A year passed since Isabelle's death, and Robyn and Damian were still coping. Especially Damian, he was grief-stricken, he became inconsolable, he was no longer the jolly loving father he once was. His heart was empty, Robyn tried to fill his heart with joy, but he was full of sorrow, for the loss of his wife was too great, and not even his adorable daughter was enough to cheer his spirit, to fill his heart with joy. Even in Christmas time, his cheerful personality turned grim, because they spent their Christmas together with Isabelle as a family. Isabelle would sing songs with her beautiful voice, and they would dance merrily together, she would also tell them fables, and cook the most delicious meals, cooked with love, and those would be the best Christmas times ever. Now that she's gone, Damian and Robyn spent that Christmas miserably, all they ate for dinner was plain rabbit meat with vegetables and bread, they just ate their food in silence, not saying a word, what is there to say anyway, or to sing or dance. It was the most miserable Christmas they've ever had. The Christmas spirit just escaped them.
As for his hunting job, he was in no condition to hunt in the wild forest, his soul felt too bleak, the only work that was suited for his grim attitude is the work of a mere foot soldier, in the King's ranks, all they do is march, guard, blindly follow orders. Robyn hated that kind of job for him, it's not like him, that would mean he couldn't train with her in the woods. How can Robyn continue her training without her father? The best hunter in the kingdom. That's when Damian and Robyn had a serious talk.
"No father, I don't want you to work in the boring soldier ranks!" Robyn protested.
Damian calmly explained to her. "Robyn love, listen to me, I can no longer do my job as a hunter anymore, I just don't have that hunting spirit in me anymore."
"Of course you do" Robyn encouraged him. "It's still inside you, it has always been inside you, always have and always will! If you become a foot soldier then how can I continue my training without you? You're the best hunter in the kingdom."
"I was the best hunter" Damian replied, gloomily. "Now I'm just a broken man without his beloved wife. And as for your training... I know you want to follow in my footsteps, but I'm not that hunter full of adventurous spirit anymore. So I'm afraid we're going to have to cancel the plan of you becoming a hunter."
"Father no!" Robyn cried.
"I'm sorry love, I can no longer be there in the forest to protect you. You're going to have to do housework from now on, like every little girl." Damian concluded the conversation.
It was done. Robyn just walked away to her room with tears in her eyes. She just sobbed on her bed, thinking of what to do now? "Doing housework like every little girl, that's what you think" she said, with a moody look on her face. She was determined to become a hunter.
Three years passed, and little Robyn was now 11 years-old. And although she stays at home, managing the house like a little house maid, she's still training in the woods in secret, but not very far from town. While her father was away working, Robyn would find the time to hunt. She would hunt only small simple creatures, like pigeons, woodcocks, sparrows, etc.
When her father returned home from work, he looked exhausted. "What an intense day. I am knackered."
Robyn greeted him. "Welcome back father, fancy a cuppa tea?"
"Yes please" replied Damian. "What's for supper?"
"Vegetable soup with bread."
"Ah no, I am in no mood to eat that rabbit food. I could really go for some meat"
"Would you like me to cook you some roasted pigeon instead?"
Damian looked suspicious. "We don't have any pigeons, where did you get one?"
Robyn was embarrassed to answer, words didn't come out of her mouth.
"You were out hunting again, weren't you?" Damian guessed.
"Yes, but only nearby the woods where I could see the flock of pigeons, and get a clear shot" Robyn explained, while showing him the dead pigeon she shot.
Damian was impressed and upset at the same time. "Excellent shot I'll admit, but you know you can't go out hunting anymore."
"Why not?"
"Because I say so! And also because I can't be with you to protect you. The work of a soldier is a lot harder than I thought."
"You mean a lot duller than you thought" Robyn added. "All they do is stand on their post, guard, and blindly follow orders. The work of a soldier must be a miserable job."
"Watch your tongue young lady! I will not have my daughter ranting about like a disrespectful gypsy" Damian said, angrily.
