"We'll keep the rest for now," said Robin, as he and his friends headed back to the camp. "Winter will soon be coming and the villagers may need some extra money if the King's soldiers are still in Wales."
"Aye, it would be just like him to raise taxes when people can least afford it," spoke John.
"Some less than others," commented Tuck, his eyes falling on a woman in tattered robes.
"It's a nun," hissed Will.
"If they all look like she does, I'd hate to see her convent," said John.
"Be quiet," whispered Tuck sharply. Robin pulled Will and John to the side of the road, where they all stood respectfully until the woman passed.
"Bless you, Sister," spoke Tuck. The woman nodded and smiled briefly before breaking into a quick gait once more.
"You won't get very far if you're planning to pass yourself off as a nun," stated Margaret. The woman froze. Everyone turned to Margaret in surprise except Tuck, who was shaking his head sadly. The woman's eyes rapidly flooded with tears.
"Please don't tell. I-I can't go back." Margaret studied her for a moment in interest.
"You should never meet a man's eyes if you can help it and don't ever smile whatever you do! Nuns are timid little creatures, but they walk slowly and thoughtfully. You almost run as if you're being chased."
"You are, aren't you?" asked Robin. The woman stepped back a few paces. "Don't be afraid. We want to help you."
"Are you Robin Hood?"
"Yes." The woman suddenly beamed visibly in relief, her tears forgotten.
"Oh, I'm so happy to hear that!"
"You're a serf, aren't you?"
"Yes. My name is Anna."
"You've done a very dangerous thing, Anna. Where will you go?"
"I have a cousin in Attlebury. If I can get there-"
"We'll make sure you do."
"I'll take her," said Nasir.
"Much, will you go with him? Good."
"Thank you, Robin," spoke the woman, smiling again despite Margaret's warning.
"Herne protect you, Anna." As Robin watched the group start off towards Attlebury, he placed a hand on Margaret's shoulder.
"See, you managed to help after all."
"How did you know all that?" asked Will, once they had returned to the camp.
"I was surrounded by nuns most of my life. I understand their ways better than my own." Margaret laughed at Will's blank stare. "I was raised in a convent."
"Why?"
"My mother was..." Her smile faded. "My father was a cruel man." Margaret lifted a cup to her lips and sipped deeply. "Dear God, I almost became a nun."
"So did Marion," stated Will. Margaret glanced at Marion in amusement.
"I didn't realize we had so much in common." Marion held her gaze for an instant, then left the camp without a word. Robin was only about ten paces behind her.
"What's the matter with you?" demanded Robin, catching her arm before she disappeared into the trees altogether. "You've been like this since we left Wickham."
"She's been lying, Robin, and so have you." Robin released her arm.
"Why do you say that?"
"Can you deny it?"
"I don't know what you want me to say, Marion."
"You can admit that she's hiding something."
"Are you certain about that?" Marion bowed her head. She suddenly realized that she would be forced to lie herself.
"I just feel it. I can't explain."
"Maybe you should try," replied Robin coldly. Marion's head snapped up. He was defending Margaret, a woman he barely knew. She tried to appeal to him, to find some answer. Yet, when she looked into those blue eyes, she recognized a quality they shared with Margaret's.
"Perhaps I should try," she spoke at last. "You might listen to me then." She walked away, choosing not to glance back. She wouldn't have been rewarded if she had for, while Robin still watched her, he made no effort to follow. He remained long enough to see her go, then headed off in the opposite direction.
The glade remained empty for a time, its silent witness hardly daring to enter. She only gained the courage when she knew its occupants had left.
"So you don't trust me," whispered Margaret. "You think I'm hiding something." She smiled as a woodcock appeared to reply in the affirmative. She sat on a mossy rock and considered her options.
She knew that she should place as much distance between herself and Sherwood as possible. However, Marion's words had galled her. If she left now it would be admitting defeat and she couldn't have that. If Marion of Leaford wanted a fight, Margaret of Gisburne had every intention of giving her one.
"Where have you been?" questioned Scarlet.
"I was only stretching my legs," she replied, casually slipping an arm around the outlaw's waist.
"Will thought you had left us," said John, cocking an eyebrow at his friend.
"Without saying goodbye? Would I do that?" She dropped her arm and slid past Will to the fire.
"My lady, I understand that you're anxious to be on your way," spoke Robin, sitting down beside her, "but I must insist that you wait until morning. We'll escort you as far as-"
"There'll be no need," stated Margaret, looking directly at Marion. "I'll be staying."
"Staying?" asked Robin in surprise.
"Yes. The skies have been dark. It might rain tomorrow." She smiled at Marion. "You wouldn't want me to catch my death, would you?"
Gisburne had just left the barracks when he met the same servant who had acted on the Earl of Huntington's behalf a couple of days ago.
