Treeton Mine
A young man comes running into the mine area yelling for people to get out of his way.
Miners are pulling bodies from the mine.
When the young man stops running, he's told that he's too late--"Son, your uncle's dead, they're all dead."
As the young man looks around at the bodies, he hears horses and looks around only to find Gisborne arriving on scene.
The young man challenges his father to call Gisborne out about the safety of the mine. His father does so and ends up dead for his trouble.
The sheriff arrives and tells Gisborne that all the workers are fired. When Gisborne replies that they need the mine working, Vazey says he has everything taken care of.
~
Sherwood Forest
Robin is perched along the edge of a wall along the very small canyon where the gang is camped, bow and arrow in hand, mischievous look on his face.
The gang is just waking up. As Much stretches, Robin looses an arrow. It lands between Much's fingers with a hunk of food attached to it.
According to Much, there's an archery competition in Nottingham. But Robin claims he has no interest in it, yet he keeps testing his aim.
~
The dead from the mine accident are being buried, and the young man pledges his vengeance against Gisborne.
The Night Watchman rides up and drops a sackful of foodstuffs.
As the Night Watchman rides away, Gisborne shows up and swipes a sword in front of the Nightwatchman's horse. The horse rears and the Night Watchman flips off the back of the horse.
Gisborne and the Night Watchman scuffle for a bit and Gisborne slashes the Nightwatchman on the forearm. Gisborne assumes that the Night Watchman 'works' for Robin Hood as one of Hood's lackeys. The Night Watchman is able to get a good hit in allowing herself to get back on her horse and ride away.
~
Back at the outlaw camp, Robin is still slinging arrows and having a marvelous time doing it.
Will comes running into camp saying they caught a cart, and the gang goes running out after him.
When they arrive, the cart driver tosses them a small leather bag; Much pulls out nothing but a small piece of something round, slightly warped, and clear-looking with a flat leather frame.
Meanwhile they hear a moan come from the back of the covered cart.
Robin pulls back the canvas covering to find a handful of people the driver says are slaves he's bringing in to work the sheriff's mine.
~
While Marian cleans her wound, Gisborne arrives at Knighton Hall. Marian's father comes upstairs to fetch her and is dismayed to see her wounded, but urges her to go downstairs to see what Gisborne wants.
In a roundabout way, Gisborne tries to ask Marian to attend the Nottingham Fair with him. Marian declines claiming tiredness. Gisborne thinks it an excuse because she's embarrassed about her hair.
Her father says she's wounded, unknowing that Gisborne was the one who wounded her. Gisborne looks at her suspiciously. She recovers quickly saying it's her pride that's wounded because of her hair?as Gisborne guessed. Gisborne has brought her a shawl as a gift. She ends up having to accept Gisborne's invitation to the Nottingham Fair.
When Gisborne admits to wounding an outlaw lackey on the arm, Marian's father realizes that it was Gisborne who cut Marian's arm, and not a large splinter on the door as Marian had claimed.
Once Gisborne leaves, Marian's father takes her to task as he hadn't realized she went around 'in competition' with Robin. She says she's not in competition and that she's been helping the poor for three years already.
~
Much can't believe he's witnessing slavery again. He is disgusted by the trading of people.
Robin offers more wine to the cart driver as they decide what to do. The gang can't understand why Robin is being nice to the man.
Robin tells the gang that the driver is their way into the mine and that they are going to put a stop to the mine and to human trafficking.
After Robin feeds the driver he says he's going to feed the prisoners. The driver says not to feed them meat and not to let them breathe on you?some kind of disease. He tells Will: “soldiers strong as you standing upright one minute, brains dripping from their nostrils the next.” Then he laughs.
Will glances worriedly at one of the prisoners.
Robin tosses Will the water bag, but Will hesitates to get too near. When Robin calls him in on it, Robin gets an idea and then needs some time to find something in the forest and asks John to drink with the driver, and “if he ends up unconscious, so be it.”
~
Back at the village, the villagers are burying those who died in the mining accident.
Gisborne and the sheriff arrive and the young man from earlier is none too pleased to see them. As they pass he follows them, holding a rock in his hand.
Meanwhile, the sheriff is waxing poetic about women, warning Gisborne to keep them at a distance: “Think leper.”
~
At Knighton Hall, Sir Edward stalks from the house, Marian on his heels, to the carriage Gisborne has sent to fetch them. Marian tries to explain how she came to be the Nightwatchman?how and why she decided to go to war against poverty.
