stated Will, keeping
a tight grip on the red velvet pouch.
"As you wish," said Lady de Rainault, responding
on behalf of her champion. Will regarded his
opponent coldly, but Gisburne didn't seem to care what
Scarlet did. Will emptied the contents of the pouch, and
the outlaws stared at the knuckle-bones in dismay.
John scratched his beard fretfully."I don't like this, Robin."
Tuck nodded. "Nothing good will come of this."
"Shut up!" shouted Will.
Much patted Will on the back and tried to sound cheerful. "Good luck, Will."
"Luck?" scoffed Scarlet. "What do I need luck for?"
"To win perhaps?" whispered Tuck to John.
Will glared at John, who was trying very hard not to laugh. Will grabbed the knuckle-bones and threw
them into the air. Two landed on the back of his hand.
"Ha, ha!" said Will. "I get another turn!"
"Of course you do," replied Lady de Rainault
sweetly.
Scarlet scowled at her and picked up the pieces. Then he groaned as, again, two fell on the back of his hand.
Gisburne silently scooped up the bones and
tossed them half-heartedly. He managed to catch
three. Will bowed his head, but managed to hold his
tongue. Gisburne took up the pieces again forlornly.
While the outlaw wished to win, the knight hoped
desperately to lose.
"Four," announced the Sheriff's mother.
"Damn!" hissed Gisburne. Lady de Rainault looked
at him sharply. "I...I wanted to get all five," lied
the knight.
"I doubt you'll need to, my dear."
"Give me those!" growled Scarlet, snatching
the knuckle-bones.
He held them tightly in his fist and closed his
eyes. For a moment, it was as if he was trying to
summon the powers he needed from some mystical
realm. Everyone watched as Will opened his palm.
The bones flew into the air, but only two landed
successfully. Scarlet threw the pieces aside with
a snarl.
Lady de Rainault squeezed Gisburne's tense shoulders. "Well, I think we should be--"
"Shall we have another game?" suggested the
knight, much to everyone's surprise. "I'll go first."
He grabbed the knuckle-bones quickly before anyone
could object.
* * * *
"No!" screamed Scarlet.
"Victory!" shouted Lady de Rainault, clapping her
hands. However, Gisburne didn't seem particularly
pleased about his triumph. In fact, he looked almost
as miserable as Will.
"But-but I never win," Gisburne said, his
disbelief outweighing the need to preserve his honour.
"Your luck was bound to change then, Guy,"
replied the Sheriff's mother cheerfully.
"What about me?" demanded Will. "When's my luck
going to change?"
"In order for your luck to change, you would have
to possess some in the first place, my boy," Lady de Rainault
retorted with a smile.
"I can't stand it!" shouted Will. "I can't stand it no more!
It's one thing when you lot beat me. I could even
bear it when she won, but not him!" Will pointed
wildly at the man in front of him. "Not Gisburne!"
"Come on, lad, let's find you some ale," said
John, literally pulling his friend to his feet.
"Why? What difference will a jug of ale make?
It won't change...change this!"
"No, but it might help you to forget."
Scarlet shook his head vehemently. "No, I ain't ever going to forget!"
Lady de Rainault coughed politely. "As truly scintillating as this is, we really
should be on our way. Wouldn't you say so, Guy?"
She patted Gisburne's hand while he regarded her
through haunted eyes.
"Well, go on, then," grumbled Will. "You've proven that you can
count. I reckon that entitles you to something."
Gisburne was tempted to grit his teeth. Instead, he placed one hand on the
ground and prepared to stand.
"Stay where you are, Gisburne," said Robin.
"You're not going anywhere."
"We had an agreement, Wolfshead," declared Lady
de Rainault coldly.
"Yes, I've been thinking about that, my lady,
and I've been wondering if what you've been doing is
truly fair."
"What I've been doing?"
"Making wagers using men as your pawns."
"You think I'm being unfair? Sir Guy is my
son's steward, his servant."
"So you can trade and barter him as you please?
That hardly sounds fair to me, my lady."
"Lad, this is Gisburne we're talking
about," said John, who was wondering if Robin had
been spending too much time with Herne again.
"Yes, well...it's as Will says, isn't it? He's
entitled to something..."
Will opened his mouth to protest, but the Sheriff's mother managed to
produce speech first.