"I am not a gypsy! I'm a hunter!" Robyn talked back to her father.
"You're a young girl, who should do as she's told" Damian raised his voice at her. "Starting with getting supper ready or going to your room."
Robyn was frustrated now, she didn't know what to say, but she certainly didn't want to miss supper, especially since she's the one who cooked it for him. Robyn took a deep breath and said calmly "All right father, shall I cook the pigeon meat for you then?"
"No Robyn, you will not cook the pigeon you shot" Damian said, strictly.
Now Robyn went from frustrated to disappointed. "Why?" she whined.
"Because I will not eat meat from your childish disobedience."
Robyn was annoyed by her father's strict attitude. She grumbled silently and just served the vegetable soup, they ate their supper in silence, and as for the dead pigeon, Robyn just threw it out of the window, some lucky cat will eat it, not to let it go to waste.
One day, when Robyn was going to the market to buy some groceries, she spotted those street kids from before. They were just running around the streets raising sticks in the air, playing a mean game of "Hunt the Witch" on other kids they would come across, like an angry mob. Robyn decides to spy on them for a bit, at least it's something interesting to do rather than to do groceries. I'll do it later, she taught. And so off she went to see what those troublemakers are up to.
Robyn hid behind crates and barrels, while keeping her distance from those street bullies. While spying all she saw were seven homeless children doing naughty things, like: running around, yelling, making noises by banging on some old pots and pans with their sticks, stealing food from merchants while their distracted, taunting on those poor stray cats and dogs, and picking on other children.
Just watching those homeless brats playing their miserable petty games made Robyn's eyes hurt, she decided to leave and finish her groceries, but when she turned to leave she accidentally stumbled upon some rickety barrels and it made a big noise that it brought the street kids attention to her. The street children saw her by surprise, Robyn was now scared, she gulped a lump in her throat, worried of what they will do to her.
The scrawny boy, with the messy blonde hair stepped towards her, while waving his wooden toy sword and said with a mean tone. "Hey girl, what do you think you're doing around here? Don't you know this is a dangerous neighborhood?"
"What's so dangerous about this neighborhood?" Robyn said, boldly. "You?"
"Correct" he said.
"I bet she was spying on us" said the girl with the pigtails. "Weren't you?"
Robyn was nervous, she didn't know what to say? She definitely couldn't lie, it would be sinful. So instead she just nodded silently and awkwardly in response.
"I knew it."
"Why were you spying on us?!" asked the boy with the straw hat, angrily. "To make fun of us in secret."
"No, of course not" Robyn answered, quickly. "I was just... curious of what you were doing."
"Curious, huh? Well curiosity can lead you to danger, you know" said the girl, with a scary voice. She looked liked she was about to pounce at Robyn. But the little boy, with a cape, stopped her there. "Wait, shouldn't we introduce ourselves first" he said.
"Of course, good point Leopold" said the main blonde boy.
He looks like he's the Head of the group, Robyn thought.
''I am William, leader of this group. Some may call me Wilful William. And this little lad here is Leopold.''
''Folks call me Little Leopold, miss.''
''Because you're little'' Robyn guessed, while judging his size. ''You look about four years old.''
''Five, actually'' Leopold corrected her.
William introduced Robyn to the rest of his gang. ''This young man with a temper is Angry Andrew.''
Robyn can see that.
''Please to meet you. I think?'' said Andrew, with a grouchy tone.
That was rude, Robyn thought.
''The girl who was about to harass you was Harassing Heather.''
''I'll harass you next time'' Heather said, with a scary voice.
Robyn gulped a lump in her throat, scared.
''The girl with the crazy eyes is Crazy Caroline.''
''They don't call me crazy for nothing'' said Caroline, with a crazy smile.
''I can see that'' said Robyn.
William pointed at the boy, who was whistling a tune while collecting the stolen food in the sack. "That jolly gentleman over there, with the sack of stolen goodies, is Jolly John."