~
Back in the forest, Robin is outlining the plan as Much studies a little piece of something. When Robin calls for a volunteer to ride inside the cage, Much volunteers Allan and hands him the something. Allen sniffs the little something and asks if he has to eat it. “No, just chew,” says Robin and then finishes outlining the plan. Allan will have to plant the idea of Turk Flu in the minds of the guards at the mine.
As they discuss the plan, Much waves around the small leather bag the cart driver originally handed over as his only valuables. One of the prisoners grabs for it and says it is his, that it was stolen from him.
Robin is taken aback that the prisoner speaks English.
Allan comes charging up announcing that another carriage is coming. The cart driver starts waking up, but John knocks him out again as the gang heads for the road.
No one is too pleased to discover it is Marian and her father in Gisborne's coach, least of all Robin.
~
Treeton Village
The young man is distraught over why he goaded his father into speaking out to Gisborne. He tells his mute mother that they will get through it and that he won't do anything stupid, but that there's something he's got to do and he leaves their tiny cottage.
~
Much has been left behind to keep an eye on the cart driver and the prisoners. The one prisoner is using the clear round item to cast a beam of light at something. When Much stops, he greets the young prisoner in his own language and then suggests a simpler plan for gaining freedom: renounce his god and pretend to accept Christianity. It is illegal in England to sell Christians into slavery.
The prisoner asks why he would even want to pretend to be Christian when it is the Christians who came and waged war in the Saracen lands. The prisoner challenges Much to renounce his God, even in jest, if it is so easy.
Much finally does it then is completely startled when Allan comes up and clasps Much on the shoulder. The prisoner just smiles.
As Much follows Allen to tie up the slave trader, he looks up and nervously renounces his previous renouncement.
~
The sheriff and Gisborne are at the mine waiting for the slaves to arrive. The sheriff is complaining that he could be enjoying a goblet of red wine and watching Gisborne's archer, Michael the Red, win the archery competition.
The gang arrives at the outskirts of the mine and stay out of sight watching the sheriff and Gisborne for a few moments. The plan is for the driver to arrive with the slaves and sell them to the sheriff as planned. Once the sheriff and Gisborne head back to Nottingham, Allan will then do his thing.
While Robin is outlining the plan to the slave trader, John calls out, “Fire.” Everyone races to the back of the cart to see the ropes keeping the gate closed on fire. Much is completely startled and worried.
“Punishment from God,” he exclaims. “It's all my fault. I do believe, Lord. I do, I do...” Will pulls off the burning ropes and John holds the gate closed before the prisoners can escape.
The prisoner demands to be let go, and claims that Robin and the gang are no better than the slave trader.
Robin asks the prisoner his name?which is Djaq?and says he's doing it to help them gain their freedom. Robin says he will explain the plan and if they do not wish to help, then he will let them go free. But if they do not help he cannot stop the sheriff's need for more slaves and then more people will end up slaves.
The prisoner is very angry. “You made us the enemy and now you play protector and ask for help?”
Robin reaches for the gate and opens it?he tells them that if they want to take their chance with freedom now, they are free to go.
One of the other slaves speaks to Djaq in their native tongue. Djaq says that the other prisoner says that if the gang does not let the prisoners go, he will kill them. Robin laughs and says that he knows that that is not what the other man said?he said prayer. So Robin asks if they are permitted to wash and pray, will the prisoners then help Robin and the gang with their plan?
~
At Treeton Village, Gisborne and the sheriff are still waiting. Much and Robin keep watch.
~
Djaq is off in the woods washing when Will comes along to fetch him, but startles him. Will discovers that Djaq is actually a woman.
~
Finally, the plan gets underway, and the slave trader arrives in the village. Allan reminds him through the canvas that he's a dead man if he gives away the gang or the plan.
The sheriff chastises the slave trader for being late and tells him he will be on time next month. The trader parrots the sheriff and then pulls the canvas off of his cart.
The guards pull the slaves from the cage and the sheriff says he's not going to pay full price for Djaq as 'he' has no muscle. “He has spirit,” exclaims the trader. The sheriff replies that he has seen better spirit on cheese. Djaq spits on the ground in response. The sheriff glances at the spittle and then backhands Djaq, sending her to the ground.
The young man is now watching from a small hill overlooking the village with Gisborne and the sheriff in his sights.
He is grabbed by Robin who demands to know who he is and what he's doing. The young man says he is Rowan, son of Dunn, and that he's going to kill Gisborne.
