said.
Armina nodded her head, smiling."Well, I guess we could try."
Lona tested her piece of toast. It had burnt while she had been talking. "Yuk!"
Armina laughed and got up."Oh, come on Lona, if you want us to enter this old arrow contest, then we had better start making our bows."
Lona pulled off the burnt bread and started to toast another slice."Excuse me, but I didn't say I was going to enter, I thought you would want to, she said witha sly look.
Armina pulled a face and crossed her arms."What are you after, Lona?"she asked her cunning bird friend.
"Have you heard of a fox called Robin Hood?" Lona asked.
Armina rolled her eyes in disgust "Yeah, my parents said he was an outlaw like you and me. But he has never liked us, because we are ferrets. We don't like him because once upon a time when my grandfather was trapped in a pit, old Robin Hood didn't save him."
"Mmm,' said Lona,'Yes, well I heard him and his friend talking about entering the arrow contest, so I thought..."
Armina face brightened up."You mean if we go to the arrow contest, we could tell the Sheriff about Robin, and the clever Hood will be locked in prison!"
"That's right!"
Suddenly Armina's happines sank."Lona, we're outlaws. How are we going to get in? It will be guarded by those wolves."
Lona smiled at Armina's worried face."We'll just do what we can, Armina. I'll get it sorted out..."
Chapter V
The day of the Golden Arrow contest had come, and Lona had just prepared Armina's arrows by giving them each a perfect float and sharpening their points. Armina brought her satchel to hold the arrows in and picked up her bow which was a fine one with blue, red and yellow bits of rag stuck to it's ends to make it look old.
Armina was dressed in a cloak which Lona had designed, with beads hanging from the hem. Embroidered stars and moons decorated the rim of the collar. Armina also had a long staff and her cudgel in her belt.
Lona wore a dark blue hood plumed with red feathers, and a small lead knotted round her feet attached her to Armina's gloved hand.
They dressed like this to look like travelers from afar.
"There, now we're ready to go," Armina grinned happily.
She and Lona walked for a few miles till they reached the enterance of the contest grounds. Armina joined the row of other competing archers. She whispered to Lona, "Now remember, we are looking for You-know-who."
Lona nodded and searched about with her keen eyes, then she saw something; a stork marching confidently up to the end of the row, and Lona could see a hint of something fluffy and orange tucked under the stork's tunic.
Lona gasped and hissed to Armina."I've seen him. Over there!" Lona pointed at the stork with a wing.
Armina looked puzzled."But Robin Hood is a fox."
"I know that, but I saw a bit of..."
Suddenly they heard the trumpets sound. The Golden Arrow contest was begining!
All the archers stood in line. Armina quickly told Lona to inform someone about who they had seen. She let her friend off her lead, and Lona went to obey orders.
Some archers fired their arrows, until it was Armina's turn. She fiddled with her arrows until finding one with a good float.
When she tried to adjust it to her bow, she was tripped by someone on perpose and she accidently fired it. The arrow went whizzing through the air, and landed with a thump right on the edge of the target board.
There was a loud roar of laughter from the watching crowd.
Armina shrugged to herself. Oh well. I'm not here to win.
Then she heard someone calling her from behind. Near-by stood a yellowish large-eared fox who wore a white apron. The Fennec fox beckoned her over.
" Didn't you see what happened? Do you know who tripped you?" he asked.
Armina shook her head." Nope, but I have a strong suspicion it was that Sheriff."
The fox shook his head and nodded side-ways at the stork who was now playing against the Sheriff. "I saw that skinny old stork kick your foot with his bow."
Armina wasn't surprised."Oh, he did, did he?" she smiled. "Well, then I'm not finished with him.Thank you for telling me"
She shook the Fennec's hand warmly.
"Sorry, I've forgotten my manners," he said." My name is Fiske."
Armina smiled."I am sure I've heard of a name like yours, Fiske. Mine is Armina."
Fiske looked stunned. "You mean...you're Johang and Haramin's daughter Armina?"
"Yes!" Now it was Armina's turn to look stunned."You can't be Prince John's kitchen cook!" Fiske nodded happily.