"Let me understand this," Lady de Rainault said. "You think that it
was unfair of me to claim my son's servant as a prize?"
"Yes."
"May I remind you that the wager was your idea?"
"I know. I'm so ashamed. If only I had realized
sooner what a terrible mistake I had made."
"You mean before Sir Guy won all six matches?"
"Before he was forced to endure such dishonour.
Imagine a knight having to gamble for his freedom.
Why, it's...it's disgraceful!"
"She'll be demanding his spurs next," muttered Tuck,
loudly enough for everyone to hear. "Oh, forgive me!"
he added when he saw the look of panic on Gisburne's
face.
"Oh this is intolerable!" cried Lady de Rainault,
finally losing her patience altogether. "If you won't
relinquish my son's steward, then what is to be my
prize?"
"Much," called Robin, "come and show Lady de
Rainault her prize."
Much, who had been standing
hesitantly at the threshold of the camp, shuffled
forward apprehensively.
"Well, what is it, lad?" asked John.
"Yes, I should like to know as well," said the
Sheriff's mother.
"Much, bring it here," ordered Robin.
Lady de Rainault's sharp eyes followed the exchange closely. "That's my purse!" she cried. "How did that
boy get it?"
"Actually, it's ours, my lady," answered Robin
calmly. "Much was walking through Sherwood when
he happened upon a small party of travellers.
Thinking they might need help, Much asked them if
they were lost."
"Of course they weren't lost! They're my
servants!"
"Much quickly realized who they were,"
continued Robin, "once he was before the
group of...um...servants."
"And that was when I robbed them, see?" added
Much.
"Why, you--"
"Much, you've done us proud!" said Tuck,
beaming from ear to ear.
"Much!" John embraced the blushing young
man, lifting him clear off the ground.
"Good work, Much," admitted Will, managing
to smile despite the bitterness of his defeat.
"So, what will we do with the money, Robin?"
inquired Tuck.
Robin walked up to the Sheriff's mother and placed the purse in her hand. "Your prize, my lady."
"Trust Scarlet to lose a quiver full of
arrows," grumbled John.
"Well, chasing down Gisburne can be
rather distracting," said Tuck.
"Especially when it's Will doing the
chasing," added Robin. "Can you see any sign of
where Will might have dropped it, Nasir?" The
Saracen had crouched down on the ground to study an
array of bootmarks and hoof prints.
Nasir looked up with a furrowed brow. "All I see is horse--"
"Bless me!" cried Tuck. "Did you hear that?"
A startled shout had sounded from the road. Nasir
stood up and the group hurried towards the source
of the noise.
"Why, it's the Sheriff!"
"Look, John, it's the Sheriff."
"Aye, it's the Sheriff all right."
Nasir raised his eyebrows.
"You look a bit troubled, Sheriff," said Robin. "Is anything
the matter?"
The Sheriff's eyes were bulging out of his skull a little more than
usual. "A bloody deer just ran on to the road!"
"A bloody deer?" asked John. "In
Sherwood?"
"Why, that's very peculiar, John!" said
Tuck.
"Aye, it is."
"Shut up, you idiots! I don't have time for
this! I must get to St. Mary's at once!"
John laughed. "Ah, did you hear that, lads? He misses his
mother already!"
De Rainault's eyes widened even more. "You saw her?" he asked excitedly. "She was here? Then she must not
have made it to St. Mary's. You have her here!"
"No," replied Tuck. "She left here about...oh...an hour
ago."
The Sheriff swept a hand across his face.
"No, that isn't right," said John. The Sheriff
raised his head, a faint trace of hope visible in
his features. "It was closer to two."
"Aye, John, that's right.
"God's Blood!" cursed the Sheriff.
"Yes, when we told her that we wouldn't
release Gisburne, she didn't want to stay," said Robin. "I can't
see why."
"When you wouldn't release Gisburne...? You
mean, he's here?"
The outlaw nodded.
"Praise be to God!" cried de Rainault.
"God had little to do with it," said a
voice. Scarlet stumbled on to the road and grinned
up at the Sheriff. Then he burped and promptly
fell on his face.
"That man is drunk," stated the Sheriff.
"Much, I thought you were going to keep an eye
on him!" said John, as Much suddenly burst through
the trees.