Robin says Rowan cannot do that or he will ruin the plan and put one of the gang's lives in danger.
Down at the mine, the slave trader is paid. The sheriff and Gisborne take their leave and then the slaves are put to work.
Before Allan is forced down in the mine, he begs the guards to give him a separate job. They discover he is not prisoner of war, but English. Allan says he was a deserter—that there were loads of them, but they were all wiped out by the Turk Flu. One guard glances at the other uneasily, but send Allan down the shaft.
~
Nottingham Town
Gisborne and the sheriff arrive back in Nottingham where Marian and Sir Edward wait uneasily. As they head for the dais, the sheriff asks Gisborne if he sees the man he fought with. Gisborne says he is short and injured. And since he is injured on his left arm, perhaps he should order everyone to remove their left sleeves. The sheriff reminds Gisborne who gives the orders.
When Gisborne greets Marian, the sheriff mutters, “Lepers, Gisborne, lepers...”
~
At the mine, one of the prisoners comes climbing out of the mine clutching his stomach, followed by Allan whining and crying about Turk Flu. The prisoner 'passes out' and Allan starts dribbling something thick and black from his mouth, then he, too, 'passes out.'
The soldiers all freak out and begin running away from the mine area. The slave trader tries to run, too, but Allan grabs his ankles and trips him. Mean time, the rest of the gang come running toward the mine.
They each have set positions as they light fires and prepare to blow up the mine. Allan asks what the stuff is he has in his mouth?Robin says he'll be fine as long as he doesn't swallow it, which of course Allan has just done.
Rowan is there asking to light some fires, but Much says no. Robin countermands Much's decision saying Rowan should have a part in it—for his father. Rowan nods his thanks.
~
In Nottingham, the sheriff is pontificating about the 'rogue elements' among them and new security measures: every man must not show his left arm. But as all the men roll up or tear off their sleeves, no wounds appear. Marian and her father exchange a worried glance.
~
Robin has relieved the slave trader of the money he was paid for the prisoners. Then he lets the man go free. Much objects saying that surely the man will go straight to Nottingham and notify the sheriff and Gisborne. Robin nods.
“Oh, I get it. They come here, you go to your fair,” Much says disdainfully.
“Much as it saddens me to pull Gisborne away from his wooing,” replies Robin. He goes over to the freed slaves and gives Djaq the bag of money and reminds her of the instructions.
Robin asks Much about the pilot fire, but Will says he'll take care of it. Rowan just waits, but then has a thought. Will is having trouble lighting the fire, so Djaq steps over to help. With her clear glass, she directs the sun's rays onto the tinder and lights the fire in a matter of moments.
Robin, Much, Allan, and John saunter away from the mine when John falls into a mine shaft.
~
The sheriff and Gisborne look bored as the peasant men line up to take a shot at the target and try to win the silver arrow.
~
John passes out at the bottom of the shaft.
Rowan asks when they are going to burn the mine as the sheriff and Gisborne will be arriving shortly.
Robin says not until they've rescued John, but they broke up all the ladders for kindling and have no way to get down the shaft to help John. Djaq offers her services as she's the smallest one, plus her father was a physician and she apparently has some medical knowledge.
Robin accepts Djaq's offer and sends Much to fetch traces of silver. Much apologizes to God and offers a day of fasting if He'll help them save John.
Rowan is upset at the delay and decides to take matters into his own hands. He takes off away from the mine.
~
Another peasant has taken a shot at the target but has only hit the outer ring. The next archer announced is Michael the Red?Gisborne's man?and Gisborne pats Marian's arm saying she'll be impressed. He finds blood on his hand and she quickly says she's cut herself while peeling the apple. She quickly cuts her hand and shows him. He's a little curious, but turns his attention to Michael the Red.
Michael the Red hits the outer edge of the red center of the target. And just then the slave trader arrives and jumps up on the platform almost getting hit by Michael's arrow in the process.
The slave trader comes running up the platform toward Gisborne and the sheriff and is so winded he can only get out the words: “the mines,” “Robin Hood,” and “fire.” The sheriff mulls over them only a moment before bellowing out, “Soldiers!”
He, Gisborne, and a group of soldiers gallop through the forest.
~
At the mine, Djaq mixes her potion and then the other men get in position to lower her into the shaft.
The sheriff, Gisborne, and a squad of soldiers are fast approaching the mine.
