Silver Arrow

The Silver Arrow was a magical artifact. The item was in the shape of a stylized metal arrow.

History
The Silver Arrow first appeared when Robin of Loxley's  father, Thane Ailric, took it to Rhiannon's Wheel after placing his son with the miller. On arriving at the Wheel, Ailric was ambushed by Robert de Rainault, the Sheriff of Nottingham, who claimed Ailric was "the Guardian" of the Arrow, and demanded that Ailric yield him the Arrow. When Ailric refused, he was killed by de Rainault's Norman soliders.

The Sheriff subsequently showed the Arrow to his brother, Abbot Hugo de Rainault. Robert knew a great deal about the Arrow. He claimed it had been described by Gildas the Monk, about "five hundred years ago, but it’s even older than that. Much older". The Sheriff said that Ailric had been the "Guardian of the Arrow". The Sheriff also said the Arrow was also known as "Herne's Arrow",and described it as a "cult object, Like a sceptre or a cross" and added he could not read the runes on the Arrow.

The Sheriff subsequently held an archery competition, hoping to trap Robin Hood by offering the Silver Arrow as the prize. Prior to the contest, the Sheriff told his brother that the Arrow was "a secret symbol of England." Simon de Belleme, who also desired the Silver Arrow, attended the contest and had his servant enter. Robin of Loxley entered the contest in disguise, won the Silver Arrow, and escaped with the Arrow after being discovered. Robin offered the Arrow to Herne, but Herne told him to retain it, saying "The Arrow is your protection."

Robin took the Silver Arrow with him when he went to Castle Belleme. He hid the Arrow in his clothing. Belleme hypotised Robin and ordered him to kill Marion with a knift. However, the Silver Arrow materialised in Robin's hands instead of the knife. Robin used the Arrow to kill de Belleme and rescue Marion.

After the events of Robin Hood and the Sorcerer, Robin returned the Arrow to Herne, who kept it stored in his cave. When Robin was placed under a spell by the witch Lilith, she made Robin steal the Arrow from a box in Herne's cave. Lilith brought Robin and the Arrow to Castle Belleme, where she showed Robin the preserved body of of de Belleme. Lilith used the Arrow as part of a black magic ritual to restore de Belleme to life. Robin escaped from Lilith's spell, and returned to the Castle to retrieve the Arrow. De Belleme attempted to kill Robin by magically paralyzing him and then launching the Arrow at Robin. However, Herne materialized next to Robin. Herne snatched the Arrow out of the air and saved Robin's life.

Further Notes

 * On the DVD commentary for Robin Hood and the Sorcerer, Richard Carpenter said the Silver Arrow was based on the "Golden Arrow" traditionally offered as a reward for archery competitions in the Robin Hood legends. Carpenter said he changed the metal of the Arrow from gold to silver because in folklore, silver is associated with occultism and the Moon.