Much was panting. "I tried to, but he...he needed
to..." Much stood on his toes and whispered
something in John's ear.
"Oh..."
"So he went into the bushes, but he never came
out again."
"Until now," sighed Robin as he helped Nasir
roll Scarlet on to his back and off of the road.
"Hold on, what about Gisburne?" said John in
alarm. "He's been left on his own!"
Tuck smiled. "With Will here, I should think that Gisburne's
safe enough."
"It wasn't Gisburne I was thinking about!"
replied John.
"Gisburne's out cold. He won't be going
anywhere in a hurry."
"Gisburne's what?" asked the Sheriff quietly.
"Drunk," answered Robin.
"Why?"
The outlaw rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Where do I begin?"
"How about when my steward decided to get drunk?"
"Or how about when the Sheriff's mother showed
up?" suggested John.
"Are you implying that my mother is responsible
for this?"
"We're more than implying," muttered Tuck.
"Don't you believe us, Sheriff?" said Robin,
smiling faintly.
"On the contrary, I think my mother could be
the only excuse he might have for such behaviour."
John shook his head in mock dismay. "If only Gisburne hadn't won that game of
knuckle-bones."
"Gisburne was playing knuckle-bones?" said the Sheriff in disbelief.
"He was playing for his freedom," explained
Robin.
"Against my mother?"
"No Will," said Robin. "It was Lady de Rainault's idea.
Gisburne was her...champion."
The Sheriff groaned. "God, not another wager!"
"How did you know?" asked John cheerfully.
De Rainault ignored him. "Well, Gisburne lost, obviously."
"No, he didn't," said Much.
The Sheriff's eyebrows rose. "He won? Then how? Why...?"
"Robin wouldn't allow her to take Gisburne
as her prize," said Tuck. "He told her that she shouldn't use
men as pawns."
"This is Gisburne were speaking
about, isn't it?"
Tuck nodded. "It is. Robin informed her that she would have
to take another prize, so she accepted money instead."
"Her own?" asked the Sheriff.
"Of course," replied Robin.
"And Gisburne celebrated? Is that why he's
drunk?"
"He won the joust," said John.
"The what?"
"Will challenged Gisburne to a joust," said
Robin. "He couldn't face defeat, not after losing
to both Gisburne and your mother."
"My mother...? No, no, I don't want to know!"
exclaimed the Sheriff. Then he remembered.
"Wait, a...a joust?"
"We use lances," explained Robin, "but not real horses...usually."
"Usually?"
"No one was willing to carry Gisburne, so he
rode his horse," said Tuck.
"Will never stood a chance," added John.
"You're lying."
Robin sighed again. "I wish they were."
"Was it after this joust that Gisburne got
drunk, or did you organize a tournament next?"
"Will was in no mood for a tournament after
that," said Robin, "and John had finally managed to find some ale."
"In Sherwood?"
John snorted. "Don't be daft. We got it from an innkeeper
in Nottingham."
"Who owed us a debt of gratitude," said Tuck.
"And three jugs of ale."
"Which you almost lost, John."
"But didn't...unfortunately," said Robin.
"How was I to know that Will would challenge
Gisburne to a drinking contest?" protested John.
"Because he's Will," replied Tuck with a laugh.
"Well obviously that cutthroat lost the wager
as well," said the Sheriff, gazing down at the
sleeping outlaw.
John shook his head. "No, Will won. Oh, he's only like this
because he had a few drinks to celebrate his
victory." The Sheriff gaped at John. "Oh, Gisburne did fairly well," said John. "He gave Will
a close match, but it isn't as if his brother
runs an alehouse."
"No, he certainly doesn't," mumbled Tuck,
casting a discreet glance at his leader. Robin
pretended not to notice.
"Well, Sheriff," said Robin, "we've kept you long enough.
You need to get to St. Mary's."
"What? Oh...oh, yes."
"Unless you'd rather be captured."
The Sheriff propped his chin on his hand and actually considered
it. "Is Gisburne really unconscious?"
"Even if a herd of deer bolted through the camp,
I don't think Gisburne would notice," said Robin.
"Supper with my mother and Hugo, or imprisonment
with my drunken steward...? You know, for once, I
think Gisburne might be better company!"