Armina looked very surprised." Well, my parents would like to see you again soon Fiske." Then she frowned."How is Nottingham?"
Fiske looked upset for a bit." Oh, just as bad. How's life in the forest? Are your parents well? And why are you here? I mean after that time when you helped the peasants with the water, you were sentenced an outlaw."
Armina told him all. Suddenly Lona came rushing towards her."Armina! The stork won. But I told the silly Prince John about what we know and he's got a plan!"
Armina hastily said goodbye to Fiske, and she and Lona hurried over to where the stork was standing, straight and proud, about to be awarded the Golden Arrow.
Chapter VI
Armina and Lona were surprised when they saw what was happening at Prince John's royal tent. The stork had disappeared and in it's place stood Robin Hood; a fox in chains.
Armina and Lona watched the hubub, and were puzzled when Prince John started acting strangely.Then it all went pear-shaped.
They had to run as a hoard of rinos charged and the fight began.
Armina caught a glimpse of Robin Hood who was making a dash for freedom.
She grabbed Lona, who had stopped in perplexion, and they ran back into the woods to hide, Armina's long ragged cloak streaming out behind her. The noise was so loud that it made their heads ache. They ran deeper into the forest until the cacophony died away, They had come to a quiet stream.
Armina sat down, wiping her brow."Well Lona, that Robin Hood fox...he made his lucky escape."
But Lona was shaking. Armina looked at her freind."What's the matter Lona? Is your head alright?"
Lona didn't answer. Instead she dropped to one side, and Armina saw what was the matter; a large arrow was stuck into Lona's thigh, where it was bleeding badly.
Armina didn't wait a second. She grabbed hold of the arrow and yanked it straight out. Poor Lona screeched pitifully.
Armina ripped a bit of her cloak off and dipped it into the stream.Then she wrapped it gently around Lona's upper leg and murmered softly to her friend."I'm sorry if it hurt alot Lona, but if I'd had left the arrow in, the rust would have gone to your blood and that would've really done some bad to you."
Lona, who had now stopped screeching looked down a her bandged thigh with ruthless eyes."Who ever did this was no accident!" she cried.
Armina placed Lona on her lap and stroked the kestrel's head."Calm down Lona, shouting will not help your leg."
Lona lay down comfortably, still strong enough to argue back."So, I'll not fly so easily anymore."
Armina didn't want to fight or else they would be up all night.
All of a sudden she heard the sound of music and laughter.
"Lona, I can hear other beasts, you wanna check it out?"
Lona jumped up when she heard it too."Do you think it's that Robin Hood? Owch owch!" Lona sat down, her thigh much sorer."Could we check it out Armina?"
Armina hesitated for a moment."Well not unless I hold you."
Lona held her wings up, Armina picked her up and together they ventured on to see who was making the noise and music.
Chapter VII
Armina and Lona had walked not too far, when the reached the place. They saw peasants dancing about while others played instuments.
It was getting dark. Armina clapped her paws silently to the rhythm as she and Lona watched. She heard the lyrics, '...Old Prince John, that phony king of Ennngggland!'.
She spoke in a low voice to her bird freind." Ah,Lona, they will go to prison for singing that. I feel sad for those peasants, dancing there way to jail."
Lona nodded." Well I don't like how they don't care whether somebody's watching them. Like the wolf guards."
Armina crossed her arms against her stomach."If they were aware, they'd probably have seen us."
Then she giggled at thought of the peasants not caring what they were doing and where they were. She bowed at her Lona and gave her an inoccent smile."Dear bird, would you care to do a jig on Prince John's balcony and pull silly faces at his wolf archers!"
Lona spluttered with laugher and played along with Armina's joke."Why, thank you, kind miss, you go first!"
They both burst into fits of laugher as they made up more silly jests, and it didn't matter whether the pheasants could hear them or not for the music was too loud.
Armina got up, tears streaming down her face."Woohoohoo!Come on Lona, we'd have better be going to bed now, tee hee hee!"
Lona flew up into a tree, her leg feeling a little better now. Armina tied
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