"Yes, what is it?" questioned the knight cautiously.
"A man is asking to see you, my lord."
"A man?"
"He says he's brought news of the Lady Margaret."
"What?" Gisburne couldn't believe it. Should he care? Did it matter? In the end, he allowed curiosity to guide him.
"Where is this man now?"
"He said he'd meet you in the chapel."
"The chapel?" Now the knight really was curious. "All right. I'll go now."
"Yes, my lord." The servant disappeared and the knight headed for the chapel. It was certainly a strange place to meet. For a moment, he wondered if it could be that wolfshead. Then, he quickly dismissed the notion. Why would Robin Hood risk his life to bring him news of Margaret? The stupid fool probably didn't even realize she was here!
As Gisburne entered the chapel, his beliefs were confirmed. The man standing by the altar had brown hair, not gold.
"Are you Guy of Gisburne?" questioned the stranger, as the knight approached him.
"Yes."
"How very fortunate...for us." Suddenly Gisburne felt a sharp pain at the back of his head and the chapel plunged into darkness.
* * * *
"Do you think it will be enough?" Robin peered into the pot, then faced his friend gravely.
"Tuck, you could feed a whole village and still have enough." The monk broke into a grin and Robin smiled. "Well, I suppose we'll need more stew with another mouth to feed."
"Another mouth?" scoffed Tuck. "She barely eats enough to sustain a child!"
"Maybe her appetite will improve with all that archery practice." Tuck nodded and stirred the stew some more. Marion entered the camp and handed Tuck some herbs she had collected.
"Thank you, Little Flower," said Tuck. She forced a smile, then left without a word. "Robin, what are we going to do?"
"I don't know," replied the outlaw, scooping up a bay leaf. He sighed. It wasn't like Marion to be so careless...Robin quickly jumped to his feet, fully prepared to make amends. Of course, that was before an arrow planted itself between his boots.
"Now that was a good shot!" stated John. Robin sat down again.
"How did our new archer fare?" John wrapped an arm around Margaret's shoulders in what might have been a display of pride.
"She's the worst archer I've ever seen."
"I hit the target!"
"Yeah, after Much bumped into you," spoke Will.
"Sorry," said Much. Margaret scowled when Will and John started to laugh.
"Never mind, lass," said Tuck, acting quickly to soften the blow. "You just need practice, that's all. Maybe you should try the quarterstaff."
"If she can lift it," retorted Will. "Ow!"
"She's a wrestler," stated Robin, watching Scarlet hop painfully around the camp.
"A wrestler, is she?" growled Will, once he had recovered. He lunged towards Margaret, who screamed as the outlaw tossed her across his shoulders.
"Put me down!" she shrieked. "Put me down this instant, Will Scarlet!"
"What?" shouted Will, pretending not to hear her. He spun her around a few times before Margaret began to pummel him. She was soon back on the ground again.
"Ow!" repeated Will, rubbing his sore back. "That hurt!"
"Come on," said John, grabbing his friend's arm before he could sustain more injuries. "We'd better get going."
"Where?" asked Margaret eagerly.
"Uh...hunting," answered John reluctantly.
"Oh, can I come?"
"No! Uh...You'd better stay here."
"Why?"
"Uh...uh...Marion!" he cried, catching sight of the auburn-haired woman. Marion had returned to fetch her dagger and discover what all the screaming had been about. "Marion, you must have something for her to do, don't you?" Marion glared at him coldly. "Well, we'd better be on our way," said John, shuffling quickly out of the camp.
"What's with Marion, then?" questioned Will, once he and John were some distance from the camp. The taller man stroked his beard thoughtfully.
"I reckon she and Robin have quarreled about something."
"Margaret," stated Will simply.
"Aye."
"What's it all about?"
"You think I know? It could be anything when a woman's concerned." Will nodded sagely, the corners of his mouth tugging into a smile.
"I think she's jealous."
"Marion? You reckon?"
"Marion is used to being the only woman in the camp, ain't she?"
"Aye."
"Well, she ain't the only woman anymore, is she?"
"But that wouldn't bother her, surely?" said John. "No, I don't believe it!" Will began to laugh quietly. "You're having me on, aren't you? Why, you..." John brandished his quarterstaff menacingly and Scarlet too off.
"Come back here and get what's coming to you!" called John.
"Are you mad?" yelled Will, still laughing.
"No," muttered John to himself, "but I will be..." He lowered his staff and started off after Will. It wasn't long before he spotted his friend. He crept up behind Scarlet and threw an arm around his neck.
"Gotcha!" he exclaimed, as Will struggled against the giant's vice-like grip.
"Shhh!" hissed Will.
"What is it, lad? Have you found our supper already?"
