No one spoke for some time. Neither Guy nor Margaret made any attempt to deny or corroborate Tuck's statement. Only their eyes spoke the truth: to everyone but Scarlet. The outlaw grabbed Gisburne by his tunic and shook him.
"Is it true?" The knight directed his gaze at Scarlet but said nothing. "If it's true, why won't he admit it?"
"He can't," said Margaret, smiling sadly at her brother. "He'd have to admit that he has a wolfshead for a sister and he couldn't do that." Will turned sharply to face her.
"Well, you ain't exactly been telling the truth either, have you?" Margaret looked down at the ground for a moment."
"No, I haven't," she spoke. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry." Will snorted in disgust. "I should never have stayed here. I should have taken to my heels the instant I met you."
"Then why didn't you?" hissed Scarlet.
"At first, it was because I was frightened but then, God help me, it was because I was happy here. Yes, happy."
"Happy?" cried Gisburne. "You were happy here ?"
"Yes."
"And I suppose you thought they'd protect you."
"You mean without a sizeable dowry or the promise of land? I don't know."
"Perhaps you thought you could steal it." Margaret laughed.
"And the Sheriff told me you had no sense of humour! You know, I was almost happy in Nottingham too...despite that awful, little man."
"The Sheriff didn't like you either."
"Oh, I wasn't talking about the Sheriff."
"Of course. I should have known. But then I just assumed that you felt the same way about both of them."
"De Rainault's hands were tied, as were yours. I should have understood. I suppose I did. I just refused to accept it. I see now that you had no choice. I forgive you, Guy." Now it was Gisburne who laughed, even as Scarlet shook him again.
"I see you've been practicing," stated Margaret wryly. Apparently, Gisburne didn't hear her comment.
"You forgive me?" he exclaimed. " You forgive me? You leave me to face the King's wrath and you forgive me? I'm forced to listen to a lecture from that wolfshead's father and you forgive me? I'm captured in the chapel and carried off because of you and, yet, you still forgive me?"
"Well, I never claimed to be perfect."
"No, you've only ever claimed to be one thing and that was only when it suited your purposes!" Before Margaret could protest, Scarlet lost his patience with the siblings altogether.
"I wish you'd shut up!" he shouted, lifting his sword from the knight's chest to his throat.
"Put the sword down, Will," said Robin.
"Will..." gasped Tuck, Margaret's dagger biting into his flesh.
"Will!" The sword quickly flew away and the pressure from Margaret's dagger subsided.
"Now, set him free," ordered Margaret. Scarlet growled an oath but he still complied. The outlaw could only gain satisfaction by grabbing an arm and hauling Gisburne roughly to his feet. Gisburne rubbed his wrists briefly, but remained where he was.
"Take my horse and go," spoke Margaret.
"No," answered Gisburne.
"No? What do you mean no? "
"I can't." Gisburne sat down against the tree he had just been tied to and crossed his arms in casual defiance.
"You are a stupid, stubborn, idiotic--" Gisburne yawned. He had been insulted by masters of the craft. Margaret's simple barbs rolled off his back as smoothly as bath water.
"Guy, I've said some terrible things," said Margaret quietly. "I've given you every reason to hate me." She waited but there was no response. She began to grow impatient. "Listen, I know you'd rather endure another decade in the Sheriff's employ than stay here. Go back to Nottingham."
"No. I don't think so."
"Take my bloody horse and go!" screamed Margaret, who almost stepped around Tuck to confront her brother.
"No."
"Go or I'll kill you!"
"You can't."
"You think I couldn't kill you?"
"Not if you're planning to keep that fat friar as a hostage." Margaret shrieked and almost threw up her hands in exasperation. However's Guy's words made sense. She glared at Gisburne and was at a complete loss for words. Then she decided to change her tactics again.
"The Earl said you were overprotective, but this is--"
"Huntington said that?" interrupted Gisburne. "He informed me that I didn't give a damn about you!"
"Well, it looks like he was right. If you cared about me at all, you'd leave here at once." Gisburne didn't move a muscle.
"Guy, you have to go!"
"Not without you, I won't." Margaret turned to the outlaws as if to ensure that Gisburne had actually made the statement she thought he had. The way they stared at him confirmed her suspicions.
"I'm not leaving here without you," stated the knight, as if he sensed everyone's skepticism.
"I'm not going back to Nottingham."
"I don't care where you go or what you do, but you're not staying here."
"I won't allow any sister of mine to stay in Sherwood," proclaimed Margaret in a low, gruff voice. The outlaws probably would have laughed under other circumstances. Gisburne didn't even have the courtesy to blink. The wind rustled the leaves in the trees and a lark could be heard in the distance.
"I can't go with you, Guy. We'd both be dead as soon as we turned our backs. They'd shoot us as soon as I released Tuck. Who's to say they won't shoot us before that."
"I do," spoke Robin, looking directly at Gisburne. The knight held his gaze for an instant and nodded imperceptibly. Suddenly he was on his feet.
"Come on," said Gisburne.
"What?" gasped Margaret. "Are you mad? He's your enemy! How can you trust him?"
"You did."
"Yes, I did, but he's not my enemy...or at least he wasn't an hour ago!"
"I'll have to take that chance," replied Gisburne. He took her arm and, in her shock, Margaret allowed herself to be led from the camp. Will quickly picked up his sword.
"Will!" warned Robin. Scarlet threw the sword aside with a curse.
"Well, we're going to follow them at least, aren't we?" demanded John, voicing his friend's frustrations. Robin didn't answer; he was already halfway across the camp with Marion, Nasir and Much. John and Will exchanged quick glances before they hurried after them.
"This will never work," hissed Margaret as they reached her horse.