Down in the shaft, Djaq pours her potion on John's wound and then waves it under his nose. He wakes up and is able to stand and hook himself into the rope. The gang begin the slow and arduous task of pulling John and Djaq up out of the shaft.
The two of them crest the opening just as Gisborne and the sheriff gallop along the approach to the mine.
While Allan and Djaq help John from the shaft and onto his feet, the other slaves take off into the brush.
Will, Much, and Robin brandish their weapons and prepare to meet the sheriff and Gisborne.
Robin tells Will and Much to go help get John to safety.
A soldier charges Robin, but he's able to put him out of commission rather easily. Then he grabs a burning arrow and sends it shooting down into one of the mine shafts. Several more soldiers come at Robin and he dispatches them rather quickly as well.
The sheriff is hollering the whole time.
Robin shoots a second and then a third burning arrow into two other shafts before taking his leave of the area and disappearing into the brush.
Robin meets up with the rest of the gang inside the trees. He asks where everyone else is. Djaq says gone and reveals that Rowan has gone after Gisborne's woman.
“But,” Robin says, “Gisborne doesn't have a?
“Marian,” says one of the gang.
~
In Nottingham, Rowan is giving his name to the contest master. He receives his bow and then glances up at Marian who is chatting with her father up on the dais.
The soldiers ineffectively throw buckets of water into the burning mine shafts. Eventually, there are a couple of underground explosions and the sheriff realizes the mine is done for.
The sheriff says Gisborne should have expected this, but Gisborne reminds him that Robin was supposed to be in Nottingham trying to win the silver arrow.
Gisborne realizes his error and he and the sheriff take off for Nottingham.
~
Robin, Much, and Will reach the gates to Nottingham and hurry towards the archery competition area.
They spot Rowan, who is taking practice aim at Marian.
Marian goes into the castle and Rowan follows. The gang head toward the castle, too.
As Marian makes her way down a corridor, Rowan makes his presence known.
“Milady...it'll be quick. I'm a good shot,” he says.
Marian talks herself out of danger and convinces Rowan to avenge his father's death by winning the silver arrow.
She turns away from Rowan and runs into Robin. “Better late than never, I suppose,” she says. “Make sure this one wins the silver arrow.”
A distraught Rowan asks Robin to help him.
Rowan, son of Dunn is announced and a hooded individual takes his position as the sheriff slides off his horse.
The hooded figure hits the very center of the target as the sheriff and Gisborne step up onto the platform next to the target. The sheriff yells out that it's Robin Hood and to seize him.
Robin jumps off the platform into the crowd and disappears. Marian looks worried as the soldiers drag the hooded figure up to the platform. The sheriff is surprised and confused, when he looks down to see Rowan and not Robin.
Robin crawls out from under the platform and pulls on his hood as much settles a cape on Robin's shoulders. “That arrow will feed the miners for the whole winter,” Robin says, pleased. “Come on, let's go,” says Much as he and Will lead Robin out of town and back to the forest.
~
Back at the camp, Allan is still feeling poorly. Robin says no food or drink for a day and a night and Allan will be fine. Much is grateful because there is very little venison left, but Robin reminds Much that he made a promise to God to fast. Much argues that they don't know it was God who saved them, that there would have been a sign if it had been Him?so he is going to start a fire and cook some food. And no one is going to stop him. Robin shrugs and smirks.
~
Marian presents Rowan with the silver arrow. Everyone, except the sheriff and Gisborne, claps and Rowan hugs his mother.
~
As Much tries to light the fire, Djaq aims the sunlight through her glass at Much's kindling which burst into flames and startles him. “A sign,” he exclaims, pointing at the fire.
Robin laughs silently.
“Which means I have to fast...” Much sighs. But then a rabbit lands at his feet. “Well, God must want me to eat.” Another rabbit lands next to the first. “Quite a lot.”
Robin invites Djaq to join them. She asks, “For good?” But Robin says he was thinking just for dinner. Djaq argues that there might have been a vacancy if she had let John die.
Will pipes up that it wouldn't be safe for her as the rest of the gang still believes she is a he...
Robin is obviously curious about Will's comment and Will reveals that Djaq is a girl. Robin grins and claims he thought so.
He asks if anyone objects to having a woman joint the gang, but no one does.
Much realizes Djaq started his fire, so he convinces himself it wasn't a sign and that he can eat. So he sticks a bite of something in his mouth and starts to chew. Immediately, thunder cracks overhead and Much spits out whatever he just took a bite of.