"God preserve me, it's a Pixie!" Marbell whispered to himself. "I hope he's a good Pixie, not another evil one."
"Er Hmm. Er, Pixie, what are you doing in Sherwood Forest?" He demanded and waited for a reply.
"I say there, Pixie! I am Captain Marbell of the Sheriff of Nottingham’s guard, what are you doing in the Forest?" He demanded again.
No reply. As Marbell tried to focus on the Pixie a rabbit ran through the bush making it quiver.
The man in the river had got out and was watching from behind a tree. The bush was between him and the captain and, as he was stark naked, he decided to stay hidden.
Marbell gave the bush a final warning. "Pixie you will answer my question or face the consequences!"
Still no answer, save for a further quiver.
Marbell raised his crossbow and fired a bolt into the pile of clothes.
"Oy mate, those are my clothes you're making holes in!" the naked man yelled as he seemed to appear out of the bush.
Marbell dropped the crossbow and ran for his life.
"Hey, come back, I'm not a Pixie I'm Robin! Bad guess Sir, come back!"
Marbell was no fool, he kept on going.
"I'm not stopping for no evil Pixie, I'm not stupid," he gasped, as he ran as quickly as his old legs could carry him.
Marbell decided to report the incident to the Sheriff, he could then return with a troop of guards to arrest the Pixie.
Aside:
Have you noticed that in all stories, movies, plays, books, and so on, you never learn the true identity of the Sheriff of Nottingham, he is always just referred to as The Sheriff of Nottingham.
It's as if the literary world is ashamed of his name.
Would it lesson the fearsome impact of this blood thirsty character if we knew his name.
No of course not.
Would it lessen the impact of the story's heroes if his true identity were known.
No of course it wouldn't.
Would it make us, the readers, less respectful of this man’s evil power.
No, it wouldn't.
So, I now reveal, for the first time, the real name of the Sheriff of Nottingham. It was (drum roll) Cyril Heckingbottom.
Oh well perhaps they were right, I'll just call him the Sheriff like everyone else.
Back to the plot.
Marbell paid the customary ten pieces of eight to see the Sheriff, most people had to pay twelve pieces of eight to see him, but Marbell got a staff discount.
67
68