"Please to make your acquaintance, miss" said John, with a gentleman expression.
"How nice of you to say" replied Robyn, suspicious. "Though it doesn't seem like you meant it."
"Just because I'm a street urchin thief, doesn't mean I don't have a sense of chivalry in my soul" John proclaimed.
William presented his last groupmate with gusto. "And of course the only grown up with pigtails, and who knows responsibility better than any of us in this group, is Responsible Rosemarie!" he exclaimed.
Robyn was puzzled. "Really? why do they call you Responsible Rosemarie?"
"Because I'm the most mature child in this group, and it's my responsibility to care for everybody" Rosemarie explained. "That's why I act like a responsible grown up."
Robyn wasn't convinced. "You call yourself responsible and mature? I just saw you and your crew making loud noises, stealing food and harassing poor animals!"
"You judge us so easily, because you don't know what life is like for us street orphans. Living on the streets with no home, no family, nobody to take care of us, we had to steal food to survive" Rosemarie enlightened her, with her grown up voice.
"What about the orphanage?" Robyn asked.
"The orphanage fell apart" answered Andrew, upset. "It was so old and poor, it didn't had enough funds to stay open. The workers did everything they could to save the orphanage so they can take care of us.''
''They did their best, but unfortunately their best wasn't enough'' added John.
''And it's no thanks to that mad king of a tyrant, Henry VIII! He's the cause of England's downfall, what with all the witchcraft insanity going on'' exclaimed Andrew.
''Ever since he accused his second wife, Anne Boleyn, of being a witch, his reign became intolerable'' said Rosemarie, with a childish voice.
Robyn couldn't argue with that. She knows, everyone knows, that the way the King rules is unfair and injustice.
''He accuses every girl and woman who behaves unusual and rebel against men!'' Heather exclaimed. ''He thinks it's the work of Lilith.''
''Lilith? That demon woman?'' said Robyn, puzzled. ''But she's barely mentioned in the bible. Everyone knows her story's not real. My father says she's pagan nonsense.''
''Well we know that and you know that, tell that to the King'' William dared her.
Robyn wasn't going to respond to that. She knows there's no reasoning with the King's madness.
''I heard rumors, that that old night hag uses her dark magic to curse men in their sleep by giving them sleep paralysis'' Caroline said, crazily. ''It happened to William's father.''
''Caroline!''
''Oops''
''What?''
''It's not true!'' William protested, immediately. ''And anyway it's none of your business girl. Point is the King accuses anyone who behaves suspiciously, speaks in the Devil's tongue, and those who studies the dark arts.''
''And who acts suspiciously peculiar. For example you spying on us so mysteriously'' added Andrew.
''Huh?''
''Now that you mentioned it she did acted rather odd'' replied William, with a naughty look on his face.
''For all we know she could be a witch?'' Caroline suggested, looking crazy.
''What? No!''
''Hmm, for once I agree with your crazy theory'' said Heather, looking malicious at Robyn. She looked liked she was finally going to harass her from previous.
''No! I'm not a witch! I was only wandering around curiously for a minute before going to the market'' Robyn explained, innocently.
But the street kids didn't listen. They just want to bully her for their own sick entertainment.
Without a second thought, Robyn ran away from those brats immediately. The street children chased her. ''Get her!'' ordered William.
Robyn ran as fast as she could. The street kids were chasing her with sticks, pretending to be an angry mob. Robyn ran and ran, taking different turns and complicating directions to confuse them in hope to lose them, but they were to quick on their feet and formidable. Soon she found herself cornered in an alley, it was a dead end. The street kids surrounded her, preparing to grab her so they can tie her up and play ''Kill the Witch'' on her forcibly.
Robyn stood her ground, while clenching her fists, she was ready to fight her way out. Although she knew fighting 7 vicious urchins is a stupid idea, and she'll fail no doubt, but it's the only option she had left. The kids formed a trap circle around her, they were closing in, Robyn prepared for their worst. Suddenly a familiar strict voice appeared in the air, saying ''What's going on here?'' It was Robyn's father, Damian, to her rescue. The street children stopped what they were doing and quickly ran away out of sight.
