They said their farewells and agreed to meet back at the Café in the morning, complete with luggage, friends, food, drink, travel game ideas (that was Rosie’s suggestion) and, as Lucy pointed out,
“ A map would be useful too!”
They spent the night packing and preparing for their first ‘musical world’ holiday, although they soon discovered something. The trunks that their companions provided them with were huge and weighed a tonne.
“ You’ve got to be joking!” Jo had snorted when Phillipe had hauled one into her bedroom. “ What do you want me to do with that?!”
“ Well…what else are you going to put your belongings into?” he had grinned, tweaking her nose playfully.
“ But…but…it’s so big and heavy and…I couldn’t possibly carry it further than the front door, let alone miles into the countryside!” Jo continued,
“ But Jo…you won’t have to carry it anywhere…we’ll send them on ahead of us…” he laughed gently, “ You’re acting as if you’ve never packed one of these before in your life. But you must have done…when you moved here from…well…wherever it was…you packed didn’t you…?”
“ Oh…when I moved…yes…of course I did…I just…er…forgot, I mean, it’s been such a long time since I went anywhere and…” Jo panicked a little, Phillipe walked over and gently touched her arm to stop her fretting. She glanced down and saw the small scar left on her forearm. A reminder of her first night, when she had been attacked and saved by Phillipe. She looked up into his face and smiled. “ Oh well…doesn’t matter now…does it? Wait a minute, ‘send them on ahead’? Surely that means we have to have a destination…have you been planning behind my back?!” Jo raised an eyebrow and Phillipe smiled coyly.
“ Well as it happens Marius and I had been discussing the possibility of an excursion for a while…so…” He shrugged and Jo laughed.
“ You sneaky thing,” She pulled his long steel coloured ponytail playfully and he laughed loudly. She smiled sweetly and took his hand in hers. “ You know, it’ll be nice to spend some time together…feels like I haven’t seen you in months…” Phillipe smiled weakly, let go of her hand and moved away from Jo. Her heart sank, something had been wrong for a while and deep down she knew it couldn’t be helped. They loved each other very much but they realised, they weren’t ‘in’ love with each other. As such they had been living as friends for the past year, although everyone believed them to be in love. For the sake of privacy they had kept up the pretence but now, going away with friends had posed a new problem.
“ I know…that things haven’t been as we had hoped…and I’ve been away for so long…” Phillipe’s voice was full of sorrow. Jo went over to him and looked up into his pale green eyes.
“ Shhhhh! It doesn’t matter…you’re here now and tomorrow we’re going to go and have the best holiday ever!” She smiled taking his hand once again. He turned to her and touched her face gently.
“ I do……care about you Jo…you do know that don’t you…”
“ Yes I do…and you know how much you mean to me…” Jo’s smile grew a little. A frown creased Phillipe’s brow,
“ I just wish…if only things were different…you know how much I want…I mean, would like…” He looked into her eyes and Jo nodded slowly and hugged him tightly as he stroked her hair.
“ We’ll figure it out somehow…” Jo sighed. “ I don’t how…but we will…”
The next morning couldn’t come quickly enough for the five friends. As the dawn lit up the streets, they gathered outside the Café. Having had their trunks sent onto a mystery destination courtesy of Marius and Phillipe they had little to carry. Just a few light bags containing what they would need for the journey, which apparently would take two days. They wouldn’t give the friends any other clues than that. Soon their horses arrived and the friends set off on their holiday. Marius and Phillipe riding at the front with map, the five friends following behind giggling and chatting excitedly.
After a few hours they were well outside Paris and were in open countryside. Jo breathed deeply, taking in lungfuls of the fresh summer air.
“ Isn’t this wonderful!” she exclaimed, her eyes shining with excitement.
“ I can’t believe we’re actually doing this!” laughed Lucy, trying to keep control of her horse who seemed determined to try and turn around and go back to Paris.
“ I know!” Rosie giggled, “ We’re on holiday with Marius and Javert!”
“ Phillipe,” corrected Mark, “ He’s not a policeman anymore remember!”
“ I just can’t get over how beautiful it is out here!” Jenny sighed looking around them. They all had to agree, it was amazing. Rolling green fields surrounded them, sprinkled with wild flowers in pinks and purples. The weather was lovely and warm, with a clear blue, practically cloudless sky. As they travelled along, they noticed the countryside become more and more wooded. Soon the trees that lined the road were growing so close together that little sunlight penetrated the shadows and the air grew colder. Rosie swallowed noisily,
“ What does this remind you of…?” she whispered nervously to Jo.
“ Don’t be daft! We’re hardly going to ride into another…red swirly thing without noticing it first are we?!” Jo whispered back. Sounds of dispute stopped them continuing and the group stopped.