"They won't hurt you," said Tuck, who had noticed the slight trembling of the dagger poised at his throat. Apparently Gisburne also noticed her anxiety.
"Give me the dagger."
"No."
"Margaret, you'll need to hand him over to me if you're going to mount that horse."
"You first," replied Margaret. Gisburne studied her shrewdly for a moment. She seemed determined to disobey him.
"You had better not try anything funny, Gisburne," called Scarlet. The outlaws were keeping at a respectful distance, but only just.
"All right," spoke Gisburne. He placed a foot in the stirrup and swung up into the saddle.
"Go with him," pleaded Tuck.
"How?" asked Margaret. "It's impossible."
"No, it isn't." Tuck took her wrist gently and they moved closer to the horse.
"Now what do I do? I can't hold a dagger at your throat and mount the horse."
"Gisburne," said Robin.
"Hey!" Suddenly Gisburne reached down and lifted Margaret off the ground. Before she could even consider struggling, she was seated in front of him.
"Guy!" Guy jerked the reins and the horse flew forward. Everything became a whirr of green until they reached the road.
"This isn't the way to Nottingham!" Margaret shouted.
"We're not going to Nottingham!"
"We're not?"
"No!"
"Why, that's the sweetest thing you've ever said, Guy!"
* * * *
"What could you have been thinking?" rasped Scarlet. "You just let them go. Just like that."
"Just like that," replied Robin.
"Why?"
"I wanted Margaret out of Sherwood."
"I could have done that. I could have removed her from this world if you wanted!"
"Will!" cried Tuck in admonishment.
"I thought we made a pact never to hurt women," said Robin angrily.
"She's not a woman...She's Gisburne's sister!"
"It didn't seem to bother you yesterday."
"I didn't know she was 'is sister yesterday, did I? Besides, that was before she betrayed us." Will glanced quickly at Marion. "You knew, didn't you? You knew we couldn't trust her. We should have listened to you." Marion shook her head firmly.
"She had no choice."
"No choice!"
"She thought you were going to kill her brother. What would you have done in her place, Will?"
"If Gisburne was my brother I'd kill myself!" Tuck cast Robin a look of concern, but Robin's face was stone. "No, I take that back," spoke Will suddenly. "I'd kill him!" Robin turned and started walking out of the camp.
"Hey! Where do you think you're going?" demanded Will. "I ain't finished with you yet!"
"I can't talk to you when you're like this."
"Like what? When I'm ready to kill Gisburne?" John chuckled quietly.
"He's always like that, Robin," he stated. Robin moved forward again and Will stepped in front of him.
"We're back to this again, are we?" said Scarlet. Robin bowed his head. "Why won't you kill him? Margaret...Well, I can understand that, but Gisburne...At least Loxley would give me a reason. You never 'ave." Robin lifted his head and Will was startled by the haunted look in his eyes.
"Do you trust me, Will?" Despite everything that had happened, Will's faith had not wavered.
"Yeah, of course I do. You know I do."
"Then trust my reason."
Robin brushed past Will but remained within the boundaries of the camp.
"Why did Gisburne lie?" said Much, after a period of awkward silence had descended.
"Lie?" spoke Tuck.
"Why didn't he say anything about 'is sister when he first had the chance," answered Scarlet, providing a translation. However, John seemed to be the one who understood the situation best.
"He was protecting her."
"Protecting her?" questioned Will in disbelief. "From what?"
"From us."
Tuck didn't have to travel far to find his leader. Robin had only travelled the minimum distance to escape his friends's scrutiny. He was leaning against an oak, the fingers of one outstretched hand splayed against the trunk.
"What took you so long?" joked Robin quietly. Tuck studied Robin carefully, but he was unable to decide whether Robin resented the intrusion or welcomed it.
"I can just as easily turn back."
"No. You deserve an explanation."
"I'd like that." Tuck sank heavily to the ground and Robin stared at patterns on the oak bark. Then, after he was familiar with almost every line, he proceeded to tell Tuck what had occurred after the Wheel had turned. Tuck has always been a good listener, but even he interrupted the story a few times in astonishment. Robin patiently explained several points in his tale but, in the end, Tuck still produced the question Robin had been dreading.
"Does Gisburne know the truth?"
"No. I told him that it was what everyone else believed."
"He thinks it's a lie?" Robin shifted against the tree uncomfortably.
"Gisburne only believes what he wants to believe. He always has." Tuck gazed at Robin sternly.
"He must want to believe that Margaret is his sister, or do you think he usually protects women who don't exist?"
"She arrived in Nottingham and claimed to be his sister. What else could he do, Tuck?"
"He could have cast her out." Robin sighed. He had used the same argument on Gisburne, though for different reasons. "I recognized her as Margaret of Gisburne's daughter. Do you really think he didn't see it too? And if he saw through that deception, how long will it take before he sees through the other lies?"
"Guy! Stop! Please!" The knight yanked sharply on the reins and the horse dug its hooves into the road, sending clumps of earth flying.
"What's the matter?"
"I think we've managed to escape them."
"You don't know them," said Gisburne, before realizing he would need to amend that statement. "Forgive me. I had forgotten," he added sarcastically.
"All right. You've made your point." Margaret glanced down at the arm that still circled her waist. She slipped from Gisburne's grasp, landing softly on the ground.
"If you run away, I'll be able to catch you this time," stated Gisburne, taking hold of the reins again as if to prove his claim.
"You almost sound as if you mean that." She patted the horse's neck fondly. "Where will we go?"
"I don't know," admitted Gisburne. "Where were you heading before you ended up with those wolfsheads?"
"I..." Margaret lifted her head in alarm. The sound she had come to fear most filled her ears.
"Margaret, give me your hand."
"It's too late." Four horses galloped towards them and they were soon surrounded.