Robyn may have been saved from those bullies but she was still in trouble with her father.
"Robinette Wood! What do you have to say for yourself?"
Robyn just smiled awkwardly and responded with a nervous voice. "Thank you father, for saving me from those naughty children."
Damian just sighed and walked Robyn back home. "Father, I didn't get to go to the market to buy the groceries" she told him.
But Damian didn't listen and didn't care, he just needs to have a serious talk with his daughter, about her rebellious behavior.
At home, Damian had a talk with Robyn about her plans for the future, about how she'll spend her life the righteous way. "How many times do we have to have this discussion, Robyn? You can't keep doing this."
"But it wasn't my fault" Robyn tried to explain fast. "There were these naughty street children who were stealing fruits, and taunting poor innocent cats and dogs and bullying other kids for no reason and-"
"Robyn" Damian interrupted her. "How am I to trust you if you keep wandering off to trouble. You were careless, now reckless."
"I was only being adventurous" she defended herself.
"You were looking for trouble."
"I was only looking for some excitement, not just to do plain groceries, or do boring house chores, or cook meals for someone who won't even eat or appreciate the fine meat I've prepared, which I've shot myself" she was looking at her father.
That kind of speech coming from a girl is disrespectful, a girl can't not talk back to her father, or speak that way to a man. If she keeps behaving like this, people might think she's a wicked witch, not just some marauding gypsy. Robyn gave Damian no choice but to send her to work. "You've been idle, lately" he said, while showing her the house's condition. "Look at the state of this house. There's dust and cobwebs everywhere, you've barely swept the floors, you left the dirty dishes in the sink, you've been delaying your dinner duties, I'm hungry by the way, all you do is play with your crossbow."
"It's not playing, it's training" Robyn tried to explain to him. "It's for my hunting job."
"You only have one job, Robyn. Household duties, that's the virtuous work for every young girl."
"Well maybe I'm a different kind of girl, and doing chores is not my kind of noble work."
Damian was beginning to get impatient with his daughter's rebellious nonsense. "Don't talk back to me young lady. If you keep behaving like this then I'm going to have to put you in the scullery."
Robyn was shocked. "What?!"
"You'll be put to proper work with other girls and women. There you will learn proper manners, and the people there will teach you some respect."
"Father, no!" Robyn begged. "I don't want to go to work at the miserable scullery. The girls there waste their youths and energy for minor chores, I can simply do that here at home."
"They also work hard for money. You can earn some coins as a reward for your hard work" Damian tried to show her a silver lining in this discussion.
But Robyn wasn't pleased. "Some hard work. We don't need money, well we do so we can earn a living, what I mean is hunting is a real job, an exciting one even. Out there in the unknown wild, hunting for food, fighting off beasts, not knowing what mysterious forces are in the woods, maybe we will meet some witches who casts spells, and find some brownies, or maybe we'll find a dragon and-"
"Robyn stop!" Damian stopped her. She was telling him tall tales again. "I'm sorry, we?"
"Aye father, we" Robyn tried to convinced him to become a hunter again. "Father, I can see you're unhappy as a foot soldier, leave that rank, be a hunter again so we can hunt together like we promised."
Damian looked at her with a grim face. "I'm sorry love, my days of hunting are behind me. I know I inspired you to be a huntress, but that was when your mother was here with us, now she's gone... and so is my spirit."
Robyn was now worried, she couldn't believe her ears, she had never seen her father so dour.
"My mind is made up. I'll take you to the scullery myself, first thing in the morning."
"Father, please!"
"It's done. Now go to your bed."
Robyn ran upstairs to her room, crying. She was devastated, she couldn't believe this was happening, she couldn't believe her own father is enrolling her to work at the King's scullery.