"Better!" whispered Scarlet. "Now shut up and listen." When John realized this wasn't another joke, the arm slipped quickly back to his side. He craned his head and listened carefully.
"Can you hear them?" asked Will.
"It'd be hard to miss them the way they're carrying on! Who are they?"
"Well, they ain't soldiers. Even the Sheriff's men know better than that."
"It's coming from the road ain't it, John?"
"Aye. I reckon you're right."
"Well, they certainly don't look much like travellers," commented John wryly. Although the strangers were still some distance away, Will and John observed the third horse with its unwilling rider, a prisoner thrown across the animal's back. However, while he was securely bound, his captors were still debating their course of action.
"It's not too late. Let's turn back now while we still can."
"Turn back? You can't mean it. What a miserable little coward you are, Malcolm."
"They'll kill us! You saw what they did to Peter!"
"Oh, and you think they'd greet us in Nottingham, with open arms, after everything we've done? It's too late for that."
"Thomas, what if she doesn't agree?"
"Then we'll kill him."
"Kill who?" boomed a voice. The small party halted abruptly.
"Who are you?" demanded Thomas, attempting to hide all traces of fear. Two figures dissolved from the trees. Suddenly Thomas no longer required an answer. He watched in consternation as the outlaws brushed past them and fell upon the third horse.
"Hold on, I'd recognize that face anywhere!" cried Scarlet. He walked to the other side of the horse and grabbed a fist full of hair.
"Hello, Gisburne." The knight shouted something unintelligible in response. It was then that Will noticed the gag in his enemy's mouth. "What's all this?" he demanded. Thomas cleared his throat nervously.
"We want the woman."
"Oh. Is that why you've brought him along? Thought we'd hand her over if you brought Gisburne as a present?"
"No, that ain't right," piped up Malcolm. "We were going to - Ow!" His dark-haired companion had just ground his heel into Malcolm's foot.
"Yes, that's right," answered Thomas, not quite meeting either outlaw's gaze. "You're welcome to him. All we want is the woman."
"Why?" asked John.
"That's our business."
"Is it?" said Will.
"Yeah." Will drew his sword and directed it at Thomas' throat.
"We don't betray our friends," spoke John, "no matter how tempting the offer."
"And it's tempting all right," spoke Will, glancing quickly at Gisburne.
"Look, Will! They're disappointed!"
"Disappointed! They look terrified to me!" John placed a hand on Malcolm's tense shoulders and squeezed.
"We won't hurt you."
"Tell you what. We'll take Gisburne off your hands for you."
"You will?" asked Malcolm in surprise.
"Aye, lad," answered John.
"We'll just be taking you with us," added Scarlet.
"Oh, no..." stated Malcolm. He looked at Thomas, hoping for guidance but, with that sword at his throat, Thomas was in a worse predicament. Malcolm's beseeching eyes returned to the tall outlaw. John smiled wolfishly and Malcolm wished he had appealed to an even higher source than the giant.
"Come on, you're going to help me with, Gisburne," said John, leading Malcolm to the third horse.
"Gisburne?"
"The man you captured, remember?" snapped Scarlet. Malcolm could have laughed. How could he forget?
"Right, you grab one arm and I'll grab the other," ordered John. Malcolm reached towards the knight. Then, to his surprise as much as anyone else's, he smacked the horse's rump instead.
The horse snorted angrily and Will and Thomas just managed to leap to the side of the road before they were trampled. The outlaws tore after the horse and the man draped precariously across its back. The horse had galloped about a hundred yards before the knight was thrown clear, the hooves narrowly missing his body.
John ran to Gisburne's side, tearing the gag from his enemy's mouth, lest he should choke.
"You're letting them escape!" gasped Gisburne, once he could speak. Scarlet whipped around only to see the other horses galloping back to Nottingham.
"Damn! He's right! I hate that!" shouted Will, lashing out at peeble in fury.
"Come on, Will, there's nought we can do now." John turned his attention back to their newly acquired prisoner. "Let's get you on your feet."
Will grabbed an arm roughly and they pulled Gisburne off the ground. The knight barely had a chance to regain his footing before Will was dragging him off to the camp.
"Uh...Will..." John watched in astonishment as Scarlet forced Gisburne to hop off the road. "Will!"
"What?"
"Untie his feet!"
"Why?"
"Because I'd like to be back before dusk if it's all the same to you!"
Margaret ran her blade along the wood, her attention focused fully on her task. While making arrows wasn't the most exciting activity, at least it kept her busy.
"I think this could be the one," she said. Nasir nodded, trying to ignore the pile of rejects that had already amassed at her feet.
"Margaret." She lifted her head, wondering if the silent Saracent had actually spoken. Then, her dagger slipped once more and there was another stick for the pile. She leapt to her feet as John and Will hauled her brother into the camp.
"I think it's time you told us the truth," spoke John.