“ Well, there are no woods on the map…” Phillipe muttered angrily.
“ Well,you must have read it wrong then!” Marius snapped.
“ I doubt that, you’ve had the map since we left Paris!” Phillipe sneered, reminding the friends distinctly of his old persona as Javert, Police Inspector.
“ Well maybe it’s a cheap, old map…” retorted Marius.
“ BOYS!” Jo shouted in her most teacher-like tone. They flushed visibly as Jo dismounted and strode up to them, snatching the map off of them. “ Now let’s see where we are shall we…” She studied the map and felt a slight chill descend over her, as there was no forest on the map. She wandered back to the others who had also gotten off of their horses.
“ Well, are we…you know…lost?” Jenny asked,
“ I think so…but I don’t see how…we followed the road exactly, there weren’t any turnings or anything…were there?” Jo looked at them with a confused expression on her face.
“ N-n-no I don’t think so…” Mark mumbled looking back along the road.
“ Well what are we going to do about it…?” Rosie whispered.
“ I don’t know…follow the road I guess and ask the first place we come to for directions…” Jo shrugged, “ I mean what choice do we have…no one brought a compass did they…?”.
“ Can’t you use a needle and a magnet to find North too?” Jenny suggested,
“ Do you have either of those things…?” Lucy asked, eyebrows raised. Half in hope, half in scorn.
“ Er…no…”
“ Then does it matter…?!”
“ …No...” Jenny looked at the floor.
“ What about the sun or the stars or something…?” Mark mumbled,
“ Again useful if we could see the sky!” Jo rolled her eyes, the others remounted their horses and Jo headed back to Marius and Phillipe.
“ Have you found us?” Marius asked hopefully.
“ Not really no…but if we follow this road we should find someone to ask for directions…shouldn’t we…?” Jo looked up at them as she handed the map back.
“ What choice do we have?” Phillipe sighed and smiled gently at Jo, “ Thanks for trying though.” Jo winked back and went back to her horse. But there was a problem…
“ Er…where’s my horse?”
“ What do you mean, where’s your horse?!” Rosie’s eyes were full of concern.
“ My horse…it’s gone…” Jo paced back and forth along the path, looking amongst the trees.
“ It can’t have done…” Jenny reasoned,
“ Well can you see it anywhere?!?!” Jo yelled.
“ Jo, calm down,” Lucy reasoned as she got off her horse, “ It can’t have gone far…” she said looking into the trees. She couldn’t see much, it was getting darker.
“ Well why don’t you ride with Phillipe?” Mark suggested,
“ We’re going slowly enough as it is…” Lucy mumbled as she peered through a bush. The others dismounted and tethered their horses to one of the sturdier looking bushes and began to help Jo and Lucy look.
“ Here horsey horsey horsey…” Mark shouted, Jo turned to look at him, one eyebrow raised.
“ I worry….oh I do worry…” she rolled her eyes again before heading into the trees.
“ Jo! Don’t go too far!” Shouted Rosie from the road.
“ I won’t! Don’t worry!” Jo yelled back.
“ Be careful you don’t know what’s out there!” Marius called out.
“ Oh I’ll be fiiiiiiine!” Jo screamed as she tripped and fell over something. She groaned as she picked herself up.
“ Jo! You ok? What happened?!” Phillipe shouted about to head after her.
“ Oh nothing, just wasn’t looking where I was going, just tripped over a…” Jo turned to find out what it was and felt all the breath leave her body. She stood open mouthed, face to face with a bow and arrow. “ a…a…a…” Jo struggled to speak as the bow and arrow moved closer to her and it’s owner became clearer. He was dressed in various shades of green and brown, his dark brown hair was long and fell into his bright green eyes.
“ Jo what?! What was it…?” shouted Phillipe, sounding more and more concerned. “ I’m coming after you…” he started to head into the trees. The figure before Jo indicated for her to stop him.
“ No! Phillipe it’s ok…I’m coming out now anyway…” Her voice was a little shaky and quieter than normal. The man with the bow nodded his head towards the road, indicating that she was to head back that way. He followed her, the arrow aimed at her head. As Jo neared the road she heard Rosie gasp as they all noticed what was going on.
“ Jo! Are you ok?” Rosie cried out.
“ Yeah…yeah I’m fine…” Jo smiled weakly as she stopped a few feet away from them. She saw Phillipe looking around for some kind of weapon, he trusty night stick no longer by his side.
“ What do you want from us?” Phillipe demanded loudly.
“ Taxes my good man!” came the reply from behind Jo.
“ Taxes?! What ever for…?” Marius asked.
“ And why should we pay you…?” Phillipe continued. The man behind Jo laughed loudly and then whistled. All of a sudden the trees around them seemed to come to life as at least thirty men appeared. All brandishing bows, arrows and swords. They surrounded the friends, their weapons trained on them.
“ My name is Robert, Robert Locksley, but you may call me Robin…” He bowed gracefully.
“ It’s Robin Hood!” Mark exclaimed, despite the sword levelled at his throat.
“ Told yer you was famous!” laughed a huge man next to Phillipe. They friends turned and instantly knew him.
“ It seems you were right Little John!” Laughed Robin. “ Now then…” he continued, walking around to face Jo, the arrow still trained on her. “ What have we here…” He looked her up and down and then raised an eyebrow when he reached her face, “ What’s a nice girl like you doing in a place like this…?” Jo rolled her eyes, as did some of the Merry Men.
“ You are having a laugh aren’t you?! I mean, first of all you frighten me to death, point a deadly weapon at me and then try to chat me up!”
“ Well it usually works!” He winked and Jo felt sick.
“ Look, what do you want?” Jo glanced over his shoulder and could see Phillipe becoming more and more annoyed.
“ Well…if a date’s out of the question…” Robin pretended to think for a second, “ Then how about your money?!”
“ What money?” Jenny laughed, “ We’re students!” A joke sadly lost on Robin and the Merry Men.
“ You must think me mad!” Robin yelled, “ How can a group with seven horses and fine clothing have no money!”
“ Six horses!” corrected Jo, “ I take it that it was you who took mine!” Robin grinned proudly and the Merry Men cheered. “ Why am I not surprised…” Jo muttered under her breath.
“ Well we don’t have any money…” Mark explained,
“ And we won’t pay you a penny…you’re little more than common thieves!” This last statement drew a, “ Woah Marius!” from Jenny and Lucy and a gasp from the Merry Men.
“ Did you call me a thief?” Robin’s voice was little more than a whisper. Mark exchanged worried looks with Jo. “ Did you call me a thief?!” Robin yelled, he dropped his bow and arrow and quickly pulled out a blade, grabbing hold of Jo he pressed it up to her neck. Phillipe tried to push past the men around them but he couldn’t get through. Jo struggled to break free but she felt the blade press harder against her skin and previous experience made her stop. It was unlikely her life meant anything to him. “ It is you, the rich, who are the thieves! You take from the poor, from those who have nothing and live a life they only dream of! We try to change that, by taking from the rich and giving to the poor, to those who need it. We stand up against your tyranny and will not stop until the tables are turned!” The Merry Men cheered riotously at the end of his speech and Lucy leaned over to Rosie,
“ Reminds me of someone…who could it…oh I know…isn’t he a little ‘Enjolras’-like!?!” she sniggered.
“ Look, unless you let me go you won’t get anything….” Jo tried to reason with him, “ Trust me…you’d be better off letting me go…” She felt Robin’s grip loosen and she stepped away from him a little. He walked around in front of her again, the blade still pointing at her. “Look…” she gently pushed the blade away, “ We’re on your side…you see those two young women…” she said pointing to Jenny and Lucy, “ They devote their lives to helping the under privileged in Paris…and him…” she said pointing to Marius, “ He gives charity concerts to raise money for the homeless too!” She looked into Robin’s eyes and saw the anger fading. “ We’re sorry if…Marius…I mean we insulted you…but you did frighten us!”
“ I suppose…” Robin looked at them all and then at his Merry Men. “ You may go…but on one condition…”
“ Yes…?” Jo asked quietly,
“ I get Marius’ autograph! I’m a huge fan…” he started to babble, “ I thought it was you but I wasn’t sure…” He pushed past the Merry Men in the way, “ I came to your concert at the Opera in Paris…Wow! You were…well amazing…!” Jo stifled giggles, along with everyone else as Marius dutifully gave Robin, Little John and most of the Merry Men his autograph. The Merry Men said farewell and Jo’s horse was returned. The friends were soon on their way and the trees began to become thinner. Soon they were back in the open countryside and suddenly, over the brow of a hill they could see the faint lights of a village in the distance.
“ Help!” shouted Jo.
“ Food!” yelled Rosie.
“ Booze!” cried Mark joyfully.
The group spurred their tired horses onward and eventually they came to a sign.
“ You must be joking…” Jo said wide eyed.
“ It can’t be…” whispered Rosie.
“ Wow!” Marius gasped, “We found it without the map! And within a day too, guess the forest was a short cut…of sorts…”
“ You mean this is where we’re spending our holiday…?” Jo asked,
“ Why…what’s wrong with it…have you been here before?” Phillipe looked concerned.
“ Oh no...no…nothing’s wrong…” Jo shook her head as they slowly rode past the sign and into the village. Rosie and Jo exchanged intrigued and slightly worried looks…according to the sign they were entering…Artigat.
PART TEN
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